PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu will, on Monday, November 4, swear in seven newly appointed ministers following their confirmation by the Senate last week.
A statement by the presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, on November 3, stated that the ceremony would take place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
With the swearing-in, the total number of ministers serving in the administration of Tinubu would be 48.
The new ministers, according to the statement include: Nentawe Yilwatda, who will lead the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as Minister of Labour and Employment. Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu will serve as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Jumoke Oduwole has also been appointed Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, while Idi Mukhtar Maiha will take on responsibilities as Minister of Livestock Development.
Others are Yusuf Abdullahi Ata the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Said Ahmad the Minister of State for Education.
Recall that Tinubu on Wednesday, forwarded names of new ministers he appointed to the Senate for confirmation.
The President’s request was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and read during plenary on Thursday, October 24.
Consequently the Senate, on Wednesday, October 40, confirmed the appointments of the seven new ministerial nominees.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the confirmation of the ministers after they were cleared through a voice vote by senators at the plenary.
The nominees were screened and approved by senators in the Committee of the Whole, led by the Senate President.
Some of the ministers, including Dingyadi and Ata, were exempted from questioning during the screening as they were asked to introduce themselves and then permitted to “take a bow and go.”
The ICIR reported that Tinubu fired five of his ministers on Wednesday.
He also sacked the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, Beta Edu, whom he suspended in January over corruption allegations.
This decision was contained in a message posted on X by the presidency on Wednesday, October 23.
The ministers sacked are Uju Kennedy-Ohanneye (women affairs), Lola Ade-John (tourism), Tahir Mamman (education), Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo (state, housing, and urban development), and Jamila Bio Ibrahim (youth development).
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M