The Cabinet of Shehu Shagari formed the government of Nigeria during the presidency of Shehu Shagari between 1979 and 1983, after the return to civilian rule with the Second Nigerian Republic. Among the cabinet Ministers are Adamu Ciroma, Bello Maitama Yusuf, Mamman Ali Makele etc. It was terminated by a military coup.
History Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo became head of the government after an attempted coup in February 1976. He managed the transition to civilian rule in an election won by the National Party of Nigeria led by Shehu Shagari. Shagari took office on 1 October 1979. He then appointed 61 ministers, of whom 24 were of cabinet rank. The ministers were both Muslim and Christian fairly distributed ethno religious sections of the country Shagari made extensive use of the Cabinet Office, an organisation of leading professional civil servants, where it would have been more typical of a presidential system to rely more on political appointees.
Shagari's government was accused of having immensely powerful ministers in his cabinet. While he worked honestly, he didn't seem to have full grip of dishonest men working alongside him. Although, this view may be as result of the dictatorial military years preceding the second republic
Shehu Shagari's National Party of Nigeria (NPN) won the 1983 general elections. The political parties resorted to violence, arson, vote rigging and other malpractices in the struggle for victory. After the second election, Shagari removed all but seven of the former members of his cabinet, and appointed various respected technocrats such as Emeka Anyaoku in an effort to combat corruption within his cabinet. shagari also introduced a new ministry under Maitama Sule in order to launch his ethical revolution program which had War Against Indiscipline as part of it.
Soon after Shagari began his second term as president on 31 December 1983, the military staged a coup. It was led by Major Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon. The coup was launched two days after Shagari had announced an austerity program, forced due to a fall in the price of oil, which provided 90% of government revenue. Shagari and many cabinet members were arrested and detained without trial.
Ministers
Cabinet members included: Office Minister Notes 'President Shehu Shagari 1979–83Vice-president Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme 1979–83 Agriculture Ibrahim Gusau December 1979 – February 1982 Adamu Ciroma February 1982 – October 1983Attorney General and Justice Richard Akinjide December 1979 – October 1983 Aviation Samuel Mafuyai December 1979 – February 1982John Kadiya February 1982 – October 1983 Commerce Isaac Shaahu December 1979 – February 1982Bello Maitama Yusuf February 1982 – October 1983 Communications Akanbi Oniyangi December 1979 – February 1982 Audu Innocent Ogbeh February 1982 – October 1983 Defence Iya Abubakar December 1979 – February 1982 Akanbi Oniyangi February 1982 – October 1983 Education I. C. Madubuike December 1979 – February 1982 Sylvester Ugoh February 1982 – October 1983 Employment, Labor and Productivity Adebisi Ogedengbe December 1979 – February 1982 Emmanuel Osanmor February 1982 – October 1983 External Affairs Ishaya Audu December 1979 – October 1983 Emeka Anyaoku 1983 Federal Capital Territory John Kadiya December 1979 – February 1982 Abubakar Iro Danmusa February 1982 – October 1983Finance & Works Sunday Essang December 1979 – October 1983Health D. C. Ugwu December 1979 – October 1983 Housing (and Environment from 1981) Wahab Dosunmu December 1979 – February 1982 Ahmed Musa February 1982 – October 1983Industries I. J. Igbani December 1979 – October 1983Information Garba Wushishi February 1982 – October 1983 Internal Affairs Maitama Bello Yusuf December 1979 – 1981 Janet Akinrinade (Minister of State) December 1979 – October 1983 Iya Abubakar 1981–1982 Ali Baba (Minister of State)1981 – 1982 Ali Baba 1982 – 1983Mines and Power Mohammed Hassan December 1979 – October 1983
External Affairs II || October 1983 - 31 December 1983 National Planning Ebun Oyagbola December 1979 – October 1983 Police Affairs Emmanuel Osanmor December 1979 – February 1982 Ndagi Mahmudu February 1982 – October 1983Public Works & Finance Victor Masi December 1979 – October 1983 Science and Technology Sylvester Ugoh December 1979 – February 1982 Wahab Dosunmu February 1982 – October 1983Social Welfare, Youth, Sports (to 1982) and Culture Paulinus Amadike December 1979 – February 1982Sports Development Adebisi Ogedengbe February 1982 – October 1983 Steel Development Paul Unongo (MOS) December 1979 – February 1982 Mamman Makele February 1982 – October 1983Transport Umaru Dikko December 1979 – October 1983 Water Resources Ndagi Mahmudu December 1979 – February 1982 E. Y. Atanu February 1982 – October 1983
Notes
Sources