The Federal Government has warned the President-elect, Muhammadu 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?
“That is not the way to do things; the incoming administration needs to get a true picture of things.”
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