Buhari Makes U-Turn, Appoints Aides For Office Of Wife Of President, VP

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed several aides for the Offices of the Wife of the President and the Vice President’s wife.

This is despite the promise he made in 2014 before he assumed office, that there is no such thing as the “Office of the Wife of the President, VP”, hence, the offices will be scrapped.

The president had said, during an interview with Weekly Trust that the Ministry for Women Affairs should be allowed to play its role unhindered.

In accordance with Buhari’s resolution, his wife, Aisha, had said she would abide by whatever the constitution stipulates.

The International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, has confirmed that indeed, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides no statutory office for either the first lady or the wife of the president in all 320 sections of the law.

ICIR notes that there is no single mention of the words ‘wife’ and ‘lady’.

The ICIR revealed that more than three years into Buhari’s administration, the federal government has spent taxpayers’ money to sustain offices of the wives of the president and vice president.

According to Premium Times, a publication by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which listed crucial appointments made by the administration, included seven special advisers, 48 senior special assistants, 47 special assistants, and 16 personal assistants.

The report read, “Out of these 118 advisers and assistants, ten have been in the exclusive service of the wives of the president and the vice president.

“Appointed on June 1, 2015, were Abiodun Adelowo, Personal Physician to the Wife of the Vice President; Tayo Basirat Fakorede, Special Assistant on Special Duties to the Office of the Wife of the Vice President; Susan Chagwa, Special Assistant on Household & Social Events to the Office of the Wife of the Vice President; Koko Iyamu, Special Assistant on Administration to the Office of the Wife of the Vice President; and Mosope Olasebikan, Special Assistant on Media & ICT to the Office of the Wife of the Vice President.

“The following month, on July 2, 2015, Hajo Sani was appointed as Senior Special Assistant on Administration to the Office of the Wife of the President; Mohammed Kamal Abdulrahman was appointed as Personal Physician to the Wife of the President; and Hadi Uba was appointed as Special Assistant on Administration II to the Office of the Wife of the President.

“After two years, on May 24, 2017, two additional appointments were made: Omolayo Akinfala was appointed Special Assistant on Protocol to the wife of the President, and Fadi Rose Audu became Special Assistant on Domestic Matters to the wife of the President.

“Out of all ten political appointees, one, Susan Chagwa, was stated by the OSGF to have resigned from office. The date of resignation was not recorded, and it is not stated whether or not she has been replaced.”