Senate Screens Senatorial Nominee Buhari Removed From NAPTIP For ‘Poor Qualification’

The Senate on Thursday screened a ministerial nominee, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim from Nasarawa state, for confirmation as minister in the government of Bola Tinubu.

She was appointed the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, but was removed from office for alleged poor qualifications.

She was appointed in November 2020 by the government of Muhammadu Buhari as NAPTIP boss against Section 8 (1) of the NAPTIP Act 2015.

The act stipulates that, “There shall be for the agency a Director-General who shall be from the Directorate cadre in the public service of the Federation or its equivalent in any law enforcement service and shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister.”

But her credentials did not match the requirement as she was a politician and businesswoman.

Until her appointment as NAPTIP boss, she did not have any appointment as her tenure ended with her former principal.

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After much pressure, Buhari redeployed her to head the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NCFRMI.

When probed during her screening, she said she served “six months” as NAPTIP boss.

She however lamented during her screening that “Nigeria does not have financial structure for evacuation of refugees.”

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim who read her profile from a written script was then told to “take a bow and go.”

The ministerial screening continues on Tuesday.