Buhari To Swear In Ministers On Wednesday

President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to inaugurate the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday 11th November 2015.

Abujacitynews learnt that the president will administer the oath of office on the 36 ministerial nominees at an event which will hold inside the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The portfolios of the ministers are expected to be announced at the event, although the president has said that the constitution does not require him to have 36 ministries.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, confirmed that the inauguration of ministers would take place on Wednesday.

“Yes, it is on the President’s schedule. He will swear in the ministers on Wednesday," he said.

See the list of the 36 ministers to be inaugurated on Wednesday.

1.Udoma Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom);
2. Kayode Fayemi(Ekiti);
3. Audu Ogbeh (Benue);
4. Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi);
5. Osagie Ehanire (Edo); 6.Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano);
7. Lai Mohammed (Kwara);
8. Amina Mohammed (Gombe); 9. Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa);  10. Ibrahim Jibril (Nasarawa); 11. Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); 12. Ibe Kachikwu (Delta);
13. Abubakar Malami (Kebbi); 14. Chris Ngige (Anambra);
15. Aisha Jummai Alhassan (Taraba);
16.Solomon Dalong (Plateau); 17.Kemi Adeosun (Ogun);
18. Hadi Sirika (Katsina); 19.Adebayo Shittu (Oyo);
20. Khadija Bukar Ibrahim (Yobe);
21.Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); 22.James Ocholi (Kogi);
23. Baba Mustapha (Borno);
24. Claudius Daramola (Ondo); 25.Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa); 26. Usani Uguru (Cross River); 27. Munsur Dan Ali(Zamfara); 28. Zainab Shamshuna Ahmed (Kaduna);
29.Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu); 30. Abubakar Buari (Niger);
31. Isaac Adewole (Osun);
32. Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto); 33. Mohammed Bello (Adamawa);
34.Adamu Adamu (Bauchi);
35. Anthony Anwuka (Imo);
36. Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia).

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Counter-insurgency troops rescue 20 in Borno

Troops of the 103 Battalion under the 21 Brigade in Borno State on Saturday morning rescued 20 people comprising 14 children and 6 women from Boko Haram enclaves.

A statement issued by the Media Coordinator of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Sani Tukur said the rescued 14 children and six women  were held captive in the Bama axis where the operation was carried out.

According to the statement, four Boko Haram enclaves were cleared during the operation, with several insurgents killed and two taken prisoners.

Here is what the statement said. “In continuation of the offensive operations to clear the Northeast of Boko Haram activities, the troops of 103 Battalion under 21 Brigade early this morning conducted 23 kilometer wide clearance operations in RIGAGA and its adjourning villages in Bama axis.

“The operation recorded a major success. Four Boko Haram enclaves along the route of the operations were cleared and a number of terrorists killed. Two of them were captured alive and currently undergoing investigation in accordance with the Nigerian Army rules of engagement.

“The troops also rescued 20 people held in captivity by terrorists in the area. They included 14 children and six women. The rescued persons are currently receiving medical and other necessary attention in our facility.”

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Taraba Guber Poll : APC Floors PDP At Tribunal .

The Taraba State Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja  has declared Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of the state, thereby sacking Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Mrs Alhassan fondly called Mama Taraba is thus set to become the first elected female governor in Nigeria. 

Mama Taraba who was recently cleared by the Senate to be a minister participated in the just concluded retreat for Ministers-designate organized by the presidency in Abuja.

However, it is expected that Ishaku will appeal the verdict of the tribunal.

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Kidney Donation : Late Senator's Family Warns Rumor Mongers

The family of late Senator GNS Pwajok has dispelled rumors making the rounds that their son donated his kidney to former governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State.

While announcing the burial plans for the late Senator which would culminate in interment in Jos on Friday 13 Nov 2015, family spokesman Samuel Dung Pwajok decried unwholesome rumors which he said were adding to the family's grief.

He said ; “We however wish to appeal that at this time of our grief, that the pains of this tragedy should not be compounded by certain actions and spreading of rumours that can only inflame the mood of the family and many of the late Senator’s associates and followers.

“The family wishes to re-emphasise that our son died of Heapato-cellular Carcinoma and has at no time donated any organ of his body to anyone as it is being spread.

“We therefore appeal to these rumour mongers to respect our wonderful son and brother’s memory and feel compassion for the family at this agonising time. We equally request all to let his soul rest in peace."

The family also denied another rumor that the late Senator's mother collapsed and died upon hearing of her son's demise.

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FG will only pay genuine debts owed contractors.

The Buhari administration will only pay genuine outstanding debts owed contractors. 

President Buhari who spoke on Friday during a meeting with the Board of Directors of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc led by Mutiu Sunmonu said that despite the country's prevailing economic challenges, government would meet its obligations to genuine contractors. 

When told at the meeting that construction companies had to bring in skilled workers from abroad due to shortage of skilled construction workers and artisans in the country, Buhari
directed the Ministries of Works, Lands, Housing and Urban Development to prepare and present for approval and implementation, a plan of action for the speedy revitalisation and expansion of the nation’s vocational training centres.

The president vowed to reposition vocational training centers established by the Federal Government across the country as efficient producers of skilled manpower for the building and construction industry.

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Tribunal Chairman Demands More Security

Following the increasing number of cases involving high profile political personalities at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar has written the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, to beef up the security around him, his office, home and family.

Although it is not clear whether there is any threat to Justice Umar's life, sources say that his phone lines have been under intense pressure, forcing him to restrict calls.

He is also said to have restricted his movement to his residence and office.

According to a source,
“The application has been submitted to the CJN for necessary contact with appropriate security agencies.

“I think the letter was just a pre-emptive step to guarantee adequate security for the judge in view of the increasing number of sensitive matters at the tribunal."

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No retinue of aides, protocol Staff, large convoys for Buhari's ministers - Ngige

Indications are emerging that President Buhari’s incoming ministers will have to operate a lean budget devoid of the flamboyance associated with such offices in the past.

Minister designate and former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chris Ngige on Saturday gave an insight into what is expected of the new ministers at the end of a two day retreat organized for them by the presidency at Aso Villa.

“Leakages, retinue of aides, protocol staff, large convoys of cars are things that will not fly in this administration,” he said.

Ngige said that he and his colleagues have resolved to be part of the change agenda of the present administration.

He added that it is immaterial whether a minister has a portfolio or not, as long as he is able to contribute ideas to the Federal Executive Council.

“If you have portfolio, or if you don’t have portfolio, it is one single Federal Executive Council. You bring whatever it is on the table. That is not a problem at all.

“We have a right to discuss things around the ministries because it is one single cabinet. The important thing is that we want to move our people from where they are now.

“There is abject poverty, which concerns about 75 percent of the populace.

“So, we need to actually restructure the political and social moment of the country and that is what we are going to do. That means poverty will reduce,” he said.

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