President Muhammadu Buhari
has explained that 35 aides were not sacked from the Office of the Vice
President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, but that they were redeployed to a new
ministry.
The President, who fielded questions from NTA State House
Correspondent at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport in Abuja, upon his return from a private visit from the United Kingdom
described the interpretations of his directives as a sack as ‘unfortunate’.
The President described what
happened as a re-organisation and not a sacking, stressing that, a new ministry
has recently been created, that is, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster
Management and Social Development.
“They said 35 people were sacked in the Vice President’s office
but we just created a ministry and we reorganized but people are giving it an
ethnic and political dimension. It is unfortunate,” the President said.
While media report had widely reported the sack of 35 aides,
including the circulation of a list of those sacked, informed sources insisted
that what the President directed was a redeployment and not a sack.
The President’s comment in the NTA interview last night on
arrival from his UK private trip indicated that although some Presidential
aides had confirmed the sacking of 35 aides, the President only gave express
instructions for redeployment to ministries not sacking.
Meanwhile, President Buhari assured Nigerians that he was
more energized and ready for work. “We are going to work harder to be
accountable and try to make Nigerians see why we do certain things.
Accountability from bottom to top is absolutely necessary,” he said.
Some people had falsely reported and claimed that President
Buhari had sacked 35 aides in the Office of the Vice President to whittle down
the powers and influence of the Vice President.
Some also claimed that the sacking of the 35 aides were to
reduce the influence of the Vice President ahead of 2023 elections and were
masterminded by a certain cabal with the Presidency.
The
Presidency has however always maintained that the President and his deputy,
Prof Osinbajo enjoy a very good relationship.
Comments
Post a Comment