The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed ambassadors, heads of agencies, and other government appointees with political ambition to step down.
The directive issued in Wednesday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, affected the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who is among the heads of extra-ministerial departments.
The circular read: “For the avoidance of doubt, this directive affects all Ministers, Heads, and Members of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies and Parastatals of Government, Ambassadors as well as other political appointees who desire to contest for elective offices.”
The SGF noted that those affected should hand over to the most senior persons next to them.
He added: “For smooth running of the machinery of government and our foreign Missions, affected Ministers are to hand over to Ministers of State where they exist or to the Permanent Secretary, where there is no Minister of Ambassadors shall hand over to their Deputy Heads of Mission or the most senior Foreign Service Officer in line with established practices.
“Similarly, Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, Agencies, and Parastatals are to hand over to the most senior Director/Officer as may be peculiar to the organization, in line with the service-wide Circular No. SGF.50/S. II/0.2/268 of 4th December 2017.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday mandated members of the cabinet seeking elective positions to leave office on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.
Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, who confirmed this after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, said those affected must resign on or before Monday the 16th of May, 2022.
Nine Ministers who are seeking political offices, both at the federal and state levels, were affected.
Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, was the first to resign, hours after the President’s directive. Other members of the cabinet also followed suit and more are expected to toe the same line in the coming days.
