President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the 45 ministers who will help him to implement his Renewed Hope Agenda yesterday in Abuja. The ministers promised to put in their best in order to help the President implement his agenda for the good of all Nigerians
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr Wale Edun has assured Nigerians that President Tinubu will not turn his back on the Nigerian masses who are suffering the pains of the President’s reforms.
He assured Nigerians that the current discomfort being experienced across the country will become a thing of the past in short order.
Addressing the Directors of the ministry after he arrived from the inauguration as a minister, Edun urged all members of staff of the ministry “to perform and deliver as expected of you.”
“The expectations of Nigerians are high; President Tinubu has taken key macro, monetary and fiscal measures that will change the economy. It is our duty to minimise the pains that will come with the reforms. We have a job to do to ensure that Nigerians are not left behind,” he said.
The minister praised his immediate predecessor, Zainab Ahmed for what she did with the economy and promised to build on her achievements in order to take “the country to greater heights.”
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of Special Duties of the ministry, Mr Udo Okokon Ekanem pledged the total commitment and loyalty of every member of staff of the ministry to the minister.
He said the member of staff of the ministry “are receptive to change and innovation and pledge to work with the minister.
Health Minister Pate to prioritise health security, cut medical tourism
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate has stated that under his leadership, the ministry will improve governance processes, prioritise health security and reduce medical tourism.
He also stated that in line with the renewed hope mandate and vision of President Ahmed Tinubu, himself and his team will place Nigerians at the centre of policies and implementation to ensure that the health indices of the country are improved.
At a briefing at the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja after the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Prof. Pate called for better synergy among the federal, state and local governments, including the private sector and all critical stakeholders.
He said: “President Tinubu signalled intent for his administration in selecting who he assigned to the health sector. We are very excited about that, and the fact that he also included social welfare with health, means he considers the people as the foundational element of what his administration tries to do.
“While we try to grow our economy, we will also try to attend to the people, and health is an important component of that.
“About what we do in the Ministry of Health, we save lives; we reduce pain whether physical pain or financial protection, and we produce health; that is all we do.
“We will work as a team, with my brother, the Minister of State, and also with the Permanent Secretary, and also with the Directors of the ministry. We hope that the team spirit will come together to move the country forward.
Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State, Health and Social Development, added: “This is a very good time in the history of our country. President Tinubu has been very deliberate in the way he has chosen his cabinet, more so for the healthcare sector. This is the first time in the country that we now have a round peg in a round hole.
“If we should be honest with ourselves, we are still far behind.”
Wike: I have presidential mandate to restore Abuja master plan
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has vowed to restore Abuja’s Master Plan following the backing of President Tinubu.
He vowed to prioritise and improve the sanitary outlook of Abuja and curb the security challenges in the city within the next six months.
Wike cautioned all those who are distorting the master plan of Abuja to desist from such, as the new administration will not hesitate to step on toes, in order to turn around Abuja to be competing with other cities of the world.
Wike, who was in high spirits yesterday said President Tinubu expects positive changes in the FCT, adding that he will demolish all illegal buildings and structures in the FCT without fear or favour.
He expressed displeasure over what he described as a high level of insecurity in the country’s capital.
The minister, who spoke during a press conference at the FCTA after the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa said: “We have the mandate of Mr President and Vice-President to give a different narrative as far as FCT is concerned. They have given us the matching order that we must bring FCT back to what it is supposed to be. And we have the capacity to do that.
“It is not going to be business as usual. Those distorting Abuja Master Plan: if you build where you are not supposed to, the building will go down.”
He said that motorcycle and tricycle operators would be banned from the city, even as he vowed to end to open grazing within the capital city.
On security, Wike promised to work with all security agencies in the FCT and provide them with the necessary tools and logistics to rid the city of criminals.
Wike also promised to consider the natives in political appointments with a view to carrying everyone along.
I’m pan-Nigeria minister, a field officer, says Umahi
The Minister of Works, David Umahi has stressed that he is not a regional or Ebonyi State Minister but the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He stated that under his leadership, bureaucratic processes will be a thing of the past, as no file will be expected to be left unattended for two hours without genuine explanations.
He further stressed that with his background, he is not an office person but a field person. Hence, he and the ministry’s team of experts will be touring the six geopolitical zones of the country to see the state of road infrastructures and work around ways to make the lives of Nigerians better.
At a press conference at the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja after the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Umahi said: “I’m going to be training tomorrow. I will offer my address to you tomorrow. I have indicated to see the contractors, and after taking a briefing from the Heads of Departments, we will meet with the contractors because I am not an office person. I am a field person. God giving us life, with some of you in that department, I will be inspecting the Lokojo-Benin Road and Lokoja-Abuja Road.
Solid minerals are economy’s growth factors, says Alake
The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake has explained why his portfolio was the upset of the entire cabinet.
He said although a lot of people expected Mr President to make him the Minister of Information given his antecedents, exposure and experience in the area of perception and information management, the administration decided to shock everyone.
The minister said this yesterday in Abuja at his assumption to office as the Minister of Solid Minerals.
Alake said the nature of the sector to the country’s economic growth and vitality is dear to the heart of Mr President.
President Tinubu considered it apt and proper to send him to the solid minerals ministry because he knows and trusts that he has a demonstrable sense of responsibility and courage to drive the agenda.
His words: “My portfolio has been the upset of the entire cabinet portfolio because, given my antecedents, exposure and experience in the area of perception, information management and the likes, people have pigeon hole me for information and so we decided to shock everybody.
“Now, if you all can sit down to analyse the global trend of economic development, you would note that hydrocarbon, that is oil, is fading out and the world is moving towards alternatives such as gas, electric cars and the rest. So, what is the next economic growth factor? It is solid mineral.
“Given the nature of this sector to our economic growth and vitality, which is dear to the heart of Mr President, it’s just very apt and proper for him to send me here because he knows and trusts that I have a demonstrable sense of responsibility and courage to drive the agenda that is why I am here. We are going to drive that agenda with the full cooperation of everyone.
“I am going to set an agenda with focus and objectives. We would get the results. Now, we are not going to be allowing civil service structures and scriptures to stifle us from creativity and flourishing. What we need is attitudinal change.
“Now, when a memo reaches your table, regardless of what the subject matter is, that memo must leave your table within an hour; that is the way I work and whoever doesn’t shape in, ships out.”
Oyetola vows to ensure safe, sustainable marine
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola yesterday assumed duty at the ministry in Abuja after he was sworn in by President Tinubu.
Oyetola arrived at the ministry’s conference room around 2:15 p.m. in the company of his wife, Kafayat Oyetola, his son; Femi Oyetola and some of his aides.
He was received by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, the Managing Director of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Emmanuel Jime and some Directors of the ministry.
Oyetola urged the members of staff of the ministry to join hands with him to find innovative solutions to the challenges in the sector and ensure that the oceans and marine are safe, reliable, and sustainable.
He also said that the blue economy is estimated globally to be worth more than $1.5 trillion annually.
He said considering the size of the country’s blue economy, Nigeria should be a significant player in the sector to contribute to the country’s revenue and also provide jobs for the unemployed.
He promised to come up with practicable ways of ensuring that the inland rivers, lakes, and waterways are utilised for cargo shipment and passenger transportation.
He also said he would promote better inter-agency cooperation and coordination among the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority.
“We must seize this opportunity to create positive change, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come. These are my thoughts as I join you today. I believe that when we are able to do all these and more, we would have contributed our quota towards realising Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Marine and Blue Economy sector.”
Stable, accessible power are priorities, says Adelabu
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu yesterday pledged to tackle the challenges that the national grid is facing.
He also vowed to meet the universal metering of households.
He spoke on the assumption of office at the ministry headquarters in Abuja.
The minister said, under his watch, the sector will pay attention to renewable and alternative energies.
Adelabu said: “A significant goal is the universal metering of households and addressing challenges faced by our national power grid.
“We will equally pay critical attention to the options of renewable and alternative energies. The world is indeed going in that direction and Nigeria must not be left behind.”
According to him, Nigeria’s success is a collective one.
Challenging the ministry to the task ahead, he said: “Let us move from political discussions to action; each of us contributing our talents and energies towards a brighter future.”
Plan to lift 133m out of poverty on course, says Edu
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu has expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to lift 133 million Nigerians out of poverty.
Edu said this when she assumed office yesterday in Abuja and held a maiden meeting with the Chief Executive Officers of the agencies under her ministry.
She assured Nigerians of her determination to ensure transparency and accountability during her tenure as minister.
She explained that the ministry will achieve the target through different interventions and initiatives aimed at lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
“What is most important is that we will keep our focus on lifting 133 million Nigerians out of poverty.
“We can do it in phases, a step at a time, because with determination and strong will nothing is impossible.
”We will play down on politics; we are here to face the real business of governance,” she said.
The minister, who described as unacceptable the alarming rate of poverty in the country, said all hands must be on deck to address the situation.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo expressed commitment and loyalty to the minister in her quest to deliver on the mandate of the ministry.
We ‘II achieve self-sufficiency in food production, boost export, says Kyari
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari has said the target of his team is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production and unlock the potential in food export so as to stimulate economic growth.
Kyari, who stated this yesterday in Abuja at the ministry after the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa, said he is ready and willing to commit 100 per cent to the service of the country.
While noting that the challenges associated with food production are insecurity, flooding, and pests, among others, he said that the political will of President Tinubu to revive agriculture is the biggest hope towards achieving self-sufficiency.
Also, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the task before this ministry is a daunting one, which all hands must be on deck to make Nigeria self-sufficient.
AGF Fagbemi: I’m open to criticism’
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) has said he is open to criticisms.
Fagbemi, who met with senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Justice upon his assumption of duty yesterday, however, cautioned that such criticisms must be constructive.
“You cannot just criticise. Your criticism must be constructive. You should be able to proffer solution and suggest better options,” Fagbemi said.
He noted that his ministry was critical to the success of the administration and the achievement of its objectives. He sought the cooperation of all and assured them of a harmonious relationship.
Fagbemi cautioned against acts of insubordination, urging officials of the ministry to be guided by their conscience and their oath of office.
He urged the ministry’s officials to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their duties, adding that, the office of the AGF in the country is strategic as it services all government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
The Solicitor-General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary, FMJ, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba assured the AGF of the support of the ministry’s officials.
She added: “We will deploy all the human and material resources of the ministry and its parastatals to support and assist you in realizing your set objectives, and more importantly, in achieving the enormous constitutional and statutory mandates and responsibilities vested in the Federal Ministry of Justice.”
Keyamo: ‘I will build on the aviation roadmap’
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) has said his appointment to head the aviation ministry was not a mistake.
He said he will continue to build on the aviation roadmap developed by the immediate past administration.
Keyamo stated this while assuming office yesterday in Abuja.
He said: “My appointment by President Tinubu was not by mistake. The President would have thought it well before appointing me.”
On his plans for the sector, he said: “I have read the roadmap developed in 2016. I read it thoroughly and our intention is not to disrupt things that have been done so well.
He also stated that he has noted some items in the roadmap that need to be improved upon.
Keyamo said: “For me, my watchword is transparency. At every point, Nigerians must understand what we are doing and we must carry everyone along,” he stated.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Meribole described the minister as somebody who is well grounded and result-oriented.
He said the ministry is set to reposition the aviation sector through the aviation roadmap, assuring that the members of staff of the ministry are committed to give the minister the needed support.
He also urged the minister to use his in-depth knowledge to address some litigation issues in the ministry.
Stakeholders’ cooperation needed for desired change in education , says Mammam
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mammam and the Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu have assumed duty after their swearing-in by President Tinubu yesterday.
They were received by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo, Directors and Heads of agencies and parastatals under the ministry. Mammam solicited support from Nigerians in order to bring about the “desired change in the education sector.”
He called for teamwork to build the education sector.
He said: “If the education sector is fixed, every other thing will work perfectly in the country since the ministry is the foundation of all.
Minister of State, Sununu sought for the cooperation and understanding of Nigerians, especially members of staff of the ministry to improve the standard of education.
He said the time was now to surmount the challenges in the sector.
Sununu said that working together as a formidable force would help to overcome the challenges.
The Permanent Secretary pledged to cooperate with the ministers for a successful operation.
Adejo called on the ministers to help deliver the service the education sector would want to deliver to the citizens.
It’s henceforth business unusual, Tunji-Ojo warns paramilitary agencies against infraction
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has assumed duty yesterday. He promised to change the narratives of the ministry for the better. He enjoined para-military institutions under the ministry to do their jobs in accordance with the law.
He said he would hold the leadership of the Agencies accountable for any infraction within and outside the Services.
The minister said he would like to lead from the front to enable him to meet the targets set by the President.
At the old Federal Secretariat, Tunji-Ojo said:”I am here to work but in working, we must have a good environment. The work of this ministry affects everyone; whether you are rich or poor.
“I don’t lead from the back, I lead from the front. We will try; we will do our best to provide leadership, built on the foundation of your support.
The Heads of the four paramilitary Agencies under the ministry, namely the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Immigration Service also attended the maiden meeting with the minister.
I’ll disseminate truth to engender people’s trust, says Idris
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has said that his ministry will drive President Tinubu’s `Renewed Hope Agenda’ with the dissemination of honest and sincere information.
The minister stated this yesterday when he assumed office and held a maiden meeting with heads and management staff of the agencies and departments under the ministry at the Radio House, Abuja.
The minister, who said he was familiar with the information industry, pledged that dissemination of credible information would be his watchword.
“Mr President did not tell me to come and lie and this is a covenant I am going to have with you and Nigerians.
“National orientation will also be at the core of this ministry, in addition to the job of information dissemination that we know of it,” he said.
Idris, who assured the ministry would unveil its agenda, in the next few days, sought the support of the media and other stakeholders in the discharge of his assignment.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr Ngozi Onwudiwe pledged the collaboration of the management, members of staff of the ministry and its agencies to work with Idris to achieve his mandates.
The Managing Director, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buki Ponle, expressed her confidence that Idris, as a round peg in a round hole, would record excellent performance in his new assignment.
Enoh promises to reposition sports sector
Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh has pledged to provide transparent leadership in repositioning the Nigerian sports sector.
Enoh made the pledge yesterday shortly after assuming office as the 36th Minister of Sports Development.
He said in spite that he was not an active sports personality, he was ready to hit the ground running by working as a team player with all sports stakeholders to transform the sector.
“I don’t think you need to be an active sports participant for you to be minister of sports.
“I think what is required is who can provide leadership, direction, someone who is transparent, understand the sector and reposition it and that is what I am bringing on board,” he said.
The minister stressed the importance of sports as a unifying factor. He called for all hands to be on deck to develop the sector in line with international best practices.
“There is no other endeavour in this country that is as uniting as the sports endeavour,” he said.
Enoh also encouraged Nigerian athletes to represent the country at the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.
“Let me assure you that President Tinubu is standing behind you with the entire country, united in our support and admiration,” the minister said.
He said the Federal Government will continue to ensure that Nigerian athletes get their due recognition and the right atmosphere is created for them to excel.
Uzoka-Anite promises to attract more investments
Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite yesterday assumed duty as the Minister of Industry Trade and Investment shortly after she was sworn in by President Tinubu.
Uzoka-Anite was received by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Evelyn Ngige and the Directors in the ministry.
While promising to attract more investments into the country, the minister assured of her determination to promote business-friendly environment for indigenous businesses to grow.
According to her, our work here is to ensure that we create more jobs, more employment, lift people above the poverty line and ensure that small and middle enterprises and industries that already exist expand and grow better.
“Our job is to attract investments. There is so much opportunity. One of them I have already witnessed here is human resources.
“If we only just harnessed our human resource potential Nigeria will be great even without our mineral resources.
“Even without our non-mineral resources only our human capital alone is enough to take us where we want to,” she said.
The minister said that projecting Nigeria’s image positively was crucial in attracting investors and ensuring that businesses thrive in the country.
According to her, the ministry would ensure that the image of the country out there is as investment-friendly as the investments that we have here.
“So, I want to put that on the table and we will be doing a whole lot of branding and image-making for the country because we have to re-introduce ourselves to the world,’’ she said.
Describing her assumption of duty as a new dawn, Uzoka-Anite emphasised the need to do business to fit into global best practices.
While seeking the cooperation of members of staff to achieve the ministry’s mandate, the minister promised to operate an open-door policy.
Earlier, Ngige assured the minister of her support to oversee the activities of the ministry.
Ngige urged the minister to bring her wealth of experience to bear in the ministry’s task of developing economic growth, boosting industrialisation and promoting Micro Small and Medium Enterprises as well as facilitating trade in goods and services.
Revival of steel companies to be a gradual process, says Audu
The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu has said the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel plant and other steel plants in the country would be a gradual process.
Audu said with the creation of the Ministry of Steel Development, his administration hopes the country’s steel industries would begin production soon.
He said his ministry would ride on Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s visit to Russia in July to aggressively pursue the gains of the visit.
He said this yesterday in Abuja after his assumption of office as the Minister of Steel Development.
His words: “The steel industry is a new industry, which we are hoping to focus on to achieve, in line with President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda that is our aim and objective.
“There are many steel companies in Nigeria. You cannot tackle all problems at once.
“Our ultimate objective would be to get the engines started; that would be a remarkable achievement. We hope to, at least, start producing even if it is a small sheet of steel. That would be a remarkable achievement, considering where we are coming from.
“Efforts have been made to achieve this agenda with the recent visit of the Vice President to Russia in July this year, it is my intention that under my administration, the ministry would aggressively pursue the gains of that memorable visit, with the option of not only to complete Ajaokuta but to also set the pace for viable steel development in the country.
“There is no doubt that the steel sector in Nigeria has faced and is still facing several key challenges. My main task as the Minister would be to work with all the well-experienced stakeholders to address the challenges with the view to ensuring a successful take-off of the steel plants.”
