Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle on Monday, clashed with a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency, Dr Baba Hakeem-Ahmed, over loyalty to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The minister said any appointee of the government who was not ready to promote the cause of the government should quit.
The clash between the duo followed the reservations expressed by Hakeem-Ahmed on the reaction of the minister to the statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that the North regretted voting for Tinubu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2023 general election.
In a reaction to the statement on Saturday, the minister had described NEF as constituting a political burden to the North, claiming that the members do not speak for the region.
He said the views expressed by the NEF were ‘reprehensible and naïve,’ just as he claimed that it was preposterous for a group of people seeking political relevance to overburden the system and create political disunity among Nigerians.
Matawalle declared: “The so-called NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute for the group’s personal and selfish gains.
Apparently miffed by the reaction of the minister, Baba Hakeem-Ahmed took to his social media handle X, on Monday, faulting the minister on what he perceived as the scathing criticism of the NEF, describing Matawalle’s action as ill-advised.
In his @baba_hakeem, the presidential adviser and spokesperson of the NEF wrote: “Scathing criticism of NEF by junior minister of defence, Matawalle, is ill-advised. He could have done a better job for this admin if he identified contributions of especially northern ministers and other appointees like me to improving security and reducing poverty in the North.”
In a spontaneous response, however, the minister, in a fresh statement titled: President Tinubu’s appointees from the North must take a stand, on Monday, expressed concern that Hakeem-Ahmed took to his page to express a different position on the NEF controversial statement.
Matawalle said every appointee of the Tinubu administration is duty-bound to promote, explain and advance the good works and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors or should resign.
He warned equivocation by appointees on their support and commitment to the cause of the Tinubu administration.
“As appointees of the government from the North, we must all take a stand, be unequivocal and be counted in the roll of honours for our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving,” the minister stated.
Part of the statement read: “Consequent to my position on the recent attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) by a spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), it has come to my attention that Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed who once served as the Spokesperson of the group and currently a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency took to his page on it to express a different position.
“According to Dr. Baba-Ahmed, my stand against the unjust and spurious attack against the new administration of President Tinubu that is working very hard to reposition our country and economy for better as ‘ill-advised’. He suggested I could have done a better job in my defence of the administration where I have the rare honour to serve as a Minister.
“Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with Northern Elders’ Forum(NEF)is well-known. “The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser and it is incumbent on him to work for the success of the government he is part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and vicious attacks from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat up the polity for myopic reasons
“It is pertinent to state that every appointee of President Tinubu, including Dr Baba-Ahmed, owe the government a copious duty to promote, elucidate and advance the good works and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors.
“As appointees of the government from the North, we must all take a stand, be unequivocal and be counted in the roll of honours for our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving.
“This is not the time to keep quiet in the face of intimidation and misrepresentation of the efforts and achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. We must stand up to be counted for being on the part of government or take our exit.”
The verbal exchange by the two prominent leaders from the North in the Tinubu administration sparked a row in the social media with some for or agianst the minister and vice versa.
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