Sacked Education Minister Says She’s Going Back To Her Lecturing Job

Sacked Minister of Education, Professor
Ruqayyatu Rufa'i, who was just relieved of her
position by President Goodluck Jonathan in a
cabinet reshuffle yesterday, has said she
would go back to the university to teach.
The minister, who handed over the affairs of
the Ministry of Education to the Minister of
State in the ministry, Chief Nyesom Wike, as
directed by the president, told journalists that
she would be going back to continue with her
job as a teacher.
Before her appointment as a minister, Rufa'i
was a professor of Curriculum Studies at the
Bayero University, Kano.
"I called you here to witness the handing over
because as you are all aware, my tenure as
minister has expired along with eight others.
"I am going back to resume my job as a
Professor of Curriculum Studies at the Bayero
University Kano, that is where I came from on
secondment.
"We should know that a time like this will come
because if it does not, death is surely an end,"
According to the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN), Rufa'i expressed gratitude to the
president for the opportunity given her to
serve as a cabinet minister.
"I have enjoyed a close working relationship
with the president.
"Of course, there were times we had our
disagreements, but overall we enjoyed
working together," she added.
Rufa'i also thanked the former Minister of
State for Education who succeeded her
Nyesom Wike and other officials of the
ministry for the support she enjoyed during
her tenure in the ministry, and tasked them
not to relent in achieving the sector's goal of
Access and Quality.
In his remarks, Wike described Rufa'i's exit as
"painful" but said "when we are not in control,
there is nothing we can do."
He said because of the cordial working
relations between them, the two had never
been summoned by the president to define
their roles. He also thanked the former
minister for her good leadership.
"I, therefore, implore you, please do not
abandon the ministry, continue to give us the
advice you would have been giving if you were
here," he said.