Our Reporter

One  of the reasons some old ministers     in the President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet who worked assiduously in the one and a half years of the government faced hard times in getting back on board was as a result of their perceived loyalty towards the late President Umaru Yar’ Adua.

Sunday Vanguard sources revealed that some of the ministers got cold shoulders over their nomination because they were believed to have had close ties with late Yar ‘Adua and the present administration was bidding its time to ease them out of the system.

It was gathered that the Presidency seemed to have hinged its position on not nominating the old ministers as a result of pressure from their regions when the main reason was the willingness to ease them out of the system.

Sources said that some sympathizers of President Goodluck Jonathan thought that it was time to ease some of the ministers out because they belonged to the so-called “Kitchen cabinet” of Yar’ Adua. Some sympathizers of the present government, including many state governors, were said to have felt it is time to have their own pound of flesh back at those who asked for a more careful look into the ascension of Jonathan during the days the nation was not sure of the state of health of late Yar’ Adua.

Sources in Abuja said that national interest and objectivity in the assessment of ministers are crucial before names of ministerial nominees were sent to the Senate for screening, adding that national interest, dedication to duty and continuity are very important in the nomination and appointment of ministers.

A  source hinted that based on national interest and continuity expressed by the president some weeks ago, there is need to be reminded that there are some hard working and dedicated ministers and technocrats who have taken Nigeria to greater heights and achieved a lot in area of fostering local action and international understanding.