Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and a former governor of Kano State, has explained why Maryam Shetty, a ministerial nominee for Kano, was replaced.
According to Ganduje while featuring on a Hausa program on a Kano based radio, said she was replaced due to reactions that trailed her nomination as people took to the social media to make jest of her and questioning her competency for the job.
According to him, “In the process of appointing ministers, the president has people who will advise him from different states and the nation at large. Also, the President has the prerogative right to appoint whoever he deems fit as minister. He is also free to consult people from the state, because they are the ones who know the people who are fit to occupy such office. You know in the Villa, you have people do I know it all.
“So all of a sudden, we just heard the name. Since we know the President has the prerogative right to do so and as loyalists of the president who understand democracy, and knows you have to exercise patience we didn’t challenge the decision.
“But again, we don’t know her, and since we don’t know her, we can’t vouch for her competency for the job.
“But where the issue came to limelight is on social media. Sometimes people take actions, thinking they won’t be caught. But you will be surprised that all your actions are in the public domain. That’s what happened in this case. Reactions trailed her nomination on social media as people were making jest of her.
“The reactions became so intense, and people were questioning her competency, and worthiness to represent Kano State.
“These concerns were not raised by Ganduje, but the masses. The president was also shown the social media reactions, and he sought my opinion.
“Clearly, I told him, I don’t know who she is. He asked if there was a need to replace her, and I answered in the affirmative.
“Because these kinds of positions need someone with integrity, the person must also understand the job, and thirdly, what role did the person play in the formation of the government.
“So if you look at these qualities, we were the ones that needed to be consulted for any appointments coming from Kano State.
“Even though I don’t know all the competent people from Kano, at least our advice needs to be sought when people make recommendations, but that didn’t happen in this case.
“So the president gave us the opportunity to make a replacement with the emphasis that it must be a woman. After consultation with critical stakeholders and as it is that people Kano South complained of marginalization, we settled for the new nominee, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure. From hearing the name, Bunkure, You know where she hailed from,” he said.
Ganduje however assured that the former nominee, Shetty would be considered for another appointment.
Recall that President Tinubu had nominated Shetty from Kano State for ministerial appointment but few hours to her screening was drawn and replaced with another female nominee, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, former Commissioner of Higher Education under the immediate past governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration.
Culled from Vanguard
