….as Buhari tags it a product of ‘critical performance review’
The sack of two Ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, has sent tongues wagging among Nigerians.
Though the President, through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Femi Adesina, attributed the action to the outcome of “critical performance review” of the affected ministers’ roles in service, First News’ investigations revealed that their sudden removal is deep-seated.
Buhari, however, promised Nigerians that the sack gale is not yet over, saying “it is a continuous process”.
The two ministers given the boot are: Muhammed Nanono of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry, and Saleh Mamman of the Power Ministry.
Nanono, a 75-year old, hails from Kano State, while Mamman is from Taraba State.
Top sources informed First News on Wednesday that the ministers were deliberately cleared off following security reports that “they looked good to make the list of names that the United States’ authorities wanted to release as possible sponsors of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups”.
On Monday, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, had expressed her country’s willingness to expose those in top government positions sponsoring the activities of insurgents, discreetly.
Leonard who was questioned on the steps the US would take to assist Nigeria in identifying the sponsors of terrorism, said, “That is something we are very eager to partner Nigeria on.
“I have had at least three conversations in the last two months on this subject.
“I won’t like to go into details.”
Recall that Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu had recently taken on the Southern governors for their decision to ban open grazing.
In lambasting the governors, Shehu lauded Nanono, the Agric Minister, saying he submitted a comprehensive memo on how to recover grazing routes for herdsmen nationwide.
Following this, President Buhari ordered the review of 368 grazing sites in 25 states, eliciting outcries of government and people of the concerned states.
To further put Nanono under the glieglights, he was said to have 30 months ago, approved N30m for the construction of a ‘Friday’ mosque for herders; an action said to be outside the ministry’s budgetry provision.
A memo, dated December 10, 2020, which leaked in May 2021, showed that the Agric Ministry under Nanono approved the contract of the building of the mosque to El-Shukhur Multi-Buz Nig. Ltd.
Similar revelations of extra-budgetry spendings on ethno-religious matters that have no bearing with the power sector, may have also been farmed out from the Power Ministry under Mamman, the top sources, preferring anonymity, confided in First News.
