By Oluwafemi Popoola
The Minister of State for Labour and employment, Festus Keyamo has said that the National Economic Council (NEC) under Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is an appendage of the President with no constitutional powers to take final decisions on resolutions through the NEC body.
He said most of the recommendations of the National Economic Council under the supervision of VP Osinbajo are subject to approval saying NEC only plays an advisory role on key economic issues.
While appearing on Arise News Channel on Monday, Mr Keyamo, who was recently appointed the spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council acknowledged that even though VP Osinbajo is constitutionally limited in taking certain decisions, but had, on several occasions acted as Acting President saying he is more experienced than Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who never had the opportunity to act as the President.
His words, “I saw one of the aides to Atiku, they said well, the VP is so powerful under Section 153, that he is the chairman of the Economic Council, as such, they don’t know how government functions.
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“I am a member of Cabinet. If you look at Section 153 of the constitution of National Economic Council (NEC) and then you now go to the third schedule, Section 19, the recommendations of NEC are brought to the President, they are just advisory body.”
“So they have no power to take final decisions. It is only Yemi Osinbajo, our good Yemi Osinbajo that has acted as President. He even has more experience than Atiku Abubakar,” Mr Keyamo said.
