TheCable

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the Lagos state head of service, as his principal private secretary.

TheCable had exclusively reported in July that the 51-year-old was in pole position to clinch the job.

The presidency announced the appointment on Sunday evening in a post on the X platform.

“Hakeem Muri Okunola appointed Principal Secretary to President Tinubu,” the post reads.

“An astute administrator, former Personal Assistant to President Bola Tinubu when he was governor of Lagos state, and recently Head of Civil Service of Lagos State, Hakeem Muri Okunola brings over 25 years of experience in law and public service to his new role as Principal Secretary to President Bola Tinubu.”

After serving as his personal assistant, Tinubu appointed him executive secretary of the land use and allocation committee.

He became permanent secretary in 2011 — about 10 years after joining the civil service — and was posted to the Lands Bureau in the Governor’s Office.

He has been head of service since December 2018 when he took over from Folashade Adesoye.

Popularly known as HMO, Hakeem who was 51 in January, is the first son of the late Justice Muritala Okunola.

It is still unclear what his job description as PPS will be since the president already has a chief of staff.

When President Umaru Musa Yar’Adau appointed a PPS in 2007, he abolished the office of chief of staff.

However, President Goodluck Jonathan had a chief of staff in addition to a “principal secretary” without the “private”.

TheCable understands that Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff, may focus more on the political aspects of the president’s engagements while Muri-Okunola may handle the administrative matters.