Jonathan Sends 12 Ministerial Nominees To Senate …Danagogo, Gusau, 10 Others Make List

President Goodluck Jonathan being welcomed by Vice President Namadi Sambo while arriving for the presidential launch of Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa in Abuja, recently.

President Goodluck Jonathan has sent the names of 12 ministerial nominees, including Dr Tammy Danagogo from Rivers State, to the Senate for confirmation.
Dr Danagogo, until his recent appointment, served as Commissioner for urban Development in the Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s cabinet between 2011 and December, 2013.
Between November, 2007 and 2011, Danagogo was the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Rivers State.
The names of the ministerial nominees, along with the names of the new service chiefs sent to the Senate for ratification, were read out to senators yesterday by Senate President, David Mark.
Nigerians had been expecting cabinet shake-up since the president dropped some ministers last year, and directed ministers of state to oversee such vacant portfolios.
Anxiety over the nomination of new ministers came to a neck last Monday, following the sudden change of service chiefs a day before by the president, with the expectation that President Jonathan may forward the names of the new service chiefs along with those of the new ministerial nominees.
With the president’s action, it is clear that what he has chosen to do, instead, is to fill the vacant positions created when he sacked 11 ministers last year while also replacing the former Minister of State for Health, Dr Mohammed Pate, who resigned last year.
The letter concerning the ministers reads in part: “In accordance with Section 147(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, I have the honour to forward ministerial nominees for consideration by the Senate”.
The nominees include Hon. Mohammed Wakil (Borno), Hajia Jamila Salik and Amb. Aminu Wali (both Kano State) and Mrs Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom).
Others are Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos State), Dr T.W. Danagogo (Rivers), Asabe Ahmed (Niger) and Alhaji Abduljelili Adesiyan (Osun).
The rest are Lawrencia Mallam (Kaduna State), Gen. Aliu Gusau (Zamfara), Mr Boni Haruna (Adamawa) and Dr Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto State).
For the service chiefs, the President’s letter said he was forwarding the names to the Senate in compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act.
The service chiefs include Air Marshal Alex Badeh (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (Chief of Army Staff) and Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin (Chief of Naval Staff).
The name of Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu was also forwarded for confirmation as Chief of Air Staff.
It will be recalled that the new service chiefs were appointed on Jan. 16 by the President.
Jonathan also expressed the hope that the Senate would treat the requests expeditiously.
This is the first time the President was forwarding the names of appointed service chiefs to the Senate for confirmation.
A Federal High Court had ruled that the appointment of service chiefs must be confirmed by the Senate.
This was as a result of a case initiated by Mr Festus Keyamo, a Lagos-based lawyer.