The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, swore in seven new ministers following their screening and confirmation by the Senate.
Buhari swore in the ministers shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.
The seven ministers will replace those who resigned from their appointment in May 2022 to actualise their political ambition.
Those sworn in include Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh – Abia State, Umana Okon Umana – Akwa Ibom State, Odum Odih – Rivers State, and Ademola Adewole Adegoroye – Ondo State.
Others are Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub – Kano State, Goodluck Nnana Opiah – Imo State and Egwumakama Joseph Nkama – Ebonyi State.
Those in attendance at the swearing-in ceremony also observed a minute’s silence in the deceased Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary-Genera, Mohammed Barkindo, who died on Tuesday.
The PUNCH reports that the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, announced Barkindo’s death in a tweet posted to his verified Twitter handle on Wednesday morning.
We lost our esteemed Dr Muhammad Sanusi Barkindo. He died at about 11 pm yesterday 5th July 2022. Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, the NNPC, our country Nigeria, the OPEC and the global energy community. Burial arrangements will be announced shortly,” Kyari tweeted.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had, on Tuesday, honoured Barkindo, describing him as a worthy ambassador of the country, at the State House, Abuja.