PointBlankNews - A cold war is brewing between President Mohammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over Sani Sidi, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA and others, Presidential Sources confirmed to Pointblanknews.com.
Trouble started when VP Osinbajo recommended the sacking of over 50 heads of parastatals and agencies appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to sources, the VP who supervises most of the Agencies and Parastatals, had included the NEMA boss and others said to be predominantly from the North for sacking.
Unknown to Osinbajo, Sidi, an appointee of former President Jonathan, had warmed his way into the heart of President Buhari who sees him as a thoroughbred professional especially with the role played by NEMA during his Boko Haram attack on July 2014.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that once the recommendation for the sacking of the NEMA boss and others got to Buhari, the President insisted that Sidi and few others be left to serve under his Government.
A source in the Presidency who prefers anonymity told Pointblanknews.com that Buhari particularly extoled the qualities of the NEMA boss, wondering why he and few others who had served the last Government should be removed.
Irked by the President’s decision, the VP who was bent on removing all heads of parastatals and agencies to pave the way for All Progressive Congress, APC members who were already grumbling for being left behind after the election, devised other means to frustrate leaders of parastatals under him.
Investigations confirmed that Osinbajo on several occasions refused to grant approvals to heads of agencies under him including NEMA.
“He doesn’t want to meet with them, they have been coming here crying for help, he has not treated their files sent to him from heads of agencies he had recommended for removal, including that of NEMA which has been handling critical matters especially Boko Haram attacks and other emergencies in the country,” the source in the Presidency told Pointblanknews.com.
Following complaints lodged by some of heads of agencies and parastatals, the President is said to be unhappy with the Vice President and has directed top aides to work out modalities for dealing with those affected agencies.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that the office of the Chief of Staff to the President is now charged with treating files from NEMA and other critical agencies.
Buhari had in February approved the immediate disengagement of 26 out of over 100 heads of federal parastatals, agencies and commissions. Their disengagement was announced in a statement issued by Babachir David Lawal, Secretary to the Federal Government.
Source: PointBlankNews
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