Will Lai Mohammed return as Minister in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet or perhaps be posted to another ministry? Will the President succumb to the alleged pressure to drop him outrightly from within and outside Kwara state? Again, who will Buhari pick from the over half a dozen interested contenders who have reportedly engaged in high wire lobbying within the fold of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
These and many other probing questions have agitated the minds of many political observers in Kwara State as the President is set to announced the dissolution of his cabinet anytime from now and is said to be compiling names of those lieutenants that would serve with him in the next cabinet after his swearing-in on May 29, 2019 for second term.
For Alhaji Lai Mohammed, there have been talks in high places in the state that he has not really used his office to serve his people back home with many alleging that he is more loyal to Lagos State and his political godfather, Bola Ahmed Tinubu than using the position to favour Kwara as a whole. Although the minister has denied such allegation at various fora, what is certain is that there are many of his party members who have indicated interest and working to replace the Oro born politician from Kwara State to fill the sole ministerial slot.
Interested Comrades
At the last count, this medium exclusively reported no fewer than eight persons that have indicated interest in the minister’s job and working seriously to actualise the plan. Reliable sources within the party who confirmed the development told this writer that many leaders of the various groups within the APC have been frequenting Abuja in the last few weeks to lobby the president and top party leaders at the national level over the issue.
Top among the party leaders said to be seriously interested in the position, it was gathered, are former Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof Shuaib Oba AbdulRaheem, former member of the House of Representatives for Ilorin West/Asa, Hon Moshood Mustapha, one-time Minister of Transports, Bio Ibrahim and former gubernatorial aspirant, Saliu Mustapha. There is also former governorship running mate of the PDP during 2015 election, Yinka Aluko, former gubernatorial candidate of the ACPN and daughter of late Olusola Saraki, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, former gubernatorial aspirant in 2019 election, Yakubu Gobir and former chairman of the PDP, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo among other party stalwarts. According to inside sources, some of these gladiators and their supports have not totally forgeten the role played by the minister during the APC primaries that produced the now Governor-elect, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and might want to use this to get back at him. There is also the contentious issue that Lai is reportedly posing as leader of the party because of his position and as such there are forces determined to go against him on that.
Other Albatross
Apart from the allegation of using Kwara slot to work for Lagos by some of his kinsmen, another issue that Mohammed’s opponents in the state have reportedly lashed on is the current travail of the minister over his alleged role in the N2.5bn National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fraud. The trial of the Director-General of the NBC, Is-haq Kawu Modibbo had taken a new twist following report of admittance of Lai Mohammad that he approved the controversial fund ignorantly based on the advice of Modibbo.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) which is prosecuting the DG subsequently hinted on the possible arraignment of the minister over the issue.
Online news medium, Premium Times quoting ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, reported that if further revelations emerged during Kawu’s trial that could necessitate arraigning the minister, ICPC will not hesitate to do so.
She added that the minister was not initially charged because he said he was deceived into signing the payment.
Top lawyers in Kwara including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have however called for his prosecution over the issue and even expressed shock that the minister, who is a lawyer and whose ministry supervises the NBC could feign ignorance that he was deceived to approve such huge amount without due diligence.
The report noted that the minister even played more active role in the whole issue. “He (Mohammed) signed several documents and also took parts in discussions between Pinnacle Communications and embarked on foreign trips to inspect equipment for Nigeria’s digital switch-over, according to those familiar with the matter”, the paper noted.
An Ilorin-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Abeni Muhammed berated the Information Minister for claiming that he approved the fund for the NBC Boss, ignorantly and called for his prosecution.
According to him “…they both acted fraudulently and the minister should be charged for the same offence the NBC Boss was charged. It looks like a conspiracy between the two of them to misuse or divert government fund.
“It is unfortunate, this is coming from somebody who’s mouth piece against corruption for this government, he cannot be right to say he forgot to follow due process in approving the fund.
According to Barrister Tafa Ahmed who is also based in Ilorin, the development is a slap on the information minister and on the nation.
“Would Lai Muhammed say he’s serving Nigerians properly by approving such a huge amount of money without the details? As the number one officer in that Ministry, he is suppose to go through the document before him painstakingly before giving any consent.
“Claiming that he’s ignorant of the document he has signed is a big slap on him and on the nation,” Ahmed added.
Additional Fuel
Similarly, the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), demanded for the immediate investigation of the involvement of the Minister in the Digital Switch-Over (DSO).
In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the PDP made available to National Pilot, Tunde Ashaolu, the party while commended the Federal Government for filing the case against the NBC DG added “We note that the Ministry of Information and Culture which Lai Mohammed heads is the supervising ministry of NBC and as such, his involvement in the DSO project must be investigated. The presidency must not attempt to shield Lai Mohammed from proper investigation and possible prosecution.
“Kwarans must be conscious of the activities of those who disguise as freedom fighters. It is surprising that the same people who present themselves as saints and liberators are corrupt elements whose only agenda is to annex Kwara to Lagos and subject our commonwealth as a people to their sponsors and godfathers in Lagos”, it added.
Also, a group, Kwara Advancement Initiative (KAI) in a press statement signed by its coordinator, Kamaldeen Olanrewaju, the case has further revealed the corrupt tendencies of those who call themselves freedom fighters in Kwara State.
“It is also instructive to note that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is the leader of the O to ge group has also his hands in this corruption case’ adding that ‘Kwarans can now see what O to ge is all about.
“It is unfortunate that these people who have humongous corruption allegation hanging on their necks have been disguising as ‘saints’ and have been the ones championing divisive and hate-driven campaign that has no substance or value to Kwara and its people.
“We know that the presidency has a penchant for shielding its corrupt people from prosecution. We, however call on the ICPC to pursue this case to a logical end. Any attempt by the presidency to mute this case shall be resisted. Modibbo Kawu and Lai Mohammed must explain to Nigerians how and why they mismanaged funds meant for the Digital Switch-Over project of the Federal Government”, it added.
Defence
However, in a move believed to rally support for the minister from home, a group, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Consultative Forum in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State at a press conference held in Ilorin on Tuesday apparently pleaded with the president to ignore all the salvos coming from both members of the ruling and opposition party in the state and reappoint him in his cabinet.
The group led by Dr. Hezekiah Oyedepo, said Mohammed had carved a niche and justified the confidence reposed in him in various offices he had occupied, adding that the minister worked in collaboration with other stakeholders to ensure the victory of the APC in Kwara State in the just concluded general elections.
Oyedepo, who led other chieftains of the party at the briefing, pleaded with the leaders of the party to prevail on the President to see that Mohammed retains his position in the Federal Executive Council.
“We appeal to the authorities, particularly the President, Vice President, National Chairman of APC, National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all other authorities concerned to retain our son as a member of a new cabinet to be constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari in the next cabinet”, he added.
Speculation
Although, there are reports by some national dailies the President may compensate those (ministers) who contributed to the victory of the party in the 2019 election in their various states like (Lai Mohammed), it is not clear whether Buhari will want to sacrifice performance and capability for any role in an election that has come and gone in his final four years when the government should be delivering the fruits of the first four year to the people.
For Lai Muhammed, some have suggested that the President may be considering former Lagos State Governor and minister of Works, Power and Housing for the position of government’s mouthpiece.
Although Fashola said it is the President that can determine who he wants to work and where for him when asked by Morayo Afolabi-Brown during a TVC television programme, “Your View”, Mohammed, some argued is not one of the high flyers of Buhari’s administration and seen to have functioned better during the APC days as opposition party mouthpiece than now in government especially with some of his alleged gaffes in information management with particular references to the Chibok girls issue and some off-record comments that attracted very negative reactions from Nigerians about the president and his government.
Lieutenants not relenting
The way things seem now, the coast is unclear whether the minister will get Buhari’s nod or not but until the announcement is made, those within the APC in the state interested in the position have not shown any sign of respite. According to an aide to one of the party leaders from Kwara Central, his principal has done the necessary homework to be considered by the President for the position. And for another party stalwart who is also said to be highly interested in the position while speaking with Pilot Politics on the issue, “the issue is the prerogative of the President. The whole world can be lobbying but Buhari will pick whoever he wants. If Lai Mohammed wants to return and he gets the nod from the President, fine and good, and if he tries and he doesn’t have it and another person that is looking for it tries and get it, no problem. But the party has no say in whoever becomes the minister (from Kwara State)”.
