Buhari Approves Appointment Of Ex-Minister Who Allegedly Fled Prosecution, Years Ago

Appointments Continue As Buhari Shuffles His Cabinet

President Muhammadu Buhari has okayed the appointment of former Minister of Commerce Bello Maitama-Yusuf as member of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on his arrival back to the country said he has not and will not disclose yet, those who will be part of his cabinet in his second term.

While Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, recently rejected the insinuations, noting that “the cabinet is still intact, and we are going to have a valedictory service on 22nd of May” as Naija News reported.

However a letter obtained by Premium Times reads: “Pursuant to section 5 of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Act cap. N129, LFN2004, and all powers enabling the Honourable Minister of Transportation in that behalf, and consequent upon your nomination by the governor of Jigawa State.

“I am pleased to inform you of your appointment by the Honourable Minister, as a member of the Directors of Nigerian Railway Corporation.”

Mr Yusuf, 72, had been accused of corruption by the Buhari military administration in the early 1980s after which he went into exile to avoid prosecution.

In 1979, he served the administration of Shehu Shagari as minister for internal affairs and later as minister of commerce in 1982.

Mr Yusuf and late Umaru Dikko, then minister of transport, topped the list of fugitives wanted by the Buhari military administration for alleged corruption.

Decades later, he has now been appointed to the railway board that has Ibrahim Alhassan as chairman.

Other members are Kayode Opeifa, head of transportation secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory; former police AIG Umar Ambursa; and Obiarari Nnamdi, a professor, among others.

Yusuf was nominated by Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State, the governor’s aide on new media, Auwal Sankara, confirmed in a Facebook post.

Mr Sankara said the appointment of Yusuf was a recognition of “hard work, resilience and steadfastness” of Mr Yusuf in the progress of APC and development of Nigeria and Jigawa State.

The board was inaugurated on Thursday by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who charged members to speed up work on ongoing railway projects, the Guardian reported.