Ngelale: We call Tinubu ‘president no sleep’, he’s a workaholic

Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, has once again described President Bola Tinubu as a “workaholic” leader who works round the clock to fix the country.

Ngelale spoke on Friday during an interview on Business Global, a Channels Television programme and paid tributes to Tinubu as he marked his 72 birthday.

“The man is a workaholic, which is why some of us in the office joke, we call him ‘President no sleep’ because those of us who work with him also don’t get to sleep as a result,” the president’s aide said.

“I think Nigerians recognise even from his time in Lagos that this is a man who will wake up at odd hours touring roads, touring various projects making sure the civil servants are in the office on time.

“I mean this is a hands-on micromanager who is antsy when he’s not working. He needs to be working, his hands need to be working, he sleeps late, and he wakes up extremely early. This is who Nigerians have elected.”

Ngelale also described Tinubu as a “good listener” who is always willing to hear people out during interactions.

“I think one of the things that maybe most Nigerians would not know about him, having had the opportunity of working closely with him, is that he’s probably the best listener I’ve ever seen in terms of my interactions with leaders,” he said.

“This man would listen to you speak, even if it is 30 minutes, and would read out what you’ve said, but as he’s doing so he will be cross-checking the weaknesses and strengths of your presentation.

“He will tell you ‘this is what I think should be, it can be done better, I like this idea’. I mean this is the detail orientation of the man. He’s very brilliant, he listens, he works hard and ultimately I believe that with the political will that he’s always demonstrated, he is the president that I think will take Nigeria to the destiny all of us have sought for our country.”

Speaking on efforts by the president to get the nation working, the presidential spokesperson said Tinubu is ensuring that there is infrastructure in all sectors.

“Let me start by saying that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari before now had obviously kind of kick-started the process of infrastructural renewal with five new international airports, three new high-speed rail lines in different regions of the country, and of course, the new Lekki Deep seaport. The first new seaport in over 40 years, many roads and bridges, et cetera,” Ngelale said.

“Now, that was a good start, but we recognise that in view of 50 years’ worth of infrastructural deficit, there is so much more that needs to be done, which is why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not just continuing but is picking up the pace with acceleration and a widened scope of infrastructure projects to ensure that we have an infrastructural backbone effectively to support the development of this aggressive push for foreign direct investment that he’s been making around the world since assuming office.

“To be very specific, we are going to be fixated on multiple sectors of the economy with new infrastructure projects.

“You’re going to be looking at new power plants. You’re going to be looking at several new dams across the country.

“You’re going to be looking at new irrigation systems so that we can have our farmers producing high yields and high quality of high yields, you know, across all seasons of the year, which had not been obtainable for many, many decades now in many arid parts of the country.

“In addition to that, the president is leveraging the new Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund to also Egypt or South Africa or Kenya or any other competitive country in the African continent.

“We’re going to ensure that we position Nigeria through this fund to deal with, you know, those enabling bits of infrastructure that will ultimately make life easier for our business people, make life easier for our citizens, and facilitate the movement of goods, services and people in such a way that we can unlock the economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.”