President Muhammadu Buhari’s media team head, Garba Shehu, on Sunday, May 31, 2015 disclosed that the president has not moved to the Presidential Villa, Abuja due to the official residence’s still being prepared for the new president.
According to the Punch newspaper Mr. Shehu says that workers were currently cleaning and refurbishing the President’s official residence:
“As far as the President is concerned, the place (his official residence) is not ready yet.
“Workers are cleaning and refurbishing the place.
“Once the exercise is completed, the President will move in.”
Staff of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, especially security operatives are also currently in a state of limbo as regards the nature of their future work routine. This is due to the failure of President Buhari to relocate to the State House or to appoint key aides, three days after his inauguration.
The President’s schedule and itinerary for the week remain unknown to them.
This is because Mr. Buhari is yet to appoint a Chief of Staff who is officially charged with arranging the President’s day-to-day activities.
A Presidency official, speaking anonymously said, “As we are talking now, we do not know his (the President’s) activities for tomorrow . We cannot plan for his activities. We do not know which groups he will be meeting or how many people he will be meeting.
“It is when we have an idea of those who he will be meeting that we can schedule them regarding allocation of time and venue.
“These would have been easier for us if a Chief of Staff is in place.”
A security source also said the situation was affecting the security department.
He said because they were fully briefed, the inauguration gala night held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa on Friday, May 29, 2015was nearly compromised as people kept trooping in.
The presidential staff are hopeful that by the time Buhari’s Chief Security Officer meets with them on Monday, June 1,2015 there would be a better understand of their new routine.
