Former Minister of Communication Adebayo Shittu has voiced strong support for Jumoke Oduwole, the newly appointed Minister of Trade, Industry, and Investment, among the seven ministers recently appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday, Shittu expressed his belief that the five ministers removed from their positions should not be considered inferior to their successors. He stated, “If you look at the changes we had yesterday (Wednesday), I doubt whether it is necessarily bringing in superior minds or better minds in terms of governance, expectations, and performance.”

Shittu elaborated, noting that the changes reflect a situation where “some Nigerians are being asked to move on, while others are being brought in. This does not necessarily mean that those who have been sidelined are inferior to the new appointees.” When questioned about whether President Tinubu has formed the best team to accomplish his objectives, Shittu refrained from making a definitive judgment. “It is wrong of me to prejudge. I’m not one to be judgmental, especially regarding those I don’t know,” he remarked.

He praised Oduwole for her previous work, saying, “I know Dr. Jumoke; she worked under Buhari’s administration and performed excellently in trade, investment, and commerce. I am proud because she is one person that can deliver. All the other six, I don’t know any of them. It would be wrong of me to presume negativity on their part.”

Shittu emphasized the necessity of thorough Senate screenings for ministerial nominees, arguing that the Nigerian public lacks the patience for trial-and-error ministers. “I would rather prefer that people go through a screening process to assess their suitability,” he stated.

He highlighted the advantages of appointing qualified individuals, citing the current Minister of Works, an engineer, as a positive example. “Any keen observer of events in the Ministry of Works would agree that having a civil engineer in that position has a beneficial impact. If, for instance, I were posted to the works ministry as a lawyer without engineering training, it would take a lot of time for me to learn, and Nigerians certainly don’t have too much time for such a learning process.”