Former Minister of Sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday relieved the Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, of his appointment.
Indication that Jonathan might have
sacked Abdullahi first emerged when the President was assigning
portfolios to the 11 new ministers who took their oath of office at the
Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa shortly before the
commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.
Jonathan shocked those in attendance who
thought the new ministers would be assigned to only ministries without
ministers when he announced that the new Rivers State nominee in the
cabinet, Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, would take over from Abdullahi.
While reeling out the names of the
remaining new ministers with their portfolios amidst anxiety among
cabinet members, the President kept mum on Abdullahi’s fate.
Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, later confirmed Abdullahi’s
sacking to State House correspondents.
Abati did not however give reason for the sacking.
Jonathan also said he would by next week
name a new set of ministers who would occupy the current vacant
positions in the cabinet.
The new ministers and their portfolios,
according to the President, are – Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister
of State Defence; Mohammed Wakil, Minister of State Power; Alhaji
Abduljelili Adesiyan, Minister of Police Affairs; and Ambassador Aminu
Wali, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Others are, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi, Minister
of Housing, Land and Urban Development; Lawrencia Laraba Mallam,
Minister of Environment; Hajia Asabe Asmau Ahmed, Minister of State
Agriculture; Gen. Aliyu Gusau, Minister of Defence; Boni Haruna,
Minister of Youth Development; and Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, Minister of
State, Health.
Jonathan told the new ministers to see
themselves as the servants of the people and therefore be willing to
serve and listen to them at all times.
Describing public office as a public
trust, the President urged the ministers to add value to whatever they
have been asked to do.
He said any public official should be able to look back and point to an achievement after leaving office.
He said, “I believe that if you have
been given a responsibility as a president, governor, minister, for you
to serve for a period of time, if by the time you’re leaving you cannot
look back and say that this is an innovation that I brought to bear
based on my own creativity, I have been able to do things differently
from what others have done and now things are being done better in my
ministry or whatever office you’re holding; if you cannot say that, then
you have failed.
“But if you can say that definitely yes
I’ve brought some innovations based on my own creativity and things are
being done differently, I have been able to solve these problems within
this period, then of course you have succeeded.
“The challenge is for you now to adjust.
So, your duty is to make sure you bring changes, positive changes not
negative changes. And I believe you will also work closely with others.
“For ministries that you have to work
with another minister, either as a minister of state or the minister;
two of you will relate, you will relate with the permanent secretaries,
heads of parastatals working with you too.
“There are some people when they get a
place, they bring unity and make sure that everybody works together for
the success of their administration. But some when they get to a place
they create divisions and all kinds of interests and instead of making
sure that the top government functionary, either heads of parastatals,
heads of departments work together, you see problems and everyday you
talk about solving problems.
“In fact because of the issues of
conflicts between ministers and ministers of states, we will also review
schedule of duties in some of the ministries to make sure that we
reduce these conflicts to the barest minimum.”
The President had earlier sacked the
Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah; Minister of Niger Delta Affairs,
Mr. Godsday Orubebe; Minister of Police Affairs, Navy-Capt. Caleb
Olubolade (retd); and the Minister of State, Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama.
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