ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has chosen a cabinet dominated by political veterans, opting to strengthen his power base rather than surround himself with technocrats who could overhaul Africa's biggest economy.

Buhari won March's election on promises to usher in a new era in the West African nation where a rich elite has controlled key state jobs for half a century. Most Nigerians live in poverty despite the enormous oil wealth of Africa's top producer.

The former military ruler had asked Nigerians to be patient and get ready for "change" as he took four months to pick his cabinet while a plunge in oil prices triggered the worst economic crisis for decades.

But in the end the 72-year-old has selected many familiar faces - those who helped him win the election and some who had hoped for jobs at a national level since he first ran for office in 2003.

Out of 36 nominated ministers, about 20 are veterans from Buhari's party, former state governors, ministers or associates from his military career. A dozen could be classified as 'technocrats'.

"It is a cabinet that seems to have been drawn from different interests that brought Buhari to power," said Clement Nwankwo, director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, a think-tank in Abuja.

Buhari will unveil portfolios only after the Senate has approved his list.

But his nominations show a desire to close ranks in his All Progressives Congress (APC), an alliance of powerful Nigerians united by a desire to remove the People's Democratic Party of his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan rather than a shared vision.

While he promised during the election campaign to take on the establishment in order to root out corruption, Buhari's priority was to overcome APC divisions and reward allies such as party spokesman Lai Mohammed with cabinet jobs, analysts say.

To reinforce his power base, Buhari has even taken on the controversial figure of his campaign manager, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who has been accused of corruption. Amaechi has denied the accusations.

"It was the political trade-offs which definitely cost a lot of time. There was internal wrangling within Buhari's party," said Bismarck Rewane, CEO of Lagos consultancy Financial Derivatives.

As a result, most ministers have had careers that span decades making Kemi Adeosun, a 48-year-old former investment banker and one of the technocrats, his youngest nominee.

Other prominent veterans include Babatunde Fashola, former governor of the commercial capital Lagos, who won praise for getting infrastructure projects off the ground but also criticism for clearing slums.

TECHNOCRATS

Buhari's cohort must stave off a recession next year due to a collapse in oil revenues that has weakened the naira and driven up inflation. The government also needs to win back investors upset by hefty foreign currency restrictions imposed by central bank governor Godwin Emefiele, who filled a vacuum in the absence of a finance minister.

Buhari's selection process was complicated by the fact that he was constitutionally bound to select a minister from each of Nigeria's 36 states to reflect the character of a nation of 170 million people from 250 ethnic groups.

Despite this, he picked some fresh faces from outside the establishment with backgrounds in accounting, law, medicine and finance.

"Those expecting a list formed wholly of technocrats were being unrealistic," said Kayode Akindele, a political consultant and partner at private equity firm TIA capital. "He has a good mixture. You could have key portfolios with technocrats, which would help to drive reforms."

Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, head of state oil firm NNPC and a former ExxonMobil manager, is expected to become junior oil minister as Buhari wants to head the oil ministry himself.

Reform-minded observers are likely to have been cheered by Kachikwu's Senate hearing appearance in which he vowed to take action regarding poorly performing refineries, which force Nigeria to import most of its fuel. [nL8N12E329]

Okechukwu Enyinna Enelamah, a former Goldman Sachs banker who heads Nigeria's biggest private equity firm, African Capital Alliance, is a candidate for the finance minister.

Adeosun, a UK-trained accountant and finance commissioner of southwestern Ogun state, is also a candidate for the finance portfolio. At her hearing, Adesoun sought to assure investors that central bank controls aimed at preventing a collapse of the naira would be accompanied by measures to stimulate growth.

"So what the CBN governor has done just brought in some breathing space ... (but the) exchange rate is not the silver bullet," she said. "It would have to be accompanied with fiscal policies, monetary policies and industrial policies."

But with no sign of any increase in oil prices, the reliance on crude sales for 70 percent of government revenues will make it difficult for Buhari to keep his promise to diversify the economy.

"Public finances are so fragile that there are a relatively limited number of policy options," said Antony Goldman of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0SA19N20151016?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FAFRICATopNews+%28News+%2F+AFRICA+%2F+Top+News%29&rpc=401&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

nonsense write-up.

- unbalanced and unfair criticism of the nomination of some of Nigeria's finest brains by the President.
- is the writer aware that Nigeria's balance sheet would be at its finest (despite low oil revenues) since independence at year-end.
- are they aware that he is fulfilling the constitutional requirement by appointing ministers across the federation?
- only technocrats can not drive the economy?

objectivity and straightforwardness- 100.1%




shooooo!
the apc guy below is gbawe!he is writing an epistle of excuses!

Buhari's selection process was complicated by the fact that he was constitutionally bound to select a minister from each of Nigeria's 36 states to reflect the character of a nation of 170 million people from 250 ethnic groups.

"Those expecting a list formed wholly of technocrats were being unrealistic," said Kayode Akindele, a political consultant and partner at private equity firm TIA capital. "He has a good mixture. You could have key portfolios with technocrats, which would help to drive reforms."

A cabinet that contains names like Dr Enelamah, Prof Adewole, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Prof Daramola, Dr Kachikwu, Kemi Adeosun, Prof Anwuka, Dr Aminat Ibrahim, Udo Udoma etc can't be refered to as a mediocre cabinet or a cabinet formed to compensate power blocks. Do they mean Udoma Udo Udoma lost all the knowledge he possessed simply because he ran for election and won twice? Do they mean Fayemi lost all his because he joined APC? or Amina Mohammed lost it because she worked with PDP? With this thinking, The stellar Dr Ibe Kachikwu will lose the tag of a technocrat by 2019 obviously. These guys sure need a dose of reality.

Even the politicians on the list like Fashola is a technocrat before being a politician and my man that they love to hate...Amaechi is no push over.

Buhari had to make a balance and i was pleasantly surprised he had the guts to drop names like Oyinlola, Bode Mustapha and Yemi Cardoso who were Obj's candidates then Tinubu's candidates like Wale Edun, Dele Alake and Rotimi Akeredolu.

Really those who were expecting a cabinet of 36 without politicians are very unrealistic. Even An American president won't try that otherwise Donald Rumsfeld and Colin Powell wouldn't have made it into George Bush Jr's cabinet.

baralatie:
objectivity and straightforwardness- 100.1%
shooooo!
the apc guy below is gbawe!he is writing an epistle of excuses!

Am right behind him to counter any rhetorics ..

In the context of political appointments, the definition of who technocrats are is very subjective. Fashola, Ngige, Fayemi, Udo Udoma, Onu etc who are classified as politicians today are all technocrats in their own right if they were not already in politics before their nomination.

British Ministers are career politicians. so it is in every parliamentary system. this never detracts from the ability to carry out reforms. Hillary Clinton, Obama, kerry, et al are all politicians and these never undermined their ability to carry out reforms. it is thus uncharitable to suggest that African politicians are incapable of carrying out reforms.

In the colonial era, Chief Awolowo as a politician surpassed the European technocracts sent to Nigeria in terms of ingenuity. In fact they despised Awo for referring to them as mediocre technocrats.

Well, Buhari have no choice than to compensate those who bankrolled his electioneering campaigns.
His hands are tied.

TRUTHTOPOWER:
British Ministers are career politicians. so it is in every parliamentary system. this never detracts from the ability to carry out reforms. Hillary Clinton, Obama, kerry, et al are all politicians and these never undermined their ability to carry out reforms. it is thus uncharitable to suggest that African politicians are incapable of carrying out reforms.

In the colonial era, Chief Awolowo as a politician surpassed the European technocracts sent to Nigeria in terms of ingenuity. In fact they despised Awo for referring to them as mediocre technocrats.

Don't mind the unrealistic people.

As if the moment you enter politics, you lose all the academic, business and working knowledge you acquired prior

Never believe those damn Brits. They are a bunch of trouble seeking dumb mofos

[size=14pt]Reuters forgot to add corrupt party people over reforms[/size]

We have accepted that we where scammed with lies and propaganda.......
It was all for power rotation

FreeGlobe:
[size=14pt]Reuters forgot to add corrupt party people over reforms[/size]

PEOPLE LIKE AMECHI AND THE ONE WHO DID NOT SIGN CHEQUE BUT BUILT BOREHOLE FOR #175M . I NO MENTION ANYBODY NAME O

TRUTHTOPOWER:
British Ministers are career politicians. so it is in every parliamentary system. this never detracts from the ability to carry out reforms. Hillary Clinton, Obama, kerry, et al are all politicians and these never undermined their ability to carry out reforms. it is thus uncharitable to suggest that African politicians are incapable of carrying out reforms.

In the colonial era, Chief Awolowo as a politician surpassed the European technocracts sent to Nigeria in terms of ingenuity. In fact they despised Awo for referring to them as mediocre technocrats.

Who dash am technocrat? Technocrats don`t end their lives with rat poison, They retire with honour, proud of their accomplishments.

SirWere:
Never believe those damn Brits. They are a bunch of trouble seeking dumb mofos

Now the news does not suit your APShiit, you are crying woof...if it were GEJ or DEZIANI bashing, you will glorify "those damn Brits"..... Mumucious stupidity.

lionduke:


Who dash am technocrat? Technocrats don`t end their lives with rat poison, They retire with honour, proud of their accomplishments.

Abi o....my brother.

Keneking:
nonsense write-up.

- unbalanced and unfair criticism of the nomination of some of Nigeria's finest brains by the President.
- is the writer aware that Nigeria's balance sheet would be at its finest (despite low oil revenues) since independence at year-end.
- are they aware that he is fulfilling the constitutional requirement by appointing ministers across the federation?
- only technocrats can not drive the economy?

Sorry, it is clear u never bothered to read the article, you can still support Mr president as well as open your eyes to objective reasoning . The analysis is apt , accurate and fair. Even our dear president if he is sincere will concur .

SonOfEl:


Now the news does not suit your APShiit, you are crying woof...if it were GEJ or DEZIANI bashing, you will glorify "those damn Brits"..... Mumucious stupidity.

Reuters never made any positive statement for GEJ and now none for PMB. Am I wrong to say they are mofos

Same of the same

SirWere:
Reuters never made any positive statement for GEJ and now none for PMB. Am I wrong to say they are mofos

At least you celebrated the bashings they were reeling out against GEJ or DEZIANI right? spare me the your patch-up saving face....

SonOfEl:


At least you celebrated the bashings they were reeling out against GEJ or DEZIANI right? spare me the your patch-up saving face....

Calm yhe fu*ck down and stop spewing trash k?

lionduke:


Who dash am technocrat? Technocrats don`t end their lives with rat poison, They retire with honour, proud of their accomplishments.

Pure simple Rumor... Awolowo never did such ish

SirWere:
Calm yhe fu*ck down and stop spewing trash k?

Just eat the damn frog dude, or better still, swallow the bitter pill in good fate.

SonOfEl:


Just eat the damn frog dude, or better still, swallow the bitter pill in good fate.

Which bitter pill PMB hasn't done anything wrong as far as I'm concerned.

Those who said it was impossible should not disturb those attempting it eh

SirWere:
Which bitter pill PMB hasn't done anything wrong as far as I'm concerned.

Those who said it was impossible should not disturb those attempting it eh

Na you sabi.....

seunmsg:
In the context of political appointments, the definition of who technocrats are is very subjective. Fashola, Ngige, Fayemi, Udo Udoma, Onu etc who are classified as politicians today are all technocrats in their own right if they were not already in politics before their nomination.

After reading the profile of the nominees, I must admit that my initial impression was wrong - there are clearly more technocrats in the team than I thought.

However, as fantastic as they are, I would still not completely classify Ngige, Fashola, Onu, Amaechi, etc in the technocrats group. Why? These lot will always have political considerations in the discharge of their duties. They are more of politicians now.

I took time to watch the ministerial screening and also read the profile of most them. The president sure has a great taste and the country will experience transformation like never before. The inclusion of about 12 lawyers in the cabinet is also very instructive - Corruption will surely have a bloody nose in this government.

Bevista:
After reading the profile of the nominees, I must admit that my initial impression was wrong - there are clearly more technocrats in the team than I thought.

However, as fantastic as they are, I would still not completely classify Ngige, Fashola, Onu, Amaechi, etc in the technocrats group. Why? These lot will always have political considerations in the discharge of their duties. They are more of politicians now.

I took time to watch the ministerial screening and also read the profile of most them. The president sure has a great taste and the country will experience transformation like never before. The inclusion of nearly 10 lawyers in the cabinet is also very instructive - Corruption will surely have a bloody nose in this government.

At the part in bold, truth is, once you take up political appointments in Nigeria, you become a politician and will make serious political consideration before discharging your duties. Politics can't be divorced from a political post irrespective of the background of the office holder.

The wait for this noisemakers wasn't worth it, the technocrats there were just 15% of his nominees while failed politicians with corruption baggages make up the numbers

If those ones that were nominated are not technocratic enough in the eye of this foreign news outlet, then, they should nominate theirs and submit to any NASS that cares to screen them. They can't do anything about BUHARI's.

ECOTERRORS:
The wait for this noisemakers wasn't worth it, the technocrats there were just 15% of his nominees while failed politicians with corruption baggages make up the numbers

you just don't know what a technocrat is.

Bevista:
After reading the profile of the nominees, I must admit that my initial impression was wrong - there are clearly more technocrats in the team than I thought.

However, as fantastic as they are, I would still not completely classify Ngige, Fashola, Onu, Amaechi, etc in the technocrats group. Why? These lot will always have political considerations in the discharge of their duties. They are more of politicians now.

I took time to watch the ministerial screening and also read the profile of most them. The president sure has a great taste and the country will experience transformation like never before. The inclusion of nearly 10 lawyers in the cabinet is also very instructive - Corruption will surely have a bloody nose in this government.

technocrats have political influence too.

Just like some Nigerians, this writer went for his paper and pen before finding out more about the nominees.

APC e-rodents, Make wuna show ooo... Food a don ready! Come and call this propaganda!