President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday named Nigeria’s petroleum minister. And that is himself.
Mr. Buhari said he would personally head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the new cabinet.
Addressing some select reporters in New
York on Tuesday, after addressing a Global Leaders’ Summit on Countering
ISIL and Violent Extremism, the President said: “I wil remain Minister
of Petroleum.
“I will appoint a minister of State for Petroleum”.
According to him, this step is being
taken as part of efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry, which is
said to be plagued by corruption, massive fraud, and crude oil theft.
Mr. Buhari restated his determination to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry and free it from corruption and shady deals.
He said that the first step in this
direction had already been taken with the appointment of a new
management for the NNPC and its subsequent reorganisation.
The President said the prosecution of those who misappropriated NNPC’s revenue under past administrations would soon commence.
On Corruption, he pledged that the
federal government will fight corruption, because it has been identified
as the root of all problems hindering Nigeria as a nation.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for most part of his tenure, was also the minister of petroleum.
Mr. Buhari had promised to name his cabinet before the end of September.
Since Wednesday is the last day of the
month, the President is widely expected to forward names of his minister
to the National Assembly today.
Names forwarded to the National Assembly would be screened and approved by the Senate before they are sworn in.
Already, the President of the Senate,
Bukola Saraki, has indicated that the screening of the ministers would
be thorough and comprehensive.
Mr. Saraki gave the hint while welcoming senators to plenary in Abuja after a long recess.
He said that screening of the nominees
would be in-depth to ensure that only competent and qualified
individuals only occupied the positions.
“As we await the list of ministerial
nominees this week, we are prepared to treat the screening with dispatch
but with thoroughness,” the Senate President said.
“I believe the presence of ministers will create the space for greater policy engagement with the executive arm of government.
“I want to urge you all my colleagues to
ensure that what is uppermost in our minds as we begin the
constitutional task of screening of ministerial nominees is the overall
interest of our country.”
He added, “Once the list is submitted,
let us ensure that we treat it with dispatch and thoroughness. We must
not be held down by unnecessary politicking.
“The enormity of our national challenges at this time does not give room for pettiness or politics of vendetta.”
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