President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reshuffled his cabinet, relieving several ministers of their duties following a performance review influenced by public perception.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, revealed that this decision came after a thorough assessment process, led by Hadiza Bala Usman, the President’s Social Adviser on Policy.
In an interview with Arise TV, Onanuga explained that the appraisal was a planned exercise, dating back to when the ministers were sworn in last year.
He recalled President Tinubu’s remarks during the swearing-in ceremony in August 2023, where he asserted his authority to hire and fire ministers, warning that underperformance would lead to their dismissal.
This message was reinforced during a ministerial retreat in October 2023, where the President reiterated his commitment to regularly evaluating his cabinet’s performance.
Hadiza Bala Usman was tasked with overseeing the performance review, which involved collecting public feedback on the ministers’ effectiveness. A technology-driven process was employed, allowing Nigerians to rate the ministers based on their work.
“Hadiza brought technology to it, asking Nigerians to score the ministers,” Onanuga said. “The results were based on empirical facts, the public perception of these ministers, and it was the people who actually did the scorecard. The President acted on those results.”
Following the review, several ministers were removed from the cabinet, including Prof. Tahir Mamman (Education), Uju Kennedy Ohanenye (Women Affairs), Mohammed Gwarzo (State for Housing), Jamila Ibrahim (Youth Development), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), and suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, who has since been replaced.
The reshuffle is part of President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that his administration delivers on its promises to Nigerians and continues to make progress in key areas of governance.