Tinubu’s Cabinet Reshuffle Isn’t About Superior Minds, Says Shittu

Adebayo Shittu, former Minister of Communications, claims that President Tinubu’s recent cabinet reshuffle is not primarily focused on appointing superior minds. Read more about Shittu’s perspective on the changes.

Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, expressed that President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet restructuring is underwhelming.

The former minister suggested that the cabinet reshuffle was driven more by political motives than by an effort to introduce exceptional talent into the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Shittu appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Thursday, just one day after the President dismissed five ministers, reassigned ten others, and introduced seven new nominees who are pending confirmation by the Senate.

Shittu expressed doubt that the changes implemented yesterday (Wednesday) are introducing superior or better minds in terms of governance, expectations, and performance.

In my view, it’s simply a situation where some Nigerians are being asked to move on while others are brought in. This doesn’t imply that those who have been replaced are inferior to the newcomers.

In August 2023, three months after being inaugurated as Nigeria’s president, Tinubu appointed 48 ministers. Among them was Betta Edu, who faced suspension in January 2024. Another minister, Simon Lalong, resigned to join the Senate.

Amid Nigeria’s unstable economy, soaring inflation, and deteriorating security situation, Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos, has encountered significant criticism regarding the performance of his ministers over the past 15 months since their appointment.

On Wednesday, the President responded to demands for a cabinet reshuffle by dismissing five ministers, reassigning 10 others, and making seven new appointments.

READ ALSO: Presidency Clarifies: Ministers Discharged, Not Sacked in Recent Cabinet Reshuffle

No Time for Experimentation

Shittu, who served as a minister under Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu’s predecessor, described the cabinet reshuffle as simply a political gesture intended to placate unhappy citizens.

The former minister stated, “Often, not everyone appointed as a minister is suitable for the role.”

You’ll likely agree that due to the influence of certain aspects unique to Nigeria, many decisions about ministerial appointments are more influenced by political considerations than merit.

Shittu emphasized that ministerial nominees need to be rigorously vetted by the Senate, as Nigerians lack patience for ministers appointed on a trial-and-error basis.

He expressed his preference for people to undergo a screening process to assess their suitability.

For example, I confidently assert that today we have an engineer serving as the Minister of Works. Anyone closely following developments in the Ministry of Works would agree that having a civil engineer in this role has a highly positive impact on their tasks and responsibilities.

“For example, if I were appointed to the Ministry of Works as a lawyer with no training or understanding in engineering, it would take significant time for me to learn. Nigerians clearly don’t have much patience for such a lengthy learning period.”