OPINION: What Will Jonathan Do With The HOLE In His Government?

President Goodluck Jonathan shocked members of the Federal Executive Council on September 10, 2013 when he announced the sack of ten members of the cabinet.
The action of the president shook those affected as they had no inkling of that such a plan was in the offing.
Those who were hit by the presidential axe included

• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru,
• Minister of National Planning, Dr. Shamshudeen Usman,
• Minister of Education Professor Ruquyatu Rufai,
• Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia,
• Ms. Ama Pepple (Housing),
• Minister of State for Power, Zainab Kuchi,
• Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusula Obada,
• Minister of State for Agriculture Buka Tijani,
• Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Ita Bassey Ewah.

Before then, President Jonathan had earlier terminated the appointment of the minister for Youth Affairs, Inuwa Abdulkadir, while Dr. Muhammed Pate, the Minister of State for Health voluntarily resigned in order to resume at the Global Health Institute, a United States-based Duke University.

In all, the Federal Executive Council is short by twelve ministers as almost three months after the ministers were sacked by President Jonathan, their replacements have not been announced.
Although serving ministers were named to supervise those ministries where the ministers were sacked, it is obvious that the absence of substantive ministers in those ministries has had negative impact on the smooth operations of such ministries because those drafted to supervise have neither the experience nor the requisite time to properly supervise.

Though the decision by President Goodluck Jonathan to sack ten ministers in one fell swoop came as a shock, not only to those affected, but majority of Nigerians, the failure to replace them almost three months after has sent tongues wagging about the vacuum created by the President's action and the readiness of government to ensure smooth running of the affairs of the ministries.
But to many watchers of government, the inability of the government to replace the sacked ministers did not come as a surprise.

When the President unceremoniously relieved the ministers of their appointments, several theories were propounded as to the reason why the ministers, some of whom were seen to be doing well in their ministries were removed. Although no reason was given by the presidency for the removal of the ministers, many Nigerians believed that most of them were removed because their governors who nominated them were locked in a bitter political struggle with President Jonathan.

Though the shock that trailed the removal of the ten ministers has been put behind, there is a growing concern that three months after their removal, their replacements are nowhere in sight. The question some commentators have asked is: why will the President choose to operate without key ministers?
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