By By Hammed Shittu
Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Wednesday joined other well-meaning Nigerians to hail President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment of a former minister of External Affairs, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, as his new Chief of Staff.
He said there was no doubt that the appointment of Professor Ibrahim Gambari was a well-deserved one adding that, it is a befitting development that is rooted in dedication, loyalty, and history.
A statement issued in Ilorin on Wednesday signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye, said that, “The appointment is clearly fit for purpose and is deserving for our own Professor Gambari whose record of service as a diplomat and global statesman is unblemished”.
The statement read, “On behalf of my family, the government and people of Kwara State, I congratulate the Wambai Ilorin for this historic appointment.
“Professor Gambari has always been one of the ‘President’s men’ for decades and it is not surprising that he has been appointed at this crucial moment to serve as his chief of staff.
“We commend Mr. President for yet again honouring not just one of his renowned loyalists of all time but also the people of Kwara State who still relive his relationship with one of Nigeria’s finest military officers and son of Kwara late Major-General Tunde AbdulBaki Idiagbon.
“We pray the Almighty Allah to guide and protect Professor Gambari on this delicate national assignment and to not stop his blessings and protection for President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration continues to impact positively in the lives of the masses.”
Also, the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, commended President Buhari for naming former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari as Chief of Staff.
Ahmed commended the president for Prof Gambari’s ‘timely and merited’ appointment in a twitter message on Wednesday.
According to him, ‘ I thank President Muhammed Buhari, for appointing the credentialed Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari (CFR), a Kwaran, as Chief of Staff”.
Ahmed said, “This appointment is timely and merited. As a former minister, diplomat, and academic, Professor Gambari’s wealth of experience and diplomatic clout will not only embellish the Presidency, it will also bolster it in the current global coalition against the dreaded coronavirus.
“I believe Prof Gambari’s exemplary stint as Minister for Foreign Affairs Affairs during President Buhari’s tenure as Head of State provided the President with a first-hand insight into Gambari’s quality as a smart technocrat with the clout, maturity, and insight necessary for success as Chief of Staff”.
He added, “Based on these qualities, I was delighted to appoint Prof. Gambari as pioneer Chancellor of Kwara State University while I was Governor of the State.
“Given these antecedents, I know that Prof Gambari will prove a stellar and loyal anchor for the President in this new assignment”.
