Real Reason Buhari Sacked Head Of Parastatals
Barely 24 hours after the mass sack of chief executives of some federal agencies, more facts have emerged on why they were removed.
Global news learnt that most of the agencies and parastatals whose heads were fired were either involved in corruption during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan or associated with the recent padding of the 2016 budget which the Federal Government felt caused it national embarrassment.
It was further revealed that some have carried on their heads series of corruption charges for which investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) were ongoing.
Such chief excutives include the former Director General of Nigerian Broadcasting Commission ( NBC), Mr Emeka Mba, who is under investigation by the anti graft agency over allegations of a billion Naira contract and controversy over TSA remittances.
Former Director General of National Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, who was accused by his Director of Finance and Accounts for awarding contracts running into hundreds of millions of naira to his personal companies and those of his Special Assistant, Dr James Mbachiantim without following due process was among the agency heads sacked on Monday.
Besides, Buhari had recently ordered an investigation into the padding of the 2016 budget after revelations and excesses were discovered by the National Assembly currently working to approve the document into law.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal, in a statement Monday announcing the sack of the chief executives, said the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, had approved their immediate disengagement.
‘He has also approved that the most senior officers in the Parastatals, Agencies and Councils oversee the activities of the organisations pending the appointment of substantive chief executive officers.
Meanwhile there are strong indications that more heads may soon roll as government appears not yet done with the purge.
A Presidency source hinted that about twenty more chief executives have been slated for sack due to reports indicating widespread mismanagement of their agencies as well as financial malpractices.
It was revealed that Federal Government with over 200 agencies believes that the sanitisation of the parastatals would be done in batches on the basis of hierarchy and grading.
Sources hinted that the first set of chief executives sacked on Monday belonged to the grade of parastatals categorised as grade A while that the next batch would be those under grade B as grade C is expected to follow later.
The according to relieable sources, agencies under the ministries of Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Tourism are slated on the second batch.
It was also learnt that there is an ongoing review of dossiers of existing agency chiefs with a view to determine their relevance in office under the change agenda.
Since Monday exercise, the remaining heads of agencies are now litter over their fate.
A check on some of the offices in Abuja yesterday, showed that some decided to stay off their duties out of fear that griped them.
