President Bola Tinubu has nominated Bianca Ojukwu, widow of Biafra leader Odumegwu Ojukwu, as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The president has also appointed six others as ministers in his first cabinet shuffle since coming to power last year.
According to a release by the Presidency on Wednesday, others appointed are Nentawe Yilwatda (minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction), Muhammadu Dingyadi (minister of labour and employment), Jumoke Oduwole (minister of industry, trade and investment (trade and investment)), Idi Maiha (minister of livestock development), Yusuf Ata (minister of state, housing and urban development) and Suwaiba Ahmad (minister of state, education).
Those to be discharged are the minister of women affairs, Uju-Ken Ohanenye; minister of tourism, Lola Ade-John; minister of education, Tahir Mamman; minister of state, housing and urban development Abdullahi Gwarzo and minister of youth development, Jamila Ibrahim.
The release also announced the appointment of Shehu Dikko as chairman of the National Sports Commission; and former sports minister Sunday Dare as special adviser to the president on public communication and orientation (Ministry of Information and National Orientation).
Ministers assigned to new portfolios are Yusuf Sununu from minister of state, education to minister of state humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction; Morufu Alausa from minister of state, health to minister of education; Bello Goronyo from minister of state, water resources and sanitation to minister of state, works and Abubakar Momoh from minister of Niger Delta development to minister of regional development.
Others reassigned are Uba Ahmadu from minister of state, steel development to minister of state, regional development; Doris Uzoka-Anite from minister of industry, trade and investment to minister of state, finance; John Enoh from minister of sports development to minister of state, trade and investment (industry); Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim from minister of state, police affairs to minister of women affairs; Ayodele Olawande from minister of state for youth development to minister for youth development; Dr Salako Adeboye from minister of state, environment to minister of state, health.
“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 ministers as well as their reassigned colleagues to see their 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 their abilities into the actualisation of the government’s priorities,” the release said.
rouk Lawan Out Of Prison
A former member of the House of Representatives Farouk Lawan has been released after completing his five-year imprisonment for demanding and receiving a $500,000 bribe.
He was released from the Kuje correctional facility in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a statement, he said: “Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life as I step out of Kuje Custodial Centre, with a heart full of gratitude to Allah SWT for seeing me through this trial.”
The former lawmaker thanked friends and family for their support in a “particularly trying phase of my life”.
“My gratitude is deep, I’m alive and in good health and high spirits to be with my family, friends, and associates. I don’t take that for granted,” he said.
“I remain grateful and indebted to my family and friends who stood by me through this particularly trying phase of my life.”