News

Tinubu names Dangote, Elumelu, Rabiu, others in economic committee

Published

8 months ago

March 28, 2024

President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC) and the creation of the Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce (EET).

According to the Presidency, this is a strategic move to bolster the nation’s economic governance frameworks and ensure robust and coordinated economic planning and implementation.

The PECC comprises distinguished leaders and key government officials, including:

(1) President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Chairman

(2) Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Vice-Chairman of the PECC/ NEC Chairman

(3) President of the Senate

(4) Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum

(5) Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance

(6) Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

(7) Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

(8) Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development

(9) Minister of Budget and Economic Planning

(10) Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

(11) Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

(12) Minister of Labour and Employment

(13) Minister of Marine and Blue Economy

(14) Minister of Power

(15) Minister of State, Petroleum Resources

(16) Minister of State, Gas

(17) Minister of Transportation

(18) Minister of Works

The statement stated that the PECC will also comprise key members of the organised private sector, with the following members joining for a period not exceeding one year, subject to the President’s directive:

(1) Alhaji Aliko Dangote

(2) Mr. Tony Elumelu

(3) Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu

(4) Ms. Amina Maina

(5) Mr. Begun Ajayi-Kadir

(6) Mrs. Funke Okpeke

(7) Dr. Doyin Salami

(8) Mr. Patrick Okigbo

(9) Mr. Kola Adesina

(10) Mr. Segun Agbaje

(11) Mr. Chidi Ajaere

(12) Mr. Abdulkadir Aliu

(13) Mr. Rasheed Sarumi

The statement by the President’s spokesperson, Chief Ajuri Ngelale also read: “Furthermore, in his determination to address immediate economic challenges and ensure the streamlined execution of economic strategies, President Bola Tinubu has established the Economic Management Team Emergency Taskforce (EET) with a mandate to formulate and implement a consolidated emergency economic plan.

The taskforce comprises key government officials and industry leaders in furtherance of the President’s collaborative approach toward achieving economic resilience and growth.

The EET is now mandated to submit a comprehensive plan of economic interventions for 2024 to the PECC, covering the next six (6) months, for immediate implementation within two weeks of its inauguration. The EET will meet twice weekly and is composed of the following members:

(1) Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance (Chairman of the EET)

(2) Minister of Budget and Economic Planning

(3) Minister of Power

(4) Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

(5) Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare

(6) Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

(7) Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

(8) National Security Adviser

(9) Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum

(10) Governor of Anambra State

(11) Governor of Ogun State

(12) Governor of Niger State

(13) Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service

(14) Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation

(15) GCEO, NNPC Limited

(16) Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group

(17) Special Adviser to the President on Energy

(18) Dr. Bismarck Rewane, Economist

(19) Dr. Suleyman Ndanusa, Economist

“The Economic Management Team, established in October 2023, and chaired by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, serves as the working group under the Presidential Economic Coordination Council (PECC), playing a crucial role in the economic governance structure established by the President.

The EMT traditionally meets monthly or as required, but will now suspend its meetings for the duration of the EET’s mandate (six months). The EMT is composed of the following officials:

(1) Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance (EMT Chairman)

(2) Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

(3) Minister of Budget and Economic Planning

(4) Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

(5) Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

(6) Minister of Works

(7) Minister of Labour and Employment

(8) Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

(9) Minister of State, Petroleum Resources

(10) Minister of State, Gas

(11) Minister of Power

(12) Minister of Transportation

(13) Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development

(14) Minister of Marine and Blue Economy

“The Chairman of the EMT may, as needed, call on any Federal Minister or Head of Agency to brief the EMT on key programmes and developments affecting the economy.

“The President’s formation of the PECC, under his Chairmanship, alongside the creation of the EET, led by the Chairman of the EMT, and the EMT itself, is the manifestation of a unified strategy aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s economic management architecture for verifiably improved performance. The formation of these teams will complement existing economic governance structures, including the National Economic Council (NEC), which is chaired by the Vice-President.

“Over the next six months, the EET will focus on the rapid implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of critical initiatives, strengthening the Tinubu-led administration’s collective approach to advancing Nigeria’s economic objectives”.

News

Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions

Published

2 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has queried the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State and Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State over series of administrative and financial infractions.

This was as Rectors and some management staff of the three institutions appeared before the house Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, as part of oversight function to render accounts of their budget performances.

But the Committee found various infractions in the documents presented by the three institutions which ranged from abuse of Federal Character in employment, Extra-Budgetary spendings and recurring abandoned, uncompleted projects in one of the institutions.

During presentation by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Dr. Abdulrahman Ishaku, the Committee discovered that projects that were to be completed in two to three years were not finished despite adequate release of funds in budget.

Specifically, the Committee was provoked by the non-completion of a staff quarters and an administrative block project by the institution for years.

Speaking, Rep. Emil Inyang who stood in for the Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda at the meeting on Thursday, lamented that, the projects have not been completed and have been recurring in the budgets.

He said, “Physical Planning, can you show me where you rolled over the project to 2023? It’s not here. Is it in 2024? Why do you come here to lie? Where is it? That admin block, is it in use? Has it been completed? So, you have abandoned it.

“Gentlemen, I don’t know what to say to these kinds of people. Construction of staff quarters, Item number Nine under 2022 capital projects. Have you seen it Rector? What is the state of that building? Is it completed? It is completed, that’s what is shown here, and you are saying it is still remaining fittings. Is fittings not part of completion?

“You people are just disgracing yourselves. We are just killing this country from various directions. From our various positions we are just killing this country. Let me ask a question on this staff quarters. In 2022, the amount appropriated was N57.9 million, N28.9 was utilized was released, so remaining N28.9 that’s half.

“But, by 2023, appropriation was 88 and the entire amount has been released. So, is it the same project?If it is the same project, when this appropriation was done, does it mean that, the other 28 that was not done, not utilised that time, is it kept somewhere?”

The Rector however informed the Committee that, the fund was later mopped up.

In his ruling after the submission, the Chairman stated, “What I will tell you now is that, instead of going through this your document that does not satisfy anything, please, you will.list all the abandoned, all the structures you have not completed. When it started, How much was appropriated, How much you have put in till date, the state of those projects one after the other in the entire school.

“Not just in. your regime. From inception till date.So that, we will include them in your 2025 budget. You will not do any new thing as capital. You must complete these abandoned. You have turned some of these projects to conduits of putting money into them and not completing them. Even the ones you have written as completed here. You used your own mouth to tell us here that, you have not installed fittings. That is what you said.

“So, this is why it is necessary for us to go there and see things for ourselves.Because what you are doing here, you are just wasting governments’ resources. These abandoned projects or the state of the jobs especially constructions, let’s have it in one week time. How much you have put in there, at what stage are they, how much you will need to complete”.

Similarly, the Committee criticized the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu over using Insecurity as an excuse for financial malfeasance and other infractions as well the abuse of Federal Character in employment.

Chairman of the Committee noted that, the institution has carelessly spent its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) according to the records presented to the Committee.

In his presentation, the Acting Rector, Dr Ibrahim Babale Gashua said, the institution is faced with the challenge of low IGR as a result of the insecurity being faced in the state, which according to him, has reduced students intake and other activities.

He said, “We that are residing in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, we have three different high institutions. We have to lower our tuition fee because not everybody will come from outside the state. Even those in the state, it is only the course that is not available in their places that they come for in Damaturu because of the insurgency”.

The Committee however discovered that, despite the insurgency claim that reduced the institutions IGR, there was no commensurate reduction in its spending which the Committee said cannot be justified.

Another member of the Committee while commenting on the matter said, “Everybody comes to claim insurgency. Students don’t want to come to the schools. But it doesn’t stop them from spending the whole money.IGR, you blow it, Overhead, and yet, there is insurgency. So, it’s funny. You see, if I have a house and I am supposed to have 10 people occupying it. If 10 people are not occupying it, it means that my NEPA.payment, my PHCN money will reduce, because consumption of power supply will reduce. My water consumption will reduce. My number of cleaners will reduce because I don’t have full occupation. You understand what I am saying? My security personnel will reduce in terms of numbers.

“So, these are the issues.Most of the Polytechnics in the North come here brandishing this insecurity issue as the major reason for non performance. You are not performing on students admission, but you are performing on your expenditure profile”.

Speaking, Chairman of the Committee said, “Ok, this insurgency is a big excuse. Once you mention it, you will all close our mouths.Look at your Nominal Role, a federal Institution. Open to page 47 and 48, you will see how you have obeyed the law of the land, the Federal Character. Have you seen it Acting Rector? That’s the best you can do? You think from all those Zero-Zero states, if you offer them employment they wouldn’t come?”.

The Rector however reacted saying, “Some of them don’t come. Even those that we have left. I am telling you Sir”.

But a member of the Committee, Rep. Adebayo Adepoju faulted the Rector’s claim and said, it was not justifiable.

He said, “You cannot defend it, because if you are trying to defend it, saying that you’ve done everything in your powers and Nigerians have refused to come to your school, at that point, you say you have done the most you can do.

“But, when you did not even given Nigerians the opportunity to apply. We know what goes on in Federal Character. We know. I am telling you, if you go there and you want to apply, everybody has an interest, they give you. And before you know, they give you Certificate of Compliance.

“That Certificate of Compliance, we have shredded it so many times. Give yourself the opportunity to be fair to Nigerians.People want jobs in this country. We have so many jobless people and you will agree with me, there are many that will say, I won’t mind to go to Borno to teach.Please let’s give them an opportunity”.

The Rector and Management of the Polytechnic were directed to remedy the anomalies in their employment and henceforth advertise all vacancies in national dailies in order to give all Nigerians equal opportunity.

Similarly, after a presentation by the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Prof. Garba Mohd, the Committee directed the institution to also be diligent in its observance of Federal Character and other issues as the Committee discovered a skewed empolyment in the institution in favour of a particular section of the country.

It reminded the Rector and members of his management that, as a federal institution, it is required by law to treat all parts of the country in terms of employment and other considerations.

News

Obasanjo narrates how he escaped becoming drug addict

Published

5 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict.

He spoke in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.

Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.

The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.

“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.

“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.

“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.

He cautioned against stigmatization and urged individuals who are already addicted to psychoactive drugs to get help.

News

We saved $20bn after Petrol Subsidy Removal and FX Rate Reforms, Says Finance Minister

Published

5 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Naijablitznews

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.

Edun spoke at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.

“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP,” he said.

“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.”