President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last night adjusted the portfolios of four ministers-designate.
Those affected are former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who will be sworn in as minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
House of Representatives member Olubuni Tunji-Ojo, initially assigned to the ministry, will take charge of the Ministry of Interior.
Alhaji Saidu Alkali, formerly assigned to the Interior Ministry, will oversee the Ministry of Transportation from where Oyetola was moved.
Abubakar Momoh, who was last week assigned as Minister of Youth, will take the oath of office today as Minister of Niger Delta Development.
The Niger Delta Ministry was not assigned before now. The Ministry of Youth where Momoh was posted before the reassignment is now vacant.
Two other ministers-designate, Heineken Lokpobiri and Ekperikpe Ekpo, had their portfolios adjusted. Both of them are now ministers of state in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The remaining ministers-designate retain their portfolios as announced last Thursday.
The ministers-designate will this morning take the oath of office and oath of allegiance at the Aso Villa, Abuja before President Tinubu.
Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale announced the minor shake-up in a statement. He said: “President Bola Tinubu has approved the redeployment of Engr. Abubakar Momoh from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
“The Federal Ministry of Youth is to be re-assigned to a Minister-Designate soon.
“The Ministers-Designate allocated to the Federal Ministries of Transportation, Interior, and Marine and Blue Economy have been reshuffled as follows: (A) Adegboyega Oyetola is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy; (B) Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Interior; and (C) Sa’idu Alkali is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Transportation
“Furthermore, both Ministers of State in the oil & gas sector are now domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources with the following designations: (i) Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri is the Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources; (ii) Ekperipe Ekpo is the Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources.
“The President approved the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as the Federal Ministry of Environment.
“All aforementioned changes take immediate effect by these directives of the President.”
Abuja agog for ministers’ inauguration
Abuja came alive yesterday ahead of today’s inauguration of 45 ministers-designate.
Security has been beefed up as governors and political leaders arrived for the ceremony.
Hotels have been fully booked and most flights to Abuja yesterday were filled to the brim.
Bookings on airlines from Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kano and Kaduna airports to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja this morning were sold out.
The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) said all the ministers-designate have been successfully documented.
Director of Information at the OSGF, Willie Bassey, said they and their guests will be transported to the State House Conference Center, Presidential Villa, Abuja, venue of the swearing-in ceremony.
“In all, the 45 ministers-designate completed the documentation process and also picked up three invitation cards for their guests.
“Adequate transportation arrangements have been concluded to convey them and their three guests to the venue of the ceremony.”
He urged permanent secretaries of the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to link up with their ministers at the office OSGF after the swearing-in.
Officials of Ibom Air, Air Peace, Max Air and Green Africa confirmed that seats were sold out.
Ibom Air’s flight for Sunday from Lagos to Abuja was filled.
Today’s morning flights were sold out while 3 p.m. flight, which was pegged at N96,000, had only seven seats left at 4 p.m. Sunday.
For its Port Harcourt to Abuja flight, there was no flight for Sunday, today and tomorrow.
For Air Peace Lagos to Abuja, the last two evening flights were sold out. For today’s flights, there were no seats for 8 a.m. and 2:40pm.
The only available one is an evening flight and the price was pegged at N81,000.
For the Air Peace flight from Port Harcourt to Abuja, it’s 8:35 am and 15:55 flights had no seats.
Max Air flight from Kano to Abuja had no available seats yesterday.
Its 7.30 am flight today was pegged at N97,000 and it only had three seats. Its 2:10 pm flight was, however, sold out.
For its Katsina to Abuja flight, there were only 11 seats available for both business and economy classes for its 11 a.m. flight.
Green Africa had no flight from Port Harcourt to Abuja.
It, however, had only one flight into Abuja from Lagos slated for 4:15 pm and the price was put at N99,500.
Its 8pm Ilorin to Abuja flight was available at N109,500.
But, there are sufficient seats on the return legs from Abuja.
A combined team of heavily armed soldiers and police have been deployed in strategic parts of Abuja, with most hotels booked.
NPAN congratulates Edun, Idris
Also yesterday, the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) congratulated two former executive members of the association, Mr Wale Edun and Alhaji Mohammed Idris, on their appointment as ministers.
Edun, an economist and former Chairman of Vintage Press (Publishers of The Nation Newspapers) was NPAN Treasurer.
He is the incoming Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Idris, a former General Secretary of the association, is a Public Relations guru and Publisher of Blueprint newspaper.
He will man the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
NPAN described their appointments as well-deserved, thanking the President for allowing them to contribute to nation-building.
“Their very rich resumes and track records speak for them and we congratulate them on their new assignment while thanking Mr President for giving them the opportunity to contribute to nation-building at this critical moment of national development,” the statement said.
