Laolu Akande Predicts Finance Minister, Reveals Solution to Electricity in Nigeria
- Laolu Akande, former spokesperson of the ex-Vice President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo, has lauded President Bola Tinubu's decision to merge the power and gas sectors
- Akande also applauded the choice of Wale Edun and Ali Pate, saying they are brilliant technocrats who would bring their experience and competence to the job
- The spokesman also postulated the portfolio likely to be given to Nasir El-Rufai and Lateef Fagbemi
FCT, Abuja - Laolu Akande, the ex-spokesperson of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has thrown his weight behind an idea for restructuring ministries under President Bola Tinubu, especially the merging of the gas and power sectors of the economy.
Akande argued that moving gas to the power ministry is a good idea that can help solve the perennial power problem in the country while also improving the economy.
Source: Facebook
While speaking during the Channels TV 'Politics Today' programme, he said:
"Anyone who's trying to take a fresh look at some of the challenges might actually have the option of re-designating and re-arranging and re-structuring some of these ministries in order to deliver results.
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"The idea of bringing gas together with power, I think it's something that might actually be helpful."
Speaking further on President Bola Tinubu's cabinet formation, Akande singled out Wale Edun and Ali Pate from the list, commending the duo as brilliant technocrats who will bring their experience, capacity and competence to the fore.
He said:
"We can say that Mr Wale Edun is going to be the Minister of Finance. I will be willing to stake my neck on that and the reason is that it is not just because he was the Finance Commissioner when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State. But if you look at his antecedents, most people don't know that he's actually a co-founder of Stanbic IBTC bank
"He is a thorough-going economist, a very serious hands-on man and he understands issues. A practitioner, probably in his early sixties."
Who would be Minister of Health
On the part of Pate, he revealed that the health expert is primed to become the next Minister of Health.
He recounted how Pate turned down a job at a multi-billion dollar vaccine agency to work for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Akande's words:
"...Don't forget that Dr Pate was supposed to take up the job as the CEO of Garvin last week, a twenty-seven billion dollar international agency that deals with vaccination. But he chooses to drop that to take this job.
"I can also imagine that he would be the Minister of Health. And talking about capacity, Pate has been there before. He understands the issue pertaining to public health."
Why El-Rufai might be Minister of Power
Also, while commenting on the nomination of the immediate past Kaduna governor, Akande said:
"I think during the screening, former governor of Kaduna, El-Rufai had indicated that the president wanted him to deal with the issue of power, so I think there is a likelihood that he might be the one that will end up in that unit."
"I also think if you look at the lawyer, we can make a good estimate that Lateef Fagbemi is going to be the next Minister of Justice.
"Besides the fact that he's out of the lot of three and four, he's clearly the leader in terms of litigation, in terms of reputation and somebody that's not as political, somebody that you can think that people can build credibility and reputation about."
Senate gives fresh update on El-Rufai, 2 other unconfirmed ministerial nominees
Legit.ng also reported that the three unconfirmed ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu may be re-invited by the Senate for another screening.
Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu disclosed this a day after the Red Chamber suspended their confirmations.
The confirmation of Nasir El-Rufai from Kaduna, Abubakar Danladi from Taraba and Stella Okotete from Delta state were suspended due to security clearance.
Source: Legit.ng
