The President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Nigeria Police Force for the discovery of a child-theft racket in Kano State and fake correctional centers in Kaduna and Katsina states, urging them to sustain these good efforts across the country.
The minister of mines and solid minerals development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has said that the Russian government is eager to revive the long-abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Company, using it’s funds.
The minister, at an interactive session with Senate committee on solid minerals, mines, steel development and metallurgy today, October 18 in Abuja, said that the Russians have shown interest to help Nigeria revive Ajaokuta with their own money.
“They want to put Ajaokuta back and we are looking at different methods to engage them.
“Because it is almost completed, they bring in some money to finish what is there and operate it for a while; realise their investment, profit and transfer it back to Nigeria.
“I think this is the best path to revive Ajaokuta and I believe within the tenure of our time, we will achieve this.”
According to the minister, the main feature of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Russia next week is to discuss the reviving of the steel company.
The minister had earlier said that some sections of the Ajaokuta Steel Company would begin operation before the end of the year, adding that the government is making serious effort to see the Ajaokuta steel work and start production.
PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES FMR HEAD OF STATE DR GOWON 3. President Muhammadu Buhari receives former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon during a meeting at the State House in Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. APR 4 2017President Muhammadu Buhari has extolled the simplicity of the civil war Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon. General Gowon has just turned 85.
Buhari’s birthday message, contained in a statement today, October 18, the Presen’s special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said:“On behalf of the Federal Executive Council and all Nigerians, President Buhari warmly felicitates with former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on his 85th birthday, October 19, 2019, describing him as a living legend and symbol of national unity.
“As Nigeria’s youngest leader since Independence, President Buhari affirms that Gen. Gowon’s visionary leadership style, wisdom and disciplined outlook kept the country as one, extolling the former Head of State for faith and steadfastness in God in times of adversity, and courageously pursuing the interest of majority Nigerians for a unified and stronger country.
“The President believes the elder statesman laid a solid foundation for the country to thrive, with the creation of federating units, and implementation of futuristic policies like the National Youths Service Corps, that has consistently served the purpose of fostering unity, harmony and expanding the horizons of young Nigerians for lifetime opportunities.
“President Buhari commends Gen. Gowon’s simplicity and humility, leaving the highest position in the country to return to school for further studies, and returning to provide wise counsels to leaders, encouraging good governance and setting up an organization, Nigeria Prays, that consistently upholds the nation in prayers.
“The President notes that the former Head of State has stayed relevant in Nigeria and beyond, and enjoys wide respect from far and near.
“President Buhari congratulates all family members, friends and close associates of the exemplary leader on the auspicious occasion of his 85th birthday, praying that the Almighty God will always remember his sacrifices for the nation, and grant him longer life, good health, and strength to keep working for the good of country and humanity.”
Mrs Aisha BuhariNigeria’s First Lady has unveiled athletes that will compete in the 2020 world para-powerlifting world cup being hosted in Abuja, Nigeria, early next year. She also unveiled the mascot and logo of the competition, at an event which held at the presidential villa, Abuja, today, October 17.
According to Aisha Buhari, hosting the 2020 championship will be an enormous task, with para-lifters coming from Europe, the Americas and Africa to Abuja.
She called on the organizers to put all hands on deck for the ultimate success of the event.
She was represented at the event by wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo.
Aisha Buhari said that unveiling the clothing line is a way to source revenue for retired athletes and called for patronage “so that they will not retire into poverty.”
She vowed that as an advocate for women, children and vulnerable groups, she would continue to champion their cause with all her strength.
“Every cloud has a silver lining, which means every challenge can be turned into a blessing.”
She said that the outing of the team over the last 5 years has brought glory to the nation.
She expressed gratitude to the Federation for naming the event after her and giving her the privilege of being host to the championships.
President of the Nigeria Para Power Lifting Federation, Mrs. Queen Uboh said that the choice of the First Lady to host the event is deliberate, knowing her commitment to the cause of the vulnerable Nigerians.
She said that most of the team members are also female and will get inspired by her involvement.
She said that as a result of the respect which Nigeria has earned in the world of para-lifting, it has able to secured approval to host the global event for the next three year.
She called on Nigerians to support the clothing line initiative which will usher in a new phase of life for retired athletes.
Others who spoke at the event were the Competition Manager, International Para Powerlifting Federation, Mr. Sam Munkley, who voiced the respect Nigeria has earned over the years due to the number of medals being won. He said this necessitated the approval for hosting rights for three years.
Sponsors of the event, National Lottery Commission and Wamco Nigeria Plc., delivered goodwill messages through their Chief Executives, Mr. Bello Maigari, and Chriss Wulff-Ceaser, respectively.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made another intervention of $325.5 million in the retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) and CNY14 million in the spot and short tenored forwards segment of the inter-bank foreign market.
This was disclosed by the Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isaac Okorafor, who revealed that the intervention was for agricultural machineries and industrial raw materials. The Chinese Yuan, on the other hand, was for Renminbi denominated Letters of Credit.
Okorafor expressed optimism that the stability in the forex market would be sustained and therefore assured the public, particularly genuine foreign exchange users of the commitment of the apex bank towards ensuring adequate liquidity in the market.
It will be recalled that the Bank on October 15, offered authorized dealers in the wholesale segment of the market the sum of $100million, while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the invisibles segments each received the sum of $55 million.
Meanwhile, $1 exchanged for N358 at the Bureau de Change (BDC) segment of the foreign exchange market, while CNY1 exchanged at N48.4m into Retail SMIS.
The embattled Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba has been impeached.
He was impeached by the House of Assembly shortly after it received report of a judicial panel of enquiry set up by the Kogi State Chief Judge Justice Nasir Ajanah.
House Leader, Hassan Bello Abdulahi, representing Ajaokuta state constituency, said Achuba was impeached following consideration of the report of the John Bayeshea-led committee.
Abdulahi explained said the report was accepted with lawmakers unanimously agreeing to impeach Achuba and “he therefore stands impeached.”
Speaker Mathew Kolawole on Friday received the report following which the House went into a closed-door session to discuss its contents.
The committee, which was inaugurated on August 26, probed allegations of gross misconduct leveled against the Deputy Governor.
Zainab-AhmedFederal, States and Local Governments in Nigeria have shared a total of N693.529 billion from the Federation Account Allocation for the month of September.
A communique by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) chaired by the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris, confirmed that from the total revenue of N693.529 billion, the Federal Government received N293.801 billion, the States received N186.816 billion and the Local Government Council received N140.864 billion.
The oil- producing States received N51.532 billion as 13% derivation revenue and the Revenue Generating Agencies received N20.517 billion as cost of revenue collection.
The gross statutory revenue for the month of September 2019 was N599.701billion. It was less than the N631.796billion received in the previous month by N32.095 billion.
For the month of September, gross revenue of N92.874 billion was available from the Value Added Tax as against N88.082 billion distributed in the preceding month, resulting in an increase of N4.792 billion. Exchange Gain yielded total revenue of N0.954 billion.
A break of the distribution showed that from the gross statutory revenue of N599.701 billion, the Federal Government received N279.985 billion, the States received N142.012 billion, the Local Government Councils received N109.485 billion, the Oil Producing States received N51.417 billion as 13% derivation revenue and the Revenue Collecting Agencies received N16.802 billion as cost of collection.
The N92.874 billion gotten from Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue was shared accordingly in which the Federal Government received N13.374billion, the States received N44.580 billion, and Local Government Councils received N31.206 billion and the Revenue Generating Agencies received N3.715 billion.
The communique also stated that in September 2019, revenue from Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Company Income Tax (CIT) decreased while Royalties, Import and Excise Duties and Value Added Tax increased considerably.
Gov-Seriake-DicksonFor us in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, the November 16, 2019 governorship election election is already won. Won by us and lost on the other side.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has presented a National Priority Budget proposal of N28, 422,804,431 for the year 2020 to the Senate Committee on the FCT.
Presenting the budget proposal to the committee today, October 17, the Minister said that completion of on-going projects remains a priority for the FCT Administration.
“in view of the poor performance of the Federal Capital territory portion of the 2019 National Priority Budget, the federal Capital Territory Administration has therefore decided to re-prioritize and rollover only essential on-going projects without making provisions for new ones.”
Mallam Muhammad Bello said that a total of 13 projects, comprising 12 ongoing projects and one new project will be the focus of the budget, explaining that the new entrant was the rehabilitation of Federal Government buildings at the cost of five billion Naira.
Fielding questions from the lawmakers, the Minister who described the 2020 budget proposal as a budget of stability, stressed that the focus on ongoing road projects within the Federal Capital City and satellite towns was deliberate and a measure to forestall any traffic gridlock in the nearest future.
“If we don’t build all the link roads and interchanges now to accommodate traffic spills, it will come back to haunt us in the next two years or so because the city is ever expanding.”
He commended members of the Committee for their passion for the FCT as evident in their comments and contributions toward the growth and development of the FCT.
Malam Muhammad Bello explained that the ongoing projects highlighted in the budget proposal were awarded some years ago to address the infrastructural demands of the FCT but over the years the FCT Administration had accumulated huge liabilities in order to roll out the projects.
In their remarks, members of the Senate Committee on the FCT reiterated that there was an urgent need for funding for the FCT to be increased substantially.
It was the consensus amongst the Senators that the sum of 28 billion Naira National Priority budget of the FCT was the equivalent of 78 million Dollars which, it was admitted, was inadequate considering the critical infrastructural needs of the FCT.
According to Senator Phillip Aduda, Senator representing the FCT, while there was an urgent need for the funds released to the FCT to be substantially increased, the FCT Administration is also obliged to shore up its internally generated revenue.
Senator Rochas Okorocha on his part advised the FCTA to look inwards and exploit several possible options including land-for-infrastructure programmes to raise the required capital to bridge infrastructural deficit.
Senator Tanko Almakura described the budget as very focused and commended the FCT Administration for identifying areas of priorities. He however sought for greater collaboration with states neighboring the FCT.
The FCTA team at the budget presentation also included the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Chief of Staff to the Minister, Malam Bashir Mai Borno, the Director Treasury, Alhaji Ishiaku Ismail, Director Engineering Services, Engr. Shehu Ahmed and other top management staff.
