“My administration did not need more than half of the existing ministries” - Buhari

The shape of government that will drive the change agenda of the present administration is to be unfolded by President Muhammadu Buhari as he inaugurates his cabinet today.

The President may formally announce a drastic reduction in the number of ministries, thus paving the way for an austere regime, which would not allow waste and leakages to thrive.

Ahead of unfolding the new structure today, President Buhari made it clear to the permanent secretaries that his administration did not need more than half of the existing ministries. According to the source, all permanent secretaries who had put in more than four years were dropped.

Similarly, those known to have questionable records of service were also not spared the sweeping changes effected just after a valedictory meeting the permanent secretaries had with Buhari yesterday at the State House.

The slash in the number of permanent secretaries is in line with the recommendations of the Ahmed Joda Transition Committee Report, which recommended that the Buhari administration should reduce the number of ministries and adopt cost-saving measures to revive the Nigerian economy. The Joda Committee had recommended that existing ministries should be pruned to only 19 while some Ministries, Departments and agencies, MDAs, not covered by law in Nigeria, should be scrapped.