“Your assignment begins today”!
With those words, President Bola Tinubu charged the 45 ministers sworn-in at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday to work for Nigeria in the discharge of their responsibilities. He said they should see themselves as Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not those of sections of the country.
The President had forwarded in batches the ministerial nominees to the Senate, which screened and cleared 45 out of 48. Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai; Senator Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State) and Mrs, Stella Okotete (Delta State) did not pass the screening on security reasons.
Ministers sworn-in on Monday included: former Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike (Minister of Federal Capital Territory); Mr. Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy); former Osun State Governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola (Marine and Blue Economy); former Ebonyi State Governor, Senator David Umahi (Works); former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barrister Festus Keyamo (Aviation and Aerospace Development); and former Cross River State Commissioner, Dr. Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation).
Also sworn in were Dr. Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy), Mr. Ishak Salako (State, Environment and Ecological Management), Adegboyega Oyetola (Marine and Blue Economy), Mr. Adedayo Adelabu (Power), Dr. Tunji Alausa (State, Health and Social Welfare), Mr. Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), Ms. Lola Ade-John (Minister of Tourism), Alhaji Sa’idu Alkali (Transportation), and Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo (Interior).
Some others are Doris Anite (Industry, Trade and Investment), Uche Nnaji (Innovation Science and Technology), Nkiruka Onyejeocha (State, Labour and Employment), Uju Kennedy (Women Affairs), David Umahi (Works), Abubakar Momoh (Niger Delta Development), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Ekperikpe Ekpo (State, Petroleum Resources — Gas), and Heineken Lokpobiri (State, Petroleum Resources — Oil).
The new ministers also include John Enoh (Sports Development), Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and the Creative Economy), Mohammed Badaru (Defence), Bello Matawalle (State Defence), Yusuf T. Sunumu (State Education), Ahmed M. Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development), Abdullah T. Gwarzo (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Economic Planning).
Also sworn in are Mairiga Mahmud (State, Federal Capital Territory), Bello M. Goronyo (State, Water Resources and Sanitation), Abubakar Kyar (Agriculture and Food Security), Tahir Maman (Education), Yusuf M. Tuggar (Foreign Affairs), Ali Pate (Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare), Ibrahim Geidam (Police Affairs), U. Maigari Ahmadu (State, Steel Development), and Shuaibu A. Audu (Steel Development).
Others are Muhammed Idris (Information and National Orientation), Lateef Fagbemi (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice), Simon B. Lalong (Labour and Employment), Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim (State, Police Affairs), Zephaniah Jisalo (Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Affairs), Joseph Utsev (Water Resources and Sanitation), and Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (State, Agriculture and Food Security).
Though a Minister of Environment and Ecological Management has yet to be designated, the Presidency assigned the appointment to Kaduna State.
On Sunday, President Tinubu redeployed Oyetola from the Ministry of Transportation to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. He also redeployed another minister-designate, Abubakar Momoh, from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
“The Federal Ministry of Youth is to be re-assigned to a Minister-Designate soon,” said presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, adding that the changes take immediate effect.
According to Ngelale, Tinubu also redeployed minister-designate Bunmi Tunji-Ojo to the Ministry of Interior while Sa’idu Alkali was redeployed as the Minister of Transportation.
