Ali Silas Agara, a Christian nominated to take over as Chairman of National Population Commission, has been finally replaced with a Muslim, Hon Kwarra Nasiru Isa.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in two separate letters dated March 20 and August 12, 2020, nominated Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, to head the NPC.
The letter by the President also contained names of individuals, who will serve as members of the commission for five years as stipulated by federal character.
Others recommended alongside Agara are Muhammed Chuso A. Dottijo, member from Sokoto; Alhaji Razaq Gidado, member from Kwara; Ibrahim Mohammed, member from Bauchi; Joseph Kwai Shazin, member from FCT; Engineer Bala Almu Banya, member from Katsina; and Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, member from Lagos.
“The positions to which appointments are to be made include the office of the Chairman from Nassarawa State, four new commissioners representing Sokoto, Kwara, Bauchi and the FCT, as well as the renewal of the appointment of others,” one of the letters by the President reads.
But in another letter dated August 21, Isa, an Hausa-Fulani also from Nasarawa State, was named as NPC Chairman while Agara was downgraded to a member of the commission.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported how some officials within the Nigerian Government were not contented with Agara’s nomination being a Christian.
A government source confirmed to SaharaReporters that Abdullahi Sule is among top Northern Muslims, who worked against a Christian being appointed to head the commission.
“Governor of Nassarawa and Chief of Staff told Buhari not to handover NPC to a Christian,” the source said.
SAHARA REPORTERS
