Jonathan swears in ministers-designate today

A new Executive Council of the Federation (EXCOF) will be in place today as Acting President Goodluck Jonathan swears in the 38 ministers-designate cleared by the Senate last week in Abuja.
The former council constituted by President Umaru Yar’Adua was dissolved on March 17 by the Acting President after weeks of speculation in a move seen by many as a determination to be his own man and take full charge of his administration.

Daily Sun gathered that the designates had in a letter been directed to attend the ceremony with their spouses and two other guests only to avoid overcrowding of the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja venue of the ceremony.

Allocation of portfolios to the various ministers which Acting President Jonathan was said to have kept out of the knowledge of even some of his closest aides would come to many as a surprise.
The former Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, is believed to be highly favoured to go to the Foreign Affairs Ministry vacated by Chief Ojo Maduekwe, while President Yar’Adua’s nephew, Murtala might be given the portfolio of Minister of State for Petroleum.
Prince Adetokunbo Kayode looks good to retain his portfolio of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, while the former Minister of Information and Communications Prof. Dora Akunyili might be headed for either the Education or Power Ministry.

Those to be sworn in are Fidelia Njeze (Enugu), Godsday Orubebe (Delta), Nuhu Soho Wya (Kaduna), Adetokunbo Kayode (Ondo), Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) (Rivers), Sen. Akinlabi Olasunkanmi (Osun), Dizeani Allison-Madukwe (Bayelsa), Dr. Shamsudeen Usman (Kano) and Prof. Akunyili (Anambra)
Others include Chukwuemeka Ngozi Wogu (Abia), Josephine Anenih (Anambra), Labaran Maku (Nassarawa), Eng. Chris Ogiewonyi (Edo), Alhaji Suleiman Bello (Zamfara), Alh. Murtala Yar’Adua (Katsina), Sen. Sanusi Daggash (Borno),.Sen.Bala Mohammed (Sokoto) and Hon. Nduese Essien (A/Ibom).

Also on the list are Josephine Tapgun (Plateau), Mohammed Bello Adoke (Kogi), Navy Capt. Ernest Olubolade (Ekiti), Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga (Lagos), Prof. M.K Abubakar (Kebbi), Alh. Adamu Waziri (Yobe), Alh. Umar Aliyu (Taraba), Awodele Najim Adewole Alao (Ogun), Alh Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed (Gombe) and Yusuf Suleiman (Sokoto).
There are also Prof Rubia Rufai (Jigawa), Arc. Musa Sad’aa (Katsina), Prof F Abdulah (Niger), Capt. Emmanuel Iheneacho (Imo) and Sen. Jubril Martins-Kuye (Ogun)