Goodluck Appoints Jumoke Akinjide,Others To Supervise Ministries Of Sacked Ministers

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, relieved four ministers of their positions, to enable them to press ahead with their various ambitions of which they had already informed him.

They are Ms Stella Oduah (Aviation); Elder Godsday Orubebe (Niger Delta); Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (Police Affairs) and Dr Yerima Ngama (Minister of State, Finance).

The decision was communicated to them at the regular meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, though Oduah was not in attendance.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Minister of Information and Supervising Minister of Defence, Labaran Maku, revealed that Jonathan had directed the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Sam Ortom, to oversee the Aviation ministry, pending the appointment of a new minister.

He said Mr Darius Ishaku, Minister of State for Niger Delta, would temporarily assume the responsibilities of the minister in the ministry, while the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, would assume a supervisory role over the Ministry of Police Affairs.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala would add the responsibilities of the the Minister of State in the ministry to her schedule.

“Today, the president announced further changes in the Federal Executive Council. He said a number of ministers have been asked to step out of the council, so as to further their own interests, some in politics, others in their own private focus.

“Clearly, what the president did today was to allow ministers who have indicated interest in pursuing further goals in the polity, economy and life to be allowed to go.

“In announcing the acceptance in their decision to participate in the polity, the president thanked them sincerely for the great job they have done in helping the government realise the goals that have been achieved under the transformation agenda.

“The president believes that they have done so well for this administration and was generally happy with what they have done, particularly in their various sectors to help the administration,” he said.

The minister similarly explained the rationale behind the resignation of Chief Mike Oghiadomhe as the Chief of Staff to the President.

According to him, “the president explained that contrary to these insinuations which came from the social media and were also replicated in some regular media, Chief Oghiadomhe left to pursue further interest in politics.

“The office of the Chief of Staff does not supervise the NNPC. It has no direct correlation with the NNPC and he said if Chief Oghiadomhe left because of the NNPC alleged fraud, then it will suggest that there would have been people that were involved with him and those people too would have gone.

“So, contrary to these speculations, the president asked him to go when he offered to resign to pursue interest in politics.

Asked if the ministers would be asked to go in batches, since many others in the cabinet were thought to have political ambition, Maku said “that is left for the president to decide. I am not the president, but I believe sincerely that it depends on what they have communicated to Mr President. He does not just take those decisions in isolation.”

On whether the ministers resigned or were asked to step down, the information minister said “the president said he has asked them to go because of their interests. They have indicated interest in pursuing higher and deeper goals in the polity and so he has decided to allow them to go and pursue those interests.”

When pressed to explain whether Oduah’s exit from the cabinet had anything to do with the report of the committee set up to investigate her on the purchase of the N255 million bullet proof cars for the Aviation ministry, he posited that allegations did not necessarily translate into guilt.

“I have just reported exactly what the president said. Also, don’t forget allegations don’t  necessarily mean guilt and I think the press should always take some times to be patient.

“The truth of the matter is that they left because they indicated interest in playing deeper roles in the politics of the country and the president has decided to let them go,” he declared.

Maku also spoke on the most recent allegations made by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, indicating that the sum of $20 billion was not remitted by the NNPC to the Federation Account, calling for caution.

“I will caution that we be patient for the institution of government to respond. You will recall that the CBN governor claimed $49 billion or thereabout was missing and inquiry shows that was not so.

“Now, he has been making further claims and NNPC has been responding and I believe that I do not have the facts now to answer your questions. I believe the Minister of Finance and the NNPC will be in a better position to provide answers.

“You know when you deal with figures, we cannot be responding flippantly. NNPC has been explaining its position and I think you should listen to its explaination.

“What I have heard the NNPC say, which I believe you too have heard, is that there appears to be lack of understanding of the actual work the NNPC does and how monies are remitted by the CBN governor. And they have continued to make that point repeatedly in response to the CBN.

“Because the last time it was $49 billion, but overnight $49 billion was no longer missing. So, when you look at this kind of allegations and the outcome, I am not a financial expert, but I think there is some level of misunderstanding that needed to be carefully looked into.

“These institutions, in my opinion, can resolve those problems rather than making it an issue of newspaper statements which continue to give the impression that they are not working together. They should, in my opinion, coordinate their activities in such a way that they have full understanding of the matter.”