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Tag: Acting President Yemi Osinbajo

  • Buhari’s absence not stalling APC convention – Okorocha 

    Buhari’s absence not stalling APC convention – Okorocha 

    Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha on Thursday said that the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in the country is not stopping the party from holding its convention.

    He made the remark after APC governors met Acting President Yemi Osinbajo behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the party is still trying to put the house in order before the conversation can take place.

    He said “We came to discuss issues relating to our party and our government and how to move our party forward.

    “We discussed a lot of issues on how to move the party forward, how to strengthen the party and how to make sure our party remains Victorious in all elections. Very soon we will have convention that is part of the things we are discussing.

    “The convention not taking place has nothing to do with the absence of the president or the Acting President. We are just putting our house in order and making sure things are in the right form before we kick off.

    On pressure from the opposition party, PDP, he said “PDP is a non-issue,  we don’t even care about that, we defeated them when they were in power so what is different when we are now in power.”

     

  • NEC approves telecommunication right of way charges’ harmonization 

    NEC approves telecommunication right of way charges’ harmonization 

    The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday approved a policy to harmonize right of way charges payable by the telecommunications companies and related public utility infrastructure on Local Governments, States and Federal Highways.

    The Minister of Communication Adebayo Shittu briefed State House correspondents at the end of the NEC chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He was with Abia State Governor Okieza Ikpeazu, Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, and Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

    Shittu said that the new policy will encourage co-location of the companies’ fibre optic cables.

    Just like the telecommunication masts which were harmonised after long years of defacing the environment, he said, that the government wants to do the same for the laying of fibre optic cables which is becoming a burden on the Nigerian roads.

    According to him, the trend is causing high cost tariffs due to multiple taxes charged telecommunication companies by the Federal, States and local governments.

    The new policy, he said, will minimise the spaces occupied, burden on the roads and reduce taxes payable by the telecommunication firms.

    He said “The memo spelt out roles/responsibilities of LGCs, States and telecommunication operators in the management of Right of Way (ROW) issues.

    “Most States are still charging different and higher rates, despite NEC’s resolution that mandate States to adopt and implement Federal Ministry of Works guidelines for grant of Right of Way to ICT service on Highways.

    “Current practice in Nigeria where various telecommunication operators design, survey, dig, deploy and manage their individual fibers networks amounts to duplication of efforts, multiple earthworks and treaches as well as increased administrative and licensing costs.

    “The Memo invited all stakeholders to consider, adopt and approve the use of shared duct strategy, managed by a designated Agency in all tiers of government for the deployment of public utility infrastructure for effective and efficient service delivery and accelerated socio economic development of the country, particularly the transformation of our various cities, towns and villages to a smart status.

    “Council asked the Ministry of Communication to liaise with the States and relevant stakeholders for the smooth implementation of the Right of Way project.” he said

    Enelamah said that he made a presentation to Council on reforming Nigeria at the Subnational level, emphasizing the need to bring Enabling Business Environment Reforms to all tiers of Government and all Nigeria.

    He informed the Council that there is a strong correlation between Ease of Doing Businesses Ranking and Economic prosperity.

    According to him, the Businesses Enabling Environment Agenda being coordinated by the Presidential Enabling Businesses Council is at the heart of Government Agenda, and has the following mandate:

    “Removed critical bottlenecks and bureaucratic constraints to doing businesses in Nigeria, aimed at moving the country upwards in global businesses ranking.

    “Areas of focus in removing the bottlenecks include; starting a business, entry and exit of people, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, paying taxes, trading across borders and the ease of getting construction permits.”

    The Minister also informed the Council that the 4th subnational Doing Business rankings for Nigeria is scheduled for 2018, with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd having taken place in 2008, 2010 and 2014 respectively.

    He said that appropriate templates are already being drawn up to prepare States for the exercise.

    He said that the Council was also informed that a National Steering Committee has already been constituted to ensure synergy across all stakeholders to ensure the coordinated delivery of the reform objectives.

    The Council, he said, urged his Ministry to work with an already existing Committee being chaired by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning in this regard.

    From the presentation by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning on NEC Resolution Implementation Monitoring 2016/2017 Report, Ahmed said that the Council urged the States to liaise strongly with the Federal Government in the task of National Planning and Development.

    Abia State Governor said that the
    Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, briefed Council on the balances in the following accounts as at 19th July, 2017:

    “Excess Crude Account (ECA) $2.303 billion, Ecological Fund Account – N27.466 billion, Stabilization Account – N2.553 billion, and Development of Natural Resources Account – N77.922 billion.

    Talking points released by the NEC Secretariat also revealed that Gombe State Governor presented a report to the Council on Forensic Audit of Revenue Accrued from Revenue Generating Agencies (RGAs) into Federation Account (FA), Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)

    “The Acting President welcomed the Interim Report and noted that Council will await the outcome of the final report and then discuss the Report.”

    “The EL-Rufai led AD-Hoc committee of the Council on Ecological fund set up by the NEC April, 2017 today submitted its report to Council, recommending among other things a robust governance structure and a stringent disbursement criteria to sanitize the management of the fund.

    “The committee made the following recommendations: That disbursement of the fund should be based on the following criteria;

    “Physical visitation by the Ecological office team and on the spot assessment and verification of the ecological disaster.

    “Technical evaluation of the disaster by experts, Community involvement, Prior to the disaster, there must be evidence of Advocacy, Evidence of existing prompt, Emergency response mechanism in place before the disaster, Monitoring and Evaluation framework must be built into the application of Ecological fund as a road map for measuring performance of the fund.

    “A feedback team that will review the reports of the disbursement must be in place, Adequate publicity of Ecological disaster to create awareness and consciousness in the citizenry to avoid future occurrence is necessary, Evidence of cost estimate must be attached to application, Adequate justification for the project must be given.

    “Due process in vendor engagement must be followed, At all times 50% of the FG share or N20 billion must be reserved for emergencies at the discretion of Mr President.

    “Council commended the El-Rufal Committee for the painstaking job and noted that the Federal Government will consider the recommendations.”

    The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, informed the Council of the overriding need to return the budget cycle to the January – December calendar year.

    “That the 2018 – 2020 MTEF is anchored on the ERGP. The current Global Economic outlook posited that the country is expecting growth, though there are still some challenges that may impact negatively on growth from now till 2020.

    “He listed policy changes in the US and Britain’s exit from EU, the climate change issue, oil price fluctuations as some of the uncertainties. Assured that the country is already getting out of recession even as oil prices are still sliding. The non-oil sector is growing.

    “Recoveries being recorded in Manufacturing, Agriculture and Services. Efforts aimed at achieving peace in Niger Delta yielding fruits.

    ERGP key objectives and the execution priorities will get country back to growth.” it stated

     

  • UN seeks more investment in women, peace in Nigeria 

    UN seeks more investment in women, peace in Nigeria 

    The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to double its investment on the development of women and promotion of peace in the country.

    Deputy Secretary General of the UN, Amina Mohammed made the call after closed doors meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to her, the UN team led by herself was at the Villa to discuss the implementation of the agenda 2030 and 2063 and see how Nigeria could be supported especially in regards to development of women.

    The UN deputy scribe who served as minister of Environment before her current position t the world organization explained that in achieving the desire of promoting women development, the Federal Government needs to begin to put women at the center of it affairs.

    She said “I am honoured to be leading a delegation with the focus on peace and development of women.

    “With me we the chief executive of the UN women, we also have our special representative on women and conflict, we also have with us, our partner the AU, the special adviser also on peace, women and development.

    “All our regional heads partnering together with the ministry of women affairs and the support of the minister of for national planning,” Amina said.

    “It’s an exciting time to be here because really we are talking about the implementation of the agenda 2030 but also 2063 and for us, it’s about how do we support Nigeria and it’s a very difficult context to do more and to do scale so everybody feels it.

    “We know that there many lessons that have learnt and there challenges that we have but we have some successes from the North East all the way to the South.

    “We want to make sure that we do more so that we can see the scale of this, particularly from the women at the center.

    “In our discussion with the acting President, it’s been about how to increase investments in women, peace and development to ensure that women are a central part of what we do.

    “And we will see the difference, as he said, it’s not just the question of the morals or rights but it’s an economic one as well,” the UN deputy scribe added.

     

  • Borno’s abduction, atrocious, cowardly – Osinbajo

    Borno’s abduction, atrocious, cowardly – Osinbajo

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday condemned the atrocious and cowardly abduction of women which occurred recently in Borno State.

    He sympathises with the families of the abducted women, and assures that the Federal Government will spare no efforts to ensure the safe and speedy return of all the victims.

    The Acting President, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, has therefore directed Nigeria’s military and intelligence agencies to take all necessary steps including coordinating with our international partners to rescue the abducted women, as well as to ensure further tightening of security in and around Borno State.

    The Buhari presidency assured that the ongoing efforts of security agencies, including the establishment of additional military and police bases in parts of the country, as well as the improved intelligence gathering will continue, and commends some of the recent significant breakthroughs in combating kidnapping and banditry in the country.

  • Southern Kaduna killings: Osinbajo orders security reinforcements

    Southern Kaduna killings: Osinbajo orders security reinforcements

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has ordered further security reinforcements in Kaduna State following reports of communal clashes that resulted in the loss of lives earlier this week in Kajuru, Kajuru Local Government Area of the State.

    Prof. Osinbajo, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, commiserated with families of the victims, the government and people of Kaduna State, and wished the injured victims speedy recovery.

    He also commended the prompt response and efforts of the State government, and those of the security agencies which contained the situation and restored the peace.

    While condemning the act of violence in strong terms, the Acting President noted that the security challenges in Southern Kaduna which has led to the needless deaths is a source of concern for the Federal government and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians.

    Noting previous and ongoing efforts of the Buhari administration to confront the situation, Prof. Osinbajo assured that no effort would be spared in identifying and bringing perpetrators of these dastardly acts, against innocent Nigerians to justice no matter how long or hard it may take.

    According to him, Nigerians in the area and everywhere in the country have a right to live in peace, and the Federal Government considers this its sacred duty.

    “We will not relent and won’t be deterred in our pursuit of securing the lives and property of all Nigerians, everywhere and in every part of this nation. In the end, we will not only secure the peace all around, but we shall enforce justice for the victims and all of those that are affected,” he declared.

     

  • Malala to FG: Declare State of emergency in education sector

    Malala to FG: Declare State of emergency in education sector

    Pakistani rights activist, Malala Yousafzai, on Monday called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare State of emergency in Nigeria’s education sector.

    She made the call at the end of closed door meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Malala, who survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education, had paid similar visit to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

    She had campaigned for the freedom of schools girls abducted by Boko Haram from their school in Chibok, Borno State in 2014.

    Speaking with journalists at the Villa, she said that she called for the state of emergency because education of boys and girls in Nigeria is very important.

    She urged the Federal Government, states and local governments to work together and fashion out the modalities for the state of emergency.

    She said: “It was a very good meeting. We had a fruitful discussion with his excellency, the Acting President.

    “I highlighted on the need to scale up education, that the government should declare a state of emergency in education because education of girls and boys in Nigeria is important.

    “The federal, state and local governments need to be united on this.” she added

    According to her, she also spoke on the child right act.

    She added “Secondly, the spending should be made public and thirdly, the Child Rights Act should be implemented in all states. I was really happy to hear positive response from the Acting President that they are happy with the suggestion of implementing emergency for education and that they are happy to work more on education and that they are united.

    “I’m happy to hear positive responses from the Ministers as well that they are ensuring that education is prioritised in every girl and in every boy and education in Nigeria is given priority.

    “In the morning, I met Chibok girls and I was very happy at what the Honourable minister is doing to support the Chibok girls. I’m really excited to see them going back to their homes and to their families and continuing their education. But I hope the other girls who are still under abduction of Boko Haram are released,” she said.

     

  • Pakistani activist Malala visits Osinbajo

    Pakistani activist Malala visits Osinbajo

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday in Abuja, received in closed doors Pakistani rights activist for girl-child education and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, in the Presidential Villa.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 20-year-old Malala, who was accompanied by her father, Yousafzai and other members of the Malala Foundation, arrived at the presidential villa at about 5.30 p.m.

    The young female activist survived gunshots on her head by the Taliban for campaigning for girl-child education in Pakistan.

    She had visited Nigeria in July, 2014 where she campaigned for the release of Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents.

    During the visit, Malala met then President Goodluck Jonathan and parents of the more than 230 captured Chibok schoolgirls.

  • FG to deploy drones in aviation industry 

    FG to deploy drones in aviation industry 

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika on Monday said that the Federal Government will explore the good uses of drones in the Nigeria aviation industry.

    He made the remark at the end of closed door meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    President of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Olumuyiwa Benard Aliyu, was part of the delegation that met the Acting President on Nigeria’s hosting of symposium on remotely piloted aircraft system.

    Sirika said “Nigeria is going to benefit immensely through this symposium. They have created awareness and we will use the outcome of the symposium to regulate more efficiently the use of unmanned air vehicles.

    “We are not going to over regulate but for sure we will regulate so that we will remain safe and secure and then make the industry much more efficient.

    “We will tap from the good uses of drones. We have seen during the symposium on how we can use drones to send blood samples, to rescue someone with heart attack or to deliver pizza or to take aerial photograph and so on.These are some of the benefits of unmanned vehicles

    “We hope that by regulating we will eliminate the dangers. For example if one unmanned vehicle is capable of carrying loads, you could think of them carrying a kilogram or two of bomb, with GPS and remotely piloted from a bedroom it can go and be dropped somewhere.

    “At this symposium we will share ideas and come up with solutions on the good uses of the drones and of course over the bad uses,” he said.

    On the Acting President’s response, he said “He has one himself and has flying drones himself, he is very much conscious and aware and he gave us the support and guidance that we need. He even warned that we should not over regulate so that we will not send people away.”

    Aliyu thanked the Acting President at Nigeria is hosting the symposium.

    He said that he was also in the Villa to express appreciation tothe government for the investment and support that is givento aviation development in Nigeria, which is supporting development of aviation in Africa and globally.

    He said “For Nigeria being a very responsible member of ICAO, I am also here to express the support that I still intend to continue to provide in this aviation development and to urge government to put aviation as the corner stone of the national development.”

     

  • ActionAid calls for transparency in disbursement of N1.6bn fund

    ActionAid calls for transparency in disbursement of N1.6bn fund

    ActionAid Nigeria, an anti-poverty agency, has called on Government to be fair and just in the disbursement of the N1.6 billion ecological fund to 16 states ravaged by flood across the country.

    The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Mrs Ojobo Atuluku, said in a statement on Friday that the intervention would lessen additional burden and pressure placed on the people as a result of the flood incidents.

    “While this intervention is commendable, some of the incidences that have put a lot of the citizens, especially the poor, in misery should have been avoided.

    “It is sad that despite its predictability, Nigeria put nothing in place to reduce the risk of flood disaster, even with the forecast of floods by its own metrological agency, the Nigeria Metrological Agency,” she said.

    Atuluku said that in 2012, N12 billion was released by the Federal Government for a similar purpose, yet failed to make much impact on the lives of those affected.

    She said that in spite of previous investment and intervention by the Federal Government, the most affected people were still left unattended to.

    “In order to ensure that the new fund is judiciously used and does not end up in the corruption net, the release of the N1.6 billion ecological fund should be accompanied by a transparent accountability framework.

    “We call on the Federal Government to restrain itself from releasing the fund to any of the states until they present with clarity, proposals and plans of how the fund will be utilised.”

    “Each of the states should be made to demonstrate how they will involve the affected communities, especially women; what Early Warning and Early Response (Early Action) Mechanism they will put in place to forestall future re-occurrence.

    “They should also demonstrate the framework they will put in place to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels – state, local government, and community, using knowledge, skills, innovation and education,” she said.

    The requirements, Atuluku said should include plans for strengthening disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels and plans to invest in capacity and equipment of state emergency management agencies.

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had directed the release of N1.6 billion to National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for the 16 affected states.

    The states are Ekiti, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Oyo, Lagos, Plateau, Sokoto, Edo and Bayelsa.

    The money is going to be taken from the Federal Government Ecological Fund Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria, while the Minister of Finance is to release the fund directly to NEMA.

  • ‘Osinbajo’s meeting with Buhari very good’

    ‘Osinbajo’s meeting with Buhari very good’

    • To preside over FEC at 11:00 a.m

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo returned to Nigeria on Wednesday morning from London.

    He traveled out of the country on Tuesday to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari who had been in the United Kingdom since May 7th on medical ground.

    A tweet by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande, said that the Acting President has returned to Nigeria.

    It reads; “Acting President Osinbajo is back in Abuja from London and will be presiding over FEC starting @ 11am at the Council Chambers.

    “We will soon share more information about AgP Osinbajo’s London meeting with President Buhari. It was a very good meeting. God bless Nigeria,” it stated.