ADEBANJO: President Yet To Breach Constitution

One month and counting, there is no constitutionally recognised Federal Executive Council (FEC) in place to assist the President in the discharge of his duties, does this not portend serious problem?
CONSTITUTIONALLY speaking, President Buhari has not breached any of the relevant provisions of the law by delaying the announcement of his ministerial list. The delay does not contravene any constitutional provision and does not have constitutional implication.

Buhari has not said that he would not appoint. All he keeps asking of Nigerians is a little more patience as he cleans what he termed ‘the rot’ of the last administration.

How effective can civil servants be trusted to translate the president’s campaign promises into desirable results? 
There is need for President Buhari to be very careful in his selection of aides. He has told us that he wants to cut the cost of governance. The current delay might not be unconnected with that purpose.

However, it is pragmatically impossible for the President to run all the ministries alone, even if he prunes them by half. The job of running the ministries is by law the preserve of the ministers, but at the same time, no ministry can perform without civil servants. But given their penchant worshipping of bureaucracy, which most often is fraught with ‘kick backs’, civil servants cannot be trusted to make effective, the mantra of the ruling party, which is, ‘change.’

Does the delay have any serious consequences on the day to day governmental activities? 
Frankly, the President must act fast, as his delay in doing so, is already setting a bad precedence for a number of state governors, who have hidden agenda to follow. Nigerians are right to expect President Buhari to name his ministers well before now in order to convince them that truly, the much-touted ‘change’ has come. The saying that ‘show me your friend, and I will tell who you are’ is applicable in this regard as no President would appoint his enemies, be it political or otherwise, into position of authority. To do otherwise is politically suicidal.

Adebanjo