GEJ Warns GMB, Says I’m Still in Charge

President Goodluck Jonathan has warned Major General Muhammadu Buhari, President-elect, to stop undermining the former’s outgoing government, insisting that he is in charge of running Nigeria’s affairs until May 29 when he hands over to the President-elect.

Jonathan also warned the President-elect to stop overheating polity through its actions and utterances, and carrying out actions to undermine the powers of Jonathan’s government.

Abubakar Sulaiman, minister of National Planning, in company with Mrs. Patricia Akwashiki, his counterpart in the Ministry of Information, told State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja that FEC rejected the terms of reference from Buhari’s transition committee.

Among the terms of reference of the APC transition committee include undertaking a preliminary assessment of the security challenges facing the country and the counter-insurgency measures taken by the government thus far; the counter policy measures being implemented in the Niger Delta to deal with unrest and major economic crimes in the area.

The committee is also to examine the status of the Amnesty Programme, the readiness of the police and other national security and intelligence agencies in addressing threats to law and order, as well as to suggest “quick fixes” which will result in tangible, visible and practical measures so that change will be seen after 30 days, after 100 days and after six months of the Buhari administration taking office.

Both committees of the incoming and the outgoing government have been meeting to harmonise plans and programmes for a seamless transition on May 29. But Sulaiman said the FEC, after a thorough examination of the APC transition committee’s terms of reference, saw them as an attempt to undermine the Jonathan administration.

“We did receive from incoming government the transition committee some terms of reference which we looked at critically.

And council did agree that Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan remains the current head of this country.

The incoming government should avoid creating a parallel government while the government is still on. “We take exceptions to some utterances and the terms of reference that look as if the current government is being stampeded or intimidated.

“Council frowned on most of the statements, most of the provisions and council members are advised to work in line with the terms of reference of the current government. When the incoming government takes over government, they can come out with their programmes; they can come out with their own agenda.

They can decide to come out with policies with the way they feel like. “This government remains resolute on the various programmes and projects it is pursuing and the government will continue to do that until the morning of May 29,” he said.