By Shola Abayomi.
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged his new ministers to ensure proper coordination in their dealings with the Presidency.
The President, who spoke on Tuesday at the presidential retreat for ministers-designate in Abuja, instructed his cabinet members to channel all requests for meetings with him through his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
President Buhari was quoted as saying: “In terms of coordination, kindly ensure that all submissions for my attention or meeting requests be channelled through the Chief of Staff, while all Federal Executive Council matters be coordinated through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”
There have been rising concerns about Kyari’s alleged influence on the President, with many alluding to the existence of a cabal within the Presidency.
The wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, had on different occasions lamented the humongous powers Kyari wields in reference to the ‘cabal’, which earlier prompted dissatisfaction among some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who protested against his re-appointment by the President.
President Buhari, had in his response to agitations calling for the sack of his chief of staff, described the public outcry as a “waste of time”.
Meanwhile, a cross section of Nigerians on Twitter have reacted to the President’s directive to his ministers.
See some reactions:
@Babatundequdu13:
“Since president Buhari will be too busy to attend to ministers directly I won’t be surprised if he travels out and hands over the country to our prime minister abba kyari. It’s only in Nigeria chief of staff will be more superior than the VP. What’s the job of osinbajo?”
@miyen_akeke:
“So the correspondences and Ministers Abba Kyari doesn’t want the President to see, he won’t be able to.
“Here is a President that doesn’t want a direct communication with the people of Nigeria and he just extended that gesture to his Ministers.”
@ayemojubar:
“Buhari handed overall power to Abba Kyari while he runs in the background like a service. I have a question, what about Osinbajo the VP? Is he only relevant in this administration for tourism, visitations and disbursement? A prof, a SAN, a pastor? #Nigeria”
@ayurexars:
“From time immemorial, the chief of staff has always been the gate pass to the president of any country.
“Some are even asking why not the vice-president? The president only asked Abba Kyari to do his job and for the ministers to follow due process. How’s this a problem.”
@shamsudeenAY:
“Reading opinions about Abba kyari shows you how dumb some Nigerians are. The president advised all meetings request should go through his chief of staff which is a normal procedure in the world. But some stupid thinking people thinks Abba is controlling the president.”
@Ike_Grandeur:
“Wait..ooo, you got employed as a member of the management team and you have no access to your MD yet none of the appointees has resigned?
“Politicians are destroying Nigeria now Abba Kyari has been appointed the President.”
Politics and thinking of Nigerians differs on issues like this as it happens all over the world. The Vice President has his own schedule. He is neither a personal assistant not Chief of Staff. Why is anyone thinking that the VP should arrange for meetings with the President. Are there no Chief of Staff with all the Governors? Should everyone have direct access to the President without going through his Personal Secretary?
As a Manager in any company, can you walk straight to your MD or CEO without being allowed by the Secretary?
Surely, if you are not in the good book of the Secretary, he/she might delay your seeing the MD depending on what you want to discuss with the CEO.