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Confusion over sacking of 26 heads of agencies, commissions

By Collins Olayinka and Karls Tsokar, Abuja
16 February 2016   |   1:28 am
THERE was considerable confusion following President Mohammadu Buhari’s order sacking the heads of 26 government agencies, parastatals and commissions .
David Babachir Lawal  PHOTO: dailypost.ng

David Babachir Lawal PHOTO: dailypost.ng

NTA, PTDF , BPP, BPE, NAFDAC, SON on list
THERE was considerable confusion following President Mohammadu Buhari’s order sacking the heads of 26 government agencies, parastatals and commissions .

The workings of government machinery were thrown into confusion in Abuja as soon as the news of the mass sacking was broken In Abuja, the nation’s capital where most of the chief executive officers operate, operations were temporarily suspended as it was not so easy to identify who to hand over to.

In a massive re-organisation announced through a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) David Babachir Lawal, the president directed those affected, mostly directors general to hand over to their most senior officers who are to begin acting with immediate effect pending the appointment of substantive chief executive officers (CEO).

The SGF’s statement reads in part: “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate disengagement of the following chief executive officers of the under-listed parastatals, agencies and commissions.
“He has also approved that the most senior officers in the parastatals, agencies and councils oversee the activities of the organisations pending the appointment of substantive chief executive officers”.

The affected establishments include: the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

Other are Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF), Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC), Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Bank of Industry (BoI), National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) and National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).

Although it is not clear what must have informed the sacking of the executives, inquiry by The Guardian revealed that apart from political considerations, other issues bordering on competence must have informed the decision as some of those affected have a long way ahead to the expiration of their tenure.

The president, however, has the prerogative to disengage any of his appointees whenever he feels their services are no longer required.

Sources said the plan of government is to merge some of the agencies, like the FRCN with VON, while NAN would be joined with the BON.

Such a merger has been anticipated for a long time and is seen in government quarters as timely, considering the drive of the present administration to minimise cost in running its affairs. Also, the income generated by the individual agencies would be thoroughly scrutinised with the amalgamation, given that , private organisations in the same mould, even though without the infrastructure at their disposal, are doing well.

Furthermore, the disengagement of the heads was expected before the end of last year, but a credible presidency source said government had been preparing the people to succeed these crops of chief executives before the impending disengagement. And also, the need for the incoming executives to be in office before the implementation of the 2016 budget begins so as to be able to measure the extent of implementation and compliance at the end of the year.

The confusion in government offices was typified at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund whose Managing Director, Munir Abubakar, is attending the 42nd session of the African Regional Labour Administration Centre Governing Council on Decent Work in the global supply chain, in Livingstone, Zambia.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige is said to be on the trip alongside the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Clement Illoh.

At the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the General Manager, Administration and Human Resources, Moses Mbaba, would assume the leadership of the organisation as the most senior General Manager. He will take over from Farouk Ahmed.

The Director, Finance and Personnel Management, Mustapha Mamudu, at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board is now Acting Executive Secretary. He takes over from Denzil Kentebe.

It was not clear whom Femi Ajayi is handing over to at the Petroleum Technology PTDF.
The situation is the same at the Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF) where Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed is the Executive Secretary.

19 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    The only achievement of Buhari so far is his indiscriminate sacking of people. Close to one year in office, Buhari has nothing to show for it. In this uncertain times the least thing he should do is continue to sack people without justification. His tenure so far has been unmitigated disaster for Nigerians. I put this question to Nigerians: are you better off today under Buhari than you were a year ago? His administration is rudderless, aimless and without plan. I hope the scale of corruption that he’s using to cover our faces would soon fall off. Even in that area, he scores a dismal “F”. All we hear is that people are being arrested, monies are being returned through the back door and big culprits are let off the hook.
    How does the sacking of these people translate into economic prosperity for Nigerians, how will it raise the value of the Naira to be at par with the dollar, how will it translate into more jobs for the jobless and how does that win the war against insecurity? The list goes on. I think someone needs to tell this guy that his job is not to create more hardship for Nigerians but to alleviate their sufferings. God help us!

    • Author’s gravatar

      The method to which he is cleaning house is not good for the country or the economy. even if you think this 26 people are not doing their job, you sack them in stages so as to not shock the system. we are crying that people are not investing. investors don’t like massive change and uncertainty. To constantly hear, that x amount of money was returned, and this one wife was let go free, is just driving me crazy. Till date, we don’t know how much was return, who returned what, what their jail time is going to be. why those military leader who wasted fund and dasuki who is already guilty of misapplication of fund is still free is beyond me. most this guys and their wives who helped them loot the money are already guilt of misapplication of public resources, at least that should get them each 5 years in jail, while you continue the other case against them.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Buhari is just learning a hard lesson here.
    All the political appointees of the last administration should be sacked.
    ALL, without exception.
    They do not buy into Buhari’s vision and they are beholden to someone else.
    They will always be traitors and moles.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Crippling the system…….in a fell swoop!should have been more appropriately done in degrees…

  • Author’s gravatar

    In a fell swoop….

  • Author’s gravatar

    Where is continuity in Government…if every regime has to change her Managers

  • Author’s gravatar

    Thank god for this, after all these are old political appointees PMB do not need any approval from the CORRUPT NASS to flush out the dead woods. Some of these people has been recycled for years. No visible sign of progress that affect ordinary Nigerians can bee seen for all these years. All we see is stupendous mansions been built in all the prime areas all over NIGERIA by all these evil DIRECTORS ! ! ! !. As they left EFCC must follow THEM. Nigerians will be amazed at the skeletons they will find in their cupboards. How i wish PMB is 40 years old TODAY ! ! ! ! ! !

  • Author’s gravatar

    Do we really have these types of agencies? What are they doing other than Looting? They are so many with long names and most of them a repetition of the other. NIGERIA WAS A VERY RICH COUNTRY.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I marvel at some mansions I see in LAGOS and some state capitals all over the country. But when you ask who owns them, is always the DIRECTOR of a Federal agency. Properties that defies its environment. The surrounding houses can all be taft, mud, rafters and corrugated iron zinc.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Buy Naija And Grow The Naira. Let start buying Nigerian made products to grow our economy. Lets shift from being a consumer nation to a producer nation. Manufacturing is the answer to our ailing economy.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I can’t figure out why the DG of SON and NAFDAC would be part of this mass sacking. Those two agencies include NCC have being the agencies that have being making things happen. Doing the right thing for Nigerian’s and fighting against substandard product. Head of agencies like this should not be political appointees, they should be people that know what they are doing, because this agencies are the one that really make the government work or are more in touch with the people. yes there are a lot of agencies that need to be combined and their staff reduced.

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is the beginning of MUHAMMADU Buhari Dictatorship. To follow is Gestapo killing. Nigeria Democracy is DEAD and democrats should be ready tomorrow exile. Mark this.