Nigeria: President Buhari makes 141 appointments in 81 days

President Muhammadu Buhari has made 141 appointments in 81 days, according to a news report by Daily Trust has. The report shows that the flurry of appointments is the highest since the assumption of office by President Buhari on May 29, 2015.

The surge in appointments by President Buhari into the boards of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) specifically started in early April.

Experts have lauded the recent appointments, saying they would fast-track decision making.

The constitution of the boards of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), and nomination of ambassadors topped the list of the appointments.

On April 2, President Buhari approved the appointment of medical directors for the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital.

On April 9, the president appointed Musa Ahmed as the Vice-Chancellor of the newly established University of Agriculture, Zuru, Kebbi State.

On April 28, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, read a letter on the floor of the upper chamber announcing the appointment of 38 persons to the board of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

On May 2, President Buhari approved the appointment of AVM Muhammadu Alhaji Muhammed (Rtd) as the new Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The Senate has announced on Tuesday, June 9, via its twitter handle and gave the confirmation of the appointments of two non-executive directors for the NDIC and three members on the board of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC).

On June 15, 2020, Dr. Nnaemeka Ewelukwa was appointed by President Buhari as the new and substantive Managing Director/CEO of NBET.

In a letter dated May 5, Buhari has appointed Alwan Hassan as the acting Managing Director for the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) while dissolving the interim management team.

On May 6, President Buhari has approved the appointment of a retired Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF).

On May 12, Buhari’s nomination of 42 ambassadors-designate, all of the career officers, was announced through a letter he addressed to the senate president requesting their confirmation.

On May 13, President Buhari unveiled his newly appointed Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, shortly before the start of the inaugural virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

On May 19, he has approved the appointment of the Chairman, BoT of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), in the person of Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam with effect from May 14, 2020.

On May 30, the president approved the reconstitution of the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The reconstitution came after the expiration of the term of the board members appointed in 2016.

Despite the increased number of appointments and confirmations by President Buhari of recent, there are some people including the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, who has been in an acting capacity for long.