Senate Confirms Seven Ministerial Nominees

The senate has confirmed the appointment of all seven ministerial nominees of President Bola Tinubu, submitted to the upper chamber last week for accelerated consideration.

This follows the screening of the nominees by the upper chamber on Wednesday. The screening exercise was held in the red chamber after it was postponed to Tuesday.

The Senate suspended its rule to admit the ministerial nominees.

The lawmakers began with Nentawe Yilwatda, the nominee appointed to replace Betta Edu as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

They subsequently screened other appointees, including Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu, nominated as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs; Maigari Dingyadi nominated as the Minister of Labour and Employment; and Jumoke Oduwole nominated as the Minister of Industry.

Also screened were Idi Maiha as Minister for the newly created Livestock Development Ministry, Yusuf Ata as the Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State Education.

All the nominees were asked questions on how to run their various designated ministries effectively, which they answered to the satisfaction of the Senators, who subsequently confirmed their appointments.

President Bola Tinubu had last Wednesday sacked five ministers, re-assigned 10 ministers to new ministerial portfolios, and appointed seven new ministers for Senate confirmation.

Those sacked included Uju-Ken Ohanenye as Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John as Minister of Tourism; Tahir Mamman as Minister of Education; Abdullahi Gwarzo as Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development; and Jamila Ibrahim as Minister of Youth Development.

Among those reassigned were Yusuf Sununu who was removed as the Minister of State for Education and named as the Minister of State, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.

Olatunji Alausa was reassigned as the Minister of Education, removing him as the Minister of State, Health.

Bello Goronyo was removed as Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation and reassigned as Minister of State Works.

Abubakar Momoh was relieved as Minister of Niger Delta Development and reassigned as Minister of Regional Development.

Tinubu reassigned Uba Maigari Ahmadu as Minister of State, Regional Development, from his previous portfolio as Minister of State, Steel Development.

The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, was reassigned as Minister of State Finance to deputised the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

President Tinubu reassigned Sports Minister John Enoh as the new Minister of State, Trade and Investment.

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was removed as Minister of State, Police Affairs, and reassigned as Minister of Women Affairs.

Ayodele Olawande was elevated as Minister of Youth Development from his initial portfolio as Minister of State for Youth Development.

Minister of State, Environment, Iziak Salako was reassigned as Minister of State, Health.