Tinubu appoints ex-PDP chairman as commissioner

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has confirmed the appointment of Ambassador Desmond Akawor.

The president appointed Akawor on Thursday, November 23, to serve as a federal commissioner of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), pending the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate.

This was made known in a statement signed by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president, media & publicity, via X page (formerly Twitter).

According to the statement, the new RMAFC Federal Commissioner, who represents Rivers state, is being appointed following the tragic demise of the immediate past RMAFC Federal Commissioner from Rivers state, Hon. Asondu Wenah Temple earlier this month.

Akawor was Wike's ally who worked for his re-election in 2019

Prior to his appointment, Akawor was the Director General of the PDP Campaign Council for the now minister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Nyesom Wike’s re-election in 2019.

He was also made the chairman of the ruling party in Rivers state, the PDP chairman, in 2020.

Ambassador Akawor is a decorated public servant who has served the nation as Nigeria's Ambassador to South Korea; Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Sole Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt Development Authority; CEO, Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority, and Executive Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (Engineering & Technical Services).

"The President tasks the new Federal Commissioner to deploy his robust experience across tiers of government toward the comprehensive reformation of processes that will ensure the most efficient and productive utilization of allocations to all three tiers of government in Nigeria," the statement noted.