Yemi Osinbajo, Acting President, has approved the redeployment of Ekpo Nta, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
According to a statement by Bolaji Adebiyi, Director of Press in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Bolaji Owasanoye, a Professor, has been appointed as Chairman with a renewable tenure of five years.
“His Excellency, the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has approved the underlisted appointments in Federal Government Agencies,” read the statement.
The new composition of ICPC was listed as follows:
A. Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission:
(i) Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye- Chairman
(ii) Dr. Grace N. Chinda- Member
(iii) Okolo Titus M.- Member
(iv) Barr. Obiora Igwedebia- Member
(vi) Group Captain Sam Ewang (Rtd.)- Member
(vii) Justice Adamu Bello- Member
(viii) Hannatu Mohammed- Member
(ix) Abdullahi Maikano Saidu- Member
(x) Dr. Sa’ad Alanamu- Member
(xi) Yahaya Umar Dauda- Member
(xii) Khamis Ahmed Mailantarki- Member
(xiii) Maimuna Aliyu- Member
(xiv) Prof. Musa Usman Abubakar- Secretary
The appointment of the Chairman is for five years, while the tenure for all the members is four years. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the senate.
At the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, the new officers are as follows:
(i) Ekpo Nta, Esq- Full-time Commissioner
(ii) Alhaji Dauda Yahaya, mni- Full-time Commissioner
(iii) Hon. Garba Musa Gulma- Full-time Commissioner
(iv) Barr. Victoria Nnenna Chukwuani- Part-time Commissioner
(v) Mr. Geoffery Yeilong- Part-time Commissioner
(vi) Prof. Ropo Shekoni- Part-time Commissioner
(vii) Ahmed Mahmud Gumel- Part-time Commissioner
(viii) Permanent Secretary,
(Estab.) OHCSF- Member
(ix) Permanent Secretary,
Fed. Min. of Labour & Prod.- Member
(x) Comrade Isa Aremu (NLC)- Member
(xi) Mr. Chuma Nwankwo (NECA)- Member
Similarly, these appointments are for a period of five years. The Chairman of the Commission is Richard Egbule, a High Chief, while E. A. Thompson is the Secretary. Both were appointed in August 2014.
For the Investment and Security Tribunal, the appointments are:
(i) Siaka Isaiah Idoko- Chairman/CEO
(ii) Jude I. Udunni- Full-time Member
(iii) Mr. Nosa Osemwengie- Full-time Member
(iv) Abubakar A. Ahmad- Full-time Member
(v) Albert L. Otesile- Full-time Member
(vi) Emeka Madubuike- Part-time Member
(vii) Kasumi Garba Kurfi- Part-time Member
(viii) Edward O. Ajayi- Part-time Member
(ix) Onyemaechi E. M. Elujekor- Part-time Member
(x) Mamman Bukar Zargana- Part-time Member
And at the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Chidi K. C. Izuwah, and engineer, was appointed Director-General subject to senate confirmation.
The statement added: “In another development, the Acting President, with powers conferred on the President by Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act Cap R4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 has approved the setting up of a Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.
“The Chairman of the Panel is Chief Okoi Obona-Obla, Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution. Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran is the Secretary to the Panel.”
There had been failed efforts to remove Nta in the past, including false media reports in October 2016 that he had been sacked by the federal government and asked to proceed on compulsory leave, preparatory to his retirement.
But Nta debunked the report, telling the ICIR that he was in fact in the office as he was granting the phone interview.
“I do not want to comment on this,” he had said. “I think it is easy to confirm the veracity of the story from the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government that is quoted as sending me a letter.”
Nta became substantive Chairman of the ICPC in 2012, his five-year tenure due to end in November, 2017.