TheNewsGuru

Tag: Ministerial List

  • Tinubu’s CoS, Gbajabiamila reveals plan on creation of new ministries

    Tinubu’s CoS, Gbajabiamila reveals plan on creation of new ministries

    The President Bola Tinubu’s administration may create new ministries from the existing ones, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, disclosed on Thursday in Abuja.

    The ministerial list was submitted to the National Assembly today by Gbajabiamila and was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

    ‘’Mr President intends to separate portfolios or restructure the ministries in such a way you might be hearing of new ministries that were not standalone ministries before. So the process continues.’’

    The 28 minister-nominees include Abubakar Momoh, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Ahmed Dangiwa, Hannatu Musawa, Chief Uche Nnaji, Dr. Betta Edu, Dr. Doris Aniche Uzoka, David Umahi, and Nyesom Wike.

    Others are Badaru Abubakar, Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai, Ekperipe Ekpo, Nkeiruka Onyejocha, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, Stella Okotette, Uju Kennedy Ohaneye, Mr Bello Muhammad Goronyo, Mr Dele Alake, and Mr Lateef Fagbemi.

    The rest include Mr Muhammad Idris, Mr Olawale Edun, Mr Waheed Adebayo Adelabu, Mrs Iman Suleiman Ibrahim, Prof. Ali Pate, Prof. Joseph Utsev, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Sen. John Enoh, and Sen. Sani Abubakar Danladi.

    Gbajabiamila said that the nominees were chosen after undergoing strict personal screening by the President.

    He said that a second part comprising 13 names would be sent to the assembly, adding that this was part of the process of having a cabinet for the administration.

    ‘’As you know he had 60 days from time of inauguration, as stipulated in the constitution. He has fulfilled that requirement of the constitution by submitting 28 names today.

    ‘’As his letter stated, and was read on the floor of the Senate, the remaining names, not sure how many, probably about 12, maybe 13, will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming days.

    ‘’As far as the nominees themselves are concerned, and like I said, Mr. President took his time to sift through those names,’’ he said.

    The Chief of Staff said that the president decided to tow the line of tradition by not attaching the portfolio of the nominees in the letter to the Senate in order to give room for reviews.

    ‘’As good as that sounds, it straitjackets the president to pigeonhole one person in an office or the other. What happens then if you change your mind, do you then bring the person back for screening again, because the president is at liberty to change your mind.

    ‘’For instance, if I decide I want somebody as Minister of Labour, and then after sending the name, later on, I decide that this person would actually be better with another portfolio. And meanwhile, the Senate has screened that person for that particular initial portfolio?.

    ‘’What happens then? Do you now re-screen the person? So, a lot of these things have their merits and demerits,’’ Gbajabiamila said.

  • “Tinubu is solely responsible for my ministerial nomination,” – Umahi

    “Tinubu is solely responsible for my ministerial nomination,” – Umahi

    Sen. David Umahi (APC–Ebonyi South), on Thursday, said that President Bola Tinubu is solely responsible for his nomination as a minister from Ebonyi.

    Umahi made the declaration in Abakaliki while speaking to newsmen on being received by Gov. Francis Nwifuru.

    The Senate Deputy Majority Leader, said he owed profound appreciation to President Tinubu for “fulfiling his promise during the trying period”.

    “My governor (Nwifuru) should be happy because he wished for it,” he said.

    He pledged to work assiduously in justifying the confidence reposed in him, noting that he had no inkling on the ministry to supretend.

    “I will work with the president to ensure that all promises he made are kept.

    “I cannot determine the particular ministry to head but I will justify the Ebonyi character of resourcefulness and exceptionality,” he said.

    The former governor commended Nwifuru for ‘taking care of the state well,’ since he left the seat in May.

    “I have not been to Ebonyi since the past two months and I am particularly happy with the condition of our airport.

    “It seems the airport is better maintained than in our time,” he said.

    Gov. Nwifuru in his remarks, said that Umahi’s nomination was pleasing to the government and people of the state.

    “Umahi is the leader we know and he is a person the nation needs.

    “It is gratifying that the president identified and found him worthy to work with.

    “We are very sure that he will make Ebonyi proud,” he said.

  • Festus Keyamo reacts to Tinubu’s ministerial list

    Festus Keyamo reacts to Tinubu’s ministerial list

    The immediate past Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has reacted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial list.

    Keyamo, via his Twitter handle, said: “Huge congratulations to all the ministerial nominees by the President.

    @officialABAT; very well deserved.”

    On Thursday, Tinubu had transmitted the much-anticipated ministerial list to the Senate.

    The list was presented to the Senate by Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

  • Presidency reveals when ministerial nomination list will be released

    Presidency reveals when ministerial nomination list will be released

    President Tinubu’s Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, has revealed when the ministerial nomination list will be released.

    According to Alake, the list will be released when it’s ready.

    Responding to  questions on the speculated list out in the media, Alake said Tinubu would make the list of nominees known when he is good and ready.

    His words “When the President is good and ready. You will be the first to know about his intentions” Alake said while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

    “About the ministerial list, the simple truth is this is an executive presidency. We’re not running a parliamentary system.

    “So the President, the bucks stops on his table, and he decides when it’s fit and proper for him to make his cabinet list.

    “We are not unaware of all the speculations, and innuendos and rumours, all kinds of things in the media. Now, as a media man, I chuckled to myself that people just want to sell, so they just fabricate. There is no iota of truth in all of those things. When the President is good and ready, you will be the first to know about his intentions.”

    The presidential aide said Tinubu was still within the 60-day window for President and all governors to announce their Ministers and Commissioners, respectively.

    Recall that In March, Alake who was then a Special Adviser to the President-elect said Tinubu would convene his cabinet within one month of assuming office.

    Alake said this is in line with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution mandating presidents-elect and governors-elect to submit the names of their ministerial and commissioner nominees within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or state House of Assembly.

    He said, “I told you in an earlier interview that it didn’t take Asiwaju more than three weeks to form his cabinet as governor.

    “That was as at that time. I think 60 days is even too much.

    “A month, maximum, is enough for any serious government to form its cabinet and put a structure of government in place after the swearing-in.”

  • Analysis: Timeline of ministerial list submissions to the Senate

    Analysis: Timeline of ministerial list submissions to the Senate

    In the wake of President Tinubu’s recent inauguration and appointments, Nigerians eagerly anticipate the announcement of his ministerial list.

    As history shows, the timing of submitting ministerial lists to the Senate has varied among past administrations.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) takes a look at the historical timeline of when Nigerian presidents sent their ministerial lists to the Senate following their respective inaugurations and discovered that while some administrations acted swiftly, others took more time to finalize their ministerial nominations.

    For example, former President Olusegun Obasanjo wasted no time, swiftly sending his ministerial list to the Senate on June 4, 1999, a mere six days after his inauguration.

    During his second term, Obasanjo followed a similar pattern, submitting the list on June 23, 2003, taking 25 days.

    The subsequent administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua exhibited a longer delay, taking 59 days before forwarding his ministerial list to the Senate on July 27, 2007.

    Under President Goodluck Jonathan, the trend returned to a relatively shorter duration. On June 28, 2011, Jonathan sent his ministerial list to the Senate, marking 30 days after his inauguration.

    The tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, however, witnessed a significant delay in the submission of the ministerial list.

    It took a staggering 124 days for Buhari to present his list to the Senate, finally doing so on September 30, 2015.

    Considering this historical context, Nigerians are now curious about President Tinubu’s approach.

    In a significant development on Monday, President Tinubu took decisive steps to address the country’s security challenges by ordering the retirement of all military chiefs and making key appointments.

    The President’s decision to appoint major generals as new service chiefs has garnered significant attention and raised discussions about his aim to introduce fresh leadership and strategies to combat the security threats facing the nation.

    While the timeline for submitting his ministerial list to the Senate remains unknown, the red Chambers is currently adjourned until July 4.

  • Submit Buhari's ministerial list to EFCC for fresh screening, PDP tells Senate

    Submit Buhari's ministerial list to EFCC for fresh screening, PDP tells Senate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Senate to forward the list of ministerial nominees to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for scrutiny.
    According to the main opposition party, this, would further give credibility to the ministerial screening exercise presently being conducted by the Senate.
    A statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the list of nominees forwarded to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari contained names of former governors and ministers who wrecked their states and ministries.
    The PDP observed that some of the nominees have serious allegations of corruption, abuse of office and stealing of public funds hanging on their necks.

    The statement further said, “Furthermore, the PDP notes that the nomination of persons with corruption badges to serve in the federal cabinet has overtly established the fact that President Buhari not only condones but also explicitly promotes corruption, which has escalated into a state art since he assumed office in 2015.
    “This is particularly as President Buhari had asserted that he would only nominate persons he knows personally.
    “It, therefore, speaks volumes that the persons Mr. President ‘personally’ knows and has nominated as ministers include such individuals that have been publicly indicted and known to be answering questions as accomplices in on-going corruption cases in various courts”.
    The opposition party called on the Senate to note that some of the nominees have failed to defend corruption allegations against them.
    “This includes a particular former minister from the North Central, who had admitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) of complicity in the N2.5 billion National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fraud case, still pending in court.
    “This is in addition to certain nominees who, as state governors, swindled their states, fleeced workers and committed several financial crimes for which they should rather be standing trial, instead of being rewarded with official protection as ministers.
    “Our party notes that the gathering of corrupt persons as cabinet ministers is a clear pointer to a scheme by the cabal in the Presidency to further entrench corruption in our nation”.
    The party urged the Senate to take a cursory look into the allegations of bribe-for-ministerial-slot, which have been making the rounds in the public space.
    The PDP charged the lawmaking body to rise to the occasion and ensure that Nigerians are not totally let down.
    “The PDP also invites the Senate to note that President Buhari has not demonstrated any commitment to the fight against corruption and for that reason, Nigerians now look up to the National Assembly to protect the nation from the excesses of the Buhari Presidency.
    “The repositioned PDP has demonstrated this determination in our nominations for leadership positions in our party at all levels.
    “The Senate is therefore urged to stand with the people in resisting the manipulations of the Buhari Presidency to ensure that only persons with clean records are cleared as ministers”, the statement added.

  • 18 Buhari's ex-ministers 'dumped' in new ministerial list

    Eighteen persons who served in the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari, will not be returning to the cabinet.
    They are Mansur Dan Ali, a retired Colonel, who was minister of defence, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, who was in charge of industry, trade and investment, along with Aisha Abubakar, the minister of state in the ministry.
    Also out is Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau from Kano. He was the minister of interior.
    The lawyer, former senator and boardroom player, Udoma Udo Udoma in charge of National Planning is also not returning, along with Professor Isaac Adewole, a former vice-chancellor from Osun State, who was in charge of the health ministry.
    The Khaki wearing Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung is out.
    So also is Usani Uguru Usani of Niger Delta Ministry. Bawa Bwari Abubakar of the Ministry of Mines has been dropped as well. Also dropped are Omole Daramola, minister of state in Niger Delta Ministry and Anthony Onwuka, minister of state in education ministry.
    Heineken Lokpobiri from Bayelsa was not re-appointed as minister of state in the Ministry of Rural Development and Agriculture. Professor Stephen Ocheni, who was appointed in 2017 as a replacement for late James Ocholi, a lawyer who died in a road crash on Kaduna-Abuja road. Ocheni will go down in history as one of the ministers who had a short spell in office as he has been dropped.
    Barrister Adebayo Shittu, who was embroiled in a scandal of dodging the National Youth Service after he graduated in 1979, has been dropped. He was in charge of the ministry of communications for four years.
    Perhaps the most conspicuous name missing on the new ministerial list is Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who was Buhari’s junior minister in the Ministry of Petroleum.
    The returning ministers include minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello, labour minister, Chris Ngige, information and
    culture minister, Lai Mohammed.
    Others are Education minister Adamu Adamu, Mustapha Baba Shehuri from Borno, who served as minister of state in the powerful, works, housing and power ministry.
    Also returning are Ogbonaya Onu (science and tech), Osagie Ehanire (health), Geoffrey Onyema (foreign affairs), Hadi Sirika (aviation), Babatunde Raji Fashola (works, housing and power), Abubakar Malami (Justice) and Rotimi Amaechi (transport).
  • Buhari to submit ministerial list to Senate this week – Lawan

    Buhari to submit ministerial list to Senate this week – Lawan

    The waiting game for the submission of the list of ministerial nominees will end this week, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said.
    Lawan said that President Muhammadu Buhari who had been working hard to conclude work on the ministerial list would submit the list to the Senate before the end of the week.
    Lawan spoke in plenary on Wednesday following a Point of Order by Senator Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom North East.
    Senator Akpan who came under personal explanation prayed the Senate to mount pressure on President Buhari to transmit the ministerial nominee list to the chamber for consideration and approval.
    The Akwa Ibom North East senator reminded his colleagues that the Senate would embark on its annual recess within the next two weeks.
    He stressed the need for President Buhari to transmit the list before the recess.
    Akpan said, “Mr. President, in view of the yearly long recess of the Senate and the House of Representatives, will embark upon in two weeks time, there is need to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to forward the much expected ministerial list to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
    “This is very important because if such list is not made available for the required legislative attention before we embark on the long recess, there will be no ministers and by extension, the federal cabinet for the President to work with till September.
    “Making the list more urgent now from the President before our long recess, is the fact that if it is not made available, the concerted effort being made by both arms of government to return to the yearly budget cycle to January- December, will be defeated.
    “On this note, I call on the President of the Senate to inform President Muhammadu Buhari of the need for the ministerial list before we embark on recess.”
    Lawan informed his colleagues that the list would be released before the end of the week.
    He said: “Let me on the strength of this motion, inform the Senate that the Executive arm of government is working very hard on the ministerial list.
    “In fact, the list, based on information at my disposal, will be forwarded to us by the President before the end of this week.
    “May I, therefore, appeal to us all, to be ready to make the necessary sacrifice in terms of sufficient time, to be spent in carrying out thorough screening and confirmation of appointments of the expected ministerial nominees.”
    Lawan said that senators should be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice to screen the nominees when the list is submitted.