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Shock and disbelief greeted the swearing in Wednesday of the newly cleared ministerial nominees as one of them, Chief Peter Orubebe from Delta State was politely asked to leave the council chambers venue of the occasion shortly before the oath of office was administered on the others. No explanation was given for the development.
Shock and disbelief greeted the swearing in Wednesday of the newly cleared ministerial nominees as one of them, Chief Peter Orubebe from Delta State was politely asked to leave the council chambers venue of the occasion shortly before the oath of office was administered on the others. No explanation was given for the development.
The nominee, accompanied by his wife and the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, was the first to arrive the Presidential Villa for the swearing in ceremony and was already seated for the event before he was quietly asked to leave.
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua had immediately, on entry into the council chambers, called for the National Anthem and the National Pledge before the Muslim and Christian prayers, as is the tradition. While the prayers were being said, protocol officials approached Orubebe, where he sat alongside the others and politely asked him out, with his wife and Clark following behind. There was surprise in everyone's face.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, had immediately conferred with President Yar'Adua before going out to briefly speak with Orubebe and Clark. Later in a chat with State House correspondents, Clark expressed strong conviction that Orubebe would be sworn in at a later date, having been duly nominated, screened and subsequently cleared by the Senate.
Asked if he was embarrassed by the development, he said he was not, having been given assurance by the authorities that the swearing in of Orubebe would still be done at a later date. He described President Yar'Adua as a man of his word.
Clark said: "He (Orubebe) will be sworn in. There is no date yet, but he will be sworn in. You know government's issues take some time to clear, but I have been assured that he would be sworn in.
"I am not embarrassed because it happened at the Senate also. He was number one and he was asked to step down but was later confirmed. Then he came here. I have confidence in the president that he would do the right thing. He is a listening man, sincere and honest
"If Mr. President had made investigations and consultations and he nominates somebody, nobody can stop him. In every given situation, there are hurdles to be crossed. We cannot doubt the reasons given by the president that we should wait. So we are waiting."
Asked if the hurdles were being placed by people from his state, he quipped: "Yes, people like former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori believe that he is very close to the president and gives the impression that he is at the corridor of power and can do anything.
"But we know the president is an independent person. He may have his reason for not swearing him in today, but he would be sworn in."
In his brief speech after swearing in the new ministers, Yar'Adua charged them to let the oath of office they had sworn to guide their activities in office, pointing out that they had been given an opportunity to bring honour to themselves and the country.
The four ministers sworn in are Julius Chuka Odom, from Imo State (Minister of State, Housing & Environment), Alhaji Zago Bako Alhassan, from Taraba State (Minister of State, Science & Technology), Ademola Razak Seriki, from Lagos State (Minister of State 11, Agriculture) and Felix Hyat, from Kaduna (Minister of State, Transportation).
The ceremony was preceded by a minute silence in memory of the late chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, Dr. Aminu Safana and the late Golden Eaglets' coach, Mr. Yemi Tella.