“We will look for the low hanging fruits and put them on the table”-Sambo

Mr. Mu’azu Jaji Sombo
Transport Minister

The Minister of Transportation, Mr Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has promised to work open mindedly with all staff of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, do his best with the short period he has and  to give his best towards achieving President Muhammadu Buhari’s Infrastructure Development Agenda in the transport sector adding that while he come in peace, anyone who cause any form of trouble for him will get double trouble, if not more from him.

L-R: Former Minister of State, Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki; the new Minister; Engr. Mua’zu Jaji Sambo; the new Minister of State, Ademola Adegoroye, and the Permanent Secretary; Dr Magdalene Ajani at the handing over ceremony  in Abuja

Speaking when he took over office alongside the new Minister of State for Transportation, Mr Ademola Adegoroye, the minister said, “I am here for a very short time. I am coming with an open mind; there is nothing under the sun you won’t hear when you move into a place”.

”The best thing is lead the people with an open mind. I want you to embrace me and give me all the support. I wish we could work with my sister (Saraki) but I have a brother, one good one goes another one comes. We will do our best and leave the rest to humanity and posterity to judge.”

“It is a pleasure to be here. I would like to say it is a pleasure to be back home. I started my life in the maritime industry, NPA precisely in 1984 and I went through other sectors of the economy and ended up in the National Inland Waterways Authority”.

“I am back home for this reason. I also feel I am back because somebody whispered to me that the permanent secretary happened to have gone through the same secondary school I went through which is the Federal Government College Maiduguri.

“I don’t want to cause problem for anyone. I don’t want anybody also to cause problem for me. I will not look for your trouble but if you look for mine, I will give you tenfold, that is me but we can live together for 50 years without a quarrel if you know me”.

“So, I am coming with an open mind. There is nothing under the sun you won’t hear when you are moving to a place but the best thing is to let it enter through the right ear and go out through the left. Meet the people with an open mind and let God take control”.

“This is the way I am coming into this house (ministry) and I want you to also embrace me and give me all the support and don’t let me wish that I had remained in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing even as a Minister of State but I am sure the permanent secretary will make sure that that does not happen.”

Speaking on the next level of work and action, he said “we will look for the low hanging fruits and make sure that we put them on the table as quickly as possible.”

On her part, the outgone minster, Gbemi Saraki, while handing over, thanked the staff of the ministry and urged them to give their best to the new ministers.

In her words “The team you have here are very hardworking, very quick to learn and have been exceptionally focused to serve and assist the ministers in any and every capacity. I am sure that they will continue to do that as you take over the reigns of the ministry.

”The Ministry of Transport is one of the focal point of Mr. President’s agenda looking at the issue of infrastructure. I am sure and have no doubt in my mind that the good legacy that has started in 2015 will continue. ”If there is any way I can be of assistance to both of you, you know where I am.”

Maritime stakeholder are eager to see what new things the minister would do in the industry.