gentlegg:

Oh my heart bleeds when I saw this info now. Sighsss, Shakes my head - what a waste of Dora Akunyili.

Yaradua, it shall NEVER be well with you.

henry4uall:

[b]Over 90% of the posts have read on this thread are saying altmost the same thing. Let me enlightnen some of you a bit. In the civil service structure ministers are politicians irrespective of the ministry. Each of the ministries have technocrats in the name of 'Directror General' who is sitting at the downstream implementing govt policy. Prof Dora, was NAFDAC DG, and by that she was proactive implementing policy of Government on Drug and Food Administration. Immediately she was tipped for a ministerial appointment any stern political onlookers should know, prof is needed for politics and not for any technical work per se. So wether prof is in health, info, finance etc she can do her work. None of he criteria of selecting a minister stipulate your have to own a degree in the area your ministry is responsible for. All those thinking prof should be in Health or somewhere else are thinking inside the box. Think Outside the Box please! Yar-ardua is a genius, watch it.!! Prof has all the aura, charisma, and good public image to sell Govt Info to anyone in the country going be her antecedent. I will make her Information Minister 1000 times if am a president.  [/b]

essentialB:

It's not only 90% of commentators on this topic are expressing shock and surprise but even those outside. Check the link below.



http://www.pointblanknews.com/os1300.html

Each of the ministries have technocrats in the name of 'Directror General' who is sitting at the downstream implementing govt policy.

henry4uall:


Regardless of any shock whoever may express, what you are dealing with here is a strategy in the hands of political game planner. And that in itself is not a crime. And might not be a target to destroy her, but to gain politically by yar-adua administration. The question is this: WHAT CRIME WOULD YOU SAY THE PRESIDENT COMMIT IN HIS CHOICE OF PROF DORA FOR INFORMATION MINISTER? Which rule, law, or constitution stipulate you must be a Medical Dr. to be appointed minister of health? or You must be a scientist to be appointed minister of science etc? GET THIS STRAIGHT: MINISTERS ARE POLITICIANS. PROF IS ENTERING POLITICS. If prof becomes president tomorrow is she going to be president of health? Those canvassing for her to be appointed minister of health react please.

essentialB:



Why then did he appoint Riwalnu Lukman as minister of Petroleum. An old man just because of his experience in oil matters.

Kobojunkie:

What experience in Oil? I understand the man has been there before and in oil for so long but what have we (the Nigerian people) gained from all that? I know the politicians have gained millions in kick backs and more but what has Nigeria, as a whole gained from his experience? I am not shooting down the man but I say I would we try someone else.

emiemi:

thank u 'landis'.

@henry4uall
What do technocrats in nigeria civil service do? Sit in da office and gist because ''na govt work''. And tell me how the minister is supposed to know whether a report submitted by a so-called ''technocrat'' is accurate or just something to fill the books? Ministers should be well-informed and experienced in the position they are to fill. If the govt of nigeria is not mocking us, we should even be discussing this.

You will understand me well if you could understand the simplest fact that all the achievements of Prof Dora in NAFDAC is not a result of her Ph.D certificate in Phamacology or whatever. You could be 'well-informed' and experience and make a mess of your position (4get!). Prof didn't succeed in NAFDAC because of her certificates in phamacology, she succeeded because of her instinct, zeal, honesty, and thoroughness in dealing with those problems in NAFDAC. And all am saying is that, she can be anywhere and still function well. She's got the instinct for leadership (believe it!). Try to separate her from her certificate may be it will help you!

"I'VE just resigned and I'll be leaving in early November".

With these words, the Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Petroleum Matters, Dr. Rilwan Lukman yesterday confirmed his resignation from office recently.

Lukman, who spoke to Reuters, did not disclose why he was leaving the post he has been occupying since 1999.

News of his resignation came as Nigeria faced the threat of a nation-wide strike and fears of disruption to oil production and exports over Obasanjo's fuel price policy.

Lukman wrote in his letter to Obasanjo: "I will be grateful for the confirmation of your Excellency's generous approval that I withdraw my services from public service with effect from November 1, 2003.

"It has been for me a most rewarding mission which I will cherish for the rest of my life".

Meanwhile, facts emerged last night on the reasons for Lukman's resignation.

Presidency sources said the special adviser was advised to quit because of lack of well-defined role for his office in the oil industry.

According to the sources, Lukman was not happy with the re-organisation that was effected in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) last month which "caught him unawares".

The NNPC in August sacked 28 of its top management staff after Obasanjo came under pressure to stamp out corruption and inefficiency.

The sources also said that Lukman's attempt to re-organise the oil and gas sector through the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) did not go down well with the Presidency.

According to the sources, the resignation could also have been spurred by the failure of President Obasanjo to specify Lukman's role differently from that of the NNPC Group Managing Director, Jackson Gaius-Obaseki.

Presidency sources also stated that an option was given to Lukman, either to appoint him as an ambassador to one of the countries in the Middle East or United States of America (USA).

However, some industry sources said that the resignation of Lukman might not be unconnected with the recent increment in the prices of petroleum product resulting from the deregulation of the downstream oil sector.

Lukman has not declared his intention to take the ambassadorial post, as he has travelled out of the country after dropping his letter of resignation.

He was one of the key advisers that retained their posts when President Obasanjo began his second term in office in May this year.

But sources said that his appointment was preceded by an earlier plan to drop him when the idea of appointing a substantive minister for the petroleum ministry was first raised.

According to the industry sources, cracks between Lukman and the NNPC boss began to show after the former finished his tenure as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) president early in 2002.

Also mentioned as possible reason for Lukman's action was President Obasanjo's directive that the control and administration of oil blocs should remain with the NNPC, thereby revoking the 1990 law that vested these functions in the Petroleum Resources.

D-Explorer:

@ henry4uall

I really wonder "what  instinct, zeal, honesty, and thoroughness in dealing with those problems used in NAFDAC" will do in her new post. We are all concern about her personality after all she knows less to nothing about this new post. Get me clear, what you've stated is quiet right but not in this game. For how long would she be able to prove her true qualities without doing it 'their' own way. She can do it but she will definately be manipulated even against her own wish.

“What I will tell them (supporters that were disappointed with her portfolio) about my posting is that anything that happens in this life is approved by God. Nothing happens without God’s approval.

“God wants me to be here today and I can feel it because Nigeria’s image needs to be revived”, she said, adding that with a bad image, “we cannot achieve Vision 2020-20”.

Akunyili also said that her new role was much more vital than most people understand.

“Where I am now is the soul of the nation, image is the soul of the nation and information is power.

“I believe that God will give me the skill to present it successfully; [b]after all when I went to NAFDAC, I did not know anything about NAFDAC. But I wanted to succeed,” she said, [/b]adding that if things were done the right way, “Nigeria is a good product that we can easily sell.”

“Nigerians should also do their part by doing their best as citizens”, she added.

For how long would she be able to prove her true qualities without doing it 'their' own way. She can do it but she will definately be manipulated even against her own wish.