Dora Akunyili Quits Jonathan Cabinet To Join Politics
Posted: December 15, 2010 - 14:27

By SaharaReporters, New York

Nigeria’s minister of information, Dora Akunyili, formally left the
cabinet of Goodluck Jonathan today to join politics. Her valedictory
statement read at the Federal Executive Council meeting today finally
put to rest speculations about her political future.

See address to FEC:

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS TO THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BY PROF. DORA
AKUNYILI, HON. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, ABUJA,
DECEMBER 15, 2010

Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, and esteemed colleagues with whom I
have formed a family — some of you for the past two years and others
for a lesser period of time. I wish to humbly inform Council that I
am resigning from the Cabinet with effect from tomorrow, 16th
December, 2010.

Today is therefore a very emotional day for me in Council. This is
because I have been so closely bonded to most of you that my departure
is like leaving a family. My heart is so heavy because in this
Council, I have found comfort and friendship.

However, having reflected over the years about events in Nigeria and
in particular my state, Anambra, I have come to the conclusion that it
is indeed a defining moment in my life when I should make the
sacrifice of leaving a comfortable place to go to a difficult terrain
in order to build a better place for our children. I have, therefore,
decided to join my Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, who is doing a great job
in continuing to build Anambra State as an APGA Senator. In this
regard, I intend to pick the nomination form today to run for the
office of Senator Representing Anambra Central Senatorial District in
the National Assembly.

As I take this step, I solicit for your prayers and other forms of
support. I am making this request because you are my people and my
immediate constituency. Yes, my colleagues in the pharmaceutical
industry are still my people but I have virtually exhausted my
goodwill with them in the service of our dear Country, especially in
support of the Re-branding Nigeria project. Many drug manufacturing
companies spent over N10 million for the Re-branding Nigeria materials
because they desperately wanted me to succeed. Therefore, it is you
and only you that I can now run to for support. Please, I plead with
each and everyone of you to sow a seed to my political career, you
will never regret it. In the words of President Jonathan, I will never
let you down. Yes, I will be in the senate by the grace of God for my
constituency and for the nation but you can be sure that I will also
be there for you.

Mr. President, I am deeply grateful to you for giving me the
opportunity to serve our dear Country as Minister of Information and
Communications. I am equally grateful for the co-operation which you,
the VP and my Cabinet colleagues extended to me in the course of my
duties, without which I would not have succeeded. Mr. President, I
will never forget the encouragement you gave me through phone calls,
text messages, e.t.c. when I was in NAFDAC during that fight for life.
Mr. Vice President, you always call me your sister, please continue to
call me your sister.

I wish Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, and other Council members
who may wish to contest in the 2011 elections success in this regard.
I pray that this Council succeeds to the end and that many of you
continue as Council members after May 2011.

I leave you with love and fond memories. Thank you and God bless you
all.
PROF. DORA NKEM AKUNYILI, OFR
HON. MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS, ABUJA, DECEMBER 15,
2010