Nigeria became a fourth Republic on May 29, 1999, when a new constitution was adopted and there was a transition of power from the then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar who was in power from the 9th of June 1998, after the death of General Sani Abacha, he handed over to Olusegun Obasanjo as a Democratic ruler.
This article will be looking at the Ministers who served under Obasanjo’s administration and what has become of them.
Igbo Ministers Who Served In Obasanjo’s Cabinet
When the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo was in power, he swore in Ministers into his Cabinet. The Ministers he chose, some of whom were from the Eastern District of Nigeria.
They are: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who served in the capacity of a Finance Minister, Fabian Osuji, who served as the Minister of Education, Chukwuemeka Chikelu’s portfolio was that of Information Minister, and Franklin Nweke, who served as Special Duties Minister.
After he reshuffled the Cabinet, some of the Ministers were dropped, new ones were inaugurated and some were redeployed to other Ministries. The new Ministers that were Igbos are Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Minister of Solid Minerals, Mrs. Chinwe Obaji, Minister of Education.
What happened to Them?
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala served Nigeria twice as a Minister of Finance, under Obasanjo and Jonathan’s administration. She made so many positive changes in that period like strengthening the financial system of the country, made it possible for Nigeria to be pardoned for a debt of $30 billion after much negotiations with the Paris Club, she was also a Foreign Affairs Minister.
After her time spent in government, she became a member of the International Commission on Financial Global Education Opportunity in 2015 and UNESCO in 2019.
She was the founder of the first Indigenous opinion-research Organization and the Centre for the study of the Economies of Africa. In 2020, she was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate to be director-general of the World Trade Organization for Nigeria. In March 2021 she became the director-general.
Fabian Osuji
He served as the Minister of Education but was dismissed by President Olusegun Obasanjo on the grounds of bribery and corruption when he was accosted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission for trying to bribe the National Assembly members $400,000 to pass the budget for the Ministry of Education that was increased.
Read this – All the Igbos heading parastatals under Buhari
He was later exonerated from all the charges in 2019 when no substantial evidence was found to back up the claim. It was as if he went off the radar as nothing much is said about him after his victory over the allegations.
Chukwuemeka Chikelu
He was the Minister of information in 2003, who tried to uplift the face of Nigeria abroad with his idea of Image Laundry. He also challenged Nigerian Journalists to talk about Female Genital Mutilation and expose it as an evil practice.
After serving his term, nothing new has been recorded about him aside from the fact that he is still a member of the People’s Democratic Party.
Frank Nweke
Not only did he serve as Minister of Special Duties in 2003, but he was also appointed as Minister of Information and National Orientation. He held this position until May 2007.
The last that was heard of him was when he sent a note of warning to Nigerians about being careful in order not to be robbed by fraudsters in the United Kingdom when they travel.
Obiageli Ezekwesili
After she finished her tenure as the Minister for Solid Mineral from June 2005 to 2006 under President Obasanjo, she was again appointed as the Minister of Education still under President Obasanjo. When the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo was over, Oby Ezekwesili took her time to focus on her career.
Oby is unapologetic about her bold vision for Nigeria and her continent, Africa. She recently vied for the presidential seat under the umbrella of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria and she was the only female candidate.
Although she had to step down from the presidential race just before the polls.
In 2020, she was selected as a Global Leadership Awards Honoree. Also, she filed a petition against one Mr. Japhet Omojuwa in April 2021, for using her name fraudulently in his firm, and then she reached another milestone in August 2021, when she became a senior fellow in Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs.
Chinwe Obaji
She was the first female who served the Nation in the capacity of an Education Minister. She did her best to fight the rot in the educational system and one way which she tried to do that was by introducing the post UME.
However, years after her exit from the position, she vanished into thin air as she has been absent from public scrutiny.
Written by Grace O.
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