Buhari to appoint board members into agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari is to complete all outstanding appointments into federal government boards of agencies by January 2017, Shehu Garba, a presidential spokesperson has said.

Buhari's spokesperson says his boss will make new appointments in January

Garba reportedly said this in a statement admitting that the delay in appointing the board members had been an issue of interest to members of Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Daily Trust recalls that an official of the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) had made the same promise on December 28, 2015.

He said the process will be fully back on track at the beginning of the New Year.

“You know that the reconstitution began methodically from sector by sector. You should expect that to resume at the beginning of the New Year. The president has given directions on what to do,” he said.

Garba also said the president’s call for Nigerians to focus on farming was yielding results.

He said: “The talk about agriculture has driven people to the farm. This year, there is a huge boom in the rural economy. We have witnessed an excellent harvest. Farmers are getting value for their output.

“What has encouraged farmers the more is the increasing availability of extension services. New farming techniques are helping farmers to do their occupation better.

“The readiness of off takers to buy the produce is also a major boost.

“When you put all these together with the systematic move to curb importation as a boost to local production through the restriction of the available foreign exchange to critically important sectors of the economy, you have favourable environment for the diversification of the economy.

“As we speak, several of the country’s major manufacturing industries are actively backward-integrating- Nestle, Unilever, the breweries are looking at what we have as local materials, changing their formulations to maintain production levels and keep their shares of the market.

“Manufacturers, who are hooked on import of raw materials, are advised to re-strategise and take full advantage of local raw materials. The future belongs to those who employ the use of local raw materials.”