PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Wednesday administered the oath of office to 17 Commissioners of the National Population Commission at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The brief exercise took place before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by the President.
Nine of the Commissioners were re-appointed and sworn-in for the second term while 8 others, who are fresh appointment were also sworn-in.
The oath taking process of the commissioners were conducted in three batches of six, six and five.
Recall that the Senate had recently confirmed the nomination and reappointment of the 17 commissioners of the NPC out of 19 nominated by President Tinubu on February 21, 2023, after the adoption of the screening report of the Committee on National Identity Card and Population at the Committee of on Wednesday.
Those that took the oath of office for the first time are Emmanuel Eke (Abia), Chidi Ezeoke (Anambra), Alex Ukam (Cross River), Blessyn Brume-Maguha (Delta) and Jeremiah Nwankwegu (Ebonyi).
Others were, Sa’adatu Garba (Kaduna), Aminu Tsanyawa (Kano), Yori Afolabi (Kogi), Mary Afan (Plateau), and Ogiri Henry (Rivers).
Those that were reappointment are, Isa Buratai (Borno), Tony Alyejina (Edo), Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Ejike Ezeh (Enugu), Abubakar Damburam (Gombe), Uba Nnabue (Imo), Sani Sale (Taraba)
Speaking after the swearing-in, the Chairman of NPC, Nasir Kwarra said that the Commissioner representing Lagos State was sworn-in two weeks, adding that it remained three more to have a full house.
He said, “Today, we witnessed the swearing in of 17 of them. Last two weeks, we had one from Lagos state we just have three more outstanding to make a full commission. So we want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr. President for this appointment and for making sure that there is no vacuum created in the commission. This marks a critical step in assisting the commission to carry on with its assignment.”
Immediately after the swearing-in, the cabinet continued with the council meeting and observed a minute silence in honour of the former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Aduku, who recently died at the age of 80.
Aduku was appointed Minister of State for Health by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
President Tinubu, who called for a minute silence in his honour, noted that as the Chairman of the Revenue Allocation Committee of the National Constitutional Conference, he birthed the 13% derivation formula which is embedded in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria.
Present at the FEC meeting are Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan.
Also present were ministers and relevant Special Advisers and other members of the council
