Jonathan reshuffles Cabinet, Babalola now Special Duties Minister

Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan has announced a minor cabinet change, moving erstwhile Minister of State, Finance, Remi Babalola to Special Duties while the former Minister for Special Duties, Caleb Olubolade, takes over as the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory.

New ministers have also been appointed; they include Kenneth Gbagi as the Minister of State for Education, Yabawa Lawan as the minister of State for Finance and Salamatu Suleiman as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

The new ministers were sworn-in today at the Federal Executive Council Meeting.

It would be recalled that Mr. Babalola as Minister of State, Finance had announced that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, is insolvent and cannot meet up it financial obligations.

According to Babalola, “NNPC is incapable of repaying the N450 billion owed to the Federation Account unless it is reimbursed the N1.156 trillion (in subsidies) it has requested from the federal ministry of finance,” he said.

But the Federal Government immediately distanced itself from Babalola's claim, insisting that the Minister acted on his own as he may have been misinformed.