What will Ms Stella Oduah, Godsday Orubebe, Caleb Olubolade and Yerima Ngama do now that they are out of the Goodluck Jonathan cabinet? Their future is laced with uncertainties, writes Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU
No condition is permanent. At the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last week, the four ministers took their seats. They exchanged banters with their colleagues. They participated in the decision making process . They reiterated their loyalty to President Goodluck Jonathan. They also promised to work harder. However, little did they guess that they would soon stop attending the meeting of the highest decision-making body .
Yesterday, the hammer fell on the controversial Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, her Police Affairs counterpart, Caleb Olubolade Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godsday Orubebe, and Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama.
There are many perspectives about the sack. It is doubtful that it was motivated by the need to inject a new blood into the administration. It was a minor cabinet shake-up a selective sack. The move may not meet the popular demand for the removal of certain ministers holding sensitive portfolios. What the public has demanded is a cabinet reshuffle. The demand was premised on the fact that these ministers lack the competence to assist the President in meeting the goals of the transformation agenda.
Many perceive the sack as a punitive measure, especially for the Aviation minister, who has been swimming in the pool of controversy. Since the bulletproof cars scam was uncovered, her job has been on the line. Although she made spirited attempts to defend her integrity, critics have maintained that the flaws should not be glossed over. The refusal of the President to act decisively created a credibility problem for his administration. The scandal may continue to hunt Oduah for long.
There are speculations that the three ministers-Orubebe, Olubolade, and Ngama-have divided attention. They have governorship ambition. Their rivals at the home front have not relented in demanding for their removal from office. They alleged that the former ministers were using the presidential muscle and state power to intimidate them. Although the allegation appeared spurious, it is true that the three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains have been dividing their time between their ministerial responsibilities and governorship aspirations. However, a source said that the real reason for sacking the three politicians from the cabinet is still in the realm of conjecture.
Orubebe has come under attack for the slow pace of work on the East/West Road. Many think that his ministry has not fought the infrastructure battle adequately in the nine states. But, the church elder has often refuted these claims. His entry into the Delta State governorship race provoked rage among his detractors. Orubebe has also not been able to normalise his strained relations with the acclaimed Ijaw leader, Senator Edwin Clark. The ebullient and fork-tongued old man has not relented in criticising his activities as a minister. Orubebe is a household name in the Southsouth. He is a grassroots operator. He was a councillor, local government chairman, and member of the Delta State Executive Council.
Olubolade, the former military governor of Bayelsa State, is a governorship aspirant in Ekiti State. When he was retired prematurely from the Navy, he entered politics. His first point of call was the Action Congress (AC). He hurriedly left for the PDP when he failed to get the governorship ticket in 2007. The Ipoti-Ekiti-born retired soldier-turned politician is very close to the President. However, he has not been able to establish himself as the rallying point and arrowhead of the PDP in the state. His exit from the Federal Executive Council will definitely be hailed by other aspirants, especially former Governor Ayo Fayose, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Bisi Omoyeni, Dare Bejide and Dayo Adeyeye. Previously, he had an edge over them as a minister. Now, the feeling will be that a level playing ground has been provided for the governorship contenders. The perception in Ekiti is that a minister has access to state resources, which he can deploy to the detriment of his political rivals.
As a minister, Olubolade was not in the mould of the political strategist, Dr. Babalola Borisade, former Education Minister and Prof. Tunde Adeniran, scholar and loyal party elder. While chieftains across the three districts defiled to them as ministers, Olubolade has not enjoyed that luxury. During the PDP state congress, his candidates could not make it to the state executive committee of the party. They lost to the candidates fielded by Fayose. The polarised chapter is a mix grill of caucauses, which revolve around three personalities-former Governor Segun Oni, Olubolade, and Fayose. Olubolade’s chance of getting the ticket is slim.
Ngame is a governorship aspirant in Yobe State. The 53 year-old politician replaced Mr. Remi Babalola as the Minister of State in 2010. It can be said that, since 1999, ministers of state for finance have been operating under the shadow of the supervising ministers. However, in recent times, certain national challenges have brought Ngame to public consciousness. As the Chairman of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), the lot fell on him to offer explanations to the aggrieved governors and finance commissioners on the sudden drop in revenue earnings. Governors who are finding it difficult pay workers’ salaries rejected the explanation.
With his exit from the cabinet, he will now be insulated from the monthly burden and embarrassment. He will also have time to pursue his ambition to rule Yobe State. Many observers see his ambition as a tall order. Since 1999, the state has been the stronghold of the progressives. The fact that people like the former Finance Minister, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, are from the state has not changed the political calculus. The APC is waxing stronger in the Northeast state and there is no indication that the PDP can dislodge the party in 2015.
Source: The Nation
December 23, 2012, 08:10:05 AM