President Muhammadu Buhari has announced that the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Nanono, and his colleague, the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, have been fired to reenergize his cabinet and cement legacy accomplishments.
Buhari also intimated that the ministers’ performance was poor.
“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps,” he said.
This was stated by the president, as to be addressed by the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday in Abuja.
Femi Adesina, the president’s media and publicity special adviser, provided a copy of the speech to a ‘The Punch’ correspondent.
The ministers were also fired after an impartial and critical self-review of their performance, according to Buhari.
Although the assessment of the ousted ministers’ performance has not been revealed, many Nigerians have long cried over the country’s poor power supply and high food prices.
After dismissing the ministers, the president reassigned Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, the Minister of Environment, to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, the Minister of State, Works and Housing, to the Ministry of Power.
The sackings, according to Buhari, were made to plug holes in administration, promote unity and harmony, improve the economy, and enhance the delivery of public goods to Nigerians.
“On Wednesday 21st August 2019 the current Federal Executive Council was sworn-in after a rigorous retreat to bring returning and new members up to speed on the accomplishments, challenges, and lessons drawn from my first term in Office and to emphasize the nine priority areas of government for the second term,” he explained.
“Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector Reporting during Cabinet meetings and at Retreats,” he said.
“I must commend this cabinet for demonstrating unparalleled resilience that helped the government to navigate the disruption to global systems and governance occasioned by the emergence of COVID-19 shortly after the inauguration. The weekly Federal Executive Council meetings were not spared because the traditional mode was altered.
“As we are all aware, change is the only factor that is constant in every human endeavor and as this administration approaches its critical phase in the second term, I have found it essential to reinvigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements.”
The dismissed ministers had already been informed, according to the president, and that their unfilled positions would be reassigned to new persons according to the constitution.
He said, “In due course, substantive nominations will be made to fill the consequential vacancies in accordance with the requirements of the constitution.
“I have personally met with the departing members to thank them for their contributions to discussions in cabinet and the invaluable services rendered to the nation,” he added.
“Today, effectively marks their last participation in the Federal Executive Council deliberations and I wish them the best in all future endeavors,” he said.
