Abuja — A disagreement has broken out between the transition committees of
outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan and the President-elect, General Muhammadu
Buhari (retd) as the President accused the Buhari team of acting like a
parallel government and trying to stampede the Jonathan administration out of
office.
Addressing State House
correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting, yesterday, Minister
of National Planning who is also a member of the Jonathan Transition Committee,
Abubakar Suleiman, said the Buhari transition team was making impossible
demands from the government.
Although he did not specify those
demands, he however warned that the President’s magnanimity should not be
construed as cowardice.
Jonathan and Buhari
He said: “We did receive from the
transition committee of the in-coming government, some terms of reference which
we looked at critically and the Federal Executive Council did agree that Dr.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan remains the current President of this country. The
in-coming 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.
“Council frowned at most of the
statements. Council members are advised to work in line with the terms of
reference of the current government.”
Govt cannot be intimidated
According to the minister, after
critically examining the terms of reference of the in-coming government, the
government resolved that all agencies of government must continue their duties
till the end of the regime, adding that government cannot be intimidated.
He said: “This government remains
resolute and committed to the various programmes and projects it’s pursuing and
the government will continue to do that until the morning of May 29.
“While Council enjoined members to
be steadfast, the President also enjoined members to come out with programmes,
projects to be commissioned, that needs to be inspected and that members in
council should work as government. They should also perform their work without
intimidation and that government, especially civil servants, directors,
directors-general should see this government as the current government and not
do anything that will rock the boat so as not to put this country in a bad
light.
Magnanimity should not be taken for
cowardice
“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.”
MDAs have submitted hand-over notes
The minister further revealed that
most agencies of government have submitted their handing over reports, noting
that “as at April 28, almost all the MDAs that were advised to submit briefs,
handing over notes have submitted, and these have been compiled except for one
or two ministries.
“The committee is having on ground
right now two versions of presentations. We have the executive summaries of all
the MDAs hand-over notes and the entire hand-over notes from almost all the
MDAs. The transition process is on course in terms of hand over notes and
briefs; we have covered almost 80 per cent of our assignments.”
Source:Vanguard.com
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