Buhari: Why President hasn’t inaugurated ministers

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, Buhari is yet to inaugurate his cabinet because the Senate is yet to send an official letter to announce the ministers’ confirmation.

The Senate, on October 29, 2015, completed the confirmation process for President Muhammadu Buhari’s 36 ministerial candidates.

However, Buhari has not sworn in his cabinet members or assigned them portfolios.

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, Buhari is yet to inaugurate his cabinet because the Senate is yet to send an official letter to announce the ministers’ confirmation.

“The communication cannot be done until when the senators in plenary approve the votes and proceedings of the decision taken at the last week’s sitting of the Senate,” Enang told Punch on Sunday, November 1, 2015.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu also confirmed the report.

“As I am talking to you now, the President is yet to receive any message from the Senate that the ministerial nominees have been cleared. Maybe the Senate will do this when it resumes this week but it has not done so yet,” Shehu said.

“It is only when that is done that the President can go ahead to swear in the nominees to become members of the Federal Executive Council,” he added.

READ: Will Buhari's cabinet work miracles?

Shehu also said that the President had not yet assigned portfolios despite reports to the contrary.

READ: Government denies assigning portfolios to ministers

Meanwhile, Buhari has revealed that not all the ministerial candidates will have specific portfolios.

READ: Buhari to decide ministers' inauguration date

The president also confirmed that the number of ministries would be reduced from 42 to an undisclosed number in a bid to cut costs.

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