A Nigerian group in the diaspora League of Progressive Nigerians (LPN), London, United Kingdom, has condemned coordinated media attacks against Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu.
LPN convener and president Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye in a statement said the attacks against Gbajabiamila “who has brought panache and finesse to redefine governance within the Nigerian public sector space with stellar results accompanying his prodigious efforts” was unwarranted.
“We say with all sense of modesty that Mr Gbajabiamila, immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, remains one of the finest public office holders in this dispensation,” Adeleye said.
“It’s obvious to the discerning that the attacks are meant to hamstring and distract him from offering his best efforts to help the BolaTinubu administration steady the ship of the Nigerian nation and place the country on the path of sustainable growth and development.
“It’s pertinent to reiterate that the Chief of Staff has been consistent in delivering tangible results wherever he has had the responsibility to serve.”
While cautioning the sponsors of the media attacks against the former House of Reps Speaker, Adeleye reminded Nigerians that Gbajabiamila had a “stellar legislative career spanning Minority Leadership, Majority Leadership and Speakership of the House of Representatives where he delivered excellently.”
He explained that during Gbajabiamila’s tenure in the House of Representatives, he sponsored 25 Bills in the last Assembly with about 10 considered crucial passed by the House.
The bills include Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill 2019, Physically Challenged (Empowerment) Bill 2019, Presidential (Transition) Bill 2019l, South West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2019. Labour Act (Amendment) Bill 2019, Economic Stimulus Bill 2019, Emergency Economic Stimulus Bill 2020, Quarantine Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2020 and Nigeria Health Infrastructure Development Bank (Establishment Etc) Bill 2020
“He also sponsored important pieces of legislation, including the Students Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2023,” Adeleye said.
“His federal constituency, Surule Federal Constituency, will never forget his numerous durable and impactful projects, especially in health and education.
“His commitment to building a successor generation who will help repurpose governance in Nigeria for optimal service delivery led to his founding of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative(LMI), which is now domiciled with the National Institute for Democratic and Legislative Studies(NILDS). The initiative has already produced its second cohort of Fellows with some of them already holding vital appointments at the national and subnational levels.
“We note that The role of the CoS is a thankless one that takes the heat on behalf of the principal, which probably explains why the needless attacks have been going on at an alarming rate in recent times.
“We as a group would have chosen to ignore the face rabble-rousers behind the unwarranted attacks and their toxic shenanigans but for their tendency to misinform and therefore mislead some Nigerians who might not truly know what the real issues are.”
Adeleye called on President Tinubu to continue to have confidence in his “CoS who without equivocation is one of Nigeria’s finest public servants at the moment.”
