From Princely Onyenwe
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila is tipped for the position of the Chief Of Staff to the President-Elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The information came to our News desk from a reliable source who quoted speaker Femi as the closest to Jagaban.
The source also told 9News Nigeria that ahead of his takeover on May 29 as the 16th President of Nigeria, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has already begun team building with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and others.
Other likely politicians likely to be considered for some serious roles in the coming administration are his former Commissioner for Finance, Wale Edun and the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, among other familiar faces currently being identified for different roles.
However, in readiness for his administration’s take-off next month, our News Men gathered that Gbajabiamila, has already begun to discharge the duties of the chief of staff to Tinubu, having unofficially resumed with him in France, with a view to working out processes and plans, including calendarising his activities.
“He has technically resumed with him in Paris, and they are trying to work out process and plans,” an insider revealed adding that the president-elect was already looking at building national security and economic teams.
According to the source, Tinubu has appointed Edu and Bagudu into his economic team, which he considered a critical sector requiring attention immediately he assumes office.
The source hinted thus: “Wale is supposed to be the coordinator of the economy, either as Finance Minister or the CBN governor. It is not clear yet what his plans are for Bagudu. But he has also been penciled in and is going to be operating at a very high and serious level in the administration.”
Meanwhile, Soyinka, has insisted that if Tinubu wants to succeed as President and given the state of the country, then, there would be no alternative to restructuring, an idea Tinubu also pushed as opposition and a progressive before his party gained power.
For years, there have been several calls for restructuring in Africa’s most populous nation, including the demand for the establishment of multi-level policing to curb Nigeria’s rising crime rate.
Recall that Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation, Americas (NIDOA), something last year 2022, argued that by restructuring the nation, Nigeria’s diversity in religion and culture would be leveraged as a positive force for development.
NIDOA however maintained that the 1999 constitution was enacted by a decree of a former military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar, without recourse to the Nigerian people.
Among top Nigerians that have also urged the government to restructure included former President Olusegun Obasanjo, nonagenarian, Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku and Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
But, in what appeared a major step forward last week, Buhari appended his signature to the decentralisation of the country’s electricity grid as well as the prisons service, our source revealed.
Also included for decentralisation in the new law is the country’s railway service.
Speaking during an interview on Roadmap 2023, a Channels Television’s programme that highlights election issues and tracks personalities, Soyinka said the Tinubu’s government must place a renewed focus on the persistent calls for restructuring the Nigerian federation, a position the president-elect had long embraced when he was in the opposition and projecting progressivism.
He explained that otherwise, Tinubu’s programmes and policies would face serious challenges if his advice was not heeded.
“Whomever it is, must understand that the people of this country will not cease demanding a restructuring of this nation. New voices are being heard and they are more powerful than before. They are not just whining voices, they are voices based on actualities.
“We have failed in so many directions and they are saying, ‘let us try in this direction’ and you cannot ignore it. Otherwise, even your economic policies will fail, your infrastructure and transformation will fail. We will just go back threading the same old spur,” he stated.
Soyinka further noted that a mould had been broken during the just concluded elections.
Be told by 9News Nigeria that Speaker Femi has already started discharging the duties of CoS, having unofficially resumed with the President-Elect, Our source hinted.
It is expected of the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reshuffle his political structure and select best hands to pilot the ship of Nigerian government in his time.
9News Nigeria (Owerri) For inquiries on this news contact 9News Nigeria Imo State @08036856526
