Aliyu Reneges on Size of Cabinet

Suleiman Isah

17 June 2011

Minna — AGAINST his earlier promise to constitute a smaller cabinet, Niger State Governor, Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State may have reneged on this as he submitted a list of twenty one nominees as commissioners to the state House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

The governor who had during the swearing in of his SSG and Chief of Staff at the inner chamber of the government house disclosed that he had no intention of using over bloated cabinet submitted a list of 21 commissioners as against 19 functional ministries in the state.

Daily Champion investigation revealed that the governor may have increased the number of the commissioners in attempt to put state in a strong threshold.

Niger State has nineteen ministries comprising of Ministry of Tourism, Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Ministry of Basic Education, that of higher education, Works and Infrastructural Development, Lands / Housing and Ministry of Sports development.

Others includes Fishery and Forestry, Local Government and Chieftaincy affair, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Poverty and value orientation, Youths and strategy, Commerce and Investment, Environment, Transportation, Information and Culture, Women affairs / Social welfare and Water resources.

It was also gathered that the state executive council that was in operation before 28th of May, 2011 had only eighteen commissioners including the State Deputy Governor Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto was overseeing the ministry of value orientation.

Dr. Mua’zu Babangida Aliyu though has on Thursday, forwarded the names of twenty-one commissioner nominees to the State Assembly for screening and confirmation without any cogent reason as to why he decided not to act contrary to his early proclamation.

Among the names submitted to the Assembly for confirmation are nine returning commissioner namely Dr. Ibrahim Sule Bida Local Government, Dr. Peter Sale Sarki Bosso, Mallam Hassan Abdullahi Edati, Dr. Isah Yahaya Vatsa Lapai, Hon. Mohammed Aminu Yusuf- Paikoro, Hon. Abubakar Garba Mohammed Suleja, Hon. Abubakar Bawa Wuse and Mua’zu Mohammed Bawa.

The new nominees are Yahaya Dan Sallau Agaie, Mrs. Hassana J. Adamu Borgu, Hadiza Abdullahi Chanchaga (Minna), Dr. Mustafa Limu, Gbako, Yusuf Garba Tagwai, Gurara, Mrs. Victoria Jummai Lavun, Shehu Haruna, Mariga, Engr. Abubakar Baba Jibrin, Mokwa Ndako Idris Kpaki Mokwa, Danladi Umar Ahmed Rafi, Alhaji Nuhu Musa Shiroro and Mohammed Kabir Wushishi – Wushishi Local Government Area.

The State House of Assembly who are going on two weeks recess would be screening the list of nominations submitted to it by the State Governor when they resume which would invariably serve as their first legislative assignment since they were inaugurated on 6th June, 2011.

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