New SGF, Boss Mustapha
Mr. Boss Gida Mustapha was last week appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) following the sack of Mr. Babachir David Lawal. The former SGF was earlier suspended after his indictment in the infamous Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) “grass cutting” scandal. We congratulate the newly appointed SGF on his elevation as the 19th Secretary to the Government of the Federation and we welcome him to the hot seat. We also deem it fit to counsel him on the daunting challenges and rough road ahead amidst Nigerians’ high expectation for the Buhari Administration.
Prior to his elevation, Boss Mustapha was the Managing Director of the Inland Waterways Authority in Lokoja. He is a lawyer and a very experienced politician who over the years actively participated in party politics and also contested for several elective offices in his native Adamawa State. His public service resume is however not impressive as we would have expected for the holder of an office that is the engine room of government. He must make up for that with sheer political experience and sagacity.
The new SGF partly got his post due to zooming because from all indications, Buhari didn’t want Lawal’s constituency to feel short changed by his sacking. Yet, Boss Mustapha should do well to learn from his predecessor’s mistakes. Lawal allowed his personal business to be mixed up with his official business. Funds meant for relief to Internally Displaced Persons in the North East were funnelled into contracts that had little bearing on the problem, were inflated, and kickbacks were channelled towards the former SGF’s companies. This was a big embarrassment for President Buhari, that a man reputed to be personally and politically very close to him will perpetrate such a heinous crime.
Corruption was not the only problem of the SGF’s office under Babachir Lawal. From what politicians and other officials say, he also had a poor relationship with ministers, state governors and other high officials, civil servants and including National Assembly members. It was noticeable that one of Boss Mustapha’s first acts as SGF was to pay visits to the Senate President and House Speaker. He realised early enough that the relationship of acrimony and mutual suspicion that characterised Executive-Legislative ties in the last two and a half years greatly slowed down the Buhari regime and caused a lot of unnecessary distraction to it.
Boss Mustapha said the Buhari Administration needed “an emergency acceleration” for the nation to get out of its present situation and stressed that he will work to ensure more cooperation between the Executive and Legislature vis-à-vis government ministries and departments. This is very commendable. Apart from relations with the legislature, there are many areas of friction within the Executive branch itself and it is the SGF’s duty to iron them out efficiently for the good of the service and the administration. Boss Mustapha should bring his considerable political experience, simplicity and humour to bear in coordinating the work of the Buhari presidency. He should also avoid being in the news for the wrong reasons.
As the SGF, Boss Mustapha will be coordinating policy design and formulation in 22 Ministries, numerous departments and hundreds of agencies and parastatals. He will serve as secretary of the Federal Executive Council and supervise Administrative Tribunals, Commissions and Panels of Inquiry. He will equally coordinate other matters such as National Honours, Prerogative of Mercy, Protocol Matters, channelling papers and directives of the President and dealing with matters relating to conditions of service of political office holders among others.
At his age, Boss Mustapha understands the expectation of Nigerians as well as what leadership needs to do, so he will bring freshness, simplicity and new approach in the affairs of government. The Buhari Administration needs it now more than any time.