Wike Receives Applause As Tinubu Swears In Umahi, Wale Edu, 41 Others As Ministers

Wike Receives Applause As Tinubu Swears In Umahi

OpenLife Nigeria reports that on Monday, August 21, 2023, nearly three months after his inauguration, President Bola Tinubu swore in ministers to his cabinet.
The event started at 10am, with the ministers taking oath in batches of nine and according to their states of origin.

Tinubu appointed former investment banker Olawale Edun as finance minister and coordinating minister for the economy.

He named Heineken Lokpobiri as junior minister of petroleum and Ekperipe Ekpo as junior minister of gas resources.

Nyesom Wike received applause from the audience for several seconds before the master of ceremonies of the event, Abule Ngilale read his curriculum vitae.

Taking their oath of office, the Ministers said “I will do, to the best of my ability, to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of Nigeria, so help me God. ”

They also promised not to reveal any confidential information in their custodies except whereby officially requested.

The inauguration of the 45 confirmed ministers-designate held at the Conference Centre of the State House, Abuja.

This comes less than a week after President Bola Tinubu released the list of portfolios for the appointees, which was again reviewed on Sunday.

The current portfolios include former Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike as Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Adegboyega Oyetola (Marine and Blue Economy), David Umahi (Works), Festus Keyamo (Aviation and Aerospace Development), and Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation).

Also among those sworn in are Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy), Ishak Salaco (State, Environment and Ecological Management), Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Adegboyega Oyetola (Marine and Blue Economy), Adedayo Adelabu (Minister of Power), Tunisia Alausa (State, Health and Social Welfare), Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), Lola Ade-John (Minister of Tourism), Sa’idu Alkali (Transportation), and Bunmi Tunji-Ojo (Interior).

Some others are Doris Anite (Industry, Trade and Investment), Uche Nnaji (Innovation Science and Technology), Nkiruka Onyejeocha (State, Labour and Employment), Uju Kennedy (Women Affairs), David Umahi (Works), Abubakar Momoh (Niger Delta Development), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Ekperikpe Ekpo (State, Petroleum Resources — Gas), and Heineken Lokpobiri (State, Petroleum Resources — Oil).

The new ministers also include John Enoh (Sports Development), Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and the Creative Economy), Mohammed Badaru (Defence), Bello Matawalle (State Defence), Yusuf T. Sunumu (State Education), Ahmed M. Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development), Abdullah T. Gwarzo (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Atiku Bagudu (Budget and Economic Planning).

Also sworn in are Mairiga Mahmud (State, Federal Capital Territory), Bello M. Goronyo (State, Water Resources and Sanitation), Abubakar Kyar (Agriculture and Food Security), Tahir Maman (Education), Yusuf M. Tuggar (Foreign Affairs), Ali Pate (Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare), Ibrahim Geidam (Police Affairs), U. Maigari Ahmadu (State, Steel Development), and Shuaibu A. Audu (Steel Development).

Others are Muhammed Idris (Information and National Orientation), Lateef Fagbemi (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice), Simon B. Lalong (Labour and Employment), Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim (State, Police Affairs), Zephaniah Jisalo (Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Affairs), Joseph Utsev (Water Resources and Sanitation), and Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (State, Agriculture and Food Security).

Though a Minister of Environment and Ecological Management has yet to be designated, the Presidency assigned the appointment to Kaduna State, an indication that it is being reserved for the as-yet-uncleared Nasir El-Rufai.

Speaking at the event, Tinubu said the men and women who have just been sworn in as ministers were selected because of their excellent track records.

Tinubu admitted that the country is at cross roads and the Ministers were picked as pillars to re engineers the needed solution.
He said that governance would be accelerated with the assumption of office by the Ministers.

He reminded the Ministers that to whom much is given, much is expected, stressing that Nigerians and voters are expectation transparency and accountability in governance.

“Your assignment begins immediately. Work hard to make your selves worthy in the eyes of God and also to convince Nigerians that government can be an instrument of better life,” Tinubu advised.

El-Rufai’s Pending Clearance

Nasir-El-Rufai has been in the eye of the storm, since the Senate’s refusal to confirm the former Kaduna State governor earlier this month, along with Stella Okotete (Delta State) and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State) over pending security clearances.

The non-confirmation came over a week after Tinubu’s transmission of a 28-member list to the red chamber on July 27.

During his screening, he was quizzed on a “strong petition” against him bordering on security issues presumably in his state. However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked the ex-governor not to “bother” addressing the issue as the Senate was not in charge of such petitions.

Days later, he was denied confirmation, leading to an alleged friction between El-Rufai and the Presidency.

Early Redeployments

Tinubu on Sunday, August 20, redeployed ex-Governor of Osun State and minister-designate, Adegboyega Oyetola, from the Ministry of Transportation to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The President also redeployed another minister-designate, Abubakar Momoh, from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development.

“The Federal Ministry of Youth is to be re-assigned to a Minister-Designate soon,” said presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, adding that the changes take immediate effect.

According to Ngelale, Tinubu also redeployed minister-designate Bunmi Tunji-Ojo to the Ministry of Interior while Sa’idu Alkali was redeployed as the Minister of Transportation.

Week-Long Screening

On July 31, the Senate screened former governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike; Abubakar Kyari of Borno State; Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia State); Bello Muhammad (Sokoto State); Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State); and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa State).

Others screened were Joseph Utsev (Benue State), Olubunmi Tunji Ojo (Ondo State), Betta Edu (Cross River State), Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra State), Abubakar Momoh (Edo State), John Enoh (Cross River State), Iman Suleiman Ibrahim (Nasarawa State), and Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi State).

The Senate on Tuesday underwent the same procedure for ex-governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Wale Edun, Uche Nnaji, Stella Okotete, Adebayo Adelabu, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Hannatu Musawa, and Musa Dangiwa.

The following day, the red chamber screened Dele Alake, Lateef Fagbemi and Muhammad Idris, Ali Pate, and Doris Uzoka.

Tinubu went on to send a supplementary list of 19 nominees to the Senate last Wednesday. Two days later, the President withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty of Kano State from the list, replacing her with Festus Keyamo and Mariya Mahmoud.

On Friday, the Senate screened Zephaniah Jisalo, Shuaibu Audu, Yusuf Sununu, Bello Matawalle, Alkali Saidu, Ahmed Gwarzo, Atiku Bagudu, Simon Lalong, Ibrahim Gaidam, Aliu Abdullahi, Gboyega Oyetola, Heineken Lokpobiri and Tunji Alausa.

The screening continued at Senate on Saturday with Lola Ade-John, Bosun Tijani, Isiak Salako, Tahir Mamman, and Maigari Ahmadu. The exercise concluded today with the screening of Mahmoud and then Keyamo.