President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, declared “absolute confidence” in the integrity of his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, adding that “we’re all joining hands to fight corruption.”
Tinubu said this just before the commencement of this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
His comments came just 48 hours after a report emerged that the CoS may be battling an integrity crisis following allegations that he had been “trading off appointments in the government of President Tinubu to the highest bidder.”
The report alleged a growing outcry among Tinubu’s loyalists, who are insisting that “Gbajabiamila is eased out of the Presidential Villa.”
Citing the appointment of 10 Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the report quoted sources who claimed that the name of Ekiti REC was replaced with the name of a former commissioner under the immediate-past Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.
“Another source noted that President’s Private Principal Secretary, Hakeem Okunola, was already doing some of his (Gbajabiamila’s) work…the President was already putting up a team that will help the CoS,” the report said.
But responding to the allegations on Monday, Tinubu remarked, “First of all, let me reiterate to all of you the fact that a lot of stories are going around about what is happening.
“I’ve told everyone in this country that I can make mistakes; they’re bound to air them out and correct them. Perfection is that of God Almighty.
“I have absolute confidence in the integrity of my Chief of Staff. All campaigns of calumny and insinuations should stop; the buck stops here. If I make a mistake, I’m ready to own up to it and we’re all joining hands to fight corruption and we want to enforce the law along with you.”
Meanwhile, the President emphasised that FEC meetings were sensitive gatherings, barring unauthorised persons from gaining access to the Council Chambers.
To the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the Head of Civil Service, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, he said, “Last week, I noticed the undue access of people sneaking in and out of this Council. I will announce to you those people who are supposed to be here.”
The President mentioned his Special Advisers on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Usman; Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and Private Secretary, Damilotun Aderemi.
“Those are people who are granted exception to be here when we’re conducting the business of the nation.
“Unless I sent for you, don’t come, make it clear. Secretary to the Government and Head of Service, please take note.
“Unless your staff that is included, no one is privileged to have access sitting in this (Council Chambers), except those four that I’ve announced to you,” he asserted.
The President thanked his ministers for being with him at Sunday’s bilateral meeting with the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
However, he urged them to think outside the box to hasten the reforms required to attract investors.
“Yesterday, we had a very good showing and I thank all of you for sparing your Sunday to attend the national event. The visit of the Chancellor of the Republic of Germany was, to me, a success.
“We needed more time, but we were able to cover a lot of ground and must take our reforms seriously; the investors are interested in us. As I said, investors and investments are cowardly; they don’t follow conflicts. Think outside the box, how we can do things better?
“To that end, I declare the meeting opened,” Tinubu said.
The Council also observed a minute’s silence for a former member, one-time Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Adamu Fika, who died on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, aged 90.
