National
PROFILE: Introducing Bianca Ojukwu and Six Other Ministerial Nominees
By Nathaniel Irobi
President Bola Tinubu initiated a highly anticipated cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, resulting in the dismissal of five ministers and the nomination of seven new candidates for Senate confirmation. Additionally, ten ministers were reassigned to new portfolios.
Among the new nominees, Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu has been proposed for the role of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, while Nentawe Yilwatda is nominated as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, effectively concluding the tenure of the suspended Betta Edu. Other nominees include Maigari Dingyadi for Minister of Labour and Employment, Jumoke Oduwole as Minister of Industry, Idi Maiha for the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development, Yusuf Ata as Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Suwaiba Ahmad as Minister of State for Education.
The President removed Uju-Ken Ohanenye from the position of Minister of Women Affairs, Lola Ade-John from Tourism, Tahir Mamman from Education, Abdullahi Gwarzo from Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, and Jamila Ibrahim from Youth Development.
President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the outgoing members of the Federal Executive Council for their contributions and wished them well in their future endeavors. He urged the newly appointed and reassigned ministers to view their roles as a commitment to serving the nation and emphasized the administration’s resolve to guide Nigeria towards sustainable growth.
In August 2023, Tinubu, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), appointed 48 ministers shortly after his inauguration, all of whom were swiftly approved by the Senate. Notably, Betta Edu was suspended in January, while Simon Lalong transitioned to the Senate.
Calls for a cabinet reshuffle had emerged from various quarters, reflecting public dissatisfaction with the performance of some ministers amid rising inflation, economic hardship, and increasing insecurity. In September, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga indicated that a cabinet reshuffle was forthcoming, although no specific timeline was provided.
**Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu**
Bianca Odumegu-Ojukwu is a distinguished diplomat, lawyer, businesswoman, and former beauty pageant titleholder. Appointed as Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, she later served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ghana and then to Spain. Currently, she holds the position of Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Widowed from former Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, she is recognized for her multiple international pageant titles.
**Maigari Dingyadi**
Maigari Dingyadi, a Sokoto native, served as Minister of Police Affairs from August 2019 until May 2023. He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria in 1978 and has held significant political roles, including representing Bodinga Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He is a former Secretary to the Sokoto State Government and has chaired the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) in Abuja.
**Jumoke Oduwole**
Jumoke Oduwole is an academic, advisor, and speaker who acted as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business from August 2019 until May 2023. Prior to that, she served as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade & Investment within the Office of the Vice President. Currently on leave from her position as Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos, she specializes in Jurisprudence and International Law.
**Nentawe Yilwatda**
A registered Engineer from Plateau State, Nentawe Yilwatda is also a community developer and lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State. He was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari as a Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2017, where he served as the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State.
**Idi Maiha**
Idi Maiha is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zaidi Farms Limited, based in Kaduna. He previously held the role of Managing Director at the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company.
**Yusuf Ata**
Yusuf Ata, an experienced educator, formerly served as the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly. He was also a Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor on Assembly Matters from 2003 to 2007, and later on Inter-Governmental Affairs.
**Suwaiba Ahmad**
Suwaiba Ahmad is a dedicated educationist and gender advocate. As a lecturer at Bayero University Kano, she currently directs the Centre for Gender Studies. Throughout her tenure at the university, she has occupied various roles, including level coordinator, examination officer, PG coordinator, Sub Dean Academics, and Head of the Department of Science Education.
Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has commended the judgment of the state governorship tribunal that affirmed his victory in the September 21, 2024, election.
On Wednesday, a three-member panel of the tribunal led by Wilfred Kpochi, a judge, ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, failed to prove the allegations against the respondents.
The tribunal held that “no competent witnesses were called” by the petitioners to prove the averments in their petition.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the election.
Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got 247,274 votes.
Ighodalo and PDP had approached the tribunal to challenge the outcome.
In a statement released by Fred Itua, his chief press secretary (CPS), Okphebolo asked Ighodalo and other members of the opposition parties to join hands with him for the progress of Edo state.
The governor commended the people of the state for their support and “belief in his vision for a prosperous and united state”.
He added that his administration “remains focused on delivering on its campaign promises and will not be distracted by frivolous litigation”.
“This victory is not mine alone, but a victory for every citizen and resident of Edo State,” the statement reads.
“It is a mandate to continue the work we have started, to build a state where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We remain committed to our promise of good governance, transparency, and inclusive development.”
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) says Arik Air airlifted 2,239,176 passengers in 2024, accounting for a 19.3 percent market share.
Arik Air has been under the receivership of AMCON since 2017.
Citing a report by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on international and domestic flight operations in 2024 in a statement on Wednesday, AMCON said Arik Air operated 10,699 flights between January and December 2024, making it the second most active airline in terms of passenger traffic and flight operations after Air Peace.
Breaking down the figure, the corporation said the report showed that Arik Air recorded 1,112,358 inbound passengers and 1,126,818 outbound passengers.
“According to the report, the total number of air travellers in the domestic scene in 2024 was 11, 549,443 with inbound at 5,727,700 and outbound passengers at 5,821,743. This figure shows that Arik Air captured 19.3 per cent of the total passenger traffic for 2024, while it had 15.1 per cent of the total 70,543 flights operated by the 15 domestic airlines in the year under review,” the statement reads.
“The Executive Summary on International and Domestic Flight Operations 2024, as captured by the NCAA, indicated that Arik Air had 1,112,358 and 1,126,818 as inbound and outbound passengers for 2024, respectively, making it a total of 2,239,176 passengers ferried in 2024.
“Monthly breakdown of the passenger traffic indicated that Arik Air had 37,772 inbound passengers and another 38,987 as outbound passengers in January 2024, totalling 76,759 passengers.
“For February, the airline recorded 38,217 as inbound and 39,209 as outbound, totalling 77,426; March, 37,183 as inbound and 37,642 as outbound, making it a total of 74,825; April, 31,326 as inbound and 31,971 as outbound, making 63,297.
“The airline in May 2024, also recorded 39,006 as inbound and 39,765 as outbound passengers, totalling 78,771 for the month, while the month of June had 37,710 as inbound and 38,617 as outbound, totalling 76,327.
“July, 156,146 as inbound and 159,044 as outbound, totalling 315,190; August, the airline recorded 153,080 as inbound and 144,259 as outbound, making it a total figure of 297,339 within the period.
“For the month of September, Arik Air recorded 143,396 as inbound and 145,096 as outbound, making it a total figure of 288,492; October, 129,506 as inbound and 133,330 as outbound, totalling 262,836.
“November, 252,448 as inbound and 255,578 as outbound, making it a total of 508,026, while December had 56,568 as inbound and 63,322 as outbound, making it a total of 119,890 passengers ferried within the period.”
The NCAA report, according to AMCON, indicated that Arik Air recorded only one overbooking or denied boarding incident in 2024, which occurred in October.
“Also, a month-by-month breakdown of flights operated by Arik Air in 2024 showed that the airline had a total number of 380 flights in January 2024; 419 flights in February and 468 flights in March 2024,” the agency said.
“Further breakdown showed that for the month of April, the airline operated a total number of 340 flights; May, 374; June, 350, while it peaked in July, going as high as 1,403 flights in just one month.
“Besides, in August, the airline operated 1,320 flights; in September, 1,352; in October, 1,266; in November, 2,442, while it operated a total of 585 flights in December 2024. The airline within the period also had a total number of complaints among the air travellers, with just 190, with the majority being resolved by the airline.
“The further breakdown of complaints indicated that for the month of January, there were no single complaints from any of its air passengers ferried within the period, had just two complaints in February, while March recorded only one complaint.
“April had four complaints; May, two; June, one; July, three; August received seven complaints; September, 28; October, 50; November, 67, while December 2024 recorded only 25 complaints from the flying public.
“Besides, Arik Air did not record a single baggage miss in 2024, with all 84 delayed baggage items, as indicated by the NCAA statistics, handed over to their owners.”
Olumide Ohunayo, general secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, described Arik Air’s 2024 performance as exceptional, transporting 2.23 million passengers, which he said reflects the airline’s resilience and strategic management under challenging conditions.
“With a 13.4 percent market share out of the 11.5 million total domestic passengers, Arik Air’s sustained dominance highlights its strong operational efficiency,” Ohunayo said.
“This result demonstrates Arik’s operational stability under receivership. Despite financial constraints, distractive litigations, fleet limitations, and regulatory challenges, the airline continued to deliver reliable air travel services, showing effective route management and passenger demand optimisation.
“It should be noted that Arik Air suffered severe disruptions due to a high court order grounding some of its aircraft last year when mediation was a better option to the instantaneous grounding by the executive.”
Also, Roland Iyayi, managing director of Top Brass Aviation Limited, praised Arik Air’s feat, stating that securing the second position in Nigeria’s domestic market ahead of Ibom Air (1.3 million passengers), Max Air (915,918), and Aero Contractors (964,900) is a “huge and massive achievement” given its receivership challenges.
“Arik Air’s performance is remarkable given its limited access to fresh capital, ageing fleet, and regulatory hurdles tied to its receivership status,” Iyayi said.
“The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) strategic support deserves recognition for its crucial role in stabilising Arik Air, ensuring its continued operations, and maintaining confidence among passengers.”
Iyayi credited AMCON’s intervention for Arik Air’s continued relevance in Nigeria’s aviation industry, preserving jobs, economic contributions, and ensuring safe services for travellers.
In January, the corporation said Arik Air and its affiliate companies had racked up debts exceeding N455 billion as of December 31, 2024.
Two groups, Northern Peoples Congress and Afenifere Youth Stakeholders’ Forum, has declared that the massive presence of constituents at the homecoming rally organised for Kogi West Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has all but ended the recall process initiated against her.
The groups both spoke to journalists shortly after the rally which was held on Tuesday despite efforts by the Kogi State Government to stop it.
The Chairman of the Northern peoples Congress, and the coordinator, Afenifere Youth Stakeholders’ Forum, Yusuf Alero and Kehinde Olatunde, respectively, said those behind the recall process against the Senator should be hiding their faces in shame.
In a joint statement they made available to journalists, they said, “The thousands of people who trooped out, walked long distances on their own, was a clear indication that Senator Natasha is cherished and loved by her people.
“What we saw was organic love, expressed wholeheartedly by the people despite the fruitless efforts of the powers that be.
“Having initiated the kangaroo recall process, their plan was to stop anything that would prove to the world that Senator Natasha’s constituents have no hand in it.
“However, they failed woefully as the people defied intimidation, defied the associated stress and trekked long distances to this place.
“The Kogi State Government and their accomplices should be hiding their faces in shame right now. They have been exposed before the world that they are not on ground in the state despite the mago mago electoral process that brought the current governor into power.”
The Igbo groups cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to live up to its name and avoid making itself a willful tool in the hands of politicians.
“All eyes are under the compromised INEC under Prof Yakubu Mahmood; he has never conducted a credible election in Kogi State.
“However, with what happened on Tuesday, the INEC does not need to be told that the people are ready to put their lives on the line to defend the mandate they gave to Senator Natasha.
“It is no longer business as usual; this particular case is business unusual,” the groups declared.