President Bola Tinubu has named Abubakar Momoh as the Minister of Niger Delta Development as he swears in ministers-designate today.
Momoh was initially assigned to the Federal Ministry of Youth but he will now oversee Niger Delta Development.
It was initially thought that the President had scrapped the Ministery of Niger Delta, with a plan to bring the Niger Delta Development Commission under the supervision of the Presidency.
A statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale revealed that the president also swapped designated ministries for some of the ministers-designate.
While former Osun state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, was re-assigned to the newly created Ministry of Marine and blue economy, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who was earlier assigned that portfolio, is now the minister-designate for the Ministry of Interior.
The statement read: “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 & Blue Economy have been reshuffled as follows: (A) H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy; (B) Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Interior; and (C) Hon. 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 Hon. Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources; (ii) Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo is the Hon. Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources
“The President approves 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.”
Ahead of the inauguration, the ministers-designate have completed their documentation which was held at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in Abuja.
The Director of Information, OSGF, Willie Bassey, in a statement on Sunday, said the exercise was seamless.
The exercise involved biometric verification and submission of the curriculum vitae, birth certificates or court declaration of age, passport photographs and citations of the ministers-designate.
The statement read, “The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has successfully completed the documentation process for all Ministers-Designate this evening.
“The documentation commenced on Saturday at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The exercise witnessed a large turn-out of most ministers-designate who completed the process yesterday. Today, the remaining ministers-designate concluded the exercise.
“In all, the 45 ministers-designate successfully completed the documentation process and also picked up three invitation cards for their guests.
“Adequate transportation arrangements have been concluded to convey ministers-designate and their three guests to the venue of the ceremony at the State House Conference Centre, Aso Villa, Abuja.”
He urged Permanent Secretaries to meet their respective ministers after the swearing-in ceremony at the Office of the Secretary to the Government for further interaction with them.
