President Muhammadu Buhari has explained the deliberate strategy behind his decision to appoint women as Ministers of Finance throughout his eight-year tenure.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that he made the revelation while speaking at the inauguration of the new Nigeria Customs Service corporate headquarters in Abuja.
President Buhari emphasised that this choice aimed to deter individuals seeking contracts and payments, ultimately ensuring a peaceful and efficient ministry administration.
According to the outgoing president, approaching a female Finance Minister would dissuade many male counterparts from pursuing personal interests in contract awards or payment settlements due to ingrained ego and pride.
According to him, by leveraging cultural dynamics, he strategically entrusted the finance portfolio to women, creating a barrier that discouraged individuals from approaching the ministry with inflated self-importance.
“The appointment of ladies was a deliberate move to exploit the cultural behaviour of all Nigerians. Once ladies are in charge, people feel too big to go to ladies. So, I am sure peace will be allowed in the Ministry of Finance, where people will go and lobby for their contracts to be paid and so on. So, they feel too big to go to ladies. So, I put a lady in charge. That gave me a lot of peace,” President Buhari explained.
During the event, President Buhari also shed light on another deliberate policy he implemented – the temporary closure of Nigeria’s borders. The objective behind this decision, he said, was to promote the consumption of locally produced goods and reap the positive effects on job creation and national security.
The president also emphasised the necessity of an energetic and competent individual to supervise border security effectively.
“Just as only God can effectively guard that border, I intentionally closed it. Knowing Nigerians, they would order rice and provide false addresses, resulting in rice smuggling into the country. We are fully aware of our potentialities,” President Buhari asserted.
