jidoex66:
The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on
Thursday said that despite his best of intentions, the
President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration
misunderstood the activities of the Ahmed Joda-led
transition committee.
Buhari said this while receiving an interim report of
the committee at the Defence House, Abuja, on
Thursday.
He expressed disappointment that the outgoing
administration refused to provide the committee the
information it needed to carry out its duty.
The President-elect said, “It is not that we are
preparing for indictment. What we are trying to get is
a starting point, where exactly are we going to start
from?
“We have seen the debt profile now and the
performance of the economy. The question is what
can we do about it? Especially the urgent ones like
social security, lack of fuel in the country and fraud.
The list is endless.
“I thank you (committee) for what you have done and
I hope that the subsequent submission by the
government will make your job easier and more
efficient and tell us where to begin from.
“What we expected was for the outgoing government
to make a presentation to this committee and for this
committee to study the document and make
submission to the incoming government.
“For your single-mindedness, you went to work.
“But unfortunately, this committee is accused of
being against the Federal Government. From then
on, this committee was constrained to take this
initiative and breaking into various sub-committees
and assigned various task to study the most
important issues nationwide and see what they can
put on record.”
Buhari said he expected that each ministry would
make a presentation to the Joda-led committee to
make things easier for both parties.
Buhari assured the committee that he and members
of his team would find time to read the interim report
and when the outgoing government decided to
present its own report it would be cross-checked and
merged.
Earlier, the Chairman of the All Progressives
Congress Transition Committee, Joda, had
complained that the government committee headed
by Vice President Namadi Sambo refused to provide
them with information to work with.
He explained that the committee had to rely on its
own initiative to cover the grounds it had so far been
able to cover.
Joda further explained that the committee prepared
and presented its interim report without any input
from the President Goodluck Jonathan-led
administration.
He, however, explained that his committee was
hopeful that the Jonathan committee would make a
presentation to it today (Friday).
The committee chairman, who led other members to
the Defence House, said when they eventually get
the input from the Jonathan team they would build it
into the final report to be submitted to Buhari after
inauguration.
The chairman also complained about the shortage of
time as well as manpower because of the enormity of
work.
He said the committee received contributions from
Nigerians especially those who had served the
country both in the private and public sector in
various fields.