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• Osinbajo has no power as ‘coordinator’ -Agbakoba
From Romanus Okoye and Bimbola Oyesola
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, yesterday, said the controversy which trailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to the National Assembly was needless distraction.
The president, in his letter to the Senate, had said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will coordinate governance in his absence, in line with section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Thereafter, Nigerians raised dust obver the president’s letter, including the lawmakers.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had declared, during Tuesday’s plenary session, that presence of section 145 (1) in the letter was sufficient enough to make Osinbajo acting president, in Buhari’s absence.
A day after, Mohammed, who spoke after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by Osinbajo, said the controversy was needless.
He said: “It was needless controversy and just a distraction; the operating phrase is, ‘in compliance of Section 145(1),’ any other word used is not relevant.”
However, opinions have continued to vary on the legal implication of the letter transmitted to the National Assembly by President Buhari.
Former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, (SAN) also echoed Mohammed when he said the controversy is unnecessary.
“I am concerned by the unnecessary controversy raised by the statement; ‘While I am away, the Vice President will coordinate the activities of the government’ in the medical vacation letter transmitted by the president to the National Assembly. I believe it is a distraction by politicians. The nomenclature used by the president to describe his vice president does not matter.
“What matters to the average suffering Nigerian is good governance. Will the acting president create jobs; provide water, roads, electricity, food, etc. This is what is important.”
But rights activist, Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, outrightly called for Buhari’s impeachment “for gross misconduct” based on the content of the letter read by Saraki.
Adegboruwa said: “A coordinator is of equal status with others. So, the vice president cannot make appointments or sack anybody while the president is away. He cannot discipline any erring minister because is limited in policy decisions, as a coordinator. He (Osinbajo) has no control over the ‘cabal’ to whom the president has handed over power, albeit, illegally. The Chief of Staff was recently reported to have moved vital documents away from Aso Villa. In effect, Nigeria has no leader presently because the office of vice president is no more.”
Adegboruwa said the constitutionally crated office of acting president has been circumscribed by the president. “Senate lacks power to pronounce Osinbajo acting president without a written resolution of both chambers of the National Assembly. The president cannot travel for medical check up for an indefinite period of time. “National Assembly should reject the letter from the president because there is a serious constitutional crisis.
“In all, the National Assembly should commence impeachment proceedings against the president for gross misconduct,” said Adegboruwa.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned those condemning the circumstances leading to the release of the 82 Chibok girls to stop playing politics with the lives of the girls.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who commended government for securing the release of 82 additional Chibok girls from captivity, said the Congress was appalled by negative comments from some quarters about the circumstances surrounding the release of the 82.
