Anxiety as Jonathan, ministers hold last FEC meeting

Anxiety on Tuesday gripped
ministers and other top
government officials in Abuja ahead
of the last meeting of the Federal
Executive Council under the
Goodluck Jonathan administration
scheduled to hold on Wednesday
(today).
The apprehension was triggered by
a report (not by The PUNCH)
credited to the Minister of
Information, Patricia Akwashiki, that
President Goodluck Jonathan would
dissolve his cabinet during a
“valedictory session” of the FEC on
Wednesday(today).
But Akwashiki on Tuesady refuted
the report and urged the general
public to disregard it as “false and
malicious.”
The minister, in a statement by her
Press Secretary, Joseph Mutah, said
at no time did she speak to
journalists on the dissolution of the
FEC by the President.
Akwashiki said she was surprised
that a news report, which initially
quoted an unnamed minister from
the South- West, ended up
crediting her as having made the
“tendentious comment.”
The FEC is the highest decision-
making body of the Federal
Government and it consists of the
President, the Vice President, all
ministers, the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, the
National Security Adviser, the Head
of Service of the Federation and
some top presidential aides.
The council members meet every
Wednesday to take decisions on
national issues.
Since the tenure of the current
administration expires on May 29,
the council’s valedictory session
has been fixed for Wednesday
(today).
A minister, who spoke with our
correspondent on the report that
Jonathan might disband the FEC
during its session on Wednesday
( today) said he was not aware
that such would take place.
He said that he was aware that
some of his colleagues had been
making contacts in order to confirm
if such would happen during the
meeting.
The minister said, “I am not aware
that the council will be dissolved.
Some of my colleagues had actually
called me to find out. Since I don’t
have any information on it, I am
also still reaching out to know the
true situation.
“The truth is however even if it
happens, it won’t meet any of us
unawares.”
Another council member, who is
not a minister, however, said
although the President would
expectedly thank members during
the meeting, he might not dissolve
the cabinet since he still has over a
week to be in the saddle.
He said, “The news is everywhere
that Mr. President may dissolve the
cabinet on Wednesday (today). I
have been trying to confirm this
but I have not been able to do so.
Let us wait and see what happens.
“But dissolving the cabinet during
Wednesday meeting will mean that
the President will be running the
affairs of the country alone as a sole
administrator till May 29.
“I don’t see him doing that now.
That can be done next week, very
close to the handover date.
“You should also note that many of
the ministers are members of
either the government’s Transition
Committee or the Inauguration
Committee.
“The question is if the council is
dissolved now, will they continue
serving on the committees in their
personal capacities or will they
cease to be members? Let us wait
and see how it plays out.”
Preparatory to the Wednesday
(today) meeting, some council
members met separately with
Jonathan on Monday.
The meetings were held
apparently because the President
was scheduled to attend the 47th
Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS
Authority of Heads of State and
Government holding in Accra,
Ghana on Tuesday.
Among those who consulted with
Jonathan on Monday evening were
the Minister of Petroleum
Resources, Diezani Alison-
Madueke; Minister of State, Finance,
Bashir Yuguda; Director-General of
the Bureau of Public Procurement,
Emeka Eze; and the Chief Economic
Adviser to the President, Nwanze
Okidegbe.