Hurricane Tinubu sweeps Buhari’s appointees

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, June 19, approved the dismissal of scores of government officials appointed by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu, a former two-term governor of Lagos State, approved the immediate retirement of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and Comptroller-General of Customs.

The President, who recently suspended the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, also approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of all Federal Government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the dissolution does not 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.”

President Tinubu, however, directed the Chief Executive Officers of the parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies to refer matters requiring the attention of their boards to him through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervisory ministries and offices until new boards are constituted.

Meanwhile, following the retirement of the Service, Tinubu appointed a former Chairman of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, as the NSA; Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa was named the Chief of Defence Staff, while Maj.-Gen. Taofeeq Lagbaja was appointed as Chief of Army Staff.

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The President also appointed Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla as the Chief of Naval Staff, AVM H.B Abubakar as the Chief of Air Staff, while Adeniyi Bashir Adewale was appointed as the Acting Comptroller-General of Customs.

Others are DIG Kayode Egbetokun as Acting IGP; Maj.-Gen. EPA Undiandeye, Chief of Defense Intelligence; Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Commander Brigade of Guards; and Lt.-Col. Moshood Abiodun Yusuf, Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja.

Also appointed were Lt.-Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa, 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State; Lt.-Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim, 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger State; and Lt.- Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote, 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

Tinubu equally approved the appointment of other military officers in the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He also approved the appointment of two additional Special Advisers and two Senior Assistants.

They are Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser, Policy Coordination; Hannatu  Musawa, Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy; and Sen. Abdullahi  Gumel, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters, Senate.

Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters, House of Representatives.

The Star