Further findings show that six, not three dead persons made Buhari’s board appointment list

Closer perusing of the recently released list of appointments by President Muhammadu Buhari into the boards of some government agencies and parastatals has shown that six persons, and not just three as earlier reported in some media, found their names into the list.

Soon after the list of the appointments was released on Friday, which had Buhari appointing 209 board chairmen and 1,258 members into some government agencies and parastatals, it was initially discovered that the names of three dead persons were included in the list.

The three dead persons were late Senator Francis Okpozo, who died in December 2016. Buhari appointed him chairman of the board of the Nigerian Press Council. Another was Donald Ugbaja, the late Deputy Inspector General of Police. He died in November but was listed by President Buhari as one of the members of the Consumer Protection Council.

The third was the late founder of Fidei Polytechnic, Rev. Christopher Utov. He died in March, but was listed as a board member of the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research.

However, more findings have shown that there are still three more dead persons that also made the list. They include late Alhaji Umar Dange, said to be a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State. He was appointed as a board member of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta.

Another is Kabir Umar, a former Emir of Katagum in Bauchi State. He was said to have died on December 9, but was appointed as a member of the board of the Federal Medical Centre, Azare, Bauchi.

READ ALSO: What Fani-Kayode said to Buhari for appointing dead men into govt boards

Ahmed Bunza, who also made the list is said to have died at Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, and was buried May 22. It was learnt that Bunza was a staunch supporter of the APC who served as the sole administrator of Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

This development has resulted to different attacks on Buhari, who marked 75 this month, and his APC-led administration. While some Nigerians said that the president and his party is confused, others like former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode have gone as far as saying that Buhari is suffering from a out of hand dementia.

The presidency in explaining the folly of the list, stated that it was compiled two years ago.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday that there was nothing scandalous or extraordinary about the list.

He described the list as “historical”, explaining that it was compiled in 2015 and that nobody can stop people from dying between then and now.

Shehu also clarified that when the panel constituted to compile the list submitted its report early this year, President Buhari had health challenges.

The Presidency on Saturday also said that all the dead appointees in the controversial list of board appointments released Friday by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would be replaced

 

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