President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday announced additional five Ministries in a process which saw the power and ‘security’ ministries unbundled to enhance governance – which many say was poorly delivered during his first term in office.
The new ministries include: Ministry of Special Duties which will be headed by George Akume (Benue State); Ministry of Police Affairs, to be headed by Maigarai Dingyadi (Sokoto State); Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to be headed by Sadiya Umar Faruk (Zamfara State).
Also, Ministry of Aviation which now stands alone from Transport is be headed by Hadi Sirika (Katsina State); Ministry of Works and Housing, also unbundled from Power, Works and Housing is to be headed by Babatunde Fashola (Lagos State); while Ministry of Power now stands alone and will which be overseen by Sale Mamman (Taraba State).
The President, however merged the Ministry of Budget and National Planning with Finance, but announced Clement Ike (Edo State) as a junior minister there.
In his first administration, President Buhari collapsed existing ministries into 25, citing cost of governance. He was later to realize that some of them were far too cumbersome to be effectively run under one ministry, according to experts’ opinion.
The long-awaited cabinet members were inaugurated on Wednesday at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, the event coming after some three months of his own inauguration and two-day ministerial retreat, where Buhari listed expectations and barred the ministers from direct contact with him.
Buhari retains his position as the Minister of Petroleum but would be assisted by Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa State) as the Minister of State.
Buhari’s 43 ministers who took turn in batches of five to take oath of office comprise just seven women.
Expectedly, the President assigned the returning Ministers to their former portfolios as was expected, even as the President urging all the Ministers to work harmoniously to ensure their achieve their mandate
Some of the returning Ministers who retained their portfolios include , Geoffrey Onyeama, ( Enugu State) Foreign Affairs Suleiman Adamu, (Jigawa State), Water Resources, Zainab Ahmed, Finance, Budget and National Planning, (Kaduna State), Abubakar Malami, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, (Kebbi State)
Lai Mohammed,Information ( Kwara State ), and Rotimi Amaechi Transportation( Rivers )
The new Ministries includes those of Humanitarian and Disaster Management headed by Sadiya Umar Faruk, (Zamfara State)
The President also made the Ministry of Aviation a full fledge Ministry and returned Hadi Sirika ( Katsina State) as full Cabinet Minister, unlike the last dispensation where he was Minister of State. The President created a new Ministry of Police Affairs, with Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister. Recall that the Ministry was scrapped in 2015.
The new Ministers and their portfolios include Ikechukwu Ogah (State, Mines & Steel), ( Abia State) , Mohammed Musa Bello, ( Adamawa) federal capital Territory FTC, Godswill Akpabio, Niger-Delta, ( Akwa Ibom) Chris Ngige , Labour & Employment, ( Anambra) Sharon Ikeazor State, Environment, ( Anambra) Adamu Adamu Education, ( Bauchi)
Others are Maryam Katagun, State, Industry, (Bauchi State) -Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Mustapha Shehuri , (Borno State) State, Agriculture, Goddy Jedy Agba , (Cross River State) State, Power, Festus Keyamo, ( Bayelsa) State, Niger-Delta, Ogbonnaya Onu , Ebonyi State) Science, Osagie Ehanire, ( Edo) Health, Richard Adebayo, (Ekiti State) Industry,
Other new Ministers with their portfolios include, Ali Isa Pantami, ( Gombe State) Communication, Emeka Nwajiuba,( IMO) State, Education, Muhammad Mahmood, Environment, Sabo Nanono , (Kano State) Agriculture, Bashir S. Magashi, Defence, ( Kano)
Others are Ramatu Tijjani, (Kogi State) , State, FTC, Gbemisola Saraki, ( Kwara State) State, Transport, Adeleke Mamora, ( Lagos State) State, Health, Mohammed H. Abdullahi, (Nasarawa State) State, Science & Tech., Zubair Dada, (Niger State, State, Foreign Affairs.
Olamilekan Adegbite (Ogun State), was assigned the Ministry of Mines and Steel, Tayo Alasoadura ( Ondo State) State, Labour and Employment, Rauf Aregbesola, ( Osun State) ,Interior, Sunday Dare (Oyo State), Youth and Sports , Paulen Talen, ( Plateau State) Women, Sale Mamman, (Taraba State), Power and Abubakar D. Aliyu ( Yobe State)Minister of State, Works and Housing.
