- Safiu Kehinde
The Presidency has clarified the removal of former Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.
NPO Reported that President Bola Tinubu had yesterday removed both ministers with former Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, replacing Edun while Dangiwa was replaced by Muttaqha Rabe Darma.
Meanwhile, some reports had claimed that the ex-ministers were sacked by the President.
Reacting to the reports in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, held that both former ministers duly resigned from their roles and not sacked.
Onanuga disclosed that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday, resigned on health reasons.
“Former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, duly tendered his resignation from office, citing health reasons, before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced his replacement on Tuesday.
“Also, the former Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, similarly resigned and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
“Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.” Onanuga wrote.
On Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun reportedly paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa.
He held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.
Onanuga said that the President had in reaction to their resignation expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.
In the same vein, Tinubu urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.
The President, according to Onanuga, will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation.