President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, swore in 17 Federal Commissioners of the National Population Commission out of the 20 he nominated last November.
The 17 new and returning commissioners took the oath of office – in three batches of six, six and five – at the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The President, on November 8, 2023, appointed 20 federal commissioners in the NPC with nine of them reappointed for a second term in office.
A month later on December 12, he forwarded the names of 19 of the 20 nominees to the Senate for confirmation.
However, only 17 appeared for the Senate’s screening on February 24, 2024, and were subsequently confirmed.
They include Emmanuel Eke (Abia); Clifford Zirra (Adamawa); Chidi Ezeoke (Anambra); Isa Buratal (Borno); Alex Ukam (Cross River); Blessyn Brume-Maguha (Delta) and Jeremiah Ogbonna Nwankwegu (Ebonyi).
Others are Tony Alyejina (Edo); Ejike Ezeh (Enugu); Abubakar Damburam (Gombe); Uba Nnabue (Imo); Sa’adatu Garba (Kaduna); Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa (Kano); Yori Afolabii (Kogi); Mary Afan (Plateau); Saany Sale (Taraba) and Ogiri Henry (Rivers).
Two nominees, Olakunle Sobukola (Ogun) and Temitayo Oluwatiyi (Ondo) were not screened as they did not appear before the Committee.
That day, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Population, the recently suspended Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP), explained that Sobukola and Oluwatiyi were absent because of “recent political developments in their states.”
After observing a minute’s silence in honour of a former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Aduku, the Federal Executive Council proceeded into its ninth meeting in the administration.