Kwara Governor Dissolves Cabinet, Retains SSG

The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq has dissolved his cabinet and ordered them to hand over to the most senior officers in their respective ministries.

The Governor in a statement on Sunday, January 3 by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye stated that the dissolution takes effect from December 31, 2020.

While thanking members of the sacked cabinet, the Governor disclosed that the Secretary to the State Government Prof. Mamman Sabah Jubril retains his seat.

The statement reads: “His Excellency especially commends the Honourable cabinet members for their contributions to the development of the state while also wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”

It noted that the cabinet members were sworn in on December 14, 2019, comprising at least 56.25% female, in what was remarkably the most gender-friendly cabinet on the African continent. The cabinet also had the country’s youngest commissioner.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, on Sunday ordered the suspension of workers accused of extortion at enrolment centres of the National Identity Management Commission.

Pantami ordered the suspension of the staff members involved in extortion of applicants at the NIMC Bauchi and Kaduna state offices.

NIMC noted that the workers were suspended following the claim that some personnel of the commission particularly at enrolment centres in Bauchi and Kaduna are extorting applicants.

The spokesman for the commission, Kayode Adegoke, in a statement released noted that the development is against the policy directive of the Federal Government, which required mobile network subscribers to update their Subscriber Identification Module registration with a valid NIN.

Pantami while speaking on the suspension said such act if permitted has the potency of derailing the SIM-NIN integration project.

The minister said enrolment for NIN was free of charge, adding that on no occasion should anyone pay to obtain an enrolment form or to have their biometrics captured.