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Assigned Portfolios: President Tinubu Silent On Petroleum Ministry

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President Bola Tinubu yesterday, assigned portfolios to the 45 confirmed ministerial nominees recently cleared for appointment by the Senate, with former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, in charge of the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Festus Keyamo manning the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, however, could not confirm the exact date for their inauguration.

It was earlier reported that the nominees are expected to be sworn in on Monday ahead of the inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting next week Wednesday. It was also gathered that a ministerial retreat for the ministers would take place before the swearing in ceremony.

While some nominees still await clearance, there are concerns whether President Tinubu will retain the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum for himself like former president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Expected were the portfolios assigned to Wale Edun (Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Bosun Tijani (Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy), Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and Creative Economy), Lateef Fagbemi (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) and Ali Pate (Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare).

However, a shock inclusion in the announcement was the portfolio assigned to Dele Alake (Solid Minerals Development), who had spearheaded the communications team of the President since his emergence as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in May last year and had also assumed the same role since Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29.

Other portfolios as released by the President are as follows: Adegboyega Oyetola (Transportation), David Umahi (Works), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Mohammed Badaru (Defence), Ahmed Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development), and Simon Lalong (Labour and Employment).

Also named are Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management, Ishak Salaco; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji; Minister of Power, Adedayo Adelabu; Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa.

Minister of Tourism is Lola Ade-John; Minister of Transportation, Adegboyega Oyetola; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Anite; Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha; Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy; and Minister of Youth is Abubakar Momoh.

Others are: Minister of State, Gas Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh; Minister of State Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of State Education, Yusuf T. Sunumu; Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed M. Dangiwa; Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Abdullah T. Gwarzo; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and Minister of Environment and Ecological Management, a yet to be named Minister-nominee from Kaduna State, after Nasir el-Rufai’s nomination failed to scale through Senate’s screening.

Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Maimud Mairiga; Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello M. Toro; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Education, Tahir Maman; Minister of Interior, Sa’Idu A. Alkali; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf M. Tuggar; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam; Minister of State, Steel Development, U. Maigari Ahmadu; and Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu A. Audu.

Minister of Information and National Orientation is Muhammed Idris; Minister of State, Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo; Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev; and Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

Earlier yesterday, Lanre Issa-Onilu, a former APC national director of publicity, had said the delay of the ministers’ inauguration was because the president was tinkering with the existing ministerial structure before inaugurating his cabinet.

The nominations of el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna; Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba) were withheld, pending security clearance.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, Issa-Onilu said there is an ongoing restructuring with the ministries, in order to lay a solid foundation for the ministers when they resume.

“What we should ask is we need to ensure that we lay a solid foundation even for the cabinet to come in and take off,” he said.

“This is a new government and Tinubu is a technocrat and if you bring someone to work with you, you must have a job description for the person.

“On Monday, they are going to be inaugurated. We have ministries, the president may have his ideas on how the ministries should work. He may want to tinker with the existing structure and he needs to prepare the bed before asking someone to come and lay on it.

“That is the only way to get things going. You don’t want to bring a minister in and say hold on you need to restructure the base. There is restructuring going on.

“You are going to hear ministries in terms of nomenclature you are not familiar with. And those are deliberate to ensure that you provide the necessary will to get things done fast enough. The bottom line is that there will be this exercise on Monday.”

BIG STORY

Buhari Never Wanted To Congratulate Saraki, Dogara After Emerging Senate President, Speaker — Femi Adesina

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Femi Adesina, who served as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that Buhari was initially unwilling to congratulate Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara after they controversially became Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015.

Adesina shared this in a tribute to Buhari, reflecting on his early experience as the president’s media aide and the difficulty of balancing loyalty with professional duty.

He explained that the incident happened just nine days after he took up the role of presidential spokesman.

According to Adesina, Saraki and Dogara emerged as leaders of the National Assembly against the preference of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Although their emergence was viewed as defiant, it still adhered to constitutional norms.

“I told the President we needed to congratulate them. He balked. But I stood my ground. He said no, I also said no. I said it would portray him as undemocratic,” Adesina wrote.

He noted that Buhari later agreed to issue the statement, making only a small addition to the final version.

“At the end of the day, he reasoned with me and the statement was written, with him just adding one word,” he stated.

“Keeping to his word is part of the famed integrity. Argue with me. If you have a better point, I’ll agree with you.”

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BIG STORY

Road To 2027: Everyone Afraid Of Atiku — Dele Momodu Claims As He Joins ADC

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Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation International, has said that “everyone is afraid” of former vice-president Atiku Abubakar.

He made this remark while giving reasons for leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to join the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Momodu also confirmed that he would be backing Atiku in the 2027 presidential election.

During an appearance on Channels TV on Thursday, Momodu stated that his endorsement of Atiku stems from a strategic understanding of Nigeria’s political dynamics.

He said: “Everybody is afraid of Atiku, and that is exactly why I, Dele Momodu, support him.

“The fear the ruling party has for him shows he remains the most formidable opposition figure today.

“When everyone is trying to discredit or silence a man, it means he’s the one they truly fear.”

Momodu previously ran for president in 2011 and took part in the PDP presidential primaries in 2022.

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BIG STORY

Lagos Unveils Nigeria’s First Local Government Owned Radio Station [PHOTOS]

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Lagos State Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has officially opened Nigeria’s first local government-owned radio station.

This groundbreaking station, situated in Mushin Local Government, highlights the critical role of information dissemination to the public.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, inaugurated the station during the commissioning of various legacy projects implemented by Mushin Local Government Chairman, Emmanuel Olanrewaju Bamigboye, at Oliyide Street, Mushin.

A post on the official Facebook page of the Lagos State Government praised the development, calling it “laudable and worthy of emulation by other Local Government Areas.”

The statement says: “Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has commissioned the first Local Government-owned radio station in Nigeria (Ishokan 106.7 FM), operated by the Mushin Local Government, emphasising the importance of information dissemination to the people.

“The Governor, who launched Nigeria’s pioneering local government-owned radio stations through the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, today at the commissioning of other legacy projects executed by the Chairman, Mushin Local Government, Hon. Emmanuel Olanrewaju Bamigboye, at Oliyide Street, Mushin, Lagos, said that the launch is laudable and worthy of emulation by other Local Government Areas.

“According to Sanwo-Olu, ‘It’s always good to communicate with our people. So, we must appreciate the Chairman of the Local Government for building these notable projects. First, getting all the federal agencies in one place, so that if you need anything, you are not running from one place to another. Secondly, establishing this radio station, and many other projects, including roads, markets, and others, is a real achievement,’ said Sanwo-Olu, adding the residents should be excited about having such a political party and Chairmen who are commissioning infrastructures that some states cannot do.

“The Governor stated that the State is progressing under the All Progressive Congress (APC) adding that, as roads are being commissioned, Primary Healthcare, Schools, Administrative blocks and so many more are launched. This implies that the party is a progressive one, urging the people to unite and be able to stand on the President’s mandate.

“He reiterated further that to be able to stand on that mandate, every resident must possess a voter’s card, stressing that those who are yet to possess the voter’s card should ensure they go out when the registration process commences, as the prosperity of the nation strongly depends on the reforms and policies of the president.”

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