Nigerian Pilot - There were indication weekend that President Muhammad Buhari is under pressure from the foreig community to sack his Aviation minist and former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi following his indictment for corruption by the Justic George Omeregi-led Rivers State Judiciary Commission of Inquiry, set up to investigate the sale of state assets and the consequent Whitepaper issued by th state government. On a related note, the federal administration was said to be uncomfortable with unpleasant report about the disposition of the curre Secretary to the Government of th Federation, SGF, Lawal Babachir and the President’s Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abb Kyari. The President is reportedl disposed to easing them out of office.
The president is said to be under intens pressure to drop allegedly corrupt appointees from his cabinet to successfully prosecute his administration’s anti-graft war.
A Western diplomat who confided in Nigerian Pilot disclosed that “there is no increased and general confidence in the president’s ability to prosecute his administration’s anti-gra war. He added that, “about five seni diplomats have had reason to pass similar observations to the presidency after the Rivers state government Whitepaper that indicted your minister Aviation, Amaechi over alleged corruption during his years as governor.”
“If I can recall very vividly, they told the president that until people like Amaechi in his government are excused from government to defend the telling allegations against him, the corruption fight will not be taken seriously,” he further said.
The declaration by the diplomats he said was buoyed by a letter written by Governor Nyesom Wike to foreig missions and Embassies detailing findings and related documentary evidences including the government Whitepaper of the Justice Georg Omeregi commission probe report on the state’s finances during the Amaechi years as governor.
Rivers state’s Commissioner of Housing Emma Okah, who spoke on behalf of the State Government, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt last year on the foregoing report had disclosed that the state’s Attorney-General had been mandated to start all legal processe against Amaechi; a former military administrator of Rivers State, Brigadi Anthony Ukpo (Rtd) and some other former political office holders to refund over N97 billion allegedly misappropriate in the sale of the state’s valued assets.
According to investigations by Nigeria Pilot, alleged indictment by some foreig consultants contracted by Buhari to assess his administration six month after assuming office.
“The president being a leader desirous returning Nigeria to the path of sanity an prosperity contracted the consultant recommended by former Preside Olusegun Obasanjo. But the president gave them his own terms of reference which were not envisaged by his earlier understanding with Obasanjo,” said on foreign diplomat who was privy to th matter.
He said that the report concluded that the Buhari administration was better off when the President was working with permanent secretaries adding that he should have retained some of the “good and patriotic hands among them” instead of the almost clean sweep that sent all them away leaving a wide vacuum in positive governance. “They were effectiv either because they understood the workings of government very well give their experiences or they dreaded an tendency to act outside the directives President Buhari,” he added.
The source continued: “the president contracted a firm from the U.S. to asses the performance of his government an officials. The result is far from complimentary in respect to some officials, number one of which is the SG Engr. Lawal.
“The SGF’s supervisory role over the MDAs was also brought to question in the report; but it is surprising that the president has allowed him to stay this long after that report. I am aware too that somebody is being considered for the position,” the source confided.
One of the instances mentioned in the consultant’s report is the sacking heads of MDAs recently whereby other political appointees in such MDAs were left out of the action.
Said the source, “some departments an agencies’ staffers have expressed the worry that executive directors were left in office while chief executives of some agencies have
been sacked by the present regime.
“The aggrieved staff argued the executive directors ought to have gone with the chief executives since they are all political appointees, stressing that th executive directors could not be excuse from any impropriety that may hav happened in such departments an agencies.
“The affected staff appealed to th president to as a matter of urgency sac the executive directors and probe the time in office.”
He said the case of the Chief of Staff i not different as his effectiveness as the bridge between the president and his aides alongside other federal, states an foreign governments’ officials has long been in doubt.
Put together, the source alleged that the ineffectiveness of the duo have contributed largely to the steep nose-dive of government in the past months.
The two presidency officials were appointed last October by Buhair.
The president is said to be under intens pressure to drop allegedly corrupt appointees from his cabinet to successfully prosecute his administration’s anti-graft war.
A Western diplomat who confided in Nigerian Pilot disclosed that “there is no increased and general confidence in the president’s ability to prosecute his administration’s anti-gra war. He added that, “about five seni diplomats have had reason to pass similar observations to the presidency after the Rivers state government Whitepaper that indicted your minister Aviation, Amaechi over alleged corruption during his years as governor.”
“If I can recall very vividly, they told the president that until people like Amaechi in his government are excused from government to defend the telling allegations against him, the corruption fight will not be taken seriously,” he further said.
The declaration by the diplomats he said was buoyed by a letter written by Governor Nyesom Wike to foreig missions and Embassies detailing findings and related documentary evidences including the government Whitepaper of the Justice Georg Omeregi commission probe report on the state’s finances during the Amaechi years as governor.
Rivers state’s Commissioner of Housing Emma Okah, who spoke on behalf of the State Government, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt last year on the foregoing report had disclosed that the state’s Attorney-General had been mandated to start all legal processe against Amaechi; a former military administrator of Rivers State, Brigadi Anthony Ukpo (Rtd) and some other former political office holders to refund over N97 billion allegedly misappropriate in the sale of the state’s valued assets.
According to investigations by Nigeria Pilot, alleged indictment by some foreig consultants contracted by Buhari to assess his administration six month after assuming office.
“The president being a leader desirous returning Nigeria to the path of sanity an prosperity contracted the consultant recommended by former Preside Olusegun Obasanjo. But the president gave them his own terms of reference which were not envisaged by his earlier understanding with Obasanjo,” said on foreign diplomat who was privy to th matter.
He said that the report concluded that the Buhari administration was better off when the President was working with permanent secretaries adding that he should have retained some of the “good and patriotic hands among them” instead of the almost clean sweep that sent all them away leaving a wide vacuum in positive governance. “They were effectiv either because they understood the workings of government very well give their experiences or they dreaded an tendency to act outside the directives President Buhari,” he added.
The source continued: “the president contracted a firm from the U.S. to asses the performance of his government an officials. The result is far from complimentary in respect to some officials, number one of which is the SG Engr. Lawal.
“The SGF’s supervisory role over the MDAs was also brought to question in the report; but it is surprising that the president has allowed him to stay this long after that report. I am aware too that somebody is being considered for the position,” the source confided.
One of the instances mentioned in the consultant’s report is the sacking heads of MDAs recently whereby other political appointees in such MDAs were left out of the action.
Said the source, “some departments an agencies’ staffers have expressed the worry that executive directors were left in office while chief executives of some agencies have
“The aggrieved staff argued the executive directors ought to have gone with the chief executives since they are all political appointees, stressing that th executive directors could not be excuse from any impropriety that may hav happened in such departments an agencies.
“The affected staff appealed to th president to as a matter of urgency sac the executive directors and probe the time in office.”
He said the case of the Chief of Staff i not different as his effectiveness as the bridge between the president and his aides alongside other federal, states an foreign governments’ officials has long been in doubt.
Put together, the source alleged that the ineffectiveness of the duo have contributed largely to the steep nose-dive of government in the past months.
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