President Goodluck Jonathan today dropped one of the performing ministers in his cabinet, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and announced Dr Tamuno Danagogo (Rivers) his replacement.
Although Abdullahi was absent at the Federal Executive Council meeting today presided over when his replacement was named.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati confirmed his sacked to State House correspondents, though no reason was given for his sack.
But inside sources said Abdullahi who is a known political godson to former Governor of Kwara State and a Senator of the Federal Republic, Bukola Saraki lost his job as a result of “betrayal of trust”.
He was said to remarked in a bus conveying dignitaries to the venue of the rally in Kwara State on Monday saying, “I don’t have any business to be here if not because I am from this state and by reason of my position”.
A statement that angered many others in the bus who told him point blank that he will cease to be a minister.
The former Minister first served as Minister of Youth and Development in 2011 before being named as substantive Minister of Sports in may 2012.
The former Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna was named Minister of Youth Development, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara), was named Minister of Defence, while former High Commissioner to Ghana, Musiliu Obanikoro was named Minister of State Defence.
Others are Mohammed Wakil was named Minister of State Power, Alhaji Abduljelili Adesiyan (Osun) was named Minister of Police Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali (Kano) is now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom) is now Minister of Land and Housing and Lawrencia Laraba Mallam (Kaduna State) was named Minister of Environment.
Others are Hajia Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger) as Minister of State Agriculture, and Dr. Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto State) is now Minister of State Health.
At the brief swearing in ceremony, President Jonathan charged the newly sworn in ministers to bring positive and not negative changes in the ministries in which they head and to work harmoniously with others from the Permanent Secretary to the least of persons, adding that they are first and foremost public servants.
Jonathan who said more ministers are expected next week to join the cabinet said, “public service is a public trust and you are expected to serve the people”.
The President also charged the new ministers to come up with creative ideas and innovations that will leave the ministries better than they met it.
He said, “I don’t intend to say much because we have another set of ministers that will come by God’s grace come in next week. After that, at least we will have a clear discussion about how the Federal Executive Council will work for the remaining part of tenure of this administration that is quite close, 29th of May, 2015.
“So, for today, let me welcome you on board to join us and see how we can serve our country, men and women and serve our people. Public office, everybody says is a public trust and you are expected to serve the people.
“You are just joining and so you must have been reading the papers, listening to the electronic media, and of course you know the concerns of Nigerians in all aspects and nobody is to tell you.
“And we are to serve the people, so we must listen to the people. I want you to see yourselves as servants to add value to whatever you been asked to do and of course you know that this government is emphasizing the issues transformation.
“People look at it from different angles but the key thing is that 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 ability 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 also work closely with others.
“For ministries that you have to work with another minister, either 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.
“All of you are ministers working for the Federal government, working for our country. And the designations does not really matter much but you must relate with one another, and do your work in a way that must add value. And I expect that as you come on board that you will really bring some additional value to whatever you are doing.
“And of course ministers are assigned to any responsibility not necessarily based on qualifications or what you know best. But mainly administrative offices. If you are posted to area that you are good at, then you are lucky but wherever you are posted, it is expected that you bring you’re experience to bare”.
