Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, administered the oath of office to Suleiman Hassan and Professor Stephen Ocheni, the two Ministers who had long been cleared by the Senate.
The swearing-in ceremony ended the controversy on whether or not Acting President Osinbajo has President Mohammadu Buhari’s approval to discharge the duty of administering the oath of office to the Ministers. Only yesterday, Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Mohammadu Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, dismissed a tweet by the spokesman to the Acting President, Mr. Laolu Akande, announcing the swearing-in ceremony of the two ministers today.
Akande had in his tweet said, “AgP Osinbajo would be swearing in the two new ministers already confirmed by the Senate tomorrow at the start of the Federal Exco meeting.” But Garba Shehu dismissed the tweet from Akande as “false” in a tweet in response to a Premium Times Story reporting the swearing in ceremony. However, after swearing in the two Ministers, Osinbajo charged them to be committed to their new task of supporting the government in achieving its set goals.
“I can only say going by your antecedence as contained in your resume read out, it is evident that you are deserving of positions held in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that you are capable of rendering all the task that will be given to you. The only reward is more hard work and I wish you the best as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
The two new minister confirmed by the Senate in May in accordance with section 14 sub-section 123 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, were sworn in shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, on Wednesday, at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The two new ministers who hail from Kogi and tGombe States respectively replaced the late James Ocholi who died in an auto accident in 2016 and Amina Mohammed, who resigned to take up the position of Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), in February 2017.
However, shortly before the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Osinbajo said the FEC is one that is committed to the very far reaching and reform program of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
According to Osinbajo “that reform program is contained in our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. We have focused our attention on key areas of that economic recovery plan and we believe these key areas are things that need to be done to make a difference in the Nigerian economy and in the lives of Nigerians”.
He listed the key areas of the Buhari government as security and the anti-corruption fight“ stressing that the government “expect that members of the Federal Executive Council will focus on these key areas as well. We have of course made tremendous progress in security, we have issues and challenges here and there, but they are, compared to where we are coming from very minor indeed and we are tackling them on a day by day basis”.
On the anti-corruption fight, Osinbajo said “we are focused. We believe that the primary thing is for those of us who have the privilege of serving to ensure that by our own point and actions we support the anti corruption fight and also that our conducts will be exemplary so that we will show by practice not just by words that we are determined to ensure that this country is run by a good government. And where there is honesty and integrity service will be delivered,” Osinbajo emphasized. With pointblanknews.com
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