Tinubu reshuffles cabinet, sacks Education Minister, Tahir, 4 others

• Appoints Bianca Ojukwu, Ahmad, Dingyadi, 4 others as ministerial nominees

• Shehu Dikko heads Sports Commission

• Scraps Niger Delta, Sports, Tourism Ministries

By Egena Sunday Ode

President Bola Tinubu has sacked five of his ministers, reassigned 10 and appointed seven new ones in a cabinet shake up announced on Wednesday.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who announced the development at a press briefing at the State House said the action taken by Tinubu was to reinvigorate the administration’s capacity for optimal efficiency.

The cabinet reshuffle announced by Onanuga followed weeks of speculations on plans by the president to relieve some ministers, who were perceived to be underperforming, of their positions.

The sacked ministers included Barr. Uju-Ken Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs; Lola Ade-John, Minister of Tourism;

Prof Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education; Abdullahi Muhammad Gwarzo, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development and Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim Minister of Youth Development.

Also, President Tinubu made seven fresh ministerial appointments with portfolios attached.

The new ministers included

Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty

Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi Minister of Labour &

Employment;  Bianca Odinaka

Odumegu-Ojukwu Minister of State Foreign Affairs and Dr Jumoke Oduwole Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

Others are Idi Mukhtar Maiha Minister of Livestock Development; Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development and Suwaiba Said Ahmad PhD, Minister of State Education.

Also, 10 other ministers have been reassigned new portfolios. They included

Hon Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu Minister of State, Education, now Minister of State Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Dr. Morufu OlatunjiAlausa Minister State, Health, now Minister of Education; Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, now Minister of State Works; Hon. Abubakar

Eshiokpekha Momoh Minister of Niger Delta Development, now Minister of Regional Development and  Uba Maigari Ahmadu Minister of State Steel Development, now Minister of State

Regional Development.

Other nominees are

Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, now

Minister of State Finance; Sen. John Owan Enoh Minister of Sports Development, now  Minister of State

Trade and Investment [Industry]; Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim Minister of State, Police Affairs, now  Minister of Women Affairs; Ayodele Olawande Minister of State for Youth Development, now Minister for Youth Development and Dr. Salako Iziaq Adekunle Adeboye

Minister of State, Environment, now Minister of State, Health.

Onanuga also announced the appointment of Shehu Dikko as Chairman of the National Sports Commission; and Sunday Akin Dare as Special Adviser to the President on Public Communication and Orientation working from the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

Others actions taken by President Tinubu on Wednesday  included the renaming of the Ministry of Nigeria Delta Development to Ministry of Regional Development to oversee the activities of all the Regional Development Commissions.

The Regional Development Commissions to be under the supervision of the new Ministry are; the Niger Delta Development Commission, the South East Development Commission, the North East Development and the North West Development Commission.

Also, Tinubu apporved the  immediate winding up of the Ministry of Sports Development and the transfer of its functions to the National Sports Commission in order to develop a vibrant sports economy as well as the  merger of the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture to become Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy.