Osinbajo’s Ex-Aide Queries President Tinubu Over Duplication Of Ministers’ Roles

Laolu Akande, former media aide to ex-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has queried President Bola Tinubu over the duplication of roles of some ministers.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, on Friday, Akande said there is a need for the President to make the clarification on some job description to avoid duplication of roles.

He said Tinubu should clarify which ministry is in charge of Innovation, following the appointment of Bosun Tijani as the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Uche Nnaji as the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Akande asked the president to avoid a repeat of the mistake made under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari when two ministries assumed that innovation was under their purview.

He said:  “An important thing we may have to look at is, if you look at the list of the ministries, there are two important questions the federal government has to answer; I think the president has to answer this,” he said.

“Number one, where is innovation? We have the minister of science, technology and innovation, and we also have the minister of communication, innovation and digital economy, which has to be sorted out.

“I think it is important for the president to clarify where innovation is.”

Akande added that there is also ambiguity around the roles of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare.

“Is social welfare what we used to have under social development, which was in humanitarian affairs but is no longer there?

“So, that has been changed from humanitarian affairs, social welfare and disaster management to humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, but social welfare is now taken to health.

“Now, is social welfare the same thing as social development?” he asked.