Convinced that his continued stay in office is no longer in the interest of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari has fired the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), John-Kennedy Opara, a good two years before the end of his tenure..
A statement by the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, said the disengagement of Mr. Opara from office as head of the commission became effective, Thursday.
The statement added that President Muhammadu Buhari thanked Mr. Opara for spearheading the affairs of the commission in the last eight years, and wished him success in his future endeavours.
Mr. Opara was appointed in 2008 by the then President Umaru Yar’Adua for an initial tenure of five years. He was reappointed in June 2013, after his first tenure ended by former President Goodluck Jonathan for a second and final tenure. He is one of the survivors of the mass sack of PDP appointees by the Buhari government until Thursday. His tenure was billed to end in June 2018.
The President however reserves the right to remove him from office in accordance with the Act setting up the pilgrims agency. It says: “The Chairman or any members of the Commission may be removed from office by the president, if the president is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the Commission or the public that the member should continue in office.”
