UN-Bound Amina Mohammed Gets Emotional Farewell

By Victor Ernest with agency report

The Federal Executive Council held a valedictory session in honour of the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who is leaving the cabinet to join the United Nations where she will serve as the body’s Deputy Secretary General.

The outgoing minister, who would resume her duties at the UN headquarters in New York, in March, attended her last council meeting on Wednesday where she was celebrated by her colleagues.

The valedictory session, which was presided over by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, saw the minister as well as the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril, expressing their emotions in tears.

Ministers took turns to eulogise Mohammed before Osinbajo rounded the emotion-laden session off with his remarks.

The ministers described her as a role model, a goal-getter and a source of pride to Nigeria.

Osinbajo lauded the contributions of Mohammed to the present administration’s achievements.

He said the minister seemed to be knowledgeable in practically all fields, including law.

Mohammed later thanked her colleagues for the honour.

She promised to keep Nigeria’s flag flying at the world stage when she resumes at the UN headquarters soon.

At the end of the session, the cabinet members took pictures with the outgoing minister.

She later told State House correspondents that Nigeria stood to gain a lot from her appointment.

She said, her appointment to the UN has brought Nigeria closer to the decision making circle of the world.

According to her, the UN Security Council would visit Nigeria in two weeks time.

She said the visit would give the country the opportunity of  showing the council ”exactly what the President has been highlighting and that nexus between poverty, conflict and climate change.”

The outgoing minister disclosed that the council would visit the North-East to ”see some of the root causes of our young people being dragged to terrorism.”