Tuesday Column By VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO
vikeano@yahoo.co.uk | 08033077519
With the constitution of his cabinet also known as the Federal Executive Council, following Monday’s swearing-in of Ministers, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has formally taken off properly. This is coming nearly three months after the president and his vice assumed office. With some three months of the administration’s four-year tenure is gone already. No one needs to tell the new ministers that they have to hit the ground running. Nor do they need to be reminded that there are huge expectations on them. Nigerians do not expect them to turn things around overnight. Nonetheless, we are expecting indications of positive development indices as the months go by and visible, tangible results in some sectors by end of the year. These new ministers should bear in mind that Nigerians are an impatient lot.
The recent economic policies such as removal of fuel subsidy, deregulation of the foreign exchange market (which government avers was necessary to save Nigeria’s economy from collapse) has made Nigerians more irascible, irritable due to their biting effects. It is true that most countries globally are experiencing some economic hardships. However, it is also argued that Nigeria should not find itself in a deep economic mess given its abundant resources underneath the soil, on the soil and on the oceans. Happily, the new Finance Minister/ Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun states that he would work towards ensuring that the “temporary inconveniences occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and exchange rate unification are alleviated”.
Unsurprisingly, this administration is giving priority attention to the economy as a whole. This is evident in splitting of some economy-related ministries to be stand alone ministries. In addition some of the ministries now have the suffix ‘economy’ added to their nomenclature. They include Ministry of Maritime and Blue economy; Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy. Creative economy refers to the entertainment industry, namely, music and film. Nigerian music and film is reputed to be making waves abroad. The new and pioneer Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa is expected to harness vast potential of these sectors to boost the economy, thereby, raking in huge sums of money for the federal government.
Lola Ade-John is another pioneer minister of the now stand alone Ministry of Tourism. It used to be Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Its separation is again recognition of its huge potentials especially since each state of the federation is blessed with tourist attractions which when properly developed would earn the nation huge sums of revenue even in foreign exchange. And the new minister is an expert in tourism.
The Ministry of Maritime and Blue Economy is a novel one. Blue economy is said to refer to the ocean and the resources therein. Hitherto, the Nigerian government paid scant attention to this sector, resulting in revenue leakages. Now, this new government is apparently poised to take full advantage of resources in this area to further enhance our economy. Former governor Adegboyega Oyetola who holds first and second degrees in Insurance and Business Administration respectively and who was a good manager of human and material resources as governor is its pioneer minister.
One Ministry which all Nigerians are looking up to is Power. Electricity is an essential ingredient for everyday living as well as for sustenance, viability of businesses of all categories. Yet over decades, Nigeria has continued to be plagued by irregular, unstable electricity supply. And this is despite the millions of dollars and billions of naira that had been pumped into that sector since return to civilian rule in 1999. Will the Tinubu-led administration be able to break this jinx to guarantee anxious and suffering Nigerians uninterrupted electricity nationwide? The task of achieving this goal for Mr. President lies with Chief Bayo Adelabu. Will he deliver? Only time will tell.
About the priority task of the new Education Minister (Professor Tahir Maman) is to help President Tinubu keep his campaign promise that ‘four years of study will be four years’. That is, that tertiary institutions’ academic calendar will be maintained without interruptions of strike actions by the academic staff unions. He will also oversee the newly introduced Student Loan Scheme, expected to commence in the new academic session.
New Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesome Wike laid down his marker upon assumption of office on Monday. He says he has been given a marching order by President Tinubu to sanitise Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. He outlines his priorities as boosting security in the FCT, infrastructural development, etc. He gives notice to those with undeveloped land to do so within a specified period or have their allocations revoked and given to those that are ready to develop them. Does Minister Wike have any plans for the numerous houses that are lying fallow, unoccupied, presumably because of exorbitant rent charges? The minister will also do well to give attention to the satellite towns in terms of development. On a lighter note, Wike is being touted as ‘enjoying a third term as governor’ because the FCT is regarded more or less as a state. He is now the ‘landlord’ of all Abuja residents, so to speak.
