The Governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November last year’s election in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye has been suspended by the party in the state for alleged anti-party activities. Melaye’s suspension by the executive committee of the party in Ayetoro Gbede, Ward 1 was announced in a memo dated yesterday, September 12, 2024. The memo reads: “Ward Party Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ayetoro/lluagba ward 1 met on Friday the 12th of September 2024 to review the report of the disciplinary committee set up to investigate alleged anti party activities against Senator Dino Melaye, a member of our great party.” According to the party, Melaye was asked to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the party on August 20, 2024 to answer to certain allegations of misconduct and anti-party activities, in line with the provisions of Article 57(4), of the PDP Constitution. “However, he failed to show up, disregarding the invitation and the authority of the party,” the party says. “After careful consideration and deliberation, the Ward Party Exco resolved as follows: That Senator Dino Melaye’s failure to appear before the Disciplinary Committee constitutes a gross disrespect to the party and its leadership. “That his actions are in clear violation of the PDP Constitution and the principles of party discipline. “That Senator Dino Melaye’s conduct has brought embarrassment and disrepute to the party, and his continued membership is no longer tenable. “Therefore, the Ward Party Exco hereby suspends Senator Dino Melaye from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), effective immediately. “This suspension is in line with the provisions of Article 59(1) of the PDP Constitution, which empowers the Ward Party Exco to take disciplinary actions against erring members. “We urge all members of our great party to remain committed to the principles of party discipline and loyalty. “We must work together to build a strong and united party, capable of winning elections and serving the interests of our people.”
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has expressed deep sadness at the devastating floods that occurred in parts of Borno and Bauchi states killing many, destroying property and displacing thousands of people. Akpabio, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, sympathized with the victims and governments of both states. “Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on behalf of his family, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the entire National Assembly extends his deepest sympathies to the Vice President, Government of Borno and Bauchi states, Distinguished Senators, Members of the House of Representatives and Traditional Rulers whose districts are affected and the entire people who are directly or indirectly affected by this devastating flood disasters in these states. “Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones, properties, and livelihoods due to this unprecedented natural disaster. We pray for the souls of the departed and offer our support to those struggling to cope with the aftermath. “We commend the efforts of the Federal Government, Borno and Bauchi state Governments, the emergency actors and humanitarian organizations working tirelessly to provide relief and assistance to the affected communities.” Senator Akpabio said that the red chamber would support the Borno and Bauchi State Governments and the Federal Government in providing necessary assistance to alleviate the suffering of the affected people. It will be recalled that many residents were sacked from their residences due to the catastrophic impact of the flood, affecting various areas of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The flooding, which commenced a week ago, reached its most critical point during the early hours of Tuesday. In Bauchi State, the government has confirmed a total death toll of 24, with many homes destroyed, and over 300 farmlands swept away, leaving residents homeless.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has described the flood that is devastating Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State as a national disaster. This is even as President Bola Tinubu expressed shock at the high level of damage caused by the rising flood. In a statement today, September 10, Malam Garba Shehu, quoted the former President in whose government he was a spokesperson as lamenting the widespread devastation of homes, farmland and the loss of life in Borno and several other states of the federation. He hoped that the relief measures by the various governments would provide comfort and help people who had lost their family members and livelihood to resume their normal lives. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this natural disaster,” said the former president. Bayo Onanuga, also in a statement, quoted President Tinubu to whom he is special adviser on information and strategy as expressing deep concern about the flooding in parts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Tinubu described the flood as the worst in recent decades, noting that it had displaced thousands of residents and affected facilities such as the Post office and the Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The President extended his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of the State, especially to the families that have lost their means of livelihood due to the disaster triggered by the overflow of the Alau Dam. He said that relevant authorities are still assessing the damage wrought by the flood, even as he called for the immediate evacuation of people from affected areas. He assured Governor Babagana Umara Zulum that the Federal Government is ready to collaborate to address the immediate humanitarian needs of the affected people. He ordered the National Emergency Management Agency to assist the flood victims. The President said that he is committed to mobilising federal resources to support the state during this difficult time.
Credible intelligence sources have given reasons why the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, was arrested today, September 9, by security operatives in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital city. The sources, who requested anonymity, said that Ajaero’s arrest was unrelated to NLC matters or labour activities. “It was for personal reasons involving fraudulent activities perpetrated by the NLC President,” one of the sources said. He said that one of the major allegations against Ajaero is alleged extortion of funds from various businessmen and organizations. Among the complaints is a formal petition lodged by Air Peace, which has been forwarded to the appropriate security services. “These serious claims suggest a troubling pattern of misconduct potentially extending beyond Ajaero’s role as a labor leader.” It was gathered that investigations by another security arm, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), focus on Ajaero’s associations with a foreign national currently on the run in Nigeria. “This individual is accused of involvement in clandestine activities that threaten national security, raising significant concerns about Ajaero’s potential complicity in these illicit operations. “The NIA wants to determine the nature of Ajaero’s relationship and connection with the said foreigner,” a source explained. The high-ranking official commented on Ajaero’s conduct, describing it as arrogance and a blatant disregard for security protocols. “Ajaero, using his position as NLC President, has consistently shown arrogance and disdain towards Nigerian security forces, acting as if he is untouchable and above reproach. “He has ignored multiple invitations from the police, choosing instead to engage on his own terms, which is viewed as both disrespectful and defiant.” Security officials insisted that the issues are strictly personal and not linked to anything politically motivated. “These are not matters related to labour activism or the NLC and are not related to Nigerian workers or their welfare. He enjoys boasting that labour will go on a nationwide strike if Nigerian workers were his servants. Haba! “These are personal allegations, and security agencies diligently pursue the investigation. His arrest has nothing to do with NLC or labour issues. It is over personal matters that our security agencies want to unravel,” the sources concluded. Earlier today, the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) apprehended Ajaero at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as he was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom (UK). The NLC leader was scheduled to attend a conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK. Source: PRNigeria.
President Bola Tinubu has directed relevant federal agencies in transportation and road infrastructure to evolve measures towards stopping the carnage on Nigerian roads. He stressed the urgent need for them to redouble their efforts and work with state governments to enhance the safety and security of travellers and residents. In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Tinubu expressed personal pain over the death of 48 people and livestock in the petrol tanker explosion on the Bida-Agaie-Lapai- road in Niger State yesterday, September 8. The President commended the federal and state emergency agencies for their swift response, as well as the good-spirited Nigerians who mobilised to the incident scene to assist the victims. He pledged continued support for efforts aimed at providing relief to those affected. The Niger Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), confirmed yesterday that many people were also injured in the accident, which also involved a truck loaded with cattle and passengers. Onanuga said that President Tinubu commiserated with the families of the dead and injured victims, and sympathised with the owners of shops that were affected by the tragedy.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded immediate release of its President, Joe Ajaero, who was arrested and being detained by the Department of State Service (DSS), warning that it would not “stand idly by while the rights of our leaders and members are trampled upon.” In a statement today, September 9, by its spokesperson, Benson Upah, NLC said that the arrest of Joe Ajaero and others without any cause is undemocratic and immoral “as well as a direct affront to the fundamental rights of citizens and organizations to lawfully express their views and carry out their activities. “In light of this troubling development, the Congress puts all its affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert.” NLC confirmed that agents of the Nigerian State arrested Joe Ajaero, today as he made to travel to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain. “Comrade Ajaero was set to attend and address the global gathering of workers on behalf of Nigerian workers at the Congress of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, a platform where critical discussions on workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness are discussed. “We are yet to ascertain his whereabouts or his state of health as all efforts we have made to get in touch with him have proved abortive. “We wish to categorically state that Comrade Ajaero has been detained without any legal warrant or formal instrument. “Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive. His detention is therefore a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation as he has not been declared wanted by any law enforcement body. “His detention is a brazen act of intimidation and completely unjustified under the laws of our nation. The mere contemplation of not just stopping a lawful citizen from travelling but also sequestering his freedom is an affront to our democratic and natural rights as a people and as workers. “This is an unmistakable demonstration of the height of lawlessness being perpetuated by the Nigerian government and its agencies in their bid to silence every voice of dissent and opposition in the country as the economic policies of the government continues to afflict the people with monumental suffering and hardship.” The central labour body called on the international community, human rights organizations and all advocates of democracy to take note of this rising wave of authoritarianism in Nigeria. “The world must bear witness to these assaults on human dignity, civil liberties and the rule of law. “The NLC remains resolute in its commitment to protecting workers’ rights and will not be cowed by the oppressive tactics of the state. “Once again, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero and the cessation of all forms of harassment against labour leaders and the Nigerian working class, including innocent citizens who hold dissenting opinions. “We equally demand that the state frees all Nigerians languishing in various prisons around the country for exercising their democratic rights to protest in the #EndBadGovernance rallies around the country.” The statement indicated that all the organs of the Congress are in a closed door meeting and that the outcome will be made available to the public.
Operatives of the Nigeria’s secret police, Department of State Service (DSS), have swooped on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero. Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper said that Ajaero was arrested today, September 9, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the nation’s federal capital on his way out of the country. Details of his arrest are yet to be known.
The Christianese, “affliction shall not rise the second time”, is an authoritative declaration of an utter end to extreme suffering and perfectly sums up what Ajuri Ngelale, the recently departed Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, represented to the President Bola Tinubu administration. It has to be stated, though, that hiring Ajuri Ngelale, a bundle of incompetence and a man with narcissistic traits, as a spokesperson , was a self-inflicted injury. It was the first affliction. It was the equivalent of sticking a loaded AK 47 in one’s trousers. Ajuri came to the job with zero or middling pedigree, having never risen beyond the rank of reporter throughout his eight-year spell at both Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television. He actually joined AIT as a youth corp member in 2013 or thereabout. At the two broadcast outfits, he was sacked for poor work ethic, misdemeanor, disrespect to seniors and inordinate ambition. In HR parlance, his appointment by President Tinubu would be described as a recruitment error. It was a grave error of judgment by those who packaged him for a job he has no competence, capacity, maturity, and qualifications for. For his wobbling and fum one year on the job, Ajuri was a mere impostor who took a job he couldn’t even comprehend, let alone deliver on. That Ajuri lasted a whole year during which he was also appointed Special Envoy on Climate Action, another role that requires top-tier intellectual and attitudinal qualifications, is a hint of the chaos and dysfunction that dog the Tinubu administration itself. A properly structured office with less appetite for sloppiness and incompetence would have booted him out within three months. A young man who needed grooming and training himself was appointed to advise the President, a senior government role that requires deep intellect, exposure, and experience he clearly lacked. The headhunters in the Presidency have questions to answer. The job Ajuri had requires a vast media network and hefty deposit of goodwill. He had neither. He was, therefore, a wrong hire from the first day. An aggregate experience of eight years at AIT and Channels Television is a grossly inadequate preparation for the acquisition of vast media network and the scale of goodwill needed to function on the job of a Presidential media Adviser. There is no way such low ranking reporter could muster the clout to manage editors, senior journalists and media owners, who are essential and critical success factor for anyone holding the job of a Special Adviser to the President of any country. Ajuri was a product of conspiracy by those who wanted to peddle influence around President Tinubu and were afraid of having strong personalities and people with professional pedigree and integrity. It was established that Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila and Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Jimi Benson, sold the idea of Ajuri to Seyi Tinubu. Gbajabiamila was not comfortable having Dele Alake in the Villa because he saw Alake as a stronger personality who has a more respectable and influential relationship with the President. He didn’t want to operate as Chief of Staff under Alake’s shadow and with anyone like Tunde Rahman, who had a closer relationship with the President. They plotted against Alake and Rahman in favour of a yes man. It was like buying a poodle when you need a bulldog. And ohhhhh! Some ‘Analysts’ have been peddling the misinformation on behalf of Ajuri, that he had worked as Special Adviser on Media to President Yaradua, Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Jonathan and then, President Buhari, before his latest ‘misappointment’. Now, for a young man of 37 years, nothing can be farther than this to truth. I leave you to do the calculations from 2007 when Yar’adua became President. Ajuri came to the Villa with an agenda different from that of his benefactors. Despite coming out in flying colours at being wretched on his job, Ajuri is no multidimensional fool. While those who brought him wanted to use him for decorative purposes, he also planned to use them to gain access. Ajuri was an outsider in the Buhari administration, where he worked in the office of the Vice President as SSA Public Affairs. Those who served in Buhari’s administration said Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu, and Laolu Akande could not tolerate his insolence and delusions. He was described as a supplanter, who would go anywhere and do anything to undermine his seniors just to get ahead. The Buhari media and communications managers pushed him aside, and Laolu Akande didn’t give him any room to operate inside the VP office. For the five years, Ajuri served in Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s office, he was not allowed to have a desk in the VP’s office. He operated out of the office building of Niger Delta Power Holding. He was not allowed to even travel for once, on any official local and foreign trip with Professor Osinbajo. Not long after he got his job as Tinubu’s SA Media, he started undermining the Chief of Staff. He would take a memo directly to the President against the established protocol, which is to route any communication through the office of Chief of Staff. Gbajabiamila and his team were upset when Ajuri announced appointment of five aides without their knowledge. He reportedly went to lie to the President that he couldn’t work with the media aides of the President he met on ground because he had no control over them. He also told the President to allow him have his own team that would be loyal to him. He even forced some media houses to change their Correspondents for his preferred candidates. Such level of breach of protocol that is possible only in a fractured Presidency. Ajuri finally nailed his own coffin with his self-promotion agenda of Special Envoy on Climate Change with omnibus powers that effectively took over the entire function of the Minister of the Environment, who was justifiably livid about being made irrelevant in government. Ajuri also executed the Special Envoy scheme without the knowledge of Gbajabiamila, who brought him to the Villa. The Minister of Environment reportedly asked Gbajabiamila why he gave his job to Ajuri. A flustered Gbajabiamila told the Minister that he knew nothing about the Climate Change job and he only saw the press release like anyone. It was the teeth given to him by Gbajabiamila that he sank into the flesh of the same man and others who got him the job as a presidential spox. The guys who brought him, seeing that he had gotten too big for his breaches, also decided they were going to take him out. He made it easy for them, especially because he was poor at his job. When it was apparent that Ajuri had no capacity to deliver, President Tinubu tapped his long term ally, Bayo Onanuga to help shore up the floundering media and communication machinery of the Villa. It was same Chief of Staff that sat on the appointment for over two months to protect Ajuri. It was after the UAE Visa, the New York NASDAQ Exchange fiasco, and many other avoidable errors that Gbajabiamila finally allowed Bayo Onanuga to come on board. According to Aso Rock Insiders, Ajuri came to the job with a poverty mentality. His ambition was to make tonnes of money. Having arrived broke, he saw the opportunity as one from which he could end up with money pouring out of his ears. He was said to have told people that he was treated badly by Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu and Laolu Akande under the Buhari administration. He said he didn’t make money and could barely pay his rent in Abuja. He spent every day in office scavenging for money, moving from one head of MDA to the other asking for money. The quest for money made him turn the office of SA Media to President to one that announces appointments, birthdays, and obituaries for prominent people who allegedly pay him for his services. Traditionally, appointments for Heads of Agencies were announced by the office of SGF or supervising Ministry, but Ajuri turned it to a honeypot. He would announce different appointments that can be announced in one single press release in different press releases in a day. There was a day he issued 15 press releases from around 3pm to 11pm. Some prolificity. He even went on Twitter to announce that he broke the State House record of the highest number of press releases in a single day. What he broke was his own record of ridiculous and frivolous press releases. For the one year he spent on the job, Ajuri went round collecting money from Ministers and other Heads of Agencies in the name of running the Media and Communication of the Villa without the knowledge of other Media aides. Ajuri was very insecure on the job, knowing that he is not qualified for the role ab initio. To cover his insecurity, he fought that the nebulous title of Official Spokesman of the President should be added to how he was addressed. Not high enough on his own supply, he added Chief to his official communications materials and press releases. He demanded that colleagues, State House correspondents and civil servants must address him as Chief Ajuri. He wouldn’t accept or read any document where his name is not prefixed by Chief. A man hungry for deference should not been seen offering less. However, he called Bayo Onanuga, a man who graduated from university eight years before he was born, by his first name. Ajuri will probably not pass the qualifying test to work in Onanuga’s company, Independent Communication Network Limited, Publishers of TheNews Magazine, Tempo and PMNews. Onanuga is 30 years older than Ajuri and his father’s age mate. He set the civil servants in his department against each other. He polarized the State House Press Corps and told some of the journalists covering the Villa never to use any statement issued by Bayo Onanuga as he is the sole and official Spokesman of the President. He gave an instruction to the civil servants in the department never to allow any press statement or release issued by Onanuga to be sent out through State Media mailing channels. He was a terror to the civil servants, who were afraid of him because they feared he could engineer their posting outside of the Villa. He was constantly reporting other Presidential media aides to the President, Seyi and Chief of Staff until they all got tired of him and told him to mind his own business. It was clear that Ajuri came to the government to pursue his own agenda. His five years at the periphery of the Buhari’s government gave him a helicopter view of government and how government platforms can be used for personal gains. He applied himself in that direction. Where he did not apply himself was his job, which he saw only as a means to make money by the shipload and one for glamour. Aso Rock Insiders said when President Tinubu was ready to offload him because of his spectacular failure on the job, he thought that, as a father, he needed to give him a soft landing. This was the reason he allowed his proposal for Special Envoy job. Instead of promoting national interest, he was promoting himself to international interests for personal gain. As a Media Adviser, he also forgot that his job is to promote the principal and his agenda. However, he was promoting himself in the media without restraint and paying millions for front page picture placements. Ajuri knew that his time was up over a month ago. He started moving around, begging for interventions that would lead to the retention of his job. He was initially given a choice to pick between SA Media and Special Envoy on Climate Action as it was no longer tenable that he would hold two senior positions. Knowing that it is the SA Media job that can keep him inside Villa, he opted to drop the Special Envoy job. By the time he was ready to retain the media job, the boat had sailed. Nobody wanted him for the media job again because he is clueless at it and has the charisma of a plank of wood. . Mohammed Gambo wrote in from Abuja
Whoever brought Ajuri Ngelale to be the spokesman and special adviser to President Bola Tinubu had, from the word-go, reduced the President to a local political champion that he was far away from. Apart from being a dark horse, even in the basic Journalism profession, Ajuri lacked basic human relationship. He came in with a dangerous agenda of divide-and-rule among the presidential media men and women. He virtually turned the status of presidency into that of local government. On arrival at the presidency as the presidential official spokesperson last year, he addressed media men covering the beat. He made it clear that he was going to reduce the number of journalists in the beat. As a matter of fact, that statement alone showed him out as a person that lacked even the human relationship he was employed to bring to bear on his principal. Of course, it was not surprised that a few days later, on August 18, he practicalised what he had designed to achieve. He orchestrated the sacking of over 20 media men representing their various organizations from the Villa in a very disgraceful manner. The sacking was done with all the trappings of arrogance; giving no iota of reasons or formula used for the action. Despite moves by people of goodwill; people who knew the dangerous implications of such action to intervene and to make him reverse the action, Ajuri remained adamant and arrogantly so. In deed, it is clearly on record that Tinubu, who engaged Ajuri used to be the darling of media men and women across Nigeria. Tinubu was not known to discriminate against journalists. As a matter of fact, his ability to embrace media practitioners of all hoos made him an outstanding media personality amongst his peers. Someone like Tinubu who fought military regime to a standstill was seen as the champion of democracy. When the story is being told about how democracy found its way into Nigeria, Tinubu would stand out like a sore thumb. And he did not become champion of democracy by choosing and selecting which media and media practitioners should be his friends or mouthpiece. But to begin to choose and select which media and media practitioners should remain in the Presidency just when he finally became president, willy nilly, portrayed a serious character defects in him directly and or through Ajuri whom he asked to do it for him. In other words, displaying of such charater actually showed either that he was at a cross-purpose with his Chief spokesman or that he had metamorphosed into a different thing. One doesn’t blame Ajuri much for one thing, that those who brought him to Tinubu did not understand and appreciate the responsibilities and complexity involved in being a PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN. Or they were trying to compensate him for whatever favour he might have done for them or Tinubu or both, not for the purpose of competent output. Those people could have just made way for him to get fat contracts, get his millions or billions cash and crawl back to from where he came. Here was Ajuri who had not risen to any appreciable level in journalism all his 38 years on earth. He was just a common reporter with AIT and one other private radio station. It is not just enough, as he might have convinced his sponsors, for one to know how to blow grammar and twist words to create some kind of, mainly, negative effects. Historically speaking, spokespersons of the past Presidents were known to have risen through the ranks in journalism to the position of Editor, and in public relations fields before they got appointed. It started from late Wada Maida, late Oluremi Oyo, Dr. Reuben Abati, Olusegun Adeniyi, Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu and others. They were not only Editors-in-chief in the print media but were at one time or the other, Presidents of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). There were others too who became Presidential spokespersons after going through tough Journalism experiences. And because each of these experienced journalists knew where the shoes pinched, they operated with a great amount of humility, respect for not only their contemporaries but also the junior colleagues. They imbibed some elements of political sagacity in their interactions with people around the seat of power and beyond, because they understood the values of such personal touch to the whole gamut of the job. Whatever anyone would say, it was quite obvious that Ajuri, from the way he crashed into the Villa, had failed right from the very moment he was engaged, not because he wanted to fail but because he saw himself in a shoe that was began than his legs. Besides, he was too proud to understand the limits of his power, and above all, he regarded the position of the Presidential spokesperson as next to God: that he was untouchable. In fact, from the very beginning, his arrogance was palpable and at the point of self-destruction. All said, I submit that Tinubu needs a far more better spokesperson than Ajuri that had just breezed in and breezed out. It doesn’t really matter whether he was booted out when his inefficiency and arrogance reached the point of no return or he turned in his letter saying goodbye to the Villa, what is important is that he has returned to his own level: not Presidential spokesperson that he abused severally, but to where he can enjoy his voice, shouting at the boys around him It is obvious that the Presidency needs to take its time to avoid bringing in another kind of Ajuri, which may spell a disaster to the image of the President himself. He or she must be the spokesperson that would work hard to ensure internal cohesion of the immediate constituency of the presidential media circle.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngilela has begged to be excused from duty to attend to the health challenges of his immediate family members. In a letter, dated September 7, and addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Ajuri said that he was proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting his immediate, nuclear family. “While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home. “I look forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit. “I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time.”
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Ajuri Ngelale: An Affliction Tinubu Finally Got Rid Of, By Mohammed Gambo
The Christianese, “affliction shall not rise the second time”, is an authoritative declaration of an utter end to extreme suffering and perfectly sums up what Ajuri Ngelale, the recently departed Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, represented to the President Bola Tinubu administration.
It has to be stated, though, that hiring Ajuri Ngelale, a bundle of incompetence and a man with narcissistic traits, as a spokesperson , was a self-inflicted injury. It was the first affliction.
It was the equivalent of sticking a loaded AK 47 in one’s trousers. Ajuri came to the job with zero or middling pedigree, having never risen beyond the rank of reporter throughout his eight-year spell at both Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television. He actually joined AIT as a youth corp member in 2013 or thereabout. At the two broadcast outfits, he was sacked for poor work ethic, misdemeanor, disrespect to seniors and inordinate ambition.
In HR parlance, his appointment by President Tinubu would be described as a recruitment error. It was a grave error of judgment by those who packaged him for a job he has no competence, capacity, maturity, and qualifications for. For his wobbling and fum one year on the job, Ajuri was a mere impostor who took a job he couldn’t even comprehend, let alone deliver on.
That Ajuri lasted a whole year during which he was also appointed Special Envoy on Climate Action, another role that requires top-tier intellectual and attitudinal qualifications, is a hint of the chaos and dysfunction that dog the Tinubu administration itself. A properly structured office with less appetite for sloppiness and incompetence would have booted him out within three months. A young man who needed grooming and training himself was appointed to advise the President, a senior government role that requires deep intellect, exposure, and experience he clearly lacked. The headhunters in the Presidency have questions to answer.
The job Ajuri had requires a vast media network and hefty deposit of goodwill. He had neither. He was, therefore, a wrong hire from the first day. An aggregate experience of eight years at AIT and Channels Television is a grossly inadequate preparation for the acquisition of vast media network and the scale of goodwill needed to function on the job of a Presidential media Adviser.
There is no way such low ranking reporter could muster the clout to manage editors, senior journalists and media owners, who are essential and critical success factor for anyone holding the job of a Special Adviser to the President of any country. Ajuri was a product of conspiracy by those who wanted to peddle influence around President Tinubu and were afraid of having strong personalities and people with professional pedigree and integrity.
It was established that Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila and Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Jimi Benson, sold the idea of Ajuri to Seyi Tinubu. Gbajabiamila was not comfortable having Dele Alake in the Villa because he saw Alake as a stronger personality who has a more respectable and influential relationship with the President. He didn’t want to operate as Chief of Staff under Alake’s shadow and with anyone like Tunde Rahman, who had a closer relationship with the President. They plotted against Alake and Rahman in favour of a yes man. It was like buying a poodle when you need a bulldog.
And ohhhhh! Some ‘Analysts’ have been peddling the misinformation on behalf of Ajuri, that he had worked as Special Adviser on Media to President Yaradua, Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Jonathan and then, President Buhari, before his latest ‘misappointment’. Now, for a young man of 37 years, nothing can be farther than this to truth. I leave you to do the calculations from 2007 when Yar’adua became President.
Ajuri came to the Villa with an agenda different from that of his benefactors. Despite coming out in flying colours at being wretched on his job, Ajuri is no multidimensional fool. While those who brought him wanted to use him for decorative purposes, he also planned to use them to gain access. Ajuri was an outsider in the Buhari administration, where he worked in the office of the Vice President as SSA Public Affairs. Those who served in Buhari’s administration said Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu, and Laolu Akande could not tolerate his insolence and delusions.
He was described as a supplanter, who would go anywhere and do anything to undermine his seniors just to get ahead. The Buhari media and communications managers pushed him aside, and Laolu Akande didn’t give him any room to operate inside the VP office. For the five years, Ajuri served in Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s office, he was not allowed to have a desk in the VP’s office. He operated out of the office building of Niger Delta Power Holding. He was not allowed to even travel for once, on any official local and foreign trip with Professor Osinbajo.
Not long after he got his job as Tinubu’s SA Media, he started undermining the Chief of Staff. He would take a memo directly to the President against the established protocol, which is to route any communication through the office of Chief of Staff. Gbajabiamila and his team were upset when Ajuri announced appointment of five aides without their knowledge. He reportedly went to lie to the President that he couldn’t work with the media aides of the President he met on ground because he had no control over them.
He also told the President to allow him have his own team that would be loyal to him. He even forced some media houses to change their Correspondents for his preferred candidates. Such level of breach of protocol that is possible only in a fractured Presidency. Ajuri finally nailed his own coffin with his self-promotion agenda of Special Envoy on Climate Change with omnibus powers that effectively took over the entire function of the Minister of the Environment, who was justifiably livid about being made irrelevant in government. Ajuri also executed the Special Envoy scheme without the knowledge of Gbajabiamila, who brought him to the Villa. The Minister of Environment reportedly asked Gbajabiamila why he gave his job to Ajuri. A flustered Gbajabiamila told the Minister that he knew nothing about the Climate Change job and he only saw the press release like anyone.
It was the teeth given to him by Gbajabiamila that he sank into the flesh of the same man and others who got him the job as a presidential spox. The guys who brought him, seeing that he had gotten too big for his breaches, also decided they were going to take him out. He made it easy for them, especially because he was poor at his job.
When it was apparent that Ajuri had no capacity to deliver, President Tinubu tapped his long term ally, Bayo Onanuga to help shore up the floundering media and communication machinery of the Villa. It was same Chief of Staff that sat on the appointment for over two months to protect Ajuri. It was after the UAE Visa, the New York NASDAQ Exchange fiasco, and many other avoidable errors that Gbajabiamila finally allowed Bayo Onanuga to come on board.
According to Aso Rock Insiders, Ajuri came to the job with a poverty mentality. His ambition was to make tonnes of money. Having arrived broke, he saw the opportunity as one from which he could end up with money pouring out of his ears. He was said to have told people that he was treated badly by Femi Adesina, Garba Shehu and Laolu Akande under the Buhari administration. He said he didn’t make money and could barely pay his rent in Abuja. He spent every day in office scavenging for money, moving from one head of MDA to the other asking for money.
The quest for money made him turn the office of SA Media to President to one that announces appointments, birthdays, and obituaries for prominent people who allegedly pay him for his services. Traditionally, appointments for Heads of Agencies were announced by the office of SGF or supervising Ministry, but Ajuri turned it to a honeypot. He would announce different appointments that can be announced in one single press release in different press releases in a day.
There was a day he issued 15 press releases from around 3pm to 11pm. Some prolificity. He even went on Twitter to announce that he broke the State House record of the highest number of press releases in a single day. What he broke was his own record of ridiculous and frivolous press releases. For the one year he spent on the job, Ajuri went round collecting money from Ministers and other Heads of Agencies in the name of running the Media and Communication of the Villa without the knowledge of other Media aides.
Ajuri was very insecure on the job, knowing that he is not qualified for the role ab initio. To cover his insecurity, he fought that the nebulous title of Official Spokesman of the President should be added to how he was addressed. Not high enough on his own supply, he added Chief to his official communications materials and press releases. He demanded that colleagues, State House correspondents and civil servants must address him as Chief Ajuri.
He wouldn’t accept or read any document where his name is not prefixed by Chief. A man hungry for deference should not been seen offering less. However, he called Bayo Onanuga, a man who graduated from university eight years before he was born, by his first name. Ajuri will probably not pass the qualifying test to work in Onanuga’s company, Independent Communication Network Limited, Publishers of TheNews Magazine, Tempo and PMNews. Onanuga is 30 years older than Ajuri and his father’s age mate.
He set the civil servants in his department against each other. He polarized the State House Press Corps and told some of the journalists covering the Villa never to use any statement issued by Bayo Onanuga as he is the sole and official Spokesman of the President. He gave an instruction to the civil servants in the department never to allow any press statement or release issued by Onanuga to be sent out through State Media mailing channels. He was a terror to the civil servants, who were afraid of him because they feared he could engineer their posting outside of the Villa.
He was constantly reporting other Presidential media aides to the President, Seyi and Chief of Staff until they all got tired of him and told him to mind his own business.
It was clear that Ajuri came to the government to pursue his own agenda. His five years at the periphery of the Buhari’s government gave him a helicopter view of government and how government platforms can be used for personal gains. He applied himself in that direction. Where he did not apply himself was his job, which he saw only as a means to make money by the shipload and one for glamour. Aso Rock Insiders said when President Tinubu was ready to offload him because of his spectacular failure on the job, he thought that, as a father, he needed to give him a soft landing. This was the reason he allowed his proposal for Special Envoy job. Instead of promoting national interest, he was promoting himself to international interests for personal gain.
As a Media Adviser, he also forgot that his job is to promote the principal and his agenda. However, he was promoting himself in the media without restraint and paying millions for front page picture placements. Ajuri knew that his time was up over a month ago. He started moving around, begging for interventions that would lead to the retention of his job. He was initially given a choice to pick between SA Media and Special Envoy on Climate Action as it was no longer tenable that he would hold two senior positions.
Knowing that it is the SA Media job that can keep him inside Villa, he opted to drop the Special Envoy job. By the time he was ready to retain the media job, the boat had sailed. Nobody wanted him for the media job again because he is clueless at it and has the charisma of a plank of wood.
. Mohammed Gambo wrote in from Abuja