Buhari Makes Statement on the Number of Ministries as He Receives Confirmed Ministers

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria require him to employ 36 Ministers and not 36 Ministries.

President Buhari stated this when the Senate President, Bukola Saraki came to hand over the list of the screened and approved ministerial nominees.
Buhari said, he was only bound by the constitution to have 36 ministers and not 36 ministries and that was why he submitted a 36-man ministerial nominees list.
“If I can remember, there must be a member from each of the 36 states.
“That was why I limited the number of my nominees to that number: 36.
“The Senate worked extremely hard and they have passed all the nominees.
“I think there is some enthusiasm in some parts of the Presidency today that portfolios are to be given to the 36.
“The constitution certainly said there must be one member of the cabinet from all the states, but the constitution did not say I must have 36 ministries.
“I will explain that in details.
“Because of the economic imperative, to have a lot of ministers, substantive ministers, let me put it that way, whatever somebody speculated in some of today’s newspapers, I think that the economy as I have seen it now since my sitting here for the last four months, that we are so much battered.
“Although some people are saying I am giving bad publicity and scaring away investors.
“Any investor who is interested in investing in Nigeria will seem to know more about the economy more than ourselves.
“So when I come and tell the truth about the position of the economy of the country, I am going out looking for investors.
“But I am confirming to them that we are truthful, that we need them to come and help us, help ourselves by getting in industries, manufacturing and services.
“They know our needs.
“The economy of human resources, I believe, will make them eventually come and help us.
“Mr. Senate President, I thank you very much for leading the Senate to do this hard work technically within record time.
“I assure you that we will follow the constitution and all the 36 will be sitting in the cabinet as the constitution stipulates.”
Speaking earlier, Saraki said: “Mr. President, we have finished the screening of the last batch of the ministerson Thursday and we waited for our vote of proceedings today, which we finished this morning.
“I want to formally present the list of the 18 ministers who have now been cleared to you and that makes a . of all your 36 nominees that have been cleared by the Senate.
“I was just engaging the SSA to check in the record when last that has happened.
“So it must be credit to the nominees that were submitted and also credit to the Senate,” The President said in a lengthy statement.