Kwara : Jumoke Gafar ‘In The Eye Of The Storm’ As Groups Disagree On Having Her Reappointed To Key Govt House Position

Hajia Olajumoke Monsurat Gafar, who served as Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Principal Private Secretary (PPS) from  February  2020  to May  2023,  is right in the eye of the storm.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq took the oath of office for his second term on May  29 , 2023, and  apart from  forming his cabinet, those who are not cabinet members have also been appointed to key government positions.

The governor had begun his second term by breaking with tradition, rather than announcing his Chief of Staff , Secretary to the State Government and the Chief Press Secretary, only Mr. Rafiu Ajakaye was reappointed as Chief Press Secretary.

The break with the past continued with the governor surprising many by not keeping the former Commissioner for Finance, Hon Florence Oyeyemi in government.

Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed served as Commissioner for Finance under Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the few months he was made to spend outside the Ministry of Finance was at the Ministry of Economic Planning .

For the eight years that Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed served as governor of Kwara state, Hon Ademola Banu was the Commissioner for Finance.

In a daring move that seems to say, ‘no cause for concern’  , the former Commissioner for Finance , Hon Florence Oyeyemi was neither reappointed nor reassigned to another ministry.

Two former powerful commissioners ; Dr Raji Razaq and Hon Rotimi Sulaiman also failed to cross from first term to second term.

 The Principal Private Secretary was a highly influential role during the first term of the governor and Hajia Jumoke Gafar,  who held the position in question , occupied a unique role at the nexus of politics and governance ,she  must have therefore stepped on toes  and while some may have covertly taken steps to convince the governor not to reappoint her,  some among those seeking to stop her from getting reappointed have decided to come into the open.

Jumoke’s father, Alhaji Shehu Gafar , the Danmadami of  Ilorin, is an illustrious  indigene of Ilorin . He  was at the different times  the Chairman of Kwara state Fiscal Responsibility Commission and Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

Alhaji Gafar’s daughter, who is Jumoke’s full sibling, is also the wife of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi SAN.

 Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Jumoke was introduced to the governor by his elder brother , Dr Alimi AbdulRazaq.

  A political support group, the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Legacy Frontier in a statement issued on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Rotimi Adebowale,  urged the governor not to reappoint Jumoke while accusing her of abuse of office and also raising corruption allegations.

No instance was however cited while evidence was not also provided but the group has asked the governor not to reappoint Jumoke arguing that doing this will further ‘cement his anti-corruption credentials’.

Sources told Team@orientactualmags.com that  those seeking to clip Jumoke’s wings  had a reason to rev up  such efforts following the governor’s failure to announce his Chief of Staff when Alhaji Mahe Abdulqadri was appointed as SSG a few days ago.

A rumour  was promoted that she may actually be the governor’s candidate for the vacant position. They had apparently concluded that ‘a stitch in time saves nine’.

 A group , the Kwara Transparency Group, has however come to her defence submitting that its  investigation has helped to ‘uncover’ those promoting the anti-Jumoke campaign. The KTG has called    them ‘sore losers’  in the new Kwara, where capacity, integrity, credibility, and inclusivity are the strong foundations upon which consideration for appointments is built.

‘These people, who are using lackeys to attack the former PPS, are desperate in their quest for political appointments and would go to any length to achieve their calumnious ambition.

For the purpose of emphasis, Miss Gafar is an accomplished lawyer whose experiences and credible exposures transcend the shores of this country, and she was only invited home to contribute her quota to the development of Kwara state.

We are aware that those behind the write-up are envious of Miss Gafar’s towering achievements in supporting the building of a new Kwara with a positive image in the last four years. It is clear that our performing governor is the real target of the smear campaign.

The masquerading cowards are only using a failed smokescreen approach’ the group submitted in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Habeeb Ahmed while asking them to send petitions to the Anti-graft agencies if they have any-Team@orientactualmags.com
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