Fri 27/10/17
FEC Approves 2018 Budget Proposal Draft
The FEC have approved a draft of the 2018 proposal and this will officially be presented to the National Assembly by the President in due course.
Details on the budget will equally be released at a later date after all necessary approvals have been submitted.
The FEC also approved a memo submitted by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to set up a 14km 330 KV power transmission line at the Azura Power Plant in Edo state to boost electricity supply. The project is set to cost N796.96 million naira and people in the area are to evacuate by May 2018.
The FEC have also approved a scheme for private sector companies in which they can take on road construction projects in the country in exchange for tax credit. The aim is to mobilize sufficient capital from the private sector for road infrastructural development in the country.
President Buhari Meets With Governors in Abuja
The President received a delegation of governors at the State House in Abuja.
The governors who visited the president today include Governors of Kogi, Bauchi, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Yobe, and Kano states.
Thurs 26/10/17
President Buhari Signs the NEDC Act into Law
The President has signed the North-east Development Commission Act into Law
The NEDC Act was signed on October 25, 2017 and was aimed at creating a Commission to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency which has lost many lives and displaced lives and properties in the North-East region.
According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen Ita Enang, the Act gives full mandate to the Commission to generate local and international funding which will target all rehabilitation, repairs, reconstruction and integration of infrastructure and insurgency victims in the North-East region.
He explained that the Commission will equally set up offices, liaise with other necessary government agencies and create programs that will provide various social welfare and health services to alleviate poverty and restore environmental damages in the region.
The commission, according to him, will also serve as an intermediary between the people and the military to restore confidence in military activities in the region.
VP Yemi Osinbajo Attends National Prayer Breakfast at National Assembly
The Vice President gave his address at the 8th National Prayer Breakfast organised by members of the National Assembly today at the International Conference Centre, Abuja
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s message bordered on unity in which he noted that terrorists do not care about one’s religion when they strike, and these attacks affect the victims without considering their religious background. He therefore endeavoured the public to forget all forms of religious bias and embrace unity.
Other attendees include Deputy President to the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, CAN leaders and other ministers and legislators.
Presidency Refutes Claims of Inviting Maina
The presidency has disputed reports claiming the president invited Abdulrasheed Maina back into the country.
A spokesperson for Abdulrasheed Maina’s family gave this claim at a press conference in Kaduna on October 25, 2017. He said that, “Abdulrasheed was in fact invited by this administration and he was promised security to come and clean up the mess and generate more revenue to government by blocking leakages. He succumbed to the present administration and came back to Nigeria. He has been working with the DSS for quite some time and he was given necessary security.”
Speaking on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, notified the public that such statements are false and has urged the public to ignore the family’s claims.
President Buhari Presides Over FEC Meeting
The President presided over the Federal Executive Meeting today at the State House, Abuja
The major focus of the FEC meeting was the 2018 budget proposal of which the FEC is expected to give its approval today.
The aim is to put an end to delays in budget approvals and ensure the country returns to the appropriate January-December budget cycle.
President Buhari Congratulates Chinese Leader On His Re-Election
President Buhari has felicitated with the Chinese President Xi Jinping who has been re-elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese president.
While expressing confidence in the new president’s leadership and wishing him a successful second term, President Buhari said, “Your widely acknowledged wise and firm leadership has played a critical role in the changes in China in the past five years and the renewal of your term will no doubt strengthen the unity of CPC and its central, unified leadership and further enhance cohesiveness of the Chinese nation.”
The president also expressed joy at the positive relationship currently existing between China and Nigeria, as well as Africa as a whole, notably with the sustenance of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Wed 25/10/17
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo Attends Workshop for Justice and Judges in Abuja
The vice president attended a joint summit between National Justice Institute and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today in Abuja.
The Summit was themed: “Emerging Trends in Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Financial Crimes.”
At the summit, The VP gave his opening remarks to open the 2-day Capacity Building Workshop for Justices and Judges. He informed attendees that the country is taking a new stance towards fighting corruption.
He said, “We are re-jigging the entire system; the Chief Justice of the Federation has laid down the rules and he has encouraged everyone to follow suit.”
“There is no question at all that this is the time for us to open a new page in the entire anti-corruption fight.’’
“this is a collaborative venture of all, and the executive, judiciary and legislature must see this as a fight for the soul of our nation.’’
He admonished that investigations follow due process and not through the media so that the country can truly boast of an effective judicial system.
He added, “Most of the countries that have successfully dealt with corruption have had to dispense with needless technicality and focused on the offence.”
“In the case of public officers, they recognise that there can be no real explanation for a public officer whose pay is public knowledge to have cash and assets several times more than his earnings, let alone his savings.”
“If somebody earns more than what he should possibly even save in several lifetimes, freeing him technically can never make sense, it will always seem that something has gone wrong with the system,’’ he said.
Tues 24/10/17
President Buhari Attended the ECOWAS Task Force Meeting in Niger
The President has attended a meeting of the ECOWAS Task Force on Common Currency for the region of West Africa in Niamey, Republic of Niger today.
Delegates who also attended the meeting with the President were Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Speaking on the importance of threading with caution, the President admonished ECOWAS member countries to learn from the current situation of the EU and first address any underlying issues before seeking for a common currency.
He added that a committee be set up to create necessary guidelines, provide required budget and make recommendations on how to successfully achieve an effective monetary union
Full statement of his address is HERE
Mon 23/10/17
President Buhari Holds Bilateral Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey
President Muhammadu Buhari met with the President of Guinea, Alpha Condo and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at Istanbul, Turkey on October 21, 2017.
At a meeting with the President of Guinea, President Alpha Condo of Guinea commended President Buhari on his outstanding leadership both in Nigeria and Africa abroad, notably for speaking up on matters regarding the African continent.
President Buhari later met with the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. At the meeting, President Buhari encouraged the PM to utilize the budding investment climate in Nigeria, adding that he will strengthen economic relations between Nigeria and Pakistan President Buhari by restoring the Nigeria-Pakistan Joint Commission.
The President returned to Abuja from Turkey on October 22, 2017
Vice President Speaks at the EITI Conference in Indonesia
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who travelled on October 23, 2017 to Jakarta, Indonesia for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Beneficial Ownership Conference holding from 23rd to 24th October 2017 gave his keynote address at the event today.
The vice president spoke on issues of illegal financial flows between anonymous companies and how they could create an avenue for criminal activities.
He said, “we know that anonymous companies are not always illegal or are not always designed to harm. But we also know that secrecy provides a convenient cover for the criminal and the corrupt. And we are not just operating from the theoretical or hypothetical standpoint.’’
“Our lived experience has shown clearly that anonymous corporate ownership could serve as vehicles for masking conflicts of interest, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, and even terrorism financing.’’
He spoke on the importance of legitimate companies adding that, “legitimate businesses benefit not only from the better business climate that results when governments better serve their citizens but also from knowing who they are doing businesses with or competing against, they benefit from a level playing field, lower costs of doing business, and from reduced reputational risks.”
Full statement of the Address is HERE
President Buhari Orders Sack of Former PTF Chairman on Pension Reforms
President Buhari has ordered that former Chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, who was reinstated into the Civil Service, be dismissed.
In 2013, Abdulrasheed Maina was accused of a pension scheme fraud worth over N100 billion, he later absconded from the country to avoid persecution for which he was dismissed from the civil service. He was recently re-absorbed into the Civil Service under the Ministry of Interior and promoted.
The president is therefore seeking full investigation into the issue regarding his recall and has asked that full report on the situation be submitted to the Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari before end of work today, October 23, 2017.
Fri 20/10/17
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo Presided over NEC Meeting
The Vice-President presided over the National Economic Council meeting held yesterday at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa.
At the meeting, NEC formed a committee of six Governors from six geo-political zones in the country to work with the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council (NIPCAC) in promoting industrialisation and competitiveness in the country.
The committee is chaired by Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai while the other five committee members are Governors of Kwara, Edo, Ogun, Abia and Adamawa states respectively.
The committee is expected to review all recommendations made by the Advisory Council which is chaired by the Vice-President himself. The committee will also proffer ideas on how to implement desired plans for national industrialisation.
Full statement on highlights of the meeting is HERE.
President Buhari Speaks at the D-8 Summit in Turkey
The President was at the ninth summit of the D-8 in Turkey today and has admonished political leaders to motivate business communities in their regions using various measures which would expand economic cooperation among countries.
In his speech, the president said, ‘‘We need to work hard to establish integrated manufacturing structures and markets. I will like to reiterate the importance of increasing trade and investment among our Member States’’
The President also stated that Nigeria is committed towards fostering trade and development at local and international levels adding that Nigeria is willing to host the Meeting of D8 Ministers of Industry from November 14 – 17 in Abuja.
Full press release is HERE
Full Speech of the President at the D-8 Summit is HERE
Thurs 19/10/17
President Buhari Arrives Presidential Palace in Ankara
The President arrived the city of Ankara, Turkey today. He was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Turkey, Ambassador Ahmed Abdulhamid Mallammadon; Governor of Ankara, Mehmet Kiliclar and other prominent ministers.
He later met with the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey at the Presidential Villa in Ankara, Turkey to engage in bilateral discussions, after which they held a joint press conference.
The discussions were focused on issues of security, defence and migration.
Health Minister Debunks Rumours of Military Vaccine
Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, discredits all false information claiming the military is undergoing harmful vaccination exercises, adding that the public should know that the military regularly undergo acts of social responsibility such as medical outreach to get closer to the people.
He also spoke with state correspondents after the FEC meeting yesterday where he highlighted the 11 states where 74 suspected monkey pox cases have been identified.
According to him, 3 cases have been confirmed in Bayelsa state while about 12 cases in Bayelsa state and 4 cases in Lagos state have tested negative. More results are expected from further tests in other states.
FEC Approves Funding for Dam in Kaduna
The Federal Executive Council has approved a total of N236 million for the development and completion of Sabke dam in Kaduna state.
The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who made the announcement to state correspondents, explained that the Sabke dam is expected to boost agricultural development by carrying out irrigation in the state.
Wed 18/10/17
President Buhari Sends 2018-2020 MTEF Spending Plan to the National Assembly
The president has officially sent in the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) to the National Assembly three months before the end of the fiscal year.
In a letter by the president and read by the Speaker of the House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara, the president explains that the MTEF and FSP documents were organized with economic uncertainties and national fiscal challenges in mind.
He also said that the MTEF and FSP documents are prepared with the view that proposed spending will be prudent and will achieve governmental objectives of national economic recovery and growth.
President Buhari Signs FUPRE Bill into Law
President Muhammadu Buhari has officially assented to the FUPRE bill establishing the University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta as a legal educational institution.
The Bill was passed on June 23, 2016 by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of Delta Central Senatorial District.
The President signed the bill into law as a proof of his commitment to the development of the Niger-Delta region.
President Buhari Admonishes Agencies to Comply with TSA Policy
The president has admonished all government agencies to fully comply with the Presidential Order on Treasury Single Account (TSA).
The order which was enacted in August 2015, is aimed at providing efficiency, transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
The recent administration is now fully implementing this order and positive results have been documented from the TSA policy such as consolidation of thousands of government bank accounts and increased savings from the removal of bank charges costing up to billions of naira.
Tues 17/10/17
President Buhari Meets with Governors at State House, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari held a meeting with a delegation of Governors led by the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum at the State House in Abuja today.
Governors in attendance were from six geo-political zones in the country and they include:
- Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari representing North West
- Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom representing the South South
- Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar representing the North East
- Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed representing North Central
- Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu representing the South West.
- The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Eric Kelechi Igwe, representing the South East
- Director-General of NGF, Asashana Okauru.
President Buhari To Attend the D-8 Summit in Istanbul, Turkey
The president is set to depart to Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday, October 20, 2017 for the Ninth Summit of the Developing 8 (D-8).
The president will initially visit the capital city of Ankara to officially meet with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and have series of discussions on security, education, migration and other developmental issues.
The president will also meet with other leaders representing D8 member countries and will be accompanied on the trip by various top government officials, notably the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Hameed Ali.
Full statement on the press release is HERE
President Buhari Calls For An End To Terror in Plateau State
The president has condemned the killings of more than 20 people by herdsmen in Plateau State and has ordered the police force and military personnel to take appropriate actions against such violence.
A statement issued by Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu notifies the public that President Buhari is devoted to Nigeria’s unity and seeks out peace in all states.
The president also sympathizes with the people of Plateau State for their loss and assures for all lost loved ones and their safety from all forms of violence.
Mon 16/10/17
Presidency Clarifies False Claims on President Buhari’s Discussion with World Bank President
Claims that President Buhari is focused only on the Northern region of the country are false and result from a misunderstanding of the actual discussions which took place.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, explains that President Buhari’s request for assistance from the World Bank to rebuild the North-east was because of the Boko Haram insurgency which has devastated the region.
Since 2009, The Northeast region has been attacked by Boko Haram insurgents who have blown up homes, hospitals, villages, towns and cities. Up to 20,000 lives have been lost while properties and public infrastructure have been destroyed.
The crisis has put the region in dire need of huge external support for its recovery and this has led the president to seek assistance from the World Bank.
The full statement can be found HERE
President Buhari Receives Three Young Admirers at the Presidential Villa
The president welcomed three young admirers of the president; Maya, Nicole and Aisha, to the Presidential Villa today.
The three young girls are huge fans of the president and have shown their immense support for him through their actions, contributions and prayers.
Maya Jammal is the 3-year old internet sensation famous for the video prayers she made for the president, wishing him speedy recovery.
Aisha Aliyu Gebbi is the 10-year old girl who wrote to the president telling him she is his “biggest fan”
Nicole Benson is the 12-year old girl who saved up her lunch money and donated it to Buhari’s presidential campaign in 2015.
