as Clark rejects scrapping of Niger Delta ministry
After months of speculation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally reshuffled his cabinet, dropping five ministers and redeploying 10 others for effective performance.
Those dropped include Minister of Education Professor Tahir Mamman (SAN), Minister of Women Affairs Mrs Uju-Ken-Ohanenye, Minister of Tourism Lola Ade-John, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Mr Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo and Minister of Youth Development Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim.
On the redeployment list are Minister of State for Education Dr Yusuf Tanko Sunun who was moved to Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction as minister of state, Minister State for Health Dr Morufu Olatunji Alausa is now the substantive education minister while Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation Bello Muhammad Goronyo is to serves as minister of state for works.
Also, Minister of Niger Delta Development Abubakar Momoh would now head the newly created Ministry of Regional Development; Uba Maigari Ahmadu, Minister of State for Steel Development is now Minister of State for Regional Development, while Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment would serve as the Minister of State for Finance.
Similarly, Minister of Sports Development John Owan Enoh would now serve as Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Investment; Minister of State for Police Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim now heads the women affairs ministry, Ayodele Olawande, the minister of state for youth development, would now serve as the substantive minister in charge of the ministry, while Dr Salako Iziaq Adekunle Adeboye, Minister of State for Environment will serve as minister of state for health.
The president also nominated seven new ministers with their portfolios. They are to be screened by the Senate before their inauguration by the president.
The nominees are Dr Nentawe Yilwatda as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment, and Bianca Odinaka Odumegu-Ojukwu to serve as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Others are Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Idi Mukhtar Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development; Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development; and Suwaiba Said Ahmad, Minister of State for Education.
…Scrapping of ministries
The president also announced the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development and the Ministry of Sports Development, with the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, rejecting the scrapping of the Niger Delta ministry.
On the contrary, Tinubu, in place of Niger Delta ministry, established the Ministry of Regional Development to oversee all the regional development commissions, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission, North-West Development Commission, South-West Development Commission and North-East Development Commission.
He said the responsibilities previously held by the sports ministry would now be transferred to the National Sports Commission (NSC), which would take charge of sports-related activities in Nigeria.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this Wednesday in Abuja, said the president also approved the merger of the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture to become Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy.
…NSC
He said the president also approved the appointment of Shehu Dikko as the NSC chairman, and Mr Sunday Akin Dare as Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation, working from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Onanuga said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate implementation of eight far-reaching actions to reinvigorate the Administration’s capacity for optimal efficiency pursuant of his commitment to deliver on his promises to Nigerians.
“The eight actions approved by Mr. President include: The renaming of the Ministry of Nigeria Delta Development to Ministry of Regional Development to oversee the activities of all the Regional Development Commissions.
“The Regional Development Commissions to be under the supervision of the new Ministry are; the Niger Delta Development Commission, the South East Development Commission, the North East Development and the North West Development Commission.
“The immediate winding up of the Ministry of Sports Development and the transfer of its functions to the National Sports Commission in order to develop a vibrant sports economy;
“The merger of the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture to become Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.
“The President thanked the outgoing members of the Federal Executive Council for their service to the nation while wishing them the best in their future endeavours.
“He then charged the newly appointed ministers as well as their reassigned colleagues to see their appointment as a call to serve the nation. He added that all appointees must understand the administration’s eagerness and determination to set Nigeria on the path to irreversible growth and invest the best of their abilities into the actualisation of the government’s priorities.”
…Idris sheds more light
Briefing journalists after the FEC meeting, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris explained that the Ministry of Regional Development would take over the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, North East Development Commission, South East Development Commission and other regional development commissions in the country.
He further said President Tinubu also directed that the sports commission would henceforth handle all sports activities and programmes initially handled by the Ministry of Sports Development.
He said with the scrapping of the tourism ministry, all of its activities have been brought to the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy.
NDDC not scrapped – Engr. Momoh
Also speaking, Engr. Momoh, who heads the newly created Ministry of Regional Development, clarified that contrary to the believe in some quarters, the NDDC is still in place.
Momoh said: “For our people over there in the Niger Delta region, I would like them to know that, that has not removed anything from them. The NDDC is still very much in place, which is still under the Ministry of Regional Development and all other such agencies are there. It’s just a question of change of nomenclature.”
“All the structures and everything about the Niger Delta remains. It’s just a change of nomenclature and, of course, expansion of activities of the ministry. So I think it’s something worth to be commended.” The minister added.
…Clark kicks
Rejecting the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta via a personally signed statement Wednesday, Chief Clark said it was created by late President Umoru Musa Yar’Adua for special purposes in the general interest of the country.
He said: “News on Scrapping of Ministry of Niger Delta came to me as a surprise because there is no basis for scrapping it now. Late President Yar’Adua had a poise for creating it, to develop the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria, to bring peace to the region.
“Yar’Adua had a clear purpose to address the security situation in the Niger Delta, which led to the creation of the ministry focused on developing that area. We have been working for some time now, managing our commissions.
“We need to ensure that regional development isn’t scrapped without a clear plan for its replacement. We will not allow it to be scrapped, the government wants South South money to develop other Development Commissions.
“In a democratic system, the government should be created for the people, by the people, and for their benefit. It shouldn’t be any other way.”
Peoplesmind
