May 29th handover: Jonathan’s transition committee begins sitting as Pastor Bakare heads Buhari transition group

The transition committee, set up by President Goodluck Jonathan, to facilitate smooth
transition of power to the President-elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on May 29, started sitting on Monday.
Although no formal statement had so far been issued by the Federal Government on the composition of the committee, Sambo presided over the meeting, an indication that he is the head of the team as predicted exclusively by Punch last Wednesday.
At the end of the meeting, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, fielded questions from State House correspondents.
He said the committee met to discuss its terms of reference and develop guidelines for the preparation of handover notes.
“We met to discuss the terms of reference and develop the guidelines for preparing the handover briefs and the committee adjourned to April 20 for its second meeting,” he said.
Explaining the committee’s mode of operation, Anyim said it would first collect briefs from all Ministries, Departments and Agencies after which the data would be collated.
He said once that was concluded, the Sambo-led committee would then proceed to interface with the transition committee put in place by the President-elect.
The SGF explained that the interface would afford them the opportunity to offer clarifications and answer questions that might be raised by the Buhari’s committee.
“Ours is to collect our own hand over briefs, prepare the briefs and prepare the President handover notes.
“The terms of reference of our own committee is to collate relevant information for the handover briefs from all the MDAs, prepare them and interface with the incoming administration’s transition committee,” he explained.

This is coming as Nigeria’s President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari said he has appointed the General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare to head the transition committee.

According to a member of the All Progressives Congress, and supporter of Muhammadu Buhari, activist, Kayode Ogundamisi, Buhari has appointed the Pastor who was one time a running mate with Buhari during Nigeria’s 2011 general elections.

The President-elect had during the weekend said only credible, patriotic and knowledgeable Nigerians would make up the transition committee, as part of the first steps to chart an entirely new path for the country.