A leadership crisis has emerged at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) following allegations that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has withheld the appointment letter of President Bola Tinubu’s nominee, Abdulrazak Namdas.
The development comes more than three weeks after the Presidency announced Namdas’ appointment as Director-General of the agency. Despite the announcement, the immediate past chief executive, Dakorinama George, has continued to oversee the agency’s affairs.
Tinubu announced Namdas’ appointment
On June 26, the Presidency announced Namdas’ appointment through a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement explained that Namdas would replace Dakorinama George, who resigned to contest an elective position in Rivers State. It also stated that the appointment took immediate effect.
The statement read:
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Abdulrazak Sa’ad Namdas as the new Director General of the Border Communities Development Agency. Dr Namdas replaces Dr Dakorinama Alabo George, who resigned to contest for an elective post in his home state.”
Agency faces leadership uncertainty
However, Namdas has yet to assume office because he has not received his formal appointment letter, according to findings by Sunday PUNCH. Meanwhile, George has continued to perform official duties and represent the agency at government functions.
One recent example occurred when George met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to discuss funding for BCDA projects. During the meeting, he was presented as the agency’s chief executive.
The situation has raised questions over who currently exercises lawful authority at the agency.
APC chieftain questions delay
An APC chieftain, Hamman Yero, questioned why Namdas had yet to receive his appointment letter despite the Presidency’s announcement.
He said:
“This is a mandate given to the President by Nigerians. On whose mandate is the SGF acting?”
Yero also argued that presidential appointments should move smoothly from presidential approval to implementation through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He added:
“If the President directs that Namdas should be appointed and the SGF keeps the appointment letter without releasing it, then serious constitutional and administrative questions arise.”
Presidency insists appointment remains valid
Reacting to the controversy, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga maintained that President Tinubu had not reversed the appointment.
He said:
“As far as I know, the President has not changed his mind. Namdas remains the Executive Secretary of the agency.”
Onanuga explained that issuing the appointment letter falls under the responsibility of the Office of the SGF.
He stated:
“His appointment has been communicated to the Office of the SGF, so the SGF has to give him a letter.”
SGF’s office declines detailed response
The Head of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the SGF, Christopher Ugwuegbulam, said the office would only respond after receiving a formal inquiry.
Similarly, the SGF’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, said he had no information about the matter. Efforts to obtain comments from Dakorinama George were unsuccessful.
Lawyers, analysts raise concerns
Constitutional lawyer Suraj Bamidele said delays in implementing presidential appointments could create legal uncertainty within government institutions.
Public affairs analyst Sunday Awosika also described the allegations as disturbing. He argued that the controversy raised concerns about compliance with presidential directives. Another analyst, Abdulrasaq Rasheed, attributed the development to poor coordination within government.
ADC questions presidential authority
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the BCDA dispute reflected a broader governance problem. The opposition party argued that repeated controversies over federal appointments raised questions about the exercise of executive authority.
The party said:
“If the reports concerning the Border Communities Development Agency are true, then this is no longer about one disputed appointment. It is about something far more disturbing: who is actually in charge of the Nigerian Presidency?”
It added:
“When a President announces the appointment of one person and another simply ignores that directive and carries on in office, Nigeria is no longer witnessing administrative confusion. We are witnessing a struggle for control of the Presidency itself.”
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