Finance Ministry: Ahmed Resumes, Says Nigeria’s Revenue In Crisis

Supervising Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, being received by Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse on arrival at the Ministry on Monday.

By  CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

The Supervising Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, appointed Friday last week by President Muhammadu Buhari on the exit of erstwhile Minister, Kemi Adeosun, resumed Monday, but with lamentation that the nation has serious revenue challenges.

She however, charged the management and staff of the Ministry to work had to justify the confidence of the President in their ability to achieve much needed economic turnaround in the country.

This is even as she vowed to work assiduously to ensure that the country attains greater economic stability.

It would be recalled that Adeosun last Friday, resigned unceremoniously following indictment of investigation on the genuineness or otherwise of her exemption certificate from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Having been privy to the report of the investigation which affirmed that the certificate was fake, Adeosun resigned.

Hajiya Ahmed was received at the Ministry by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse accompanied by other management staff of the Ministry.

She noted that the country is currently facing very serious revenue challenges, and it is the responsibility of the Ministry to do everything possible to shore up the revenue base of the country.

According to her during a meeting with the Permanent Secretary and Directors, “We have very serious revenue challenges and it is up to us to make sure we shore up the revenue base of the country.”

She charged the management staff of the Ministry to do all within their power to justify the confidence of the President in their ability to achieve much needed economic turnaround in the country.

“The President has a lot of confidence that we can do this if we work together. You are working for the President and at the end of the day, you’re working for the benefit of the citizens”, a statement by the Ministry’s Director of Information, Hassan Dodo, further quoted her as saying.

She expressed her readiness to ensure harmonious working relationship with the Permanent Secretary and management of the Ministry, whom she said are highly skilled.

Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse assured the Minister of the readiness of the management and staff of the Ministry to give her the needed support in her duties.

Until her New role as the Supervising Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed is the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning.

She was directed to oversee the Ministry of Finance by President Muhammadu Buhari , after the resignation  of former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi  Adeosun  on Friday, September 14, 2018.

She is a Fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), a member of the Nigerian Institute of Taxation and the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).