By Abdullahi M. Gulloma Abuja
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday swore in Professor Stephen Ocheni from Kogi state and Suleiman Hassan from Gombe state as ministers in fulfi lment of a constitutional provision that makes mandatory each state to be represented at the federal cabinet. Th e swearing-in ceremony was conducted at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, 11 weeks after they were confi rmed by the Senate.
Th e Acting President, however, did not announce portfolios for the new ministers contrary to the normal practice established for decades. Speaking shortly after administering the oath of offi ce on the new ministers, Osinbajo urged them to key into the administration’s economic reforms programme, security and anti-graft war. He said the federal government was committed to implementing economic reform programmes to make a diff erence in the lives of Nigerians, and that there was the need for the new ministers to join in the “Herculean task” of turning the economy around.
He said government was focused on its cardinal programmes of reviving the economy, creating employment and fi ghting corruption, stressing that a lot of progress had been made in the area of security, notwithstanding the challenges. He said: “Our latest members of the federal executive council are Stephen Ocheni and Alhaji Suleiman Hassan. We welcome you to the federal executive council, were you have just been sworn in from ministerial nominees but now ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “Th eir portfolios will be announced shortly. From this moment they will join the federal executive council and will sit in our meeting this morning. So, Prof and Alhaji you will not have time to celebrate much this morning. You will have full meeting today.
“Th e federal executive council is one that is committed to the very far reaching and reform Programme of this government. Th at reform programme is contained in our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. We have focus our attention on key areas of that economic recovery plan and we believe those key areas are things that need to be done to make a diff erence in the Nigerian economy and in the lives of Nigerians.”
Continuing, he said: “Time and time again we have continued to emphasis the need for ministers to pay particular attention to all the areas that we have highlighted in the economic plan. Th e President Muhammadu Buhari administration decided to task ministers with specifi c functions and so we expect our new ministers to be part of this herculean task in turning around the Nigerian economy and making live better for the citizens. “Of course, you know that aside from the economy we have two key areas highlighted by the president, during the course of the campaigns and have become center pieces of our administration Programme – security and the anti-corruption fi ght.” Th e Acting President charged the new minister on the federal government’s anti-graft fi ght, saying: “On the anti corruption fi ght, we are focused we believe that the primary
thing is for those of us who have the privilege of serving to ensure that by our own point and actions we support the anti-corruption fi ght and also that our conducts will be exemplary so that we will show by practice not just by words that we are determined to ensure that this country is run by a good government. And where there is honesty and integrity service will be delivered. “Even as I welcome you to this cabinet, I congratulate friends and family who are here and I can only say going by your antecedence as contained in your resume read out, it is evident that you are deserving of positions held in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
