Buhari appoints 19-Man Transition Committee
The President-Elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a transition committee to handle the entry of his administration into power while also warning them against witch-hunting members of the outgoing administration.
Buhari inaugurated the 19-member committee in Abuja on Wednesday, and thanked the members for their willingness to serve in order to ease the change of leadership.
He said: “This assignment though onerous, it is well within your ability to accomplish, you are required to assess the information provided to you and advise me on its quality and accuracy.”
“It is a simple matter but you must have the right information if you are to shape appropriate policy decisions. Needless to repeat; that your committee and our government are not to witch-hunt or engage in fault finding.
“We want the facts and nothing but the facts, what has been done cannot be undone, our job is to learn from the mistakes of the past in an attempt to avoid similar errors.
“The time given for you to complete your assignment, two weeks, is short but because of the postponement of the election for six weeks from February 14 to March 28, the transition period has been truncated, we are obliged therefore to fast track steps to May 29.”
Naming Ahmed Joda as the chairman of the committee, he encouraged the members to be prepared for hard work and to note the importance of their job.
Responding on behalf of the members, Mallam Ahmed Joda said: “We as a committee are determined to do the best we can within the time that is allowed to accomplish your wishes and to make it possible for you to achieve your vision and all that you wish for our country.
“When I met you and you briefed me about this assignment, about the composition of the committee, I did observe that I’ve never served on a committee so weighty like this.
“I have people who are distinguished in their professions, who have their own enterprises and have their own businesses to look after and even serving governors and people in active service to the service of your incoming government and to the service of our motherland.”
According to Joda, the committee is committed and willing to work long hours to deliver on their tasks.
“I promise you that we’ll do our best because we are not only serving you, we are serving our people. We are going to try to begin to lay the foundation for a strong country where justice and peace prevail.”
Other members of the committee included Dr. Doyin Salami, Adamu Adamu,Wale Edun, Mrs. Bola Adesola, Dr. Festus Odumegu and Mrs. Nike Aboderin as well as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun.
Others are Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Bode Mustapha, Sen. Hadi Sirika, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, Alh. Abubakar Malami, Gen. Lawal Jafar Isa, Mohammed Hayatudeen, Solomon Dalong, Prof. Tam David West and the national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.