Jonathan dissolves cabinet, appoints Anyim SGF

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Legislature, Senate Monday, May 30th, 2011

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, appointed Senator Anyim Pius Anyim as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.

The announcement which was conveyed in a statement by the Federal Government last night also confirmed the formal dissolution of the federal cabinet and the expiration of the tenure of the National Security Adviser, Lt. Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi, rtd.

The government statement said the tenure of the ministers and the NSA ended on May 29. Aziza was, however, reappointed for a fresh tenure.

The appointment of the erstwhile President of the Senate followed heated debate in the country on the decision of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to rezone the office of SGF from the Northeast to the Southeast.

The debate in the Southeast was against the demand by some stakeholders from the region for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives which was prominently championed by some members of the Southeast caucus in the House and Igbo leaders led by Chief Emeka Ezeife.

However, the governors many of whom were wary of political conflicts with high office political holders from the region craved for the office of SGF. Among the names that were fronted in the lobby for SGF were erstwhile National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo, erstwhile National Secretary of the party, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and Senator Anyim.

While some political leaders from the region favoured Maduekwe, Vanguard had penultimate week reported that the governors from the region after a meeting conveyed their choice of Anyim to the President.

Anyim who was 50 on February 19, was president of the Senate between August 2000 and June 2003.

Anyim was born in Ishiagu, in the Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. He attended Ishiagu High School, now St. John Bosco, the Federal School of Arts and Science, Aba and was a pioneer student of the Imo State University, Uturu where he studied law between 1983 and 1987.

Anyim carried out his National Youth Service with the defunct MAMSSER where he met the then Director-General of the scheme, Prof. Jerry Gana.

He subsequently worked as the Head of Protection Department at the National Commission for Refugees, Abuja.

He was elected into the Senate in 1999 to represent the Ebonyi South senatorial constituency and became the nation’s third citizen in August 2000.wp_posts