AfricaNews

Muhammadu Buhari appoints a dead man

Aso Rock excuses faux pas, says the mistake arose from the family’s failure to inform the Office of the President

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari named the late Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru as a board member for a government agency two months after Okwuru’s death.

Explaining the gaffe, the president’s media aide, Lauretta Onochie, said the mistake had occurred because the Office of the President was not informed when Okwuru died.

‘‘Mr Okwuru was alive when the president appointed him to serve on the board,” she said, adding: “He even came to update his CV, in readiness for the appointment after the Senate screening.

“When he sadly passed away while waiting for the screening by the Senate, that information was not communicated to the federal government.”

Previous gaffes

On Tuesday, President Buhari wrote to the Senate to confirm a list of 37 appointees, oblivious to Okwuru’s death in February.

Okwuru had been nominated to serve on the Federal Character Commission, the state agency created in 1996 to fairness and equity in the distribution of public posts and infrastructure among the various federating units that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Officials reopened applications for the job when journalists pointed out the error. Okwuru, who passed away in February, was 59.

The president has a storied past when it comes to appointing dead people to government positions.

In 2017 the presidency appointed at least five dead people to various boards of government agencies long after they had died. Among the appointees was Francis Okpozo. He had been dead almost a year when he was named board chairman of the Nigerian Press Council.

President Buhari, familiarly known as “Baba Go Slow”, earned the nickname by taking six months to name his first cabinet in 2015.

“It’s not Baba that is slow but it is the system, so I am going by this system and I hope we will make it,” the president told reporters.

Atsu Boye

* Asaase Radio 99.5 FM. Coming to a dial near you.

* Twitter: @Asaase995FM

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