Senator Orji Kalu, representing Abia North, has called on President Bola Tinubu to remove certain ministers and security chiefs from their positions, citing their inefficiency and insufficient contributions to Nigeria’s progress.
During a guest appearance on Politics Today, a programme broadcast on Channels Television on Monday, Kalu shared his assessment of the federal cabinet.
“Some people working with President Tinubu should be relieved of their duties. Some of them should go, both from the security sector and among the ministers,”
he said.
A former Governor of Abia State, Kalu advised the President to take decisive actions to realign his administration with the expectations of Nigerians.
“President Tinubu must be courageous enough to sack some of these ministers. If he takes my advice, most of these ministers, I’ve appraised them and talked to him privately, most of them should go, and that is the truth,”
he added.
He also emphasized that changes were needed among the security chiefs for Nigeria to overcome its current difficulties.
“If he takes my advice, some of the security chiefs will also go. There is no sentiment about redeeming Nigeria if we really want to relieve Nigeria,” Kalu remarked.
President Tinubu appointed 45 ministers when he assumed office on 29 May 2023, marking the largest cabinet since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999. This move sparked various reactions and concerns.
In October 2024, a significant cabinet reshuffle took place.
Five ministers were dismissed, seven new ministers appointed, and ten others reassigned to different ministries.
The reshuffle affected critical sectors such as education, tourism, women’s affairs, youth development, and housing.
Notable changes included renaming the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development, dissolving the Ministry of Sports, and merging the ministries of tourism and arts and culture.
Since the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023, Nigerians have been grappling with rising fuel prices and increased living costs, alongside economic reforms that have resulted in short-term difficulties.
On the economic situation, Kalu acknowledged the ongoing reforms but noted that many Nigerians have yet to feel their positive effects.
“The macro side is coming, but the other downsides are not coming very well. Nigerians in the lower area are still suffering. They have not started having the benefit of the changes President Tinubu is making,”
he observed.
He cautioned that while reforms are in progress, the benefits will take time to materialize, and ongoing insecurity continues to impede economic recovery.
“The changes are trickling down, it’s going to take another one to two years for the changes to come. And what is causing it is because insurgencies and the problems all over Nigeria are still making people not go to the farm. Some people working with Tinubu should be relieved of their duties,”
Kalu concluded.
