NASIR Ja’oji, Senior Special Assistant to the President, has set off a governance debate after creating two DG roles and naming five media aides under his office.
According to an official appointment letter seen by News Point Nigeria, Ja’oji named Ibrahim Farouk as Director-General on Political Matters and Ahmad Saleh as Director-General on Media and Digital Communication.
He further expanded his office with five additional appointees:
Muhammad Sabiu Adam – Special Assistant (Media)
Abbas Uba – Technical Assistant (Media)
Mustapha Yusuf Waziri – Media Aide I
Usman Shuaibu – Media Aide II
Safiyanu Mohammed Yunusa – Media Aide III
Ja’oji defended the appointments, insisting they were based on “integrity, an excellent record of performance, and hard work.”
The move has triggered a heated debate among policy watchers and citizens, as “Director-General” positions are traditionally senior to SSA roles in Nigeria’s administrative hierarchy.
A source at the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) office told News Point Nigeria that the creation of such positions within the office of an SSA could lead to bureaucratic confusion and even contravene established public service protocol.
According to the source: “By hierarchy, an SSA cannot technically have DGs under him. This raises questions about reporting lines, remuneration, and the legality of these appointments. It is unusual and could set a bad precedent.”
The development has also generated massive reactions online.
Popular commentator @DejiAdesogan wrote on X: “SSA to President is also appointing someone as Director Generals under his own office. Btw SSA and DG, which one is even superior? SSA is even using the coat of arms on his official letterhead. Jokes apart, Oga COS and SGF need to caution some appointees of FGN.”
Another user, @IU_Wakilii, added: “What’s with President Tinubu’s appointments? The SSA to the President has a Coat of Arms on his office letterhead and is even appointing a Director General for Political Matters, a whole DG! This SSA clearly thinks he’s the President of Nigeria!”
Ja’oji, who took over from Rinsola Abiola in August after she was promoted to head the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), is not new to political mobilisation.
He previously served as Special Adviser on Mobilisation to former Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. Since assuming office at the Presidency, he has made a string of appointments aimed at restructuring and expanding the reach of his department.
As of press time, neither the Chief of Staff to the President nor the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has issued a statement clarifying whether the appointments received official approval.
But an official in the govt told this newspaper that the Presidency will nullify the appointments in the coming days to avoid further controversy.