₦airaland Forum

At least eight ministers, who are expected to pursue their goals to become governors, will soon be relieved of their jobs, THISDAY learnt Thursday.

The eight ministers to be affected by the exercise, which a presidency source said might start this month, are from seven states, with Benue State accounting for two of the ministers.

The source said the decision to sack the ministers with governorship aspirations is partly responsible for the delay in filling the vacant ministerial positions that have been open since nine ministers were sacked in September.

President Goodluck Jonathan had on September 11 sacked the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru and his counterparts in the Ministry of Education, Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufa'i; National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman; Land and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple; Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Mailafia and Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa.

Three Ministers of State, Mrs. Olusola Obada (Defence), Zainab Kuchi (Power) and Alhaji Tijani Bukar (Agriculture) also lost their jobs in the cabinet shake-up. So far, there have been no replacements of the affected ministers.
In 2012, Dr. Haliru Mohammed Bello, was sacked as the Minister of Defence and later, the then Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inua Abdulkadir, was dropped from the cabinet in August 2013.

The gale of sack in the cabinet has left the Federal Executive Council (FEC) with 11 members as substantive ministers, some of whom were appointed as supervising ministers for ministries without substantive heads.
THISDAY gathered that one of the ministers with governorship ambition who will be relieved of his job will be Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), who is from Ekiti State.

Olubolade is one of the many aspirants jockeying to fly the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for the second quarter of 2014.

Top politicians in the state like Senator Gbenga Aluko and Mr. Ayo Fayose, among others have also indicated interest in wresting power from the incumbent, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was also gathered the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has also indicated his interest to quit the cabinet but has been asked to wait.

He is seen as a top contender for the PDP governorship ticket in Bauchi State for the 2015 election.
Posters and billboards announcing his ambition are a common sight in the state.

Other ministers with governorship aspirations that may go, THISDAY was told, include Minister of Information and supervising Minister of Defence, Mr. Labaran Maku.

Maku, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State from 2003 to 2007, is seeking to fly the PDP flag in the 2015 general election to slug it out with Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura of the APC, who is the current helmsman in the state.

Another minister that may be dropped is the Minister of Niger Delta, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, who is seeking to succeed Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of the PDP in 2015.

Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama, who is seeking to be Yobe State Governor in 2015, may also be affected. The state, which was being ruled by the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), is now under the APC following the merger of leading opposition parties that gave birth to the new party.

If the president goes ahead with his decision to drop ministers with governorship aspirations, two representatives of Benue State in the cabinet – Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro and the Minister of State, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom – who are also desirous of taking a shot at the Government House, might be dropped.

Moro was the campaign manager to Senate President David Mark, when he was campaigning for re-election as a senator in 2011.

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, from Abia State, may also be affected.
According to the source, “The president is planning to relieve all the ministers, who have governorship aspiration of their jobs to enable his administration concentrate on the last leg of his transformation agenda without any distraction.

“You know that 2014 is the determining year for the president and therefore, he is going to relieve the ministers that have indicated interest to contest the governorship election in their respective states, in order to concentrate with the transformation in 2014.”

alj harem: BTW Jking is NOT ITSEKIRI BUT AN IGBO PERSON. I have no doubt in my mind on that.

CyberG: Do you understand at all? You still mention INDEPENDENT STATE from what or where? Did I not point out that the plan of the conference has NOT said anything about creating sovereign countries, so where or how do you get this idea or are you GEJ because the GEJ who is president today says he want to make Nigeria stronger with this conference! Stop holding this kind of debate down with a point of view that is not within the terms of reference! The plan is to restructure along current zones of which every part of Nigeria at least those that falls along border areas of the zones can choose to go with one or the other - tell me you understand that? You have a choice of at most 6 NOT 1,000 regions or states! Tell me you understand that because even a small kid knows you can only buy something that is available in the store you are currently in.

Now, PLEASE stop this talk of minority with the Yorubas because you seem to have been poisoned by this kind of useless talk from some parts of Nigeria. The Yorubas and Itshekiri groups who are already collaborating are not thinking about majority - minority but as equal partners or did you not read that the region will have the chance to create its states, so it's not a case of having one massive region in which there is no local administration close to the people.

One more last thing: if a man can thrive in an unworkable and difficult system, imagine what he can do in a system built for success of all. That is why struggling Nigerians when they get to a place like America seem almost unstoppable. My point? The current Yoruba states are all firing on virtually on all their economic cyclinders right now - something no other part of the country is doing and I am not talking about just constructing roads and bridges! I am not even talking about Lagos alone just in case you are thinking it's Lagos, head over to Ibadan and Ogun state and see what is going on there. In order for us to prosper in the new Western Region, it is NOT the oil in Any part of Nigeria that will be required but good visionary leadership first and a highly trained, mobile workforce! That is something no natural resource will ever match because Nigeria as it is has more oil than any individual region but has Nigeria blazed the trail in spite of that as a country? Please use your critical thinking and analytic skills, don't just write from emotions. The Yorubas have learned and should have learned from their mistakes as a whole since the 1800s when the Oyo Empire finally declined and they have lost a lot of their brothers and sisters and territory which was so vast, it was difficult to protect it as far west of current country of Togo or thereabout. Think big, don't think "I alone before others".

johndwayy: THE ITSEKIRIS WILL NEVER TEAMUP WITH ANY GADEMM frraud called southsouth,we are better of with our Yoruba,Illaje,Edo brothers,.....together we will form, a better,more educated,prolific southwest..

---

.....longlive Warri Kingdom,longlive IWERELAND,LONGLIVE THE OLU OF WARRI,LONGLIVE ITSEKIRI.....

kingoflag: Are you sure youre itshekiri?

ijaw citizen: Why is it that it is only the Itsekiris in collaboration with their new Yoruba masters that are creating the impression that Niger Delta are at war with themselves?

Within the Urhobos, Isokos, Ogoni, Ibibio-Efik-Calabar cluster and the Ijaw aborigines, is anyone at war?

It is only the ungrateful Itsekiris whom the Ijaw and Urhobo have helped to survive all along that are tagging their benefactors and landlords as tenants- Edo people initiated the idea though. This whole land grabbing nonsense sound funny too because it like a thief accusing his victims as thieves. We Ijaw have the history and origins of all Niger Delta/SS people at our fingertips.

Before now, you've pitched tents with your fellow Bini land-grabbers to tag Ijaws "nomadic fishermen, migrants,& squatters", it crumbled. Now it is with Yoruba, exellent choice! They have enough land mass to accomodate your less that 1 million population.

The Yorubas have used their media power to create an impression that Ijaws are claiming peoples' lands but knowledgable people now know otherwise.

Igbos are not helping matters too, as they are one of the people claiming ND will be on fire because of Ijaw imaginary "land-grabbing agenda". Yet they are fighting a lost battled to ressurrect the dead & buried Eastern Region by bargaining support for President Jonathan for the unification of SS & SE.

Itsekiris have pitched their tent with Yorubas, Igbos please leave them alone. If any problems arise from their decision, its gonna be a ND problem so Igbos back off with your vile & venom. We in the Niger Delta are prepared for this moment because History is gonna vindicate the Ijaws as the aborigenes of the Niger Delta.

You Igbos should forget about annexing ND with your SE under any scheme you can think of, and focus your energy on bringing Ikwerre, Ika and other of your so-called kiths & kins under Igbo rule in your new SE region which would emerge from the conference. Your quest to re-annex ND to form another Eastern Region is a failure already, force of arms failed earlier, your absurd bargaining will fail too.

Niger Deltans, we are UNITED against the two evil horns (Easterners & Westerners) bent on causing discord amongst us and annexing our territory. Itsekiris will soon pack out to join their Yoruba masters.

Long Live the Ijaw nation,
Long Live the Urhobo-Isoko nation,
Long Live the Ogoni nation,
Long Live the "Calabar" nation,

Long Live the New Niger Delta region!!

sandijey: Some of us bear oluwa like me! Oluwaseyi or oluwasheyi!

0lumide: Why do Itsekirirs have Yoruba names again?

were they conquered by the Yorubas?

I just wonder why the Itsekiris have Yoruba names..

CyberG: It seems you are incapable of being educated. Where IN ALL THESE IS INDEPENDENCE? Are you reading something else that GEJ has not spoken about? Snap out of your delusion, there is no talk of any sovereign countries so far in all GEJ has said, go and read again!

CyberG: If you read this, note that the conference will NOT be creating any independent countries - go and read what GEJ has said again! I am at work now and have no time to be digging through threads / news. He said the conference is to make the country stronger, more united, etc so any talks of fighting for independence does not arise except of course you know something about the conference that GEJ is not saying.

In the immediate and long terms analysis, REGIONALISM is what is more likely and better than our current system and the closest to "independence". If you read well, you will notice that the baseline is division along the CURRENT geopolitical ZONES in Nigeria. So, you will have a choice to be in only 6 possible ZONES, not a 1,000 zones! Within that 6, you can decide where you think your interests lie, where you have language and cultural ties, where the economic prospects and future good will of yourself and people are best protected and represented. When you get to this point, you know you are on the path for a reasoned, intellectual approach to the matter. Now, be sure that the Yorubas (Omo Oduduwa) know themselves just like you know the children of your parents (your brothers and sisters) and we ideally know that our interest is protected together, we all ultimately want the same things as human beings first - food, shelter and clothing! Then, you can add the rest, economic prosperity, peace, freedom, opportunities for yourseld and children, an organized society, etc. By far and ahead of all the other parts of Nigeria, the Western Region will BE AHEAD of ALL OTHER REGIONS on DAY ONE and it will only get better in as much as we continue to insist on the best leaders who will then be much closer to us and we can see what they are doing. Of course, if a community that falls within the borders of the Yorubas and another region has loyalty elsewhere, I strongly support that they go to where their loyalty lies.

The Yorubas are already the SECOND LARGEST people in Nigeria with 6 SOLID states, parts of Kogi and Kwara states and whoever want to go elsewhere can surely do that so I see no need to threaten anyone because chances are that in the future, the Commonwealth of the Yorubas will also have to agree to allow any other parts of the bordering communities that go elsewhere today to join them tomorrow when they are better off - just like the EU.

ALTRUTH: Hehehe, which yoruba are u talking about? Wen dis gbege starts, nt jst itsekiri land, even d yorubas will abandon Lagos nd flee in droves to cotononou. Better start learning french. Nuff said.

sandijey: Mr, that one too dey! Everybody wants the better option. But if u know south-south well, u will no that there Is serious crisis brewing in that region. I personally would advse the igbos there to just follow the east. The people of the niger delta are not united o. Don't be decieved. If u hear what an uhrobo man would say about an ijaw man, the venom he spits will pierce through your skin. Infact south south can break into 4 or 3 other nations if care is not taken. As well as the east anambra can decide to be on their own because they believe they are the most superior igbos. The country breaking up is very complex. If only we were brave enough to cause a revolution and remain one.