Members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet have gone into panic mode that they might be sacked as Jonathan convenes an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council today, which is unlike its normal meetings on Wednesdays.
It was gathered that with last week’s resignation of the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Pate, a cabinet shake-up was imminent.
A minister, who confided in one of our correspondents, said, “There is fear among my colleagues that a cabinet shake-up is imminent. Currently, there is no minister of defence and the minister of state for health has just resigned.
“Some of my colleagues have indicated their intention to contest governorship elections in some states. Such people will leave the cabinet. We do not know the agenda of the meeting. When will get there, we will know.”
In the past two weeks, some civil servants close to some ministers have been told that there might be swapping of positions in the President’s cabinet.
The minister, who confided in one of our correspondents, said, “Some ministers of state are hoping to become substantive ministers with vacancies in the cabinet.”
The Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, had a few weeks ago declared his intention to contest the Ekiti State governorship in 2014.
Our correspondent learnt that Jonathan informed cabinet members of the impending meeting during the last statutory meeting of the council on Wednesday.
A Presidency source said, “There is nothing hidden about it. The President announced at the beginning of the last meeting that an emergency meeting will hold for about one hour or two on Friday.
“The President did not give reasons for the meeting but it is not an unusual thing. Every statutory body holds extraordinary meetings apart from their normal meetings.”
There were reports on Monday that five northern governors – Aliyu Babangida (Niger); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Rabiu Kwankanso (Kano) and Muritala Nyako (Adamawa) – who met with the President on Saturday demanded the sacking of two ministers, Deziani Allison (Petroleum); and Stella Oduah (Aviation).
A highly reliable Presidency source, however, said, “How could they have asked for the sack of the ministers, when they are not from their states?”
President Jonathan is yet to carry out any major cabinet reshuffle since his inauguration in May 2011.
however, a few ministers have resigned from his cabinet – Professor Barth Nnaji resigned as Minister of Power last August over unclear reasons. Some have adduced it to a clash of interest between his portfolio and his ownership of a power company, Geometric Energy Limited. Others have attributed it to power play between him and the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) who had been opposed to the privatization of the component units of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.
Pate also resigned last week as Minister of State for Health to take up a position as the Executive Director of the Global Health Institute of the Duke University, Maryland, United States of America and as an advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.