By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, has pushed back against recent allegations targeting his office, labeling them false, malicious, and damaging both personally and politically.
Addressing a crowd in Surulere, Lagos, during an empowerment initiative that distributed vehicles, cash, and equipment to 5,000 locals, Gbajabiamila reflected on the smear campaign and the relentless attacks on his character.
PerSecondNews recalls that Gbajabiamila was accused by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi of authorising his appointment as Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and demanding money from him.
“The allegations came ferociously, but I was grateful that my people and those who know me knew the allegations were false and malicious. At the end of all the investigations, the Nigerian Police and the DSS cleared me of any wrongdoing,” he said.
Gbajabiamila also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for resisting pressure to reach a conclusion before investigations were completed, maintaining that the President knew him well enough to have confidence in his innocence.
“Many people wanted him to rush to judgment and give a verdict before the investigation. He refused and insisted on due process.
“Mr President knows his Chief of Staff very well, having worked closely with me for many years, and was therefore supremely confident that I was not in any way involved in those malicious stories,” he stated.
He warned those behind what he described as attacks against him, as well as people using his name to defraud others, that he would remain focused on his official responsibilities.
“No amount of money, no amount of blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will detract me from the work the President has given me to do. And to anyone using my name to defraud people or misrepresent me, know that the law will always catch up with you,” he emphasized.
Turning to the empowerment programme, Gbajabiamila explained that the event had earlier been shifted to ensure that beneficiaries nominated by wards, community development associations and trade associations were properly verified.
“Today, about 5,000 of you are beneficiaries, and every one of you is here on merit. We have 3,905 beneficiaries of N250,000 cash support each, 348 beneficiaries of N500,000 each, 61 beneficiaries of electric vehicles, 50 beneficiaries of electric tricycles, 60 beneficiaries of minibuses and 100 laptops.”
The programme also included four Toyota Coasters, 18-seater buses, two security patrol vehicles, one medical ambulance and a special T2 Jeep.
“In total, we have N1.15 billion in cash support and a total of 279 vehicles, electric and gasoline. Our Gbaja ride transportation service is still moving students within Surulere at no cost, with discounted rates for the elderly. We also have cars for e-hailing businesses, electric tricycles and electric bikes.”
The Chief of Staff linked the electric mobility component of the programme to the Federal Government’s renewable-energy agenda, including incentives for CNG and electric vehicles and plans to install charging stations in Surulere.
He also listed economic and infrastructure measures under the Tinubu administration, including the removal of fuel subsidy, exchange-rate unification, the Electricity Act, tax reforms, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Badagry-Sokoto Super Highway and the remodelling of Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
On security, he disclosed that a committee he chairs is working on the framework for the creation of state police, describing the reform as significant to community-based policing.
He then turned to the 2027 elections, urging residents to renew the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and support other APC candidates in Lagos.
Gbajabiamila, who represented Surulere in the House of Representatives for more than two decades, also explained why he continued to organise empowerment programmes despite no longer being an elected representative.
“I love my people, and once a representative, always a representative. As long as I hold any public office, even outside of it, there will always be one empowerment or the other for the people of Surulere and for well-meaning Nigerians. Today is not the end; it is a continuation,”he stressed.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the funds to grow their businesses, serve their customers honestly and build better opportunities for themselves and their families.
Author
Leave a comment