Leadership Tussle Stalls Tinubu’s BCDA Appointment

Three weeks after President Bola Tinubu announced the appointment of Dr Abdulrazak Namdas as Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), controversy has erupted over the delay in issuing his formal appointment letter, with allegations that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) has yet to implement the presidential directive.

The delay has triggered a leadership dispute at the agency, as the immediate past chief executive, Dr Dakorinama George, has continued to perform official duties despite the Presidency’s announcement that Namdas had replaced him.

On June 26, the Presidency announced Namdas’ appointment in a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, Namdas, a former spokesman of the House of Representatives, was appointed to replace George, who was said to have resigned to pursue an elective position in Rivers State.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas as the new Director-General of the Border Communities Development Agency.

“Dr Namdas replaces Dr Dakorinama Alabo George, who resigned to contest for an elective post in his home state,” the statement read.

The Presidency also stated that the appointment took immediate effect.

Despite the announcement, Sunday PUNCH gathered that Namdas has yet to assume office because he has not received the formal appointment letter required for his resumption.

Meanwhile, George has continued to preside over the affairs of the agency and represent it at official functions.

One such engagement took place when he met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, in Abuja to seek the release of funds for BCDA projects.

According to a statement published after the meeting, George discussed ongoing infrastructure projects in border communities and other development initiatives, including a proposed $2bn Chinese investment in a livestock processing hub in Jigawa State and plans to establish a Border Communities Intelligence Corps.

The development has raised questions over who currently exercises lawful authority at the agency.

An APC chieftain, Hamman Yero, alleged that the delay resulted from the failure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to transmit the President’s appointment.

Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Yero questioned why Namdas had yet to receive his appointment letter despite the public announcement by the Presidency.

“This is a mandate given to the President by Nigerians. On whose mandate is the SGF acting?” he asked.

“If the President directs that Namdas should be appointed and the SGF keeps the appointment letter without releasing it, then serious constitutional and administrative questions arise.”

According to him, presidential appointments should ordinarily move seamlessly from presidential approval to the issuance of appointment letters through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Yero also dismissed reports suggesting that George’s appointment had been restored.

Multiple sources familiar with developments at the agency alleged that George returned to the BCDA after losing the APC governorship primary in Rivers State.

A senior official of the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, claimed George resumed official activities without a formal handover process.

“He resigned to contest the governorship. After losing, he simply returned and resumed activities without any formal handover,” the source alleged.

The official also claimed George continued to enjoy political support within the administration.

The source further alleged that George’s continued presence at the agency was linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, under whom he previously served as Commissioner for Works in Rivers State.

However, Sunday PUNCH said it could not independently verify the allegation.

An ally of Wike dismissed the claim, describing it as “mere insinuation.”

“Wike is also an appointee of the President and he cannot have such powers,” the ally said.

Responding to the controversy, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, maintained that President Tinubu had not reversed Namdas’ appointment.

“As far as I know, the President has not changed his mind. Namdas remains the Executive Secretary of the agency.

“All these things they are talking about, they don’t know what they are talking about. The President has not changed his mind about the appointment of Namdas as the head of that border agency,” Onanuga said.

Explaining the delay, the presidential spokesman stated that the issuance of the formal appointment letter rests with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“His appointment has been communicated to the Office of the SGF, so the SGF has to give him a letter,” he added.

When contacted, the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, said the office would only respond after receiving a formal inquiry.

“What I normally prefer is for you to write to us and we would sit down to give you a response,” he said.

Similarly, the SGF’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, said he had no information on the matter.

The punch