The Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson to the president, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, has proceeded on an indefinite leave of absence.
In a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, Ngelale said the decision is to "attend to pressing medical matters affecting his immediate family."
Ngelale revealed that he submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff on Friday, informing of his decision to pause his functions, including his roles as Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen.
"On Friday, I submitted a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family.
"While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision -- entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen -- was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.
"I look forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit.
"I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time," he said.
Ngelale was, on August 1, 2023, appointed as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
His appointment according to a statement from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, took effect on July 31, 2023, and will terminate at the end of this administration unless otherwise decided by the President.
To add to his role, Tinubu, on May 19, 2024, appointed Ngelale as the first Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action and was also appointed chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen and Secretary of the Presidential Committee on Climate Action and Green Economic Solutions.
Ngelale was born on November 13, 1986, in Platteville, Wisconsin, United States, to a Nigerian father of Eleme origin in Rivers State, Precious Ngelale and a German-American mother, Diane Ngelale.
His father was the Minister of State for Water Resources under the Olusegun Obasanjo Civilian administration.
He is a Nigerian broadcast journalist and has served as a senior reporter and presenter at Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television.
He previously served as the Senior Special Adviser on Public Affairs to President Muhammadu Buhari between 2019 and 2023 and was a co-principal spokesperson of the Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 presidential election.
Meanwhile former Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani, while reacting to the development on his X handle said "Ajuri can now rest well, sleep well, eat well, switch off his phone and even add some weight.”
