President Bola Tinubu is poised to undertake a cabinet reshuffle imminently, according to sources familiar with the matter, Igbere TV has learnt.
Two independent sources have disclosed that the President is contemplating a reorganization of his cabinet, inaugurated in August, due to concerns that certain appointees are facing challenges in their respective roles and seem ill-prepared for their duties.
In November, President Tinubu issued a cautionary message during a Cabinet Retreat held at the Conference Centre of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He admonished cabinet members and other high-ranking appointees against underperformance, setting the stage for potential changes in the government’s leadership structure.
“You will sign a bond with me, If you are performing, nothing to fear, if you miss the objective, if you don’t perform, you leave us,” Tinubu declared at the 3-day retreat.
President Tinubu recently redefined the focal points of his administration, tasking his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, with reactivating the “Presidential Delivery Tracker.” This tool is intended to monitor and report the performance of his cabinet members.
Moreover, there are indications that the President might leverage the current corruption scandal involving two ministers, namely Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister Dr. Betta Edu, as a catalyst for organizational changes.
In response to these developments, President Tinubu took decisive action on Monday by suspending Dr. Betta Edu from office. Additionally, Tunji-Ojo is implicated in a connection to New Planet Projects Ltd, a firm that reportedly received N438 million in “consultancy fees” linked to the National Social Register contract. This contract is part of the controversial N3 billion contracts awarded by Minister Edu.
Although it can not immediately be confirmed the ministers that will be fired from the cabinet, one of the sources said “As many as five could be dropped.”
Simon Bako Lalong, a former Plateau State Governor, has recently resigned from his position as the Minister of Labour and Employment. Consequently, there is anticipation for the appointment of a new minister to fill this role. This change transpired as Lalong took on the responsibility of representing Plateau South Senatorial District in the National Assembly after stepping down from his ministerial position.
