Cabinet reshuffle may precede appointment of defence minister (PunchNg)

AS a prelude to the appointment of a new defence minister, the Federal Cabinet will be tinkered with to accommodate the appropriate candidate, The PUNCH learnt in Abuja on Wednesday.

The post was vacated by Haliru Mohammed last Friday when President Goodluck Jonathan dropped two of his top security aides. Also fired by Jonathan was the National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Azazi.

The President said their removal was to give way for a fresh strategy to confront the menace of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

A presidency source, who spoke with one of our correspondents, said, “You know Mohammed is from Kebbi State. His successor may not necessarily be from the same state.

“He may not even come from the North-West or even the North. So when a ministerial nominee is picked for the defence ministry, there will be a cabinet reshuffle. One or two ministers may be dropped.

”The President is consulting with former heads of state and security chiefs. He will consult widely as part of efforts to solve the Boko Haram problem.”

Investigations by our correspondents on Wednesday showed that the President had consulted some former security chiefs.

It was also gathered that he would consult former presidents in the process of picking the next minister.

While the federal character consideration would still be maintained by the government, sources in the Presidency said Jonathan had promised that he would appoint the next defence minister on merit.

The source stated that the security situation in the country did not permit primordial consideration.

“Although the issue of federal character cannot be completely ruled out, emphasis will be on merit because we are in an unusual period,” he said.

The PUNCH had on Monday reported that the far North and the South were competing for the defence portfolio.

Some media reports on Wednesday indicated that a former NSA, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (retd.), and a military intelligence officer and former governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar, were being tipped for the post.

It was also learnt that the President would soon rejig the service chiefs, as the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, would soon retire.

Petirin enlisted in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1974 as a member of Regular Course 16 and was commissioned Pilot Officer on January 3, 1977.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, said her office had not received the nominee for the defence ministry.

In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, Emodi said, “I believe that once the President finds someone who meets his conditions for the ministry, the name would be sent to my office.

“At the moment, no name has been forwarded. Once that happens it will be sent to the Senate.”

She said that the President had not picked any candidate for the position.

“The Senate is required to screen the nominee as soon as the name is communicated by the President,” Emodi said.