Stop Loitering Around Me, Yar’Adua Warns Ministers - Suspends Cabinet Reshuffle

Idowu Samuel, Abuja - 05.07.2008

The much awaited cabinet shake-up by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is not likely to take effect until the final determination of the case against the president’s victory in the last presidential elections pending before the Supreme Court, just as the president has warned his ministers to stop pestering him for the retention of their jobs.

There had been subtle tension in the presidency arising from moves by cabinet members to know their fate on the proposed cabinet, with many of them now loitering around the president’s office.

Investigations conducted by Saturday Tribune revealed that the president had drawn the list of cabinet members to be dispensed with and would have announced the composition of the new cabinet shortly after he dropped the hint during his last presidential media chat, but had to stay action on it following an advice to do so.

Part of those said to have advised the president against an early shake-up were members of the Council of Ulamas based on a rationale that the stability of the Yar’Adua’s government could be threatened by such exercise.

Saturday Tribune was reliably informed during the week that Yar’Adua alone and a few of his advisers knew those who would be dropped as ministers. The list has been drawn and kept in his custody.

The president, according to investigations, has meticulously been carrying the file containing the list of the new cabinet members everywhere he goes for security reasons, thus, no one can place a bet on who would be affected or who would be favoured.

It was learnt that the president has, however, been scolding members of his cabinet perceived as not effective to buckle up while entreating them to stop parading the Presidential Villa without a reason.

Two of such ministers were said to have been rebuked by the president for their habit of loitering around Aso Rock Villa on the pretext of wanting to meet him on serious official matters.

One of such ministers, Saturday Tribune was told, had been a confidant to the president upon whom the president had placed great confidence to perform among his cabinet members, specifically to boost the image of the government.

The president, it was learnt, had had cause to lose his temper against the minister after he called him on his stewardship in the past one year and found the minister unable to convince him about any tangible achievements within his ministry.

The other minister also so scolded by Yar’Adua was said to be in the habit of cashing in on any available opportunity to go to the Presidential Villa until Yar’Adua asked him to face his ministry rather than making his face a permanent feature in the Villa.