Adeosun, Jibrin, Ocholi…. ministers who didn’t last the distance with Buhari

Each of you in this room has a unique skill and strength… it’s this quality that made me retain my cabinet for the full term.

Those were the words of  President Muhammadu Buhari to members of his cabinet in the valedictory federal executive council (FEC) meeting which held on May 22. Despite complaints from the public and suggestions from experts, Buhari did not fire any of his ministers but some still had to leave. In this piece, we take a brief look at the seven ministers who did not stay till the last minute of Buhari’s first term.

JAMES OCHOLI: SNATCHED BY DEATH

Ocholi, former minister of state for labour, did not spend up to six months in office as he died in active line of duty. He, alongside his wife and son, was involved in a road crash that occurred along Kaduna-Abuja highway in March 2016.

Ocholi and his second son, Joshua, died on the spot while the wife, Blessing, slipped into a coma and died at Doka Hospital, Kaduna, hours later.

Ocholi was a governorship aspirant in Kogi state on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in 2011.

AMINA MOHAMMED: GLOBAL GLORY

In January 2017, Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary-general, announced his intention to appoint Mohammed as the deputy secretary-general of the UN. The following month, Mohammed, who was environment minister quit the cabinet for the international assignment.

During her time as minister, she was also Nigeria’s representative in the African Union (AU) reform steering committee, which was chaired by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

KAYODE FAYEMI: BACK AS GOVERNOR

Like Mohammed, Fayemi who was appointed minister of mines and steel, quit his position but it was for governorship ambition. Before being appointed into Buhari’s government, Fayemi had governed Ekiti. He lost his reelection and the ministerial appointment kept him afloat politically.

In 2018, he sought the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and won. He also defeated Kolapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election which was in July 2018. He is the incumbent governor of Ekiti.

KEMI ADEOSUN: RESIGNED UNDER A CLOUD

For Adeosun, the exit from Buhari’s cabinet was not noble. Adeosun, who served as as minister of finance, tendered her resignation  on September 14, 2018, following the scandal over her National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) certificate.

Adeosun reportedly failed to participate in the NYSC scheme, which is a mandatory programme for all graduates to qualify for gainful employment in the country. Having finished her first degree at 22, she was not entitled to exemption on the grounds of age except she was above 30, according to the NYSC Act.

But she was said to have forged an exemption certificate. After Premium Times broke the story, the minister was under pressure to step down. Although, she did not leave immediately, Adeosun bowed out weeks later.

Before her federal appointment as minister, Adeosun served as the commissioner of finance in Ogun state.

AISHA ALHASSAN: DEFECTED TO FIRST LOVE

Alhassan was minister of women affairs before her resignation from Buhari’s cabinet on September 29, 2018. She resigned after the national working committee (NWC) of the APC disqualified her from contesting the Taraba state governorship election.

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, had said Alhassan was disqualified from contesting the election over anti-party activities. He said the minister had not been completely loyal to the ruling party, saying the APC could not tolerate those who played such persons within its ranks.

Alhassan had endorsed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 presidential election even before Buhari made public his re-election bid. Atiku later contested the election against Buhari but lost.

IBRAHIM JIBRIN: BECAME A KING

Twenty-two months after Amina Mohammed quit to take up a UN job, Ibrahim, who served as minister of state for environment, left the cabinet. This followed his emergence as the 12th emir of Nasarawa. Jibrin had taken over the ministry of environment after the exit of Mohammed. When he left on December 12, Suleiman Hassan was appointed minister of environment.

KHADIJA ABBA-IBRAHIM: BACK TO BASE

Another minister on this list is Abba-Ibrahim who was appointed minister of state for foreign affairs. She withdrew from the government of Buhari on January 9, 2019, to pursue her ambition to become the representative of Damaturu/Tarmuwa/Gujba/Gulani federal constituency of Yobe state in the lower chamber of the national assembly.

Abba-Ibrahim’s resigned barely six weeks after the exit of Jibril.