Buhari reverses Jonathan's NPA MD's appointment, reinstates former MD

President Muhammadu Buhari has terminated the appointment of the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Sanusi Ado Bayero, in what appears a reversal of his predecessor’s action.

The termination of Mr. Bayero’s appointment is with immediate effect, a statement by Femi Adesina, the special adviser on media and publicity to the President, said.

“He is to hand over the management of the NPA and all government property in his possession to Habibu Abdullahi who has been reinstated as Managing Director of the NPA by President Buhari,” Mr. Adesina said.

“President Buhari wishes Mr. Bayero well in his future endeavours,” the statement added.

Mr. Bayero’s was among former President Goodluck Jonathan last-minutes appointments.

He was appointed to the position on April 29 after Mr. Abdullahi’s removal.

No reason was given for Mr. Abdullahi’s removal at the time.

The review of Mr. Jonathan’s last-minutes appointment is one of the key recommendations of the Ahmed Joda transition committee set up by Mr. Buhari before his assumption of office.

The recommendations is part of a portfolio of swift steps the committee believe Mr. Buhari must take within three months of assumption of power if he must succeed.

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The committee, as exclusively reported by PREMIUM TIMES on June 29, said the president should review all appointments made by Mr. Jonathan in the last nine months, and “for strategic agencies requiring professional leadership, the government should terminate all appointments not based on merit”.

The Joda panel said such move will save costs associated with poor decision making by an incompetent management team, and must be delivered within 45 days of the new government.

That recommendation appears to take into consideration the last minute appointments by Mr. Jonathan after he lost the March 28 elections.

In less than two months, Mr. Jonathan, not previously given to readily hiring and firing, sacked dozens of top officials and replaced them before leaving office.