Some aides of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo said to have been sacked by the Presidency have said they have not been sacked.
They spoke in separate interviews with our correspondents on Thursday.
Daily Trust online had on Thursday published a list of some persons said to have been affected by the sacking.
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Punch correspondents reached out to some of those listed to ascertain if they had been officially informed about the development.
The Special Assistant to the VP on Innovation, Ifeoluwa Adedayo, claimed that he had not received any letter, saying that although he had read about the development in the media, he resumed for work at the Presidential Villa.
When told that there were reports that the access tags of some of them were withdrawn, making it impossible for them to enter the Presidential Villa again, he quickly told our correspondent that he would call back.
He had yet to get back as of the time of filing this report.
The Senior Special Assistant on National Boundary Commission, Tola Asekun, in a separate interview asked our correspondent not to believe the reports of their sacking, but he also hurriedly ended the call.
The telephone line of the Senior Special Assistant, Political, Gambo Manzo, also kept indicating that it was busy when our correspondent tried to reach him.
Also, one of the aides of Osinbajo on National Economy, Ms Yosola Akinbi, said she was not sacked.
Akinbi said she was upset with the barage of calls from her family members and friends seeking to know the truth about her job .
When asked whether she was either redeployed or relieved of her appointment, Akinbi through a WhatApp chat with one of our correspondents, denied the report.
She wrote, “Lol.Capital NO. I am in Ekiti State on a Human Capital Mission.”
When she was asked for an interview, Akinbi said, “I am sure you know that I am a private person. Just love to do my work.”
Akinbi who later spoke with our correspondent on the telephone said, “I know my office will clarify. I am not on that list. I am not even SSA NEC. I am sure they will clarify it. Nothing (laughs).”
When asked about her position in the government, Akinbi said ,“I work in the National Economy (office), but that is not my title, that is not my portfolio. I don’t want to talk about it. Let the office clarify it.”
Others on the list as reported by Daily Trust online include Jibola Ajayi (SA, Legal); Lanre Osinbona (SSA, ICT); Imeh Okon (SSA, Infrastructure); Jide Awolowo (SA, Oil and Gas) and Lilian Idiaghe (SA, Research, Legal and Compliance).
Others are Bala Mohammed (SSA Economy); Edobor Iyamu (SSA, Niger Delta); Dolapo Bright (SSA, Agro Allied Value Chain); Toyosi Onaolapo (SA, Community Engagement); and Bisi Ogungbemi (SA, Political Matters), among others.
The Presidency has, however, asked Nigerians to disregard the list, saying it is not genuine.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, stated this is a message he posted on his Twitterhandle.
“A list circulating in the media on the so-called sacked presidential aides is not genuine and ought to be ignored,” he tweeted on Thursday night. Punch news
