The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, on Thursday, said he knew nothing about the education sector when he was appointed in 2015 by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).
He disclosed this at a valedictory session with officials and heads of parastatals of the Ministry.
Adamu, upon his appointment, shared his idea with those he called on to help him with a policy document on education.
“I didn’t know anything about the education sector when I was appointed Minister except superficially. But when Buhari decided to make me Minister of Education, I called some people to assist me work on a policy document on education because I was a novice in the sector. I shared my idea with them and they assisted me greatly, and I remain grateful to them for these years,” the minister said.
He, however, commended President Buhari for counting him worthy of such a task.
“I was busy making recommendations and suggestions to the President on who to appoint into his cabinet in 2015. All of a sudden, he announced my name to my surprise and that was it. We worked together till 2019.
“In 2019, I approached the President and suggested that he reshuffle his cabinet because, in the eyes of many, it was unusual in our society for a President to work with the same Ministers for four years. Buhari had graciously allowed his Ministers to stay in office for four years. Ordinarily, Ministers stay in office for two years before they are reshuffled.
“But I know him very well and I knew it will be difficult for him to do that. But I decided to make it easy for him by promising to bring people that would do the job better for me and others who served as Ministers in the first tenure.”
