By next week, it will be clear who gets a rebirth in the 42 member Nigerian cabinet and who a ministerial berth. The appointment of ministers in the empty slots will help alleviate uncertainly that has been covering the entire nation ever since acting President Goodluck Jonathan dismissed the entire cabinet to consolidate his authority merely one month after assuming authority.
Jonathan assumed executive powers in the absence of ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua to end the government paralysis. On Thursday, President Jonathan was busy in consultations over formation of a new government. ThisDay newspaper quotes presidential spokesman Ima Niboro as saying that the cabinet dissolution was carried out "to inject fresh blood and bring even greater vigor to governance. It is part of a larger strategy to frontally confront the core challenges that face the nation at this critical moment of our history."
Presidential sources report that a great number of the members from the dissolved cabinet are expected to be retained. According to AFP, a presidential source has stated that more than half of the dissolved cabinet will come back and that the new government is expected to be formed next week.
The source added: "Remember there is no vice president, and he (Jonathan) needs a government to support him and there is not much time left for this government. (Jonathan) is in talks already with the leadership of the senate so that it can expedite the clearance of the nominees.
The dissolution of the cabinet has increased political instability in Nigeria, which has been facing a tough time since Muslim-Christian violence erupted in the north. The unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta is also a cause for concern.
The dissolution has given the Nigerian president the power to appoint his favorites, rather than relying on Yar'Adua’s allies. If he succeeds, he will have a stronger hold on power.
