Revealed: Faces of Buhari’s Cabinet

With just weeks to inauguration, the shape of Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect’s incoming cabinet is beginning to emerge with names like Rotimi Amaechi, Babatunde Fashola, Chukwuma Soludo , Prof. Tam David-West, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, ex-NBA President, Rotimi Akeredolu, Sam Ndah-Isaiah and so on dominating major headlines.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek cannot however independently verify a report that the position of the secretary to the Federal Government has been offered to Senator Chris Ngige from Anambra state.

But media reports are rife that the FCT minister will likely go to Governor Fashola while Prof. David West, who has worked closely with Buhari before and remained loyal to him maybe minister of Petroleum.

According to reports, Gen. Buhari has resolved to work with the best and he is considering the likes of Akeredolu for Justice; Sports may go to ex-minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, who left Jonathan’s government for APC.

Daily Sun in its report quoted a source as saying that “It’s the President-elect’s personal wish to return former Nigeria’s oil Minister, David West to the Petroleum Ministry.”

The source said that “David West is incorruptible, frugal, and loyal even in trying times”

The source also revealed that while a lot of qualified technocrats are being bandied about and their names forwarded by party chiefs and lobbyists for the minister of finance, the inner circle of the President-elect is leaning toward the expertise of Dr. Idika Kalu, a World Bank specialist consultant, who, for many years, worked with the bank’s various development programmes catapulting the Korean economy from the third world into its present competitive global market.

The position of Coordinating Minister will be scrapped, there will be an economic advisory committee.

On security, it was gathered that Buhari is considering one General Garba as Defence Minister, National Security Adviser (NSA) or Chief of Staff.

General Cyril Iweze, a then young Igbo officer who served directly under Buhari in the First Division before the Nigeria Civil War, may lead the operation against Boko Haram.

General Iweze was the Nigerian Commander of ECOMOG in Liberia. He’s reputed to have given the Maitatsene sect hell in the defunct Gongola State.

The source revealed that General Buhari may constitute a Special Force made of serving and retired officers, who would be given a mandate to finish up Boko Haram once and for all.