… Keep up the great work, don’t be distracted, CCLCA enjoins Gbajabiamila

Those seeking to malign, orchestrating malicious and unfounded attacks on the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, have been warned to desist from such baseless media onslaught forthwith.

A coalition of several Civil Society Organisations under the auspices of Centre For Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA) led by Dr. Gabriel Nwambu who addressed the media in an elaborate media briefing held in Abuja today said Orchestrated, Malicious And Unfounded Attacks On Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

The Centre is a Non-Governmental, Non Profit civil society coalition with core values on good governance said it has noted with dismay that in the last few weeks the media space had been thrown agog with all manner of falsehood designed to mutilate the integrity of the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, malign him and portray him in bad light before Nigerians and the President and Commander in Chief, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

It could be recalled that, Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila came under acerbic attacks from certain political actors who are spreading falsehood against him just because they missed out on the ministerial and other lists. 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 the time destined, and that clearly, everybody cannot be a minister at same time.

Dr. Nwambu however said, “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.

“Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila’s antecedents as a public servant with a sterling record and a stickler for truth, fairness, and due process would entertain the absurdities ascribed to him for a second. As a Surulere, Lagos-born politician cum technocrat, he comes to the present assignment fully qualified, having been in the House of Reps for two decades (2003-2023), boasting a record of unblemished service. 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 a chief of staff to Mr. President, he had participated actively on resolving the disagreement between Government and Labour just this year alone. As Speaker, he was a bridge builder par excellence, a force for competence, integrity, and people-centered lawmaking. Gbajabiamila commanded such a level of respect from his colleagues that he was often referred to as a Speaker of Speakers and a leader of leaders. He welded together new and old members of the Green Chamber, many of whom transited to the Senate while some emerged as ministers, placing Project Nigeria above partisan pursuits.

According the Centre, in appointing Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff, President Tinubu took his track records and the actualization of his Renewed Hope Agenda into consideration. The National Assembly is a strategic organ of the democratic state, and as such, it needs somebody who understands the dynamics and workings of that arm of government, which Gbajabiamila does as a former Speaker and lawmaker of two decades standing.

He enjoined the public to allow Gbajabiamila to do his job in peace as casting needless aspersions on him won’t cut it, and it’s too early to seek to derail the Tinubu administration with blatant falsehood.

“The media should be wary of the desperadoes planting negative stories against an innocent, patriotic public officer. Fairness is more than a slogan.

“In all these, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has remained focused and undaunted. As Nigerian citizens, we must all work together to ensure that the Tinubu administration achieves its “Renewed Hope Agenda” for the betterment of all Nigerians.

“Consequently by this medium, as a Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, we hereby unequivocally pass a vote of confidence on the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. As a man with the requisite character, capacity, competence and qualification for the office of the Chief of Staff to Mr. President, we hereby encourage you not to be distracted as you continue with your good works in serving the nation and humanity”, Dr. Nwambu concluded.