The recent board appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have attracted the commendation of Tunde Imolehin, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“President Tinubu has demonstrated his passion and reward for excellence and loyalty. The days of complaints on reward for party loyalty may be over for good. The President has shown that he is strategic. If you are hardworking, patriotic, brilliant, and focused, your time would come, Imolehin said.
It will be recalled that President Tinubu, in an official statement released yesterday by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, appointed over forty Nigerians as Chairmen of Federal Boards and parastatals. Most of these appointees are well-known party loyalists and members of the National Working Committee of the ruling party. Imolehin, a renowned architect and environmentalist, has been at the forefront of “adequate reward for party loyalty based on merit and competence” in government. In his letter to the national chairman of the APC in May, last year, Imolehin said: “Mr. Chairman, we have very competent party men and women who can fill positions to drive the vision of our great party in government. For every position, it is only moral and commonsensical to give a dedicated and competent APC member the first offer of refusal. Merit is important. Federal Character is key. But no dedicated, loyal, long-suffering, and competent APC member must be sidelined for opposition members when the issue of public/political appointments comes up”
While congratulating the appointees, Imolehin charged them to add value and justify their choices. “You are all worthy. You have burnt the midnite oil. You have taken bullets. You have worked ceaselessly to stabilise the party so that the government can function well. This appointment by Mr President is not another job for the boys. Go there and make a difference. Make the vision and policy work. Being part of its formulation, you have no excuse for failure. Make the party proud and make Nigerians happy, “Imolehin stressed.
