Jonathan warns Buhari against running parallel govt, says I’m still in charge
Jonathan warns Buhari against running
parallel govt, says I’m still in charge
The Federal Government on Wednesday
warned the President-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari, against 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, issued the warning at
the end of the weekly Federal Executive
Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
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.
Buhari inaugurated a 19-member
committee with a charge to members not
to engage in a witch-hunt.
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 be specific on some of the
terms of reference of the incoming
government’s transition committee that
the outgoing government felt
uncomfortable with, Sulaiman simply told
journalists to go and do their
investigation.
He also warned that Jonathan’s
“magnanimity should not be taken as a
sign of cowardice.”
Sulaiman added that Jonathan 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.”
