Orubebe Becomes New Power Minister

Following the vacuum created in the Ministry of Power due to the resignation of former minister, Barth Nnaji, President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Godswill Orubebe as the new Power Minister.

Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati said this on Wednesday.

Barth Nnaji had resigned his appointment last August in the wake of revelations that he pushed for a company he maintained vested interest in to acquire the Afam power station in Port Harcourt.

The president also made a minor change to his cabinet.

In the minor cabinet reshuffle, the president swapped the Minister of State for Power, Gauis Dickson, with the Minister of State for Niger Delta, Zainab Kuchi.

The change takes effect from next week, Abati, the president’s spokesman said.

According to the Special Adviser,  the president made the changes via directives he issued at the Federal Executive Council.

Abati said the step taken by the president in the  power sector  is geared towards strengthening the sector.

The first directive was on the swapping of positions between the two ministers, who he stated will change positions as from next week.

The President also ordered that the council should not receive fresh memos concerning contracts from November 30, 2012.

The president is yet to give reasons for the reshuffle.

Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe was born on 6 June, 1959 at Ogbobagbene, Burutu Local Government Area in Delta State. He is of Ijaw origin. He attended the University of Lagos, gaining a B.Sc in Political Science in 1985. Later he obtained a Masters Degree in International Relations from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in 2005.

Orubebe became a Supervisory Councilor, and later Chairman of Burutu LGA. In July 2007, President Umaru Yar'Adua appointed him Minister of Special Duties. Later,  he became Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs when that ministry was created in December 2008. 

In January 2010 he said that the proposed 10% equity share policy on infrastructural development in the Niger Delta region would make vandalism and crisis a thing of the past.

He was appointed Nigerian Minister of Niger Delta on 6 April 2010 when then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.