Buhari fires Budget DG, names Abdullahi as replacement

• President appoints Dabiri-Erewa SSA Foreign Affairs, Akabueze as Adviser to Planning Minister
APPARENTLY in response to the crisis surrounding the 2016 Budget before the National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari has fired the Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr. Yahaya Gusau and in his place appointed Tijani Mohammed Abdullahi.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina also indicated that the President has also approved the appointment of Mr. Ben Ifeanyi Akabueze as the Special Adviser on Planning to the Minister of Budget and National Planning.

Also President Buhari yesterday named a former member of House of Representatives Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa as his Senior Special on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora. Abdullahi, a fellow of the Certified National Accountants of Nigeria, and a banker of repute with experience in managing public finance, is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers; Fellow, Institute of Credit Administrators and Honorary Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers.

Akabueze, who is the immediate past Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget in Lagos State, has worked in senior management positions in Citi Bank, Fidelity Bank, United Bank for Africa, NAL Merchant Bank, Sterling Bank and BIA Consulting Limited, among others. He served as Economic Planning Commissioner to two successful governors of Lagos State, including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fasola (SAN).