Executive Governor Tag is a Banana Peel, Says SGF

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGG), Boss Mustapha, has described the appellation “Executive Governor”, commonly used in Nigeria as unconstitutional and a banana peel.

He also said he would prefer to be addressed as simply as the SGF without the prefix of “Your Excellency.”

He made the omments wednesday at the handover ceremony between him and the acting SGF, Dr. Habitat Lawal.

He likened some of the nomenclatures which the Nigerian public uses to glorify office holders to banana peels that
“I will make a passionate appeal. I don’t know where you people get this ‘Your Excellency’ from. Some of the nomenclatures are banana peels. I often hear people say ‘Executive Governor,’ I say look at the constitution, there is nothing like executive governor. It is Governor of a state,” Mustapha said.

According to him, when political office holders begin to apply executive tag, they invariably begin to softly conceptualise the people to take absolute authority.
He said he should be addressed simply as SGF.

Mustapha promised to be fair and equitable to all the workers of the OSGF without prejudice and relate to them on the skills they can bring to the running of the office.

The former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways (NIWA) said President Muhammadu Buhari has soft and compassion for the ordinary people of the country who have been pauperised for long, saying that it was time to end the vicious cycle that has pauperised people.

“I don’t claim any superior experience or skills, other than the grace of God,” he said.

Lawal who occupied the SGF post in acting capacity for six months, has reverted to her position as Permanent Secretary, Ecological Fund Office.