Seven ministers in President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet who are nurturing governorship ambition in their respective states on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wednesday attended their last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Those who bid Jonathan’s cabinet farewell subject to tendering their letters of resignation to Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) are Minister of State for Education, Barr. Nyesom Wike, who is running for the governorship in Rivers State, Health Minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi), Minister of State For Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos).
Others are Minister of State for Niger Delta, Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Labour Minister, Emeka Wogu (Abia), and Information Minister, Labaran Maku (Nasarawa).
Jonathan, who hinted at the time of the valedictory FEC meeting that the ministers were yet to officially submit their letters of resignation, said the valedictory session was necessary to enable him appreciate those who had served meritoriously but may not be around by next Wednesday.
His words: “If you are a public officer or you are a civil servant, if you have to go into an elective office, you have to disengage on or before 20th of this month. That is according to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) constitution and I can see most of you are from the PDP.
“Going by that, that means that any of our colleagues, who has the interest to contest any level of election, may not be with us by next council day, that is next Wednesday.
“I think people may want to know what the fate of XYZ is, but I want to make it very clear that as at this morning, about seven members of council may, and I use the word, may, because you don’t conclude anything in politics until there…. So, seven of us may not be here next Wednesday if their plans continue, the President explained.
“But we may not say they are not with us until they write to us through the secretary of government. As we are talking, nobody has written and we have not dropped anybody
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who spoke on behalf of council, said they would be missed but expressed happiness that they would be taking away experience that would help them impact positively on their states.
Maku, who responded on behalf of those ministers that were leaving the cabinet, said President Jonathan needed foot soldiers to propagate his good deeds to the people of the states.
In an emotion-ladden tone, he appealed to Jonathan to forgive them if they had been found wanting while delivering their assignments. – Additional reports from Thisday; The Sun.
