Nigeria’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan Dissolves The Country’s Entire Cabinet

Acting President Jonathan - Stamping his authority

The acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has dissolved the Country’s Federal Executive Council (Cabinet). The offices of the more than forty Cabinet Ministers were dissolved late Wednesday, immediately after a seven hour long cabinet meeting at the chambers of the Federal Executive Council at State House of Aso Rock in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. According to outgoing Federal Minister of Information and Communication Professor Dora Akunyili, “the acting President did not say anything. “He dissolved the Federal Executive Council (cabinet) late Wednesday evening.

State House Journalists say within a minute after the end of the meeting, and Cabinet Ministers were out of the chambers, Acting President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan announced that they will no longer be Ministers, because he has dissolved the executive council of the federation. “The acting president Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan did not give us any reason for the dissolution of council. Said outgoing Information Minister”. Adding  the permanent secretaries will be in charge of the Ministries. “Tomorrow morning, I am going to hand over to my permanent secretary: and I believe that by tomorrow, other Ministers will hand over to their Permanent Secretaries. That is the usual practice for a Minister to hand over to a Permanent Secretary.

Wednesday’s dissolution of the Federal Executive Council is a deviation from the usual practice. Names of prospective Ministers are first sent to the House of Senate for scrutiny while the outgoing Minister stays in office till he hands over. The dissolution of the Cabinet came five weeks after Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan assumed office as acting President.

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