The Kwara State Governor in Northcentral Nigeria, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has returned popular thespian Eyiwuni Muka Aramide (Muka Ray) as Senior Special Assistant on Culture and Tourism, a reward for his hard work and resourcefulness in his former role.
The Governor also appointed Imam Mariam Nnafatima as Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which signals the government’s renewed focus on issues of human capital development.
Nnafatima, a stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Edu, holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Ahmadu Bello University, a master’s degree (distinction) in biotechnology from the University of East London in the United Kingdom, and another second degree in cell and molecular biology from Cleveland State University, Ohio (United States). She is also studying for her doctoral degree.
Nnafatima, who was until May 29, 2019, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Mobilisation, comes to the job with years of experience as a women and child care and community development advocate.
She is a director at the Etsu Suleiman College of Health Sciences and Technology, Tsaragi, and secretary at the Nigerian Diaspora Association, Cleveland Chapter, Ohio. She was an aspirant for the House of Assembly in the 2023 elections.
The Governor has also reappointed Hajia Aishat Yusuf as Senior Special Assistant Herdsmen Community Outreach to the Governor, a vote of confidence in the job she did in her last stint in the same role.
Salami Wasiu Onidugbe, a 26-year-old leader in the youth constituency, is the new Special Assistant to the Governor on Students’ Affairs.
Onidugbe holds a bachelor’s degree in guidance and counselling from the University of Ilorin and was, for most of his tertiary education, a prominent figure in the students’ community, including as chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Kwara State Axis.
The Governor has also approved the reconstitution of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Board, with top academic and community leader Prof. Mashood Mahmood Jimba picked as the new chairman of the board.
Professor Jimba, until recently the chairman of the Kwara State Arabic Education Board, is an alumnus of the Azhar University in Cairo (Egypt).
He teaches at Kwara State University Malete, where he is also the Dean of Student Affairs.
Other members of the board are former commissioner for energy Hajia Fatimah Hassanah; Hajia Khadijat Abutawwiy; Dr. Abubakar Agbaje; Mrs. Abibat Otuyo; and Mallam Musa Haruna Farikebe.
The governor has similarly reappointed Prof. Timothy Opoola, a top ally of the administration, as chairman of the Kwara State Christian Pilgrims’ Welfare Board. Opoola, a prominent Christian leader, will be supported by Babatunde Alade, Kolo Philips, Bamigbola Idowu, Opeyemi Stephen, Oluwatoyin Opawoye, and Pastor Oladipupo Emmanuel.
