Nigeria’s federal ministers decry repressive work environment under President Buhari

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By Anthony Obi Ogbo/

International Guardian, Houston, TX – Federal ministers in Nigeria may be seriously operating under President Buhari’s severe and pervasive conduct that represses the work environment and impedes with their ability to perform official duties.

Most of them are being subjected to disciplinary servitude with practically no option of resignation, International Guardian investigation reveals. “It would be a big risk to just resign because the EFCC would come after you with something, so they are really trapped” an aide to one of the ministers confided.

The ministers, we gathered were forcefully made to sign several pacts that compromised their constitutional job descriptions. For instance, in July 2015, President Buhari announced in his visit to Washington DC that ministers would no longer have power to award contracts. International Guardian reliably gathered that Buhari’s ministers are currently stripped from fully making major decisions regarding their divisions.

In May, 2016, Buhari reportedly shutdown a meeting with his ministers, and walked out on them over dissuasions about their concerns, especially accommodation. The ministers were seeking financial benefits for their accommodation, but their unconcerned boss,  President Buhari impolitely stood up and stormed out, leaving the ministers miserably hopeless.

An informant very close to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation told our newsroom that, “we have to be patient with our ministers. They are trying. Do you know that they cannot make any official decisions, or suggestions without consulting with the General, and that is slowing down everything we are doing here?”

One of the major stipulations, it was gathered was a mandatory restriction to grant press briefings or issue major press statements without President Buhari’s approval. An aide to a minister specifically told our newsroom that most press releases attributed to their sector directly come from the Presidency. “We actually get wind of most of those from the social media,” the aide confided.

In May, 2016, Buhari reportedly shutdown a meeting with his ministers, and walked out on them over dissuasions about their concerns, especially accommodation. The ministers were seeking financial benefits for their accommodation, but their unconcerned boss,  President Buhari impolitely stood up and stormed out, leaving the ministers miserably hopeless. The ministers, it had been reported, were living like squatters in Abuja, dwelling in rented motel rooms, homes, and apartments without any official remuneration to supplement their expenses.

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Buhari, Ministers in a group photo – In May, 2016, Buhari reportedly shutdown a meeting with his ministers, and walked out on them over dissuasions about their concerns, especially accommodation. The ministers were seeking financial benefits for their accommodation, but their unconcerned boss, President Buhari impolitely stood up and stormed out, leaving the ministers miserably hopeless.

Resignation may not be a pleasant option, our newsroom gathered. “One has to come up with a major excuse like ‘poor health condition’ or ‘real family issues’ to ask to resign. If not, it might be a big risk. You know Buhari does not want his cabinet in the news – anything that would embarrass his cabinet, he would take serious,” a ministerial aide said.

This may explain why some recent ministerial nominees politely turned down their appointments. For instance, one Akinwande Akintunde, a Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently rejected Buhari’s appointment to head the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); then one Usman Bugaji of Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP) from Katsina state turned down and Pauline Tallen, Former Deputy Governor of Plateau state, turned down their Ambassadorial Appointment respectively.

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