Unic Press UK: Given the concerns expressed by some Nigerians when the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, directed the newly appointed Ministers’ to liaise with his Chief of Staff, the presidency has clarified the president’s charge, explaining some of the roles of the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, who is seen by many to be one of the most powerful political office holders in the Buhari administration.
In a press statement Saturday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu, said:
“… the role and responsibilities of the Chief of Staff and the method of communication and arranging scheduling between Cabinet members and the President are, in Nigeria, based on the U.S. model, where the same system operates … That role is to act as the head of the presidential administration at Aso Rock; to be an adviser to the President on any and all matters; to be the line manager for all staff at Aso Rock; and to manage appointments and scheduling for the President. In the traditional presidential system, it is a primary function of a Chief of Staff, which may vary according to the needs and desires of each President, to supervise key State House Staff, control access to the office and the person of the President, manage communications and information flow and this includes that which binds the relationship with the two other arms of government… When President Buhari explained to ministers that they would be expected to communicate with him and arrange scheduling to meet with him primarily via the Chief of Staff, he did so as many of the Buhari II Cabinet ministerial appointments are new appointments and cannot therefore be expected to know how matters of liaising with the President operate.”
It was during his closing speech at the presidential retreat for the top government functionaries, including the newly appointed ministers and presidential aides, that President Buhari said:
“In terms of coordination, kindly ensure that all submissions for my attention or meeting requests be channelled through the Chief of Staff, while all Federal Executive Council matters be coordinated through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”
Full text of President Muhammadu Buhari closing speech at the presidential retreat for the top government functionaries held in Abuja on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.
Protocols
After two days, we have come to the end of a successful retreat.
However, you will agree that our work is just beginning.
These last two days have been very instructive for me personally, because I have had the opportunity to know many of you new ministers-designate better. I was also pleased to see that you have all equally enjoyed debating and deliberating on the various challenges before us over the next four years.
Ladies and gentlemen, majority of our people are poor and are anxiously hoping for a better life. A Nigeria in which they do not have to worry about what they will eat, where they will live or if they can afford to pay for their children’s education or healthcare.
Our responsibility as leaders of this great country is to meet these basic needs for our people. As I mentioned yesterday, this dministration inherited many challenges from our predecessors to mention a few:
A country in which 18 local governments in the Northeast were under the control of Boko Haram; Decayed infrastructure in which our rail lines and roads had severely deteriorated; A rent-seeking economy that depended largely on oil revenues and imports; Significant unpaid pensions, subsidy debts, legacy contractor debts. I
can go on and on.
In our first term, we laid the foundation to rebuild our country. We recaptured those 18 Local Governments previously held by Boko Haram, whose activities are now limited to sporadic attacks against soft targets.
Our investments in road and rail infrastructure are without precedent, and many of you can attest to this. We also focused on diversifying the economy from oil towards agriculture and industrialisation.
Despite reduced revenues from oil and gas compared to past governments, we have broadly addressed many of the legacy debts they left behind.
Whilst we have obvious successes to celebrate, the cdays.
Nevertheless, from the quality of the deliberations, it is clear that solutions to our problems are well researched and have been well articulated.
We have discussed solutions relating to addressing insecurity; macroeconomic stability; agriculture and food security; energy security for petroleum products and electricity; transportation and critical infrastructure; industrialisation and SME development; human
capital development; social inclusion; anti-corruption; housing financing and consumer credit.
Public service is not easy work, and at times it can be thankless. I am, therefore, charging you all to see this opportunity to serve as an honour, to give your best to deliver on this mandate, for a more prosperous Nigeria, not for some, but for all Nigerians.
You will find that working collaboratively and purposefully will enable us to achieve quicker results, recognising that four years is not a very long time.
For the new ministers, make sure you engage and benefit from the experience of the older ministers and former governors in the cabinet.
In terms of coordination, kindly ensure that all submissions for my attention or meeting requests be channelled through the Chief of Staff, while all Federal Executive Council matters be coordinated through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
I would like to thank the Office of the SGF for coordinating this successful Presidential Retreat. I would also like to thank the National Assembly leadership, the party chairman, chairman of the Governors’ Forum, and resource firms, for the active engagements and
contributions.
Once again, the challenges that lie ahead of us as a country are significant. But I have no doubt in your individual capacities and our collective patriotic commitment to deliver a better Nigeria for us, our children and a brighter future for all.
Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
