Onwuka Nzeshi 
The Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, a civil society coalition with core values on good governance, has warned politicians to stop harassing the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, over appointments into the federal cabinet and boards of government-owned agencies and parastatals.
Director of the coalition, Dr Gabriel Nwambu who gave the advice in Abuja on Wednesday during a media chat, stated that some political detractors of the current administration have been peddling all manner of falsehoods designed to mutilate the integrity of Gbajabiamila, in order to malign him and portray him in bad light before President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and other Nigerians.
Nwambu alleged that those launching “acerbic attacks” against Gbajabiamila and spreading falsehood against him were doing so because they missed out on the ministerial list and other appointments made by the President and believe that the Chief of Staff was responsible for their misfortune. He charges those behind the attacks to understand that the President has the prerogative to appoint anyone he desires to work with and that such appointments are not controlled by Gbajabiamila or any of the presidential aides.
“They are blaming him for their inability to occupy appointive office at the moment, even though it is the president acting in consultation with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governors, and other key stakeholders in the polity, that appointed ministers and board chairmen. These people do not care for the fact that positions come at a time destined, and that clearly, everybody cannot be a minister at the same time.
“However, Nigerians are not buying the falsehood, and we have seen socio-cultural groups like the Arewa Youth Forum and Ohanaeze Youth Movement call on Nigerians to ignore the accusations thrown at Gbajabiamila over the constitution of boards of government agencies.
They have appealed to Nigerians to ignore the detractors, saying that the Chief of Staff is well experienced and capable of carrying out his duties,” he said.
According to Nwambu, Gbajabiamila’s antecedents as a public servant portray him as a stickler for truth, fairness, and due process. Gbajabiamila, he said, got to the present assignment fully qualified, having been in the House of Reps for two decades (2003-2023).
“As a lawmaker par excellence, he held many sensitive positions, including that of Leader of the Opposition, and he used the position of Speaker in the last dispensation to build unity and love across political tendencies, leaving imperishable legacies on the sands of time.
Throughout his sojourn in public service, Gbajabiamila has been a very close and loyal disciple of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Recall that while serving as speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, it took the intervention of Femi Gbajabiamila to end the protected and unending ASUU strike of University lecturers in Nigeria. As chief of staff to Mr President, he had participated actively in resolving the disagreement between the Government and Labour just this year alone.
Nwambu argued that in appointing Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff, President Tinubu took into consideration, his track records and his capacity to help the administration in the actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda.