Jonathan to swear-in 11 new ministers Wednesday

BY ZAINAB JUNAID

The News Agency of Nigeria reported few hours ago that President Goodluck Jonathan will on Wednesday swear-in 11 ministerial nominees that were cleared by the National Assembly.

A statement issued by Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Tuesday in Abuja, said the swearing-in would take place at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Those to be sworn-in are Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Mohammed Wakil (Borno), Abduljelili Adesiyan (Osun), Aminu Wali (Kano) and Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom).

Others are Lawrencia Labaran (Kaduna State), DTamuno Danagogo (Rivers), Asabe Ahmed (Niger), Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara), Boni Haruna (Adamawa) and Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto State).

The President had on February 21 forwarded names of 12 ministerial nominees to the Senate for clearance, from which 11 were cleared.

Mr. Jonathan dropped four ministers from his cabinet on February 20th to enable them pursue their political and other ambitions.

The dropped ministers were the embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, the Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade and the Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama.

The President had in September 2013 sacked nine ministers.

They include Ruqayyatu Rufai (Education), Ita Ewa (Science and Technology), Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs), Hadiza Mailafia (Environment), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning) and Ama Pepple (Housing, Lands and Urban Development).

Others were the Minister of State for Defence, Olushola Obada, the Minister of State, Agriculture, Bukar Tijani and the Minister of State for Power, Zainab Kuchi.