President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday relieved the Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission, Bolaji Abdullahi, of his position.
Abdulalahi, who was deployed to Sports from the Ministry of Youths Development was absent at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting where his sack was announced.
Interestingly, the minister was on his way to Poland to attend Indoor Athletics Championship when his sack was announced. He is expected to return home immediately.
To replace him is one of the newly sworn in ministers, Tamuno Danagogo from Rivers state.
It is not clear yet why the President sacked him even when his tenure as recorded tremendous achievements in international sporting events.
However, Prompt News gathered that the Senate may have complained to the President about the arrogant attitude of the erstwhile minister.
It is on record that for three years that he has been minister, he has never for once appeared before the Senate.
On Tuesday, he was billed to lead the National Sports Commission (NSC) officials to defend the 2014 sports budget before the Senate Sports Committee but was again absent.
The chairman of the Committee, Adamu Gumba, who was visibly angry had to put the budget defence on hold and asked the Director General of NSC, Gbenga Elegbeleye, to return when the minister is ready for them.
Defending the minister’s absence, Elegbeleye had told the committee that the minister left for Poland immediately after the PDP rally in Ilorin. Meanwhile, the President has sworn in the 11 ministers recently screened and cleared by the Senate.
The new ministers and their portfolios are:
Gen Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (Zamfara), Minister of Defnce
Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Minister of State Defence. Mohammed Wakil (Borno), Minister of State Power. Abduljelili Adesiyan (Osun), Minister of Police Affairs. Aminu Wali (Kano), Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom), Minister of Land and Housing. Lawrencia Laraba Mallam (Kaduna State), Minister of Environment. Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger), Minister of State, Agriculture Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Minister of Youth Development. Dr Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto State), Minister of State, Health. It is expected that further Cabinet reshuffle would be made soon as the Ministry of Aviation is yet to get a substantive minister
