President Buhari has recycled ‘Noise makers’

The media assumptions on the tardy ministers appointments that Senate President got 21 nominees; Nigerian President held up 15 nominees; and the Senate got fresh 11 nominees came to an end on Wednesday, September 30, 2015; even though some skeptics believed it was an empty brown envelope submitted to the Senate President, Dr. Olubukola Saraki. The list finally revealed the ‘Noisemakers’, as most of them are reprocessed. The anticipated expectation was to have new broom to sweep the debris in the community, along the vision of President Buhari, prompting his body language to provide adequate services for Nigerians. Why the long wait for Buhari’s ‘Noise Makers’?
According to The Sun Newspapers, Wednesday, September 16, 2015, defending his delayed announcement of the Ministers, Buhari declared, “The civil service provides the continuity, the technocrat. In any case, they are the people who do most of the work. The ministers are there, I think, to make a lot of noise, for the politicians to make a lot of noise”.
In some occasions, Buhari could be politically ingenuous in his choice of words, understanding how democracy works, regardless what the constitution says. According to Buhari, Ministers are mere ‘Noise Makers’; which he has demonstrated since May 29, 2015; for the Civil Servants to continue doing the work if the Constitution allows.
Civil Servants and Technocrats across the universe are the strength of governance. However, Nigerian ministers ought to have the charisma to sell government policies to the public. Nevertheless, Buhari could be naïve in wanting to convert civil servants and technocrats to politicians by his late announcement of the partial list of his Ministers. It will be an act of negligence for the government to make civil servants accountable for selling government policies to the public.
In Buhari’s opinion, the Constitution is wrong in making provision for the ministers, the political officials, to engage in policy decision-making, allocating national resources to communities, groups and the general populace, to ensure the legal apportionment of society values or resources, not necessarily noise making responsibilities. Whereas civil servants on the other hand ought to be pre-occupied with policy executions. Possibly Buhari’s choice of christening them ‘Noisemakers’, could be the yardstick to measure their competences, depending on how much noise they could make in their duties and responsibilities. Should they be addressed Honorable Noisemakers as part of the changes Nigerians craved for?
Buhari definitely knows his game plan by delaying the appointments of the ministers till September 30, 2015. The delay could be part of the scripts to get rid of Olubukola Saraki as the Senate President, just like Buhari’s ‘party’ threw Olushola Saraki out of his Senate leadership position in 1983; and in 2015 Buhari’s party wants to throw out Bukola Saraki out of his Senate President position. We hope that the list submitted to the Senate is not being used as bait for the Senate confirmation of the ministers and bounced back on Saraki again; hence, the short-lived Buhari’s honeymoon could be over like a hot coffee placed in the freezer. Unfortunately, surprises are awaiting the country on the outcome of the premeditated Senate issue.
Most Nigerians were shocked for the release of the anticipated Buhari’s ‘Noise Makers’, with some recycled politicians, which is like putting old wine in a new bottle. It does not demonstrate the change Nigerians envisioned. There is no room for the administration to give excuses about the handing over note which was given four days to the inauguration; it could mean that Buhari’s twelve years’ preparation to be Nigerian President was a hoax. Buhari could have penciled down that would occupy at least the major important positions. The expectation was to introduce new blood and better ways of running government when the screening of ministerial nominees commences today, October 13, 2015. It is highly imperative for the Senate to redeem itself of fighting corruption, earn the trust of the public, impersonal in the exercise, make the criterion for screening public, muster the courage to reject incompetent and morally bankrupt nominee. We expect the Senate
to match qualifications, skills, and qualities of the nominees with their respective assignments; whether they are capable, or qualified for the assignments, not the cosmetic ancient screening of ‘take a bow and exit’, which is bad for democracy. Would the nomineesdeclare their assets; as required by Section 120 of the Standing Rules of the Nigeria Senate, which indicates that “…the Senate shall not consider the nomination of any person, who has held any public office as contained in Part Two of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution prior to his nomination, unless, there is a written evidence that he has declared his assets and liabilities