Buhari, against utterances and actions capable of portraying him as
running a parallel government at a time President Goodluck Jonathan is
still fully in charge.
The Minister of National Planning, Abubakar Sulaiman, disclosed this
at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on
Wednesday.
Sulaiman told State House correspondents that FEC considered the state
of the transition programme and took exception to some utterances and
terms of reference of the committee set up by Buhari.
The President-elect inaugurated a 19-member committee with a charge
to members not to engage in a witch-hunt or fault finding.
One of the assignments of the Buhari transition committee is to review
and make preliminary assessment of the balance sheet of the Federal
Government with particular emphasis on the status of assets and
liabilities; cash flow position and the quantum of domestic and
external debts.
But Sulaiman, who is the chairman of the Technical Subcommittee of the
outgoing government's transition committee, said such utterances by
Buhari and his team were suggestive that the current government was
either being stampeded or intimidated.
He said, "We did receive from the incoming government's transition
committee some terms of reference which we looked at critically and
council did agree that the President remains the current head of
government of this country.
"The incoming government should avoid creating a parallel government
while the government is still on.
"We take exception to some utterances and some of the terms of
reference that look as if the current government is being stampeded or
intimidated.
"Council frowned on most of the statements, most of the provocations
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 and
they can decide to come out with policies in the way they feel like.
"This government remains resolute to the various programmes and
projects it is pursuing and it will continue to do that until the
morning of May 29."
When asked to mention some of the terms of reference of the incoming
government's transition committee that the outgoing government felt
uncomfortable with, Sulaiman asked journalists to go and do their
investigation.
He warned that Jonathan's "magnanimity should not be taken as a sign
of cowardice."
The minister said the President and the council members "enjoined
Nigerians to see the olive branch extended to Nigerians and the
international community as a way of keeping this country intact and as
a way of ensuring peace in Nigeria.
"As such, whatever the outcome of the elections, 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 bordered on transition programme discussed in council."
He said while the council enjoined its members to be steadfast,
Jonathan also asked them to come out with projects to be inaugurated.
He added that the President asked government officials to continue to
perform their duties without fear and intimidation.
The minister further quoted Jonathan as saying that civil servants
should see his government as the current government and avoid doing
anything capable of rocking the boat.
Sulaiman disclosed that Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who heads
Jonathan's transition committee had a robust discussion with the
chairman of the Buhari's transition committee, Ahmed Joda, on Tuesday.
He also said that as of Tuesday, almost all the Ministries,
Departments and Agencies that were directed to submit briefs and hand-
over notes to the Sambo-led committee had complied, except for one or
two ministries.
The minister said the committee was currently in possession of the
executive summaries of all the MDAs handover notes and 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," he
said.
Nothing wrong with our terms of reference
A member of the Buhari transition committee, Lai Mohammed, however
dismissed the allegations of sinister motive in the terms of
reference.
Mohammed expressed surprise at the turn of events, saying, "What did
they expect us to do? Did they expect us to take the handover notes
without asking questions?
--PUNCH
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