News

Presidency Releases Names, Portfolios Of New Ministers – As Tinubu Redeploys Momoh To Ministry Of Regional Devt

Published

1 month ago

October 24, 2024

The Presidency has released names and portfolios of new and redeployed ministers.

Among the Ministers redeployed by President Bola Tinubu was the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh who is now assigned as supervising Minister of Ministry of Regional Development.

The Ministry of Niger Delta Development has been renamed to Ministry of Regional Development, overseeing all regional development commissions, including Niger Delta Development Commission, South East Development Commission, North East Development, and North West Development Commission.

Also, the Ministry of Sports Development has been dissolved, with its functions transferred to the National Sports Commission.

The Federal Ministry of Tourism and Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture have merged to form the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.

The statement is reproduced below;

STATEMENT ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF MINISTRIES AND MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIOS

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has approved the immediate implementation of eight far-reaching actions to reinvigorate the Administration’s capacity for optimal efficiency pursuant of his commitment to deliver on his promises to Nigerians.

The eight actions approved by Mr. President include:

1. The renaming of the Ministry of Nigeria Delta Development to Ministry of Regional Development to oversee the activities of all the Regional Development Commissions. The Regional Development Commissions to be under the supervision of the new Ministry are; the Niger Delta Development Commission, the South East Development Commission, the North East Development and the North West Development Commission.

2. The immediate winding up of the Ministry of Sports Development and the transfer of its functions to the National Sports Commission in order to develop a vibrant sports economy;

3. The merger of the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture to become Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy;

4. The re-assignment of ten (10) ministers to new ministerial portfolios;

5. The discharge of five (5) Ministers.

6. The nomination of seven (7) new ministers for onward transmission to Senate for confirmation;

7. The appointment of Shehu Dikko as Chairmanof the National Sports Commission;

8. The appointment of Sunday Akin Dare as Special Adviser to the President on PublicCommunication and Orientation working fromthe Ministry of Information and National Orientation

LIST OF MINISTERS REASSIGNED TO NEWPORTFOLIOS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

The ministers who are reassigned to new portfolios are as follows:

S/N | Name of Minister | Current Designation of Minister | New Designation of Minister

1. Hon Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu | Minister of State, Education Minister of State | Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction
2. Dr. Morufu Olatunji Alausa | Minister State, Health | Minister of Education
3. Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo | Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation | Minister of State Works
4. Hon. Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh | Minister of Niger Delta Development | Minister of Regional Development
5. Uba Maigari Ahmadu | Minister of State Steel Development | Minister of State Regional Development
6. Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite | Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment | Minister of State Finance
7. Sen. John Owan Enoh | Minister of Sports Development | Minister of State Trade and Investment [Industry]
8. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim | Minister of State, Police Affairs | Minister of Women Affairs
9. Ayodele Olawande | Minister of State for Youth Development | Minister for Youth Development
10. Dr. Salako Iziaq Adekunle Adeboye Minister of State, Environment | Minister of State, Health

MINISTERS TO BE DISCHARGED ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.Barr. Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs

2.Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism
3.Prof. Tahir Mamman SAN OON, Minister of Education
4.Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo
Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development

5.Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim
Minister of Youth Development

LIST OF NEW MINISTERS APPOINTED AND PORTFOLIOS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.Dr Nentawe Yilwatda
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction

2.Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi
Minister of Labour & Employment
Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment

3.Bianca Odinaka Odumegu-Ojukwu
Minister of State Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

4.Dr Jumoke Oduwole
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment) Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment
5.Idi Mukhtar Maiha
Ministry of Livestock Development
Federal Ministry of Livestock Development
6.Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata
Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development
Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
7.Suwaiba Said Ahmad PhD
Minister of State Education
Federal Ministry of Education

The President thanked the outgoing members of the Federal Executive Council for their service to the nation while wishing them the best in their future endeavours.

He then charged the newly appointed ministersas well as their reassigned colleagues to seetheir appointment as a call to serve the nation.He added that all appointees must understand the administration’s eagerness and determination to set Nigeria on the path to irreversible growth and invest the best of theirabilities into the actualisation of the government’s priorities.

Signed: The Presidency Federal Republic of Nigeria
October 2024

News

Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions

Published

3 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has queried the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State and Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State over series of administrative and financial infractions.

This was as Rectors and some management staff of the three institutions appeared before the house Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, as part of oversight function to render accounts of their budget performances.

But the Committee found various infractions in the documents presented by the three institutions which ranged from abuse of Federal Character in employment, Extra-Budgetary spendings and recurring abandoned, uncompleted projects in one of the institutions.

During presentation by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Dr. Abdulrahman Ishaku, the Committee discovered that projects that were to be completed in two to three years were not finished despite adequate release of funds in budget.

Specifically, the Committee was provoked by the non-completion of a staff quarters and an administrative block project by the institution for years.

Speaking, Rep. Emil Inyang who stood in for the Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda at the meeting on Thursday, lamented that, the projects have not been completed and have been recurring in the budgets.

He said, “Physical Planning, can you show me where you rolled over the project to 2023? It’s not here. Is it in 2024? Why do you come here to lie? Where is it? That admin block, is it in use? Has it been completed? So, you have abandoned it.

“Gentlemen, I don’t know what to say to these kinds of people. Construction of staff quarters, Item number Nine under 2022 capital projects. Have you seen it Rector? What is the state of that building? Is it completed? It is completed, that’s what is shown here, and you are saying it is still remaining fittings. Is fittings not part of completion?

“You people are just disgracing yourselves. We are just killing this country from various directions. From our various positions we are just killing this country. Let me ask a question on this staff quarters. In 2022, the amount appropriated was N57.9 million, N28.9 was utilized was released, so remaining N28.9 that’s half.

“But, by 2023, appropriation was 88 and the entire amount has been released. So, is it the same project?If it is the same project, when this appropriation was done, does it mean that, the other 28 that was not done, not utilised that time, is it kept somewhere?”

The Rector however informed the Committee that, the fund was later mopped up.

In his ruling after the submission, the Chairman stated, “What I will tell you now is that, instead of going through this your document that does not satisfy anything, please, you will.list all the abandoned, all the structures you have not completed. When it started, How much was appropriated, How much you have put in till date, the state of those projects one after the other in the entire school.

“Not just in. your regime. From inception till date.So that, we will include them in your 2025 budget. You will not do any new thing as capital. You must complete these abandoned. You have turned some of these projects to conduits of putting money into them and not completing them. Even the ones you have written as completed here. You used your own mouth to tell us here that, you have not installed fittings. That is what you said.

“So, this is why it is necessary for us to go there and see things for ourselves.Because what you are doing here, you are just wasting governments’ resources. These abandoned projects or the state of the jobs especially constructions, let’s have it in one week time. How much you have put in there, at what stage are they, how much you will need to complete”.

Similarly, the Committee criticized the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu over using Insecurity as an excuse for financial malfeasance and other infractions as well the abuse of Federal Character in employment.

Chairman of the Committee noted that, the institution has carelessly spent its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) according to the records presented to the Committee.

In his presentation, the Acting Rector, Dr Ibrahim Babale Gashua said, the institution is faced with the challenge of low IGR as a result of the insecurity being faced in the state, which according to him, has reduced students intake and other activities.

He said, “We that are residing in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, we have three different high institutions. We have to lower our tuition fee because not everybody will come from outside the state. Even those in the state, it is only the course that is not available in their places that they come for in Damaturu because of the insurgency”.

The Committee however discovered that, despite the insurgency claim that reduced the institutions IGR, there was no commensurate reduction in its spending which the Committee said cannot be justified.

Another member of the Committee while commenting on the matter said, “Everybody comes to claim insurgency. Students don’t want to come to the schools. But it doesn’t stop them from spending the whole money.IGR, you blow it, Overhead, and yet, there is insurgency. So, it’s funny. You see, if I have a house and I am supposed to have 10 people occupying it. If 10 people are not occupying it, it means that my NEPA.payment, my PHCN money will reduce, because consumption of power supply will reduce. My water consumption will reduce. My number of cleaners will reduce because I don’t have full occupation. You understand what I am saying? My security personnel will reduce in terms of numbers.

“So, these are the issues.Most of the Polytechnics in the North come here brandishing this insecurity issue as the major reason for non performance. You are not performing on students admission, but you are performing on your expenditure profile”.

Speaking, Chairman of the Committee said, “Ok, this insurgency is a big excuse. Once you mention it, you will all close our mouths.Look at your Nominal Role, a federal Institution. Open to page 47 and 48, you will see how you have obeyed the law of the land, the Federal Character. Have you seen it Acting Rector? That’s the best you can do? You think from all those Zero-Zero states, if you offer them employment they wouldn’t come?”.

The Rector however reacted saying, “Some of them don’t come. Even those that we have left. I am telling you Sir”.

But a member of the Committee, Rep. Adebayo Adepoju faulted the Rector’s claim and said, it was not justifiable.

He said, “You cannot defend it, because if you are trying to defend it, saying that you’ve done everything in your powers and Nigerians have refused to come to your school, at that point, you say you have done the most you can do.

“But, when you did not even given Nigerians the opportunity to apply. We know what goes on in Federal Character. We know. I am telling you, if you go there and you want to apply, everybody has an interest, they give you. And before you know, they give you Certificate of Compliance.

“That Certificate of Compliance, we have shredded it so many times. Give yourself the opportunity to be fair to Nigerians.People want jobs in this country. We have so many jobless people and you will agree with me, there are many that will say, I won’t mind to go to Borno to teach.Please let’s give them an opportunity”.

The Rector and Management of the Polytechnic were directed to remedy the anomalies in their employment and henceforth advertise all vacancies in national dailies in order to give all Nigerians equal opportunity.

Similarly, after a presentation by the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Prof. Garba Mohd, the Committee directed the institution to also be diligent in its observance of Federal Character and other issues as the Committee discovered a skewed empolyment in the institution in favour of a particular section of the country.

It reminded the Rector and members of his management that, as a federal institution, it is required by law to treat all parts of the country in terms of employment and other considerations.

News

Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.

He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.

Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.

The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.

“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.

“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.

“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.

He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.

News

We saved $20bn after Petrol Subsidy Removal and FX Rate Reforms, Says Finance Minister

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”