TheCable

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in 17 commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC).

The inauguration was held on Wednesday at the council chamber of the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Of the 17 commissioners, nine were re-appointed for a second term while eight were new members.

Tinubu had asked the senate to screen and confirm 19 nominees as NPC commissioners, but only 17 appeared before the committee on national identity card and population.

The new commissioners are Emmanuel Eke (Abia), Chidi Ezeoke (Anambra), Alex Ukam (Cross River), Blessyn Brume-Maguha (Delta), and Jeremiah Nwankwegu (Ebonyi).

Others include Sa’adatu Garba (Kaduna), Aminu Tsanyawa (Kano), Yori Afolabi (Kogi), Mary Afan(Plateau), and Ogiri Henry (Rivers).

Those returned are Isa Buratai (Borno), Tony Alyejina (Edo), Clifford Zirra (Adamawa), Ejike Ezeh (Enugu), Abubakar Damburam (Gombe), Uba Nnabue (Imo), and Sani Sale (Taraba).

The ceremony took place before the commencement of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting.

Meanwhile, at the FEC meeting presided over by Tinubu, a minute silence was observed for Gabriel Aduku, former minister of state for health, who died on Monday at the age of 80.

Aduku was appointed minister during the tenure of late former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Tinubu noted that as the chairman of the revenue allocation committee of the national constitutional conference, Aduku birthed the 13 percent derivation formula which is embedded in the 1999 constitution.

Some federal government officials present at the FEC meeting included Vice President Kashim Shettima; Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president; George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF); and Folashade Yemi-Esan, head of the civil service of the federation.