FORMER UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has commended the appointment of Prof Ibrahim Gambari as new Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ki-Moon, in a letter of congratulations addressed to Prof Gambari, dated May 18, 2020, described the appointment as a great asset to Nigeria and Africa, ‘in a broader sense.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu disclosed this on Tuesday and stated that the former UN Scribe, sent his congratulatory letter from his base in Seoul, South Korea’s capital.
Shehu also said Ki-Moon in the letter expressed willingness to meeting his former colleague at the UN again, and wished the accomplished Gambari success on his new assignment.
“I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your recent appointment as Chief of Staff to H.E. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.
“Your appointment is a great asset not to the President of Nigeria but also your country Nigeria and Africa in a broader sense.
“I am confident that your invaluable experience gained while serving the UN, with various important leadership roles, will help your leadership in addressing these challenging times caused by COVID-19.
“I shared this good news with the former Minister Yoo Chong-ha, your good friend and former Foreign Minister of Korea. He sends his warmest congratulations to you”, Ki-Moon said.
Ki-moon, a South Korean politician and diplomat served as the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 2007 to December 2016. Before becoming the Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations.
Similarly, UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has also expressed delight with the appointment of Prof Gambari as the Chief of Staff to the President.
The High Commissioner said the Mission looks forward to working closely with the Chief of Staff on ”our shared agenda in the challenging COVID-19 times”.