The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has come
under scrutiny for continuing to approve
multi-billion naira contracts with
only 19 days left in office. However, Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant
to the President, has explained that the administration is still in office and
will continue to work until the last day.
At a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, 37 agenda items
were considered, and contracts were awarded in various sectors. Speaking at a
post-FEC media briefing, Garba Shehu described the session as “quite
extraordinary,” given the number of items that were considered.
Fielding questions about why the administration had waited
until the late hours to approve the contracts, the Minister of Transportation,
Mu’azu Sambo, said that the government must continue to perform its duties
until May 28. He added that the next government should also work until the last
day of their tenure.
The Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, explained
that contracted processes take time and that even if the administration cannot
finish what it has started, the incoming government will continue where it left
off, as the government is a continuum.
Adamu added that the administration did not control the
process, but when it was completed while they were still in office, they were
duty-bound to bring the memos to the council for approval. He emphasized that
government is a continuum, and the administration should be given full credit
for implementing projects and programs that were good for the country since
2015.
In conclusion, the Buhari administration has given reasons
why it continues to approve multi-billion naira contracts despite the limited
time left in office. The administration argues that it will continue to work
until the last day and that the incoming government will take up where it left
off, as the government is a continuum.
