On Thursday, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, asserted that the offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Secretary to State Governments (SSG) are not established by law.
During the inaugural meeting of the Forum of the SGF and SSGs, Anyim, who also served as Senate President, explained that Sections 171(1)(2) and 208 of the 1999 Constitution only reference the SGF and SSG as positions that the President and governors can appoint to execute their powers.
“The office of SGF/SSG is not a creation of law,” Anyim stated. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Anyim questioned whether the omission of these offices from the Constitution was intentional or an oversight.
“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 its 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.”
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He argued that the SGF and SSG positions “should be institutionalised or protected by law,” advocating for legal establishment of these roles. “The first step to institutionalise the roles of SGF/SSG is to institutionalise the office by law,” Anyim proposed.
He also suggested seeking the Attorney General of the Federation’s advice on creating a common repository for coordinating activities across Nigeria’s three arms of government. “At present, there is no effective mechanism to coordinate or synergise the activities of the three arms of government,” he added.
SGF George Akume addressed the need for enhanced coordination and collaboration among government bodies saying “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.”
He emphasized, “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.”
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