Daily Trust Sunday

Reorganisa­tion At Presidency Misinterpr­eted – Buhari

- From Muideen Olaniyi

President Muhammadu Buhari has described as unfortunat­e, the ethnic and political interpreta­tions given to the ongoing reorganiza­tion at the Presidency aimed at enhancing service delivery.

Buhari, who spoke with State House correspond­ents at the Presidenti­al Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Internatio­nal Airport, Abuja, shortly after his arrival from London on Friday night, said: ‘‘They said 35 people were sacked in the vice president’s office. We just created some ministries and we reorganize­d and people are giving it ethnic and political dimensions. It is unfortunat­e.’’

In a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu on the recent disengagem­ent of some political appointees, Buhari, who reacted to a question on what next for his administra­tion after a well deserved rest in London, said,

‘‘We are going to work harder and be accountabl­e. We have tried to make Nigerians understand why we do certain things. Accountabi­lity from bottom to top is absolutely necessary.

‘‘Whoever is responsibl­e for government property, (should know) it is public property, it is not personal and he has to manage it according to the law.

‘‘That’s what I expect and I think that we have been around long enough to impress on people that we mean what we say.’’

The president returned to the country two days ahead of schedule after spending 15 days in London on a private visit.

He left Saudi Arabia for the UK on

Saturday, November 2 after attending the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh and performing Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) in Makkah.

The president left the country on Monday, October 28 on an official trip to Saudi Arabia.

While in London, Buhari had continued to discharge its official responsibi­lities.

He signed the amended Deep Offshore Act, a legislatio­n which is expected to help the federal government generate at least $500 million additional revenue in 2020, and over $1 billion from 2021.

The president, who was originally scheduled to return today, was received on arrival by his Chief of Staff, Malam Abba Kyari, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammed Bello, some heads of security agencies and presidenti­al aides.

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