By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday confirmed the appointment of the seven ministerial nominees President Bola Tinubu sent to it last week.
The nominees were screened and approved by the committee of the whole, while their appointments were confirmed at plenary.
The ministers-designate and their ministries are Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda (Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction), Muhammadu Dingyadi (Labour & Employment), Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Minister of State Foreign Affairs), and Dr. Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment).
Others are Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Livestock Development), Yusuf Ata (State, Housing and Urban Development), and Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad (Minister of State Education).
The nominees answered specific questions that the senators asked them regarding their fresh ideas and plans for their proposed ministries.
*Bianca Ojukwu’s appointment renews call for unity government
Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, and Tony Nwoye commended President Tinubu for appointing Bianca, the wife of the late Igbo leader, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as Minister.
They said the development indicated that Tinubu was committed to forming a government of National Unity.
Bianca, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, confirmed the South East senator’s assertion and emphasized that Nigeria would experience massive transformation if its citizens came together with a commitment to peace.
She stated, “I am here because I believe that if we can come together sincerely to commit to serving this nation, focusing on ensuring peace, then the sky is the limit for this country.
She noted that the combined efforts of cultural, governmental, and diplomatic organisations could drive transformative change.
“There is hope for this country if we sincerely commit to unity and focus on peace, Nigeria’s potential is limitless.”
She highlighted the importance of diplomatic and cultural engagement as key to national growth.
Odimegwu-Ojukwu told the senators her plans to ensure that Nigeria’s missions abroad wear facelift and narrated how she transformed the country’s embassy in Madrid during her tenure as the ambassador.
The widow of the late Biafra warlord explained how she spent a year living in a hotel due to the poor state of the Nigerian Embassy in Madrid.
She detailed how the embassy’s deteriorated condition did not align with Nigeria’s image abroad, motivating her to lead an extensive refurbishment project.
She said, “I would like to say that my records speak for me. As an ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain. I spent an entire year in one hotel room because the mission building was in such an appalling condition when I got to Spain.”
She recounted how the building’s state was so dismal it was embarrassing, especially given its location, very close to the upscale estate of Galagao, where people would pass by on their way to various events and matches.”
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, “The Nigerian embassy in Madrid that you see today is the product of my time in that country,” she said, noting that her focus was to restore Nigeria’s image to one that “truly deserves a designation of outstanding.”
She lamented that Nigerian embassies abroad face funding challenges, which she promised to tackle as Minister.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged the Nigerian government to prioritize embassy maintenance under the current administration.
*Ministers-designate unfold plans for various ministries
The minister-designate for the Ministry of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, assured Nigerians that the issue of farmers-herders clash would be a thing of the past after developing the 417 grazing areas in the country.
He said the new ministry intends to develop a database of all animal husbandry-related infrastructure, that is, all the grazing reserves in the country.
Maiha also said he would provide necessary infrastructure and social amenities in all the 417 legally recognized grazing reserves across the country to discourage open grazing.
He said, “We also want to know all the cattle routes and all the viable dams. From there, we will develop grazing reserves with no legal inconveniences. The ministry intends to work with other critical stakeholders to realize this vision.
“We intend to encourage people by making those incentives across all those 417 grazing areas in the country to ensure that those areas are suitable and have sufficient grass and water to contain those animals.”
To make the programme successful, he sought the support and encouragement of the state governors, local government chairmen, and traditional rulers.
He also pledged to embrace the modern way of rearing livestock and introduce the same to the country.
The minister-designate for the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, pledged to continue the Tinubu administration’s economic policy, which focuses on investment, productivity, and job creation.
She noted that the key monetary and fiscal policy reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy have started to deliver some results.
She said, “Perhaps we now need to deliver the convergence of these two pillars of monetary and fiscal policy, with trade, investment, and industrial policies, to drive growth further.
“The three priority areas that I would work on to align with the existing and ongoing policies, if confirmed by this hallowed chamber, would be investment retention and attraction, boosting exports and foreign exchange earnings, and creating productive jobs through vibrant domestic industry.
“Another area would be supporting free trade zones and special economic zones to enhance operational efficiency.
“They’re very important for manufacturing investments to come into Nigeria and promoting localized production. Nigeria has 55 licensed free trade zones contributing to the GDP, but many more significant jobs can be produced.
“The second thing in the trade area is to boost exports to earn more foreign exchange. As we support MSMEs and larger enterprises in accessing markets, we will collaborate with stakeholders to increase exports, supporting them practically and tangibly,” she added.
