President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the constitution of the Governing Boards of agencies and parastatals, under some ministries, and also the appointment of ‘eminently qualified Nigerians’ to fill the board positions, numbering 209 chairmen and 1,258 members.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha who made the announcement on Friday night said Mr President considered the approval for the constitution of the boards and the appointments, necessary, to provide a proper governance and oversight structure for government agencies and parastatals.
“The constitution of the boards with the appointments is a demonstration of this government’s efforts aimed at building strong institutions of governance, and by extension, improving the quality of policy formulation and supervision,” Mustapha said.
According to him, while these appointments represent a substantial number of hitherto pending board appointments, some more appointments are still being processed and will be released in due course.
He also directed that the appointments take immediate effect and ministers are advised to inaugurate the boards after letters of appointment were issued.
The organisations whose boards were constituted were National Boundary Commission (NBC), National Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies (NIPSS), Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), National Planning Commission (NPC), National Commission for Refugees, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), National Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
Also were, Federal Institute for Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Project Development Institute (PRODA), Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Abuja; Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research (NITR), National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA), National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Nigerian Leather Science Technology (NILEST), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
Others were Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria; Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC), Jos; Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe; Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), Petroleum Equalization Fund (PEF), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Nigeria Customs Service.
Among the appointees are several members of the National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC and a hordes of other party stalwarts. The National Legal Adviser of the party, Dr Muiz Banire chairs the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria AMCON. Other NWC members in the list are the party’s National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu who chairs the board of the Nigerian .
Communications Satellite NIGCOMSAT Ltd; its National Organizing Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso chairs the board of National Automotive Design and Development Centre (formerly National Automotive Council); Deputy National Chairman, South, Engr. Segun Oni (Nigeria Export Processing Zone); its Ntional Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi (National Sugar Development Council); and the party’s North west zonal vice chairman, Inuwa Abdulkadir who chairs the board of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC. APC’s Secretary, Mai Mala Buni heads the NIGERIA Shippers’ Council while its Deputy National Chairman North, Sen. Lawal Shuaibu heads the Federal Housing Authority. Other party. Executives heading various boards Zakari Idde and Sen. Ayo Akinyelure while a former Deputy governor of Plateau state, Dame Pauline Tallen, Gen. John Shagaya, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora and many others are also heading different boards. A former Governor of Ekiti state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo is also to chair the board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria FAAN.
The statement said, “Mr. President considered the approval for the constitution of the Boards as well as the appointments, very necessary, so as to provide a proper Governance and oversight structure for Government Agencies and Parastatals. The constitution of the boards with the appointments, is a demonstration of this Government’s efforts aimed at building strong institutions of Governance, and by extension, improving the quality of Policy formulation and supervision. “While these appointments represent a substantial number of hitherto pending board appointments, some more appointments are still being processed and will be released in due course.
The appointments take immediate effect and Honourable Ministers are advised to inaugurate the boards after letters of appointment have been issued”.
