President Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to extend federal government appointments to individuals he trusts, with his latest selection being Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, who currently serves as the Lagos State Head of Service (HoS). Muri-Okunola, who previously served as Tinubu’s Personal Assistant during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, has been appointed as the President’s Principal Private Secretary (PPS).
Reliable sources within the presidency have confirmed that Muri-Okunola has already received his letter of appointment. His official duties in the nation’s capital will commence upon President Tinubu’s return from the United States General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The appointment of Muri-Okunola as PPS has been finalized, and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been briefed on the matter. Muri-Okunola, regarded not only as one of the ‘Tinubu Boys’ but also as an insider in the Tinubu political machinery, was personally endorsed by the influential figure of Lagos politics to become the State’s top civil servant.
Hakeem Muri-Okunola holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Lagos State University (LASU) and a Master’s degree in International Business Law from the Queen Mary & Westfield College, University of London. He joined the Lagos Civil Service in 2001 as Tinubu’s Personal Assistant and was later appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Land Use and Allocation Committee in 2005. In 2011, he was promoted to the position of Permanent Secretary and eventually became the Head of Service (HoS) in December 2018.
This appointment marks the latest addition to a string of key positions filled by President Tinubu from his inner circle since his inauguration on May 29, 2023, in Abuja. With Muri-Okunola’s vast experience and close ties to the President, it remains to be seen how this development will impact the administration’s policies and governance.
