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Only 18 Ministers out of 36 are attending this week’s meeting Federal Executive Council ( FEC) as Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presides over the FEC meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Most of the key Ministers, including those of Finance, Industries, Trade and Investments, Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Budget and National Planing were not present at the meeting as they were said to be on assignment outside the country.
Also absent at the meeting were Minister of Defence, Chief of Staff to the President, National Security Adviser, amongst other top government appointees.
The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed spent just few minutes and left for other assignments, shortly after the opening prayers.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation was expected to brief on the activities of his office at the ongoing meeting, even as the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammed Babandede and the Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission , Boboye Oyeyemi were amongst those expected to brief FEC on their agencies’ activities.
Most of the Ministers are said to be at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting currently going on in the United Kingdom with President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun is currently attending the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund, (IMF) meeting in Washington DC.
The Vice President presides over the Federal Executive Council meeting in the absence of the President.
Charter 6, section (148) (1) of the Nigerian Constitution gives powers to the President who may use his discretion to assign responsibilities ” to the Vice-President or any Minister of the Government of the Federation responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation, including the administration of any department of government”
The Federal Executive Council is empowered by the Constitution to formulate policies that determines the general direction of the country
Section 148, Sub section (2) of the Constitution as amended states that “The President shall hold regular meetings with the Vice-President and all the Ministers of the Government of the Federation for the purposes of, (a) determining the general direction of domestic and foreign policies of the Government of the Federation;, (b) co-ordinating the activities of the President, the Vice-President and the Ministers of the Government of the Federation in the discharge of their executive responsibilities; and( c) advising the President generally in discharge of his executive functions other than those functions with respect to which he is required by this Constitution to seek the advice or act on the recommendation of any other person or body.
