The presidency has made it clear that Wale Edun, the former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and Musa Dangiwa, the Housing Minister and Urban Development Minister, were not fired; they resigned.
On Wednesday, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said that Edun had officially resigned from his job for health reasons before the announcement of his replacement on Tuesday.
Onanuga said that Edun, who turned 70 on Monday and has been sick lately, appropriately sent in his resignation letter on his birthday. In it, he thanked the President for the chance to serve Nigeria.
His letter said, “It has been a pleasure and an honor to work for your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
“With you as its leader, Nigeria has become stronger, more resilient, and more respected around the world.”
“I hope you and the government do well in the future.”
Onanuga says that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced Edun’s departure from the Cabinet, the former Minister visited President Tinubu at the Villa for a farewell visit.
The presidency said that Onanuga talked to the President for an hour before leaving to work on his own business.
Onanuga also said that Dangiwa had also resigned and thanked President Tinubu for the chance to serve on the Federal Executive Council.
Dangiwa, who is an architect, was the managing director of the Federal Mortgage Bank from 2015 to 2022 and the Secretary to the Katsina State Government before President Tinubu made him housing minister in August 2023.
The statement went on to say, “Edun, an economist and investment banker, was the Lagos State commissioner for finance from 1999 to 2004, when Bola Tinubu was governor.
“Before that, he worked at Chase Merchant Bank (later Continental) in Lagos from 1980 to 1986. In September 1986, he joined the World Bank through the Young Professionals program, which is only open to the best young people. He worked on economic and financial packages for a number of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He helped start Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited (now Stanbic IBTC) in 1989 and was the company’s executive director. He started Denham Management Limited in 1994. The company has since changed its name to the Chapelhill Denham Group. He was the chairman from 2008 to 2021.
“President Tinubu thanked Edun and Dangiwa for their hard work and important contributions to the administration’s economic reform program. He wished them the best of luck in their future endeavors.”
The President has also told the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to build on the reforms that are already in place and help the government reach its financial and economic goals with new focus, discipline, and creativity.
Onanuga also said that President Tinubu will soon send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, who is also from Katsina, to the Senate for confirmation. This is similar to what he did with Dangiwa.
