Days after assigning portfolios to ministers-designate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday announced a minister for the Niger Delta Ministry.
Crux News recalls that the president omitted designating a minister to the ministry, fueling speculation that the Niger Delta Ministry could have been scrapped.
However, a statement on Sunday signed by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said Abubakar Momoh, who was earlier announced as Youth Minister-Designate will now serve as the Minister of Niger Delta.
The statement also said the President has reshuffled some ministries earlier allocated to ministers – designate.
The statement reads in full:
“President Bola Tinubu has approved the redeployment of Engr. Abubakar Momoh from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
The Federal Ministry of Youth is to be re-assigned to a Minister-Designate soon.
The Ministers-Designate allocated to the Federal Ministries of Transportation, Interior, and Marine & Blue Economy have been reshuffled as follows:
(A) H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy
(B) Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Interior
(C) Hon. Sa’idu Alkali is redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Transportation
Furthermore, both Ministers of State in the Oil & Gas sector are now domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources with the following designations:
(i) Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri is the Hon. Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources
(ii) Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo is the Hon. Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources
The President approves the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as the Federal Ministry of Environment.
All aforementioned changes take immediate effect by these directives of the President.”
Tinubu had earlier left out the Niger Delta Ministry in the allocation of portfolios to the new ministers, sparking concern from the oil producing region.