Cheers For Gambari As Fafowora Insists He Is Anti-South

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

Congratulatory messages have greeted the appointment of Ibrahim Gambari as the new Chief of Staff of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Prof. Ibrahim was Buhari’s minister of External Affairs, during the military regime, and was appointed to replace the late Abba Kyari, who died of COVID-19 complications in April 17.

However, a notable exception to the congratulatory messages was the affirmation by erstwhile Deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dapo Fafowora who followed up his claim that Gambaari is subtle and more dangerous than Kyari with another allegation of tribalism. He accused him of causing the retirement of many southerners from the diplomatic service when he was minister of external affairs in Buhari’s outing as military head of state.

Ibrahim, a retired diplomat, is Fulani from Ilorin, Kwara State.

Among those who hailed his appointment on Wednesday was the former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar.

“Congratulations Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, CFR on your appointment as Chief of Staff to @MBuhari. It is my hope and expectation and those of millions of Nigerians that you will deploy your varied skills garnered over the years in the service of our nation,” Atiku posted on his Twitter handle.

Also, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has congratulated Professor Gambari, noting that his wealth of experience will bring immense experience to the responsibility of the Federal Government.

Obaseki, in a statement, said, “We pray the Almighty Allah to guide and protect Professor Gambari on this delicate national assignment and to not stop his blessings and protection for President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration continues to impact positively in the lives of the masses.

Coming from his home state, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said Gambari’s appointment is well-deserved due to his “unblemished” records.

Abdulrashaq, in a statement, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, congratulated the new presidential aide and his family.

“The appointment is clearly fit for purpose and is deserving for our own Professor Gambari whose record of service as a diplomat and global statesman is unblemished.

“We pray the Almighty Allah to guide and protect Professor Gambari on this delicate national assignment and to not stop his blessings and protection for President Muhammadu Buhari whose administration continues to impact positively in the lives of the masses,” he said.

Former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani congratulated the new CoS, while advising him to get boxing gloves and involve in prayers.

“Congratulations to my friend Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Now  you need more of Boxing gloves and prayers than face masks and hand gloves,” he tweeted.

Former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki has also congratulated the new Chief of Staff to the president.

However, Fafowora had taken a dig at the appointment while giving what he called as his personal experience with Fafowora saying in a note that Gambari backstabbed him after he opened the way for him to make his first appearance at the United Nations in 1981.

“He sent President Shagari a secret and private note that while he was at the UN he observed that I had not been attending the meeting of Islamic states at the UN. President Shagari sent the note to Prof Audu who forwarded it to me in New York. He didn’t even ask me for any comments on Gambari’s secret memo as Prof Audu fully understood that Nigeria had traditionally not been attending meetings of the Islamic states as we were not then a member of the Group.

“Gambari asked for a private meeting with President Shagari which Prof Audu advised against. I was shocked that someone I had helped so much turned round to betray me so blatantly. I did not tell him I knew about the secret letter he had sent to the UN. When Shagari was overthrown by Buhari, Gambari became Foreign Minister. When career ambassadors were being suddenly retired I was at first not on the list.

“But Gambari, now FM and Rafindadi, the head of the NSO who had worked under me in London, and was now head of the NSO worked together to secure my retirement. In fact, when I called him from New York to confirm from him news about my retirement he first denied it.

Thereafter, he no longer took my calls.

On Wednesday, Fafowora followed up with an addendum saying thus:

There is something I left out of my long piece on Gambari. Long after Prof Bolaji Akinyemi left office as Foreign Minister I asked him at dinner at the Metropolitan Club whether he had called for my files, including secret files, when he was Foreign Minister, and whether there were any queries issued to me when I was in the Ministry.

He said it was the first thing he did when he resumed duty in the Ministry and that he found nothing negative about me in the three files he looked out. I had asked him about this as I was still mystified by my retirement when I had done nothing wrong.

There were many other Yoruba and Southern officers retired who like me had done nothing wrong.

Now, the result of these capricious and vengeful retirements that took place under the watch of Gambari is that the fine Foreign Service we had, of which we were all proud, was wantonly destroyed.

Gambari played a leading role in this ugly episode. I don’t expect anything better from him as COS.

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