Buhari receives transition committee’s report without FG’s input

President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari

The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday said that despite his best of intentions, the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration misunderstood the activities of the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee.

Buhari said this while receiving an interim report of the committee at the Defence House, Abuja, on Thursday.

He expressed disappointment that the outgoing administration refused to provide the committee the information it needed to carry out its duty.

The President-elect said, “It is not that we are preparing for indictment. What we are trying to get is a starting point, where exactly are we going to start from?

“We have seen the debt profile now and the performance of the economy. The question is what can we do about it? Especially the urgent ones like social security, lack of fuel in the country and fraud. The list is endless.

“I thank you (committee) for what you have done and I hope that the subsequent submission by the government will make your job easier and more efficient and tell us where to begin from.

“What we expected was for the outgoing government to make a presentation to this committee and for this committee to study the document and make submission to the incoming government.

“For your single-mindedness, you went to work.

“But unfortunately, this committee is accused of being against the Federal Government. From then on, this committee was constrained to take this initiative and breaking into various sub-committees and assigned various task to study the most important issues nationwide and see what they can put on record.”

Buhari said he expected that each ministry would make a presentation to the Joda-led committee to make things easier for both parties.

Buhari assured the committee that he and members of his team would find time to read the interim report and when the outgoing government decided to present its own report it would be cross-checked and merged.

Earlier, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Transition Committee, Joda, had complained that the government committee headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo refused to provide them with information to work with.

He explained that the committee had to rely on its own initiative to cover the grounds it had so far been able to cover.

Joda further explained that the committee prepared and presented its interim report without any input from the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

He, however, explained that his committee was hopeful that the Jonathan committee would make a presentation to it today (Friday).

The committee chairman, who led other members to the Defence House, said when they eventually get the input from the Jonathan team they would build it into the final report to be submitted to Buhari after inauguration.

The chairman also complained about the shortage of time as well as manpower because of the enormity of work.

He said the committee received contributions from Nigerians especially those who had served the country both in the private and public sector in various fields.