President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Hajiya Saratu Umar of her position as Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).
The move comes just two days after the president fired Mohammed Sani, executive vice-chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.
According to a statement issued by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), the President directed the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment to appoint the most senior Director in the Commission to immediately take over the position in the interim.
Hajiya Saratu Umar was appointed for a fresh term of five years on July 5, 2022, by President Buhari, and was first appointed to the position in July 2014.
At the time of her appointment, she was described as a technocrat, reformer, strategist, economist, investment promotion expert, and export development specialist, with experience in banking and finance, investment, and consulting segments of the public and private sectors of Nigeria.
The statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President highlighted Hajiya Saratu Umar’s achievements during her tenure.
She is said to have transformed the NIPC into a world-class investment agency, minimizing revenue leakages and saving the country N500 billion, for which she received a commendation from the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission.
No reason was given for Hajiya Saratu Umar’s termination.
The Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission is a federal government agency responsible for encouraging, promoting, and coordinating investments in Nigeria.
The appointment of the most senior Director in the Commission as the interim CEO is expected to ensure continuity of the Commission’s activities.
The move by President Buhari to terminate the appointment of Hajiya Saratu Umar has attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians.
Some have expressed disappointment and questioned the rationale behind the decision, while others have applauded the move, saying it is in the best interest of the country.
This article was updated 3 months ago
