Chief Chris Elumunoh, Deputy Financial Secretary of Pan Igbo Social and Cultural Group, Ohaneze Ndigbo said that ministerial lists submitted by the Presidency to the Senate need to be reviewed.
Elumunoh said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Awka on Wednesday on the ministerial nominees.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had done well to retain a set of officers for four years, but was most right for him to have chosen new breed from over two million Nigerians with fresher ideas.
“Buhari could have sent the older men as heads of Government Agencies or appoint them as Ambassadors if he still wants to use their service, but not as ministers because nothing fantastic happened for the last four years they were in service.
“He should have taken them to other sectors where they can perform better and inject new breeds with egg heads,
“Nigeria is blessed with intellectuals and recycling of old hand won’t give the desired next level of change” he said.
Elumunoh urged the senate to be very objective in the screening and confirmation of the names, adding that they should have at the back of their mind the best service to give to Nigerians was to confirm credible persons and advise the presidency well.
Prof Dennis Aribodor, of Department of Public Health Parasitology of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, said the Presidency was expected to make use of the best hands to handle the affairs of the nation for greater development.
Aribodor said that sentiment was not to be in consideration of selecting persons who would be called to serve the nation, rather persons with expertise in various fields of life so that the country could progress like other countries of the world.
He urged legislators to be bold in the selection of ministers based on qualifications and experience.
Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, Anambra President of Ohaneze Ndigbo said that though the president had the right to choose who to work with, but it would be most appropriate to engage younger Nigerians.
“Most of the names in the list are over sixty years, but Michael Okpara was Premier of Eastern Nigerian when he was under 30 years, Chief Mbazurike Amaechi was Aviation Minister at about 30 years and among others” he said.
Okeke-Ogene said that their idea of recycling older hands was eating deep into the time of the younger generations who were smart and at tune with contemporary politics.
He said that younger Nigerians were being denied opportunity to serve their nation.
“A need of change is urgently needed in the business of selection of Nigerian ministers, business as usual should be ignored,” he said.
Mr Chiadi Josiah, a resident of Awka said that the Senate should know that they were representatives of the people and should be courageous to turn down names of persons with records of embezzlement.
He said work of minister was a tedious one and urged senate to be courageous to turn older persons’ names down and request for younger persons.
“Nigerians need agile persons in doing their duties optimally for the growth and development of the country,” he said.
Mrs Nkechi Nwaokoye, a seamstress in Awka, said that the continuous use of older persons and same set of person was cheating on the system because new minds would bring in new ideas.
She urged the senate not to confirm those who had been in the system for too long and requested that the president replaced such names with younger persons with sharp brain and strong enough to do the running around.
NAN reports that the President of the Senate, Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, disclosed at the plenary that list of 43 ministerial nominees was sent by President Muhammadu Buhari for confirmation.
NAN reports that some of the names include Sen. Chris Ngige and Mrs Sharon Ikeazor both from Anambra State, Festus Keyamo and Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Sunday Dare.
It also include Mr Babatunde Fashola, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Mr Ogbonnaya Onu, Adamu Adamu, among others. (NAN)
