A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, on Thursday, said the Offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Secretary to State Governments were not a creation of the law.
He stated that Sections 171(1)(2) and 208 of the 1999 Constitution only specified the SGF and the SSGs as officers whom the President and governors have the authority to appoint to exercise their executive powers.
Speaking at the first meeting of the Forum of the SGF and SSGs, Anyim, who was also a former Senate President, wondered if the omission from the Constitution was deliberate or an oversight.
He said, “The office of SGF/SSG is not a creation of law. Section 171(1)(2) and 208 of the Constitution only mentioned the SGF/SSG as officers the President/governor has powers to appoint in the exercise of his executive powers.
“First Schedule, Part 2, Paragraph 10 and Section 209 of the Constitution only mentioned the offices of SGF and SSG as offices subject to code of conduct processes and nothing more.
“I don’t know whether it was deliberate or oversight that the framers of the Constitution omitted to establish the office of SGF/SSG in the Constitution but went ahead to talk about his appointment.
“Being executive appointees under Section 171 and 208 of the Constitution, we must be sure that the role of SGF/SSG is limited to the executive arm of government.”
Anyim said the offices of the SGF and SSG “should be institutionalised or protected by law.”
“So, the first step to institutionalise the roles of SGF/SSG is to institutionalise the office by law.
“The advice of the Attorney General of the Federation should be sought on how to establish a common repository for the entire government of Nigeria, i.e. the three arms. At present, there is no effective mechanism to coordinate or synergise the activities of the three arms of government.”
Speaking, the SGF, George Akume, emphasised the need for harmonising efforts and working together in synergy to build stronger, more adaptive governance structures capable of meeting the diverse needs of the Nigerian populace.
He said, “In these challenging times, the importance of policy coordination and implementation is more critical than ever. As Nigeria navigates a complex array of socio-economic, environmental, and security challenges, we must take clear, unified action across all levels of government.
“The success of our national agenda depends on how effectively we align federal, state, and local policies, ensuring that they are not only well-conceived but also consistently implemented. Achieving this requires a deep commitment to collaboration and a shared vision of our common goals.”