There are indications that Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may lock horns over nomination of members of General Mohammadu Buhari’s (GMB) economic think tank that will formulate the retired army general’s economic policy.
Already, Alhaji Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, former chiefeconomic adviser to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who an online newspaper, TheCable, said Buhari has tipped as the head of the think tank, is facing serious opposition from members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the online newspaper, “since TheCablereported that the economics graduate of Wagner College, New York, U.S. was tipped to head the economic policy directorate of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, the former head of state and senior APC chieftains have been inundated with calls by concerned Nigerians who kicked against Kurfi’s membership.”
Some of those who are opposed to Kurfi’s headship of the economic directorate are said to be doing so on the grounds that it is going to send the wrong signals if the former economic adviser to the late Yar’Adua is allowed to play any major role in Buhari’s quest to become Nigeria’s president next year.
But while most members of the party are bickering over the choice of Kurfi whom the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, allegedly described as a “terrible economist” in whistle-blowing Wikileaks cable, Buhari is said to be keeping mute over the disagreement.
“I am aware that many well-meaning Nigerians have been expressing worries over Yakubu. Buhari has not told any of us categorically that Yakubu is his choice to head the team. He is already aware of the possible repercussion,” an APC top official reportedly told TheCable.
The head of the policy think-tank is expected to end up holding a major position in government and play the kind of role Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is playing presently if Buhari wins the presidential election next year.
Though, full membership of the committee has not been officially announced but two former commissioners in Lagos State, Wale Edun and Yemi Cardoso, are said to have been nominated by Tinubu, who today is the most powerful member and national leader of APC.
It is also said that Amaechi, who is the director-general of the campaign organisation, who has been accused by his former chief of staff and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, of funding Buhari’s APC with Rivers’ fund is not aware of the nominations.
Besides that, Amaechi is also said to have his own list of credible and knowledgeable Nigerians who can work with Buhari to produce an economic blueprint.
“His input will certainly be sought. He has his own candidates. The only fair conclusion is that the team is still being put together, but of course, General Buhari will have the final say. And we will resist it if Amaechi’s list is not considered not after he was robbed of the vice president slot after all his contribution,” a commissioner in Rivers who refused his name in print said.
According to the commissioner, “we in Amaechi camp is still nursing his rejection as vee pee and we will not take another humiliation.”
Kurfi, who is from Katsina State like Buhari and has been close to the retired major general for decades, is not in the good books of many because of his perceiveds role in the Yar’Adua’s government.
He was seen then sas the most powerful political appointee of Yar’Adua and was held responsible for the stalling of many projects initiated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly because of personal interest.
He was said to have stalled the execution of power projects, Kano-Lagos rail modernisation and the renewal of oil mining licences of multinational oil companies.
Kurfi was also said to have shot down several bills on privatisation sent to Yar’Adua by the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE), and was even held responsible for the reversal of the sale of Warri and Kaduna refineries to a company owned by Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola.
Source: Daily Independent
