Special adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has revealed why the minister of state for Defence, Bello Matawalle was not dismissed in the recent cabinet reshuffle.
Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, has faced accusations of having links to bandit groups.
However, Onanuga clarified that the allegations were thoroughly investigated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and found to be baseless.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Onanuga stated: “As far as I know, most of those things are just mere allegations.
In one of them, I got something like that and sent it to the NSA and asked: ‘Have you heard about this?’ The NSA said: ‘No. We have probed a lot of those things; they are not true.’”
He continued: “People are just bringing out all kinds of fake things and allegations. That is why the man (Matawalle) is still in the cabinet. The president, I’m sure, has heard many stories about him. For him to be there shows that, like I have said, some of those things have been probed. They have been found not to be true.”
According to Onanuga, the NSA’s investigation concluded that the allegations against Matawalle were “mere fabrications.”
Onanuga also provided insights into the rationale behind the reshuffle, explaining that public perception played a crucial role.
He credited Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, for implementing a system that allowed Nigerians to assess the ministers’ performances.
“It wasn’t done arbitrarily,” Onanuga said. “Hadiza Bala Usman brought in technology, asking Nigerians to rate the ministers.
So, the removal of these ministers was based on empirical facts, shaped by the public’s perception. The scorecards were filled out by the people, and the President acted on those results.”
He added that the reshuffle was not solely about meeting the President’s expectations but also addressing the concerns of the public. “A few weeks ago, during a cabinet meeting, the President urged the ministers to inform Nigerians of their accomplishments, because, according to him, there was a public perception that the government wasn’t performing,” he said.
Onanuga also hinted at upcoming efforts to reduce the cost of governance. “The President will soon announce measures to reduce government expenditure, starting with the ministers. I don’t want to pre-empt the details, but the cuts will be significant to demonstrate the government’s seriousness in reducing the cost of governance.”
He concluded by stating: “The government is aware of what’s required to address the country’s challenges. It’s not about the size of the government, but about having many competent hands to drive its agenda.”
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