President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that he is under tremendous pressure to release the ministerial list, just as he revealed that only individuals known to him personally will make his cabinet.
“I’m very much aware about it; I’m under tremendous pressure on it. But the last cabinet which I headed, most of them, the majority of them I didn’t know them. I had to accept the names and recommendations from the party and other individuals, he stated during a dinner with the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
“But, this time around I’m going to be quiet in the sense that I will pick people I personally know.”
According to him, in his first tenure, most of the ministers he appointed were not known to him, but this time around he wants to appoint those he knows, have confidence in and have the capacity to deliver.
“Many at this dinner meeting are saying they want to see the list of the proposed cabinet so that they can go on peacefully.
Speaking to State House Correspondents at the end of the dinner which ended at about 9:50pm, Senate President Lawan asked if he was now in possession of the ministerial list said, list are not submitted at dinners.
He said: “Well, I came for a dinner and the process of receiving list is not at dinners. That is all I have to say about this.”
When reminded that he promised Nigerians that the list will get to the Senate this week he said: “I never did. Let me take this opportunity to correct that. A senator raised a point of order under personal explanation and he said we should be sent the list of ministers by the executive arm of government. And in my response I said the executive is working so hard to ensure that the list of Nigerians that will help this Administration work is going to be constituted, we could even receive it this week. Could is conditional and I will urge everybody here to report it as it is.”
Also at the dinner was Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Other principal officers at the dinner included Senator Abdullahi Yahaya – Majority Leader, Senator Ajayi Borofice – Deputy Leader, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu – Chief Whip and Senator Sabi Abdullahi – Deputy Chief Whip.
Others included Emmanuel Bwacha, Phillip Aduda- Minority Whip, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Ndudi Godwin Elumelu – Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu – Deputy Minority Leader.
Also at the dinner included the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters (Senate), Ita Enang, who initiated the dinner.
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