Encomium
A couple of days back, President Muhammadu Buhari publicly declared to double as president and petroleum minister. This, however, has been generating reactions all over the country.
ENCOMIUM Weekly sought the views of a cross section of Nigerians on this, and they spoke divergently on the decision.
ABAYOMI OLADIMEJI
I think it’s a good move. What I particularly like is that we now know such an important and influential ministry. Under the Jonathan administration, they bastardized it, now sanity would be restored. I’ve heard some say Buhari doesn’t have expertise in that field, but he has integrity and passion for doing things right. His drive is all the ministry needs.
BANJI OLUOKUN
This is how you know a true leader, he takes responsibility. My admiration for our President just went up a notch with this gesture. We all are aware of how much the petroleum ministry has deteriorated, but instead of saddling someone else with it, he took it upon himself. Besides, he has the experience to handle the ministry.
ABEL NWACHUKWU
Buhari knows what he’s doing by saying he will head petroleum ministry. The sector is Nigeria’s cash cow, and it will be very risky leaving it in the hands of corrupt people. As far as I am concerned, the decision is in the right direction.
He only needs to be careful of the people around him both within and outside his party. The way he’s going, I have no doubt Nigeria will get to its destination soon.
ISIAQ OLANIHUN
To me, it’s no longer news because that’s what most of us have been expecting. What I will only say is that he should be very watchful of people around him because as a minister of petroleum, he alone can’t do it. And at the same time, he’s also overseeing all other sectors.
So, the task before him is going to be enormous. I pray he is able to deliver. But left to me, I don’t see anything wrong in him declaring himself Petroleum Minister. Buhari is a man if integrity.
NNANNA SUNDAY
Having served as Petroleum Minister in the previous military administrations and also the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) Chairman under Sanni Abacha’s regime, Buhari thinks he can combine the job of ruling the country with managing the oil sector.
To me, it’s going to be a difficult task. Doing that may not enable him adequately govern the country as expected by the masses because the oil sector alone will definitely consume his time and energy, and a little time left for other areas, including security, education, works and housing, health and the rest. So, it’s better he assigns the portfolio to a person he can supervise and trust.
TAFA MUSTAPHA
He sure will have a total control of the operations of the account but will sure not have the time to oversee the operations of the ministry. It a very good decision because it will help save cost of governance because he won’t be paid as a minister of petroleum. We all know clearly that the petroleum ministry is the hub for corruption amongst others. So, it will help divert attention to other ministries to generate income for the country, especially the ministries of agriculture and tourism.
MCNEIL AFEGBA
I think president Buhari is right to make himself the minister of petroleum because there is too much corruption in that ministry. So if any money should get missing now, he will be held accountable for it.
TOLUWANI THOMAS
I am not nor sure what to say about President Buhari declaring himself as Minister of Petroleum. Let’s just hope he knows what he is doing. I only expect the best, I don’t want to be negative about it.
ADELANI ADEJARE
I think it is a wrong decision. How is he going to head the petroleum sector and still head Nigeria as a country? He is supposed to face being a president and nothing more. I expect the best because I want to believe he knows what he is doing.
