Posted by Yomi Odunuga, Sam Akpe, Abuja on
There were indications in Abuja on Tuesday that President Olusegun Obasanjo may have directed Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu and nine others who were last Wednesday removed as ministers to vacate their official quarters within two weeks.
There were indications in Abuja on Tuesday that President Olusegun Obasanjo may have directed Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu and nine others who were last Wednesday removed as ministers to vacate their official quarters within two weeks.
Obasanjo, who also presented two nominees for the Niger Delta Development Commission and the National Population Commission to the Senate, named the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Venatius Ikem and four others as new special aides.
A reliable source told our correspondents that the quit notice on the former ministers was contained in a memo dated July 18, 2005 and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette.
Our source added that eight top presidential aides that were also relieved of their duties were likewise asked to vacate their official residences.
The memo, according to the source, also directed the affected persons to hand over all government properties in their possession to the permanent secretaries of their former ministries on or before July 29, 2005.
Apart from Chikelu, the other former ministers are: Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi (Justice); Elder Magnus Odion-Ugbesia (Solid Minerals); Ms Olufunke Adedoyin (State, Health); Mrs. Rita Akpan (Women Affairs); and Alhaji Muhammed Musa (State, Transport).
Alhaji Saleh Shehu (State, Works); Hajiya Binta Musa (State, Education); Isa Yuguda (Aviation); and Bala Mande (Environment) were also affected.
The permanent secretaries of the various ministries where the ministers served were directed by the President to 'take over" the official quarters of the former ministers pending the time the quarters would be re-allocated.
Most of the serving ministers have their official accommodation in highbrow areas such as Mabushi (Ministers' Quarters) and Maitama (Ministers' Hill).
The source also disclosed that Obasanjo had approved a two-week temporary accommodation in a five-star hotel for some of the new ministers.
The source said, 'I can tell you authoritatively that the President has directed Ekaette to officially notify the dropped ministers to vacate their official quarters on July 29. In fact, the memo has been dispatched to the affected persons.
On the new presidential aides, a statement by Ekaette stated that Prof. Kunle Ade Wahab would take over from Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili (now Minister of Solid Minerals) as Special Adviser and Head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit; while Ms. Bimbola Ogunseitan would serve as Senior Special Assistant to the President (BMPIU) and deputy head of the Unit.
A professor of Energy Economics, Planning and Management, Anthony Olusegun Adegbulugbe, becomes the special adviser to the President on energy.
Before his appointment, Adegbulugbe was the Director, Centre for Energy Research and Development, Obafemi Awolowo University.
Ekaette also confirmed the appointments of Mallam Bibi Farouk and Ikem, as special assistants to the President.
All appointments are with immediate effect.
Also on Tuesday, Obasanjo forwarded the name of Mr. Rowland Onwukwe to the Senate for confirmation as a member of the Governing Board of the NDDC.
Onwukwe was nominated to replace Mrs. Victoria Akanwa whose nomination as Abia State representative on the board was rejected by the Senate.
Similarly, the President presented the name of Mr. Timothy Sule for confirmation as a Federal Commissioner in the NPC.
Sule, an indigene of Benue State is to replace Dr. Anande Kur who occupied the office until he died recently.
In two separate letters to the Senate on the nominations, Obasanjo pleaded with its members to speed up the screening.
The Punch, Wednesday, 20, July, 2005