Buhari’s Ex-minister Denies Lobbying Tinubu For Recent Appointment

• Buhari’s Ex-minister Denies Lobbying Tinubu For Recent Appointment.
• He admits he expected an executive position but accepted the role with gratitude.
• Shittu praises Ebonyi’s peaceful environment despite initial security concerns.

Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has denied actively seeking his recent appointment as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Dave Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State.

Shittu’s appointment by President Bola Tinubu, alongside other heads and chairpersons of federal universities, sparked speculation that these positions were given as compensation to individuals not included in Tinubu’s ministerial lineup.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that however, Shittu refuted these claims, stating, “I could not have lobbied to become pro-chancellor of the university.”

“I was a minister for four years. Before that, I had been commissioner twice at age 30, serving as Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information, and Culture in the larger Oyo State in 1983. In 2007, I was Attorney General of Oyo State before becoming a minister. So, I could not have lobbied,” he asserted.

Shittu described the appointment as unexpected but said he accepted it with gratitude. “It was not what I expected from the government. I expected a more executive position where I could use my experience of almost 45 years in politics. But when I got this appointment, I took it in my stride, and I’m putting in my best to justify it.”

He acknowledged initial concerns about relocating to the South-East due to security reports but described his experience in Ebonyi as positive.

“I was initially apprehensive about moving to the South-East because of negative reports about insecurity, but I have found Ebonyi to be a wonderful place. Anytime I travel there for meetings, I see it as a homecoming. It is a beautiful and particularly peaceful state, perhaps even more so than some other states in Igboland,” he said.

Expressing his commitment to his new role, Shittu added, “I’m happy with the appointment. The university management has been very cooperative, and I am determined to do my best to ensure its growth.”

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