Yar’Adua drops Ita-Giwa as adviser - Replaces her with Abba-Aji

Bola Badmus, Abuja - 22.05.2008

President Umaru Yar’Adua has named a new Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters to replace Senator Florence Ita-Giwa. He is Senator Mohammed Abba-Aji, a former Permanent Secretary, Borno State Civil Service, and former Minority Chief Whip in the Senate.

The new appointment was contained in a release signed on Wednesday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassador Babagana Kingibe. According to the release, the appointment of Senator Abba-Aji took effect from May 20.

The release said that Abba-Aji, who owns a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, had a distinguished career in the civil service and had also served on the boards of several commercial banks.

He was the pioneer Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). According to the release, Abba-Aji began his political career in 2003 when he was elected to represent the Borno State Central Senatorial District and was Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs as well as Committee on Labour.