SGF Or Chief of Staff, who is the Soul of Presidency? Eric Teniola, OSGF Expert, Judges

SGF Or Chief of Staff, who has more Power? Eric Teniola, who served 3 SGFs in 12 Years Provides the Answer

By Shola Oshunkeye   

To many, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, is just another office in the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Beyond the glitz and paraphernalia of the office, many do not know that it is the engine room of the Federal Government, the heart of the bureaucracy. And the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) vests so much power in the occupier of the office that if he or she sneezes, many in government would catch cold. Indeed, so enormous are the powers of the SGF that the occupier drives the policies of government.

As the frontline institution (or, front office) of the Presidency, the SGF monitors and coordinates the implementation of government policies and programmes of the administration. As Head of the engine room of government, he drives policy formulation, harmonization, and implementation; and monitors Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He coordinates 14 agencies and parastatals of Government. Activities at the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House. All ministers report to him; and no memo gets to the council or the President except through the SGF.

The agencies domiciled in the Office of the SGF are: National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Niger Delta Development Commission, (NNDC), National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NHCN), National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), Nigeria National Merit Award (NMMA), National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), New Partnership for African Development, (NEPAD), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and National Commission for Refugees (NCR).

Having served three Secretaries to the Government of the Federation over a period of 12 years, namely-Chief Ufot Ekaette, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe and Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, Mr. Eric Teniola knows the operations and mechanics of the high office like he does the palms of his hands.

In this interview conducted in the dying days of the Muhammadu Buhari Administration, Teniola fell back on his wealth of experience and his relationship with the 21st Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Barrister Boss Mustapha, to provide a deep insight into the workings of that high office and the man many believe changed the face of the Office for greater efficiency and coordination. He also cleared the haze on the confusion in some quarters on: which is more powerful, constitutionally speaking, between the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, and that of the Chief of Staff to the President.

Teniola, a High Chief in his native town of Idanre in Ondo State, would not allow you to draw the curtain on the interview without tracing his relationship with Boss Mustapha, and drawing a character portrait of the man from Hong in Adamawa State. He recalls the day his path crossed that of Barrister Boss Mustapha in Victoria Island, Lago, the virtues Mustapha exhibits and the manner of SGF he turned to be:

 MEETING BOSS MUSTAPHA

It was in 1993 in Roman Gardens House of Senator Mahmud Waziri, in Lagos. I was a friend to Mahmud Waziri, and I had gone to see him.  It was just a routine visit because I am not a politician. In fact, I had just left my post as the press secretary to the Ondo State Governor THEN, Commodore Olabode George. I served three Governors. I served General Opaleye, Commodore Olabode George and Admiral Olukoya, I was their Press Secretary.

So, while waiting in the living room, he, Boss Mustapha, came in with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (former Vice President of Nigeria 1999-1997). These were the days of the SDP (Social Democratic Party). SDP was one of the two political parties formed and funded by the General Ibrahim Babangida military regime-1985-1993-to midwife the Third Republic). Senator Mahmud Waziri had wanted to be the Presidential candidate of the SDP. There were eleven of them at the time, including: Major General Shehu Yar’Adua, Chief Olu Falae, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, and others. But General Ibrahim Babangida had banned all of them. So, the meeting that morning was one of their strategic meetings.

This was in 1993, and that was the first time I was seeing Boss Mustapha. He was young and handsome. He was wearing a neatly sewn French Suit. He looked very dapper in it. I later discovered that to be his signature dress. He was a handsome young man. So, they came in and Alhaji Atiku went in to meet Senator Waziri and I asked Boss to sit down. He did, then, introduced himself. That was how we kicked off. After that, we met at different other fora after that first meeting at Senator Waziri’s house. No, I was not a politician. I am still not a politician.

I got to the Presidency in November 1985. That was the week the popular writer, author and environmental and human rights campaigner, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was hanged in Port-Harcourt Prison for his alleged role in the killing of four Ogoni tribal leaders, otherwise known as the OGONI 4. In fact, I was one of the people chosen by the General Sani Abacha government to witness the execution. In 2000, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Boss Mustapha as a member of the Presidential Task Force set up by government to investigate the activities of the Petroleum Trust Fund under the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired). Chief Ufot Ekaette was then the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and I was the Director, Press and Public Relations in the Office of the SGF. As you know, such ad-hoc committees fall under the direct supervision of the Office of the SGF. Dr. Haroun Adamu was the Chairman of the liquidation Committee on the PTF. But along the line, something happened and Boss Mustapha was appointed to replace him.

As a director in the Office of the SGF, I always saw Boss anytime he came to the office, and our interactions continued, our bond strengthened. While Boss was at the PTF, he did me a favour I will never forget. A cousin of mine had done a job for the PTF and he wasn’t being paid. He was owed. Actually, many consultants and contractors were owed. But I took my cousin’s case to Boss Mustapha, appealing to him to help speed up the payment. He said I should not worry. And honestly, he approved the payment and it was made the second day. It was amazing. No, no, no. There was no motivation, as you described it. Nothing. He just did his own for God. He did as God directed him. He just remembered our friendship and sped up the process to get the approval. Sadly, a lacuna was created in our interactions after the PTF was disbanded and he (Boss Mustapha) went back to Yola, and I didn’t see him for a long time till he resurfaced later in Abuja. Beyond the favour he did me and my cousin, I found Boss to be a man of impeccable integrity, very straight, outstanding in whatever he commits himself to do, humble and never affected by power. He has been a wonderful friend and a jolly good fellow, very open- minded, non-discriminatory, and very considerate.

OSGF AS POWERHOUSE OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

In retrospect, I served three Secretaries to the Government of the Federation.  I served Alhaji Gidado Idris, Chief U.J. Ekaette, and Alhaji Babagana Kingibe. Nope, that does not qualify me to be a veteran Director in the Office of the SGF. No. There are other people who served more years in the presidency than I did. Altogether, I served for a total of eleven years in the Office of SGF. During my time, the SGF was on the 11th floor of the Federal Secretariat (Abuja), and I was there with the SGFs that I served.

 Boss Mustapha: Hallmark of a Super SGF

The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, is a very powerful one. It is much more powerful than the Office of the Chief of Staff. First, the Office of the Chief of Staff is a creation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The office of the Chief of Staff, though powerful and influential, is ad-hoc. It is a creation of the President. I think President Olusegun Obasanjo started it. While both offices report directly to the President, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is the real engine room of government. It is the frontline institution of the Presidency. And the occupant of the seat wields enormous powers and influence. Because of that, holders of that seat must possess distinctive leadership qualities to succeed.

The person must have a high level of integrity and accountability. He must be an excellent communicator and great interpersonal skills to motivate. He must be a team player He must be loyal to his oath of office. All these attributes were never in short supply in the three SGFs that I served. There were all absolutely loyal to their bosses. Alhaji Gidado Idris was very loyal to General Sani Abacha and his successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar. The same could be said of Chief  U. J. Ekaette who was extremely loyal to President Olusegun Obasanjo; and while I was there, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was loyal to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Like I said, the Office of the SGF is a very powerful office. The position is so powerful that if you are not morally upright, it can get you so easily intoxicated that you begin to misbehave. So, have to be humble. You have to be prayerful. When I was there, the office was presiding over about forty-seven agencies and about nine Permanent Secretaries were under him. SGF is a very powerful portfolio. He is the secretary of the Federal Executive Council. He is the Secretary of the National Security Council, as well as the Secretary of the National Council of State. He is also the head of the Cabinet secretariat.

The mere holding of that office can make some people to be intoxicated with power. In that kind of position, only God can make some people humble. If your character detests you to be humble, you will not be humble. If your character detests you to be arrogant, you will not be arrogant. So, the occupant of the office must be calm because aside the politics, those responsibilities he must carry out are huge and demand that you be cool, calm and level headed.  By the provisions of the Constitution, the occupant of the seat also has to be the Secretary of the Federal Executive Council, Secretary of the Council of State, head of the Cabinet secretariat; and he has to formulate policies for the Federal Government. In short, the SGF is the engine room of the Federal government. All Ministers must pass their memos to him. He is the clearing house for the Federal Government because all memos must pass through him and has to pass them to the Federal Secretariat. It is after that that those issues contained in the memos will be discussed by the Federal Executive Council.

Between OSGF and Chief of Staff

The office of the Chief of Staff to the President is an aberration because it was not provided in the Constitution. Whereas the Office of the SGF and the Head of Service were provided for in the Constitution, the same cannot be said of the office of the Chief of Staff which was an ad-hoc arrangement.

It was not provided for in the Constitution. It is an invention brought about by President Olusegun Obasanjo. Prior to that, the duties of the Chief of Staff were being carried out by the Private Secretary to the Head of State, PSHS. The PSGS was the precursor of the SGF and Head of Service. Most of the jobs being carried out by the Chief of Staff now were the job of the Private Secretary to the Head of State; and certain schedules of the SGF.

I do not think there can be any conflict between the Chief of Staff and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation because the occupants of the two positions are no mean persons. Besides, and most importantly, they are answerable and loyal to the same principal-the President. Even if any conflict arises between them, they can easily resolve it. But I know that the SGF that I saw served during Chief U.J. Ekaette and Babagana Kingibe, had a special bond with the Chief of Staff that served during their tenures. The Chief of Staff then was Major General Abdullahi Mohammed from Ilorin, Kwara State. Hardly a day passed by without Ekaette getting in touch with the Chief of Staff. There was special relationship between the two men. Ufot Ekaette and Major General Mohammed; and that made the job of President Olusegun Obasanjo to be so easy at the time.

Again, there can’t be any conflict between the Chief of Staff and the SGF because their schedules have been clearly spelled out. Immediately President Olusegun Obasanjo got into power in 1999, he compelled the then SGF, Chief Ufot Ekaette to draw a certain schedule for all Ministers, the Head of Service and the Chief of Staff. And there is no overlap among the schedules. Like I said, since they are working for the same President, there should not be conflict. At time under reference, there was good coordination between the office of the Head of Service and the Office of the SGF. Since his job also relates to the civil servants and Permanent Secretaries, the Head of Service is the boss of the civil service. Their postings, and everything, is an equally important job but in terms of schedule, in terms of government policies and implementation, the SGF has more responsibilities and powers than the Head of Service and the Chief of Staff.

Rating SGF, Boss Mustapha

In terms of rating Boss Mustapha’s performance as SGF, that’s a difficult call for me because I am on the outside. I am no longer in the system. The only person who can rate him is the President that he is serving. But being on the outside, looking in, there have not been any serious conflict or problem that we know of. Unlike his predecessor, Engineer Babachir Lawal who ran into stormy waters and was removed by his Principal, President Muhammadu Buhari. Babachir Lawal was appointed as Secretary to the Government of the Federation in 2015 by President Buhari and was sacked in 2017 for alleged financial misdemeanor.  But he denied the charges. However, I’m sure if there was no conflict, Babachir Lawal would not have been removed. And Babachir Lawal is from the same state as Boss Mustapha; Adamawa State. In fact, they are from the Local Government; Hong.

To the best of my knowledge, I think Boss Mustapha has performed because I have not heard of any scandal. I don’t expect him to under-perform because he is a hard-working man. He is available and very friendly. He is a team player and I don’t expect less from him.

I understand he is very meticulous and finicky when it comes to details. Well, that is to be expected considering his background as a lawyer, technocrat, administrator, and multi-tasker. Though he is not a seasoned civil servant but coming from the private sector, he is a competent guy. He acquits himself well on any task assigned to him. Look at what he did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Look at the way he steered the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, briefing the nation on TV every day, coordinating the doctors, Professors, scientists, achieving results that dumbfounded the world. This is because he is focused, very serious on any issue he takes. He is de-tribalized; he doesn’t ask about your tribe before he becomes friendly to you. He judges you according to the content of your character.

Boss Mustapha is not a good man just because of his religion. He is just a good man, regardless of faith. When it comes to the content of your character, it has nothing to do with your faith. If you are good, you are good; it doesn’t matter if you share the same faith with him or not. The goodness in him is not a question of religion. That you are a Christian or a Muslim doesn’t make you a good person but your character.

There is no qualification for the office of the SGF. It’s unlike that of Head of Service who, the Constitution says, must be selected among Permanent Secretaries. But when it comes to that of the SGF, the Constitution just says there will be Secretary to the Government of the Federation. But in the past, SGFs were selected among Permanent Secretaries. For instance, Alhaji Aminu Kano was formally a Permanent Secretary. Alhaji Gidado Idris was a Permanent Secretary, Chief Olu Falae was formally a Permanent Secretary. Chief Anyim Pius Anyim was formally a Permanent Secretary but was selected by President Goodluck Jonathan who appointed him as SGF. Ambassador Babagana Kingibe was formally a Permanent Secretary and many of them like that. However, Engineer Babachir Lawal was brought to be SGF. That makes him the first non- Permanent Secretary to be Secretary to the Government of the Federation. He was the first non-civil servant to be SGF. So, there is no qualification for the position provided the President deems it fit that you can be SGF.

Whether Boss Mustapha should take a shot at the Presidency at some point in our history? It depends on him if he wants to be president. There is absolutely nothing strange in it if he chooses to run for President. There are precedents. There have been former SGFs who took a shot at the Presidency. Chief Olu Falae was SGF before he showed interest, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim was SGF before he showed interest. It depends on the individual or the character of the person. As for me, I would love to have a female SGF in this country one day. I think a woman too should be SGF. We have tried men and they have succeeded. We can try a woman also provided she is competent, has quality and character.

Prayer for Boss Mustapha

Finally, I wish Boss Mustapha and his family the best of luck in life and greater height for him as he still has a long way to go. With his attributes, the Office of the SGF is not his last bus stop. I pray for him good health and sound mind so he could serve our country at a higher level. He could be useful in other aspects of our national life.