Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday swore-in Professor Stephen
Ocheni (Kogi) and Suleiman Hassan (Gombe) at the Federal Executive
Council (FEC) meeting chambers.
This came more than three months after the Senate confirmed their nominations. They were, however, not assigned portfolios.
After swearing in the ministers, Osinbajo said that portfolios would be assigned to them “shortly”.
It
is understood that his decision not to assign the new Ministers
portfolios was deliberate, as the Acting President was only acting on
the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Osinbajo sought
permission from Buhari to swear-in the two ministers, assign them their
portfolios and reshuffle the cabinet when he visited him the last time
in London.
However, the President asked him to hold on, because
he hopes to assign the two new Ministers their portfolios and also
reshuffle the cabinet upon his return.
Ocheni replaced the former
Minister of State for Labour, Mr. James Ocholi, who died in a ghastly
motor accident in March 2016, while Hassan replaced Ms. Amina Mohammed
who until her appointment as the United Nations (UN) Deputy
Secretary-General, was the Minister of Environment.
DailyPost