The Upper Chamber of Nigeria’s National Assembly yesterday in Abuja confirmed Kwara State’s nominee Alhaji Razak Folorunsho Gidado as a Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC).
The Senate also confirmed Alhaji Isa Kwarra from Nasarawa State as Chairman of the National Population Commission.
CME recalls that the Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population Commission had earlier returned a satisfactory report on its screening of Gidado and his eleven other colleagues.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmed Saidu Alkali, affirmed that the nominees were screened and found satisfactory with the requisite qualifications to serve as Chairman and Commissioners.
He explained that the Committee recommended their confirmation to the Committee of the whole because it did not receive any petition from anywhere that could have controverted their nomination.
The Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan urged the team to be focused, saying that the last population census was in 2006, and that Nigerians were expecting much from them.
Meanwhile, Gidado has expressed immense gratitude to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State over his appointment and confirmation as Commissioner of the NPC.
“I am immensely thankful to His Excellency, the Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for this wonderful opportunity to serve my State and Country through this new position at the NPC,” he told CME in an exclusive interview yesterday in Ilorin.
According to him, “it is always a great privilege to be counted worthy of any opportunity to be of service to one’s nation and one can only promise to put in the best efforts.”
He promised that he would not betray the confidence placed in him by the Governor and President Muhammadu Buhari throughout his tenure at the NPC.
Gidado also expressed special appreciation to two of Kwara’s Senators: Ibrahim Oloriegbe (Kwara Central) and Lola Ashiru (Kwara South) for their unflinching support while the processes lasted.
He noted that the two Senators left their busy schedules to be in attendance and stand by him till the end of the screening exercise.
A respected leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Commissioner for Information in the State, Oloriewe Raheem Adedoyin said yesterday that Gidado more than merited the federal appointment.
“Gidado’s appointment satisfies so many constituencies. But the most important is that his core constituency, media and communication, and the political class celebrate his choice for the challenging national job.
“Given his antecedents, I have no doubt that Gidado will do Kwara proud in his onerous national assignment.
“His national appointment is a plus for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq whose commitment to seeing Kwarans play commanding roles at national level is well-known,” Oloriewe Adedoyin added.
Gidado hails from OkeApomu/Oju Ekun/Sarumi Ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
He served as Chief Press Secretary and later Special Assistant (Media) to late former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Mohammed Alabi Lawal.
He was also Senior Special Assistant (Conflict Matters) at the tail end of the first term of the immediate past Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the nation’s premier university, the University of Ibadan in 1983, a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos and Master of Business Administration (MBA).
He taught for some time before joining Kaduna-based The Democrat Newspapers and moved to Lagos to become Assistant Editor of Healthcare Magazine. He also worked as Assistant Editor of the foremost Nigerian bilingual business Magazine, Business-In-ECOWAS.
Gidado had a fulfilling professional stint with the Ibadan-based The Monitor Newspapers before the call to serve his State of origin under late Governor Lawal.
Other nominees that were confirmed as Commissioners are: Ibrahim Mohammed (Bauchi); Ajayi Ayodeji Sunday (Ekiti); Hon. Joseph Kwali Shazin (FCT); Garba A.G. Zakar K/Hausa (Jigawa); Engr. Bala Almu Manye Z (Katsina); Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin (Lagos); Ali Silas Agara (Nasarawa); Mohammed Abdullahi Dattijo (Sokoto); Mai Aliyu Muhammed (Yobe) and Muhammad Muttaka Rimi (Zamfara).
