Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, though with a short-lived administration, is regarded as one of the most ethnic neutral and one of the best presidents Nigeria has ever had or would have had should have tenure been a longer one.
Under his tenure, he had more than five Igbo people as his ministers and they include Dr. Sam Egwu, Prof. Dora Akunyili, Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke, Mrs. Fidelia A. Njeze, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, etc.
We will be giving the full information (what they have been up to) about their whereabouts right from their ministerial tenure to this present time.
Dr. Sam Egwu
As it is with the tradition of selecting ministers from each state in the federation, Dr. Sam Egwu from Ebonyi state was appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the Minister of Education. This wasn’t a surprise to many as his record in the transformation of the educational sector in his state during his tenure as governor was so obvious.
Under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Sam Egwu won the seat of the governor of Ebonyi state in 1999 and governed till 2007 after securing a second mandate.
It was during his tenure as governor that he paved the way that made him the minister of education for the country under President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He however served as the commissioner of education for Ebonyi state before becoming their governor.
He was the minister of education from 2008 to 2010 after his tenure was marred by constant industrial actions from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university unions. He was replaced by Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufai.
After five years, he was to come back strong into the political sector as he contested and won as the senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
Till now, he serves as the senator representing his senatorial district and currently serves as the chairman Senate Committee on Industry.
Prof. Dora Akunyili
A trained pharmacist from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Dora Akunyili was appointed the Director-General of National Agency For Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) by President Olusegun Obasanjo, a position she held from 2001 to 2008 and was very instrumental in the fight against counterfeit drugs.
In 2008, Prof. Dora Akunyili was appointed Minister of Information and Communications by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, a position she held for two years. Her tenure is popular for the Rebrand Nigeria campaign.
Read this – All the Igbos who served in Obasanjo’s cabinet and where they are up
In 2010, under the umbrella of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), she contested for the position of Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, a position she lost to the candidate of ACN, Chris Ngige.
A result she vehemently refuted.
After battling cancer for up to two years, Prof. Dora Akunyili died in 2014, in an Indian hospital where she was seeking treatment.
Before her death, it was reported that she received more than 900 awards, more than any other Nigerian has ever received.
Sadly, her husband, Chike Akunyili, was murdered recently, in the month of September 2021, by gunmen at their home in Anambra State.
Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke
She is one of the most influential female politicians in Nigeria and served as the first female to head the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). She was appointed by Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the Minister of Mines And Steel Development from 2008 to 2010.
After that, she was also made Minister for Petroleum Resources by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in 2010. She held the position till 2015 when Goodluck Jonathan lost power.
In the same year, she was alleged to have embezzled 6 billion from the national coffers
Mrs. Fidelia A. Njeze
Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze was appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the Minister of State for Defence. After some reshuffling by the President, she was later made the Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources. She also served as the Minister of Aviation under the reign of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
In the year 2011, she was appointed the ambassador of Nigeria to Lichtenstein and Switzerland, a position she still holds till now.
Chief Ojo Maduekwe
He is an Igbo politician from Abia state and was appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on 26th of July, 2007. He held the position till 2010 after his position was dissolved by the office of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
He however went on to serve as the National Secretary of the then ruling party, People’s Democratic Party, PDP and served as the deputy campaign director of the PDP presidential campaign for the election of Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo.
He died in 2016.
Written by Prince Chime
Connect with us on Facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.