When Teary Amina Mohammed Was Honoured At Her Last FEC Meeting

AISHA ABUBAKAR

It was an emotional moment in the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, as Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council held a valedictory session for the out-going Minister Of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed.

The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who chaired the session, described the out-going minister as a role model to Nigerian women and millions of youths across the country including his two daughters.

He lauded her contributions to the government and the society at large.

Osinbajo said, “We have always been very fascinated by her incredible understanding of so many different things.

“It’s actually quite amazing that we have one person who seems to know so much, who is competent in practically everything: finance, planning, environment and even law sometimes.”

He announced that a special valedictory dinner would be held in her honour Thursday.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed added that Mrs. Mohammed had made the nation proud, saying the only consolation was that she is leaving to assume higher responsibilities.

According to him, Nigerians are confident that she is going to succeed in her new assignment at the UN.

Her other colleagues took turn to also lauded her achievements, describing her as a gift from Nigeria to the world.

The minister, who could not hide her emotions while giving her address, said she was proud to be the one to fly Nigeria’s flag up there at the United Nations, promising to give it her best shot.

In her previous engagement with the UN, 55-year-old Mohammed was a key player in the Post-2015 development process, serving as the Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Post-2015 development planning.

In this role, she acted as the link between the Secretary-General, his High Level Panel of Eminent Persons (HLP), and the General Assembly’s Open Working Group (OWG), among other stakeholders.

She also acted as the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals after serving three presidents over a period of six years.

In 2005, she was charged with the coordination of Nigeria’s debt relief funds toward the achievement of the MDGs. From 2002-2005, Mohammed coordinated the Task Force on Gender and Education for the UN Millennium Project.