Buhari directs Osinbajo to seek approval for agencies under him

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to henceforth seek presidential approvals for agencies under his supervision.

Under the laws setting up the agencies, the president is empowered to give final approvals for agencies under the Osibanjo, but findings shows that the provisions were not followed during the president first term.

Sources revealed that the directive to follow due process was issued via a presidential memo on Monday.

Buhari had also recently told the new ministers to submit any request meant for him to his Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari and all executive matters to the Secretary to the government of the federation, SGF, Mustapha Boss.

Currently, Osinbajo is the chairman of the governing boards of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Boundary Commission (NBC) and the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).

He is also the chairman of the board of directors of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), a limited liability company owned by the three tiers of government.

In addition, the vice-president chairs the National Economic Council (NEC), a constitutional body made up of state governors and key federal government officials, as well as the National Council on Privatisation (NCP).

With the new memo, the vice-president will now have to seek approvals for contract awards, annual reports, annual accounts, power to borrow, and power to make regulations, among other key functions.

On Monday, Buhari appointed and Economic Advisory Council (EAC) and disbanded the Economic Management Team led by Osinbajo.

Buhari had appointed Osinbajo chairman of EMT during his first term, although the position was held by ministers of finance under previous administrations.

There are unconfirmed reports that NEMA and National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) will now be moved from the office of the VP to the newly created ministry of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, headed by Sadiya Umar Farouq.

By law, the vice-president is the chairman of NEMA, NBC and BCDA but the acts also state that presidential approvals are needed for some key decisions and actions.

Also sections 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 24 of the NEMA Act provide that “funding, expenditure, contract awards and regulations” must receive presidential approval.

Sections 24, 25, 27, 28 and 33 of the NBC Act empower the president to direct on annual reports, annual accounts, power to borrow and power to invest.

Under the BCDA law, the president also has similar powers.

Reacting to the development, the Publicity Secretary of pan-Yoruba socio political group Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said he was not surprised by President Buhari’s actions, stressing that recent events had given the indication.

“The handwriting is clear on the wall; events in the last 24 hours have shown that, but whether Osibanjo is alert enough to see the handwriting is another thing,” he said.

Also, constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said President Muhammadu Buhari will soon render Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Bola Tinubu in his administration, impotent in the coming days.

Ozekhome added that the battle for the heart and soul of the 2023 presidential election has already begun, stressing that President Buhari will also make them feel accommodated in APC and ultimately discard them.

“One thing I want to assure Nigerians is that going by the trajectory of President Buhari’s persona, the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, and the Tinubu group will be rendered more and more impotent un-accommodated, and discarded.

“The battle for the heart and soul of 2023 has already earnestly begun. Read my lips,” Ozekhome said.

Iniobong Iwok with agency report