By Shola Abayomi, Abuja
Accused of corruption by the military government of president Muhammadu Buhari sometime in the early 1980s, Alhaji Bello Maitama-Yusuf, ex-minister of internal affairs and later commerce in the government of former president Shehu Shagari, has now been appointed into the Board of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) by the same Buhari; an indication that the president has had a change of mind on the character of the former minister.
Mr Yusuf, 72, was accused of corruption by Buhari while he served as military president in the early 1980s. The ex-minister had gone into exile to avoid prosecution at the time.
M Yusuf, alongside the then powerful minister of transportation, late Umaru Dikko, were top on the list of the most wanted ministers of the shagari administration accused of corruption by the Buhari military government.
Mr. Yusuf, according to a Facebook post by the Special Assistant on new media to Jigawa State governor, was nominated for the appointment by Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa State.
The governor’s aide wrote that the appointment of Mr. Yusuf was a recognition of his “hard work, resilience and steadfastness” in the progress of APC and development of Nigeria and Jigawa State.
The ex-minister has since been inaugurated into the NRC Board by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.