After several months of speculations, President Muhammadu Buhari has finally been confirmed as the Minister of Petroleum.
This was confirmed after the Petroleum portfolio was omitted from the inauguration of ministers that happened at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, November 11.
The President will serve as the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources and will be assisted by Delta State born Ibe Kachikwu.
Buhari first revealed his intention of heading the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in his new cabinet while addressing some select reporters in New York on Tuesday, September 29.
playIbe Kachikwu will assist Buhari in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Punch)
"I wil remain Minister of Petroleum," he said after addressing a Global Leaders' Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism.
"I will appoint a minister of State for Petroleum."
According to him, this step is being taken as part of efforts to sanitise Nigeria's oil industry which is said to be plagued by corruption, massive fraud, and crude oil theft.
Buhari restated his determination to sanitise Nigeria's oil industry and free it from corruption and shady deals.
On Corruption, he pledged that the federal government will fight corruption, because it has been identified as the root of all problems hindering Nigeria as a nation.
Buhari is not the first president to have done this, it could be recalled that Olusegun Obasanjo, for most part of his tenure, was the mister of petroleum.
