Osinbajo assigns portfolios to new ministers, inaugurates 15 perm secs

Ocheni was named Minister of State, Labour and Employment. He replaced his kinsman, Mr. James Ocholi (SAN), who was holding the same position up until he died in an accident on March 6, 2016. Hassan was named the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing. “There are now two Ministers of State in Power, Works and Housing Ministry,” the spokesman for the Acting President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said in a message posted on his Twitter handle. Mr. Mustapha Shehuri is also a minister of state in that ministry. With this development, the Ministry of Environment is still left without a substantive minister. That position became vacant with the recent appointment of the last occupant, Amina Mohammed, as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The ministry is currently being supervised by the Minister of State, Environment, Ibrahim Jibril. Osinbajo also on Wednesday inaugurated 15 out of the 22 permanent secretaries appointed recently and urged them to be above board in their conduct. The inauguration took place at the commencement of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council held inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The remaining seven permanent secretaries, it was gathered, would take their oaths of office after the retirement of the permanent secretaries from their states. The Acting President said, “It is important to emphasise that this government is committed to an anti-corruption programme. We want to emphasise that we do not believe that any nation can survive at the level of corruption that we have witnessed in our country in the past years. “It is completely impossible to implement government policies or programmes or to ensure the benefits of economic programmes or the benefits of democracy will ever reach the ordinary man if corruption continues at the level it has been in previous years. “It is your responsibilities as permanent secretaries, especially these new corps of permanent secretaries chosen and selected on merit, to ensure that you carry out to the fullest all of the anti-corruption programmes of this government and to ensure also that in your practice and in your conduct, you are also above board.” Osinbajo stated the selection of the permanent secretaries was carried out in the fairest possible way, saying they were chosen based on merit. He expressed the hope that government would continue with the rigorous process of examination and tests that would bring out the best that the nation could offer, adding that the administration was also implementing a major reform of public finance system, emphasising integrity and fiscal prudence. As part of the reform effort, Osinbajo said four Executive Orders meant to facilitate the reform programmes had been signed. “Your role in it cannot be overemphasised. Your role is not just to provide direction and leadership but also in the training of the core of the civil service that is under your care and charge.” The permanent secretaries who were inaugurated have been posted as follows: Ehuria Ekeoma (Abia), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Akpan Sunday (Akwa Ibom), Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Anagbogu Nkiruka ((Anambra), Ministry of Women Affairs; and Walson-Jack Esther (Bayelsa), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation. Also on the list are: Gekpe Isu (Cross River), Ministry of Information and Culture; Aliboh Lawrence (Delta), Budget and National Planning; Uwaifo Clement (Edo), Ministry of Health; Folayan Olaniyi (Ekiti), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation; Abdullahi Abdulazeez (Katsina), Ministry of Communications; and Adebiyi Bolaji (Lagos), Ministry of Labour and Productivity. Others are Ibrahim Musa Wen (Nasarawa), Ministry of Water Resources; Odewale Olajide (Ogun), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation; Adesola Olusade (Ondo), Ministry of Youths and Sports; Umar Mohammed Bello (Sokoto), Office of the Secretary to the Federation; and Gabriel Tanimu (FCT), Office of the Secretary to the Federation.]]>