Cap ministerial appointments at 37 – Reps tell Tinubu

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review is deliberating on a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution aimed at limiting the number of ministers the president can appoint to 37.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Streamline the Number of Ministers to be Appointed to the Federal Executive Council,” is currently under review by the committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.

If passed, the amendment would ensure that ministerial appointments are streamlined, possibly reducing the size of the Federal Executive Council while maintaining representation for all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Sponsored by the members representing Darazo/Ganjuwa and Kaga/Gubio/Magumeri Federal Constituencies of Bauchi and Borno states respectively, the bill seeks to amend Section 147 (1) of the Constitution to read, “There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation, not exceeding 37, as may be established by the President.”

The Federal Executive Council under President Bola Tinubu currently comprises 45 ministers, including substantive ones and Ministers of State.

For ages, the Nigerian president appoints a minister from each of the 36 states of the federation and also leaves room for other reasons in the composition of his cabinet.

In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the Bauchi lawmaker, Mansur Soro, highlighted the gap the proposed legislation sought to address.

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He said, “The bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to specify the maximum number of ministers to be appointed to the Federal Executive Council to address duplication of duties, minimise the cost of governance, and enhance efficiency to service at the federal level.

“We need to reduce the cost of governance, to address inequality in the number of ministers to be appointed from each state and cases of overlapping mandate of ministers. In my opinion, a minister per state is enough while also considering the Federal Capital Territory.”

The Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker disagreed on the argument that the president may decide to appoint more than two ministers from a state to accommodate technocrats.

Soro added, “The President has tens of other prime agencies of government and extra ministerial parastatals to accommodate technocrats or politicians. Now, Ogun has four ministers against other states that have one each. Is that fair?”

Similarly, the Kalu-led committee is considering a bill seeking to amend Section 62 of the Constitution to allow for the observance of the federal character principle in the composition of the body of principal officers of the National Assembly.