Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari will not dissolve his cabinet until five days to the end of the administration, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed Lai Mohammed has said.
According to him, the president is scheduled to hold a valedictory session with members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), on May 22 after which the cabinet will be dissolved ahead of his inauguration.
Buhari will be sworn-in on May 29 to begin another four-year term in office.
Mohammed while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said meanwhile, the cabinet remains intact.
According to him, ministers as directed by President Buhari are already preparing their handover notes to be submitted to permanent secretaries in their respective ministries before the administration winds down completely.
He said: “We will be having a valedictory session on May 22. The cabinet remains intact.”
President Buhari who is proceeding on a 10- day private visit to the United Kingdom (UK), had on April 17, directed his 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, programmes 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 explained that ”a circular to this effect issued by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), also requested members of the Federal Executive Council to ensure that all outstanding memoranda they intend to present to the Federal Executive Council are submitted to the Cabinet Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, not later than Tuesday, April 30, 2019.
“The circular also informed members that the “9th and 10th meetings of the council have been rescheduled to Thursday, April 25 and Thursday, May 2, 2019 respectively” in view of the Easter break and May Day celebrations,” he said.
