NIGERIA:Tinubu Swears In Five Permanent Secretaries, NPC Chairman and Members

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday in Abuja swore in five permanent secretaries and the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Aminu Yusuf.

The swearing-in took place during the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The newly sworn-in permanent secretaries are Dr. John Chidiebere Ezeamama (Imo State), Ibrahim Abdulkarim Ozi (Nasarawa State), and Dr. Abdul Sule Usman Garba (North Central).

Others are Dr. Ishiyaku Musa Mohammed (North East) and Dr. Binyerem Chigbonwu Ukaire (South East).

The Chairman of the NPC also took the oath of office alongside two other members of the board, Dr. Joseph Haruna Kigbu and Tonga Barau Bulatafa.

From the press release, Dr. Ezeamama was described as someone who “joined the Federal Civil Service as a medical officer with the State House Medical Centre” and holds “an MBBS from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MBA.”

He also has professional training from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London and the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Ibrahim Ozi, also sworn in, holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from Bayero University and joined the Federal Civil Service in 1992. According to the statement, he “rose through the ranks to become Director at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.”

Dr. Abdul Garba, now Permanent Secretary for the FCT, previously served as Director of the Inspectorate Department in the same office. The release notes that he “obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Degree from the University of Jos and is a Primary Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons.”

Dr. Ishiyaku Mohammed, another appointee, earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Ahmadu Bello University and has a Master’s in Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine. He “joined the Federal Civil Service in 2009 as an Assistant Director and was promoted a Director in 2022.”

Dr. Ukaire, a medical doctor and Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons, holds an MBBS from the University of Nigeria as well as a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of South Wales in the UK.

The new NPC Chairman, Dr. Yusuf, holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master’s degrees in both International Affairs and Diplomacy, and International Relations. The press statement added that he “obtained a doctorate in International Relations from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.”

The swearing-in underscores the administration’s effort to strengthen key federal institutions and enhance service delivery across ministries and departments.