By Emeka Amaefula
AJURI NGELALE ‘RESIGNS’, GOES ON INDEFINITE LEAVE OF ABSENCE
The ‘resignation’ on Friday 6th of September, 2024 of Chief Ajuri Ngalele from the executive cabinet of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been received with mixed reaction from Nigerians. Chief Ajuri Ngelale the Eleme Rivers state born son of Chief Precious Ngelale former Minister of Water Resources later re-assigned Minister of Commerce under President Olusegun Obasanjo 1999 to 2007 actually took a lot of Nigerians by surprise, as this is the first time a Nigerian politician will resign from office citing family matters as reason for leaving a plum juicy public office many are dying to obtain.
Going through the high profile of chief Ajuri Ngelale indicates that he was born on 13th of November 1986 in Platteville, Wisconsin United States of America to a Nigerian father Chief Precious Osaro Ngelale who got married to Mrs Diane Ngelale a German-American citizen. His mother served as Social welfare Officer in Rivers state under late Governor Melford Okilo –(1979-1983) as the then Governor of Old Rivers state Nigeria. While his father Chief Precious Ngelale, a trained Geologist was elected into Rivers state House of Assembly in the botched 3rd Republic in 1983 which was terminated by the December 31st Military Coup d’etat of Head of state General Muhammadu Buhari. With the bleak future staring his father Chief Precious Ngelale he fled to the United States of America in 1985 as Ajuri Ngelale was born the following year in Wisconsin. He returned to Nigeria in 1999 where he was part of the nascent democratic movement led by Peoples Democratic Party-PDP as a member of the then Governor of Rivers state Dr. Peter Odili, he was nominated as Federal Minister of Water Resources 1999 to 2002 and later Minister of Commerce in 2002 -2007under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ajuri Ngelale earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History from University of Kansas United States of America, USA later he acquired a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies from Cornell University USA. He returned to Nigeria in 2011 for his mandatory National Youth Service Scheme NYSC where he did his Primary assignment with African Independent Television-AIT. He resigned from AIT in 2016 to join Channels Tv as he was among the Co-anchor of the SUNRISE DAILY. In 2019 he resigned from Channels Tv to become Media Content Producer for All Progressives Congress-APC’s Next level Presidential Campaign Re-election of Muhammadu Buhari. Given the victory of the then President Buhari, he was appointed as the Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs until 2023. Before then in 2022 he was appointed as Co-Principal Spokesperson of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Organization which was victorious and on 31st of July 2023 he was appointed Official Spokesman of President Tinubu’s Federal executive cabinet Government.
In May 2024 he was appointed by President Tinubu as first Special Presidential Envoy on CLIMATE ACTION for the Federal republic of Nigeria. Ajuri Ngelale was appointed Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen Nigeria’s first green Industrial zone and as Secretary of the Presidential Committee on CLIMATE ACTION and GREEN ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS which is chaired by President Tinubu.
Surprisingly on the mid-afternoon of Friday 6th of September, 2024 Chief Ajuri Ngelale submitted a Memo to Femi Gbajabiamila the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, informing him about his decision to embark on indefinite leave of absence from his office. On Saturday 7th of September, 2024 the Office of the President announced Ajuri Ngelali’s resignation citing his nuclear family’s health challenge.
He wrote “On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate nuclear family. While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonising decision-entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President, Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen-was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.
“I look forward to returning to full time national service when time, healing and fate permit. I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and me during this time.”
Before his resignation from official duties, Chief Ajuri Ngelali was estimated to be worth more than $400,000.00 United States of American Dollars.
—–Emeka Amaefula——+24(0)8111813069———
Deep!