The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SGF

  • SGF visits Ekwueme in UK hospital

    SGF visits Ekwueme in UK hospital

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha has conveyed President Muhammadu Buhari’s goodwill message to ailing second republic Vice-President, Alex Ekwueme in a London hospital here he is undergoing treatm,ent.

    Based on the approval of President Buhari,, Dr Ekwueme was taken to the London hospital on an air ambulance on Sunday. He was believed to be in a critical condition.

    The SGF, who had been in London before Dr Ekwueme’s arrival, was received by Mrs Helen Ekwueme on behalf of the family.

    According to Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity to the President,  Garba Shehu, Mr Mustapha told the Ekwueme family that the President and all Nigerians were praying for the speedy recovery of the 85-year-old elder statesman, adding that he believed that the doctors were doing their best.

  • No more war with Executive, says Senate

    No more war with Executive, says Senate

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Wednesday declared that the era of Executive, Legislature face off is over.

    Saraki who made the declaration when he ruled on the a motion alleging irregularity in the renewal of the tenure of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board further insisted that “the days of balderdash was over”

    Following the intervention of Saraki and Senate leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, the Senate resolved to mandate its committee on NDDC to take up the matter with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to articulate amicable resolution of the board tenure extension.

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central)  had in his motion entitled “The illegal extension of the tenure of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)”  observed that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established to tackle developmental issues affecting the Niger Delta.

    He further noted that noted that it was in response to the age-long agitation of the people of the Niger Delta that had snowballed into militancy which disrupted oil production and affected our national economic interest that the Commission was established.

    The Beyelsa central lawmaker said that the Commission consists of a Board made up of members drawn from the States of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

    He observed that Section 4 of the act states that the office of the Chairman shall rotate amongst member States of the Commission in alphabetical order.

    He noted that the Chairmanship of the NDDC started with Abia State and has rotated in accordance with the Act up to Cross-River state now.

    Paulker observed that the NDDC Act also states that “where a vacancy occurs in the membership board it shall be filled by the appointment of a successor to hold office for the remainder of the term of his predecessor, so however, that the successor shall represent the same interest and shall be appointed by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces subject to the confirmation of the Senate in consultation with the House of Representatives.”

    He noted that that the Board headed by Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, SAN was appointed by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to replace the one headed by Senator Bassey Henshaw.

    He observed further that Section 5 (2) of the Act dictates that the Board headed by Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, SAN serves out the remainder of the term of the board chaired by Senator Bassey Henshaw will terminate in December 2017.

    He noted that contrary to the clear provisions of Section 5 (2) of the N DPC Act, the tenure of the present board of the Commission has been illegally extended to 4 years by the immediate past Acting secretary to Government of the Federation, Dr. Habiba Muda Lawal.

    He added that contravention of the NDDC Act portends grave danger to the relative peace we enjoy in the Niger Delta and prayed the Senate accordingly resolve to mandate the Committee on Niger Delta to investigate the illegal renewal of the tenure of the present Board of the Commission.

    Hardly had Paulker concluded his submission than the Senate Leader, Lawan called for caution.

    The Yobe North lawmaker said that he engaged the SGF to find out what happened.

    Lawan said that since the new SGF had shown sufficient inclination to work with the National Assembly, he should be given the benefit of the doubt to resolve the issue.

    Saraki on his part said that the matter should be referred to the NDDC Committee to take up the matter with the SGF for resolution.

    The Senate President who said that “the days of balderdash are over” noted that “in the spirit of new relations between the Executiive and the Legislature; the matter should be taken up with the SGF.

    Former SGF, Babachir David Lawal had described the Senate as “talking balderdash” for indicting over grass cutting contract in the North East.

    Findings showed that the resolution to take up the issue with the SGF following the intervention of the Saraki was informed by the need to promote the new found rapport between the Executive and the Legislature.

    A source close to the Senate President recalled that the recent appointment of a new SGF occasioned the visit of the new SGF to the leadership of the National Assembly to improve and strengthen Executive-Legislature relationship.

    The Senate leadership, he said, “may also have been moved to support the reform minded initiative of the present NDDC leadership. “

    He noted that the matured handling of the motion by the Senate leadership had gone further to “underscore and demonstrate the determination of the Senate to support the core mandate of the NDDC as an interventionist agency.”

    According to him, “on this the NDDC leadership on its part is required to focus in its present commitment to develop the region and make the agency responsible.”

    A document made available to reporters marked “Re: Clarification on the tenure of the governing Board of the of NDDC” indicated various conditions a vacancy can occur in the NDDC governing board.

    The document specifically said that “the previous Board of the NDDC was dissolved and its tenure extinguished.”

    It added that “Dissolution of the Board cannot be categorized as a vacancy under the Act. Dissolution signifies total extinguishment of the Board, it simply ceases to exist, and therefore there cannot be any reminder of any term which a successor is expected to complete. There has to be a fresh composition of the Board for a fresh term of four years.”

     

  • SGF seeks better executive, legislative cooperation

    SGF seeks better executive, legislative cooperation

    •Mustapha visits Saraki, Dogara

    SECRETARY to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha yesterday assured Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the full cooperation of the Presidency with the National Assembly.

    Mustapha, who visited Saraki and Dogara at the National Assembly, told them that he came to extend hand of friendship and to solicit the support and cooperation of the National Assembly to ensure the smooth running of government.

    The SGF noted that the Presidency was not in competition with the National Assembly, especially when it was realised that the duties of the two arms of government are specified in the constitution.

    He said the two arms of government are joint partners in governmental enterprise and should work to complement each other.

    Saraki described the visit of the SGF as a new phase of cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature.

    He said: “Let me on behalf of my colleagues welcome you to the Senate and let me thank you for your visit.

    “I think your visit is very symbolic. It is truly a new phase of cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature and a good omen  for our democracy and for our government.”

    Dogara stated that contrary to beliefs in some quarters, the Legislature and the Executive are not rivals but partners in progress.

    He described the appointment of Mustapha as “a round peg in a round hole, or a square peg in a square hole”, and stated that the president “hit the nail on the head”.

  • Lesson new SGF should learn

    SIR: The emergence of Boss Gida Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) is a product of providence and due to former SGF Babachir David Lawan’s avoidable blunders. The new SGF, Boss should learn from his predecessor’s mistakes and successes. Successes?  Well, Buhari’s adversaries will argue Babachir recorded no successes as SGF. The truth is, Babachir made some remarkable contributions to the Buhari administration- unfortunately, his political blunders overshadowed them.

    The ousted SGF is an experienced man in his own right as well as long-time confidante and loyalist of President Muhammadu Buhari. A man who stood with Buhari through thick and thin and has overtime earned the president’s trust. But Babachir committed cheap surprising blunders. Babachir, as SGF pettily allowed his personal ‘business’ to mingle with government business.

    Babachir second blunder is attitudinal – he is a poor politician who only sticks to people from his clan and hardly stretches his handshake to other people; he also lacks efficient image managers, furthermore Babachir was arrogant and talks more than he works.

    Public office in Nigeria comes with some privileges, authority and huge funds to spend, so if one does not apply measured restraint and discipline he/she can easily fall into the trap of corruption without even knowing.

    Boss Mustapha says he will work to ensure more cooperation between government ministries and departments.  This is good. Babachir was arrogant and undiplomatic in his relationship with other arms of government and his style of politics was pathetic that he failed to get any meaningful public sympathy or concrete defence from the political class. Even his primary constituency- the north, north-east and Adamawa State, gave him no backing. This is a big lesson for Boss; one cannot be the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria and behave like the secretary of a hamlet’s cultural association.

    Boss should bring his political and administrative experiences, simplicity and humour to the SGF office. We do not want the SGF to always be in the news for the wrong reasons. However, one cannot isolate the SGF’s office from politics.  Boss is a politician that has gone through the mill. So he must expect political punches from different angles.

    He understands the expectation of young Nigerians as well as what leadership needs to do, so Boss will bring simplicity and new approach in the relationship between the executive and the other arms of government. Over his political sojourn, Boss has been a product of friendship and consensus- he will bring that to the SGF office; the Buhari/Osinbajo government needs it now more than any time.

     

    • Zayyad I. Muhammad,

     Jimeta, Adamawa State

  • SGF to staff: I’m simply ‘Boss’

    SGF to staff: I’m simply ‘Boss’

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha assumed office after his inauguration yesterday telling staff in the office to call him simply Boss, his first name.

    He urged them to avoid calling “His Excellency” and by other descriptions that are common in public office.

    Mustapha a former party leader in Adamawa State and one-time governorship aspirant, received the hand over note from the acting SGF Dr Habiba Lawal.

    He promised to be just, equitable and fair to all

    He said: “I do not claim any superior knowledge or experience. I will rely on each and every one of you. I have not come to this office with any special skills but the grace of God.” he said.

    Pointing out that the SGF office had the responsibility to ensure that the government succeeded, he said his leadership would give all the necessary support to make the government meet the yearnings of the people.

    He said his style would look at the strength and weaknesses towards recovering the lost grounds.

    He hail the outgoing acting SGF for doing a wonderful job.

  • Photos News: Buhari receives new SGF Boss Mustapha

    Photos News: Buhari receives new SGF Boss Mustapha

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, at the State House.

  • Declare position on suspended SGF, FG urged

    Declare position on suspended SGF, FG urged

    Alhaji Ahmed Dogara, former member of Niger House of Assembly, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to declare it’s position on the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation,  SGF and the NIA boss.

    The presidency on April 19, suspended from office the SGF, Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the NIA, Ayo Oke, pending the conclusion of investigations by a panel set up by the president.

    The panel, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was to investigate allegations of contract fraud and bribery against Lawal by the Senate and the N13 billion found in an Ikoyi apartment by EFCC, claimed by the NIA.

    Dogara  told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna that making public pronouncements about the two suspended public officers would send signal to public officers to desist from taking pleasure in looting public treasury.

    He said that many  Nigerians had expressed worries about the case of SGF, NIA boss and the lists of corrupt officers that nearly ruined this country had remained a nightmare to the public.

    He said it was high time for the Federal Government to act fast to enable Nigerians to strengthen their political will in exposing public officers lootinh the national treasury.

    He commended the president for the immediate disengagement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, from federal service.

    ”Mr. President showed, as he had done now, that he can hire and fire to salvage the bad situation in the polity.”

    ” President Buhari’s commitment to fight corruption these years that made the majority of the masses  to support his candidature, is the same step that can earn this government votes in the next election in 2019″ he said. (NAN)

  • FG to remove dangerous speed bumps on highways

    FG to remove dangerous speed bumps on highways

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF ) says the Federal Government( FG ) is working with relevant agencies to remove dangerous speed bumps on the nation’s highways to reduce accidents.

    Mr Babagana Alkali, Director Planning Research and Statistic in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Fedartion ( OSGF ), said this at the Pre-end of the year operation meeting with transport unions organised by Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) on Thursday in Abuja.

    Alkali said that the Federal Government ( FG ) was working with relevant agencies to remove the speed bumps that were dangerous on the highways in compliance with the recent National Assembly resolution.

    “ Of recent, you have heard the National Assembly resolution that the speed bumps that are dangerous on the roads should be removed because they cause nuisance and road traffic accidents and crashes along the way

    “The federal government is urging that the ones that are not important should be removed and those that are important should be left behind.

    “We will work with the relevant agencies to comply with that, but the work has not started yet, but we are hoping that the agencies are going to comply soon,’’ he said.

    Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, thanked the stakeholders for their continuous cooperation with the corps, over the years, which helped them to record positive results.

    “ I appreciate the support of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) for the increase in number of drivers who have driver’s licence.

    “ I also appreciate the number of personal attendance of the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers ( NURTW ) at the FRSC fora.

    Mr Kassim Baltaya, Chairman NARTO, commended FRSC for what it had been doing to save the lives of people and their investments.

    “NARTO will continue to partner with the FRSC because reduction of accidents makes our investment secure.

    “FRSC has done wonderfully well but our drivers need more sensitisation and continuous training with the collaboration of other relevant agencies.

    “FRSC in collaboration with Standard Organisation of Nigeria ( SON ) needs to be checking the quality of tyres because some people are importing sub-standard tyre into the country, which endangers our lives.

    “I urge the RTEAN and NURTW to do more in this area and we can partner with both State and Local Governments to achieve it.

    Mr Zabairu Tijani, representative of NUPENG, thanked the corps marshal for uniting all the stakeholders in the transport sector to work together, saying this had helped in reducing accidents and quarrels among them.

    Tijani said that NUPENG had just trained 4,500 drivers to show commitment and support to what the FRSC was doing.

    “Our challenge is bad road, government should always award the road contract to competent contractors to make journeys smooth for both drivers and passengers.

    “We need specific parking spaces for our trailers, if government should allocate parking spaces for us, we will not pack anyhow along the road.

    Stakeholders who attended the meeting were; NUPENG, NURTW, RTEAN, NARTO, SGF,  Department of  State Services (DSS), and representative of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to show their continuous support to FRSC.

    NAN

  • Defunct CPC members to Buhari: cede SGF position to us

    MEMBERS of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on the platform of Southern Mandate of Nigeria yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint one of its key leaders as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to replace Babachir David Lawal.

    Lawal was suspended for alleged corrupt practices.

    The CPC members said they are hungry and angry at the President for allegedly marginalising them.

    The CPC was one of the legacy parties that teamed up to give birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But, the group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis, said none of the key members of the defunct CPC is occupying any position in the government.

    Francis, in a statement in Abuja, said the challenge facing the government would not have been there, if the President had appointed key persons, who work for his success at the poll, into his government.

    He said key leaders of the defunct CPC, who were the driving force of Buhari’s presidential bid and consistently mobilise votes for him in 2003, 2007, 2011 and repeated same in 2015 general elections, were absent in his government.

    The group’s national coordinator noted that Buhari needed those people, who stood by him in CPC “at this critical moment of our national history to help strengthen his government for the benefit of Nigerians”.

    He said the only visible member of the defunct CPC in the government is the President himself.

    Francis alleged that other members of the party, who have been abandoned, “are hungry and angry”.

    The statement reads: “We, core members of the defunct CPC from the 17 southern states of Nigeria wish to remind President Muhammadu Buhari of the marginalisation of core members of the defunct CPC in his government, even as we welcome him back home from his medical trip abroad. We give God the glory for bringing him back home hale and hearty.

    “We want you to urgently address the burning issue of marginalisation of core members of the defunct CPC, which led to our advocacy for the appointment of core member of the defunct CPC as a replacement for the suspended SGF.”

  • Buhari has final say on SGF, NIA boss probe, says Osinbajo

    Buhari has final say on SGF, NIA boss probe, says Osinbajo

    VICE President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday President Muhammadu Buhari has the final say on the report of the presidential investigative panel on the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir David Lawal and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency Ayo Oke.

    He told State House reporters after submitting the report to the president that it was left for Buhari to study it and take a decision.

    He declined to comment on the recommendations of the report.

    Asked what the report contained, he said: “Of course not. I mean this is a report which contains recommendations to the President.

    “It is a fact-finding committee as you know and what our terms of reference were was to find out based on the fact available to us and based on the interviews of witnesses of what transpired in those cases involving the SGF and the other the DG of NIA.

    “We have now concluded that and we submitted a full report with recommendations to the President. We cannot of course give you any kind of details because the President has to look at the report, study it and then make his own decisions based on that report.”

    On whether the government is going to look at the SGF report from the angle of justice or as close friend, he said: “Well as you can imagine, we are always fair-minded and the whole approach is to ensure that justice is done in all cases.

    “It is in the interest of the government and also the interest of the nation that things are done properly and that there is due process and that we are not unfair. You can be sure that we will do the right thing.”

    Asked how soon the President will decide on the report, Osinbajo said: “All I can now say is that we have submitted the report to the President and it is a very detailed report as a matter of fact. The President has to study the report and make decisions.”

    Pressed further to give insight into the report, he said: “Of course, I cannot; how can I? This is a document, which has just been submitted to the President. He is the one who will read the recommendations and the facts and then make a decision.”

    On whether heads will roll, he said: “No, how can I tell you? If you want to know what is in the report you have to wait; you really have to wait.”

    Lawal was investigated for allegations of violations of law and due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).

    Oke, on the other hand, was probed over the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting failed to hold yesterday.

    In a statement, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina said: “The meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will not hold today.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari, will however, receive the report of the investigation committee into the allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at 12 noon, in his office.”