President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated 17 commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC) during a ceremony held at the council chamber of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Of the 17 commissioners, nine were re-appointed for a second term, while eight were newly appointed members.
Despite Tinubu’s request for the senate to screen and confirm 19 nominees, only 17 appeared before the committee on national identity card and population.
The newly appointed commissioners include Emmanuel Eke (Abia), Chidi Ezeoke (Anambra), Alex Ukam (Cross River), Blessyn Brume-Maguha (Delta), Jeremiah Nwankwegu (Ebonyi), Sa’adatu Garba (Kaduna), Aminu Tsanyawa (Kano), Yori Afolabi (Kogi), Mary Afan (Plateau), and Ogiri Henry (Rivers).
Those returning for a second term are Isa Buratai (Borno), Tony Alyejina (Edo), Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Ejike Ezeh (Enugu), Abubakar Damburam (Gombe), Uba Nnabue (Imo), and Sani Sale (Taraba).
The ceremony took place prior to the commencement of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting, where a minute silence was observed for Gabriel Aduku, the former minister of state for health, who passed away at the age of 80 on Monday.
Tinubu hailed Aduku’s contributions, noting his pivotal role in the formulation of the 13 percent derivation formula embedded in the 1999 constitution as chairman of the revenue allocation committee of the national constitutional conference.
Among those present at the FEC meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima; Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF); and Folashade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.