GEJ sacks 9 Ministers

Abuja – Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in what appears to be a cabinet shakeup has authorized the sacking of nine of his ministers. The sacking, announced by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, shocked the Federal Executive Council members.

The sacked ministers are Prof.  Ruqayyatu Rufai (Education);   Okon Ewa-Bassey (Science and Techology);  Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs);   Hadiza Mailafia (Environment);  Shamsudeen Usman, (National Planning); and  Ama  Pepple (Housing, Lands and Urban Development). The Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, and her counterparts in the Agriculture Ministry,  Alhaji Bukar Tijani and  Power,  Zainab Kuchi,   were also affected.

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President Goodluck Jonathan

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting, Maku, said the cabinet shake-up was with immediate effect. He said the President, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, had named the retained FEC members  that would oversee the affected ministries pending the appointment of substantive ministers to head them. The  Ministry of    Foreign Affairs is to be overseen by  the  minisiter of State, Prof. Viola Owuliri; the Education   by the Minister of State, Nyesome Wike;  and the Minister of   Solid Minerals, Musa Sada, Housing, Lands and Urban Development.

The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, is to supervise the Science and Technology Ministry;  the Minister of State   for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda,     Ministry of Planning; Maku, Defence; and  Minister of Niger  Delta Affairs, Mr. Goodsday Orubebe,   Environment Ministry. When Maku announced that he would oversee the Defence Ministry, there was an immediate reaction by State House correspondents but he pleaded with them to allow him to continue his briefing.

He then added that the Ministers of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina and Power, Chinedu Nebo would take care of the duties of the sacked ministers of state in their respective ministries. Maku said the President expressed satisfaction with the performance of the affected ministers while in office. He stated that Jonathan assured them that he would call on them whenever their services were needed for the development of the country.

Source: punchng

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