Buhari swears in new ministers on Wednesday,
INEC boss, commissioners, Monday
NEARLY six months after his inauguration,
President Muhammadu Buhari is to inaugurate
his cabinet on Wednesday.
He is to preside over the first ever meeting on
the Federal Executive Council (FEC) immediately
after swearing-in of the ministers.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki submitted, last
week to the president, a list of the last batch of
the ministerial nominees cleared by the Senate.
Buhari has said that in view of the precarious
state of the nation's economy, many of the
ministers will not be substantive ministers and so
will be without portfolios even though they will sit
in council.
The swearing-in of the ministers will signal the
actual take-off of the Buhari's administration
which has relied on permanent secretaries of
ministries for the day-to-day running of the
government up till now.
A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the
Senior Special Assistant to the president on
Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said before
the commencement of the inaugural session of
the council, the ministers-designate will take
their oaths of office in the council chambers of
the Presidential Villa.
The swearing-in ceremony will begin at 10:00
a.m. and the ministers-designate are expected to
be seated in the council chambers by 09:30 a.m.
Also, following the confirmation of their
nominations by the Senate, Buhari will, on
Monday, preside over the swearing-in of
Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and five others as National
Commissioners of INEC.
The swearing-in of Prof. Yakubu, Mrs. Amina
Zakari, Mr. Solomon Adedeji Soyebi, Prof. Antonia
Taiye Okoosi-Simbine, Dr. Muhammed Mustafa
Lecky and Alhaji Baba Shettima Arfo is
scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in the council
chambers of the Presidential Villa