• Login
    Login Register
    Password? | Username?
LOG IN HERE

Daily Trust Online

Aston Business School

Cabinet reshuffle coming - Ministers to swap portfolios - Turaki, Nebo sworn in, yet to be posted

Category: Lead stories

President Goodluck Jonathan may conduct a cabinet reshuffle that will see some ministers swapping portfolios tomorrow, Daily Trust learnt in Abuja yesterday.
Government sources said in the coming changes, one of the serving ministers from the North is likely to be redeployed to the Defence ministry to take up the slot left by Dr. Bello Halliru Mohammed in June last year.
For his part, newly-sworn in minister Prof. Chinedu Nebo may go to the Power ministry which has been vacant since August with the removal of Prof. Barth Nnaji.
Nebo, an indigene of Enugu State, was sworn in along with Alhaji Kabiru Turaki from Kebbi State yesterday.
Soon after their swearing in at the State House in Abuja, President Jonathan asked them to report to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim for their letters of posting.
No such letters were made public by last night.
A source said their posting was being delayed so that it will be announced along with the other cabinet changes during the Federal Executive Council meeting holding tomorrow.
The reshuffle will affect at least four key ministries, the source added.
But there was no confirmation last night if any minister will be dropped.
Jonathan has not conducted sweeping cabinet changes since he began a fresh presidential terms in 2011.
But over the past two years, two ministers were separately fired while two others swapped positions.
At the swearing in of the two new ministers yesterday, Jonathan said their appointment is meant to inject new ideas into the Federal Executive Council.
“Today, we are admitting two new ministers into our fold and the synopsis we have heard about them they are eminently qualified to serve this country at all levels,” the President said, quoted by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“If it is political they are eminently qualified to serve as councillors up to the President of the Federal Republic by their antecedents. But then background qualification is one thing, serving as a minister is another thing because the challenges are different.”
Jonathan said he was optimistic that the new ministers would succeed in their respective ministries, and urged them to work as a team to enable them meet the expectations of Nigerians
“One thing I believe is that you will succeed, but to me is a big challenge on me and you because if a coach of a football team sends his 11 players out to play and decided to make changes getting close to half time then he knows that they may be weaknesses in some areas and he is bringing people to strengthen the team to make sure they score goals,” he said.
“So, Nigerians are expecting that if I am bringing ministers in at this time, I must be bringing people that will strengthen the team and make sure that we score more goals than we are already scoring.
“And If Nigerians don’t realise that, then they will feel that I am not a good coach. If they realise that then they will be happy that I am a good coach. “So, is quite challenging for me for bringing you in at this time and also to you because they will expect you to perform extremely well.
“Just like when the coach introduces sometimes 10 minutes to the end of the game and you are introduced to the field, you are expected to score the next goal.”

Top stories