President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, May 29, at theEagle Square, Abuja, took the oath of office as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima, also took oath of office. Day 1
On May 30, at about 3:30 pm, Tinubu assumed duty at the Presidential Villa. He was given a ceremonial guard of honour immediately he entered the forecourt by the Guards Brigade. On hand to welcome him were Shettima, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, Speaker of the House of Representatives and now Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. James Faleke, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, Mallam Mele Kyari, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, among others.
Immediately after the welcome ceremony, the President went straight to hold meeting with Emefiele and Kyari. The meeting was in respect of his announcement in his inaugural speech that “subsidy is gone”. Though subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, was removed by the Buhari administration, a budgetary provision was made for subsidy payment till end of June. However, Tinubu’s announcement has triggered a rise in goods and services, resurgent of petrol price hike, queues in filing stations as well as untold hardship that has drawn the ire of the Organised Labour. On the same Tuesday, the President hosted the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrashid Bawa, on a day the Department of State Service, DSS, prevented the anti-graft agency from having access to its Ikoyi office in Lagos but, in a proactive move, Tinubu directed the DSS to vacate the office immediately and advised the two agencies to resolve their differences amicably.
Day 2
On his second day in office, the President received Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) in his office. Present at the occasion were Gbajabiamila; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Alhaji Ibrahim Masari and Faleke. Later in the day, he held a bilateral meeting with the Special Envoy of Chinese President, Peng Qinghua, who is also the Vice Chairperson, Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, People’s Republic of China. At the meeting, the Chinese President XI Jinping pledged increased economic cooperation with Nigeria, saying the country is important to Africa and the world.
Day 3
On his third day, being Thursday, Tinubu met with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, who led the Service Chiefs, security and intelligence heads on a maiden security briefing. At the meeting, the President told the military top brass to work in synergy to ensure that they deal with the elements threatening the peace and unity of the country and causing economic sabotage. He told them to bring their blue print as soon as possible as he was ready to rejig the security architecture of the country.
He also met again with the Chairman of the EFCC and later, on Thursday, the President met with the leadership of the National Assembly where issues of the leadership of the 10th Senate and House of Representatives were reportedly discussed. He also received the All Progressives Congress, APC, “anointed” candidates, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
Day 4
Tinubu, on Friday, met with the Progressive Governors Forum at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa. The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors were led by their new Chairman and governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
It was also on the fourth day in office that the President unveiled his Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, his Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, and Deputy Chief of Staff.
At about 4:20 pm on Friday, former governors of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and Delta, James Ibori, accompanied by the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, arrived at the Presidential Villa and proceeded straight to the President’s office. Also at the Villa was the Secretary of the APC, Iyiola Omisore.
Greeting slangs
Since Tinubu assumed office, greeting slangs in the Villa has changed from ‘Ranka Yadade’ and ‘Salam Alaikum’ to ‘Ekaaro’, ‘Ekaasan’, ‘Ekaale’, even as dressing code is gradually changing from Babaringa to Buba and Sokoto with Fila to match and in some instances Agbada.
Most of the early callers to the State House and Tinubu’s aides are from the South-West. In his first week, the parking arrangement at the President’s Office has changed maybe because Tinubu comes everyday from his residence, and yet to relocate to the Presidential Villa. (Vanguard)
