.Elevates Oyedele to Finance Minister
President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor cabinet reshuffle in the membership of the Federal Executive Council.
According to a memo signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, two cabinet members, Mr. Wale Edun and Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa are to leave the cabinet while their replacements have been named.
Edun, until the latest development, was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy. He has been directed to hand over to Mr. Taiwo Oyedele who is now to take over as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy. Oyedele was formerly a Minister of State in the ministry.
Also Mr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma (PhD .) has been named as the ministerial nominee and minister designate for the Housing and Urban Development Ministry.
The memo also directed Dangiwa to hand over to the Minister of State in the ministry.
The memo stated that “all handing over and taking over processes should be completed on or before close of business on Thursday 23rd April, 2026.”
Explaining the President’s decision, Akume said: “These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
He said the President, in approving the cabinet reshuffle, has fully exercised his powers as conferred on him by Sections 147 and 148 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, as amended).
The President thanked the outgoing ministers for their services to the nation while wishing them the best in all their future endeavours.
The President, Akume noted, equally assured all cabinet members that “the process of reinvigoration shall be continuous.”
These were announced in a release by Yomi Odunuga,Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation dated April 20, 2026.
[7:09 PM, 4/21/2026] ibrahimolatunji: Cross River Govt confirms fresh case of COVID-19
The government of Cross River has reported an occurrence of COVID-19 in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday in Calabar.
According to him, the first reported case of the outbreak involved a Chinese national, who worked with Lafarge and flew into the country on March 17, before taking ill.
The commissioner stated that the Chinese’ case became worse at the medical facility of his office and had to be taken to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH.
He explained that at the UCTH, his samples were taken and all protocols followed; it was subsequently confirmed that he had symptoms of COVID-19.
“We are, however, happy to report that he is doing well,” the commissioner said.
Ayuk asserted that the ministry of health had, however, been repositioned by the current administration, to handle and manage any situation – diseases or epidemic outbreaks.
According to him, unfortunately, there have been silent infections and clear cases from time to time.
“But we are determined that for every ailment, every disease or outbreak, if it is identified here in the state, there should be no alarm.
“The state will do well in terms of surveillance or containment of an outbreak. Whatever it is, we will do our best to contain it. So, there is no alarm.
“When this case was reported in about three or four days ago, we decided to be careful to confirm and ensure that the processes involved with identifying and confirming every case of COVID-19, are duly followed.
“The protocols have been followed and confirmed that a 53-year-old Chinese who work in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state has COVID-19,” he said.
On her part, Dr Inyang Ekpenyong, State Epidemiologist, announced that in response to the case, the state emergency response unit had been activated.
She, however, noted that there was currently an ongoing contact tracing and line listing of those the Chinese might have been in contact with.
While noting the last case of confirmed case of COVID-19 in Cross River to be in 2022, the epidemiologist, however, feared that the Chinese might have contacted the virus here in Nigeria.
“The incubation period for this virus is usually between two to 14 days, but the Chinese flew into Nigeria from China on March 17 and started developing the symptoms on April 10.
“This is well beyond the 14 days incubation period. Like I said, we are doing the line listing of those he may have come in contact with, as part of our containment efforts.
“We have also activated the emergency response center and deployed rapid response teams to Akamkpa, where the victim works.
“There is no way we can stop this disease, but we can stop the disease outbreak.
“It will be wrong not to contain or manage it by ensuring that people do not die,” she stated.
Similarly, Dr Yewande Olatunde, the World Health Organisation, WHO, Coordinator in Cross River, stated that the disease was still around.
“We must explore all preventive measures to protect ourselves,” she stressed.
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