…By Dorcas Funmi for TDPel Media.
President Bola Tinubu has announced his intention to appoint members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to approximately 2,000 vacant positions.
This decision follows the disbandment of governing boards of more than 153 agencies, institutions, and state-owned companies on Monday.
Tinubu aims to primarily fill these positions with members from his own political party, the APC.
Dissolution of Governing Boards:
The dissolved boards were part of the 209 boards created by former President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2017.
On Monday, President Tinubu declared the dissolution of all governing boards of Federal Government parastatals, agencies, and commissions.
However, boards of commissions and councils listed in the third schedule, part one section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria were exempt from this directive.
Notable agencies excluded from the dissolution include the Nigeria Judicial Council, Code of Conduct Bureau, Council of State, Federal Character Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, National Population Commission, Police Service Commission, and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Appointments to Vacant Positions:
Despite the dissolution, President Tinubu plans to appoint around 2,000 individuals to more than 153 boards of agencies, commissions, departments, and other entities.
Various significant entities have multiple vacancies, such as the North-East Development Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, National Universities Commission, Transmission Commission of Nigeria, National Health Insurance Authority, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Nigerian Police Trust Fund, Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, National Centre for Technology Management, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Nigerian Customs Service, National Pension Commission, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, National Identity Management Commission, West Africa Examination Council, Niger Delta Development Commission, National Institute of Sports, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Company, National Bureau of Statistics, Federal Inland Revenue Services, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
Board Slot Estimates:
While the exact number of vacant board slots remains unconfirmed, it is estimated that a federal board typically consists of an average of eight members, although some agencies have up to 14 board positions.
Previous Administration’s Appointments:
This recent move by President Tinubu follows criticism of the previous administration’s last-minute appointments.
Former President Buhari made several appointments to agency and parastatal boards shortly before his handover date.
Four days prior to handing over to Tinubu, Buhari appointed Garzali Abubakar as the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund, along with appointing the chairman and board members of the fund.
These appointments were made known by former Presidential aide, Garba Shehu, who stated that Buhari approved the appointment of Aduke Hussain as Chairman, Hussaini Mohammed (North Central Representative), Mohammed Umar (North West), Abdulsalam Ahmed (North-East), Stella Uzokwe (South-East), Stephen Ikata (South-South), and Olufunlayo Oluwole Faloye (South-West) as board members of the fund.