Buhari’s ministerial list still shows disdain for Nigerian youths

The 43 ministerial nominees submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Senate on Tuesday revealed that despite the clamour for young and fresh bloods in governance, none of the nominees was below forty five years of age.

Practically the list included people who have been in the political circle for years without any consideration for the ‘Not Too Young to Rule Bill’ as well as the interest and representation for youths in the country.

Findings by National Daily revealed that the youngest on the list is Sadiya Umar Farouk from Zamfara who is 44 years old, followed by Ali Isa Pantami from Gombe born on 20th of October, 1972 (47 years), and then Festus Keyamo from Delta state who was born 21 January 1970 (49 years) and Dr Rahmatu Tijjani from Kogo state who is also 49 years old.

Majority of the nominees are in their late fifties and sixties while three, Mohammed Mahmmood from Kaduna, Osagie Ehinare from Edo state and Mohammed Musa Bello from Adamawa state are over 70 years of age.

Reacting to the list, the Chairperson of the Transition Monitoring Group, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, described the list as a total disappointment. “It is full of former governors and mostly old people.”

In his own submission, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the list lacked innovation.

Ogunyemi stated, “The other observation is that there isn’t much innovation on the list. People are talking of a generation change and injecting fresh blood or a mixture of the old and the new. I am sure the younger generation would have been looking out for a list that would have accommodated their interest and representation.”

According to the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, Timothy Olawale, the ministerial nominees list contained mostly names of recycled politicians.

He said, “We had expected that with the delay by the President in constituting his cabinet, the team would be populated by professionals that had distinguished themselves in their area of calling.

 “That the selection would be based on merit and what they could offer by way of adding value to governance. While we cannot say those on the list cannot deliver on the government’s agenda, we note that they are mostly recycled politicians that are picked based on political patronage and mostly for their roles as party men,” Olawale said.