The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has stated that there is no law that requires the holding of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting every week.
Buhari, who has been working from his residence since resumption from his 103-day medical vacation, had on Wednesday shelved the day’s cabinet meeting, stating that he would instead receive reports on the probe of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency, NIA, both of whom are on suspension.
Reacting to concerns that have trailed the cancellation of the FEC meeting, Adesina asserted on Channels Television on Wednesday night that the President’s decision on the day’s meeting is of no significance.
He said, “There is no law that says the federal executive council meeting should hold every week. There is no law that says it must be weekly. Under a past administration, it used to hold once every two weeks.
“So, there is no law that says it should hold every Wednesday. It depends on what you have on the agenda to discuss. The president is the chairman of that meeting. So, he has the discretion to hold or not to hold (the meeting).
“The fact that FEC did not hold in one week does not mean anything significant because the president has the discretion to hold or not to hold FEC (meetings).”
Asked if the cancellation of Wednesday’s meeting meant that FEC would no longer be meeting every week, he responded: “That is not correct. It did not hold every week; when this administration began, it did not hold every week. And right from then, it had been understood that the FEC would hold as often as there are things to discuss.”
The presidential spokesman went on to dispel rumours that his principal had not recovered from the undisclosed ailment for which he sought treatment in London, stressing that though Buhari is working from his residence, the president is strong enough to perform his duties.