Why Buhari sacked boards

• Fires NIMASA boss • Likely SGF, Chief of Staff emerge

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday continued the demolition of old structures as he has approved the dissolution of the governing boards of federal parastatals, agencies and institutions with effect from yesterday.

He also terminated the appointment of the Director-General/Chief Executive of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, directed Akpobolokemi to hand over the management of NIMASA and all government property in his possession to the most senior officer in the agency, who would remain in charge until a new director-general is appointed.

The news broke yesterday as The Guardian learnt that the president, after due diligence, has concluded plans to name his Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chief of Staff to the President (CoS-P).

Credible State House sources last night said that that an immediate past governor of a South-South state that has just been won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may emerge as SGF while a retired permanent secretary who once served as Secretary to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from Kaduna State may be named Chief of Staff to the President.

The retired Permanent Secretary who holds a doctorate degree also served as Permanent Secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry. The Guardian confirmed that the president who has been accused of dithering in appointing his men has finally agreed to the choice the two men from South-South and North-West respectively.

Adesina, said until the boards are reconstituted, chief executive officers of the affected parastatals, agencies and institutions are to refer all matters requiring the attention of their boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their supervising ministries.

However, the dissolution, according to Adesina, does not affect federal executive bodies listed in the 1999 Constitution as amended. He also stressed that the directive affects administrative or technical committees and other similar organs established by the dissolved boards.

The Guardian gathered yesterday that Akpobolokemi’s removal followed an anonymous petition alleging that about N1.3 billion was removed from the NIMASA account on June 25, 2015 to celebrate the “Day of the Seafarer” in Nigeria. The seafarer’s day is a global event marked on June 25 every year.

Some sources alleged that one of the directors was used to continually drain the resources of the agency.

The petitioners accused NIMASA of connivance in mismanaging N447 million fund approved by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the implementation of international ship and port facility security (ISPS), a ‘bogus’ project meant for consultancy, enforcement activities, and verification/inspection exercise. The project was said to have been approved on April 27, 2015.

“Within a period of just 12 days, Nigerians were defrauded of a whopping N447 million. The speed at which these huge sums of monies were requested and released is an indication of a grandeur conspiracy… This was part of the last-minute ransacking of the Nigerian treasury,” the petitioners alleged.