President Muhammadu Buhari (right) receives the official report on the confirmation of ministerial nominees from Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the constitution of Nigeria does not stipulate that he must have 36 ministries.
The president noted that the constitution only stipulates that each of the 36 states of the federation must have a minister in his cabinet.
Buhari was speaking at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday while receiving from Senate President Bukola Saraki, the list of the 36 ministers-designate confirmed by the Senate.
President Buhari also emphasised that the current economic situation of the country did not warrant having a lot of substantive ministers.
Buhari stressed that he had discovered within the last four months that the nation’s economy was much battered.
He said: “The Senate worked extremely hard and they have passed all the nominees. I think there is some enthusiasm in some parts of the Presidency today that portfolios are to be given to the 36.”
He said: “The Senate worked extremely hard and they have passed all the nominees. I think there is some enthusiasm in some parts of the Presidency today that portfolios are to be given to the 36.”
According to him, the constitution certainly says there must be one member of the cabinet from all the states, “but the constitution does not say I must have 36 ministries. I will explain that details.”
The president thanked Saraki “for leading the Senate to do this hard work technically within record time.”
Buhari also assured the Senate president that his administration would follow the constitution by allowing all the 36 ministers to be “sitting” in the cabinet.
Buhari also assured the Senate president that his administration would follow the constitution by allowing all the 36 ministers to be “sitting” in the cabinet.
He also said contrary to allegations in some quarters, he was neither giving bad publicity nor scaring away investors by telling the truth about the state of the economy.
The president explained that by telling the truth about the position of the nation’s economy, he was actually looking for investors.
Later while addressing State House journalists, Saraki said by screening and confirming all the ministerial nominees, the Senate had laid the platform for Buhari’s government to fully take off.
The Senate president also stated that there was nothing new in having ministers of state, saying the key issue was being in cabinet and being part of government.
On the possibility of having ministers without portfolios, Saraki said: “Well, I think before, you had ministers of state in the past, I don’t think there is anything new. There was a minister for special duties which really didn’t have portfolio. I think the key issue is being in cabinet, is being part of government, and those that would have the responsibilities of ministering are those that at the end of the day would do that.”
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