Acting President Yemi Osinbajo
administered oath of office on Ocheni and
Suleiman Hassan from Gombe state, at
exactly 11:18am.
After this, the new ministers took
photographs with their colleagues and
family members.
Ocheni went round shaking all the ministers
seated in the council chambers, venue of the
meeting, but an official in the presidency
drew his attention to the fact that he was
disrupting proceedings.
Immediately Ocheni was stopped, the
council erupted with laughter.
Ocheni replaced James Ocholi who was
killed in a motor accident in 2016, while
Suleiman took over from Amina Mohammed
who resigned to take up an appointment as
the deputy secretary-general of the United
Nations (UN).
Speaking shortly after administering the
oath of office on the new ministers,
Osinbajo expressed the federal
government’s commitment to implementing
economic reform programmes.
He said he expected the new ministers to
join in the “herculean task” of turning the
economy around.
Osinbajo said the government was focused
on its cardinal programmes of reviving the
economy, creating employment and fighting
corruption.
“Our latest members of the federal executive
council are Stephen Ocheni and Alhaji
Suleiman Hassan,” he said.
“We welcome you to the federal executive
council, where you have just been sworn in.
From ministerial nominees, you are now
ministers of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“Their portfolio will be announced shortly.
From this moment, they will join the federal
executive council and will sit in our meeting
this morning. So, Prof and Alhaji, you will not
have time to celebrate much this morning.
You will have a full meeting today.
“The federal executive council is one that is
committed to the very far reaching and
reform programme of this government. That
reform programme is contained in our
Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
“We have focused our attention on key
areas of that economic recovery plan and
we believe those key areas are things that
need to be done to make a difference in the
Nigerian economy and in the lives of
Nigerians.
“Time and time again we have continued to
emphasise the need for ministers to pay
particular attention to all the areas that we
have highlighted in the economic plan.
“Even as I welcome you to this cabinet, I
congratulate friends and family who are
here, I can only say going by your
antecedent as contained in your resume, it
is evident that you are deserving of
positions held in the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and that you are capable of
rendering all he task that will be given to
you. The only reward is more hard work and
I wish you the best as minister of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
