President Muhammadu Buhari embarked on a six-day vacation On Friday, February 5, and ‘handed over’ to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as acting president of the nation.

Before going on the vacation, President Buhari had dispatched a formal notice to Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Constitution.

It was the first time in the history of Nigeria, that a president voluntarily transmitted power to his deputy.

As at the time Buhari’s short break became public knowledge, the acting president was in Lagos for the ‘Holy Ghost Night’ programme of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), and rather than cut short his trip, Osinbajo, the following day, headed for Jerusalem Mission House International in Makurdi, Benue state, for a wedding ceremony.

On Monday, February 8, Osinbajo fully resumed as acting president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, those who had expected him to move into the President’s Wing of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa were in for a surprise as he chose to operate from the Vice President’s Wing.

Daily Trust reports that his office abruptly turned into a beehive of activity. Buhari’s office was, understandably, virtually deserted.

State governors are regular visitors to the Aso Presidential Rock Villa, ostensibly to brief the president on matters affecting their respective states. Some of them had been severally pilloried for allegedly ‘abandoning’ their states for Abuja. But none of the state chief executives made it to the nation’s seat of power throughout the period Osinbajo held the fort for Buhari.


Majority of the ministers were also not sighted at the State House during Osinbajo’s six-day reign as acting president. They could conveniently claim to be busy with the budget defence at the National Assembly. They could equally hide under the cover of a presidential directive that they be channeling their communications to the Presidency through the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

In unambiguous terms, President Buhari had, on November 5, 2015 while hosting his ministers to a ministerial retreat at the old banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, instructed thus: “All communications and appointments from you to the Presidency should be routed through the Office of the Chief of Staff as is normal in this Presidential System.”

So, even if the ministers had, on that ground, chosen to ‘shun’ the acting president last week as insinuated, they could be understood or misunderstood to have simply obeyed their employer’s order.

The Secretary to the government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, cannot hide under this cover, for it is his responsibility to ensure effective coordination and monitoring of the implementation of government policies and programmes for the overall development of the country. Little wonder his absence at the Acting President’s Office set tongues wagging.

Even as vice president, Osinbajo has the power to preside over Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings, in the absence of the president. As acting president last week, he did not convene the meeting.

Daily Trust report that Although FEC meetings had not been held on a weekly basis since the inception of the Buhari presidency, Osinbajo could have cashed in on Buhari’s vacation to demonstrate how real the power of an acting president is in Nigeria’s context.

National Security Council (NSC) meeting, chaired by the president, has almost been a routine owing to the frequency of terrorist attacks on the northeeast. Acting President Osinbajo did not summon the service chiefs for the meeting even when terrorists blasted scores to death at Dikwa Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Camp in Borno state on Tuesday.

How far then did Osinbajo fare as acting president? He hit the ground running early Monday morning with a closed-door meeting with a delegation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, (EITI), a global body assessing transparency level of nations’ oil, gas and mineral resources. The session afforded him the opportunity to reiterate the administration’s commitment to transparency and good governance.

“It is important that we handle our resources with transparency and good governance. One of the objectives we have set for ourselves is to ensure that we are transparent and able to handle our resources well. If as a nation we had handled our resources better with transparency and good governance, we would not have found ourselves where we are now. We have learnt our lesson,” Osinbajo told his visitors.

The acting president also played host to a delegation of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) and reassured of the federal government’s determination to rehabilitate and rebuild the insurgency-riddledNorth-east; with a passionate call on well-to-do Nigerians to partner with the government in that regard.

Osinbajo on Tuesday received a delegation of the Senate which was at the Presidential Villa on a consultation visit over the 2016 budget proposal, the Money Laundering Bill and other bills currently before the National Assembly.

Senate Leader Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who led the delegation, lauded Buhari for not leaving the country on autopilot. For the leader of the Senate, the transmission of power to Osinbajo was unprecedented in Nigeria.

“This is not the first time we are coming here, but this is the first time we are having the vice president as acting president. That is one of the reasons we are here. This is because we are setting a new example. During the previous governments, the president would just go and leave the place blank.

“But this time around, when our president went (on vacation) for a few days, he transmitted to all Nigerians that the vice president is to act as president.Now, we have the budget as work in progress; we have the new Money Laundering Bill before the Senate; we have many things we are looking at. We have come to consult on these,” Ndume told State House correspondents shortly after meeting with Osinbajo. Acting President Osinbajo also on Tuesday received a delegation of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), led by its Executive Director, Michel Sidibe. He assured of effective primary healthcare centres across the country.

He rounded off his six-day reign with a directive that security be beefed up at all the internally displaced persons camps in the country. He was, through a statement by his spokesman Laolu Akande, responding to Tuesday’s suicide bombing of Dikwa IDP Camp.

Well, Osinbajo’s directive could have possibly reminded the Armed Forces that an Acting Commander-in-Chief was in charge for six days.

President Buhari resumed work on Thursday; and in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, sent a formal notice of his resumption to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, Prof Osinbajo and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami are at loggerhead over $1.3 billion Malabu scandal.

https://www.naij.com/730411-revealed-osinbajo-spent-6-days-acting-president-nigeria.html

“But this time around, when our president went (on vacation) for a few days, he transmitted to all Nigerians that the vice president is to act as president.Now, we have the budget as work in progress; we have the new Money Laundering Bill before the Senate; we have many things we are looking at. We have come to consult on these,” Ndume told State House correspondents shortly after meeting with Osinbajo. Acting President Osinbajo also on Tuesday received a delegation of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), led by its Executive Director, Michel Sidibe. He assured of effective primary healthcare centres across the country.

Why cant you guys fight corruption while simultaneously trying to balance the economy?
What would you do if after fighting "corruption" and then you look up and realize that there is no Nigeria to govern.

Safe movers approach

Dudeweedlmao:


Why cant you guys fight corruption while simultaneously trying to balance the economy?
What would you do if after fighting "corruption" and then you look up and realize that there is no Nigeria to govern.

The reason for unbalanced economy is corruption. You can't balance the economy without fighting corruption.

Besides the country is being governed

AND NAIRA KEEPS FALLING UNTIL IT SEES CRUDE OIL?

koboko69:


The reason for unbalanced economy is corruption. You can't balance the economy without fighting corruption.

Besides the country is being governed

But then how come even under the most corrupt government (GEJ) the naira was never this useless?

Dudeweedlmao:


But then how come even under the most corrupt government (GEJ) the naira was never this useless?

How much was a barrel of oil under the ineffectual buffon?

And the point of this write up is ?......una no get work at all....God bless Nigeria!!

koboko69:


How much was a barrel of oil under the ineffectual buffon?

I know, i get it, jonathan fvcked up
But heres the thing, now that oil price is at an alltime low and knowing that nigerian economy is mostly import dependent
Why should he make it impossible for importers to source the dollar? I understand the benefits of being an export dep. country
But i believe it should be a gradual process not something you just terminate. We can't keep blaming jonathan forever.

Dudeweedlmao:


I know, i get it, jonathan fvcked up
But heres the thing, now that oil price is at an alltime low and knowing that nigerian economy is mostly import dependent
Why should he make it impossible for importers to source the dollar? I understand the benefits of being an export dep. country
But i believe it should be a gradual process not something you just terminate. We can't keep blaming jonathan forever.

How I wish some people like yourself can receive a vision of what can happen to a country like Nigeria if it runs out of forex, how I wish you can understand the kind of terrible humanitarian crisis the nation would be plunged into if we run out of forex reserves, then you wouldn't sit behind your desk and think the CBN are the villains in this forex hoarding game.

https://www.naij.com/434668-external-reserves-cant-pay-for-imports.html
If you read this simple article above, it would give you a little insight as to why the CBN as a matter of national emergency, has to hoard forex as much as it can. The CBN presently has less than $28billion as its liquid forex reserves, a value which cannot satisfy up to a 6 months import requirement. Can you imagine what would happen to a nation if it runs out of forex to the point of not being able to import essential commodities like food, petroleum products etc.?

Agbaya !

Celebrating VP in-activeness.

It was reported that Buhari's protocol officers kept him mute throughout those days.

even Saraki storm ASO rock to warn him.

obailala:
How I wish some people like yourself can receive a vision of what can happen to a country like Nigeria if it runs out of forex, how I wish you can understand the kind of terrible humanitarian crisis the nation would be plunged into if we run out of forex reserves, then you wouldn't sit behind your desk and think the CBN are the villains in this forex hoarding game.

https://www.naij.com/434668-external-reserves-cant-pay-for-imports.html
If you read this simple article above, it would give you a little insight as to why the CBN as a matter of national emergency, has to hoard forex as much as it can. The CBN presently has less than $28billion as its liquid forex reserves, a value which cannot satisfy up to a 6 months import requirement. Can you imagine what would happen to a nation if it runs out of forex to the point of not being able to import essential commodities like food, petroleum products etc.?

That was a real eye opener, thanks

obailala:
How I wish some people like yourself can receive a vision of what can happen to a country like Nigeria if it runs out of forex, how I wish you can understand the kind of terrible humanitarian crisis the nation would be plunged into if we run out of forex reserves, then you wouldn't sit behind your desk and think the CBN are the villains in this forex hoarding game.

https://www.naij.com/434668-external-reserves-cant-pay-for-imports.html
If you read this simple article above, it would give you a little insight as to why the CBN as a matter of national emergency, has to hoard forex as much as it can. The CBN presently has less than $28billion as its liquid forex reserves, a value which cannot satisfy up to a 6 months import requirement. Can you imagine what would happen to a nation if it runs out of forex to the point of not being able to import essential commodities like food, petroleum products etc.?

You forgot to inform him that it was the ineffectual buffon that opened the gates of our dollar reserves for Dansuki, and the rest where raw dollars are used to settle friends and associates.

God punish that buffon anywhere he goes

comos:


Agbaya !

Celebrating VP in-activeness.

It was reported that Buhari's protocol officers kept him mute throughout those days.

even Saraki storm ASO rock to warn him.

Do you have evidence of saraki warning the commissioner.....I mean acting President?

k

Sorry I didn't even notice he was in charge!

This man is capable. I trust Osinbajo

Nawa una Sabi PMB is not complaining

K

Osibanjo has a brilliant chance of succeeding President Buhari, keep up the diligence and loyalty sir.

How else do you expect him to function in-acting-capacity for few days when the boss is pretty much in the picture.

What's this?

He rule?

What was he supposed to do in Buhari's absence, he's not paid to be a prayer warrior to Buhari you know.

What a waste of time reading this trash.

Dudeweedlmao:


But then how come even under the most corrupt government (GEJ) the naira was never this useless?

The previous administration caused this and not d present admin. That's how bad those things they have done is affecting the present Administration

Ok Thanks

A good job well done!!! Thanks Sir!

Dudeweedlmao:


Why cant you guys fight corruption while simultaneously trying to balance the economy?
What would you do if after fighting "corruption" and then you look up and realize that there is no Nigeria to govern.

Concretely balancing the economy would only come after the Budget 2016 has been passed. There's a constitutional limit to spending outside of the Appropriation Act, which is what has been going on so far. So urge the NASS to clean up that Budget 2016/send it to the Executive for clean up and pass it as soon as they can. Only then can we set the government in motion.

After some time in the absence of an Appropriation Act...the ceiling of spending will be reached (also called Government Shutdown). Remember USA?

ou mean a mere commissioner of police?

ok