As the new President begins team building for the next administration, an advocacy group, the Movement for the Inclusion of Professionals in Governance and Decision-Making, has called on the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to include the Ibadan-born, US-certified, world renowned, international cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Azeez Popoola Adeduntan in his next cabinet.
Rising from its meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the group commended the President-elect for his decision to set up a government of national competence from may 29, 2023.
Below is a full text of the group’s communiqué as signed by the convener, Adesunmibo Aderinsola.
It reads: “1. Today, the Movement for the Inclusion of Professionals in Governance and Decision-making met in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, to review the state of the Nigerian polity.
“2. As the name implies, the Movement for the Inclusion of Professionals in Governance and Decision-making is an association of intellectuals dedicated to the idea of facilitating the inclusion of philosopher-Kings in power through lobbying, advocacy and constructive engagements.
“3. We congratulate the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in particular and all other elected officials in general on their victory at the polls.
“4. We strongly condemn all forms of post-election acrimony and hereby advise all aggrieved parties and candidates to channel their grievances through the courts.
“5. We heartily welcome and support the idea of a government of national competence as propounded by our incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“6. We support, with great excitement, the idea of a government of national competence because it is in tandem with our group’s aims and objectives of identifying competent and capable people for inclusion in governance and decision making. We commend you for your decision to identify the best of brains to serve in your cabinet.
“7. In view of para 5 & 6, we conducted a survey of Nigerians with sterling academic and leadership credentials across the world who can help you in your desire to move Nigeria forward.
“8. During the course of our survey, our group’s searchlight stumbled upon the profile of Ibadan-born, USA-based, renowned international world-class Cardiovascular Surgeon, Dr. Azeez Popoola Adeduntan. He was the overall best student in African Church Grammar School, a Federal Government Scholar, best Medical Student at University of Ife in 1981, best student at the Harvard Medical School for Vascular and General Surgery, Professor of Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He was headhunted by the immediate past Governor of Oyo State, the late Abiola Ajimobi, as Commissioner for Health where he served meritoriously by building enduring institutions like the State Health Insurance Agency, Endowment Fund and also attracted local and international donations to the state’s healthcare sector. The late Ajimobi described him as his best Commissioner while the Odua Newspaper described him as the best Commissioner in the whole of the Southwest. He is equally the Osi Basorun of Ibadanland – deputy traditional prime minister of West Africa’s largest city.
“9. Our group strongly believes that this noble son of Ibadan, who has served locally and internationally without any blemish, is in the league of the likes of Okonjo-Iweala, Akinwumi Adesina and other technocrats whom we believe left indelible footprints on Nigeria before moving on to greater things at international level. Without any doubt, we believe he would be helpful in your efforts to drive the implementation of health sector reforms in Nigeria. Coincidentally, a careful study of his trajectory revealed that he wholeheartedly supported the candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the areas of mobilization/canvassing of voters, strategic media engagements, regular press releases etc ALL from his private pockets.
“10. We remain committed to the indivisibility and indissolubility of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and hereby resolve to transmit this communiqué and the resumé of our nominee to the President-elect for his perusal. “
