AFTER the April 11 governorship election, it was as if the handing over from Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Governor elect, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC), should be with immediate effect. The expectations of dividends of democracy anticipated from the change were high.
Similarly, the governor is still working with permanent secretaries and all the top government officers he inherited from his predecessor.So far, the new administration is yet to come out with its policy and programmes and the governor is yet to appoint his commissioners and senior special advisers except for Mr. Solomon Nyaze and Mr. Jide Orintunsin of the Nation Newspapers, who were recently appointed as SSA Political Matters and Media and Public Affairs respectively.
Hopes of politicians warming up to take over from the caretaker chairmen appointed for the 25 local councils of the state by the immediate past administration were dashed as Governor Sani Bello elevated the Director of Personnel Management (DPM) to acting chairmen.
And the move has caused a lot of disaffection among politicians in the state. Also, Bello's appointments of the Secretary to the State Government and few other sensitive posts were greeted with protest as he was accused of appointing the people from his zone, which is against equity and fair play.
To cut the cost of governance and to be result-oriented, the governor has reduced the number of ministries from 23 to 14. Already, the list of nominees has been sent to the state House of Assembly for consideration and approval. The House is currently on recess and will be resuming in October.
Some observers anticipate a rowdy session when the lawmakers screen the nominees. Reason: nine of the 14 nominees are from APC and the rest are from the PDP.
Those from the opposition PDP include the immediate past eight-year Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government, Yakubu Salau; Alhaji Dattijo Aliyu, who was also chairman of the same local government for four years before being appointed as commissioner of Health during Governor Kure and Alhaji Kabiru Mohammed Wushishi, son of General M,I. Wushishi and a Commissioner in the immediate past administration.
The other two include the immediate past and two-time Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Isah Kawu and Hajiya Zainab Garba Tagwai, who is the daughter of former FCT Minister, General Gado Nasko, who is also the father of the PDP Governorship Candidate in the last election, Alhaji Umar Nasko.
These five nominees are from the leading power brokers in the state. In addition to the pressures from the power brokers, the governor, an In-law to former Head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, may not find it easy with the legislators.
No doubt, these power brokers, who are retired Generals are expected to have their way taking into consideration similar circumstances in the past.
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Jide Orintunsin, in an interview said the delay in forming the cabinet is to search for the best in the state to put round pegs in round holes for smooth administration of the state.
According to him,"the administration met a rotten system it is now cleaning up and by the time it gets the real template to work on, the administration will take off on a sound footing." He said the insinuations by members of the public that the Governor is being tele-guided and controlled by some elder statesmen are untrue.
"This state is one of the luckiest for having two former Military heads of state and highly respected leaders and they have been playing fatherly roles to the past administrations and will also do the same to the present administration.
