By Rabiu Musa
INFOMEDIA – The litanies and glowing tributes to the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mal Abba Kyari is a clear attestation that he is a true technocrat who understood the art of administration within the power corridor. An unquestionable personae to the fault, loyalist and a close ally to the President.
As an erudite journalist who ascends to the position of an editor, lived a life as a Press enemy by refraining to smile to the camera amidst every burning national issue but relies on Presidential media aides to defend his reputable integrity. Kyari was a victim of many subjective media reportage and social media venoms, among which he was alleged to have took a bribe of N29 million to award a vehicle supply.
But in a reaction, the Presidency said in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President, noted that it took strong offence to the improbable and outlandish publication.
He remained a door gatekeeper to the Commander-In-Chief Federal Republic of Nigeria and died of Coronavirus in line of duty.
As the battle to fill the vacant position of Buhari’s Chief of Staff begins, many aspirants were said to have emerged for consideration to the position.
But the question here is, who is the most consummate loyalist capable of handling the job?
The office of the Chief of Staff was created in 1999 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, modeled after that of the United State’s to provide the President with a gatekeeper in order to sequester his office from unnecessary tasks and coordinate his activities.
The duties of Chief of Staff includes developing the Presidential reporting structure, controlling the flow of people and paper to the President, advising the President on issues of politics and policies.
However, the extent to which a chief of staff wields his powers depends on the style of the President he is serving, his personal relationship with the president and the availability of resources at his disposal.
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A Chief of Staff is expected to be the perfect representation of the President’s policies and principles. The person the President has total confidence in and has his trust in him, then who among the candidates being tipped for the position is more loyal to President Buhari? Who understand the President’s principles and policies better? And who has the gut and grit to execute the Presidential policies?
Those being tipped for the position of the Chief of Staff include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe; Education Minister Mal. Adamu Adamu who happens to be the close ally of the President; Customs Comptroller-General, Hamid Ali; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; and a former Minister, Ismaila Isa Funtua.
Others are Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, Ya’u Shehu Darazo; a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Gen. Buba Marwa; and the immediate past Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Jalal Arabi.
Its indisputable that Malam Adamu Adamu is the most close ally to President Muhammad Buhari throughout his political struggle in Nigeria and shared a lot of similarities in terms of Principle, discipline, fight against corruption, transparency and accountability in governance and other areas of life.
He acted more of a Personal Assistant to President Muhammad Buhari. It was reported that during ministerial nomination, Mal Adamu Adamu was the only Minister given the privilege to assess the names of the ministerial list and their portfolios for necessary action.
According to the Nation’s newspaper, a source recalled the politics of the reappointment of Kyari and what happened during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The source added: “Before constituting his present cabinet, Buhari went on a trip to Saudi Arabia and Adamu was on the entourage.
“While in Saudi Arabia, a respected influential person in the power corridors was even begging the Minister not to decline to be Chief of Staff if offered by the President.
“We do not know whether or not the Minister refused to be the Chief of Staff and Buhari decided to retain Kyari.
With his Spartan discipline, incorruptible principles and a cosmopolitan outlook, Adamu is actually the man to beat for the job. He likes operating behind the scene than being a minister. He is a shrewd accountant, writer and reputable journalist.
Based on his intellectual prowess, integrity, a person with a Midas touch. Mal Adamu Adamu will certainly deploy all his intellectual capacities to stabilise the running of government and perfectly replace the position of Chief of Staff to President Muhammad Buhari.
Rabiu Musa writes from Bayero University, Kano
And can be reached on: rabiumusa037@gm
