President Muhammadu Buhari will preside over the swearing-in of the 36 ministers and inaugurate a new Federal Executive Council (FEC) on today.
Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said in a statement on Monday that the swearing-in ceremony will begin promptly at 10am while the ministers-designates are expected to be seated in the Council Chambers at 9:30am.
Before the commencement of the inaugural session of the council, the ministers-designate will take their oaths of office in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa.
… merges ministries to 25, deploys 36 Perm Secs
In line with Federal Government’s promise to cut down the cost of governance in Nigeria, President Buhari on Monday merged the federal ministries to 25, and deployed 36 permanent secretaries in various ministries and government agencies.
The President met with 16 permanent secretaries in company of his Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, and the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, at the Presidential Villa to announce the reorganisation of the Federal Civil Service, where he directed 16 permanent secretaries to proceed on compulsory retirement.
Their retirement is a follow-up to the recent appointment of a new HOS, Mrs Oyo-Ita, who is their junior.
Although no reason was given for the mass retirement, a reliable source at the Office of the Head of Service, who preferred anonymity, said the President’s action followed the recent appointment of Mrs. Oyo-Ita as HOS.
The source explained that the new head of service is lower in the hierarchy of the permanent secretaries and the retirement of her seniors was intended to avoid any awkward situation in which they will have to be taking orders from her.
In a statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) Haruna Imrana, Buhari ordered the 16 permanent secretaries to proceed on compulsory retirement.
According to the statement, Buhari expressed gratitude to the permanent secretaries for their meritorious service to the nation.
He stated that the new development was in line with the effort of the federal government to re-engineer the Federal Civil Service towards greater efficiency and effective service delivery.
When asked for the names of ministries and permanent secretaries affected by the reorganisation, Imrana said that a comprehensive statement would be issued later about that.
The names of the new 18 permanent secretaries appointed by President Buhari are: Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, Dr. Bukar Hassan, Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka, Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, Mr. Sabiu Zakari, Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi, Mr. Aminu Nabegu,
Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele, Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu, Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, Mr. Louis Edozie and Dr. Ugo Roy.
Also, the deployed 36 permanent secretaries to the merged federal ministries are: Dr. Shehu Ahmad, Agric & Rural Development; Arch Sunday Echono, Communications; Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, Transportation, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba, Information & Culture; Amb. Danjuma Sheni, Defence; Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan; Education.
Others are Mrs. Fatima Mede, Budget & National Planning; Alhaji Mahmoud Isa Dutse, Finance; Amb. Bulus Lolo, Foreign Affairs; Dr. Amina Shamaki, Health; Mr. Aliyu Bisalla, Industry, Trade & Investment; Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, Internal Affairs; Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, Justice; Dr. Habiba Lawal, Science & Tech.; Dr. Clement Illoh, Labour & Productivity; Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, Petroleum Resources; Mrs. Binta Bello, Women Affairs; Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, Federal Capital Territory; Mrs. Rabi Jimeta, Water Resources; Dr. Bukar Hassan, Environment; Mrs. Wakama B. Asifieka, Niger Delta Affairs; Mr. Istifanus Fuktur, Solid Minerals; Mr. Christian Ohaa, Youth & Sports; and Engr. A.G. Magaji, Works & Housing.
The rest are Mr. Louis Edozien, Power; Mr. Jalal Arabi, State House; Mr. Mohammed Bukar, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF); Mr. Abbas Mohammed, Ecological Fund Office, OSGF; Dr. Ugo Roy, Council Secretariat; Mr. Aminu Nabegu, Special Services Office, OSGF; Amb. Bamgbose Akindele, Political Affairs Office, OSGF; Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Economic Affairs Office, OSGF; Mrs. Obiageli Nwokedi, Special Duties Office, OSGF; Mr. Innocent Ogbonnaya, Career Management Office, OHCSF; Mr. S.K.Y. Adelakun, Common Services Office, OHCSF, and Mrs. N. Batagarawa , Service Policy & Strategies Office, OHCSF
The new appointments and deployments took effect from Tuesday.
-Leadership