One would expect that political appointees under the same
government would have their issues resolved in-house, but not with some of
those who work with President Muhammadu Buhari. For many Nigerians, it was an
unusual experience seeing Buhari’s appointees, agencies stand in opposition
against each other, and some of them even took this to the public space.
Here, we take a look at some of the appointees who had one
or two issues to sort with each other earlier in the year.
MAGU vs MALAMI
The trouble for Ibrahim Magu, suspended chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), started when Abubakar Malami,
attorney-general of the federation (AGF), raised a memo accusing him of
corruption. He was also alleged to have refused to subject himself to the
supervision of the office of the AGF.
A panel, headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the
appeal court, was then set up to investigate the former EFCC boss after Malami
recommended his removal.
Arrested on July 6 and whisked before the presidential
panel, Magu was detained for 10 days at the force criminal investigation
department, Abuja. Magu’s lawyer had pointed accusing fingers at Malami and
when he was released from detention, Magu described his plight as a “case of
dog eats dog”.
Magu denied all the allegations against him and asked the
panel to summon the AGF to provide evidence of corruption against him. Malami
had initially agreed to testify against Magu but he didn’t. He also issued
statements debunking the claims that he was seeking vendetta.
ABIKE DABIRI vs
PANTAMI
Abike |
In May, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chief executive officer (CEO) of
the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and Isa Pantami, minister of
communications and digital economy, took on each other on Twitter. In a video
tweeted by NiDCOM, Dabiri-Erewa accused Pantami of ordering gunmen to throw outstaff of her commission from an office that the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC) gave them.
According to Dabiri-Erewa, “in one year, we don’t have an
office. The office we got, given to us by NCC but we were actually driven away
by the honourable minister of communications and digital economy, Mr Isa
Pantami, within two days, they drove us out with guns and what happened? The
place was given to us by NCC”.
Responding almost immediately, Pantami described NiDCOM
CEO’s claim as a “fat lie.”
“The minister has
never given that directives to any gunman,” he said via Twitter.
The NCC came in to also deny Dabiri-Erewa’s claims.
But NiDCOM immediately countered NCC’s claim and tweeted
another video showing some of its staff who were “locked out” of their office.
The agency also said the “notice of evacuation was given via
a text message on February 9”.
Again, Dabiri-Erewa would come back for Pantami, accusing
him of disrespecting women.
“An Islamic scholar should not lie, Hon. Minister,” she
said, adding that; “Your disrespect for women is legendary.”
NGIGE vs NSTIF
Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, and Adebayo
Somefun, managing director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF),
had a running battle that eventually led to the suspension of Somefun. In a
letter dated July 1, 2020, and addressed to Somefun, Ngige said the president
had approved the suspension of the management Somefun heads over “misappropriation
and other gross misconduct.”
Somefun was instructed to hand over to the most senior
official in the board, and face a panel that would investigate procurement
dealings of the agency from 2017 to 2020.
But Somefun resumed at his office, saying the president did
not give such instruction.
He also said the minister’s action is against Buhari’s
directive, through the secretary to the government of the federation that no
minister should suspend, or purport to sack any head of agency appointed by the
president. But after the back and forth between both men, which led to a
combative argument between Ngige and James Faleke, a member of the reps
committee which summoned the minister over the issue, Somefun had to heed the
suspension terms.
POLICE SERVICE
COMMISSION vs IGP
So, who has the constitutional powers to recruit into the
Nigeria police force? This question would form the basis of the “fight” between
the police service commission (PSC) and Mohammed Adamu, the inspector-general
of police (IGP).
After the IGP had recruited 10, 000 constables, the PSC
headed to the court to challenge the recruitment.
A federal high court had first dismissed PSC’s suit as
lacking in merit. At the appeal court, however, the judgement came in favour of
the PSC and the appellate court nullified recruitment of the 10,000 constables
by IGP.
Well, the IGP has since filed an appeal before the supreme
court seeking to upturn the appellate court’s verdict. Both sides have been
issuing statements and counter statements, highlighting the perceived
shortcomings of the other.
KEYAMO vs DG NASIR
LADAN
The issue started with the 774,000 jobs President Muhammadu
Buhari had asked Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment to
execute. The minister and the national assembly committees on labour and
employment had slugged it out over the legislature’s attempt at “dictating the
process” of the programme.
The national assembly committees said Keyamo should not
superintend the programme, and they were already making an alternative plan
with Nasir Ladan, director-general of the National Directorate of Employment
(NDE), to implement the public works programme, which will see the employment
of 774,000 citizens.
When it appeared the DG was on the side of the lawmakers,
Keyamo, in a warning note, asked him not to ”do anything or take any step
regarding the preparation and actual execution of the special public works
programme without” his express approval in writing.
Not surprising, on December 8, Ladan was fired and Keyamo
was directed to nominate an acting director-general for the agency.
Weighing in, the national assembly called on the president
reconsider and rescind his decision on the sack.
What an interesting year it has been!
culled: TheCable
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