12th February, 2014
Nigeria’s Federal Government has said the four ministers who resigned their appointment from President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet on Wednesday left to pursue other interests.
Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information said this while briefing journalists after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council.
The four ministers who resigned their positions in the Federal Executive Council include the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, who was involved in corruption and certificate racketeering scandal.
The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation had late last year recommended the review of the appointment of the Minister over allegations of lack of due process in the procurement of two BMW bullet proof cars for her by the NCAA under her ministry.
The other ministers that also resigned are Elder Godsday Orubebe, the Minister of the Niger Delta, Caleb Olubolade, the Minister of Police Affairs and Yerima Ngama, the Minister of State For Finance.
The three ministers are said to be interested in contesting for the governorship positions in their home states of Delta, Ekiti, and Yobe respectively.
“The ministers had indicated their interest to pursue other goals in the country and so President Goodluck Jonathan asked them to go,” Maku told journalists.
The Information minister added that President Jonathan president thanked the departing ministers for assisting in the realisation of government’s transformation Agenda.
Maku also said that the former Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Mike Oghiadhome, contrary to the reports in the social media, resigned to go and pursue his interest in politics.
Maku also said the resignation of Chief Mike Oghiadhome as the President’s Chief of Staff yesterday has nothing to do with the investigations going on in the NNPC.
With the resignation, Maku said the Minister of State for Trade and Investments, Mr Samuel Ortom, will take charge of the Ministry of Aviation pending the appointment of a new minister, while Mr Darius Isiaku takes over as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Also, the Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, will supervise the Ministry of Police Affairs.