Kunle ADELABU
-Otunba Tijani, Ahmed, Onakoya also made the list of Ikorodu division’s sons appointed
The former Secretary to the Lagos State Government and a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, has been appointed as member of National Directorate of Employment under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
He was among the list of 1,467 Chairmen and members of Federal boards and parastatals announced on Friday, December 29, 2017, by President Muhammadu Buhari in one fell swoop.
The list contained 209 board chairmen and 1,258 members of Federal government owned agencies and parastatals.
The appointments were in fulfillment of part of the pledge made by the president on October 3, 2017, at the National Executive Committee meeting of his party, APC.
Prince Bode Ogunleye, a chartered accountant, Engr. Rotimi Erogbogbo, an engineer, Otunba Olasunkanmi Tijani, a former teacher and businessman, and Mr Ahmed Olalekan, popularly called Atiku, who has been personal assistant to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Special Assistant to the President on Diasporas, were also appointed as members of National Lottery Regulation Commission, Sheda Science & Technology Complex, Nigeria Stored Products Research institute, Ilorin, and Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri, respectively.
THE IMPACT also gathered that another Ikorodu son, Otunba Tunde Onakoya, also made the list as member of the Benin-Owema River Basin Development Authority.
We also gathered that the appointment of Mr Ahmed Olalekan was facilitated by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha , more appointments are on the way.
President Buhari also hinted at the APC NEC meeting that he would expand his cabinet by appointing more ministers.
The latest appointments are the largest President Buhari has made since his assumption of office in 2015.
Many big wigs of the APC from Lagos State were appointed into various agencies.
The party’s legal adviser, Muiz Banire, is now the chairman of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria(AMCON), while Senator Olorunimbe Mamora is the chairman of Abuja Investment and Infrastructure Centre.
Demola Seriki, a former Minister of State for Defence is the chairman of the National Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.
Dr. Leke Pitan, a former Commissioner for Health in Lagos State during Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s administration, was appointed Chairman of National Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Services, Zaria, and Teju Philips, also a former Lagos State Commissioner, was appointed Chairman of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, while Pastor Yomi Kasali will head the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission.
More so, former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen, is the new Chairman of National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS(NACA), while former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro is the Chairman of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria.
According to Mustapha, all the appointments take immediate effect.
The ministers, under whom the agencies fall, have been asked to constitute the boards immediately.
Mustapha stated, ” 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”, he added.
