President Jonathan Swears In Eight New Ministers, Give Portfolios

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday Sworn In eight new ministers, recently confirmed by the upper chamber of the country’s House of Assembly.

Punch reported that the inauguration was carried out before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting in the Aso Rock villa, Abuja.

President Jonathan assigned the various portfolios to newly sworn in ministers as follows: 

see after the cut...

1. Prof. Nicholas Ada (Minister for State, Foreign Affairs I); 

2. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Minister for State, Foreign Affairs II); 

3. Senator Patricia Akwashiki (Minister for Information); 

4. Col. Augustine Akobundu (retd.) (Minister for State, Defence); 

5. Mr. Fidelis Nwankwo (State, Health); Mrs. Hauwa Bappa (State, Niger Delta Affairs); 

6. Mr. Kenneth Kobani (State, Industry, Trade and Investment); and 

7. Senator Joel Ikeya (Labour and Productivity).

8. Khaliru Alhassan, as the Minister of Health.

Recall that Alhassan has been acting on the portfolio of the Supervising Minister of Health after Prof. Onyebuchi Ckukwu reportedly left office in 2014.

According to Daily Trust, the president also swore in 71-year-old Jona Madugu as a Commissioner of the Federal Civil Service Commission representing Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue while Mrs. Abimbola Sule Kudeyi was inaugurated as the  Commissioner of the National Population Commission.

President Jonathan, who reminded the new ministers that they were joining the team at an injury time said: “You are coming in at a challenging period.” Mr. President revealed that the civil service was key to the nation’s development and lamented the level of indiscipline currently in the service. He also noted that the National Population Commission is also a vital key to national planning. There has been strong criticism and resistance from concerned Nigerians and group over the ministerial list that was reportedly submitted to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan. The main reason for the criticism of the ministerial list was the inclusion of the former Minister of Defence, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, which made a civil society group, known as All Nigeria Save Democracy Movement (ANSD), kicked against the ministerial nomination of the latter.

culled from naij