PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, resumed duties after returning from his nearly two months medical vacation in the United Kingdom.
Upon his resumption, he sent a letter to the National Assembly as required by law, to apprise the lawmakers of his decision to resume on Monday and also gave directives on situations in the North-East and Niger Delta regions.
While he was away, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had performed the duties with full presidential powers, following the transmission of power to him by President Buhari, who had similarly notified the National Assembly before his trip.
A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, confirmed the resumption.
“I have resumed my functions as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with effect from Monday, March 13, 2017, after my vacation,” Adesina quoted part of the letter as saying.
Upon resumption, the president met with Vice-President Osinbajo for about one hour at the Presidential Villa.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Osinbajo said he had passed the baton of power back to President Buhari and had reverted to his role as vice president.
He said the president is now ready to assume his duties even though he would continue to delegate some duties to him as Vice President as had been the case.
Responding to enquiry on whether he had handed over power, Osinbajo said “Oh yes! I’m back to my regular position as vice president.”
Asked how the president is doing, he said “he is very well. We just had a very long meeting, basically trying to bring the president up to speed as to some of the things we have done while he was away.
“He has given a few directives on what we should be doing in so many areas, the North-East, budget, the economy, a wide range of issues.”
On whether Buhari is ready for the work, he said: “he held a meeting with me for over an hour where we discussed a wide range of issues. So, his readiness for work is not in doubt at all. In fact, he is over ready.”
Osinbajo was also asked whether the president was impressed with his performance while he was away, to which he responded: “I think the president was reasonably satisfied.”
He also commented on the possible delegation of more duties to him in view of the president’s state of health, saying: “I think the president, as you know, has always given me several responsibilities. I think what we must recognise is that the way this administration work is that it has always been team work.”
President Buhari also directed Vice-President Osinbajo to head the special presidential delegation charged with the task of resolving the crisis in the Niger Delta region.
Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Brigadier-General Paul Boroh, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja, said the choice of Osinbajo as leader of the government’s fact-finding delegation to the crisis-ridden region was informed by the president strategic plan to engender peace in the region.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that before now, the Niger-Delta elders were leading the delegation on the resolution of the crisis.
With the new presidential directive, however, Boroh said the vice president would henceforth head the delegation.
According to him, this would meet the president’s expectations of not only building confidence among the people on government’s intentions, but also help in its fact-finding mission on a workable and lasting solution.
“There is no doubt that the president knows that peace in the Niger Delta region is crucial to the development of the entire country,” Boroh said.
He said the visit of the vice president to the Niger Delta was in phases and would cover all Niger Delta states.
According to him, so far, “we have visited Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers and Imo states. The next phase will be Cross River, Abia and Ondo. By that, we would have covered the entire Niger Delta states.”
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