It’s time to implement long overdue reforms, reengineering of governance — Pres. Tinubu

“Fellow Nigerians, the challenges we face are very daunting, we have the opportunity to implement long overdue reform that will improve the operations of government, transform our nation’s economy and ensure peace and safety and prosperity for our people”

President Bola Tinubu on Monday went down memory lane that the opportunity has presented itself for the decades of struggle to reform and reengineer governance to be actualized.

According to Tinubu, it is time to implement long overdue reforms that will improve the operations of government.

He spoke at the inauguration of new ministers who will constitute members of the Federal Executive Council under his leadership.

“The men and women who were sworn in were carefully selected by me for their track record of excellence and achievement in public and private sector.

“Fellow Nigerians, the challenges we face are very daunting, we have the opportunity to implement long overdue reform that will improve the operations of government, transform our nation’s economy and ensure peace and safety and prosperity for our people.

“These are the objectives of the renewed hope agenda, these are the objectives that inspired the selection of of these gentlemen and ladies who are ministers,”
Persecondnews quotes Tinubu as saying.

The President,who read out the objectives of the “Renewed hope agenda” , said he exercised the powers conferred on him by the 1999 Constitution — Section 147, sub section 1,2 and 3, — by forwarding names of ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation.

He noted that the Senate, in exercise of its oversight functions, however, confirmed 45 of the 48 sent to them.

He said: “In line with the constitutional obligations the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria screened and confirmed 45 ministers who will supretend over the ministries of federal government in this administration of renewed hope.”

Tinubu urged the new FEC members to initiate policies that will ensure peace, security and prosperity for the people.

The president said the ministers should see supretending over ministries of federal government as service to the Nigerian people and not “Minister of a particular state”.

Persecondnews reports that the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, who anchored the ceremony, had read out short biographies of the ministers.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) led the first batch of ministers to be sworn in.

The ministers, who were grouped into nine batches of five, took their turns to take their oaths of office and allegiance in alphabetical order according to their states of origin.

The appointees immediately proceeded to their offices for assumption of duties.

Over the weekend, the successful ministers-designate had their documentation at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The first batch of ministers to be inaugurated are Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, (Minister of Labour and Employment State), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, (Minister of state (Gas) Petroleum resources), Mrs Uju Kennedy (Minister of Women Affairs) and also Minister Designate from Adamawa State , Prof Tahir Mamman, (Minister of Education).

The other batch include Muhammad Ali Pate, (Minister of Health and Social Welfare) also from Bauchi State, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tugga, (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri ( Minister of Oil and Petroleum Resources State), Prof. Joseph Utsev, (Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation) and Sen. Abubakar Kyari (Minister of Agriculture and Food Security).

The third batch also featured Dr Betta Edu, (Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Sen. John Eno Owan, (Minister of Sports), Dave Umahi, (Minister of Works), Engr. Abubakar Momoh (Minister of Niger Delta Development) and Festus Keyamo, ( Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development).

For the fourth batch include Mr Dele Henry Dele Alake, (Minister of Solid Minerals Development), Chief Uche Nnaji, (Minister of Innovation Science and Technology), Sen. Sa’idu A. Alkali (Minister of Transportation), Dr. Doris Uzoka (Minister of Trade and Investment), and Mohammed Badaru (Minister of Defence).

The fifth batch featured Alhaji Abdullahi Gwarzo, (Minister of Housing and Urban Development State), Dr. Mahmoud Mariya ( Minister of Federal Capital Territory State), Ahmed M. Dangiwa, (Minister of Housing and Urban Development), Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, ( Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy), Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu ( Minister of Budget and Economic Planning).

The next batch — Dr. Yusuf T. Sunumu (Minister of Education State), Shuaibu A. Audu (Minister of Steel Development), Dr. Tunji Alausa (Minister of Health and Social Welfare State), Lola Ade-John (Minister of Tourism), Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, (Minister of State Police Affairs).

The seventh batch — the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, Minister of State Environment, Ishak Salako, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.

The eighth batch — Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu, Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesome Wike.

The ninth batch — Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Goronyo, Minister of State for Steel Development, Maigari Ahmadu, Minister of Police affairs, Ibrahim Geidam, Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle, and Minster of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo.

Dignitaries at swearing-in ceremony which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, include Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, and the chyairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.