Nigeria: FG Exempts Drug Enforcement, Food and Drug Agency Boards from Dissolution

The federal government, on Tuesday, exempted the Boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) from the dissolution of Boards of its Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday.

The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation made the clarification on Tuesday via a terse statement issued by Director Information, Willie Bassey.

“Further to the directive on the dissolution of Boards of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has clarified that the Boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) are exempted from such dissolution,” the statement stated.

The president had Monday approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of all federal government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies in the exercise of his constitutional powers and in the public interest.

The dissolution did not, however, affect Boards, Commissions and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The 14 agencies, whose boards were exempted from the dissolution announced by the President included the Code of conduct Bureau, Council of State, Federal Character Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission, Federal Judicial Service Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, National Defense Council, National Economic Council, National Judicial Commission, National Population Commission,National Security Council, National Police Council, Police Service Commission and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Thus, the exemption of the NDLEA and NAFDAC boards from the list of dissolved parastatals and agencies was in exercise of the executive power of the president.

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

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