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The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday held an emotional valedictory session for the outgoing Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed.
The environment minister who has served the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for fifteen months takes over as the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations.
At the valedictory session which held at the end of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, teary eyed ministers took turns to eulogize Mohammed who herself could not hold back tears.
The minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, descend her as a pride to womanhood and urged the President to appoint a woman as her replacement. The Budget minister, Udoma Udoma recalled their first meeting during her confirmation at the National Assembly. According to him they always tried to find fault in her or intimidate her but never succeeded. He said her appointment was a celebration for excellence and showed the quality of people in Nigeria.
On the other hand an emotion laden minster of state for environment, Ibrahim Jibril, who couldn’t hold back his tears said the past 15 months have been one of excitement working with a near perfect team leader. According to him Mohammed has added “value to what we do in Nigeria”.
While the minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, said she affected her environment his communications counterpart, Adebayo Shittu, said she was second to none on her job. ” some of us started learning on the job but she was a master” he said adding that the country is deficient is the area of environmental management.
For the minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun, Amina Mohammed has a way of making of making everything exciting. Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbe prayed that she will continue to shine like Nigeria who though going through tough times will continue to be a star.
The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed asked the ministers to take solace in the fact that she was leaving the cabinet for higher responsibilities.
Meanwhile, the Acting President in his own remarks said he was enthralled by the level of her knowledge which accommodates different issues and her insightful contributions as Council meetings.
Noting that Mohammed had sort his advice on accepting the job he said it would be easier to find a replacement for her as minister but a Nigerian may never have the opportunity of serving in that capacity for a long time. He envisaged that they may be pressures on her especially with the fact that she was coming from Nigeria. He jocularly added that “the only problem is that she speaks too fast. I have asked her to talk slowly and she is doing better now” .
In response, Mohammed who couldn’t hold back her tears thanked the Acting President and urged him to convey her gratitude to the President for giving her the opportunity to serve.
She said Nigeria’s flag will fly high on the 38th floor of the United Nations building as she resumes. “This is for the young girls and women” she said.
Mohammed who resumes as the deputy UN Scribe next month, was a Special Adviser to the Former scribe Ban Ki-Moon before taking up her appointment as minister of Environment.
She was also Senior Special Assistant to the former President Goodluck Jonathan, on the Millennium Development Goals.
