Buhari Sacks Dokubo, Appoints Dikio New Amnesty Programme Coordinator

*Council of State ratifies Agara’s nomination as Chairman of NPC

By Omololu Ogunmade

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday appointed Col. Milland Dixion Dikio (rtd.) as the Interim Administrator of the Amnesty Programme Office and sacked Prof. Charles Quarker Dokubo as the programme’s coordinator.

According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the appointment took effect from August 21, 2020.

The statement said consequent upon Dikio’s appointment, Dokubo was directed to hand over all official matters to the most senior officer of the Programme.

It added that the president appreciated the services of Dokubo to the country and wished him the best in his future endeavours.

Also Thursday, a virtual Council of State meeting presided over by Buhari approved the appointment of Mr. Silas Agara, as the new Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC)

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the council also approved nominations of other members of the commission.

He listed members of the commission whose nominations were approved as: Muhammed Chuso A. Dottijo, (Sokoto); Alhaji Razaq Gidado, (Kwara); Ibrahim Mohammed, (Bauchi); Joseph Kwai Shazin, (FCT); Engineer Bala Almu Banya, (Katsina); and Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, (Lagos).

The approval of the appointment of Agara, a Christian from Nasarawa State, put to rest a recent viral allegation that Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, and the Chief of Staff to Buhari, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, had vowed to stop the appointment of Agara as Chairman of NPC and insisted on his replacement with a Muslim from the state.

But Sule vehemently denied the allegation, describing it as untrue.

Buhari had in two separate letters dated March 20 and August 12, 2020 respectively, nominated Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, to head the NPC.