Osinbajo inaugurates new ministers despite denial by presidency

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday finally inaugurated Stephen Ocheni (Kogi) and Suleiman Hassan (Gombe) as ministers over two months after their nominations were confirmed by the Senate.

The inauguration took place inside the Council Chambers of the National Assembly at the commencement of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

Shortly after administering their oaths of office on them, Osinbajo announced that their portfolios would be announced “shortly.”

Recall that TheNewsGuru.com had earlier reported that the presidency had dismissed media report speculating that the said minister will be inaugurated today.

Dismissing the reports Tuesday night, Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, wrote on his Twitter handle:

“The story that Femi Adesina, Laolu Akande and I provided confirmation that two new ministers are to be sworn in tomorrow is false

The new ministers are currently attending the FEC meeting with their colleagues.

It will be recalled that the House of Representatives had on July 11 handed down a seven-day ultimatum to Osinbajo to inaugurate the ministers whose names were forwarded to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Osinbajo had failed to inaugurate the ministers since Buhari left the country for London, United Kingdom where he is currently receiving medical attention.

The slots of Kogi and Gombe States in the federal cabinet had been vacant following the death of the Minister of State for Labour, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), in an accident on March 6, 2016; and the appointment of former Minister of the Environment, Amina Mohammed, as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.