Prior to his appointment as Minister of Education by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, Mallam Adamu Abe said that he was not familiar with the education sector.
During a valedictory session held with officials and heads of parastatals of the Ministry on Thursday, Adamu, the longest-serving minister, disclosed this information.
However, with the assistance of officials from the Federal Ministry of Education helping him to compile some successes, he was also praised for his appointment of a number of professors and other competent persons.
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When I was appointed Minister of Education,I knew nothing at all about the educational sector except superficiality. But I was appointed education minister by Buhari when he decided to appoint me,” Adamu said. In order to help me with a policy document on the subject of schooling, I’ve asked some people for their assistance. Because I wasn’t experienced in this field. I’ve shared this idea with them, and they have helped me a great deal during these years. I will always be grateful to them.
The minister gave thanks to the president, who deemed him worthy and trusted him with such a responsibility, even though I wasn’t yet ready for this kind of work. “I have been busy making recommendations and suggestions to the president for the appointment of ministers in 2015,” he said. Suddenly, to my surprise, he announced my name, and that was it. Until 2019, we worked together.
“In 2019, I advised the President to shuffle his cabinet after four years, as it was uncommon in our society to work with the same ministers for that long. The President had kindly allowed his ministers to remain in office for four years.” Ministers typically serve for two years before being reshuffled, but I anticipated difficulty for him because I know him well. I suggested dropping all first-term ministers, including myself. To prove my capabilities, I recommended a replacement from Bauchi, Maryam Katagun, to become a Federal Minister.
