President Tinubu Rejigs Cabinet, Appoints Seven New Ministers, Sacks 5

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday announced the reshuffling of the Federal Executive Council with the dismissal of five serving Ministers, the appointment of seven new ones, the merger of ministries, and the scrapping of others.

The developments were announced by a statement from the presidency but unsigned, after the Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by the president at the Council Chamber. The statement, states that the objective of the overhauling was the immediate implementation of and to reinvigorate the administration’s capacity for optimal efficiency pursuant to the President’s commitment to deliver on his promises to Nigerians.

The number of ministries now stands at 34 but the number of ministers may not have dropped because the constitution mandates the appointment of at least one Minister from every state of the federation with the President often adding one Minister in each of the six geopolitical zones.

The statement shows that the President renamed the Ministry of Nigeria Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development to supervise the operations of all regional development. The Niger Delta Development Commission, the South East Development Commission, the North East Development Commission, and the North West Development Commission are the regional development commissions that will fall under the purview of the new ministry.

The statement further announced the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy to consolidate and the immediate overhauling of the Ministry of Sports Development and the transfer of its functions to the National Sports Commission to develop a vibrant sports economy, announcing the appointment of Shehu Dikko as Chairman of the National Sports Commission.

Sunday Akin Dare, an ex-minister of youth and sports, was appointed Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation, working from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

Bianca, Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s Wife Named Minister

Meanwhile, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the widow of the late Biafra leader, was appointed as minister of state foreign affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda, was named minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction. Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi was named minister of labour & employment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, was designated Minister of industry, trade, and investment, while Idi Mukhtar Maiha, ministry of livestock development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, minister of state, housing, and urban development; and Suwaiba Said Ahmad, PhD, Minister of State Education

The nine of them are to appear at the Senate for screening later. President Tinubu had improved on the existing system by attaching portfolios to their names to enable Senators to screen them against the responsibilities they were to be given. There has been a clamour that portfolios be attached to ministerial nominees

Reassigned Ministers 

The ten reassigned ministers are Yusuf Tanko Sununu from the Ministry of State, education to the Minister of state humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, Morufu Olatunji Alausa from the Ministry of State, health to the Ministry of Education, Bello Muhammad Goronyo from the ministry of state, water resources and sanitation to the ministry of state works, and Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh from the Ministry of Niger Delta development to the newly created Ministry of state regional development.

Others are Doris Uzoka-Anite who was moved from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to the Ministry of State Finance and John Owan Enoh from the Ministry of Sports Development to the Ministry of State Trade and Investment.  Iziaq Adekunle Salako, who was previously the Minister of State for Environment, was transferred to the Ministry of State for Health; Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was transferred from the Ministry of State for Police Affairs to the Ministry of Women Affairs; and Ayodele Olawande was transferred from the Ministry of State for Youth Development to the Ministry for Youth Development.

5 Ministers Dismissed

The dismissed ministers are Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs; Lola Ade-John, minister of tourism; Jamila Bio Ibrahim, minister of youth development; Tahir Mamman, minister of education; and Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo, minister of state, housing and urban development.