Taking Charge
By Tobs Agbaegbu
Monday, July 18, 2005
Eleven new ministers sworn in last week and those re-deployed take charge as head of their ministries
Last week's federal executive council meeting presided over by President Olusegun Obasanjo was most eventful. Eleven persons drawn from their respective states were sworn in as ministers. They were also assigned portfolios in an elaborate and colourful ceremony watched by three relations of each of the new ministers.
The ministers and their portfolios included Helen Esuene from Akwa Ibom State, who was posted to Health Ministry. She was appointed in place of Rita Akpan, former minister of Women Affairs, as representative of Akwa Ibom State. Akpan's position as minister of Women Affairs was taken over by Maryam Ciroma, wife of Adamu Ciroma, a former minister of Finance.
From Anambra State, Obasanjo chose Obiageli Ezekwesili as replacement for Chukwuemeka Chikelu, former minister of Information and National Orientation. Chikelu was dropped from the cabinet while Ezekwesili, popularly called "Madam due process" was given authority over solid minerals ministry.
In the new dispensation, the post of minister of Information was given to Frank Nweke, from Enugu State. Joseph Odili Itotoh from Edo State was also sworn in and posted as minister of Internal Affairs. He was chosen in place of Odion Ugbesia, former minister of Solid Minerals. The substantive minister of Internal Affairs is Magaji Mohammed.
From Jigawa State, Ahmed Abdulhamid, was appointed new minister and posted to the Ministry of Power and Steel. Until the new appointment, Jigawa's position was filled by Saleh Shehu who was posted to Ministry of Works in the capacity of minister of state. The new minister of state for Works is Yahaya Abdulkarim, an indigene of Zamfara State. Bayo Ojo, president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, was also brought into the new Cabinet. Ojo, who comes from Kogi State was posted to Ministry of Justice as Attorney General. The former minister of Health, Eyitayo Lambo, a professor, who hails from Kogi was dropped. The quota for Kwara State was filled by Halima Tayo Alao, she was however appointed as minister of state, for Education, in replacement of Hajia Bintu Ibrahim Musa, an indigene of Borno State.
Before last week's cabinet reshuffle, Obasanjo had two people, in his cabinet from Kwara. They were, Cornelius Adebayo, minister of Communication and Funke Adedoyin, minister of state for Health. Adedoyin was dropped from the new cabinet formed last week.
Obasanjo appointed Rahman Olusegun Mimiko as the new minister of Housing, in replacement for Mobolaji Osomo who was removed as a result of the scandal over the sale of Federal Government Houses in Lagos recently. Mimiko hails from Ondo State.
Fidelis Tapgun, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kingpin from Plateau State was appointed minister of Industries. Mohammed Musa, who was the only representative of Plateau State, holding portfolio of minister of state for transport was moved to the Ministry of Inter-governmental Affairs, Youth Development and Special Duties, a post vacated by Frank Nweke.
Obasanjo appeared to have heeded the call of many Nigerians to appoint a minister for Petroleum Resources. However, he chose to appoint a minister of state for Petroleum in the person of Desmund Daukoru while retaining the substantive post himself. Daukoru is from Bayelsa State, a leading oil producing state in the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa's former representative, Turner Isoun, a professor is heading the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Other changes announced last week included Magaji Mohammed as minister of Internal Affairs, Babalola Aborisade, minister of Aviation, Iyorchia Ayu, minister of Environment and Saidu Samaila as minister of Sports.
Out of the 36 states of the federation, only Osun is presently not represented in the new cabinet. The ministerial nominee for Osun State, Kingsley Kolapo Akinroye was dropped at the last minute after being cleared by the Senate. Ufot Ekaette, secretary to the government of the federation, SGF, who confirmed the dropping of Akinroye did not adduce reasons for the action of the federal government.
President Obasanjo charged the new ministers to be diligent in their duties and to avoid acts of corruption.
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