•Social media attacks launched against Tinubu’s CoS
Indications have emerged that some hawks within and outside the Presidential Villa, who are scheming to take over the job of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, have hatched a plot to link the former speaker of the House of Representatives to the transactions carried out by the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.
Memos have continued to leak from the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry and its agencies, following the suspension of Edu, who is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Recall that a leaked memo dated December 18, 2023, from the Office of Chief of Staff to the President revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved N3 billion from the COVID-19 Palliative Fund for verification of the National Social Register.
The memo had sparked outrage among some Nigerians on social media.
Reacting to the leaked memo, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, said the N3 billion was approved directly by the President and not by Gbajabiamila as earlier insinuated.
Similarly, an aide to the President, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said such memos would continue to fly around in the coming days, adding that “Gbajabiamila was the prime target.”
The source said: “The CoS did not convey his approval. He conveyed approval of his boss, it’s the practice with Abba Kyari and others, that the Chief of Staff conveys approval or otherwise of the President to Cabinet members and institutions that might have requested one or two things from the President. The current Chief of Staff has not faced twenty per cent of the attacks one of his predecessors, Abba Kyari got over wrong allegations. President Tinubu’s verdict on his Chief of Staff’s integrity is known to the public.”
In addition, the aide said: “The latest memo that came out was just an attempt by some persons within and outside the Villa to tie Gbajabiamila to the Betta Edu investigation. Thankfully, one of the official spokesmen of the President, Mr Bayo Onanuga has clarified that indeed, the N3 billion was approved by the President himself and not by Gbajabiamila.
“For the sake of clarity, it is not out of place for the President via his chief of staff to raise a memo to approve N3bn for verification of 11 million people inherited from the social register of the last administration based on official request from the minister. N3bn divided by 11 million means each person was verified at about N273 only. So the media trial of the President and his Chief of Staff is of no effect.
“It is left for the humanitarian affairs ministry to prove the exercise was indeed conducted. However, the intention of those who released the memo was to soil Gbajabiamila’s name. The President will rely solely on the outcome of the investigation team he already set up on the Humanitarian ministry.”
Recall that the President had at a Federal Executive Council on October 30, 2023, stated that he was aware of the campaign of calumny launched at Gbajabiamila and even passed a vote of confidence on him.
“I have absolute confidence in my Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila. So, all campaign of calumny, the buck stops here! If I make mistakes, I’ll own up to them,” the President had said.
Vanguard
