As the Friday, May 29, 2015 handover date approaches, feelers from the office of the Presidency claim that President Goodluck Jonathan has voiced his displeasure over certain demands made by President-elect, General Muhammdu Buhari during the inauguration of his transition committee.
General Muhammadu Buhari’s transition committee had demanded for an overview of some goverment agencies which include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Customs and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
It was gathered that the All Progressives Congress will react to Jonathan’s tantrums by today being Thursday, April 30, 2015.
Also, Sulieman Abubakar, Minister for National Planning, briefed the State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting which was presided over by the President of Nigeria vehemently stated that Dr. Jonathan was very much in charge till the scheduled hand over date which is Friday, May 29, 2015.
To this effect, he stated that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) have been directed to follow the terms of reference of the present government and not those of the incoming administration.
He said: “I’m speaking as member and chairman of sub-committee of transition committee. Council discussed the state of the transition programme and as chairman of sub-committee of transition committee, we were asked to update council on the progress report.
“We did receive from in-coming government the transition committee some terms of reference which we looked at critically. And council did agree that the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan remains the current government of this country.
“The incoming government should avoid creating a parallel government while the government is still on. We take exceptions to some utterances, to some of the terms of reference that look as if the current government is being stampeded or intimidated.”
Continuing, he said: “Council frowned at most of the statements, most of the provisions and council members are advised to work in line with the terms of reference of the current government.
“Council members are also told that the terms of reference as formatted by our transition committee should be strictly complied with.
“When the incoming government takes over government they can come out with their programmes, they can come out with their own agenda, they can decide to come out with policies with the way they feel like.
“This government remains resolute to the various programmes and projects it is pursuing and the government will continue to do that until the morning of Friday May 29, 2015”
Abubakar said that the Council also enjoined members to be steadfast and come out with programmes, projects to be commissioned, and those that need to be inspected.
He said: “Government, especially civil servants, directors, directors-general should see this government as the current government and not to do anything that will rock the boat so as not to put this country in a bad light. These are issues before the transition committee, these are are issues that were raised on the transition programme.
“The magnanimity of Mr. President should not be taken to be cowardice and that is why Mr. President and indeed council members enjoined Nigerian people to see the olive branch extended to Nigerians and international community as a way of keeping this country intact, as a way of ensuring peace in Nigeria and, as such, whatever the outcome of the election, what is important is Nigeria’s national interest.
“And that national interest should be protected, enhanced and promoted at whatever level we are. These are issues that bother on transition programme discussed in council.”
But Abubakar noted that the chairman of the incoming transition committee, Mallam Ahmed Joda, had a very robust discussion with the chairman of the transition committee of the current government, Vice President Namadi Sambo, on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.
“They are working together as a family and I want to believe for the good of this country things will work,’ he said
He said that as at Tuesday April 28, 2015 almost all the MDAs that were advised to submit briefs, handing over notes have compiled, except for one or two ministries.
The minister said: “The committee is having on ground right now two versions of presentations; we have the executive summaries of all the MDAs handover notes ýand the entire handover notes from almost all the MDAs.
“The transition process is on course in terms of handover notes and briefs; we have covered almost 80 per cent of our assignments.”
