It is not in President Muhammadu Buhari's nature to fire. Read that again, this time, slowly.
So why, oh why, has he just axed his Minister of power Saleh Mamman; and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Nanono?
Well, there's some method to some of this 'madness.'
1..A review was done
Believe it or not, President Buhari reviews the performances of his hires annually, quarterly, monthly or even weekly.
Everyone currently serving at the president's pleasure had better be trembling and quaking in their shoes right now.
Don't take my word for it. Here's President Buhari in his own words: “Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats.
“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians."
So yeah, Mamman and Nanono didn't just make the cut after thorough and systemic reviews; and changes became imperative.
Got that? Good.
2..These were very obscure ministers
Don't lie to me now: Did you know who the minister of power was after Babatunde Raji Fashola was stripped of that role at the onset of Buhari's second term on the throne?
If you had to google who the minister of power was, to find out why your neighborhood was in perpetual darkness, then we are pretty much on the same page.
Let me put you out of your misery: The power minister was Saleh Mamman. Yeah.
But unlike Fashola before him, he was never in our faces to explain why the national grid was always collapsing or why swathes of the country is subsumed in darkness.
Mamman was like the 'P' in Psychology or the 'Y' in Yvonne. We couldn't even reach a consensus on whether his first name was 'Saleh' or 'Sale' and not once did he address the discrepancy. Little wonder he had to go.
Ever recall Mamman talking about the mass metering programme or the administration's deal with Siemens?
The one time we heard of Mamman, he was fighting Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha.
I mean, I had people in my family, social and work circles who still thought (in 2021 goddammit) that Fashola was to blame for the darkness that so often engulfs the land, and cursed him for that.
At least Fashola was in our faces every now and again to explain sturvs like the power roadmap. Not this chap.
How about Nanono? I mean, we all thought Audu Ogbeh was geriatric, out of touch with modernity, boring and was something resembling a dinosaur. But dude still addressed the press to talk about ranching, open grazing and importing livestock feed.
Nanono? Can't say I ever heard of him (like thrice) before he was sacked today.
3..It's all about the politics, baby
You see, Mamman is from Taraba and Nanono is from Kano State. They have just been fired midway into Buhari's second term in office.
Why didn't the President ever fire any minister or reshuffle his cabinet during his first term in office? Because he just couldn't, in order not to annoy some people who could deprive him of re-election votes.
There's your answer.
You can be sure that Mamman and Nanono have become politically expedient and dispensable and that other politicians from their states need to be rewarded and given something, so that they can help harvest votes for the APC.
Nigeria runs a patronage political system, don't you forget. State governors get disenchanted with some ministers from their states for political reasons and tell the president so.
The president listens to them and asks for new nominees from their jurisdictions.
There is every likelihood that these sacked ministers and a few more who will be asked to vacate the cabinet, have fallen on the wrong sides of their respective governors. So they are asked to, or will be asked to take a walk.
It is why, if you have been following, many state governors have been firing their commissioners and special advisers ahead of the 2023 elections.
The reason is because new political loyalists need to be rewarded to work the base and get out the vote.
You can't allow the same set of people to 'chop' forever.
You gerrit? If you don't gerrit, fogerra abourit.
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*Pulse Editor's Opinion is the viewpoint of an Editor at Pulse. It does not represent the opinion of the Organisation Pulse.