By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen.George Akume CON has called on Nigerians to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ‘s new administration to succeed in the
areas of socioeconomic and political development of the nation.
Akume urged former Ministerial Special and Technical Assistants who served during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to rally Nigerians to support President Tinubu to ensure a developed Nigeria.
The new Secretary to the Government of the Federation made this call Tuesday when ex-ministerial aides under the aegis of the Network of former Ministerial Aides (NETMA) paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
The SGF said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means very well for this country. He is a committed leader who is completely detribalized and committed to the peace and development of this country.”
” He is very passionate about creating a new path to the greatness of Nigeria through the faithful implementation of the renewed hope agenda of the new administration.”
“I urge you to reach out to the Nigerian people with details of the various policies and programmes of the administration in view of your unique national outlook given your membership that cuts across gender, religious, and ethnic backgrounds”.
Leader of the delegation, Dr Philip Ugbodaga, a former Special Assistant to the immediate Minister of State for Budget and National Planning stated that the group was set up to coordinate jinter-ministerial responsibilities by Special Assistants as well as a strategic peer review platform among aides during their tenure with former ministers.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding a very worthy personality in Sen. George Akume for appointment as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ugbodaga noted that Sen. George Akume had distinguished himself in politics, humanity and service to the nation.
The group noted that President Tinubu’s choice of picking him as the SGF was
as result of his pedigree as former governor of Benue State for eight years, a Senator and a minister in the last administration noting that this
choice Akume ‘s role in the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general elections, adding that he has the impetus to executing government policies and programmes as enshrined in the Tinubu’s renewed Hope Agenda.
The organization, the first in the history of the country, existed as the Network of Ministerial Aides (NETMA) during the last administration now transformed to a Policy Advisory Think Tank.
The group said, “As a think tank, the group look forward to working closely with the new administration to establish cooperation and partnership at all levels, especially as the body has experts in every area urgently needed for the social, political and economic rejuvenation of Nigeria.”
“We are confident that, working closely with you we can offer the services of individual members of our organization to the new administration in relevant capacities as deemed appropriate in the implementation of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Asiwaju of the universe, by drawing on our institutional memory working in the last administration”.
The visit had in attendance thirty nine (39) members representing the aides who served in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023.
