The Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has assigned portfolios to the two new ministers he inaugurated sometime in July, 2017. The ministers and their portfolios are as follows:
Stephen Ocheni from Kogi state as the Minister of State, Labour and Employment
and Suleiman Hassan from Gombe as the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing
The announcement on the assigning of portfolios to the Ministers was made by Mr. Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity.
In a related development, the Acting has also sworn in 15 new permanent secretaries.
Prof. Osinbajo while swearing in the new Perm. Secs said “You are here today after a rigorous selection process undertaken by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and her team of retired Heads of Service, Permanent Secretaries, seasoned technocrats and members of the organized private sector.
“In other words your appointment, on a state by state basis is on merit, and you are here today being presented to this nation as the best that our civil service can offer.
“You come into office at a crucial moment in our national history. First we are at the cusp of a radical economic recovery and growth effort that has as its core the implementation of a comprehensive diversification of the Nigerian economy.
“We are also implementing a major reform of our public finance system, emphasizing integrity and fiscal prudence. These reforms are being effected in the context of our determined anti-corruption programme and these efforts cannot succeed without a competent and committed civil service corps led by your good selves.
“Your role is not just in providing direction, and providing leadership but also in the training of the core of the civil service that is under your care and charge.
“We expect that Permanent Secretaries will be the drivers of the implementation of the Executive Orders. And this is why a training programme has been undertaken in order to do so and it is a continuous programme of training.
“Your coming into office at this particular time is a good signal and I believe very strongly that it will be an opportunity for a reset in some cases of projects and programmes that up till now may not have been fully completed.
“It is also important to emphasize that this government is committed to an anti-corruption programme. It is easy to speak about corruption and to speak about anti-corruption programmes. But we want to emphasize that we do not believe that any nation can survive at the levels of corruption that we have witnessed in our country in the past years.
He further told them “It is your responsibility as Federal Permanent Secretaries especially this new corps of Federal Permanent Secretaries, chosen and selected on merit to ensure that you carry out in the fullest measure all of the anti-corruption programmes of this government, and to ensure also that by your practice and in your conduct you are also above board.”
The new Perm Secs appointed are
Mrs. Anagbogu Ifeoma Nkiruka – Ministry of Women Affairs
Mrs. Walson-Jack Didi Esther – Service Welfare Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
Gekpe Grace Isu – Ministry of Information and Culture
Aliboh Leon Lawrence – Ministry of Budget and National Planning
Uwaifo Osarenoma Clement – Ministry of Health
Afolayan Ayodele Olaniyi – Common Services, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
Abdullahi Abdulazeez Mashi – Ministry of Communications.
Others are: Adebiyi Bolaji Adekunle – Ministry of Labour and Employment
Ibrahim Musa Wen – Ministry of Water Resources
Odewale Samson Olajide – Special Duties, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
Adesola Olusade – Ministry of Youth and Sports Development
Umar Mohammed Bello – Special Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
Aduda Gabriel Tanimu – Politcal Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
Akpan Edet Sunday – Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment
Ehuria Georgina Ekeoma – Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
