Jonathan Fires NPC Boss Festus Odimegwu
Anya Replaces Nwabueze in Advisory Committee
Apparently bowing to pressure from the northern political elite, President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday fired chairman of Nigeria Population Commission (NPC) Eze Festus Odimegwu.
The former NPC boss had drawn the ire of the northern political elite when he, in a recent interview, faulted all past census figures for the country as unreliable.
Sources said Odimegwu was forced to resign over the controversial comments or be disgraced out of office. The former Nigeria Breweries boss elected the former option.
A statement from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) said Odimegwu’s resignation took effect from October 17, 2013.
Shortly after a recent meeting between Governor Musa Kwakwanso and President Jonathan, the governor captured the displeasure of the northern political elite to the controversial disclosure by the fired NPC boss.
“I …raised the issue of the Chairman of the National Population Commission headed by one Festus Odimegwu. We are not happy about that appointment, and think that it was a mistake,” Kwakwanso told State House correspondents.
“He had only one thing in alcoholic industry (sic), all his life. And my guess is that he’s taking a lot of his products and that is why we feel that his appointment is a mistake because he cannot be the Chairman of NPC and at the same time attack what his predecessors have done,” Kwakwanso submitted.
Also on Thursday, President Jonathan approved the appointment of Professor Anya O. Anya as replacement for Professor Ben Nwabueze, who recently rejected his membership of Advisory Committee on National Dialogue.
Citing ill health, 83-year old Nwabueze had rejected his appointment to the committee, and advised that a younger person be appointed to replace him.
Aged 76, Anya is a Chartered biologist, Fellow and past Vice President of the Nigerian Academy of Science.
The statement added that President Jonathan also approved the appointment of his former adviser on international affairs, Dr. Pius Osunyikanmi as Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Technical Aids Corps.