We’ll be President’s foot soldiers in states –Maku
Barring any last minute change of mind, seven ministers will be out of President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet by next Federal Executive Council (FEC) meet­ing. The ministers gave indications to­quit their positions in order to run for elective offices in 2015 in their respec­tive states.
Those who the president said would quit by next week are Ministers of Informa­tion, Labaran Maku; Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Investment, Samuel Ortom; his counterparts in Education and Defence ministries, Nyesom Wike and Musiliu Obanikoro.
Others, who have given notices to quit their posts to pursue political ambitions, are the Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu; his Health counterpart, Onyebuchi Chuk­wu and the Minister of State for Niger Delta, Dairus Ishaku.
The ministers, whose departure had long been expected, intend to contest guberna­torial elections in their respective states.
Jonathan, who hinted at the time of the valedictory FEC meeting that the ministers were yet to officially submit their letters of resignation, said the valedictory session was necessary to enable him appreciate those who had served meritoriously but may not be around by next Wednesday.
His words: “If you are a public officer or you are a civil servant, if you have to go into an elective office, you have to disen­gage on or before 20th of this month. That is according to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) constitution and I can see most of you are from the PDP.
“Going by that, that means that any of our colleagues, who has the interest to contest any level of election, may not be with us by next council day, that is next Wednesday.
“I think people may want to know what is the fate of XYZ, but I want to make it very clear that as at this morning, about seven members of council may, and I use the word, may, because you don’t con­clude anything in politics until there…. So, seven of us may not be here next Wednes­day if their plans continue, the President explained.
“But we may not say they are not with us until they write to us through the secre­tary of government. As we are talking, no­body has written and we have not dropped anybody
Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, who spoke on behalf of council, said they would be missed but expressed happiness that they would be taking away experience that would help them impact positively on their states.
Maku, who responded on behalf of those ministers that were leaving the cabi­net, said President Jonathan needed foot soldiers to propagate his good deeds to the people of the states.
In an emotion-ladden tone, he appealed to Jonathan to forgive them if they had been found wanting while delivering their assignments.

2015: Maku, Wike, Obanikoro, Ishiaku, others quit Jonathan’s cabinet