The outgoing Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has made a surprising confession regarding his appointment to the ministry by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
During a valedictory session with officials and heads of parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja, Adamu revealed that he had no prior knowledge about the education sector.
As one of the longest-serving members of the Buhari cabinet, Adamu's tenure in the Nigerian education sector has been marked by a lack of fundamental changes, particularly at the tertiary level, where strikes have persisted.
He faced criticism for his alleged inaction in addressing the issue of out-of-school children and for overseeing the longest strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
However, Adamu's recent revelation sheds light on the possible reasons behind these challenges. He admitted that he relied on the wisdom of appointing professors of education and other experts in the sector, as well as the assistance of officials from the Federal Ministry of Education, to navigate his unfamiliarity with the field. Through their support, he was able to make some progress during his tenure.
Adamu expressed his gratitude to President Buhari for entrusting him with the ministerial position, acknowledging that he was seemingly unprepared and inexperienced for the task at hand.
Despite the challenges faced, he appreciated the opportunity to serve and recognized the efforts of those who helped him along the way.
The Minister said, “I was busy making recommendations and suggestions to the President on who to appoint into his cabinet in 2015. All of a sudden, he announced my name to my surprise and that was it. We worked together till 2019.
“In 2019, I approached the President and suggested that he reshuffle his cabinet because, in the eyes of many, it was unusual in our society for a President to work with the same Ministers for four years. Buhari had graciously allowed his Ministers to stay in office for four years. Ordinarily, Ministers stay in office for two years before they are reshuffled.
“But I know him very well and I knew it will be difficult for him to do that. But I decided to make it easy for him by promising to bring people that would do the job better for me and others who served as Ministers in the first tenure,” he said.
“I promised him that I will give him names of competent people from at least, 19 northern states. So, I suggested to him to drop all the Ministers that worked with him in the first tenure including me, but I knew it would be difficult for him. But to confirm that I can do the job, I gave him a name from Bauchi state whom I had expected him to replace me within the cabinet. That was how Maryam Katagun became Minister of the Federal Republic.”
He said he brought her to replace him and somehow but surprisingly, the President kept her and also kept him.
“Up till now, he never explained to me why he did that. However, I remain eternally grateful to the President for trusting me with such responsibilities. He has shown me love and trust over the years. In 1994, when he picked up an assignment in Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), he gave me an offer to work with him as Personal Assistant. That was how I found myself in Abuja.”
