President Buhari, It Is Time For Cabinet Reshuffle

Following his election as President and Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari operated without ministers for about six months and the explanation given was that he needed time to appoint ‘angels’ as ministers and members of his cabinet.
Given his standing as a man of integrity, proclivity for due process and faith in merit, many Nigerians believed him, though some had to banter at some point by calling him “President Go-Slow.”
However, when he finally made his appointments known, Nigerians had the rudest shock as the so-called messianic appointees who were long in coming, were known faces; some with questionable and not so wonderful past to qualify for such post(s) while some were just rookies without any experience of governance.
Not a few Nigerians felt offended and wondered why it took Buhari so long to appoint mostly recycled politicians and spent forces that have nothing new to offer. Today, such people have been vindicated by the not-so-impressive performance of President Buhari and his team so far.
Most of his appointees as Ministers and Cabinet members are not known to Buhari and were just recommended by some vested interests. Perhaps, this explains why some of them are working at cross-purposes with the ‘real’ change agenda. I had to add ‘real change’ because what Nigerians are experiencing presently is at variance with the promised ‘Change’ which many erroneously thought will better their lot and bring succour to the poor and downtrodden in the society.
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari even echoed this during an exclusive interview on the British Broadcasting Corporation and thereafter she was described as belonging to the kitchen, the bedroom and the other room.
Now, I am joining the fray by stating that a cabinet reshuffle is long overdue in the Buhari administration given the performance of most of his appointees.
Their actions and pronouncements are not helping matters; instead, they have further alienated the government from the masses who gave Buhari overwhelming goodwill and support upon assumption of power.
The confusion at the ministry of youths and sports and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF is not only annoying but also insulting to Nigerians and I think it is sufficient to warrant an immediate change of guard.
Whosoever might be in charge of that ministry is not helping President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
As if that is not enough, the Ministry of Communications and the Nigerian Communications Council, have so far been riding roughshod over the sensibilities of the poor but discerning and politically conscious Nigerians.
The unpopular and anti-people Communications Tax Bill, which seeks to impose, charge and collect Communication Service Tax (CST) on service fees payable by users of electronic communication services at 9% was pushed with the unrealistic claim of N20 billion naira monthly projected revenue based essentially on assumption.
The sponsor(s) of the bill which negated the principle of neutrality in taxation forgot perhaps unknowingly that if passed into law, it would reduce inflow of direct foreign investment into the sector, reduce subscribers’ level of data consumption and affect contribution of the sector to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – it will also stunt the rapid growth of the telecom sector, in line with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan – then who loses in the end?
The suspended Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) “floor plan” or minimum pricing for data services by mobile operators which according to the NCC aims at addressing market distortions, unhealthy price wars and value erosion was another embarrassing move – anti-free market and enterprise in the main.

According to the shelved plan, new entrants to the data market, such as Spectranet, Ntel and Smile, are still allowed to charge below 0.90k/MB.
The NCC claimed that without a price floor, the dominant operators can engage in predatory pricing to drive out other operators.
In my view, this was the dumbest of all policies. It’s like fixing minimum price of rice at about N70, 000 per bag to protect local farmers and with the Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu asking Nigerians to brace for a price rise even after the Senate had directed that such a move be stopped and the NCC backtracked following a loud public condemnation, I become very worried.
Why should the masses pay extra billions of naira just to protect three companies and why is the minister of communications hell-bent on seeing that done? What is his interest? Is he working for the people of Nigeria or the small telecommunications operators?
Consumers not operators who are maximizing profit should be protected.
Fact is that, free market economies are devoid of obnoxious government restrictions, rules and price floors except the Buhari administration is operating a ‘command and control’ economy.
The new entrants should offer something different, be more efficient, or target a different market segment, they can even merge to form a mega company that could give the ‘big players’ a hot chase. Price fixing in whatever form is anachronistic, anti-competition and killer of enterprise.
The power sector seems to be the weakest link in this administration and the degeneration continues with whosoever that might be in charge appearing totally incapable of fixing the rot. The consumers today are at the mercy of electricity power distributors who have devised ways and means to exploit them maximally.
Majority of electricity consumers in Nigeria pay outrageous and estimated bills following the stubborn refusal of electricity distribution companies to provide them with modern meters. The electricity companies are under-performing and under-supplying power while Nigerians are overpaying for services not rendered yet there is a minister.
The list is endless but let me conclude by stating that while it took Buhari about six months after inauguration to make key appointments, U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump is doing that within few weeks before inauguration and clearly ready to start delivering on his promises immediately after swearing-in on January 20, 2017.
The Nigerian change should begin now with an immediate cabinet reshuffle.
Benedict Ahanonu, can be reached via: 08033944198 or email: bahanonu@yahoo.co.uk