By Omololu Ogunmade
Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon Tuesday described the appointment of Prof Ibrahim Gambari as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari as a great asset to Nigeria and Africa ”in a broader sense.”
Presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, said Ki-Moon, in a congratulatory letter to Gambari, on Monday, said he was confident that the experience Gambari gained at the UN would be useful to Nigeria this period.
”I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your recent appointment as Chief of Staff to H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.
”Your appointment is a great asset not to the President of Nigeria but also your country Nigeria and Africa in a broader sense.
”I am confident that your invaluable experience gained while serving the UN, with various important leadership roles, will help your leadership in addressing these challenging times caused by COVID-19.
”I shared this good news with the former Minister Yoo Chong-ha, your good friend and former Foreign Minister of Korea. He sends his warmest congratulations to you,” the letter read.
The statement added that the eight Secretary-General of the UN, who wrote his congratulatory letter from his base in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, said he looked forward to meeting his former colleague at the UN again and wished him success in his new assignment.
The statement also said the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, expressed delight over the appointment of Gambari as the Chief of Staff to the President.
“The High Commissioner said the Mission looks forward to working closely with the Chief of Staff on ‘our shared agenda in the challenging COVID-19 times,'” the statement added.
