than three weeks after assumption of office is taking a serious toll
on government businesses, PREMIUM TIMES authoritatively reports.
Apart from naming one protocol official: Lawal Kazaure (State Chief of
Protocol and three media aides: Femi Adesina (Special Adviser, Media
and Publicity), Garba Shehu (Senior Special Assistant, Media and
Publicity), and Laolu Akande (Senior Special Assistant, Media and
Publicity, to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo), Mr. Buhari is yet to make
any other key appointment.
Although the President was elected about three months ago and should
have long decided on key appointees, he claims he is bidding his time
to avoid making mistakes.
However, his delay in filling important government positions,
especially the office of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, is now hurting the smooth running of government
businesses, top officials say.
PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealed that the day to day operations
of the different ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have been
weakened, while coordination of important government policies and
programmes has become a mess.
"The country can ill-afford further delay by the President to make
these vital appointments," a federal permanent secretary said on
Wednesday. "From the presidency to the ministries, departments and
agencies, everything has come to virtual standstill."
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, as he was not authorised
to speak on the issue, said although the President has since received
approval from the Senate to appoint 15 persons as special advisers, he
has only appointed two, and has yet to send his ministerial nominees
to the Senate for confirmation.
Mr. Buhari is also yet to appoint a Secretary to the Government of the
Federation and his Chief of Staff.
"Since the President assumed office on May 29, he has embarked on
series of foreign trips and held several consultative meetings with
various world leaders on a number of important issues bordering on
security and economic development," another official said.
"In the absence of the SGF, there has been no one coordinating and
pushing for implementation of the resolutions, decisions and
agreements from those meetings and visits for government."
The President's spokesperson, Femi Adesina, told PREMIUM TIMES
Wednesday that Mr. Buhari's slow pace was not impacting negatively on
governance in any way.
"Business need not be grounded at MDAs because the permanent
Secretaries and other technocrats are in place to take decisions," Mr.
Adesina said. "It is the prerogative of the President to make the
appointments. He will make them (appointments) at the fullness of
time."
Sources however disagree.
One of them, a permanent secretary, said the SGF is the engine room of
government business and that the delay in making appointment into the
position is doing incalculable damage to the country.
"The government has so far attended the G-7 Summit in Germany and the
meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Commission as well as other diplomatic
shuttles," he said.
"But there is so far no one coordinating resolutions agreed at those
meetings. It is also difficult for key agencies to link up with the
presidency to provide briefings on diplomatic and economic issues."
Although permanent secretaries are acting heads of ministries at this
time, the official said there are limitations to their capacities to
approve policy issues, particularly those bordering on the demands of
the security agencies to prosecute military assignments.
"The permanent secretaries cannot do much," a presidency official
said. "They are looking up to ministers, or in the interim an SGF, who
could give them direction on policy issues. A lot of files are pending
attention, particularly on the economy and budget, which they cannot
handle."
The absence of the SGF and a minister has triggered a crisis at the
Federal Ministry of Labour, as two persons are currently locked in
battle over who is the authentic director general of the National
Productivity Centre, Abuja.
While Faith Robert, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University in
Bayelsa, claim he is the authentic chief executive of the office on
the basis of an appointment letter he received from the former SGF,
Pius Anyim, his rival, Kashim Akor, is armed with a similar letter of
appointment signed by the former Minister of Labour, Joel Ikenya.
Although both nominees claim former President Goodluck Jonathan
approved their appointments, only Mr. Akor was allowed access to the
office to assume duties.
There is a logjam, and relevant officials who could help resolve the
crisis, are not yet in place.
—PremiumTimes
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