TELL

After rumours and dispelled stories of appointment by President Bola Tinubu, Dele Alake, a close associate of the president has been appointed special adviser on Special Duties, Communication, and Strategy to the president. There was a report in May that Alake had been appointed as the presidential spokesperson. But that report was denied, though he was on the team of the federal government that negotiated with organized labour following the reactions to the removal of subsidy on petroleum products. He was also the one who briefed the media on the outcome of the meetings on behalf of the government. The denial might have been made at that time because the president had not got the approval of the National Assembly on the number of aides to be appointed then. When Alake was commissioner for information under Tinubu in Lagos State, the portfolio was renamed Information and Strategy. It remains so to date. It is, therefore, not surprising that ‘strategy’ is added to his portfolio this time too.
The other seven appointees are Nuhu Ribadu, pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC as Special Adviser on Security, Wale Edun, Alake’s colleague in Tinubu’s Lagos cabinet takes charge of Monetary Matters, while Yau Darzo handles Political and Intergovernmental Affairs. Olu Verheijen is the special adviser on Energy, Zacchaeus Adedeji is in charge of Revenue, John Uwujumogu takes charge of Industry, Trade, and Investment, and Salmas Anas will be the special adviser on Health.
Prior to the announcement, there had been reports that Ribadu was going to be appointed the National Security Adviser, NSA. It is not clear if that is the role the president expects him to play here or if there would be another person stepping in as NSA.

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