Tinubu appoints media team as Nigerian economy bites harder

The president, on Monday, appointed five more persons to the Presidential Advisory Media Team, bringing the total number of such appointments to at least 11.

Despite the bad state of Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu has appointed more persons to his media team, further bloating the size of government at a time of general clamour for cutting down on the cost of governance.

The president, on Monday, appointed five more persons to the Presidential Advisory Media Team, bringing the total number of such appointments to at least 11.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, listed the new appointees as Fela Durotoye, who will serve as senior special assistant to the president on national values and social justice, Frederick Nwabufo, senior special assistant on public engagement, and Linda Akhigbe, senior special assistant on strategic communications.

Aliyu Audu was named special assistant on public affairs and Francis Abah as personal assistant to the president on special duties.

The statement also said Mrs Akhigbe, who was until her appointment the Senate correspondent for Channels Television, will also serve as the communications adviser to the President of the ECOWAS Commission.

In a blithe insensitivity to the current economic adversities of the country and the hardship the government’s removal of fuel subsidy has plunged millions of Nigerians into, an emerging attribute of the administration, the president’s son, Seyi Tinubu, recently flew in a presidential jet from Abuja to see a game of polo in Kano, at the expense of public fund.

Previous appointments
In July, Mr Tinubu, who assumed office in May, made 20 new appointments out of which no fewer than six were his media aides.

Among them were Tunde Rahman SSA (Media); Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (SSA Print Media); O’tega Ogra, SSA (Digital/New Media); Tope Ajayi, SSA (Media & Public Affairs); Segun Dada – Special Assistant (Social Media); Nosa Asemota – Special Assistant (Visual Communication).

President Bola Tinubu’s Media Team

1. Ajuri Ngelale (Special Adviser Media and Publicity)
2. Tunde Rahman (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Media)
3. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Print Media)
4. O’tega Ogra – (Senior Special Assistant (Digital/New Media)
5. Tope Ajayi – Senior Special Assistant (Media & Public Affairs))
6. Segun Dada (Special Assistant — Social Media)
7. Nosa Asemota – Special Assistant (Visual Communication)
8. Mr Fela Durotoye (Senior Special Assistant to the President — National Values & Social Justice)
9. Mr Fredrick Nwabufo (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Public Engagement)
10. Mrs Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe (Senior Special Assistant to the President — Strategic Communications)
11. Mr Aliyu Audu (Special Assistant to the President — Public Affairs)