Nigeria: Tinubu Brings Back Niger Delta Development Ministry, Names Momoh Minister-Designate

21 August 2023
This Day (Lagos)
By Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Contrary to insinuations that the Niger Delta Development Ministry might have been rested after it was initially left out by President Bola Tinubu, the president, yesterday, brought it back to reckoning and redeployed Abubakar Momoh, who was initially assigned to the Ministry of Youth, to the Ministry of Niger Delta Development as the minister-designate.

According to a release yesterday by the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu, who also reshuffled a few of the already assigned ministries, would soon assign the Ministry of Youth to someone else.

The Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy were reshuffled and reassigned as follows: Adegboyega Oyetola, new Minister-designate for Marine and Blue Economy; Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, redeployed to Ministry of Interior; while Hon. Sa'idu Alkali was reassigned to Ministry 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: Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, and Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo, Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources.

Tinubu also approved the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as Federal Ministry of Environment.

According to the release, all aforementioned changes are to take immediate effect in line with the directives of the president.

Interestingly, unconfirmed reports had it that Oyetola had turned down the transportation ministry because, according to him, the ministry had been stripped of its key agencies. The reports alleged he had never been interested in being a minister but wanted to return to Osun State to try the governorship for a second time. But he was, allegedly, prevailed upon to take the appointment.

The reports added that it was for the same reason that Oyetola refused to be National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The reports claimed Oyetola's displeasure got to the president, who immediately addressed his concerns, resulting in the recent movement of portfolios earlier assigned.

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