Laolu Akande predicts finance minister, reveals solution to electricity in Nigeria

Laolu Akande, the ex-spokesperson of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has thrown his weight behind an idea for restructuring ministries under President Bola Tinubu, especially the merging of the gas and power sectors of the economy.

Akande argued that moving gas to the power ministry is a good idea that can help solve the perennial power problem in the country while also improving the economy.

While speaking during the Channels TV 'Politics Today' programme, he said: "Anyone who's trying to take a fresh look at some of the challenges might actually have the option of re-designating and re-arranging and re-structuring some of these ministries in order to deliver results.

Speaking further on President Bola Tinubu's cabinet formation, Akande singled out Wale Edun and Ali Pate from the list, commending the duo as brilliant technocrats who will bring their experience, capacity and competence to the fore.

He said: "We can say that Mr Wale Edun is going to be the Minister of Finance. I will be willing to stake my neck on that and the reason is that it is not just because he was the Finance Commissioner when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was the governor of Lagos State. But if you look at his antecedents, most people don't know that he's actually a co-founder of Stanbic IBTC bank

"He is a thorough-going economist, a very serious hands-on man and he understands issues. A practitioner, probably in his early sixties."

Who would be Minister of Health

On the part of Pate, he revealed that the health expert is primed to become the next Minister of Health.

He recounted how Pate turned down a job at a multi-billion dollar vaccine agency to work for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Akande's words: "...Don't forget that Dr Pate was supposed to take up the job as the CEO of Garvin last week, a twenty-seven billion dollar international agency that deals with vaccination. But he chooses to drop that to take this job.

"I can also imagine that he would be the Minister of Health. And talking about capacity, Pate has been there before. He understands the issue pertaining to public health."