BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 21, (THEWILL) – President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has forwarded the names of 12 ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation as ministers of the Federal Republic.
Notable on the list are a former NSA, Alhaji Aliyu Gusau Mohammed, who is being tipped to for the Ministry of Defence, as well as a former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Boni Haruna.
The nominees are expected to fill the vacancies created following the sacking of some Ministers by the President in the last quarter of last year.
The names of the nominees were read out by the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark at the resumption of plenary today after a long break.
Also, in a separate letter, the President also sent the names of the new service chiefs to the senate for confirmation.
The other ministerial nominees are as follows:
1. Honourable Mohammed Wakil (Borno)
2. Alhaji Abduljelili Oyewale Adesiyan (Osun)
3. Ambassador Aminu Wali (Kano)
4. Hadjia Jamilia Salik (Kano)
5. Mrs Akon Etim Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom)
6. Lawrencia Labaran Mallam (Kaduna)
7. Dr T. W. Danagogo (Rivers)
8. Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger)
9. Dr. Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto)
10. Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos).
UPDATE:
….President Seeks Senate Confirmation For New Service Chiefs
Former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Aliyu Gusau Mohammed (Zamfara) on Tuesday made a dramatic comeback to government with his nomination as minister designate of the Federal Republic.
Also names of former governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Boni Haruna and former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), were forwarded to the Senate for confirmation as substantive Ministers.
Other nominees are former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives,Hon Mohammed Wakil (Borno), Alh. Abduljelili Oyewale Adesiyan (Osun), Amb. Aminu Wall ( Kano), Hajia Jamila Salik ( Kano), Mrs Akon Etim Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom), Lawrence Labaran Mallam ( Kaduna), Dr T W Danagogo ( Rivers), Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger), and Dr Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto).
President Goodluck Jonathan in a letter addressed to President of the Senate,Senator David Mark, urged the senators to confirm the nominees expeditiously,saying he nominated them in accordance with Section 147(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
Similarly,the President is seeking the Senate’s confirmation of the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces. They are Air Marshall Alex Badeh (Chief of Defence Staff), Major General Kenneth Minimah (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosu (Chief of Air Staff).
The ministerial nominees were to replace the existing 12 vacancies in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which became vacant as a result of the cabinet shake up effected by President Jonathan and also the resignation of three other ministers.
The sacked ministers are Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (Education); Okon Ewa-Bassey (Science and Techology); Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs); Hadiza Mailafia (Environment); Shamsudeen Usman, (National Planning); and Ama Pepple (Housing, Lands and Urban Development).
Others are the Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, Minister of State (Agriculture) Alhaji Bukar Tijani and Minister of State for Power, Zainab Kuchi.
Dr Mohammed Pate, erstwhile Minister of State for Health resigned as well as the Minister of. Sports.
However, the President in a letter urging the Senators to confirm the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for the Armed Forces said: “I write to forward in compliance with the provisions of section 18( 1) of the armed forces Act Cap A 20 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004, the names of the under listed for the kind confirmation of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for appointment as Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Subjecting the Service Chiefs to Senate confirmation has remained an issue of legal battle to the point that a Lagos lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, secured a court judgement on the matter.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
