Ex-SGF, Yayale, resigns from Presidential Committee in protest

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Yayale, has resigned his position as the Chairman of the Presidential Committee of Experts on Inter-Professional Relationship in the Public Sector.

Yayale disclosed this in a letter of November 7, 2013 to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Pius Anyim, which was exclusively obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday.

He gave the refusal of the government to fund the committee  six months after its inauguration as the reason for his decision to resign.

The former SGF, who was also a former Head of Service of the Federation,  said that Anyim did not fulfill a promise he made while reacting to the committee’s appeal for funding in a letter of October 25, 2013, to provide the requisite funds for the committees operations as soon as possible.

Yayale said that he was left with no better option than to resign his appointment because it was impossible for the committee to achieve the objectives for which it was set up only 11 days to the end of the eight-week deadline given to it to submit its report.

He said that his experience as the Chairman of the Committee entrusted with the responsibility to ensure effective health care delivery system to the nation was not given the support required for its success.

“It is about  two weeks today since I received your letter No. SGF.6/C./31 of 25th of October, 2013 in response to my appeal regarding the funding of the above mentioned committee.

“In particular, paragraph 3 of your letter under reference assured me of your effort to ‘provide the committee with the needed funds for its activities within the shortest possible time.  It is regrettable to observe that nothing was heard since then.

“The Secretary to the Government of the Federation may also wish to note that it is only 11 days remaining within the period of eight weeks during which we are expected to submit our report. This you will agree falls within the realm of impossibilities.

“From my experience, it does appear that the committee has not been accorded the required support to succeed.

“I am therefore left with no better option but to convey my resignation as the Chairman of the Committee and allow you to appoint a replacement who may attract more attention than my person in order to realize the good intention of Mr. president,” the letter read in part.

Yayale said that he had accepted his appointment as chairman of the committee in a letter from the SGF with ref. No. SGF.6/C.1/9 of September 13, 2013, because the assignment was of serious importance to the Jonathan administration which according to him had demonstrated commitment to the provision of a conducive work atmosphere for all professionals in the public sector.

Yayale also said that he accepted the offer which came over two years after he left government because of the high regard he had for President Goodluck Jonathan under whom he served as SGF.

Yayale  urged the Federal Government to ensure that the resolve of President Jonathan to provide effective healthcare delivery system to the country was not abandoned.

The former SGF, who expressed gratitude to the President for his appointment into the committee, also expressed his disappointment that the committee was not provided with the necessary funds to function six weeks after its inauguration.

The letter also copied the Chief of Staff to the President.

When our correspondent contacted the Sepecial Assistant, Media to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Sam Nwaobosi, he did not pick the repeated calls to his mobile telephone line neither did he respond to a text message sent to him on the issue.