The committee, headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, to begin work on the guidelines for the transition and was expected to begin interface with the committee to be set up by the incoming administration.
Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator Ayim Pius Ayim, said in a chat with State House correspondents after the meeting that it met to review the terms of reference of the committee and develop the guidelines for the preparation of the handover notes.
He said the Federal Government committee would later meet with the incoming government’s transition committee to provide them with clarification where necessary and answer any questions that may arise.
According to him, “the committee met, reviewed the terms of reference, discussed the terms, developed the guidelines for preparing the handover notes and the committee adjourned till the 20th of this month.”
On when the committee would commence meeting with the incoming administration’s transition committee, Ayim said that would come after the committee had finished collation of briefs from the MDAs.
He added: “After we have collated our briefs from the ministries, we will put it together and then, we interface with the other committee so that whatever clarification they want, whatever questions they have, we will be able to address that.
“Ours is to collate the handover briefs, prepare the handover briefs, prepare the president’s handover notes. Then, by the time we are ready, then we interface with their own committee. Whatever clarification they need to know from our own brief, we provide those clarifications and put them on the same page with us.”
On the terms of reference of the transition committee, Ayim reiterated that “our own committee is to collate from all the MDAs our handover briefs, then prepare them and interface with the incoming administration’s transition committee. Then, we also prepare the president’s handover notes.”
He stated that everything about the transition committee’s mandate would be completed and executed before the swearing in programme for the new administration.
It will be recalled that President Jonathan had requested the president-elect while conceding defeat, to make time out to come to the Presidential Villa for the commencement of the transition programme.
Meanwhile, the presidency has shut down social media speculation that it had set aside the sum of N3billion for the use of its transition committee to prepare for the handover to the new administration, saying the claim was pure fiction and an act of blackmail.
It has also pointed out that the Federal Government transition committee was yet to meet with the corresponding committee to be set up by the president-elect, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, contrary to the claim in the report.
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