There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari will not waste any time in going ahead with the plan to effect major changes in the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Buhari is expected to make a national broadcast to Nigerians today by 7a.m. A competent presidency source confirmed to our correspondent at the weekend that the President has returned to the country well prepared to take actions on some critical decisions that were pending during the 104 days of his stay in London, United Kingdom (UK). Buhari handed over power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in acting capacity on May 7 after transmitting letters to the leadership of the National Assembly before proceeding to London on a medical vacation.
The President, who returned on Saturday, immediately went into a closed door meeting with Osinbajo at his official residence at the presidential villa, Abuja. According to the presidency source, one of the first actions that Buhari will carry out, in the coming days, is the rejigging of the cabinet. He is expected to also consider the report of the Presidential Investigative Panel on the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Lawal David Babachir, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Ayodele Oke. “The reports indicted these two officers.
The reports are already with the President and he will, this time, act on them and announce the replacement of these two officers,” the source said. Lawal was suspended for alleged corruption. He was reported to have benefitted from a government contract in the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).
A Senate Committee on Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East accused Lawal of awarding a N200 million grass-cutting contract to a company he had interest in. On his part, Oke had laid claim to $43.4 million the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) found in a luxury Lagos apartment.
Oke claimed the previous administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan approved the money for the NIA’s covert operations. An aide to the President, who prefers not to be quoted, told New Telegraph that the President will also effect major changes in the cabinet very soon. According to the source, the changes in the cabinet would have been made by Osinbajo, but Buhari directed for a stay of action until he returns to the country.
Buhari had, in March, nominated Professor Stephen Ocheni (Kogi State) to replace Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, who died last year in a car accident, and Suleiman Hassan (Gombe) to replace Ms. Amina Mohammed who left the cabinet to join the United Nations (UN) as deputy Secretary General. They were confirmed by the Senate on 3rd May. “Remember that this was what delayed the assigning of portfolios to the two new ministers.
Now that the President is back, himself and the Vice President will put heads together and make the changes,” he added.The two ministers were assigned portfolios last Wednesday by the
