Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, has appointed one of her daughters, Violet Osunde, as a special assistant in her office.
Until her appointment in November, Mrs Osunde was a senior executive assistant with the National Databank Management Department of the National Pension Commission.
Osunde, a 2010 graduate of Business Management and Information Technology from the University of Plymouth, England, also holds a Master’s certificate in Information System Management from Brunel University, London. She joined the National Pension’s Commission in 2016.
She was informed of her selection by Mrs Tallen through a letter dated November 14, 2019, by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ifeoma Anagbogu, through the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics Department.
“As you are aware of Honourable Minister’s itinerary for the coming week, you are expected to travel with her and accompany her to various sessions, therefore you are directed to formally request for release from your organisation to serve as special assistant to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs,” a part of the letter read.
In response to the letter, Osunde applied for a four-year leave of absence via a letter dated November 15 through the head of the databank management department to the National Pension Commission’s head of human capital management department.
“I wish to inform management that I have been appointed as the special assistant to the honourable minister of women affairs. Consequently, I wish to humbly request to be granted leave of absence for a period of four years effective December 1, 2019, to December 1, 2023, to enable me carry out my duties as required under the ministry of women affairs.
“Accordingly, if approved, to ensure all tasks assigned are completed as expected, I will make certain that all assignments are duly concluded and handed over appropriately before my departure,” the letter read.
Tallen, an ally of First Lady Aisha Buhari, had in 2016 rejected an ambassadorial appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former Plateau State deputy governor rejected it for the sake of fairness to other parts of her home state.
“I hail from the same local government and tribe with Governor Simon Lalong. I turned down the nomination because of balancing of appointments. I don’t think it is right for me to accept the appointment,” she said.
She also cited her husband’s poor health as reason for the rejection.
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tallen served as minister of state for science and technology under former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003.
She was elected Plateau deputy governor in 2007 on the platform of the then ruling party.
Tallen left in 2010 to contest the governorship on the platform of the Labour Party in 2011 but lost to incumbent Governor Jonah Jang.
She returned to the PDP in 2012, leaving again in 2015 for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
