BEVERLY HILLS, October 05, (THEWILL) – The lawmaker representing Kaduna central, Senator Shehu Sani, says the leaked letter written by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, to President Muhammadu Buhari confirms the existence of a “government within the (President’s) government”.
In the letter to Buhari, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the junior minister accused the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Maikanti Baru, of insubordination, and non-adherence to due process in the award of contracts and appointments.
THEWILL recalls that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki had as far back as June 2016 alleged that “there is now a government within the government of President Buhari that has seized the apparatus of executive powers to pursue a nefarious agenda”.
Speaking when he featured on a Channels TV programme on Wednesday, Sani said the “government within the government” being referred has nothing to do with the kitchen cabinet — usually used to refer to the president’s closest officials.
“This is about some persons who have surrounded the president and are exercising powers to themselves and to their advantage and also manipulating power for their own personal interest,” he added.
Stressing that the leaked memo raises concern about the whole structure of governance, the lawmaker stated that Kachikwu’s claims that he usually faces difficult in accessing channels through which he can present issues to the President shows there is a system disconnect in the government circle.
According to him, “The content of that letter and the allegations raised also raise a number of issues, not only about the NNPC but about the whole structure of governance that exists today.
“If a minister of state can outright say it’s been difficult for him to access channels through which he can present his issues, I think there is a system disconnect there.
“And it is simply giving credence to the fact there exists a government within the government. There are individuals that have formed a shield, a cycle. And I think the issue that it raised in every possible way, is pointing to the fact that there is a cycle of powers within powers itself.”
Sani however, expressed his belief that Buhari was not aware of the issues raised in the letter, adding: “I am of the firm belief that if he is aware of this, he would have taken action.
“And if he is not aware of this and this has been brought to the public fore, then he can now take action on it. But if he says he will not take an action on this issue, then it will certainly stain the integrity of the administration,” he said.
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