Youth group urges Tinubu to review appointment of NADF Boss

A group under the umbrella of Youth Transparency Initiative (YTI) has urged
President Bola Tinubu to review the recent appointment of Mohammed Abu Ibrahim as the new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF).

A statement on Sunday by the Chairman of the youth group, Kobo Umar said, "the NADF needs a chief executive who is versed in the agricultural sector and agricultural financing, somebody with exposure and administrative competence to nurture the agency to maturity to enable it carry out its mandates efficiently".

President Tinubu recently approved the appointment of Mohammed Abu Ibrahim as the new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF).

However, the group said there was no problem with whoever is appointed by the President, so long as the law guiding such appointments are adhered to and the person so appointed is considered competent enough.

"It is in this regard that we wish to observe that, the appointment of Mohammed Abu Ibrahim as the chief executive of the NADF as it was made without regard to the provision of the law.

"We, therefore, call on President Bola Tinubu to immediately withdraw the appointment.

"The appointment of Ibrahim is in violation of the provisions of the Act establishing NADF.

"Part iii 10 (2) of the Act establishing the NADF states clearly the requisite qualification and experience required for a person to be appointed its chief executive.

"The Act provides that, "the Executive Secretary shall possess cognate experience in any of the following disciplines: (a) agricultural finance ; (b) economics ; or (c) agricultural policy formulation and implementation.
Mohammed does not satisfy this provision of the law.

"The appointee lacks adequate experience to give appropriate direction to this agency which is still at its infancy stage, having been established in May 2023.

"Besides, the illegality, Mohammed has not had sufficient exposure to politics and general administration and does not possess enough cognate experience as far as agriculture finance, economics, or agricultural policy and implementation are concerned.

"We therefore consider his appointment as deficient and should not be allowed to stand.

"The NADF needs a chief executive who is versed in the agricultural sector and agricultural financing, somebody with exposure and administrative competence to nurture the agency to maturity to enable it carry out its mandates efficiently".