The Presidency has given the reason President Bola Tinubu has not convened the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting 44 days after inaugurating his cabinet.
Nigeria’s president inaugurated 45 ministers who attended the maiden cabinet meeting held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on August 28.
However, 44 days after the inaugural meeting, the President’s failure to preside over any FEC meeting has continued to raise questions about Tinubu’s capacity to lead the country.
Speaking on the development, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, said it is not an issue because there is no specific time for the FEC meeting.
In a chat with Daily Trust, Abdulaziz asserted that President Tinubu had a different idea of the functions of the FEC, adding the fact that the meetings have not been held does not stop governance.
He said, “I think this is not an issue because there is no specific time for FEC meetings. Nobody said there are specific provisions for FEC meetings, and every government can work out things that will suit it. The most important thing is that ministers are working.
“In fact, the president has a different idea of the functions of the FEC because what we have seen, which a lot of experts have criticized, is how FEC reacts to contract awarding, but that is not the principle of FEC.
“He (the president) will hold the FEC, but those policy advisory and supervision kinds of functions, not the traditional way of coming every week announcing contract awards.
“There is more to FEC than contract award, and the most important thing is that cabinet is in check, ministers are busy working, and there is a consultation with the president. So, lack of FEC meeting doesn’t stop anything.”