Board Appointments: Errors Will Be Rectified – Presidency Says As ‘Dead Toll’ Rises To Seven

The Presidency has spoken in its own defence over the inclusion of the names of some dead persons as Chairmen or members of newly constituted boards and parastatals saying it was all a mistake which would be rectified in due course.
You would recall that President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest batch of appointments has stoked controversy after it was detected that a number of dead persons had been ‘given’ positions as board members.
From a list of over 1,460 people released on Friday night by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, careful scrutiny by the media revealed duplications and names of at least seven dead persons.
One of the appointees, Senator Francis Okpozo died as an octogenarian on December 26, 2016 which President Buhari issued a statement of condolence on December 27, 2016.
Chief Donald Ugbaja, who died in November 2017, was named to the Consumer Protection Council while Reverend Father Chris Utov, the proprietor of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko, who passed away on March 17, 2017, was named to the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research.
Magdalene Kumu, from Taraba State was appointed a member, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) but according to CKN Nigeria, Kumu is late.
Three other dead person identified in the list are Garba Attahiru, appointed to chair the board of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Umar Dange, appointed to the board of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta and Dr. Nabbs Imegwu, a former commissioner for culture and tourism in Rivers State appointed to the board of the National Orthopedic Hospitals.
Speaking to reporters on the issue, the Senior Special Assistant to the on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said that the list was prepared before President Muhammadu Buhari took ill and was released by the SGF without any alteration.
The President, he said, had requested 50 names from each of the state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
The nominations were harmonized by the national secretariat of the party which then submitted the list to the immediate past SGF, Babachir Lawal.
“However, complaints arose from some governors who felt they were not carried along in the process,” he revealed.
“To answer this, the President constituted a committee under the Vice President to review and reflect the interest of the governors.
“The president’s trips for medical attention slowed down completion of the process.
“The president only decided to revisit the matter recently and therefore directed the new SGF to release the list.
“The current SGF was only directed to complete that process by releasing the list which he apparently did without altering it.
“The new SGF did what he was asked to do. There is nothing scandalous or extraordinary about what has happened.”