Buhari Shocks Nigerians As All Ministers Get Portfolios
President Muhammadu Buhari shocked Nigerians on Wednesday as he finally inaugurated 36 ministers with portfolios at a ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Abuja contrary to his claim of cutting down on cost of governance.
The ceremony which started at about 10:30 with the ministerial candidates taking their oaths before the president in batches of four, had in attendance Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Reps Yakubu Dogara, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir Lawal, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, Acting Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita amongst other government functionaries..
Speaking at the event, Buhari said he and the vice president took their time to constitute a cabinet that will best deliver results to a country they inherited. He said he is optimistic of the ministers to realise the positive goals of development and charged them translate the confidence into results.
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According to Buhari, the nominees have been chosen carefully such that round pegs are in round holes unlike in the past.
The president said he is conscious of the ethnic diversity of the country and consulted widely for an inclusive cabinet, adding that with the decline in oil resources, the cabinet will work towards diversification to achieve self-sufficiency.
List of the ministers and portfolios are:
- Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers)–Transportation
- Chris Ngige (Anambra)–Labour and Employment
- Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti)–Solid Minerals
- Babatunde Fashola (Lagos)–Power, Works and Housing
- Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano)–Interior
- Aisha Alhassan (Taraba)–Women Affairs
- Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi)–Science and Technology
- Kemi Adeosun (Ogun)–Finance
- Abubakar Malami (Kebbi)–Justice
- Hadi Sirika (Katsina)–State for Aviation
- Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa)–Water Resources
- Solomon Dalong (Plateau)–Youths and Sports
- Ibe Kachikwu (Delta)–State for Petroleum
- Osagie Ehanire (Edo)–State for Health
- Audu Ogbeh (Benue)–Agriculture
- Udo Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom)–Budget and National Planning
- Lai Mohammed (Kwara)–Information
- Amina Mohammed (Gombe)–Environment
- Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Nasarawa)–State, Environment
- Anthony Onwuka (Imo), State for Education
- Muhammadu Bello (Adamawa)–FCT
- Adamu Adamu (Bauchi)–Education
- Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia)–Industry Trade and Investment
- Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto) State for Trade, Industry and Investment
- Khadija Bukar Abba (Yobe), State for Foreign Affairs
- Claudius Daramola (Ondo)–State, Niger Delta
- Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu)–Foreign Affairs
- Monsur Dan-Ali (Zamfara)–Defence
- James Ocholi (Kogi), State for Labour
- Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna), State for Budget
- Mustapha Shehuri (Borno)–State for Power
- Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)–State for Agric
- Isaac Adewole Folorunsho (Osun)–Health
- Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River)– Niger Delta
- Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger)–State for Solid Minerals
- Adebayo Shittu (Oyo)–Communications
- Muhammadu Buhari–Petroleum
