May 29: Transition c’ttee begins work

General Buhari defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28 presidential poll thus ending 16 years of rule by the Peoples Democratic Party.
This marks the first time in Nigeria that an opposition party would unseat a democratic government at the centre.
The transition committee, which is to develop guidelines for the transfer of power, held its inaugural meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The committee met at the Presidential Villa under the chairmanship of Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo.
The inaugural meeting was attended by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim; Attorney-General of the Federation Mohammed Bello Adoke and Minister of Police Affairs Abdul-jelili Adesiyan.
Others at the meeting were Head of Service Danladi Kilfasi; the Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda; the Minister of Transport Idris Umar and the Director-General of NAFDAC Paul Orhii.
Mr. Anyim told State House journalists after the closed-door meeting that the session discussed the terms of reference of the committee.
He said the committee would receive briefs from the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as prepare President Goodluck Jonathan’s handover notes.
The SGF said the committee would later meet with a similar committee to be set up by the All Progressive Congress for the May 29 handover.
He said: “After we have collected our own briefs from the MDAs and then we put them together, we will then interface with the other committee so that whatever clarification they want, the questions they have, then we will be able to address them”.
Anyim listed the committee’s terms of reference as collating relevant information for the handover briefs from all the MDAs, preparing them (briefs) and interfacing with the incoming administration’s transition committee.
The SGF said the committee had adjourned to reconvene on Monday next week.
General Buhari said weekend in an interview with newsmen in Daura that he would appoint his own transition committee made up largely of technocrats.
He said: “We have started discussing about it. Personally, I will make sure that it is not too big because if it is big, they will start thinking of how to influence the choice of ministers either for themselves or those they want to be ministers.
“But my hope and my idea is to get knowledgeable and experienced technocrats that are really patriotic to study the handing over notes by ministries and make recommendations.
“I want them to be completely detached people who are patriotic Nigerians who are knowledgeable and experienced.
“If we get majority of politicians involved it will lead to a lot of row and we may end up with inconclusive recommendations which are not very helpful in our condition.”
He said he would present the report to the party’s leadership, adding, “We will quickly study it before the inauguration so that before we are sworn in, we get into action.”
Bakare denies heading Buhari transition c’ttee
Meanwhile, Pastor Tunde Bakare has said he was not aware of any appointment to head General Buhari’s transition committee as reported by some newspapers yesterday.
Bakare ran as vice presidential candidate to Buhari in 2011 under the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
He denied the transition committee appointment through his spokesperson Mr Yinka Odumakin.
“This is news to Pastor Bakare also,” Odumakin said, adding, “Mischief makers are at work as usual.”
Also, spokesperson of the Buhari campaign office Malam Garba Shehu said he wasn’t aware of Bakare’s appointment when Daily Trust contacted him on the issue yesterday.