President Bola Tinubu has rung the changes in his yet-to-be-inaugurated cabinet, approving the redeployment of three ministers-designate to new ministries.
The affected ministers-designate include former Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, Hon. Sa’idu Alkali, and Engr. Abubakar Momoh.
The development comes barely 24 hours before the swearing-in ceremony of the 45 ministers-designate.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Ajuri Ngelale, on Sunday, August 20, 2023, Oyetola has been redeployed from the Transportation Ministry to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Tunji-Ojo, who was earlier designated as the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, has been asked to man the Ministry of Interior, with the former occupant of that ministry, Alkali, redeployed as the Minister of Transportation.
President Tinubu also approved the redeployment of Momoh from the Federal Ministry of Youth to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth has been left vacant for now, with the presidency saying a minister-designate will be appointed soon.
The statement partly read, “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.”
Ngelale also disclosed that slight adjustments have been made to the nomenclature of some ministries and portfolio allocation, as well as the redeployment of Ministers of State in the Oil and Gas sector to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
According to the presidential spokesman, all the changes as directed by the President take immediate effect.
He said, “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,” the statement added.
