Justice Polycarp Hamman closed further proceedings in the matter following the withdrawal of the suit by the factional President of NANS, Umar Faruk Lawal.

Lawal had informed the court that he filed the suit marked NICN/ABJ/273/2022 for himself and on behalf of NANS.

When the matter came up on Tuesday, Lawal, notified the court that he had filed a motion for discontinuance.

He said his decision to withdraw the suit was because of the challenge by NANS, which contested his standing and denied that he is the President of the student body, as he had deposed to.

Though the other two respondents were not represented, however, counsel to ASUU, Marshal Abubakar, informed the court that he was not opposed to Lawal’s application to withdraw the suit.

Consequently, Justice Hamman struck out the matter.

The appointments include those of Mr Buki Ponle as the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria; Prof Sunday Ododo as General Manager/CEO, National Theatre; and Mr Francis Nwosu as the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council.

This was contained in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari appoints CEOs for Federal Ministry of Information and Culture’s agencies,’ by Mr Segun Adeyemi, spokesman to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

It read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Chief Executive Officers for nine of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

“According to the approval letter, which was conveyed to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President, on Tuesday, Mr Buki Ponle was appointed Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria while Mr Nura Kangiwa was named the Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism.

“Mr Francis Nwosu was appointed the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council; Mr Ebeten Ivara, Director General, National Gallery of Arts; Mr Olalekan Fadolapo, Registrar/CEO of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and Prof. Sunday Ododo, General Manager/CEO, National Theatre.

“Others are M. Ado Yahuza, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation; Prof. Aba Tijjani, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments and Mrs Oluwabunmi Amao, Director General, Centre for Black And African Arts and Civilisation.

“The appointments take effect from September 1, 2020.”