By Kunle Sanni –
The Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed that Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, did not inform him about her wedding despite their close relationship.
Gbajabiamila made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking at a colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of Bala Usman. He said the event was meant to celebrate a life defined by purpose, courage and dedication to public service under the Tinubu administration.
In a light-hearted remark that drew laughter from attendees, the Chief of Staff noted that although he and Bala Usman share a close personal bond and regularly confide in each other, she kept her wedding plans private.
“One thing about Hadiza is that we’re very close and we tell each other everything,” Gbajabiamila said. “But one thing she didn’t tell me was that she was getting married.”
He added that Bala Usman had even spent Christmas Day with him at his Lagos residence, where they sat and ate together, without any mention of the forthcoming wedding.
Gbajabiamila noted that when Usman transitioned fully into government at the state and national levels, she introduced structure to governance and clarity in priorities.
He recalled how the presidential aide eventually enforced reforms in one of Nigeria’s most strategic and complex agencies, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), thereby raising the standard of leadership and service within the agency.
