Tension, relief as Buhari calls for “hand-over” notes from ministers, heads of agencied

The sign that the whistle to wind-up the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari is about to be blown for ministers and heads of federal agencies emerged Wednesday from the Presidential Villa with the confirmation of a memo that the affected officials turn in what may be their hand-over notes.
Many are bound to be tensed while a few may be relieved, it was learnt, as the countdown begins to the close of the curtain.
Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a statement that as the first term of the 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.
He adds, ‘These reports have Wednesday, April 24, 2019 as the deadline for submission to the Presidential Audit Committee in the office of the Vice President.
‘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, 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”.
The presidential directive, it was gathered, may have informed why ministers directed heads of agencies to do same to them.
In her own directive last week, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna, said in a circular: ‘’Following the recently concluded presidential election, preparations are in place to successfully conclude the current administration come May 29, 2019. As part of the process of transition, all agencies and departments under the Federal Ministry of Finance are directed to prepare their handover notes.
‘’All handover notes should be submitted to the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties) on or before April, 23, 2019. Ensure full compliance’’.
She directed the Customs Comptroller General, Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries; and heads of Debt Management Office, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Cooperation (NDIC), National Insurance Commission, Investment and Security Tribunal, National Economic Reconstruction Fund, Nigeria Export Import Bank, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Development Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority to submit their handing over notes latest by April 23.
The handover notes, she directed, should be prepared in soft copies, hard copies and are to contain lists of files under the custody of all the MDAs.