October 29, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu’s decision to withdraw the appointment of Imam Kashim Imam, a 24-year-old first-class Mechanical Engineering graduate, as the Board Chairman of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has raised a furore among some northerners.
Tinubu had reconstituted the Governing Board and Management team of FERMA for a renewable term of four years, naming Imam as the Board Chairman. Imam, the son of prominent Borno politician, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, who is interestingly, a close friend of Tinubu had gained attention for his academic achievements after his appointment, including a first-class Bachelor degree from the University of Brighton in the United Kindom and a Master’s degree from the same institution. But he had only completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in August 2022, prompting questions about his readiness for such a high-ranking government position, given his supposed lack of work experience.
Amid the criticism, Tinubu ordered the reversal of his appointment, without offering any explanation for his action. His reversal was met with criticism from some northerners who expressed their disappointment. They accused him of marginalising the north by withdrawing the appointments of not only Imam but also that of Maryam Shettima, aka Maryam Shetty, the Kano State ministerial nominee whose appointment was withdrawn just hours before her scheduled Senate screening. Not a few also voiced out their concerns about the President’s frequent reversal of policies, even before its implementation, and wondered if he is really the one in charge.
