President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet reshuffling has taken an unexpected twist even before the Ministers-Designate could take their oaths of office.
The unexpected move has left many political observers and stakeholders surprised, with some expressing concerns about the government’s preparedness for the challenges ahead. Others say the President’s changes on the eve of the swearing-in of the ministers are better late than never and should not be perceived as reflecting unpreparedness.
A statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed that President Tinubu decided on a series of changes within his cabinet, including the appointment of a new Minister-Designate for the Niger Delta Development portfolio following pressure from stakeholders in the region, especially the PANDEF.
In addition to this key appointment, there were adjustments made to the names and allocation of portfolios within various ministries.
The statement reads, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the redeployment of Engr. Abubakar Momoh from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development. The Federal Ministry of Youth is to be re-assigned to a Minister-Designate soon.”
Further adjustments involved the reshuffling of Ministers-Designate assigned to the Federal Ministries of Transportation, Interior, and Marine & Blue Economy. The reshuffling resulted in:
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(A) H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola being redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy.
(B) Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo being redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Interior.
(C) Hon. Sa’idu Alkali being redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Transportation.
Moreover, the two Ministers of State in the Oil & Gas sector were relocated to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources with distinct designations:
(i) Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri assumed the role of Hon. Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources.
(ii) Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo became the Hon. Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources.
In a surprising move, President Tinubu also gave the nod to renaming the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as the Federal Ministry of Environment.
However, this rapid shuffle has led to mixed reactions from various quarters. Critics have pointed out that the reshuffling of cabinet positions before the cabinet has even been officially inaugurated is a concerning sign of disorganization within the government.
This is against the backdrop of another eyebrow-raising incident occurred when a ministerial nominee from Kano, Dr. Maryam Shetty, was suddenly removed from the list just moments before her screening. She was swiftly replaced by Dr. Mariya Mahmoud. Additionally, Festus Keyamo, the former spokesperson for the now-defunct APC Presidential Campaign, who wasn’t initially nominated got his nod alongside Dr. Mahmoud.
One notable shift was the renaming of the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management to simply the Ministry of Environment. This decision, however, seems to reverse the trend of combining ecological concerns with environmental management.
The most significant development was the assigning of a minister to the Niger Delta Ministry. Speculations had been rife about its possible dissolution due to the absence of an assigned ministerial nominee. The void triggered widespread calls from stakeholders, notably the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), for immediate action to fill the vacancy.
PANDEF expressed its deep concern over the potential ramifications of neglecting the Niger Delta region, emphasizing the importance of infrastructural development, environmental protection, and youth empowerment in the oil-rich area.
So far there have been about five last-minute changes as the President puts his cabinet together:
1. Dr Maryam Shetty from Kano was removed minutes before screening and replaced
2. Addition of Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, who was initially not included as a ministerial nominee, was added in the middle of the screening.
3. Portfolios assigned changed-affecting four ministers, Engr Abubakar Momoh, Gov Adegboyega Oyetola, Hon Saidu Al-kali and Hon Tunji Bunmi-Ojo
4. Niger Delta Ministry earlier which wasn’t assigned a Minister, now has one
5. Ministry of Environment and Ecological is reversed to just the Ministry of Environment