Ministerial List Ready, Senate Leader Confirms

The long-awaited ministerial list of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready, Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, confirmed yesterday.

Bamidele, a lawyer who served as a legislative aide to Tinubu when he served as Senator, said he spoke with the president who said he needs to be alone for the next 24 hours (counting from Tuesday) because of the crucial decision he has taken concerning the ministerial list.

At the launch of his two books, “Leadership Through Communication,” Bamidele, who disclosed that the president called him at exactly 10:03am on Tuesday, said the ministerial list is ready.

“If the mace would have been here it would have been a sitting of the Senate,” Bamidele said while telling the gathering how President Tinubu called him.

Noting that the list was ready, the Senate leader said, “Sheyi (Tinubu) called me and said I should not be far from my phone so that the president will call me at 10am.

“The president called me at exactly 10:03 and said I should know that nothing would have stopped him from attending my birthday celebration and the launch of books.

“He said I know that a correspondence must come from the Senate. The president said we should pray for him because in the next 24 hours he is about to take a crucial decision concerning the ministerial list.

“So that anytime Nigerians hear the list of his ministers they will be happy with the kind of people he has chosen”.

On the new books, Opeyemi said the large portion of the book is part of papers he delivered around the world.

“I’ve been saved to serve because two bullets went through my small body,” Opeyemi said, referring to the shooting that took place in 2018 at a campaign ground, even as he called on his children to take note of his service to the nation and do more.

Also speaking at the event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said without the National Assembly there won’t be democracy.

“The National Assembly is very important to democracy,” the Senate president said, adding that one can never be a good leader if he or she is not a good follower.

Akpabio who spoke at the event in Abuja applauded the celebrant for his loyalty to Tinubu for over 30 years when he served as aide to him at the National Assembly in 1992.

Akpabio who expressed displeasure with the attitude of governors to their predecessors said there is no former governor that has not have issues with his successor, citing the case of Senator Adams Oshiomole and Senator Adamu Ailero.

He however pointed out that it is only Ekiti State governor, Abiodun Oyebamiji, who is yet to fight with his predecessor.

The Senate president said, “The governor of Ekiti State is great example of what leadership should be, he has remained steadfast. As a governor, the moment you hand over power to your successor, he will turn on you. Either his taste will change or attitude. There is no any governor in Nigeria that has no problem with their predecessor apart from Ekiti governor there. That is why we have to celebrate Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele for the kind of his person. ”

The former vice chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof Toyin Ogundipe, noted that Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) have no business in the convoy of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima once the Police is in the convoy.

Ogundipe who delivered a lecture at the 60th birthday anniversary lecture said that there is need for political office holders to reduce the number of vehicles in their convoy to show Nigerians that they feel their pains in this season.

Ogundipe said, “There is a need for our leaders to reduce the number of vehicles in their convoy so that Nigerians will know that you feel their pains.

“There is nothing the VIO, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) are doing in the entourage of the President and Vice President once you have police I’m the convoy.”