Minister of State for Defence
Following my position on the recent attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, 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.
Dr. Baba-Ahmed declared that my stand against the unjust attack against the new administration of President Tinubu that is working very hard to reposition our country 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 or affinity with Northern Elders’ Forum is well-known. The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser. Any committed official of the administration has a duty to work for the success of the government he is a part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and undue attack from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat up the polity.
It is more important to state that every appointee of President Tinubu including Dr. Baba-Ahmed owe the government a duty to promote and advance the good work 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 in our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving. This is not the time to dither and waiver. We must stand up to be counted for the government or take our exit.
Bello Matawalle
Minister of State for Defence
April 15, 2024
