President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that he has absolute confidence in his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, amid reports that he may be eased out of the Presidential Villa for allegedly replacing some of the president’s appointees for highest bidders.
The president spoke yesterday before the start of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting inside the Council Chambers, State House.
Reacting to the development in a brief speech, Tinubu who expressed his confidence in Gbajabiamila, said he had already notified Nigerians that he was bound to make mistakes, which he would always be bold enough to correct.
“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.
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“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,” he said.
The president further spoke to issues he had observed and had not been comfortable with, including unauthorized persons gaining access into the Council Chambers of the State House.
He 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, as those granted exception.
“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 are included, no one is privileged to have access sitting in this (Council Chambers), except those four that I’ve announced to you,” the president warned.
Also, the Council, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), gave a toast to President Tinubu’s recent victory at the Supreme Court, lauding his contributions to leadership in the country, particularly highlighting his time as governor of Lagos State.
Meanwhile, the Council gave a minute silence for a former member of FEC and one-time Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Adamu Fika, who died last week at the age of 90 years.
Muideen Olaniyi
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