From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Northern Ethnic Group Assembly (NEYGA) has defended the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, against claim that he got part of the N3 billion meant for the COVID-19 palliative fund for verification of the national social register.
A leaked memo, dated December 18, 2023 from Gbajabiamila’s office which revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved N3 billion, had sparked outrage in the country.
NEYGA’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Dan-Musa, in a statement, yesterday, accused those he called ‘detractors’ of engineering his removal from office.
According to him, the latest memo that came out was just an attempt by some persons within and outside the Presidential Villa to tie Gbajabiamila to the Betta Edu investigation.
He advised the plotters to desist from engineering campaign of calumny against Gbajabiamila, whom he said had served eight years as speaker of the House of Representatives without scandal.
“To say Gbaja is an authority in law and a professor in government procedures is not an overstatement.
“It is clear some people are still seeking the downfall of one of the best brains in President Tinubu’s administration, but they have failed.
“Someone who managed 360 elected representatives of Federal House of Representatives for a solid four years without a blemish will not fall for a peanut. Detractors do not understand the quality and value of Gbajabiamila.
“The chief of staff has crossed the bridge before it collapsed, so what they are pursuing is emptiness the second day after the market day.
“We, the concerned citizens for good governance, will soon expose all of you behind the evils you planned.
“It is now an open secret that you want the government of President Tinubu to fail by trying to pull down the pillars of support behind him.
“Whether you are a Christian or Muslim, whatever you sow, you shall reap. We will go after all of you and expose you to the world.
“The current chief of staff has not faced 20 per cent of the attacks one of his predecessors, Abba Kyari, got over wrong allegations. President Tinubu’s verdict on his chief of staff’s integrity is known to the public,” NEYGA said in the statement.