Buhari Shocks South East, South-South Appoints Lawal, SGF, Kyari Chief Of Staff

President Mohammadu Buhari has appointed Engr. Babachir David Lawal as
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, in what appears to be
the end of speculation that the position had been zoned to the South East
or the South-South by the All Progressive Congress, APC.

Chief Ogbonnaya Onu and Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi amongst others have
been speculated as the preferred choice for the SGF’s position. In fact,
Onu was allegedly favored for the position.

In a statement signed by Presidential Spokesman Femi Adeshina, Buhari also
approved the appointment of Col. Hammed Ibrahim Ali as the new Comptroller
General, Customs Service and Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi, Comptroller General,
Nigerian Immigration Service.

The statement reads:

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the following appointments:

•Engr. Babachir David Lawal – Secretary to the Government of
the Federation

•Alhaji Abba Kyari – Chief of Staff to the President

•Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd.) – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs
Service

•Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service

•Senator Ita S.J. Enang – SSA to the President on National Assembly
Matters (Senate)

•Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu – SSA to the President on National
Assembly Matters (House of Representatives)

The appointments are with effect from today, August 27, 2015.

Engr. Lawal, the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation hails
from Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa State. He graduated from the
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 with a Bachelor of Engineering
Degree and worked with the Delta Steel Company, Aladja, Nigerian External
Telecommunications Limited and Data Sciences Limited before establishing
his own ICT and Telecommunications consulting firm in 1990. He is also a
member of the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigeria Society of Engineers
and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

Alhaji Abba Kyari, the new Chief of Staff to the President holds Bachelors
and Masters Degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of
Warwick in Law and Sociology. He has worked with the New Nigeria
Development Company, New Africa Holdings, African International Bank,
United Bank for Africa, Unilever, and Mobil in various capacities over the
years.

The new Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Ali holds Bachelors and
Masters Degrees in Criminology. He was military administrator of Kaduna
State from 1996 to 1998.

The new Comptroller- General of Immigration, Mr. Abeshi hails from
Nasarawa State. He joined the Nigerian Immigration Service in 1989 as an
Assistant Comptroller. His educational qualifications include a Masters
Degree in Public Administration.