The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, has tasked chief executives of federal parastatals to take the Tinubu administration’s reforms to the grassroots.
He said this would counter what he called “disinformation” about the government’s economic policies.
Akume spoke on Friday in Abuja, when he received a delegation of the Forum of Chief Executive Officers of Federal Parastatals led by its Convener and Chairman, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji, who is also Director-General of the National Board for Technology Incubation. At the meeting, the forum made the SGF its Grand Patron.
The SGF was represented by Mrs. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens, Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office in the OSGF. In the speech delivered for him, Akume said the forum’s goal of mobilising 10 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was achievable. He pointed to the structures the group has on the ground and to “mathematical projections.”
“In your various domains where your power is operative, ensure that people become aware of these achievements. Push this message down to the grassroots, because one thing I’ve observed in the policy right now is a lot of disinformation,” he said.
“This reform policy is not meant to imprison or impoverish Nigerians, and that is the narrative that has been spread down to the grassroots. Push this message to help promote the image of this administration.”
He praised the forum for promoting the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda inside their agencies. He also promised that the Office of the SGF, would give the group all the institutional support it needs to meet its goals. He urged the forum’s leaders to keep up the momentum, set up a formal structure for working with the OSGF, and keep in regular contact so its objectives can be tracked.
Forum restates 10 million-vote target
Raji said the title was given to Akume in recognition of his leadership and his role in coordinating the work of government under the current administration.
He repeated the forum’s pledge to mobilise 10 million votes for Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general election. He said this would be done through “lawful, ethical, peaceful, and issue-based grassroots engagement,” using the professional and community networks of federal agencies across the country.
Also Read: SGF Akume lists Tinubu’s achievements ahead Independence Day celebration
According to Raji, one of the forum’s main aims is to close the communication gap between government policy and the public. He said the achievements, reforms and measurable results of the Tinubu administration must be documented and explained to Nigerians “with absolute fidelity to facts.”
Dr. Chidiebere John Ezeamama, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, asked the forum to act as a communication network with the OSGF so that agencies’ achievements reach the office in real time for documentation. He called for a central digital platform to share information, coordinate the agencies’ participation and track their development milestones.
Open DeclarationÂ
Friday’s meeting comes about two weeks after the forum publicly declared its support for Tinubu’s second-term bid. In a statement on September 9 from Biodun Ajiboye, chairman of its media and publicity committee, the group said its more than 400 CEOs and senior leaders have networks in all 36 states, the FCT, local government areas and communities.
It said these networks would be used for ward-level mobilisation, and that it was ready to work with the Presidential Campaign Council and other campaign structures.
“We are not merely observers of government; we are practical actors in the implementation of government policies and programmes,” the statement said.
In late August, Raji, speaking as the forum’s convener, also urged Nigerians to back Tinubu’s re-election. He argued that the country needs continuity and stability to complete long-term infrastructure projects.
The involvement of serving public officials in campaigns has become a subject of debate ahead of the polls. Critics have questioned the naming of heads of agencies, including Nigeria Revenue Service chief Zacch Adedeji and NIMC DG Dr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, to roles in the President’s campaign council.
Nigeria’s Public Service Rules bar civil servants from holding office in political parties or campaign organisations. Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 says state apparatus must not be used to the advantage or disadvantage of any party or candidate.
On the other hand, Section 40 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of association, and the Supreme Court held in INEC v. Balarabe Musa (2003) that civil servants cannot be barred from joining political parties. Punch
The Tinubu administration’s reforms include removing the petrol subsidy, unifying the exchange rate and overhauling the tax system. Critics blame them for high living costs. The government says they are needed for long-term economic stability.
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