Daniel Bwala a close aide to Atiku Abubakar, has voiced his discontent over the portfolio assignments to ministers by President Bola Tinubu.
The assignments, which were announced on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, have raised concerns about the suitability of certain appointments.
The inauguration of the newly screened ministers is scheduled for Monday, August 21, 2023, and President Tinubu's allocation of 45 portfolios to his chosen ministers has come under scrutiny. Daniel Bwala, during a recent interview, criticised the choices made by the president, labeling them as mismatched.
Bwala highlighted his reservations, stating that some of the appointed ministers were ill-fitted for the roles they were assigned. He referred to this issue as "square pegs in round holes" and emphasised the challenge of "Renewed Hope." According to him, there are individuals on the list who lack the necessary competence to effectively execute their responsibilities.
He cited an example involving two ministers, Hannatu and Betta Edu. Hannatu was assigned the portfolio of culture, while her counterpart, Betta Edu, was given the role of minister of humanitarian affairs. Bwala questioned the rationale behind such placements, suggesting that their respective portfolios could have been more suitably interchanged.
Additionally, Bwala criticised the decision to appoint a former governor Bello Matawalle as the minister of state for defense. He pointed out that this individual had a poor track record in addressing security challenges during his tenure as a governor, with a rating of 5/100 in fighting insecurity. Bwala posed a pertinent question regarding the appropriateness of entrusting someone with such a background to oversee defense matters.