President Muhammadu Buhari has called for a thorough review of a list of Federal Government appointees which contains names of dead persons. The Presidency had released a list of 209 chairmen and 1,258 board members into the boards of federal agencies and corporations last Friday, with the names of five persons, said to be dead, on it.
Many Nigerians were irked by the discovery. Governor of Ekiti state Ayodele Fayose, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode and other prominent members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party condemned the Buhari government over it. I a similar vein, former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili said she was disappointed by the Presidency for defending the errors on the list.
Sources says President Buhari has ordered the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to review the controversial list with a view to finding out all nominees that need replacement on it. Due to the review, the inauguration of the living appointees by the relevant ministers are expected to be put on hold.
This is because they may not get their appointment letters until after the revised list must have been approved.“Yes, I can confirm to you that the process to replace the dead ones has started. We have listened to the concerns raised,” Buhari’s media aide Garba Shehu told Punch.
The dead persons on the list are Senator Francis Okpozo (Delta), Rev. Father Christopher Utau (Benue), DIG Donald Ugbaja (retd), Garba Attahiru (Kaduna) and Umar Dange (Sokoto). Shehu further revealed that another appointee died after the list was published.
"The entire list is being scrutinised all over again. They have gone very far and they will be reporting to the President very soon.“Even after the list was published, one nominee died. They need to take a second look at the entire list.“There were also complaints about some persons who had left the party but made the list. We are looking at those ones too with a view to replacing them.”
Tags
Society