President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Professor
Ibrahim Gambari, has described some of the characteristics of his principal
which might not be known to others.
According to Gambari, Buhari is someone who rewards loyalty
and who does not ‘use and dump’ his subordinates like regular politicians in
the country.
Gambari said this on Thursday, while responding to eulogies
poured on him by the leadership of the State House and his staff in a reception
organised to mark his 78th birthday in the Presidential Villa.
Gambari recalled how he, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, was
ousted alongside Buhari, then Miitary Head of State, in the military coup of
August 1985; and how he was appointed as the Chief of Staff by the same man
after having won election for the second term as the nation’s President.
The CoS said: “When I came on board, I said my job is simple
– to give loyalty, competence and support and that’s why even when Mr.
President sees me and calls Chief of Staff, I say yes sir; but the emphasis is
on ‘Staff’ not on ‘Chief’ because there is only one Chief and that’s the
President and our duty is to support him loyally and competently.
“When I was offered this job by the President, he brought
out a picture that was taken in June 1985, it was at the OAU Summit. The then
Head of State was sitting in the middle, and his then Chief Press Secretary,
Wada Maida, to his right.
“And he asked, ‘do you remember this picture? I said ‘No
sir, but I remember the ocassion’. He said: ‘well, you were my Foreign
Minister, we were kicked out of government in 1985, 35 years later, I find the
opportunity to bring you back’.
“He said ‘we were interrupted then but I am bringing you
back now to let you continue where we stopped. I thanked him very much and I
said can I have hold of this picture so that I can make a copy? He said no, I
kept mine, go and find yours.
“Three reasons are behind why I put that picture in front of
my office. First, to return to the important point of departure; to show the
kind of person our President is. He doesn’t forget those who have worked with
him, who have served him loyally and in whom he has confidence. Some other
people use and dump, not him.”
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