ABUJA – PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan Thursday forwarded to the senate the names of the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka and Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, a lecturer with the University of Abuja for confirmation as ministers.
President Jonathan also wrote the senate seeking for the confirmation of Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amaju as the Director General of National Pension Commission PENCOM.
Corps Marshal Chidoka is from Anambra state and is expected to occupy the slot for the state which has remained vacant since the exit of the former Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, while Dr. Abubakar from Kwara state replaces his kinsman, Malam Bolaji Abdulahi, former Minister of Sports who was recently relieved of his position by the president.
The nomination of Mr. Chidoka may have put to rest the rumour that President Jonathan was considering the immediate former governor or Anambra state for ministerial appointment.
Investigations revealed that the Kwara nominee is from the Bola Shagaya camp of the Peoples Democratic Party as against Senator Gbemisola Saraki, sister to the former governor of the state, Senator Buklar Saraki who had dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Senator Gbemisola Saraki was touted to be the President’s favourite for the ministerial position before the announcement of the name of Dr. Abubakar of Political Science Department, UniAbuja.
It will be recalled that Mrs. Anohu-Amaju has been on an acting capacity for several months and had introduced many innovations to PENCOM that would bring to an end the stealing of pension funds.
It was through her leadership and through the support and approval of the President that escalated reforms in the pension industry.
It was gathered that the provisions for the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorates, PTADs, had been in existence but nobody activated the PTADs because it literally meant nobody could have had access to the pension funds of those who retired before the coming into force of the PENSION REFORM ACT 2004.
It took Jonathan’s administration through the advice of the Acting DG to activate it and appoint a DG for the Directorate of PTADs.
