Atiku blasts Keyamo’s ‘desperation and scheming [which] are killers of opportunity’
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has blasted Labour and Employment Minister of State Festus Keyamo for being double faced in order to get a job in the administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Keyamo, a SAN, stirred a hornet’s nest on Wednesday by saying the position of Minister of State in the federal cabinet is unconstitutional after occupying the post for four years.
Critics argue if Keyamo were sincere he would have turned down the job when he was offered in 2019.
They see his statement as attacking and distancing himself from President Muhammadu Buhari in order to ingratiate himself with Tinubu, who is expected to be sworn into office on May 29.
Atiku warned through PDP spokesman Daniel Bwala that Keyamo is trying to ambush Tinubu but his “desperation” and “scheming” may kill his opportunity.
Keyamo lamented the office of Minister of State is an aberration and unconstitutional, saying most of his colleagues were redundant in the past eight years but lack the courage to speak up.
He read this in his speech at the valedictory session of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, chaired by Buhari to mark the end of the administration.
“He wants to ambush Tinubu to give him a substantive ministerial role, hence his argument that Buhari appointing him as Minister of State is unconstitutional,” Bwala tweeted, per Daily Post.
“That’s exactly how he wanted the role of AGF [Attorney General of the Federation] and went to the NASS [National Assembly] confirmation hearing and was answering in this manner ‘If I become AGF ….’
“It got [Buhari’s] chief of staff mad and they gave him an inconsequential role first under Niger Delta, the substantive Minister then allegedly complained and he was further re-assigned to Labour as ‘Under Secretary’ aka Minister of state. Sources close to Tinubu revealed.
“My take is that desperation and scheming are killers of opportunity.”
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Keyamo’s speech at FEC meeting
Keyamo in his prepared speech at the FEC meeting said it was difficult to assess the individual performances of the Ministers of State since their discretion was shackled under senior Ministers, per Daily Post reporting.
He moaned that original ideas developed by a Minister of State are usually subjected to clearance by a colleague in the cabinet before they can sail through for consideration by the FEC.
“Mr. President, you first appointed me as Minister of State in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in August, 2019 and you later redeployed me as Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment,” Keyamo said.
“I cannot find the words to express the depth of my gratitude to you for finding me worthy, out of over two hundred million Nigerians, to be nominated and subsequently appointed to serve as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. My curriculum vitae has been greatly enhanced – forever.
“From my very humble beginnings in a small dusty town in Delta State where I was born and raised by my struggling parents, all the way to the Council Chambers at the Presidential Villa where I had the honour and privilege to participate weekly in decision-making for my country in the last four years, it has been like a fairy tale. I give God all the glory.
“What I am about to say, therefore, is not and should not be construed as an indication of ingratitude. Far from it.
“What I am about to say is just my own little contribution to our constitutional development as a relatively young democracy and to aid future governments to optimize the performance of those they appoint as ministers.
“Mr. President, the concept or designation of ‘Minister of State’ is a constitutional aberration and is practically not working for many so appointed.
“Successive governments have come and gone and many who were appointed as Ministers of State have not spoken out at a forum such as this because of the risk of sounding ungrateful to the Presidents who appointed them. However, like I said earlier, this is not ingratitude.
“As a private citizen, I am on record to have gone to court a number of times to challenge unconstitutional acts of governments for the sake of advancing our constitutional democracy, so it will be out of character for me to have gone through government and be carried away by the pomp of public office and forget my role as a member of the Inner Bar and my self-imposed role over the years as a crusader for democracy and constitutionalism.”