Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said only President Muhammadu Buhari can decide the fate of the ministers who had resigned before to contest various electoral positions only to make a U-Turn.
Human Rights Activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had argued that the affected ministers could not just walk majestically back into their offices anymore after tendering their resignation letters. He had argued that they would have to be renominated and sent to the Senate for screening and clearance before being sworn-in to continue their jobs.
But speaking to State House Correspondents after Wednesday’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, Lai Mohammed pleaded that he be given some time to clarify the situation with the President.
“About ministers returning or not going, I think you need to give me more time so that I can tell you exactly what the situation is. Right now, I need to cross-check. I need to confirm again from Mr President what the situation is.
“You see the final decision on who is going, who’s coming back, who’s not going lies with Mr. President.”
Some of the ministers like the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of State for Petroleum, Timpre Sylva and Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Talle had all claimed that they would continue with their jobs even after the President had held a valedictory session for them at State House.
At the time of filing this report, Ngige was reported to be in South Africa in an official capacity attending a conference on Child Labour put together by the International Labour Organization while others were said to be in the offices in Abuja.
