Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, sacked two ministers from his cabinet.
The affected Ministers include; Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono and his Power counterpart, Saleh Mamman.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, announced this on Wednesday.
He said the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar has been redeployed to the Ministry of Agriculture while the Minister of State for Works, Abubakar Aliyu is to take over as Minister of Power.
The President said the changes were a sequel to the “tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review” through sector reporting during Cabinet meetings and at retreats.
He added that “these significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.”
The sack of the two ministers is coming two years and few days after they were inaugurated by the president in 2019 alongside 41 of their colleagues.
Mr Nanono hails from Kano State while Mr Mamman is from Taraba State.
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Mr Mamman’s reign as minister marked little or no improvement in the power sector as the power situation in the country remained without any significant improvement.
The two ministers will become the first set of ministers to be sacked by the president since he assumed office in 2015. His first set of ministers served out his first term.
The full text of the statement is below:
On Wednesday 21st August 2019 the current Federal Executive Council was sworn in after a rigorous retreat to bring returning and new members up to speed on the accomplishments, challenges and lessons drawn from my first term in Office and to emphasise the 9 priority areas of government for the second term.
2. Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector Reporting during Cabinet meetings and at Retreats.
3. These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.
4. I must commend this cabinet for demonstrating unparalleled resilience that helped the government to navigate the disruption to global systems and governance occasioned by the emergence of COVID-19 shortly after the inauguration. The weekly Federal Executive Council meetings were not spared because the traditional model was altered.
5. As we are all aware, change is the only factor that is constant in every human endeavour and as this administration approaches its critical phase in the second term, I have found it essential to reinvigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements.
6. Accordingly, a few cabinet changes, marking the beginning of a continuous process, have been approved. They are as follows:
Ministers Leaving the Cabinet:
I. Mohammed Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and
II. Engr. Sale Mamman, Minister of Power.
Redeployment:
I. Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Minister of Environment, to assume office as the Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development;
II. Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, Minister of State, Works & Housing assume office as the Minister of Power.
7. In due course, substantive nominations will be made to fill the consequential vacancies in accordance with the requirements of the constitution.
8. I have personally met with the departing members to thank them for their contributions to discussions in the cabinet and the invaluable services rendered to the nation.
Today, effectively marks their last participation in the Federal Executive Council deliberations and I wish them the best in all future endeavours.
9. Finally, I wish to reiterate once more, that this process shall be continuous.
10. I thank you all and May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
