For Ajuri, like Betta, Greed goes before fall

The real reason Ajuri Ngelale resigned from his plum job as President Tinubu’s spokesperson yesterday is that he was about to be sacked.

Ajuri, the 37 year old newsman, like Betta Edu, the former minister of Humanitarian Affairs, simply ate more than he could chew. But unlike his other youngster peer, Ajuri realised he had fallen out of favour of friends and foe alike and he took his own poison.

Facts emerging from the Villa indicate that it was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. George Akume that pressed the button that ignited the storm against Mr. Ngelale.

It all started when Ajuri began to create offices and making himself the head like: Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen, Nigeria’s first green industrial zone, as well as  Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic solutions, which is chaired by President Tinubu.

This move, apart from the SGF, angered many others, especially technocrats in the climate change movement who felt that Ajuri did not have what it takes to productively steer these engagements.

This turned out to be Mr. Ngelale’s second major and last battle after the first, when he leveraged on his chubby relations with Deji Tinubu, the son of the president and Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Tinubu to clinch the job of Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, initially penciled down for Mr. Dele Alake.

From the above incidents it can be said that, amongst other factors, two elements that hastened Mr. Ngelale’s fall from power were inexperience and greed. Upon ascendancy, Ngelale was found not to be a whiz kid in information management after all.

Some examples include when, in September 2023, he made an incorrect announcement, claiming that Tinubu was the first African president to ring the Nasdaq closing bell.

Another instance was when he declared, rather prematurely that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government had decided to remove Nigeria’s prohibition on visas. The outcry from the media each time was especially embarrassing for the government.

Ajuri simply didn’t fit the part as a topnotch professional to occupy the coveted office. As someone remarked, “Some of his press statements were simply childish,” referring to Ngelale’s social media post in which he claimed to have shattered the State House record for the most statements made in a single day. This happened on July 13, 2024.

The end for Mr.Ajuri Ngelale, presidency revealed, came recently when he was asked to chose between special adviser to the president on media and publicity and special presidential envoy on climate action/ chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.

Expectedly, he chose the former. This was however, declined as he was told that if he must continue function in that role then he must work under guidance of an experienced media master.

From thence, Mr. Ngelale knew that the die had been caste and his job had gone. He had to resign.

The lesson for Mr. Ngelale and others in powerful positions is to be mindful of the toes they step on. When you step on too many toes or ‘certain’ toes, you may loose your balance and fall.