Tinubu sacks PTAD boss

P President Bola Tinubu has relieved Dr Chioma Ejikeme of her duties, 13 months after she was reappointed for another four years in office as the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Head of the Corporate Communications Unit of PTAD, Olugbenga Ajayi, the President announced that Miss Tolulope Odunaiya has been appointed the new Executive Secretary of the Directorate.

The statement noted that Odunaiya officially assumed office on November 18, 2024, at PTAD Headquarters.

Odunaiya succeeded Ejikeme, who served as PTAD Executive Secretary from August 2019 to November 2024.

Tinubu had, in October 2023, reappointed Ejikeme as the executive secretary of the Directorate for another four-year term.

Ejikeme had previously handed over the management of PTAD to Mr Sulayman Shelleng, the Director of the Civil Service Pension Department, in September of 2023, when her initial term expired.

Her reappointment to this position came after her initial appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

However, this reappointment has been terminated as a new PTAD Executive Secretary assumed office on Monday.

In her first address to the staff members, Odunaiya pledged to build on the achievements of her predecessors while fostering a culture of collaboration and unity.

She stated, “It is with a deep sense of responsibility and purpose that I address you as the new Executive Secretary of this Directorate. I want to begin by acknowledging the remarkable work of my predecessors and the dedication of every individual who has contributed to bringing us to this point.”

She emphasised her vision of a collaborative work environment, saying, “My vision is for a directorate where every individual feels recognised, empowered, and motivated to make meaningful contributions.

“I urge all of us to transcend personal interests and come together around our shared purpose: improving the lives of our pensioners, who have selflessly served this nation, often in challenging circumstances.”

After her speech, the newly appointed Executive Secretary toured PTAD’s divisions and sections to gain a personal understanding of how the organisation operates.

The PUNCH further observed that this fresh appointment comes barely nine months after the Oronsaye report on the restructuring of ministries, departments, and agencies recommended that PTAD be scrapped and its functions taken over by the Federal Ministry of Finance.