Cabinet shake-up: Nigerians’ feedback influenced Tinubu’s decisions — Presidency
The Presidency has confirmed that feedback from Nigerians significantly influenced President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to dismiss five ministers in a cabinet reshuffle.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga,
explained that these changes were driven by public opinion, supported by data from a new technological system enabling Nigerians to assess ministers’ performance.
He said, “The scorecards were filled out by the public, and the President acted on those results,” Onanuga stated in an interview on Wednesday night. He emphasised that the reshuffle was not solely about meeting the President’s expectations, but also about aligning with public sentiment.
“A few weeks ago, during a cabinet meeting, the President urged ministers to communicate their accomplishments to Nigerians, as there was a public perception that the government wasn’t performing. While the government believed it was, the ministers were not effectively conveying their work.”
The presidential spokesman also hinted at forthcoming government measures aimed at cutting expenditure.
“The President will soon announce initiatives to cut government costs, starting with the ministers. I cannot pre-empt the details, but the cuts will be significant to demonstrate the government’s commitment to reducing the cost of governance,” he said.
Onanuga reaffirmed government’s dedication to addressing national challenges, stating, “It’s not about the size of the government, but about having competent hands to drive its agenda. You will hear announcements soon about how the government plans to cut operational costs.
“It wasn’t done arbitrarily. Hadiza Bala Usman introduced technology to ask Nigerians to rate the ministers. Therefore, the removal of these ministers was based on empirical facts, shaped by public perception.”
President Tinubu had in a major shake-up, on Wednesday, announced the reassignment of ten ministers, the dismissal of five, and the nomination of seven new individuals for Senate confirmation. The reshuffle also involved renaming the Ministry of Niger Delta Development as the Ministry of Regional Development, scrapping the Ministry of Sports Development, and merging the Ministries of Tourism and Arts and Culture into the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.
Among those affected by the cabinet shake-up were Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye (Minister of Women Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Minister of Tourism), Tahir Mamman (Minister of Education), Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Minister of Youth Development), and Abdullahi Gwarzo (Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development).