The Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been a column of support for the Tinubu Administration in the first 100 days in office, Olawale Ajimotokan reports
Senator George Akume is a tested and consummate politician with antecedents in leadership and governance. He resumed duty on June 7, 2023 following his appointment as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He succeeded Mr Boss Mustapha, who served in the same capacity in the eight unbroken years of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Akume had a sterling career in the public service, where he rose through the ranks as a permanent secretary in the Benue State Civil Service before becoming a two- term Governor of Benue State from 1999 to 2007.
It is said that his Benue Advance Plan blueprint has remained the foundational policy document that successive administrations in Benue State have anchored their development projects upon.
He was later elected a Senator of the Federal Republic before serving as Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs also under the Buhari administration.
The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is very symbolic and essential to the working of the Nigerian government. It is the arm of the Presidency that is charged with the responsibility for ensuring effective coordination and monitoring the implementation of approved government policies and programmes by Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
It wields such influence that it is the secretariat to the President and by extension, it advises the government on broad policy matters across the nation’s political, social and economic milieu.
The OSGF comprises five offices headed by Permanent Secretaries in addition to also being directly responsible for the supervision of 16 agencies domiciled in the Presidency.
The major arms of OSGF are the General Services Office (GSO), Cabinet Affairs Office (CAO), Political and Economic Affairs Office (PEAO), Special Services Office (SSO) and Ecological Projects Office (EPO).
Akume has in the last 100 days dutifully discharged that function to the best of his ability by acting as the adhesive tape that binds the presidency with the bureaucracy to ensure effective implementation of government policies.
As someone imbued with the requisite intellectual capacity, administrative competence, political imagination and leadership capital, he has impressed in the last 100 days as the nation’s leading bureaucrat.
His office takes care of political office holders, including Mr. President and the Vice President. The OSGF also serves as the Secretariat to the Council of State, the Federal Executive Council, Security Council and other constitutional councils which are chaired by the President.
He coordinates the activities of Ministries and government agencies as well as monitors the implementation of government decisions, policies and programmes.
He also handles constitutional, political and socio-economic matters as may be referred to the Presidency.
Akume serves as the Chief Adviser to President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Shettima Kassim on policy issues, while also providing administrative support services for administrative tribunals, commissions and panels of inquiry.
He also handles issues related to the affairs of former heads of state and presidents, including protocol matters, processing of communication and documentation and conveying the directive of the President.
He also superintends the processing and granting of government approval for overseas tours, inter-governmental meetings, conferences and medical check-up/treatment for public officers, members of the judiciary, chairman and members of statutory commissions for approval by the President as well as processing of appointments to the headship of statutory bodies, commissions and agencies by the President.
Akume also liaises with secretaries to state governments and ensures to the provision of office accommodation and support services for political office holders.
One of the major tasks he carried out in the last 100 days was serving as the Chairman of the 2023 Inter-Ministerial committee on Democracy Day.
The event tagged “Hope Reassured” held on June 12 away from the traditional May 29 was held in honour of the heroes who championed the political struggle against military rule and made extra-ordinary sacrifice for the enthronement of the democratic rule in Nigeria from 1999 till date.
This year’s Democracy Day was low-key given that the federal government had staged an elaborate Presidential inauguration celebration on May 29, which remarkably was the date powere was transferred to the Tinubu administration by the Buhari administration.
Akume also consolidated the federal government’s fight against the triple scourge of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by enhancing collaboration with Global Fund when he received in audience a delegation from the Global Fund which approved about $1 billion for Nigeria as part of its grant to assist the country in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and HIV/AIDS for the next three years.
The federal government also approved the dissolution of the governing boards of all Federal Government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies in the exercise of its constitutional powers and in the public interest.
The dissolution does not, however, affect boards, commissions and councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
According to the SGF, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC) were exempted from such dissolution.
In view of this development and pending when new boards are constituted, the Chief Executive Officers of the parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies are to refer matters requiring the attention of their boards to the President, through the permanent secretaries of their respective supervisory ministries and offices.
Akume also sought to deepen bilateral relations with the British government in the area of security, agriculture and infrastructural development.
The SGF worked towards improving ties when he received in audience the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, when the later paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
He recalled the historical ties between UK and Nigeria while stressing the imperative of both countries working together for mutual benefits
“We want to make a difference in the lives of our people. We are not after money, we are after infrastructure, we are after food security, and we are after energy. We believe with your support we should go further than this. We also have nine mandate areas. Honestly, by the time you support us, its mutual, you will be surprised that the relationship will soar to greater heights,” Akume said.
The SGF also courted the support of the British to assist the Federal Government to curb Boko Haram insurgency, banditry and farmers-herders clashes as they did during Nigeria’s civil war.
He also stressed the need to deepen bilateral relationship to support Nigeria in the area of education and provision of health, among others.
Another commendable performance of Akume was that his office successfully completed the documentation process for all 45 Minister-Designates ahead of their inauguration by President Tinubu on August 21.
