…As FG says it cannot disclose cost of Buhari’s medical trip
The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday set up a committee to interface with the legislative arm of government to mediate and resolve outstanding issues between the two arms of government.
This is even as the government insisted that it will not disclose the expenses incurred on President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent medical trip in the United Kingdom.
The committee which was constituted during the weekly council meeting presided over by President Buhari, will be chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and consists of ministers who were former senators, former members of the house of representatives, the presidential liaison officer to the senate, Ita Enang and another ministers who has personal relationships with the senators.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the FEC meeting, the minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, said the executive was concerned about the frosty relationship between the two arms of government.
“In any democracy, it is a continuous struggle for balancing between the Executive and the Legislature because each of them are creatures of the law.
“We must strive at all times to ensure that there is that balance, amity and smooth relationship.
“Just today at the Federal Executive Council meeting, the issue was discussed and a committee is already working on ensuring that we resolve all these outstanding issues” he said.
The face-off between the Executive and Legislative arms of government took a turn for the worse when the later did not confirm the appointment of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu. The senate had expected the President to immediately replace Magu which he is still yet to do. The
senate had in return refused to screen the president’s nominees for Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent Electoral Commission.
Meanwhile, the information minister who was responding to questions on the declaration of the cost of President Buhari’s medical trip, said inspite of public pressure the government would not disclose the information. According to him even the freedom of information act is silent on matters that may threaten national security.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (SERAP) amongst others had asked the President and the Federal Government to disclose how much was spent on Buhari’s 50 days medical vacation in the United Kingdom.
However in response the information minister said “This matter (the President’s medical bill) has come several times and our position on the matter is quite straight forward.
“What are the President’s conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms of his well-being and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility for these.
“We believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also for moral issues. I don’t know why we must divulge such very sensitive information.
“I might be wrong but I don’t have experience else where that the President of any country will be ill and be forced to disclose how much the state has spent on his health.
“Yes, there is Freedom of Information Act but it is also carved in such a way that when such information is likely to endanger national security, I think it is an area that is not covered”.
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