The immediate past Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, on Tuesday said he was leaving the ministry to begin preparations to contest the 2015 governorship election in Yobe.
Mr. Ngama, who made the disclosure at a send-off party organised in his honour by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja, said he had to leave early because of the magnitude of work to be done.
“It is true that I am leaving to further my political activities in Yobe State.
“I want to use the opportunity to spread the word of all the things the government of President Goodluck Jonathan has achieved to my people.
“Nigeria is privileged to have a leader who is very caring, humble and who does not talk too much”, he said.
Mr. Ngama appealed to Nigerians to pray for the people of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa who he said, were under a state of war.
“It is not easy to say that you are going to campaign in Yobe state. It is like you are going to give your life for your country because of the state of insecurity over there.
“But that is the reason why I have to go out there to bring purposeful leadership to that part of the country.
“Most of what is happening there is because of failed leadership, so we have to go and let the people know that they must be proud to be Nigerians”, he said.
Mr. Ngama thanked the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, for making his stay at the Ministry pleasant and for mentoring him on ways to manage the country’s finances.
He urged staff of the ministry to develop themselves and work together for the greater good of the nation.
Earlier, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said it came as no surprise that Ngama was leaving the ministry as he was open about his political inclination.
“Thank you for your time here in the ministry. I applaud you for being a wonderful co-pilot in this ministry, especially the way you conducted affairs during the monthly FAAC meetings.
“We were hoping you would have waited a bit longer, especially with the Finance Ministers Conference and the World Economic Forum coming up later this year”, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said.
(NAN)
