President Buhari appoints petroleum minister, to name other ministers later in the day

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday named Nigeria’s petroleum minister. And that is himself. Buhari said he would personally head the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the new cabinet.

Addressing some select reporters in New York on Tuesday, after addressing a Global Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism, the President said: “I wil remain Minister of Petroleum.

“I will appoint a minister of State for Petroleum”...

According to him, this step is being taken as part of efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry, which is said to be plagued by corruption, massive fraud, and crude oil theft. Buhari restated his determination to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry and free it from corruption and shady deals.

He said that the first step in this direction had already been taken with the appointment of a new management for the NNPC and its subsequent reorganisation. The President said the prosecution of those who misappropriated NNPC’s revenue under past administrations would soon commence.

On Corruption, he pledged that the federal government will fight corruption, because it has been identified as the root of all problems hindering Nigeria as a nation.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for most part of his tenure, was also the minister of petroleum. Buhari had promised to name his cabinet before the end of September.

Since Wednesday is the last day of the month, the President is widely expected to forward names of his minister to the National Assembly today. Names forwarded to the National Assembly would be screened and approved by the Senate before they are sworn in.

Stay tuned to this blog..