The President Muhammadu Buhari led administration will in phases begin appointments for the federal agencies starting from the end of January, 2016 as gathered.
According to feelers from a top source in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the appointments would be done in phases.
“The first of such appointments will be out by end of January to begin with the ministries of education and agriculture. The templates are ready. The two ministries have the biggest parastatals and will have more impact on those expecting appointments,” the source said.
It was gathered that the President is making cautious efforts to get the best hands while preventing any kind of innterfference from the state governors similar to the same way he handled the formation of his cabinet.
“The governors made all manner of protests but the President told them to go and make their own boards and other appointments and leave him to do his,” our source said.
The source added: “Some people are still sending applications for board appointment. We want to use the board appointments to address the challenges we are facing in the party.
One of the members of the presidential committee on the reconstitution of the federal government boards of parastatals, agencies and commissions, last night described their assignment as ‘a daunting task’ but added that they have gone far.
The member, who spoke in confidence, said so far, they have identified issues in several parastatals, agencies and commissions that need to be addressed.
“Our work is daunting because it has to do with reorganising the affected establishments, bearing in mind the issue of federal character, expertise, economic potentials and political expediency.
“We have gone far in the work, but the most important thing we are considering is national unity,” he said.
“Details of what we have found out would be made public at an appropriate time. The only thing I would add is that we are working,” he said.
Hundreds of appointments are expected to be made into boards under ministries of education and agriculture.
The ministry of education has six commissions namely National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Kaduna, National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Abuja, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, National Commission for Nomadic Education, (NCNE), Abuja and National Commission for Adult Education Mass Literacy and Non Formal Education (NMEC), Abuja.
These are statutory agencies with tenured appointments.
But there are many others into which the president can make immediate appointments and these are Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), Sheda, FCT, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Bwari, Abuja, West African Examination Council (WAEC), Lagos, National Examination Council (NECO), Minna, National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB), National Institute for Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA),Ondo, National Teachers Institute (NTI), Kaduna and Nigerian Mathematical Centre (NMC), Sheda, FCT.
Others are Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV)Badagry, Lagos, Nigerian Arabic Language Village (NALV) Ngala, Borno, National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) Aba, Abia, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Abuja, National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Abuja, Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Abuja and Computer Professionals Registration Council of (CPN), Lagos.
Parastatals under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development include Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), National Fadama III Programme, Commercial Agriculture Development Programme (CADP), Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Bank of Agriculture, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and National Institute for Stored Products Research Institute.
Others are Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Institute of Agricultural Research & Extension Services (IAR) and National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI).
There is also National Institute of Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR), National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), National Vom, Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI), National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), National Institute for Horticultural Research (NIHORT), Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria (RRIN), National Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Maiduguri and National Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR).
