Jonathan appoints Bamanga Tukur as Chairman, Nigeria Railway Corporation

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday made good his promise to give the immediate past Chairman of the Peoples Democratice Party (Alhaji Bamanga Tukur) an assignment in his administration.

Jonatrhan on Tuesday announced Tur's appointment as  Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).

Mr. Tukur last week resigned his position as National Chairman of the PDP. He has since been replaced with ex- Bauchi governor, Adamu Muazu.

Jonathan had promised to give Tukur assignment, while announcing the resignation of the former chairman of PDP to the party's NEC members at the weekend.

'He (Mr. Tukur) is not guilty of any offence and I am going to give him an assignment that is tougher than PDP chairman,' the president said at that event.

Tukur's appointment as Railway Corporation, NRC, chairman was announced in a statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sam Nwaobasi.

The position of NRC chairman was formerly held by Kawu Baraje, the former factional chairman of the PDP who has since led his faction to fuse into the All Progressives Congress. Mr. Baraje resigned in the height of the PDP crisis in late 2013.

Mr. Jonathan, according to the statement, has also approved the appointment of Ghaji Ismaila Bello as Director-General of the National Population Commission with effect from January 8, 2014.

By the appointment of the Ismaila, the President has conceded the post of the chairmanship of the commission to the North, which stoutly opposed its former chairman, Mr. Festus Odimegwu.

President Jonathan is currently away in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.