Shekarau assumes office amidst fanfare, pageantry

By Maryam Garba Hassan

Former Kano state governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday assumed duty as the new Minister of education amidst fanfare and pageantry.

The minister, who arrived the ministry around 9:30am, was accompanied by over 200 supporters in a convoy and dozens of local praise singers.

A special prayer session held in honour of the new minister for a successful tenure was offered by Malam Dahiru Shekarau, before the staff of the ministry, led by the Permanente Secretary at the Ministry, Dr. MacJohn Nwabiola, gave the new minister a warm reception.

In his welcome address at the handing over ceremony, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry, Dr. Mac John Nwabiola, who welcomed Shekarau to the ministry, said the ministry is a complex one with the highest number of directors which stands at 16 and staff strength of 18,000.

In his handing over remarks, Supervising Minister and Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, expressed optimism in the choice of Shekarau as Minister of education, saying with Shekarau’s experience and knowledge as an educationist and a former Governor, the sector will record more successes.

He urged the staff of the ministry to give all the necessary support to the new minister, to enable him move the sector forward.

Responding, the new minister thanked the federal government for the confidence reposed on him and pledged to do his best to move the sector forward.

He said he is aware of the enormous challenges in the ministry and how crucial the sector is, in terms of the development of country, adding that he is ready to learn from the staff and will do his best to bring further successes to the sector.

It would be recalled that State Minister for Education, Nyesom Wike, became the supervising minister of the ministry last year, when his former boss, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i was sacked alongside other ministers by President Jonathan in September 2013.