We don’t want minister of state again (2)

Continued from yesterday

In the 1963 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 87 subsection 4-7 clearly states that “(4) Appointments to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation other than the office of Prime Minister shall be made by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister (5) A person shall not hold office at the same time both as a Minister of the Government of the Federation and as a Minister of the Government of a Region (6) A person who holds office as Minister of the Government of the Federation for any period of four consecutive months without also being a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives shall cease to be a Minister at the expiration of that period or, if that period expires at a time when Parliament is dissolved and he does not in the meantime become a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives, at the date on which Parliament first meets after that dissolution.

(7) A person who holds office as a Minister of the Government of the Federation and who is at no time, while holding that office also a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives shall not be qualified for reappointment as such a Minister before Parliament is next dissolved after he ceases to hold that office, unless in the meantime he has become a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives”.

I don’t want to refer to the military era as regards to the appointments of ministers since the military government is not an elected government.
On October 18, 1979, President Usman Aliyu Shehu Shagari GCFR submitted to the Senate presided over by Dr. Joseph Wayas, the confirmation of the following list as ministers and ministers without cabinet rank.

They were M. Mohammed Ibrahim Hassan (Bauchi), M. Adamu Ciroma(Borno), Mr. Isaac Shaahu and Mr. Paul Unongo(Benue), Professor Iya Abubakar(Gongola), Alhaji Umaru Dikko and Professor Ishaya Audu(Kaduna), Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf(Kano), Alhaji Akanbi Oniyangi(Kwara), Alhaji Ndagi Mamudu(Niger), Mrs Adenike Ebun Oyagbola(Ogun), Mr. Samuel Adebisi Ogedengbe(Ondo), Chief Richard O. Akinjide(Oyo), Mr. John Jatau Kadiya and Mr. Gorge Baba Hoomkwap(Plateau), Mr. Victor Masi(Rivers), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau(Sokoto), Mr. D.C. Ugwu and Mr. Chimezie Ikeazor(Anambra), Professor Sunday Matthew Essang(Cross River), Mr. Amadi Emina(Bendel), Dr. Sylvester Ugoh and Dr. I.I. Maduike(Imo) and Dr. Wahab Olaseinde Dosunmu(Lagos).

Ministers with non-cabinet rank included Alhaji Ahmed Musa(Bauchi), Chief P. Bolokor (Bendel), Alhaji Asheikh Jarma(Borno), Alhaji Ali Baba(Gongola), M. Iro Abubakar Dan-Musa(Kaduna), Alhaji Bilyamin Usman(Kano), Mr. Ademola Thomas(Lagos), Chief Olu Awotesu(Ogun), Chief Mrs. J. Akinrinade(Oyo), Alhaji Ahmudu Nahuce(Sokoto), Chief E. Okoi-Obuli(Cross River), Mallam Mamman Ali Makele(Kwara), Mr. Cladius Agboola Bamgboye(Ondo) and Dr. Jakiri Igbani(Rivers).

He later fired Chief Paul Unongo and replaced him with Chief Audu Ugbeh.
In the second term of President Shehu Shagari other Ministers were appointed including Chief Eleazor Chukwuemeka Anyaoku (90) CFR from Obosi in Anambra State, who later became the Secretary General of Commonwealth from 1990 to year 2000. Chief Anyaoku married Princess Bunmi from Abeokuta in 1962.

In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR appointed Ministers of State. They included Mrs Modupe Adelaja (Defence), Chief Dubem Onyia (Foreign Affairs), Alhaji Musa Elayo Abdullahi (Justice), Chief Chris Agbobu(Agriculture and Rural Development), Alhaji L. Ade Haruna Elewi (Communications), Mallam L. Tukur Batagarawa (Defence-Army), Alhaji Bello Usman (Education), Dr. Imeh T. Okopido(Environment), Mr. Solomon S.A. Ewuga(Federal Capital Territory, FCT), Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye (Finance), Dr. (Mrs.) Aminat Ndalolo (Health), Chief Lawrence Nwuruku (Industry), Mr. Garba Madaki Ali (Transport), Mr. Yomi Edu (Special Duties, The Presidency), Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Kida (Inter-Governmental Affairs, The Presidency), Dr. Mohammed Shata (Internal Affairs), Alhaji Danjuma Goje (Power and Steel), Mrs. Pauline K-Tallen(Science and Technology), Mr. Isa Yuguda (Transport), Chief Precious Ngelale (JP)(Water Resources), and Prince Vincent Ogbulafor(Economic Affairs, The Presidency).
Section 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria states that (1) there shall be such offices of

Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President. (2) Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President. (3) Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution:- provided that in giving effect to the provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each State, who shall be an indigene of such State.

(4) Where a member of the National Assembly or of a House of Assembly is appointed as Minister of the Government of the Federation, he shall be deemed to have resigned his membership of the National Assembly or of the House of Assembly on his taking the oath of office as Minister. (5) No person shall be appointed as a Minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.

(6) An appointment to any of the offices aforesaid shall be deemed to have been made where no return has been received from the Senate within twenty-one working days of the receipt of nomination by the Senate.
Section 148 (1) states that “The President may, in his discretion, assign to the Vice-President or any Minister of the Government of the Federation responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government.
To be continued tomorrow

Teniola, a former director at the Presidency wrote from Lagos.