Objectives
The Cabinet is the supreme authority for taking policy decisions for the Government. The Cabinet Office which operates under the Prime Minister, is staffed by -
(a) the Secretary to Cabinet;
(b) the Permanent Secretary; and
(c) a Secretariat and Supporting Staff.
Secretary to Cabinet
Section 70 of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Secretary to Cabinet whose office shall be a public office. The Secretary to Cabinet shall be responsible, in accordance with such instructions as may be given to him by the Prime Minister, for arranging the business for, and keeping the minutes of, the Cabinet or any of its committees and for conveying the decisions of the Cabinet or any of its Committees to the appropriate person or authority, and shall have such other functions as the Prime Minister may direct.
The documents to be considered by Cabinet are scrutinized by the Secretary to Cabinet. These comprise Memoranda and Information Papers, draft Bills and proposals for nomination on Boards and Committees. A draft Agenda is submitted to the Prime Minister who is the sole authority for determining the contents of the Agenda for each Cabinet Meeting. Ministers are provided with a set of Papers, according to the Agenda approved by the Prime Minister, for consideration at the next Meeting of Cabinet.
At the end of each meeting, the Secretary to Cabinet issues a Communiqué comprising important decisions reached, and transmits legislations approved by Cabinet to the Clerk, National Assembly for introduction in the National Assembly.
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent Secretary gives general assistance to the Secretary to Cabinet in the fulfillment of his duties. He keeps records of decisions reached by Cabinet, and makes arrangements for their transmission to relevant Ministries. He is responsible for the safe keeping of all records of Cabinet. He also makes necessary arrangements for the holding of Economic Committees of Cabinet.
Secretariat and Supporting Staff
Cabinet is assisted by a Secretariat commonly known as the Cabinet Office. The prime objective of this Office is therefore to assist the Cabinet in discharging its duties. Its role is linked to the weekly session of Cabinet. It has to follow a set pattern of works to be ready for the next Meeting of the Cabinet.
The Cabinet Office functions under the supervision of the Secretary to Cabinet. It processes all documents to be considered by Cabinet. In processing a document, the Office has to pay special attention to the drafting, presentation and the quality thereof. Cabinet documents are prepared according to set guidelines and the final product to be presented to Ministers should be neat, clear and cogent. A set of documents is prepared for each Minister.
The Cabinet is also responsible for matters relating to the conferment of National Awards and the safe keeping of medals.
All matters relating to appointment and replacement of Ministers, as well as the President of the Republic, the Vice-President, are dealt with by the Cabinet Office.
