A former Deputy Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Mr. Tunde Lemo has commenced deft moves to replace Mrs Kemi Adeosun as Minister of Finance, Bar and Bench Watch can authoritatively reveal. Lemo and his wife in company of Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun were at the Abeokuta Hilltop of former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday night to lobby him in furtherance of the plot, according to sources close to Obasanjo.
The visit followed speculations that President Muhammadu Buhari may soon drop some ministers, including Mrs Adeosun from his cabinet due to alleged poor performance. Adeosun was nominated into the federal cabinet by Governor Amosun under whom she had previously served for four years as Ogun State Commissioner for Finance.
A source close to the former president however said Obasanjo tongue-lashed Lemo,saying he was not qualified to represent Ogun State in the Federal Executive Council (FEC). “Tell me anybody from Ogun State that you assisted when you were at the CBN or as Managing Director of WEMA Bank. “Go and use the slots of states of those who were your favorites when Ogun state people needed you but you were not there for them,“Obasanjo was quoted as telling Lemo. It was said that he did not shift ground even when governor Amosun pleaded on behalf of Lemo. “Maje nbinu sie, Ibikunle (Don’t let me be angry with you,Ibikunle). Why don’t you take him to Buhari and tell him you have another nominee to replace your former nominee? ” he was said to have told the governor in Yoruba. The current poor state of the Nigerian economy may be the albatross of Mrs Adeosun as her competence and qualification to take Nigeria out of the current recession are being questioned.
Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri had alleged that one of the reasons why Nigeria is in a recession was because the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, did not attend a university. Omakri alleged that Adeosun graduated with a Bsc from a polytechnic which was upgraded to a university only in 1992 and is now known as the University of East London.
He made the claim on Thursday, November 24, in reaction to a newspaper report about a new official portrait of the minister. Omakri said with just 38 days left in 2016 and the budget not ready, he expected better news from the finance ministry than the release of a portrait. He tweeted that ” 38 days left in 2016 and the budget is not ready. Yet, this is the news from finance ministry! Official portrait! “ He also retweeted a tweet by another user , explaining that Adeosun graduated from a polytechnic and not a university. Omokri then uploaded a table on his Facebook page showing that the institution the minister graduated from is one of the worst in England.
The institution reportedly ranks number 1 among the worst institutions in England according to the table uploaded by Omokri.
