…..dissolves boards of federal agencies, parastatals, others
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday approved the immediate retirement of all Service Chiefs, including the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Advisers, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service and their replacement with new appointees.
A statement issued by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary-General to the Federation, Willie Bassey, indicated that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was last week appointed as the Security Adviser to the President had now become the National Security Adviser while a former Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Christopher Musa, would replace General Lucky Irabor as the Chief of Defence Staff.
Also, the latest presidential directive showed that Major General T. A Lagbaja would replace Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff, while Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla has been appointed to take over from Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo as the Chief of Naval Staff and Air Marshal Oludayo Amao would be replaced by Air Vice Marshal H.B Abubakar as the Chief of Air Staff.
Other new appointees include DIG Kayode Egbetokun, who is now appointed as the Acting Inspector-General of Police and Major General EPA Undiandeye as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.
Tinubu also approved the appointment of Col. Adebisi Onasanya as the Brigade of Guards Commander; Lt. Col. Moshood Yusuf, the 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja; Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa, 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State; Lt. Col. Mohammed Abdulkarim 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger and Lt. Col. Olumide Akingbesote 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
According to the statement, the President approved the appointments of other military officers in the Presidential Villa. They are Maj. Isa Farouk Audu (N/14695) Commanding Officer State House Artillery; Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu (N/16183) Second-in-Command, State House Artillery; Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656) Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence; Maj. TS Adeola (N/12860) Commanding Officer, State House Armament, and Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578) Second-in- Command, State House Armament.
Also, Adeniyi Adewale has been appointed as the Acting Comptroller General of Customs just as the President approved the appointment of two additional Special Advisers and two Senior Assistants, namely Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser, Policy Coordination; Hannatu Musa Musawa, Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy; Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (Senate); and Hon. (Barr) Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).
However, Bassey clarified that the appointed Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and the Comptroller General of Customs are to act in their positions, pending their confirmation in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In a related development, the Director also confirmed that the President approved the dissolution of the Governing Boards of all Federal Government’s parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies in the exercise of its constitutional powers and in the public interest.
Bassey, in another statement issued on behalf of the SGF, indicated that that the dissolution did not, however, affect Boards, Commissions and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The Director stated that in view of the development and until such a time new boards are constituted, the Chief Executive Officers of the parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies were directed to refer matters requiring the attention of their Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervisory Ministries and Offices.
He further clarified: “Permanent Secretaries are directed, also, to route such correspondences to Mr President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Consequently, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to ensure compliance to the provision of this directive which took effect from Friday 16th June, 2023.
“Permanent Secretaries are particularly directed to inform the Chief Executive Officers of the affected Agencies under the supervision of their respective Ministries/Offices for immediate compliance”, Bassey added.
