Buhari To Move Into Aso Villa, Announce Some Appointments Next Week

After spending nearly three weeks in the
saddle, President Muhammadu Buhari is set to
move into the Presidential Villa and commence
serious business of governance next week, a
competent Presidency source confirmed to
Vanguard.

Since being declared winner of the 2015
Presidential election, Buhari has been operating
from the Defence House in Maitama and has been
conducting official business of government from
there, having taken over the mantle of leadership
on May 29, 2015 from former President Goodluck
Jonathan.

But authoritative Presidency sources told
Vanguard that Buhari was set to move into the
Presidential Villa before the end of the week and
might also name the first set of top government
officials to kick-start the administration, which
has witnessed a lull in the last three weeks.
Vanguard learnt that the President was ready to
move from Defence House to the Villa possibly
early next week following completion of
renovation of the President’s residence by the
company which handled the project.

“It is true that the construction company has
completed the President’s wing and he is set to
move in any moment from now. As at today, it is
only the Vice President’s residence that is yet to
be fully completed.

“We expect that the two men will move into the
villa by next week since the work in the Vice
President’s apartment is not a serious one,” an
official in the Presidency explained to Vanguard.
The source explained that Buhari was set to begin
naming some key officials of his government as
soon as he moves into the Villa to prepare the
grounds for the take off of serious work for
Nigerians who have been expecting action from
the administration.


Fashola, Fayemi, others fine-tune 800-page report
As a prelude to setting up his administration,
Buhari has reportedly handed over the 800-page
Transition Committee Report to a trusted team of
his associates, headed by former Lagos State
Governor, Babatunde Fashola; former Ekiti
governor, Kayode Fayemi and others to reduce
into a sizable and workable document.
Fashola is being tipped to emerge as Chief of
Staff to the President because of his pedigree as
a former Chief of Staff, governor and a Senior
Advocate of Nigeria.

An impeccable source said that it was Buhari who
instructed that after all others had completed
working on transition report, they should hand
over the voluminous document to Fashola to
reduce into an implementable format for him to
read and take necessary actions.

The source said: “Hopefully, from next week,
some appointments would be announced. Buhari
is a fast reader and he will be able to take
immediate actions based on the transition
report.”

A member of the Buhari Transition Committee,
who pleaded anonymity because of the sensitive
nature of the matter, confirmed to Vanguard that
the final report presented to the president last
week was a comprehensive document meant to
guide him in taking decisions as to the shape and
nature of his administration to bring about the
needed change in the country.

The member said that what they presented to the
President was more of a blueprint and how best
to go about it in order to bring the country out of
the woods.

The member said: “The final report is very rich
and we believe it will help Mr. President in putting
a solid structure of his government and give him
policy direction as well.”