President Bola Tinubu has formally appointed Engr. Abubakar Momoh as the new Minister of Niger Delta Development.
The announcement was made public through an official statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesperson for the presidency, on Sunday evening.
This decision follows the recent release of a list of ministries, which garnered varied reactions due to the omission of the Niger Delta ministry.
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Saturday had vowed to resist any move to cancel the Ministry of Niger Delta.
In addition to the appointment of Engr. Abubakar Momoh, adjustments were made to the roles of several ministers.
Notably, Adegboyega Oyetola, previously slated for the role of Transportation Minister, has been reassigned to oversee the Ministry of Marine & Blue Economy.
Similarly, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo has assumed the responsibility of the Honourable Minister of Interior, while Hon. Sa’idu Alkali takes on the mantle of Minister of Transportation.
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“Furthermore, both Ministers of State in the Oil & Gas sector are now domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources with the following designations:
“(i) Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri is the Hon. Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources
“(ii) Hon. Ekperipe Ekpo is the Hon. Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources.”
The President also approved the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management as the Federal Ministry of Environment.
“All aforementioned changes take immediate effect by these directives of the President,” the statement read.
The ministers would be sworn in at the presidential villa in Abuja on Monday.