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 ignited criticism from some northerners.
President 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, had gained attention for his academic achievements after his appointment, including a first-class degree from the University of Brighton in the UK 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.
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Criticism of Imam’s appointment intensified as many Nigerians questioned whether his academic qualifications were enough to justify the appointment, given his supposed lack of work experience.
Amid the criticism, President Tinubu ordered the reversal of Imam’s appointment, without offering any explanation for his action.
The President’s decision was met with criticism from some northerners who expressed their disappointment on social media.
While some had initially called on Tinubu to withdraw Imam’s appointment claiming he lacks the experience required for the position, northerners who reacted to Imam’s withdrawal on Thursday accused the president of marginalising the north by withdrawing the appointments of two young northerners who were appointed to key positions in his government.
They noted that Imam’s withdrawal was reminiscent of a similar situation involving Maryam Shettima, popularly known as Maryam Shetty, who had her ministerial appointment withdrawn just hours before her scheduled Senate screening.
Shetty, from Kano State, had arrived at the Senate and was waiting to be screened when news of the withdrawal broke.
