Ibrahim Gambari resumes as Buhari’s new Chief of Staff (read his comprehensive bio-data)
By Ismaila Chafe
Abuja, May 13, 2020
Professor Ibrahim Gambari has, Wednesday, resumed work as the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, formally presented the former Minister of Foreign Affairs to members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during the maiden virtual meeting of the FEC at the Presidential Villa, Abuja..
Gambari, who was Buhari’s Foreign Minister and confidant as military Head of State in the 1980s, replaced Malam Abba Kyari, who died last month of COVID-19.
NAN reports that at the meeting a minute silence was observed in honour of three former ministers, namely; Richard Akinjide from Oyo State, Halilu Alhassan (Sokoto) and Paul Wanpana (Adamawa) as well as Malam Abba Kyari, the former Chief of Staff to the President, who died recently.
Gambari, an Ilorin prince, served as minister of External Affairs between 1984 and 1985.
NAN reports that President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and about seven ministers were physically present at the Council Chamber for the maiden virtual meeting of the Council.
The Ministers present include that of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Others at the Council Chamber were the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo as well as the National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Mungonu, while other ministers participated in the meeting directly from their respective offices.
Bio-data of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari
Professor Ibrahim A. Gambari, CFR, OCORT, a scholar-diplomat, is the Founder/Chairman of the Board of Directors of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, a non-governmental think-tank on research, policy studies, advocacy and training on the nexus between conflict prevention and resolution, democratisation and development in Africa.
He has had an illustrious career, spanning academia, government and international diplomacy, culminating in his appointment as the first United Nations Under-Secretary General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Africa (1999-2005). He was the Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid (1990-1994) and on Peace-Keeping Operations (1990—1999). He was Head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (2005-2007) and also operated as UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Cyprus, Zimbabwe and Myanmar and Special Representative in Angola.
Earlier, he was Minister of External Affairs (1984-1985) and subsequently Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations (1990-1999). Professor Gambari also served as Joint AU/UN Special Representative in Darfur and Head of UNAMID (2010-2012). He is currently a Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Persons of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
Professor Gambari attended the Provincial (now Government) Secondary School, Ilorin before proceeding to the Floreat Collegium Kings College, Lagos. He received his BSc (Econs) degree from the London School of Economics (1968) and his MA and PhD in Political Science/International Relations (1970, 1974) from Columbia University, USA. He has taught at universities in the Unites States, Nigeria and Singapore and has to his credit the authorship of a number of books.
He has received several academic and national honours, including the “Commander of Federal Republic of Nigeria” (CFR), and the “Order of the Champion of the Oliver R. Tambo” (OCORT) of South Africa. He is the Pioneer Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Ilorin, Nigeria, as well as the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Bayero University, Kano (BUK). He is married with children and grandchildren.
