By Kolawole Ojebisi
President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, who has now been redesignated as Special Adviser, Policy Communication, Mr Daniel Bwala has said he has utmost respect for Mr Bayo Onanuga, who is Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
According to Bwala, he would work with Onanuga without ruffling feathers. Bwala noted that his appointment is a call for service.
The presidential aide spoke on Monday while answering questions on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.
While eulogizing Onanuga, Bwala said: “Bayo Onanuga is an elder statesman. He’s a very brilliant journalist who has had his records. We are happy he’s leading us as a leader,” he said.
“I’m happy for him to lead. I haven’t been told, but I’m happy for him to lead. Because he’s an elder, I will respect him.
“And he has his own record. He has served Nigeria well. He has a proven record as a journalist.
“I can never be drawn into a position where I will rub shoulders (sic) with him. I doff my cap for him.
“My own is, if he says ‘go and carry that table,’ I will just do so; that’s my job. It’s not about title.”
Bwala had also maintained that he has taken over the role of Ajuri Ngelale, the former presidential spokesperson.
Ngelale, who was special adviser on media and publicity to the president, vacated the position in September.
The former media aide to the president had said he would be embarking on an “indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters” affecting his immediate, nuclear family.
Given this development , there has been some ambiguity over roles and responsibilities amongst the President ‘s media aides.
The speculations were further reinforced by Bwala’s post on his official X account, on Monday, where he referred to himself as the “presidential spokesperson”.
However, president Tinubu had on Monday night cleared the air in a statement issued, clarifying that there’s no spokesperson in his administration as Bwala’s designation is special adviser on policy communication.
