Minister of higher education entrusted with running agriculture ministry

Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development Dr. Maryam Mariya has been temporarily entrusted with running the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare.

Minister Mariya was given the responsibility of running the Ministry of Agriculture following the resignation of Dr. Aishath Rameela from her position as Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, citing her deteriorating health.

The President’s Office on Sunday revealed that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu accepted Dr. Rameela’s resignation.

Following the resignation of the agriculture minister, reports have been circulating on social media regarding impending changes to the president’s Cabinet of Ministers.

However chief spokesperson at the President's Office Heena Waleed took to social media platform X on Sunday, brushing off the claims as false. Heena said that the president has not decided to make any changes to the cabinet.

Muizzu has shuffled his cabinet only once so far. As part of the changes, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim who was Public Policy Secretary at the President’s Office, was appointed as the Minister of Health. Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, who was serving as the Minister of Health, was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer replaced Shafeeq as Finance Minister.

The president made changes to ministerial positions following the resignation of then Minister of Finance.

With Rameela’s resignation from the position of agriculture minister, she has become the second minister to leave Muizzu's cabinet. Previously, Dr. Mohamed Shafeeg had resigned from the position of Finance Minister. Shafeeq did not disclose the reason for his resignation.

Dr. Rameela’s resignation came at a time when she had previously traveled abroad several times for cancer treatment. The former minister has not disclosed further details about her diagnosis.