The Presidency has announced the disengagement of Fegho John Umunubo, Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Digital and Creative Economy (Office of the Vice President).
In a statement issued on Monday by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information and Public Relations at the State House, Umunubo was relieved of his duties with immediate effect. The announcement emphasized that he no longer represents the administration in any capacity, warning stakeholders and members of the public against engaging him on behalf of the government.
“Anyone who interfaces with him in the name of President Tinubu’s administration does so at his or her own risk,” the statement read, urging both local and international stakeholders in the creative and digital sectors to take note.
The development comes on the heels of public allegations by filmmaker and producer Arese Ugwu, who accused Umunubo of contractual breaches and unprofessional conduct. In a series of widely circulated posts, Ugwu claimed that the aide repeatedly failed to honor agreements, creating doubts about his credibility within the Nigerian creative industry.
Arese Ugwu, producer of The Smart Money Woman and Lara Unlimited, had accused the presidential aide on social media of failing to fulfill a financial agreement, claiming he owed her N10 million in sponsorship. She further alleged that Umunubo used his position to gain influence within the creative industry and boost his personal profile
Respected online newspaper QEDNG had on Tuesday, September 2, reported that Umunubo had been on suspension for over two months amid allegations of abuse of office.
According to the QEDNG report, among the allegations levelled against Umunubo was that he signed agreements on behalf of the Nigerian government without proper authorization.
“It was also reported that Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, petitioned the presidency over Umunubo’s activities, accusing him of interfering in the operations of agencies under her ministry and dangled the $617 million Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises Programme (iDICE) and the N5 billion Creative Fund before members of the creative community to gain influence and burnish his personal image”,
