Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja          

President Muhammadu Buhari would hold a valedictory Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on May 22, Minister of Informarion and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said.

He would be sworn in on May 29 to begin another four year term in office.

But contrary to speculation that the cabinet would be dissolved immediately after the valedictory session, the minister, who briefed State House Correspondents at the end of FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa, Abuja, yesterday, said the cabinet would remain intact.

He said ministers were already preparing their handover notes to be submitted to Permanent Secretaries in their respective ministries, as directed by President Buhari, before the administration winds down completely.

Buhari, who has proceeded on a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom, had on April 17 directed ministers to immediately submit a comprehensive status report of their policies and projects on or before April 24 to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President Garba Shehu, had in a statement said: “As the first term of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration winds down, the President has asked for a comprehensive ‘status reports on policies, programs and projects’ from cabinet members on their respective ministries, departments and agencies.

“These reports have Wednesday, April 24, 2019 as the deadline for submission to the Presidential Audit Committee in the office of the Vice President.”

The Presidential Media Aide had explained that “a circular to this effect issued by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) also requested members to ensure that all outstanding memoranda they intend to present to the FEC were submitted to the Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not later than Tuesday, 30th April, 2019.

“The circular also informed members that the “9th and 10th meetings of the Council have been rescheduled to Thursday, 25th April and Thursday, 2nd May, 2019 respectively” in view of the Easter break and May Day celebrations,” he said.