For some weeks Nigerians have been inundated with stories of the vice-president Sambo led federal government Transition Committee refusing to cooperate with the incoming administration’s Transition Committee led by Ahmed Joda. There have been denials on both sides as to what the truth it but it is not too difficult to imagine why the outgoing administration would not want to cooperate with the incoming Buhari administration.
There can be no doubt as to the immense benefits to be derived from properly prepared handover notes from the outgoing administration to the new one but self-preservation will also dictate that political appointees who have committed financial atrocities that the incoming administration is bent on unearthing cannot reasonably be expected to lead the investigator to the facts. As nice as it would be if it did, the GEJ government has got too much to hide.
As much as Buhari and his incoming government will like to hit the ground running immediately, there is nothing it can do before May 29, 2015 to ensure the production of proper handover notes. But there is something he can do on May 29, 2015 immediately after his inauguration. That thing will be to order all the affected government agencies to submit the proper handover notes within 14 days. These types of handover notes are likely to be more truthful, honest and helpful as they will be prepared in an environment devoid of pressure from the GEJ government. These mainly civil servants prepared handover notes are likely to contain more detailed and gotcha kind of disclosures from civil servants annoyed with politicians than what the vice-president Sambo Transition Committee will be willing to disclose.
I am not under estimating the importance of these notes and how much they will contribute in helping the incoming administration in bedding in quickly. But the situation is what it is and it should be remembered that we have had several situations in this country where one government was abruptly terminated and there were no opportunities for handing over notes. It was not the end of the world and the incoming government relied on the civil servants. The civil servants will always be there and the GEJ crew cannot delay the disclosures beyond May 28, 2015.
What the president-elect needs to do now is to put out the information directly or through the relevant channels that following the absence of the GEJ administration to cooperate with his Transition Committee, he will, immediately after his inauguration on May 29, 2015, be asking all the relevant ministries and agencies to submit handover notes by the end of business day on June 12, 2015. This may actually for the Sambo led committee to start acting properly as it would want to control what is disclosed.
This incoming government has enough problems to deal with without the aggravation from GEJ’s Transition Committee, and the generality of Nigerians have had enough of GEJ and his forty thieves. Nigerians just want them to go.