Presidential Spokesman, Adeniyi Resigns, Heads to Harvard

Written by This Day Thursday, 13 May 2010

Former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi has resigned his position. Adeniyi handed in his resignation letter yesterday. He would proceed to Harvard University, US, where he has been offered a fellowship programme.

Adeniyi met with President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday afternoon to bid him farewell. The Director of Programme, Weatherhead Centre, Harvard University, Dr. Kathleen Molony, had last Tuesday, informed Adeniyi that the school had made him an International Affairs Fellow for the session beginning August 2, 2010 and ending July 31, 2011.

When THISDAY spoke to him on phone last night, he confirmed the news of his resignation.

"Yes, I left the villa this afternoon after meeting President Jonathan and I handed over to Ima Niboro who has been a friend and brother. Incidentally, I had met Dr. Jonathan last week Wednesday, then in his capacity as Acting President, to inform him of the Harvard offer and to formally notify him that I would be leaving government latest by July.

"As it would happen, President Yar'Adua died only a few hours later that same day. Now with the official burial rites completed, I see no need to hang around, so I told the President yesterday to release me and he did. He also congratulated me on the Harvard offer. I'm leaving with joy of having served my boss to the very end because I was at the villa the night he died," Adeniyi stated.

Adeniyi was a practising journalist for more than 14 years before accepting the offer to work with the late Yar'Adua in June 2007.

In April 2004, he was appointed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a member of the Governing Board of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

Adeniyi began his journalism career with The Guardian as a Staff Reporter in December 1990 and left for African Concord as Senior Staff Writer in April 1992. He rose to become Sunday Editor at the Concord and then joined THISDAY as Deputy Editor, Sunday Newspaper, in February 1999.

He became the Editor of the Saturday title of the same paper a year later. He would later become the Editor, Daily, THISDAY before joining the Yar'Adua administration in 2007.

His column then: "The Verdict According to Olusegun Adeniyi", was a must-read for many public officials. His lucid way of writing and tight political analysis won him many fans.

He bagged a Bachelors Degree in International Relations from University of Ife in 1989. In 1998, he got his Masters Degree in International Law and Diplomacy from University of Lagos (UNILAG).

Adeniyi is the author of two books.

Informing him of Harvard's decision, Molony said: "On behalf of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, I am very pleased to invite you to be a Fellow during the academic year 2010-2011.

"You will be appointed as an Officer of the University for the period August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011. As one of approximately 15 Fellows, you will join the Weatherhead Center community of over 200 people. In addition to other Fellows and the Center’s faculty, your colleagues will be the Center’s small permanent staff, visiting scholars, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate students of Harvard.

"I believe that you will find that this is a unique environment offering maximum opportunities for research and discussion of international issues."