APPA cries foul over SGF’s approved disciplinary procedure against CEOs of parastatals, agencies

Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA) has differed from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha over the touted approved disciplinary measure against the chief executive officers of federal government parastatals, agencies and departments, saying the said measure is a thought in bad faith to muzzle the ministers.

Mustapha, penultimate week, issued circular, warning federal ministers amongst other things against unilaterally dismissing heads of Federal Government agencies and parastatals, saying they lack the power to do so.

In a swift reaction, during a media briefing in Owerri, capital city of Imo state, the President of APPA, Comrade Princewill Okorie observed that the implementation of the contents of the circular would have serious negative consequence on the privatised power sector and gag the ministers from implementing policies designed to enable them deliver electoral promises.

He insisted that the policy was an ill conceived advice “which reflects a hidden agenda by the SGF to create a cabal in the Buhari administration meant to gag the ministers from dealing with non-performing chief executives that may hinder effective implementation of policies of the administration”.

Okorie explained that the basis for the group’s stand is hinged on the fact that “ministers are political appointees appointed by the president to enable him deliver his electoral promises to Nigerians… Ministers are the drivers of the president’s vision realized through the support and cooperation of departments and agencies managed by the chief executives and bureaucrats under the supervisory authority and directive of the ministers as representatives of the president in the ministries.

“Failure to perform optimally to the satisfaction of Nigerians by the departments and agencies which the president has appointed ministers to oversee, reflects the failure of the ministers appointed by the president to hold sway for him. It also reflects failure of the president and his administration, hence, a minister who does not want to fail within the short period he has been appointed will certainly not be happy with any chief executive officer under him that fails to perform optimally”.

He advised President Muhammadu Buhari to disregard “this wrong advice and allow his ministers to have free hands to work with the boards to control the chief executive officers manning the various departments and agencies under the federal government.

This, he said, is so because it is the ministers that have the responsibilities to render account of how well they have served the nation within the period they have the opportunity to serve the nation.