Emotion ran high on Wednesday as the Federal Executive Council held a valedictory session in honour of the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, who is leaving the cabinet to take up an appointment at the United Nations.

She has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations.

Mohammed, who is billed to assume duties at the UN headquarters in New York, in March, attended her last council meeting on Wednesday.

The 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, shedding 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 assumes duties 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, “Being there, you are closer to some of the decision-making. We do have some major challenges that are of concern to the global village.

“In the next two weeks or so, the UN Security Council should be visiting Nigeria and when it does, we will be showing them exactly what the President has been highlighting and that nexus between poverty, conflict and climate change.”

“They will visit the North-East and they will see some of the root causes of our young people being dragged to terrorism.”

 Punch