JONATHAN SACKS PEF BOSS, MAKES NEW APPOINTMENTS

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday continued his last-minute sacking of public officials working in his outgoing government with the removal of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) Mrs Sharon Adefunke Kasali.

He replaced her immediately with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Mrs. Asabe Asmau Ahmed.

Mrs. Kasali has been the Executive Secretary of PEF since 2007.

According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the new PEF Executive Secretary hails from Niger State and holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, respectively.

“She is expected to put her years of experience in public service to good use in re-engineering, repositioning and re-invigorating PEF for present and future challenges.”

President Jonathan also approved the appointment of Mr. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe as Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Management Development Board (NCDMB).

“Mr. Kentebe, an architect with years of experience in strategic planning and policy management, takes over from Engineer Ernest Nwapa who has been Executive Secretary of the NCDMB since April 2010.”

Also yesterday, Former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel and former Osun State deputy governor and one-time Minister of State for Defence Mrs.Olusola Obada, were among those inaugurated as chairman of the governing councils of the 12 new universities.

The Councils were inaugurated in Abuja by Minister of Education Ibrahim Shekarau.

The Pro-chancellor of University of Ibadan and governing councils of four new polytechnics and the board of the National Library of Nigeria were also inaugurated by the minister.

The universities and polytechnics are; Federal University Lokoja, Federal University, Lafia, Federal University, Kashere, Federal University, Wukari, Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Federal University, Dutse, Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Federal University, Otuoke, Federal University, Birinin-Kebbi, Federal University, Gusau, Federal University, Gashua, Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny, Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, Federal Polytechnic, Ukana and National Instiitute of Construction Technology, Uromi.

Obada is chair of the governing council of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State while Daniel will chair that of the Federal University, Kashere.

Also yesterday, the president wrote the Senate to confirm the appointment of his nominee for the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Mr. Munir Gwarzo.

Others nominees to be confirmed for appointment by the Senate according to Jonathan’s letter read by Senate President David Mark  include the Chairman and members of the National Hajj Commission.

The nominees are: Abdullahi Lugga Mohammed (Chairman), and Yusuf Adebayo

Abdullah Madibbo Saleh, Ibrahim E., Adeyemi Ademola, Adamu Mohammed, Hajiya Aisha Mohammed and Danjuma Salihu Usman as national commissioners.