It was a day of long knives in Abuja, a day President Muhammadu Buhari, used his party’s symbolic broom to sweep away vestiges of the old order.

Over 23 director generals and managing directors of agencies and departments of government were sacked today, beginning from the Ministry of Information, where the the heads of Voice of Nigeria, NTA, News Agency of Nigeria, FRCN, National Broadcasting Commission and National Orientation Agency were asked to leave.

 Then came the statement signed by Mr. Babachir David Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation announcing the sack of directors-general of many agencies of government.

 “The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate disengagement of the following Chief Executive Officers of the underlisted Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.

“He has also approved that the most senior officers in the Parastatals, Agencies and Councils oversee the activities of the organisations pending the appointment of substantive Chief Executive Officers”, Lawal said.

 The agencies affected are: Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Petroleum Equalization Fund.

Others are: Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC), Bureau of Public Procurements (BPP), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Bank of Industry (BoI), National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Nigerian Export-Import Bank and National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic In Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP).

Those affected are: Olufemi Ajayi appointed in 2014 by Goodluck Jonathan to PTDF as executive secretary, Amb. Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze of NEPAD, Munir Abubakar of NSITF, Mr. Ernest Nwapa of NCDMB, Mr Gimba Ya’u Kumo of FMBN.

Others are Professor  Suleiman Bogoro, TETFUND, Peter Jack of NITDa, who is already on suspension and Mrs Asabe Asmau Ahmed, appointed by Jonathan in May  last year to replace Adefunke Kasali.

The changes also affected Adeseyi Sijuade of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engineer Emeka Ezeh of BPP,  Benjamin Dikki, BPE, Farouk A. Ahmed, of PPPRA, Dr Joseph  Odumodu of SON, Dr. Paul Orhii, NAFDAC, Mrs. Saratu Altine Umar, NIPC, 

Rasheed Olaoluwa, MD Bank of Industry, Onyeka Onwenu, NCWD, Dr. Mrs Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, ITF, Roberts Orya, NEXIM Bank and Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba for NAPTIP.