Politics

Buhari sacks heads of five health agencies

Published

8 years ago

July 29, 2016

FG moves to formally kickstart dialogue in Niger Delta with summit

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked five heads of parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Health.

Those sacked are the Director-General of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, Director-General of National Agency for the Control of Aids, NACA, Prof. John Idoko and Chief Executive of Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, NIOMR, Prof. Innocent Ujah.

Others are the Executive Director of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Ado Muhammad and the acting Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, Mr. Olufemi Akingbade.

The sacked chief executives were replaced by Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, NCDC, Dr. Sani Aliyu, NACA, Prof. Babatunde Salako, NIOMR, Prof. Echezona Ezeanolue, NPHCDA and Prof. Usman Yusuf, NHIS.

A statement by the Director of Press in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi, said Ihekweazu is the Managing Partner of EpiAfric, a public health consultancy firm that focuses on Africa, while Aliyu is a Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Cambridge University, United Kingdom.

Salako is the Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan, Ezemolue is a Professor of Paediatrics and Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA, while Yusuf is a Professor of Paediatrics at St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, US.

The statement however did not give any reason for their sack.

Confirming the development, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said the affected agency heads had not been sacked but “replaced.”

“They have not been sacked, they have been replaced. So, you can quote me that government has decided to replace them, but they have not been sacked. They are five of them,” he said.

On whether the affected heads were sacked because of the report of Global Fund and Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative, the minister said it was part of the government’s change mantra

Adewole said: “I believe it is part of the desire for change and to bring on board new blood. As you may be aware, some of them have been there for about seven years. And this administration has been in office for one year. I am saying there is the need to bring on board new blood and that is the agenda of the government.

“Well, I wouldn’t know if it has any links with the reports and indictments. It is only Mr. President that can confirm that. But I am sure that the President must have taken many things into consideration before approving the new changes.”

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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