Buhari alters mode of prayer as he presides over FEC

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

But the President for the first time, altered the mode of prayer by appointing two Christian Ministers to pray before the commencement of the meeting.


First, he called on the Minister of the Environment Jibril Ibrahim who is a Muslim to pray but because he was not around as at the commencement of the meeting, he appointed the Minister Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh who is a Christian to pray.

After Ogbeh, President Buhari called on the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige who he described as being combative to pray.

Ngige reminded the President that it was a Christian that said the first prayer, but Buhari told him to go ahead amidst surprise by other cabinet members who felt it was novel for two persons of the same faith to say the opening pray at FEC contrary to the tradition already established.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole approached the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo before the commencement of the meeting and had a brief chat with him.

There was insinuation that the meeting may not be unconnected with the reinstatement of the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Usman Yusuf by the Federal Government.l without the Minister’s knowledge.

It was reliably gathered that the Health Minister was not consulted before the Federal Government reinstated Yusuf who was suspended last year over allegation bothering on corruption by the Minister when President Buhari was on medical vacation in a London hospital.