The Presidency, Wednesday, confirmed that Zainab Ahmed who relinquished her former portfolio as the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning has been appointed to supervising Minister of Finance.
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Ahmed as the supervising Minister of Finance, following the resignation of Mrs Kemi Adeosun from the cabinet over allegation of parading forged National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, exemption certificate.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, confirmed to State House correspondents after the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Buhari at the Council Chamber Presidential Villa, Abuja, that Zainab was no longer Minister of State, following her redeployment to the Finance ministry.
Asked to clarify whether she was a substantive minister, Adesina affirmed that Mrs Ahmed will now be the Minister of Finance, saying she was, indeed, addressed as such at the FEC meeting.
According to him, “You know she was minister of state budget and national planning. She will relinquish that or she has relinquished that to go and oversee the finance ministry, so that is her status for now.”
Pressed on whether Zainab was a a supervising minister, overseeing minister or acting Minister of Finance, he said,“It is a matter of nomenclature. Yes, but she is overseeing the ministry.”
Asked how she should be addressed, the presidential spokesman further answered, “What you call her is a matter of nomenclature but if she is overseeing the ministry, then she is.
“But note that she is no longer minister of state budget and national planning for now until anything contrary happens. But for now, she is in charge of the Ministry of Finance.”
Citing the statement announcing Zainab’s redeployment, Adesina stated: “Well, you know that statement was written in English and that statement says she will oversee the ministry of finance. Let’s leave it like that.
“I just told you she is no longer Minister of State budget and National Planning; she will be Minister of Finance. In fact, that was how she was addressed at council.
“Don’t forget it is also a legal thing, if a minister is going to be appointed there are procedures. That is why it is a deployment.”
Many cabinet members had before the commencement of FEC, flocked around Mrs Ahmed, instead of going straight to their seats, to exchange pleasantries.
She had sat on the seat usually occupied by Adeosun which is placed between the seats of Mohammed Bello, the Minister of FCT, and Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the hall.
Ahmed, who was the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning before last Friday, normally walks in to the chamber alone and moved straight to her seat and only greeted a few cabinet members on her way to her seat.
