Gov. Ambode Removes Super Big Boy, Hakeem Muri-Okunola From Plum Job

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode may not have named his Commissioners yet but the new man at the helm of affairs in the Lagos, the Centre of Excellence is proving that he is truly in charge in the state.
Ambode has booted out some untouchable civil servants, while moving others around in the last couple of months; the latest such attack on the status quo is the redeployment of Super Permanent Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola from Ministry of Lands to Youths and Sports.
It is interesting because no one saw it coming. HMO as Muri-Okunola is popularly called is considered an untouchable. The letter, which arrived late last week, shook the Ministry to its very foundations.
We have it on good authority that the easy-going, fun-loving gentleman has been replaced by someone Alausa sources calls HMO’s pal, Mr. Bode Agoro who was the erstwhile Director of Planning in the same ministry.
We gathered that the Ministry of Lands has been tension soaked since the letter of redeployment became public. A lot of audit work is currently going on in the Ministry and staffers have been ordered to be on standby.
Many allege that HMO is one of the most influential persons within the Lagos, Alausa Secretariat and his name was even bandied as a possible successor to immediate past governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN.
Apart from being the man at the helm of an influential Ministry like Lands, his closeness to the former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an open secret. Therefore, his word on certain matters was law.
HMO’s rise in the Lagos Civil service was rapid, from being a Special Assistant to former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the son of influential Judge, Justice Muritala Aremu Okunola who died in 2004, was quickly moved to Executive Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, and then upgraded to Permanent Secretary.
Sources within the government circle confirmed that this is just the beginning of some radical steps the ‘action governor’ plans to take in the state of aquatic splendor.’