The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Father Matthew Kukah, has faulted the process by which the President
relies on nominations from state governors and others to choose ministers.
Kukah also expressed shock over comments made by former ministers in the immediate-past administration about their principal, President Muhammadu Buhari.
He made the statement when he appeared on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Wednesday.
Speaking on his assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s performance in the six months since his inauguration as President on May 29, 2023, Kukah said the system of selection of ministers in the country created problems as the President had to “beg” the state governors for nominations.
He added that the solution was to continue to “harass” leaders in power, adding that appointments to positions of leadership shouldn’t be a favour to anyone.
“I feel sorry for a Nigerian President because elsewhere, you will be dealing with CVs and data that have been generated over a period of time. But I think the structure itself is so self-constraining. And I am not making excuses for anybody, but I’m saying the very fact that you have to rely on the governors to give you names of ministers, and you rely on external agencies to be able to do things that ordinarily you, who is composing the team, need to be able to do.
“I mean, the coach decides which player is going to play, no matter how good you are, and the coach decides who is going to come in at what time, depending on what skills you have. But as I said, the best solution to this is for us—let me use the word—to harass those in power. Because, you know, this is not a favour you will be doing for anybody,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the bishop stressed that he had no personal grudge against former President Buhari but was shocked at the kind of things he heard from former ministers who served in that administration.
The clergyman who was responding to questions about his feelings about Buhari’s administration six months after his exit from office said he was only doing his job and never said anything disrespectful or personal about the President.
He said, “President Buhari has finished his term and he is gone, and there is very little else to be said for or against. But everybody knew we had a job to do. There was nothing I said about Buhari that was personal; that was disrespectful.
“I am talking to ministers now who served in that government, and I cannot call names, but I am shocked to hear the kind of things people are saying, people who served in that government; but that is talk for another day.”
