Turning Down Offers Appointment from President Buhari
I was offered four roles by the president. This was conveyed to me by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. First, I was offered the role of Chief of Staff. The likes of Nasir El-Rufai thought I would perform excellently in that role, but I told him that I could not speak Hausa – an aptitude I felt was needed for that role, given the president’s working environment.
In fairness to Buhari, when I was his running mate, on several occasions
when those around him would speak Hausa, he would interrupt and say, “Speak English. Pastor Bakare is here with us.”
I was also offered the role of Minister for Petroleum, but I turned it down as well and instead, presented experts in the industry. I first nominated Mutiu Sunmonu, former MD/CEO of Shell in Nigeria, who had been my schoolmate at Lisabi Grammar School. However, Mr Sunmonu had just retired from Shell and needed a break., He also pointed out that he was unfamiliar with the ; politicians in government, although he was familiar with me.
Then Ibe Kachukwu was recommended to me independently by three persons Kola Abiola, Tunji Olowolafe, and Deolu Akinyemi (who had seen him make a brilliant presentation on Nigeria’s petroleum sector at the Lagos business School). After assessing him, I recommended him to the president who then appointed him Minister of State for Petroleum. In addition, I was offered the roles of Minister for Internal Affairs and Nigeria High Commissioner to the UK, which also turned down.
The appointment question turned out to be one of the president’s early challenges as he delayed naming his cabinet. When he eventually did, doubts arose as to the quality of several of his appointees. In general, the president started on a slow note and earned the nickname “Mr Go Slow.”
When the government told Nigerians that the slow start was as a result of the rot it had met in the system and its attempt to sanitise it, Nigerians gave it the benefit of the doubt. But the president’s honeymoon phase soon ended as Nigerians soon became impatient with his administration.
Please refer to pages 442 and 443 for the complete details.
