JUST IN: Akeredolu appoints Chief of Staff, SSG, ?others.

The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, on Monday, appointed Ifedayo Abegunde, as the Secretary to the State Government.

Olusegun Ajiboye, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, announced this in Akure on Monday.

Mr. Abegunde was a two-term member of the House of Representatives, representing Akure North and South Constituency.

He was first elected in 2003 and later in 2011. But just before his second term ended, he was sacked by the Supreme Court for switching from the Labour Party to the Action Congress of Nigeria, the precursor of the All Progressives Congress. He had joined the ACN in 2012.

In 2015, he contested for the senatorial seat of his new party, but lost to the incumbent, Tayo Alasoadura, at the party primary.

He was the deputy director-general of the Akeredolu Campaign in the senatorial district in the run-up to the governorship election.

Mr. Abegunde was born on May 5, 1955. He had his secondary education in Oyemekun Grammar School in Akure between 1967 and 1971.

He subsequently had tertiary education at Florida University in the United States (1980-1984) and Morgan State University, in Baltimore, Maryland, also in the United States between 1985 and 1987.

Other appointments are? those of Olugbenga Ale, as Chief of Staff and Jones Ogunmusire, Senior Special Assistant (SSA), (Administration and Policy Planning).

Mr. Ale is a former permanent secretary in the state civil service and is an alumnus of the University of Ilorin, where he studied public administration.

He had his secondary education in New Church Grammar School in Owo, the hometown of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Mr. Akeredolu also appointed Taofeek Abdusalam, SSA , Legislative Matters; Kunle Adebayo, SSA , Research and Documentation; Raheem Aminu, SSA , Infrastructure;? Doyin Odebowale, SSA, Special Duties and Strategy.

Tosin Ogunbodede was appointed Chief of Protocol and Bola Alabi, Deputy Chief of Protocol.

“All the appointments take immediate effect,” Mr. Ajiboye said.

 

Source: NAN

Senate President Saraki appoints new Chief of Staff

The president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has appointed Baba Ahmed, as his new Chief of Staff.

 

In a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, Mr. Saraki said the appointment takes immediate effect.

 

Baba Ahmed, 61, attended the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as well as London School of Economics and University of Sussex, both in the United Kingdom.

 

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

 

He replaces Isa Galaudu, who resigned on January 31.

 

Mr. Galaudu first mentioned his decision to step down in November 2016 for personal reasons and both Mr. Saraki and the chief of staff agreed on his final exit at the end of January, the senate president’s office said at the time.

Abba Kyari, Buhari’s Chief of Staff is sick, flown abroad.

Alhaji Abba Kyari Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s President Mohammadu Buhari is at present being flown out of the country on medical emergency grounds, we can authoritatively report.

Impeccable Presidency sources said that Abba Kyari who has been suffering from an undisclosed ailment which has kept him away from office in the last seven days, slumped in the early evening and was rushed to an undisclosed private hospital where some specialist doctors were called in to attend to him.

Sources close to the Presidency also said that the relationship between Kyari and his boss, Mr President, has worsened in the last few weeks after more revelations of allegations of graft against the Chief of Staff, a development many believe seriously dents the President’s anti-corruption stance.

According to the sources who preferred not to be mentioned, President Buhari made enquiries later and the feedback was not encouraging as his (Kyari) condition was not improving. The President then directed that he be flown out immediately.

We further gathered that at about 9.30pm, a long convoy was seen leaving the villa for the airport where an Air Ambulance was already on standby for the evacuation to an undisclosed destination for further medical attention.

Efforts to reach Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media did not yield results as calls to his phone lines were not answered.

The Chief of Staff has been in the eye of the storm of allegations of graft and insider dealings as well as abuse of office.

There have also been rumours of recent that Mr President was shopping for his replacement as preliminary investigation reports may have established a prima facie case against him, particularly over the alleged N500m gratification he allegedly received from MTN to help facilitate reduction of the $5.2bn fine placed on them by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Abba Kyari was appointed to the position on August 27, 2015.

Putin Sacks Chief Of Staff

Russian President Vladimir Putin has unexpectedly dismissed his chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov.

Mr. Ivanov has been part of Mr. Putin’s trusted inner circle for many years, the BBC reports.

The 63-year-old has now been made a special representative for environmental and transport issues.

A statement from the Kremlin said Mr. Putin had “decreed to relieve Ivanov of his duties as head of the Russian presidential administration,” but gave no reason for the decision.

Mr. Ivanov’s deputy since 2012, Anton Vaino, has been appointed as his successor.

Credit: AFP

Police Arrest Kwankwaso’s Chief of Staff, Others

Police in Kano Saturday arrested Dr. Yunusa Adamu Dangwani, the Chief of Staff to former governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
Dangwani, who also served as Commissioner for Water Resources under Kwankwaso, was said to have been arrested with other political associates of Kwankwaso over an alleged plan to hold a political rally in the state. They stayed overnight at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police command.

But the former Commissioner for State Affairs, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam, said Dangwani’s arrest was in connection with the current political impasse between his principal and the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
“We are right now at the police command trying to secure Dangwani’s bail. His arrest has nothing to do with any political rally,” he said. He dispelled rumours that Kwankwaos’s aides were planning a political rally.
Another source close to Dangwani said Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had intervened and ordered their release yesterday.
It was learnt that the said rally was organized in solidarity with Senator Kwankwaso over the ongoing political feud between him and his Governor Ganduje.

Police spokesman, DSP Magaji Musa Majia confirmed the arrest of some politicians but did not mention their names.
In a jingle being aired by some radio stations in the state, the police warned politicians to either drop their plan to hold mass rally or face the wrath of the law.
Meanwhile, Sharu Garba Gwammaja, a former media aide to ex-governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of persecuting Kwankwaso’s allies for exposing an alleged approval of N688m for members of the state House of Assembly as a reward for renouncing the red cap.
Speaking on telephone yesterday, Gwammaja alleged that he and other Kwankwassiya members fell into trouble with the state government after going on air to expose the alleged deal.
“Last Tuesday, the lawmakers visited the governor and on Wednesday, a proposal to purchase vehicles for the legislators to the tune of N688m was tabled and approved at the State Executive Council meeting for them to purchase vehicles.
“This approval is a way of rewarding the assembly members for discarding their red caps. In the deal, each lawmaker will get N17.2 million as payment for his red cap,” he alleged.
When pressed on the veracity of his claim, he said he didn’t have any document to prove it but stood by his claim.

Credit: DailyTrust

Buhari Appoints SGF, Chief Of Staff, Others

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the following appointments:
Engr. Babachir David Lawal – Secretary to the Government of the Federation
Alhaji Abba Kyari – Chief of Staff to the President
Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd.) – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service
Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service
Senator Ita S.J. Enang – SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate)
Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu – SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives)
The appointments are with effect from today, August 27, 2015.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Dogara Appoints Ex-PDP Rep As Chief Of Staff

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has appointed Jerry Manwe as his Chief of Staff.

A letter of appointment with reference No. NASS/SPK/MGT/VOL.I/002 dated 15th June, 2015, addressed to the Clerk National Assembly and signed by the Speaker, conveyed Mr.  Manwe’s appointment as his chief of staff.

Mr. Manwe, a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for years, made a surprise defection to the Social Democratic Party in January.

He blamed his decision on alleged manipulation of the last primaries of the PDP in his home state of Taraba.
Born on June 26, 1958 in Karim Lamido, Taraba State, Mr. Manwe was first elected as member of the House of Representatives in 1991, and later in 2007 and 2011.

He is the immediate past chairman of House of Representatives committee on Electoral Matters and had chaired House Committees on Finance and Economic Planning, Interior and Communications.

The new chief of staff was also a Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development in Taraba State between 1999-2001, member Christians Pilgrim Board 2001-2003, Chairman, National Commission for Colleges of Education, 2005-2007.

He holds Certificate in Accounting, Higher National Diploma in Business Management and Bachelor of Technology (in view).

He attended Lau Primary School between 1966-1973, Government Secondary School Jalingo 1974-1979, Federal Polytechnic Mubi, 1984-1986 and Federal University of Technology Yola.

He started his working career as an Accountant with Mubi Burnt Bricks from 1985-1989.

The appointment is with immediate effect.

Creditpremiumtimesng

President Buhari Set To Name Chief Of Staff, SGF, Other Aides Today

The shape and faces to the Muhammadu Buhari administration will begin to unfold today baring any last minute change of mind by the president, Vanguard has learnt. Among those to be named are the Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF and personal staff of the president and the vice-president.

Yesterday, the president requested the Senate to approve 15 special advisers for him. Meanwhile, the delay in the announcement of senior officials of the new administration, it was learnt yesterday, flowed from the delay by the former officials of Goodluck Jonathan administration in forwarding their handover notes to the transition committee constituted by Buhari.

Sources close to the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, disclosed yesterday that the president would make known the senior officials of his government today. Besides the Chief of Staff and SGF, other officials to be named may include the Special Adviser to the National Assembly, Political Adviser among senior aides of the president.

“The announcements will be made today baring a last minute change of decision,” a source privy to the development told Vanguard last night even as he added that the president’s scheduled trip to Niger and Chad may be the only factors that may delay the announcement. Meanwhile, a senior associate of the president yesterday traced the delay in the announcement of the president’s senior aides to the delay in the transmission of the handover notes by the Jonathan officials to the transition team constituted by Buhari ahead of his inauguration.

“All we have been doing since Friday is poring over these notes. This is because you need to know the position of things before you delegate the appropriate personnel to any establishment of government,” a source privy to the ongoing developments told Vanguard last night.

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Plateau State’s Lalong Appoints SSG, Chief Of Staff, Others

Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, Monday, announced the appointment of Mr. Rufus Bature as the Secretary to the State Government, SSG. Mr. Bature was a former Minority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

The appointment was announced in a statement signed by Mr. Izam Azi, the Permanent Secretary, Policy and General Services, in the state civil service.

Also appointed were Mr. John Dafa’an as Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr. Yusuf Hawaja, Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House while Mr Silas Vem is to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Governor’s Office.

The statement also named Mr Emmanuel Nanle as Director of Press Affairs, Prof. John Wade, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University, Bokkos, as the new Director-General in charge of Research, Mr Cyril Tsenyil as the state Accountant-General while Mr Cletus Kangkum, former Director, Administration, Jos University Teaching Hospital, was named Principal Private Secretary to the Governor.

Creditdailypost