TheCable

With heavy hearts but gratitude to God for lives well spent, we wish to announce that the death toll on the board appointments list released by the secretary to the government of the federation on Friday has increased to five.

There are fears that the death toll may rise to 10 by year-end after more post-mortem is conducted on the list.

At first observation, TheCable earlier discovered that two of the appointees — Francis Okpozo and Donald Ugbaja — had gone to be with the Lord long before the list was released.

Okpozo, who was a senator in the second republic, was appointed chairman of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) while Ugbaja, a retired deputy inspector-general of police, was appointed member of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).

But after a closer look at the list, three other persons were discovered to be deceased. They are Christopher Utov, Ahmed Bunza and Kabir Umar.

Ahmed Bunza, who died at Usman Danfodio University, Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, was buried May 22.

Bunza was a staunch supporter of the APC. He served as the sole administrator of Jega local government of Kebbi state.

Utov, a former proprietor of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko, passed away in March 2017.

He was appointed a member of the board of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research.

Umar, a former emir of Katagum in Bauchi state, died on December 9.

He was picked to join the board of the Federal Medical Centre, Azare, also in Bauchi.

His son and successor is also Kabir Umar, so that gives the government an opportunity to declare that incarnation is real.

When contacted, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s spokesman, directed TheCable to the office of the secretary to the government of the federation from where the statement announcing the appointments emanated.

“Anything on that (the list), it is the office of the SGF that handles it. The office of the SGF has a spokesman,” Adesina told TheCable.

Boss Mustapha, the SGF, did not pick his calls or reply messages.

The wicked have done their worst. May their souls rest in peace.