No Plans to Reshuffle Cabinet - Presidency
From Josephine Lohor in Abuja
Following media reports that President Olusegun Obasanjo was about to drop 12 out of the 40 ministers, the Presidency yesterday said that there were no plans to reshuffle the Federal cabinet or drop any minister.
It also stated that although Obasanjo has the sole power to reshuffle or make changes in the cabinet, he has absolute confidence in the present members of the Federal Executive Council and other key members of the presidency.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, who made the government position known while addressing State House correspondents, also said that the president treats all governors the same regardless of their political leanings.
The presidential spokesperson noted that "the decision to reshuffle a cabinet or reconstitute a cabinet is the prerogative of the leader of such a nation. And so, we must grant President Olusegun Obasanjo that prerogative.
"The signal or speculations can only in the minimum cause jitters among the people but in the main, not mean much. But what I can say from his vantage position is that that report of a planned drop of ministers or a reshuffle as of this morning (yesterday), is not true."
Oyo, however, added that "the president has a lot of respect and he wants the celebration of professionalism in all walks of life. Nigerians can perform in different aspects of life without necessarily being in the cabinet and the fact that I have said that this speculation of reshuffle is incorrect does not in any way remove from the fact that President Obasanjo celebrates professionalism and is keen in ensuring that Nigeria and Nigerians put forward their best performances everywhere."
Oyo recalled that "he (Obasanjo) has said it, only about two weeks ago, that he has confidence in the members of his cabinet and key members of his staff and on that occasion, he said that he was not probing anybody, so on this occasion, I am also saying that the president has no plans of any kind to drop any minister."
Oyo, reacting to allegations that Obasanjo had a soft spot for some governors hence his decision not to declare a state of emergency in states like Adamawa and Rivers which have witnessed violence and loss of lives, stated that "the president has a lot of respect for all of the governors regardless their political leanings and he treats them all equally. So, it is not a matter of whether he has a soft spot for one person or the other or it was out of hatred or all of that that there was a declaration of emergency in Plateau. It was a decision that he took after a lot of painful reflection and consultation."
Emphasising that Obasanjo was always at pains whenever there is a crisis in Nigeria, Oyo said that 'whereas it is true that there have been skirmishes in different parts of the country, the issuance of an emergency measure is something that becomes a last resort. And because the president has not spoken publicly about the situation in Numan (Adamawa) and Rivers States does not mean that he is not consulting or does not mean that he has not issued orders. As a matter of fact, I do know that he has issued orders to the Inspector-General of Police and is constantly talking with the governors of the affected states."
She added that "when the president took the decision to declare a state of emergency in Plateau State, it was not a decision that came easy. It was a decision that he took with a lot of pains. Not because he did not like Governor (Joshua) Dariye."
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