News
Key portfolios for Edun, Alake, Oyetola, Fagbemi, Adelabu
Ahead of Monday’s inauguration of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President Bola Tinubu, the Presidency last night released portfolios of the 45 ministers-designate cleared by the Senate.
Three nominees – former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), former All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader Stella Okotete (Delta) and former Taraba State Governor Abubakar Danlandi (Taraba) – were not cleared, which reduced the list of nominees to 45
Nobody has been assigned to the Ministry of Niger Delta.
Also, the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management remains vacant, but the position is reserved for the eventual nominee from Kaduna State.
Also not assigned is the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. During the last administration, President Muhammadu Buhari held the portfolio.
New ministries have been created while some existing ministries were split to accommodate the ministers.
Thirty-two ministers and 13 ministers of state will form the new FEC.
The designated Minister of Finance, Mr. Olawale Edun will also serve as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy. His duties will include leading the economic team of the government.
Among those in the team will be former Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu who has been designated as Minister of Budget and Planning.
Another major nomination is that of Prof. Ali Pate who is the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. He is supported by Dr. Tunji Alausa, who is the Minister of State.
Former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike takes the responsibility as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Legal giant Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) is designated as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany Yusuf Maitama Tuggar will work as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Lagos lawyer Festus Keyamo (SAN) will be the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
Former Director-General of the Nigeria Law School Prof. Tahir Maman will be Minister of Education. Yusuf Sununu will be the Minister of State Education.
Former Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru will serve as Minister of Defence. Another former Governor Bello Mattawale is the Minister of State Defence.
Former Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong will be the Minister of Labour and Employment.
Outgoing House of Representatives member Nkiruka Onyejeocha will be Minister of State, Labour and Employment.
Former Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi will hold the Works portfolio and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Adebayo Adelabu will be in charge of Power.
Former Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola will be in charge of Transportation with Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo handling the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Development will be headed by IT expert Bosun Tijani.
Media expert Dele Alake has been posted to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
Former Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Geidam will be in charge of Police Affairs. Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim is the Minister of State for Police Affairs.
Saidu Alkali will serve as Minister of Interior.
Blueprint publisher Muhammed Idris will be the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
Minister of State for the FCT is Mairiga Mahmud; and Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation is Bello Goronyo.
The Steel Development portfolio goes to Maigari Ahmadu. The Minister of Steel Development is Shuaibu Audu.
Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs is Zephaniah Jisalo.
Joseph Utsev is the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation and Aliyi Sabi Abdullahi is the Minister of State Agriculture and Food Security.
Others are Abubakar Kyari (Agriculture and Food Security), Ishak Salah (Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Doris Anite (Industry, Trade and Investment), Uche Nnaji (Innovation Science and Technology), Uju Kennedy (Women Affairs), Abubakar Momoh (Youth), Betta Edu (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation), Ekperikpe Ekpo (Minister of State, Gas Resources), Heineken Lokpobiri (Minister of State, Petroleum Resources) and John Enoh (Sports Development).
On the list are Hannatu Musawa (Art, Culture and Creative Economy), Ahmed Dangiwa (Housing and Urban Development) and Abdullahi Gwarzo (Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development).
News
Akran of Badagry is dead, aged 89
The demise of the monarch marks the end of his 48-year reign on the throne, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Lagos State.
Photo: Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi
The traditional ruler of the Badagry local government area in Lagos State, the Akran of Badagry, De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi, is dead, aged 89.
The demise of the monarch marks the end of his 48-year reign on the throne, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers in Lagos State.
According to the palace, the Akran was pronounced dead by medical experts, after a brief illness, and the traditional rites for his burial have gradually commenced.
Residents of Badagry, who are currently mourning the loss of their revered monarch, described his death as a heavy blow, noting that the town has lost not just a king but a father figure whose wisdom, counsel and presence brought reassurance in moments of uncertainty.
News
Osun sues UBA, officials to court over illegal LG accounts
They were specifically accused of allowing the opening, operation and maintenance of accounts for each of the local government councils “by unknown private individuals as signatories…
• Map of Osun State
The Osun State Government has instituted a criminal case against United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and four of its top officials over alleged illegal opening of local government accounts.
Tribune newspaper reported that the Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has fixed January 30 for the hearing of the case, marked Charge No: MOS/601c/2025.
The defendants in the suit are: the UBA Plc, its Group Managing Director, Mr Oliver Alawuba, the Company Secretary and Group Legal Adviser, Mr Billy Odum and the Deputy Managing Director, Mr Chukwuma Nweke.
In the charge sheet, the government filed the 31-count charge against the bank and its officials, with each count relating to alleged infractions involving opening of bank accounts for the state’s 30 local government councils.
In count one, the prosecution alleged that the defendants, on or about December 9, 2025, and on subsequent days, at UBA’S Osun State branch office located in the Olonkoro area of Osogbo, conspired to commit a felony by opening, operating and maintaining what it described as illegal Osun State Local Government Council accounts.
The alleged offence, the charge stated, occurred within the Osogbo Magisterial District and is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 2, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
They were specifically accused of allowing the opening, operation and maintenance of accounts for each of the local government councils “by unknown private individuals as signatories” after the Local Government Service Commission had introduced to the defendants, Directors of Administration and General Services and Directors of Finance of all the local governments as signatories to the councils’ statutory accounts “and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 2 and 3 (1) and (2), and punishable under Section 5(1) and (2) of Osun State Local Government Accounts Administration Law, 2025.”
News
Umahi: We’re not tolling Third Mainland Bridge
Umahi affirmed this during inauguration of the N40 billion Closed Circuit Television Camera Centre on the Third Mainland Bridge, the previous day.
• Third Mainland Bridge
The Minister of Works Senator Dave Umahi has confirmed that the Federal Government has no plan to toll the rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
Umahi affirmed this during inauguration of the N40 billion Closed Circuit Television Camera Centre on the Third Mainland Bridge, the previous day.
He said : “We will not engage construction on this bridge because it will entail static load on the bridge.
“It is also within the town, so it will introduce many bottlenecks; that is why we are not tolling this bridge,” he said.
Umahi said that security would be handled by the police, noting that the 11-kilometre bridge would have a five-minute response time.
Akran of Badagry is dead, aged 89
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