Omo-Agege names CoS, media aides
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, has cancelled the appointment of Mr. Festus Adedayo, as his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, barely 48 hours after the appointment was made public.
This is just as the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, yesterday named his Chief of Staff and two media aides.
The review of Adedayo’s appointment was contained in a two-paragraph statement issued thursday by Lawan’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mohammed Isa.
The statement read : “The office of the President of the Senate has reviewed the appointment of Mr. Festus Adedayo as Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President of the Senate and decided to rescind its decision on the appointment, and wishes Mr. Adedayo the best in his future endeavours”.
Lawan had on Tuesday appointed Adedayo, a member of the Editorial Board of Nigerian Tribune, as his Media Adviser.
His appointment alongside that of Babagana Muhammad Aji as Lawan’s Chief of Staff were made via a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Administration, Dr. Betty Okoroh.
THISDAY gathered that Lawan was forced to drop Adedayo based on the belief of the presidency as well as some ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party faithful and Senators that the appointment should be reviewed.
The Senate President was said to have been invited to Aso rock on Wednesday where he was said to have been told that the appointment of Adedayo cannot stand because of his reported critique of not only President Muhammadu Buhari but the party in his weekly Flickers column in Sunday Tribune.
Sources told THISDAY that a group of APC Senators also approached Lawan and expressed the need for the appointment to be reviewed so the appointee won’t end up being a mole in Lawan’s office.
Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the Senate, 0mo-Agege, has named Dr. Otive Igbuzor as his Chief of Staff and Mr. Yomi Odunuga as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
He also announced the appointment of Ms. Lara Owoeye-Wise as his Senior Special Assistant on Electronic and New Media.
Omo-Agege, in a statement personally signed by him yesterday, said the appointments which take immediate effect are based on merit.
Igbuzor is Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD). He was once the International Head of campaigns of ActionAid International and Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria.
He was also a commissioner in the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Odunuga, until his appointment, was the Abuja Bureau Chief and Deputy Editor, Nation’s Capital, of The Nation newspapers.
Owoeye-Wise is a multiple award-winning journalist whose experience has spanned over two decades and has spread between the print and the electronic media.
She had in the Eighth National Assembly served as Senior Assistant, Media to the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
