The Federal Government has released a new directive on how President Muhammadu Buhari should be addressed at formal functions.

This is as the President also directed Minister to inaugurate Federal Boards of MDAs.

The two policies were contained in separate circulars by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Gida Mustapha.

“Government has observed with concern the inconsistent manner in which the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria is addressed during Official and Private functions. It has therefore become necessary to have a standard format for addressing him at such formal occasions,” Mustapha said in one of the circulars dated 26 January 2018.

He added, “To this end, Mr. President shall henceforth be addressed as “Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” except in purely Armed Forces Programmes, where “Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria” will be added.

According to him the new directive indicates the president, though a retired Major General is not to be addressed by that military rank at formal functions.

In another circular dated 26 February 2018 and signed by the SGF, the President directed all ministers to inaugurate the boards of various parastatals under their supervision.

President Buhari had in December 2017 appointed 209 board chairmen and 1,258 board members.

The circular which directed all ministers to conclude the inauguration of the boards on or before Friday, March 9 added that the reports of the inauguration exercise are expected to reach the Office of the SGF not later than March 16.

He said the directive was given following the approval of President Buhari for the Federal Government to publish the membership of Boards of Parastatals under various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

“Where the law provides Institutional Representatives should be Civil Servants not below the rank of Director in relevant MDAs, for effective reporting,” the circular said.