SGF warns newly inaugurated board chairmen against corruption

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has warned chairmen and members of the governing boards of Federal Government agencies against corruption.
Mustapha gave the warning at the inauguration of the governing boards of parastatals under the supervision of the office of SGF on Tuesday in Abuja.
He urged the governing boards chairmen and members to live up to expectations as statutory bodies, saying that their main responsibility was to give policy direction to the management of their respective agencies.
He said: “The present administration has zero tolerance for any form of corruption, and this stance must not be compromised in any way.
“Government will frown at and punish corrupt practices perpetrated by any board member as well as the management team of these agencies.
“Your agencies are critical to the achievement of the developmental goals of government, being implementing entities.”
The SGF explained that board appointments were part time, urging them to allow their agencies to perform their duties without any hindrance.
He explained that their allowances and entitlements were guided by extant circulars that would be distributed to them in due course, urging them to acquaint themselves with these circulars.
Mustapha assured the boards of his support to ensure that their plans aligned with the objectives of the government to enable them to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
According to him, a joint retreat for management, chairmen and board members would soon be organised to deepen their understanding of the new policies and processes in governance.
Pauline Tallen, Chairman, National Agency for the Control of AIDS, on behalf of the board members, thanked the Federal Government for offering them the privilege to serve the country.
She pledged commitment of the boards towards complementing the efforts of the present administration in actualising its change agenda.
Tallen said: “I assure you of our commitment to help the Buhari administration achieve its goal.
“And we will strengthen our efforts at moving the country forward through good governance.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that eight boards with a total of 79 members were inaugurated.
The names of the chairmen of the boards are as follows:
Peter Biye, Chairman, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons; Rev. Yomi Kasali, Chairman, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission and Christopher Eta, Chairman, National Lottery Trust Fund.
Others are: Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle, Chairman, National Lottery Regulation Commission; Prof. Simon Malam, Chairman, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission.
The rest are: Malam Buhari Bello (Chairman, Federal Road Safety Corps; Pauline Tallen, Chairman, National Agency for the Control of AIDS and Boss Mustapha, Chairman, Galaxy Backbone Limited.