THOSE WHO WILL CHART A COURSE FOR BUHARI

Behold the men and
women who will chart the course for the government of General Muhammadu Buhari,
who assumes office on May 29. These men, made up of a blend of old and new
generation, were chosen after weeks of consultation and character evaluation
and were drawn from the country’s six geo-political zones to make up the
transition committee

AHMED JODA

The chairman of the
18-member transition committee, nominated by the President-elect, General
Muhammadu Buhari, and Ahmed Joda is an administrator, journalist and
politician. He is a former permanent secretary in the Northern Nigerian public
service, Federal Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education and the Federal
Ministry of Industries.

 He was among a
class of super permanent secretaries in the 1970s that played a major role
during the Nigerian Civil War. In the 1960s, he worked with Ahmadu Bello in the
Northern regional government.

In 1999, he headed
a committee on assessment of Federal Government parastatals and also a panel on
poverty alleviation. He currently serves as the chairman of ABTI-American
University of Nigeria, Yola and is the principal founder of Benue Valley Farms.

Joda was born in
Girei in Adamawa State. He attended Yola Elementary and Middle schools before
proceeding to Barewa College. In the 1950s, he attended Pitman College, London
and gained practical experience in journalism while staying in Britain.

After completing
his secondary education in 1948, he was admitted to Moor Plantation, Ibadan. He
worked briefly at an agricultural centre in Yola before entering the field of
journalism at Gaskiya Corporation, Zaria. He later worked for the Nigerian
Broadcasting Commission serving as the editor of NBC Kaduna and then joined the
Northern Nigeria civil service as Chief Information Officer and later permanent
secretary in the regional Ministry of Information. In 1967, he became a federal
permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information and subsequently moved to
Lagos.

After, the civil
war, he was seconded to the Ministry of Education when the ministry was
involved in rehabilitation of facilities in the old East Central State,
launching of the Universal Primary Education and the establishment of the
Nigerian Universities Commission. In the mid 1970s, he became permanent
secretary in the Ministry of Industry at a time the Nigerian government was
trying to launch a national steel programme. He has also served as chairman and
board member of various bodies including the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, Nigerian Communications Commission, Pastoral Resolve, SCOA,
Nigeria, Chagouri and Chagouri Construction, Flour Mills, Nigeria, and the
Nigerian LNG.

DOYIN SALAMI

Dr. Doyin Salami,
the vice-chairman of the committee, holds a PhD from Queen Mary College,
University of London. He is a member of
the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria and had been a
member of the Federal Government’s Economic Management Team.

He is currently a
full-time member of the faculty at Lagos Business School (LBS), where he is
senior lecturer. In addition, he is also an executive director of the UK-based
African Business Research Ltd.  At LBS,
he leads sessions in economic environment of business and had also served as
director of programmes for five years until January 2005. Dr. Salami’s research
interests include: issues in corporate long-term financial management;
macroeconomic policy; corporate competitiveness and risk management; and
characteristics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In addition to
teaching, Salami is a consultant. His consulting activities included
assignments for the Department for International Development (DFID), World
Bank, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and United
States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Presently, he is
retained as a consultant by British American Tobacco (BAT), BGL Securities Ltd;
Coca-Cola Nigeria and Equatorial Africa (CCNEAL), Kakawa Discount House and he
has facilitated or participated in corporate retreats for Zain Nig Ltd., MTN,
and African Petroleum Plc., among others.

TAM DAVID WEST

Prof. Tam David
West is a former minister of petroleum and energy under General Muhammadu
Buhari  military government between
1984–1985, and  minister of mines, power,
and steel under the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (1986). He was
eventually removed as minister and arrested by the Babangida regime for
allegedly contributing to the economic adversity of the country. He was
discharged and acquitted of these charges by Nigeria’s Special Appeal Court on August
8, 1991.

 He had earlier
served as commissioner of education and a member of the Executive Council of
Rivers State (1975–1979), as a member of the 50-person Constitution Drafting
Committee for the Federal Military Government of General Murtala Muhammed .

David-West was born
in Buguma, Kalabari, in what is now Rivers State. He received his higher
education at the University of Ibadan (1956-1958) and earned a BSc degree at
Michigan State University (1958–1960), an MSc degree at Yale University
(1960–1962), and a PhD degree at McGill University (1964–1966). David-West was
consultant virologist and senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan in 1969
and was subsequently promoted to professor of virology in 1975.

FESTUS ODIMEGWU

Another member of
the transition committee, Mr.  Festus
Odimegwu, is a former Managing Director of Nigeria Breweries Plc and immediate
past chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC). He replaced Chief
Samaila Makama at NPC.

Odimegwu was an
appointee of President Goodluck Jonathan after he helped to rally the organised
private sector to support the enthronement of the Umaru Yar’Adua presidency in
which Mr. Jonathan served as vice president.

He remained close
to President Jonathan, who appointed him chairman of the National Population
Commission. He however left the position in controversial circumstances after
he made comments considered critical of a section of the country.

While at the
Nigerian Breweries, he embarked on a modernisation programme that has further
strengthened the distance between NB and its competitors.

He also served as a
Director of Dangote Cement Plc until March 2012.  He served as Director of Union Bank of
Nigeria Plc between 2004 and December 31, 2011. He served as Director of
Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. He graduated with B.Sc Chemistry from
the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and M.Sc Brewing from Beriot Watt University,
Edinburgh, UK.

He was Chairman
& CEO, FS Group of Companies Ltd and a non-executive Chairman, Royal
Lifestyle Services Group of Companies Ltd. Odimegwu was also a non-executive
chairman of Quintessentially Nigeria Ltd.

NIKE ABODERIN

Nike Aboderin, a
member of the committee is also a representative of the private sector on the
transition committee. Her private sector
experience was majorly in the banking sector where she rose to the position of
Group Head, Large Corporates at Skye Bank Plc in 2014. She also had a stint at
Citibank Nigeria.

 She was Special
Adviser to the Ogun State governor between July 2011 and August 2014. She was a
member of the executive council and was responsible for the trade and
investment portfolio, reporting directly to the governor. She was once Head,
Treasury/ Financial Services of Premium Securities Ltd. (FBN (Merchant) Bank
Ltd.)

OLAWALE EDUN

Another private
sector operator on the committee list is former commissioner of finance, Lagos
State from 1999-2004. He has considerable experience in Economics and
International Finance at national and international levels. He worked at Chase
Merchant Bank Nig. Limited (later Continental Bank Plc) – including spells at
Lehman Brothers and Chase Manhattan Capital Markets, New York, USA and The
World Bank / International Finance Corporation, Washington DC, USA .

 He returned to
Nigeria in 1989 as co-founder and executive director of Investment Banking and
Trust Company (now Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc. He is the founder and current
Chairman of Denham Management Limited (now Chapel Hill Denham Group). He serves
on the board of African Paints Nigeria Plc, among others. He is also the
Chairman, LiveWell Initiative, a health education and literacy non-government
organisation (NGO) as well as Sisters Unite for Children – another NGO which
assists street children.

BOLA ADESOLA

Bola Adesola is a
banker and a lawyer by profession. She joined Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria
Limited in 2011 as the managing director/chief executive officer. Her main
responsibilities include the provision of leadership for the Group in Nigeria,
through the development of overall country strategy/direction; the provision of
leadership on corporate governance issues; and the achievement of the overall
country’s financial and headcount budgets. Prior to joining
Standard Chartered Bank, Adesola served in senior leadership capacities in
Citibank, Nigeria and Tanzania for a period spanning over nine years. She also
served as Managing Director of Kakawa Discount House Nigeria and executive
director in First Bank Nigeria, with responsibility for managing the business
in the Lagos Directorate including retail, corporate and commercial banking.

MUHAMMED HAYATUDEEN

Muhammed Hayatudeen
is remembered as perhaps, the first Nigerian bank managing director to turn
around a sick and dying financial institution. He used his wealth of experience
in 1992 to transform the hitherto dormant Federal Savings Bank into a thriving
commercial bank. His effort led to the establishment of the now defunct FSB
International Bank.

Hayatudeen is one
of the moving spirits behind the Nigerian Economic Summit that has set the agenda
for restructuring the Nigerian economy and putting it on a firm foundation. The
Nigerian Economic Summit served as a precursor of the Vision 2010 where
Hayatudeen also played a prominent role.

He had earlier
worked in the Northern Nigerian Development Company where he retired as
managing director. He set up a private consulting firm which he managed before
coming to FSB.  He is an Economics
graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria. He served as member of
numerous regulatory bodies such as the Technical Committee on Privatisation and
Commercialisation (TCPC)

ABUBAKAR MALAMI

Abubakar Malami,
SAN, was born April 17, 1967 in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State. He attended Usman
Dan Fodio University, Sokoto. Between 1995 and 1996 he worked as Magistrate II,
Kebbi State Judiciary. He was a member of the Local Government Election
Tribunal for the 2003 Election and National Publicity Secretary, Muslim Lawyers
Forum of Nigeria – 2002 – 2004. He 
served in various capacities including being a state counsel and magistrate
in Kebbi State and teaching law at the Usman Dan Fodio University before going
into  private legal practice. He was also
the National Legal Adviser to the defunct 
Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

AUDU OGBEH

Audu Ogbeh, an
Idoma, was born on July 28, 1947, in Otukpo, Benue State. He attended King’s
College, Lagos (1967 – 1968), then studied at the Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria (1969 – 1972)

He also
attended  the University of Toulouse,
France (1973 – 1974) before returning home to commence a teaching career at the
Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1972 – 1976) and headed
the Department of Humanities, Murtala College of Arts, Science and Technology
(1977 – 1979).

Ogbeh began his
political career in 1979 when he ran for office in the Benue State House of
Assembly on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), becoming
deputy speaker of the Assembly. In 1982, he was appointed Federal Minister of
Communications, and later became Minister of Steel Development. His term of
office ended in December 1983 when a military coup brought Major-General
Muhammadu Buhari to power. Ogbeh’s political
influence  blossomed when  he was appointed National Chairman of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in  2001
replacing Chief Barnabas Gemade. He held this position until January 2005, when
he was forced to resign due to his criticism of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s
handling of a crisis in Anambra State. 
He returned to his farming career afterwards. As at 2009, he was
chairman and managing director, Efugo Farms, Makurdi, and a member of
Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships Incorporated, based in Philadelphia, United
States of America. Ogbeh later became a member of the Action Congress of
Nigeria ( ACN) and played a prominent role in the merger that gave birth to the
APC.

JOHN ODIGIE OYEGUN

Chief John Odigie
Oyegun was born on August 12, 1939 in Warri, Delta. He attended St. Patrick’s
College, Asaba and proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he obtained
Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Oyegun served as a federal civil servant and in
various capacities as a development planner. He served in the Federal Civil
Service for 13 years and  was appointed
Permanent Secretary at the age of 36, thus making him the youngest at that
time. In 1985, Oyegun retired voluntarily from the Civil Service.

The former Edo
governor was to have his first taste of politics in 1992. After retiring from
the Federal Civil Service, Oyegum. was elected the civilian governor of Edo on
the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) under the transition to
democracy launched by the then Military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida
between January 1992 to November 1993. Oyegun joined  forces with Pro-democracy activists who
campaigned for a return to civil rule using the umbrella body of NADECO.  He later became a prominent member of the now
defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and chaired the technical committee
set up by the party to advice it on sensitive national issues. But in 2012,
Oyegun parted ways with the ANPP and joined the Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) and shortly afterwards, they went into merger talks with ANPP, Congress
for Progressive Change (CPC). On June 13, 2014, the former governor was elected
the first substantive national chairman of the APC.

OGBONNAYA ONU

Chief Ogbonnaya Onu
was born on December 1, 1951 to a family of His Royal Highness, late Eze David
Aba Onu, Eze Adul of Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi  State.

He obtained grade
one with distinction in his West African School Certificate examination at Izzi
High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. He also obtained distinctions in physics
and chemistry at the Higher School Certificate examination at the College of
Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu. Onu went ahead to study Chemical
Engineering at the University of Lagos, graduating in 1976 with a first class
honours degree in Chemical Engineering. For emerging tops with first class
honours, Onu enrolled for his Doctorate degree in Chemical Engineering without
passing through a Master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley,
United States of America.

Onu continued
in  pursuit of  his academic career, taking up teaching appointment
at St. Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi state and later at the Universty
of Port Harcourt. He was appointed the first head of the department of Chemical
Engineering. He later acted as Dean Faculty of Engineering and was later
elected into the Governing Council of the University. Onu has held many
administrative positions and served on the boards of several establishments. He
was President Raw Materials Society of Nigeria and Visitor, Abia State
University, Uturu.

The APC chieftain
began his political life in 1991, when he was elected first governor of the old
Abia state. He later became the first Chairman Conference of Nigerian elected
Governors in 1999. The former governor also emerged as the presidential
flag-bearer of the then All  People’s  Party (later known as All Nigeria Peoples
Party). He and other progressive politicians initiated the process of merger of
a coalition of  opposition political
parties in the country which has metamorphosed into the All Progressives
Congress (APC).

CHIBUIKE
ROTIMI AMAECHI

Outgoing Rivers
State Governor and Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation,
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, played more than just the role of an average party man
in the success of the Buhari election. Amaechi, among others, was believed to
have put in huge financial commitment to the Buhari campaign, aside buying into
the vision of change. It is not expected, therefore, that he would be part of
the Buhari presidency from the scratch.

Although from the
South-south region as President Goodluck Jonathan, Amaechi, against the many
labels of a traitor, greed and over-ambition, was the first to wage a potent
war against his own, citing incompetence, corruption and orchestrated security
to cow and intimidate the opposition. His idea of change seemed impossible ab
initio; he however trudged on until the dream was realised on March 28.

SENATOR HADI SIRIKA

Senator Hadi
Sirika, a former pilot and senator from Katsina North Senatorial District, is
currently the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Millennium Development
Goals (MGDs). A very close ally of Buhari, Sirika is one person who stayed the
course, despite the menacing challenges.

Also a member of
the Senate Committee on Aviation, Sirika always believed that President
Goodluck Jonathan lacked the gravitas to run a complex nation like Nigeria but
has a rather poor grasp of his brief and a number of topical issues. He has
always hoped that whenever Buhari emerges president, things might begin to take
a different turn. He is close and honourable enough to deserve membership of
the transition committee.

SOLOMON DALONG

Fifty-one years old
Solomon Dalong is the son of a retired Director of Health in the Taraba State
Civil Service. Immediately after passing out from the Law School, he took up a
job as Personal Assistant to the late Chief Solomon Lar. He was then appointed
Adviser Emeritus to President Olusegun Obasanjo. This job lasted till 2003. In
2004, he took up an appointment with the Faculty of Law, University of Jos, as
a lecturer. As a lecturer, he has had the opportunity of attending leadership
trainings, courtesy of international human rights organisations.

In 2005, Dalong
combined his job as a lecturer and study while pursuing a post-graduate degree
in Law. His LLM programme successfully ended in 2007 and he was appointed
Chairman of Langtang South Local Government Area the same year. His tenure as
council chairman ended in May 2008. He then returned to the University of Jos.
He made an attempt at representing Langtang North and South at the National
Assembly but lost.

His condemnation of
the political class is a family thing, as power abuse is said to irritate him.
He is coming on board the committee on the strength of credibility and personal
recognition.

MALLAM ADAMU ADAMU

A renowned public
analyst and columnist with Daily Trust, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to many, needs no
introduction. He is a public commentator with a distinct style – fearless,
educated and bold enough to express his views and opinions both locally and
internationally. An indigene of Bauchi State, Adamu was one of the few who
constantly criticised the government of former Governor Adamu Mu’azu, now the
PDP national chairman.

Beyond his state,
he has written on so many issues happening in other states of the country. He
has also written so many times on international politics. He has been an ardent
follower of Buhari for many years and was indeed, part of those who accompanied
the General to Bauchi State during the 2007 elections to sell the candidacy of
Governor Isa Yuguda as the then ANPP gubernatorial candidate.

By virtue of his
relationship with Buhari, many see Adamu as anti-PDP. He was even said to have
once boasted that if the 2007 elections were rigged, he would be on the street
demanding for justice. Adamu was very critical of the late President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua. He is on board on account of his relationship with Buhari, and he is
secretary of the committee.

BOSS MUSTAPHA

Mr. Boss Mustapha
was one of the governorship candidates in Adamawa State. Although he did not
clinch the ticket eventually, he remains one of the architects of the APC
success in the state. In fact, he was said to be one of those who enjoined many
of PDP members to pitch tent with the APC.

He is said to have
been shortlisted on the committee on the grounds of his contribution to the
success of the party, in addition to fulfilling the quota requirement. He is
also said to a strong believer of the Buhari project, a major factor said to
have enhanced his membership of the committee.

Source: Thisday