President Bola Tinubu yesterday swore in 45 ministers at the State House Conference Centre Abuja, and charged them to serve the country and not see themselves as representing their regions or states.
He also told them to serve with integrity, dignity and distinguish themselves as “Nigerians are highly expectant of excellence in service delivery, accountability, and transparency.”
“You are not a minister of a particular state, colony, region, or ethnic nationality. You are a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“This is all about the cohesion and work of a great team, and I believe we now have it. It is an honour to be chosen to serve as a minister in the federal executive council and such a high honour comes with tremendous responsibility.
“In this moment of abundant promise and peril in equal measure, all of you that have been sworn in have been called to distinguish yourselves. Nigerians are highly expectant of excellence in service delivery, accountability, and transparency,” he said.
President Tinubu also reminded the ministers that he would hold them to the “standard we all promised Nigerians.”
“As your country honours you today, by this call to service, you must each work to make yourself worthy in the eyes of God and all our nation’s peoples.
“Your highest obligation is to return public faith in government so that our people can once again believe what the right hands in government can show.
“We must hold each other responsible. We have to do the job to meet the expectations of all Nigerians.
“I believe in you that the government can be a positive force for transformation and a vehicle for collective progress of this country.
“I wish you success in this new assignment. We are on this boat, even if it is a vehicle and I am the driver. The entire Nigerians are behind sitting and watching as you and I navigate this vehicle,” he added
The ceremony was attended by the vice president, Mr Kashim Shettima; senate president, Mr Godswill Akpabio; speaker of the house representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abass, secretary to the government of the federation, Mr George Akume; and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Kwara State governor, Mr Abdulaziz Abdulrahman.
The ministers were sworn-in in batches of five. The first batch comprised the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi; minister of state for labour and employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; minister of state (gas) in the ministry of petroleum resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo; minister of women affairs, Uju Kennedy and minister of education, Tahir Maman.
The second batch included the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Ali Pate; minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; minister of state (oil), ministry of petroleum resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; minister of water resources and sanitation, Joseph Utsev; and minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari.
The third batch of ministers sworn-in included the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Betta Edu; minister of sports development, John Enoh; minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo; minister of works, Dave Umahi; and minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh.
The fourth batch of ministers sworn-in composed of the minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake; minister of innovation science and technology, Uche Nnaji; minister of transportation, Alkali Sa’id; minister of industry, trade and investment, Doris Anite; and minister of defence, Mohammed Badaru.
The fifth batch was made up of the minister of state for housing and urban development, Abdullahi Gwarzo; minister of state, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mariya Mahmud; minister of housing and urban development, Ahmed Dangiwa; minister of art, culture and creative economy, Hannatu Musawa; and minister of budget and economic planning, Atiku Bagudu.
The sixth batch comprised of the minister of state, education, Yusuf Sunumu; minister of steel development, Shuaibu Audu; minister of state for health and social welfare, Tunji Alausa; minister of tourism, Lola Ade-John; and minister of state police affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
The seventh batch was made up of the minister of agriculture and food security, Aliyu Abdullahi; minister of information and national orientation, Muhammed Idris; minister of state environment, Ishak Salako; minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Wale Edun; and minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, Bosun Tijani.
The eighth batch featured the swearing in of the minister of interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo; minister of marine and blue economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; minister of power, Adedayo Adelabu; minister of labour and employment, Simon Lalong; and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesome Wike.
The ninth and final batch was made up of the minister of state for water resources and sanitation, Bello Goronyo; minister of state for steel development, Maigari Ahmadu; minister of police affairs, Ibrahim Geidam; minister of state for defense, Bello Matawalle; and minster of special duties and intergovernmental affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo.
