Buhari clarifies postings in VP’s office

I Didn’t Sack Them, They Were Redeployed
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, threw light on the motive behind the recent removal of some aides attached to the office of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, describing as “unfortunate” the political interpretation given to the event.

Fielding questions from newsmen at the airport, after his return from a 15-day “private visit” to the United Kingdom, Buhari said: “They said certain people were sacked in the Vice President’s office. We just created a ministry and we reorganised, and people are giving it political dimension. It is unfortunate.”

The President had been in UK since November 2, and was due to return today.

Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, on Friday night, announced the President’s arrival on Twitter.

The Presidential aircraft was said to have touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 9:45pm. The aircraft reportedly took off from Stansted Airport, London, at about 3:27 p.m. Nigerian time.

There was no official communication from the Presidency to explain his return ahead of schedule.

Also, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu did not reply to The Guardian’s enquiry on why Buhari returned ahead of time.

Buhari told newsmen that his administration was poised to work hard and to provide succour for Nigerians.

“We are going to work harder to be accountable and make Nigerians understand why we do certain things. Accountability from bottom to top is absolutely necessary. Whoever is responsible for government property should behave accordingly. It is not personal; he/she has to do it according to the law. That’s what I expect and I think we have been around long enough to impress people that we mean what we say,” he said.

The President had participated in the Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia, christened “Davos in the Desert,” where he spent four days before departing for the UK.

Aside attending the summit, which had a debating format for global leaders, investors and innovators to compare notes and share ideas, President Buhari also held extensive talks with the Kingdom’s rulers, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his son, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The President’s meetings with the two prominent rulers marked an upswing in relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Buhari also participated in a plenary session, where President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville discussed “What’s next for Africa? How will investment and trade transform the continent into the next great economic success story,” among others.