President Bola Tinubu has made sweeping changes to the list of nominees for the Governing Board of the North West Development Commission (NWDC).
One of the nominees on the new list is Alhaji Lawal Samai’la Ibrahim whose name has been forwarded to the Senate for screening and confirmation as chairman of the NWDC board.
Ibrahim replaces Amb. Haruna Ginsau who was earlier in September, nominated for the position.
Similarly, Ja’afar Abubakar Sadeeq and Yahaya Aminu Abdulhadi are to replace Senator Tijani Yahaya Kaura and Abdulkadir S. Usman as members of the board.
The President had, in his September letter to the Senate, nominated Ginsau, Kaura and Usman as chairman and members respectively of the NWDC board.
Other board members featured on the September list but who have now been withdrawn, are Dr. Yahaya Umar Namahe, Yahaya Aminu Abdulhadi, and Engr. Muhammad Ali Wudil, Shamsu Sule, Nasidi Ali and Aminu Suleiman.
They are now being replaced by Chukwu Chijioke, Ahmed Mohammed, Engr. Ahmed Rufai Timasaniyu, Macdonalds Michael Uyi, Yemi Ola and Babatunde Dada.
However, Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji retains his position as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NWDC.
This was contained in a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Stating reasons for the changes, Onanuga said in the statement, “After receiving the President’s first list of nominations, the Senate adjusted the NWDC’s Establishment Act to accommodate members from other geo-political zones.
Onanuga said the President Tinubu complied with the adjustment made by the Senate, which led to the alteration in the initial list.
Also, Mr Emeka Atuma got nominated as chairman of the Governing Board of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), with Mark C. Okoye as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
Other members of the SEDC are Barr. Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Hon. Okey Ezenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Hon. Donatus Eyinnah Nwankpa, Barr. Ifeanyi Agwu Ph.D, Nasiru Usman and Hamma Adama Ali Kumo.
“The additional nominees are Edward David Onoja, Orure Kufre Inima and Chief (Mrs.) Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma.
Prince Obinna Obiekweihe, Executive Director (Projects); Sen. Anthony O. Agbo, Executive Director, Finance and Administration; and Dr. Daniel Ikechukwu Ugwuja, Executive Director (Corporate Services), were also nominated.
“President Tinubu reiterates his commitment to regional development and expects the new nominees, as pioneers, to utilise their wealth of experience and expertise to actualize the mandates of the two Commissions and develop their regions,” the statement said.