Sources have confirmed that the Senate has on Thursday received a request from President Bola Tinubu regarding the screening and confirmation of seven ministerial nominees announced in Abuja on Wednesday.
The president’s request, according to reports, was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and read at the beginning of plenary on Thursday.
Recall that in a dramatic twist on Wednesday, the President effected a long-awaited change in his cabinet, relieving five ministers and announcing seven replacements as nominees. However, the shakeup was quiet about the fate of Beta Edu, who was suspended earlier in the year.
The sacked ministers are Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Women Affairs); Lola Ade-John (Tourism); Prof. Tahir Mamman (Education); Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo (State, Housing, and Urban Development); and Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development).
According to the details of the letter, the seven ministerial nominees included: Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment; and Bianca Odinaka Odumegu-Ojukwu, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs.
Others are Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Development; Idi Muktar Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development; Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State, Housing; and Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad, Minister of State, Education.
The president, through his letter, sought expeditious consideration of his request by the Senate.
Accordingly, as announced by Akpabio, the Senate referred the presidential request to the committee of the whole for consideration very soon.
He said, “Distinguished colleagues, the presidential request is referred to the committee of the whole for consideration very soon.”
