In a statement that Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, issued on his behalf, Tinubu said the day will be another important milestone in his life as a leader and a statesman.

He said, in deference to the challenging times, he would not host any birthday events and does not want any of his associates and numerous well-wishers across the country to organise any celebratory event on his behalf or in his name.

“During an auspicious occasion as this, it is customary for family members, friends and associates to celebrate him in different ways.

“President Tinubu appreciates the honour of being the leader of Africa’s leading nation at this time and he is working very hard to make life better for the generality of our people.

“According to him, because of the present mood of the nation, the recent killing of the officers and men of our Army and Police in Delta State, and the recent spate of security breaches by criminal elements in different parts of Nigeria, there should be no form of birthday event and no placing of birthday goodwill advertorial messages in newspapers. Goodwill messages should not be placed on radio and television stations either.

“President Tinubu enjoins friends and associates who may wish to place goodwill advertorials to kindly donate the money to charity organisations of their choice in his name. Although the President appreciates the gallantry of our armed forces in freeing our children kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State, and Sokoto State, he will use the opportunity of his birthday to reflect and re-dedicate himself to the task of building a more stable, more secure, virile, prosperous, and united Nigeria.”

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He described Asiwaju Tinubu, who turns 71 on Wednesday, March 29 as a “visionary, consistent, loyal and enigmatic master strategist” whose democratic credentials are scholarly materials for study in political economy.

Governor Sanwo-Olu in a congratulatory message issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, said Nigeria is blessed to have Tinubu as her next democratically elected president from May 29, given his intellect, development-focused and detribalised disposition towards governance.

Governor Sanwo-Olu added that not many leaders in contemporary Nigeria are as detribalised as Asiwaju Tinubu, saying his heart accommodates every section of the country.

He noted that Asiwaju Tinubu’s large heart, accommodating and listening nature endeared him to millions of Nigerians who filed out to vote for him in the February 25 presidential poll.

He said: “On behalf of my darling wife, Ibijoke, and the good people of Lagos State, as well as leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I wish the nation’s President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, happy 71st birthday.

“At 71, Asiwaju has attained the age, that what matters most is the legacy to bequeath to people after him and God has blessed him with a great opportunity to take the mantle of leadership of Nigeria, and chart the right path of progress for the people of Nigeria.

“Asiwaju Tinubu has donated the greater part of his adult life for service to humanity, Lagos State and Nigeria. His many contributions to democracy and good governance have helped the political and democratic trajectory of Nigeria since 1999. It is also on record that he stood firmly on the side of the Nigerian people, even at the risk of losing his life and personal belongings during the dark days of the military junta.

“He fought tirelessly with other progressives and pro-democracy activists during the annulment of the June 12 struggle to end the military interregnum and enthroned democracy, which we all enjoy today.

“In the political history of Nigeria, Asiwaju will forever be a reference point. He has made and redefined the socio-political history of Nigeria by contributing his quota to the survival of democracy and uninterrupted civilian administration in Nigeria for 24 years. His emergence as President-Elect is a reward for his hard work and contributions to the country based on his political astuteness, courage, and sagacity.

“As he is celebrating 71st birthday, we wish him all the love and care in the world and pray that God will give him wisdom, knowledge, sound health and good things that he will use to steer the ship of the country and navigate Nigeria’s development to the desired place as he becomes Nigeria’s President from May 29, 2023.”

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President Muhammadu Buhari has celebrated the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his 71st birthday.

The President, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, acknowledged the experience and achievements of Tinubu over the years, through which he has contributed to the development of the country in private and public sectors.

Buhari, who joined the family, friends and associates the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to celebrate him, also prayed for his well being as well as that of his family.

“President Muhammadu Buhari rejoices with National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) and President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he clocks 71, March 29, 2023, with history beckoning to lead the country from May 29th.

“The President joins members of the President-Elect’s family, especially his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, business partners and political associates in celebrating the remarkable age, heralded with many years of experience and achievements in the private and public sectors, which prepared him for the historic win on February 25, 2023.

“President Buhari believes Asiwaju’s warmth, friendliness and generosity has set the pace for a network of friends, home and abroad, that will shape his presidency with requisite expertise to guide the economy, and consolidate on the investments of past leaders, particularly in people-first development and infrastructure.

“As the President-Elect prepares to take over mantle of leadership at 71, the President affirms that his political pedigree from the 90’s, active role in party politics, being elected Senator and later Governor of Lagos State, and diligent involvement in structure of leadership at the Executive and Legislative levels for many years, will serve as asset for good and effective governance.

“President Buhari prays for the wellbeing of Asiwaju and his family,” the statement reads.

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The President observes Onyekwere’s sense of pride, warmth, and kindness as she cares for patients both domestically and overseas over a long period of time, inspiring many young people to pursue careers in medicine.

President Buhari applauds the former model for taking on the task of showcasing Nigerian culture in apparel, food, and music in various countries around the world, particularly in the United States, and for her versatility in the tourism and hospitality industries.

The nurse is urged to continue flying the Nigerian flag as the President offers prayers for her and her family’s well.

The post President Buhari Celebrates Role Model Nurse Ugochi Onyekwere’s 50th birthday appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Many have read and watched events marking Lagos at 50 and two years of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the saddle, so they are aware of what he has done in the area of Social Development and Security, Infrastructure, Economic Development and Sustainable Environment.

I, however, owe it a duty to let the public know certain qualities which make him thick and propel him into changing the face of Lagos from a mega city to a smart city in just two years. Ambode is not a run-of-the-mill politician, but a thoroughbred professional who has an undying passion for the job. His daily itinerary shows he is more than prepared for the job and the result is what we are witnessing in Lagos today.

As James Allen More noted, “work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results”. This is an apt description of Ambode, a workaholic. I wonder many times where he gets the strength.

He hardly sleeps and so are his aides who he can call at any time of the day and night for an urgent assignment, especially when he embarks on inspection of projects, ensuring security agents are alive to their duties or/and ensuring the streetlights, one of his signature achievements, are on.

Ambode moves about most nights to certain parts of Lagos and whatever black spot he discovers is addressed almost immediately. So once everybody knows that the Governor will personally monitor, they do their bits as diligently as practicable. All the projects he has executed so far are products of a well thought out idea though he invites others to make inputs.

His day starts at as early as 6am when he usually wakes having stayed up working till about 3am and sometimes, he may have just returned from inspection of projects around the city. He usually flips through online editions of the newspapers and then the print editions, before setting out to act on matters concerning citizens of the state.

What worried the governor most in his early days in office was the traffic gridlock especially, on Third Mainland Bridge, (inward Lagos in the morning), and Apapa road. This usually takes him out to personally assess the situation and he may not come back to the office until as late as 6pm in the evening. He discovered that the Apapa gridlock was caused by the arbitrary parking of trucks on both sides on the road and the abandoned pedestrian bridge.

The road which belongs to the federal government has been neglected for a long time but just like the way he is addressing other bad spots in the city, the governor had to last year order the State Public Works to move in for a quick fix of the road. And due to his persistent request, approval was recently given by the federal government to the state to reconstruct the much expected Oshodi-expressway to the International Airport.

One day, the Commissioner for Information, Steve Ayorinde and I left the Governor at around 1:00am and we agreed to meet him by 9:30am later same day so that he will go through his speech which he was to use in his address to the state scheduled for 11:00am. To our surprise, the Governor was in the office as early as 6:30am to prepare his speech himself; he only gave it to us to proof read when we got there at 9:30am! Such is the nature of Governor Ambode who has an uncommon passion for the job.

Another hidden side of Governor Ambode is the milk of human kindness running in his blood. He is generous to a fault. You cannot be a staff of Governor Ambode or his wife and be sad except the issue is not brought to their notice! He is somebody who has so demystified governance that things that were hitherto insurmountable become easy.

You need to drive through the Third Mainland Bridge to Ketu/Alapere during rush hours to understand the marvel and the way he thinks. Or do you want to talk about the hundreds of roads that have been fixed; the two flyovers that were completed in record time and the palpable feeling around town that the state is moving in the right direction.

In truth, this milk of human kindness stretches to those in need of any assistance and it’s brought to the notice of the governor or if he saw it himself when glancing through the papers. He would immediately intervene, putting smiles on their faces, but with a stern warning that his identity must not be revealed. I have always been in a difficult position to keep hiding this from those who are hell-bent in expressing their gratitude.

For sure, what has helped Ambode in his current job as governor is his wealth of experience having served in the state civil service for 27 years. A first class material who rose through the ranks and retired as the Accountant General of the state, Ambode has lived in most slum areas of the city, including Ajegunle and he knows most interior parts of Lagos like the back of his hand. This much he used during his campaign in 2015, when he told Lagosians that his experience would work for them. He stunned the people of Ajegunle during an event recently when he mentioned all the roads in Ajegunle and how they interlinked and the ones that should be done urgently and they all agreed with him.

And what has shaped his personality and made him so unassuming is his very humble background which enabled him to know what suffering means. Though many successful people today were also from humble backgrounds and are heartless, Ambode usually says, “the only way I can continue to show gratitude to God for his mercy and favour over me is to assist as many people as possible not as Governor alone but in my personal capacity”. He has indeed kept that promise.

Growing up in Ebute-Metta part of Lagos like any other young lad of that time in the 60s, he imbibed the culture of hard work, diligence and perseverance from his parents. A brilliant and well behaved child, Ambode, early in life discovered that a man’s destiny is in his own hands so he set a goal for himself and he set out to achieve that goal. Today, he is a success story in every way.

An astute administrator and a team leader, Ambode is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management. As this product of the ‘coconut’, ala Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s protégé, celebrates his birthday today, I join other teeming Lagosians to wish him a happy birthday and pray that God grant him more strength and wisdom in his service to the state and our country.​ Amen​.

Aruna is the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ambode

The post Ambode: Celebrating “Product of the Coconut” at 54, by Habib Aruna appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Here, New Mail Online’s lens captured few scenes from the event with family and friends felicitating with President Buhari for your delight.

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