There is uncertainty in the Ministry of Information and Culture as the appointments of director-general, National Council of Arts and Culture (NAC), Segun Runsewe; artistic director, National Troupe of Nigeria, Tar Ukoh; director-general, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Folorunsho Coker, and director-general, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Adedayo Thomas, ended on March 31.
They were appointed heads of the respective agencies on March 31, 2017, along with managing director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) Dr Chidia Maduekwe, whose appointment was renewed in February 2021, leaving only the other four in limbo.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on medical leave in London, has not confirmed their reappointment or announced a replacement for them.
When contacted, spokesman to the minister for information and culture Segun Adeyemi told Qed.ng that the affected agency heads will hand over to the most senior director.
“They will hand over to the most senior director in their agencies pending the renewal or otherwise of their appointments by Mr President. And I am sure that’s been done,” Mr Adeyemi said in a message sent to this online newspaper.
Adeyemi added that he could not say if the ministry has formally written to the directors authorising them to take over pending the appointment of substantive heads.
“But I can confirm that some have already handed over,” he said.
A source in one of the agencies, however, told our correspondent on Thursday morning that the most senior director had not taken over because there was no official communication to that effect.
“The letter reminding the director-general that his tenure was ending and advising him to hand over to the most senior director should have been issued before March 31.
“As I speak to you today (Thursday), nothing like that has happened. The staff don’t know who take instructions from because they do not know if the DG will be reappointed or not,” the source who wished not to be named said.
The present uncertainty mirrors what happened when Runsewe, Ukoh, Coker and Thomas were appointed in 2017.
A statement signed by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina named Mr Coker as director-general of the NFVCB before the error was corrected and the latter named as head of NTDC.
The appointees also could not resume immediately after their appointment because their letters were not released early.
The Guardian also reported that some of them were turned back at their agencies because they could not present their appointment letters.
