**Date:** September 6, 2023
Nigeria’s Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, appointed by President Bola Tinubu, has been flown abroad for urgent medical treatment. It has been revealed that Akume, a former Benue State governor, is currently in Germany for medical care and has been in the European country for five days.
Sources close to the presidency confirmed this development, indicating that Akume, who is 69 years old, had not been handling official assignments recently. In his absence, he has been represented by officials on various occasions.
On Tuesday, during a graduation event for participants of the National Defence College (NDC) Course 31 in Abuja, Akume was represented by Permanent Secretary, Special Services, OSGF, Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi. Shinkafi delivered a lecture on Akume’s behalf, emphasizing the importance of political and economic stability in Africa, particularly Nigeria, to gain investor confidence for sustainable regional development.
Senator George Akume previously served as the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023. Prior to that, he represented Benue North-West Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate from 2007 to 2019 and held the position of Minority Leader of the Senate from June 2011 to June 2015.
