₦airaland Forum

The federal government has blamed the Ekiti state government for its failure to access a budget support facility (BSF) made available to 35 states.

Fayose had accused the current administration of deliberately withholding the January allocation of his state because of the grouse he has with the current administration.

But in a statement on Thursday, Salisu Dambatta, director of information at the ministry of finance, said Ekiti state government failed to comply with the requirements for participating in a conditional loan programme to state governments.

Dambatta said Ekiti was warned that failure to comply with the full requirements of the loan would lead to its exclusion.

“A claim by the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, that the federal ministry of finance has withheld statutory allocation due to Ekiti State has been brought to the attention of the ministry of finance,” Dambatta said.

“The ministry categorically denies and states the claim as incorrect as the ministry has not withheld any statutory allocation due to Ekiti state, or any other state in the country.

“The fact is that, the Ekiti state government failed to comply with the necessary requirements for participating in the Budget Support Facility (BSF), which is a conditional loan programme to state governments introduced with the view to enhancing fiscal prudence and designed particularly to enhance transparency, efficiency in public expenditure and payment of salaries.

“This is not the first time of non-compliance by the Ekiti state government. His administration defaulted in meeting the conditions specified and agreed upon by the 35 state governments that are participating in the programme as contained in the fiscal sustainability plan (FSP) and the Ekiti state government was warned formally of its failure to comply with the full requirements vide a letter on August 5, 2016, with reference number HMF/FMF/ASG/1/2016.”

Dambatta said the ministry informed President Muhammadu Buhari of Ekiti’s refusal to comply with the requirements, and that payment was reinstated.

The ministry said Fayose’s government was aware of the consequence of not following the laid down procedure.

The governor was also advised to resolve the issue at the ministry of finance, rather than engaging in media war.

“The failure of Ekiti state government to comply with the requirements and conditions for the budget support facility (BSF) resulted in a letter sent to the chief of staff to notify him of the suspension of BSF for Ekiti state and it was conveyed to Mr. President before payment to the Ekiti state government was reinstated.

“The Ekiti state government and all the other participating states are aware of the consequence of failure to comply with the full conditions and it is not the first time that a state would be stopped from accessing the Facility due to non-compliance. In the course of its normal duties, the ministry of finance has the right to query, suspend or withhold funds as part of the conditions of the budget support facility.

“The process is for the commissioner of finance of any state or the governor having issues to contact the federal ministry of finance and resolve the issues without resorting to the media because such issues are of a financial nature and therefore, confidential; they are routinely resolved amicably by the parties involved.

“The federal ministry of finance wishes to restate very strongly that the budget support facility is a conditional programme and the federal government would not be intimidated or threatened in the discharge of its duties.”

Now that the dust over the corporeal status of President Muhammadu Buhari has settled, an attempt to put it all in perspective should make good sense, I think.

Before now, tempers had been on the loose. The Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, was so infuriated; he got unusually caustic and suggested that Nigerians were people of ill-will.

In the fleeting frustration that visited operatives of this administration following rumours that the President might have passed on in London, Mohammed let out an unforgiveable misjudgment of what Nigerians generally represent.

A statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Adeyemi, said, inter alia: “It’s only in this part of the world that you wake up in the morning and you say the President of the country is dead…”

Mohammed got it wrong. Nigerians actually, generally belong to a class of people whose attachment to tradition and religion constrains from wishing death on others.

So if any circumstance suggests that people of this country ventilate death wishes about anyone, those concerned should embark on some introspection in search of a rational explanation for the aberration.

But self-righteous fellows, who abound in the Buhari-led government, are mostly more solipsistic than reflective. A disposition which always breeds error. This is why they do not see what government itself contributed to the infuriating rumour. It is also why there may soon be another cycle of this dull drama

To start with, the President wakes up one beautiful Thursday morning and dispatch a letter to the Senate indicating his sudden decision to embark on vacation. The vacation will be for 10 days within which he also plans to visit his physicians for routine examinations. In his absence, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who was at the time away on official assignment in Davos, Switzerland, will act as President. Buhari then jets out the same day ahead of the arrival of the man designated to hold the forte for him!

For the next three days or so, no one hears from the President. Unlike his previous visits when we were regaled with pictures of arrivals and visitations, where interviewers fell upon one another to have a dig at the leader of the most populous black nation in the world, not one word dropped from Mr. President throughout that weekend. And we expect people not to speculate?

It is like a father who summons his children to tell them of the need for him to take an urgent trip just two hours after their mother left for the market to buy foodstuffs for the family.

He tells them this trip is so urgent he wouldn’t even be able to wait for their mother’s return from the market. However, they should rest assured that their needs will be met by the mother he couldn’t even wait to pass a handover note to.

He leaves in that hurry and for three days, not even the mother could provide information to the children about their father, who is ordinarily in the habit of staying in touch with his family. Those children are bound to fear that the worst may have happened to their dad. And it would be Herculean to rule speculations out in this household and its neighbourhood.

One can push this argument further to suggest that all men, be they white, yellow or black, are likely to react to this situation with a measure of agitated uncertainty and the tendency that rumours would soon begin to fly, when found in this situation are predictable.

Truth is, the minds of men are too endowed for the redundancy that Mohammed suggests. This is more so in the absence of credible and verifiable information, let alone a situation where there is no information at all, as seen in the scenario painted above. The President’s movement cuts the image of an emergency, further given credit by the information blackout of the following 48 hours or so.

But how did this death rumour emerge and can they really pass as death wishes for the President? A report with the headline: “Fact check: Buhari dead? Attempts suicide? Fake news is booming!” published by thecable.ng indicated that the rumours were first published by poor mimics of Metro newspaper of the United Kingdom and Huffington Post of the United States.

The Cable identified an assortment of errors starting with the faulty Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for both sites, the fact that both sites are operated by the same company and the unpardonable factual and grammatical gaffes in the two stories!

This investigation raises a few questions about the position held by the Information minister who threatened that anyone arrested in connection to the rumour would be dealt with.

The first question is do the originators of the story really want President Buhari dead? Most likely, no. Everyone who has some access to the Internet these days explores the opportunity to make a quick buck, become popular or even just cause some mischief. It is too early for us to forget the flourish of fake news during electioneering in the US last year. How do we imagine that our country can be insulated from this?

A corollary to the above is that these people do not necessarily have to be natives of Nigeria neither do they have to reside in the country. This, most certainly, is why government has still not found any culprit in spite of the threats.

Government further worsened the case by its uncoordinated responses to questions that have arisen especially after the extension of the President’s vacation. From “the President is hale, hearty” and chatty, you have had solicitation for prayers for the quick recovery of the same man who is said to be in good health. All of these send feelers of an intentional plan to shut Nigerians out and this invariably breeds speculations.

Have the pictures of visitations to the President released by his media team helped matters? I think not and here is why.

Rather than show the well-planned crisis management acumen of the President’s managers, these pictures only reflect the unprepared, reactive tendencies of the media machinery.

The prevailing motive seems to be something like: “Nigerians claim that he was sitting lame in the first picture they saw, so we got one in which he was having a meal with a governor. When Nigerians punctured the authenticity of that, we got him to walk his visitors to the door so they will see that he walks!” Not even the telephone conversation with President Donald Trump would lay the conjectures to rest as Nigerians are now asking the President to grant an interview to a broadcast medium or even address the nation via Skype. Nothing tells more about a people’s distrust of those running their affairs.

But how much of this drama would we have been able to cut off if Nigerians officially learnt about the health status of the President. Rather than speculate, wouldn’t we have had armies of prayer warriors of all faith self-enlisting in divine solicitation for the President’s good health?

And if the President is truly not unwell, his failure to speak with Nigerians these past three weeks is nothing but the arrogance of office. This is where the media management team of the President has to come off its high horse and get their boss to communicate with those who elected him. In countries where government has any iota of respect for the people; the President would be in a hurry to reassure his people.

But government officials in Nigeria already see the people as adversaries who only deserve token information. That is why people like the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, kinsmen and loyalists of the President are either handing imaginary rumour mongers over to God or sending the “death wish” back to them in torrents of curses, lately. A totally needed venture if things had been handled well.

What we have seen in the result of a tardy management of the information process. This spurs distrusts between government and the governed and at the end of it all, those who are in office lose their reputation and love of the people.

Essential to good governance is the effective management of information, of issues and of crises when they surface. The bungling of these accounts for the breakdown of confidence between Nigerians and their leaders. Unless handlers of our leaders understand that nothing takes care of a reputational crisis like total openness, they will continue to get frustrated by what would be the standard reaction of all normal human beings. We should learn a lesson from this unnecessary fiasco.

As the National Assembly prepares to resume from recess next Tuesday, Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, met with President Muhammadu Buhari in London yesterday, with Saraki assuring Nigerians that he was witty and healthy, and there was no cause for alarm.

Saraki and Dogara left Abuja yesterday morning in the company of the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, to meet with the president who is on an extended medical vacation in London.

The lawmakers were said to have left Abuja yesterday morning and arrived London in the afternoon.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu was obviously left out of the trip, because he is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Also, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Yusuf Lasun and Majority Leader in the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who were supposed to have been on the trip, could not make it.

THISDAY learnt that the visit was at the instance of Buhari who was said to have called Saraki and asked him to come over to London.

Although the reason for the invitation was shrouded in secrecy, Saraki was said to have been favourably disposed to embarking on the trip in the company of Dogara and Lawan.

However, it was gathered that the trip was necessitated by fact that the National Assembly will be resuming from its recess next Tuesday, during which opposition lawmakers might demand to know the true status of the health of the president.

According to sources in the National Assembly, Saraki, Dogara and Lawan’s visit to Buhari in London was set up to douse any concerns over the president’s health.

This, according to sources, informed the release of several photographs of the lawmakers visit to Buhari in London yesterday night.

Also, a statement issued by the senate president last night said: “Myself, Rt. Honorable Yakubu Dogara and Leader of Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan paid a visit to President Buhari in Abuja House in London.

“We were delighted to see that President Buhari is doing well, was cheerful and in good spirits.

“The president I saw today is healthy, witty and himself.

“The president’s absence and imminent return shows that there is no vacuum in government and our system of democracy is working with all organs of government fulfilling their mandate.

“And let me use the time tested cliché, there is no cause for alarm!”

Both Saraki and Dogara last Wednesday disclosed that they had held phone conversations with Buhari amid speculations about his health.

While Saraki said he called Buhari, Dogara said the president had called him and discussed issues affecting the welfare of Nigerians.

Saraki, in a tweet, said he spoke with the president and he was not only in good spirits, but also cracked a joke with him about his (Saraki’s) penchant for working very late into the night.

Dogara said his conversation with the president focused on Buhari’s concern over the plights of hapless citizens of Nigeria last year and how he was determined not to let the economic downturn continue this year.

The visit of the principal officers of the National Assembly to Buhari in London would be the second of such visits in the last one week by prominent Nigerians.

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu and erstwhile interim Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande visited the president last week and took photographs with him at Abuja House, London.

In the letter informing the National Assembly of the extension of his vacation, Buhari said: “I am extending my leave until the doctors are satisfied that certain factors are ruled out.”

He added: “In the course of the routine examinations, certain tests indicated a course of medications and further appointments have been scheduled for next week (this week).

“I am therefore notifying the Distinguished Senate that I am extending my leave until my doctors are satisfied that certain factors are ruled out. In the circumstances, the Vice President will continue to act on my behalf.”

Meanwhile, the White House in Washington D.C. has finally released the readout of President Donald Trump’s phone call to Buhari on Monday.

The readout, which was published on the White House’s website, was however silent on Trump’s invitation to Buhari to Washington D.C.

It said: “President Donald J. Trump spoke this week with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria to discuss the strong cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities.

“President Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expressed interest in working with President Buhari to expand the strong partnership.

“The leaders agreed to continue close coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and worldwide.

“President Trump expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the United States to support Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram.

“President Trump thanked President Buhari for the leadership he has exercised in the region and emphasised the importance of a strong, secure, and prosperous Nigeria that continues to lead in the region and in international forums.”

herzern:
I think it has been rectified.

Check this thread.

https://www.nairaland.com/3631452/rosy-meurer-gets-land-cruiser

It's from that amebo bloq and it displayed all pictures to me.it's even an FP topic.

herzern:
Baba.

The thinq don dey affect me lonq lonq..I just no fit take am aqain...All the sweet sweet threads of that amebo bloq,I no dey see picture.


Infact,I had to qo update my UC browser..still unfruitful.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, on Wednesday visited the headquarters of the ministry of finance and demanded the release of the state’s N1.1bn budget support facility for the month of January.

Fayose visited the ministry and requested to see the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, over the non-payment of the allocation but was told that the finance minister was at the Presidential villa attending the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

Addressing journalists at the ministry, he claimed that Ekiti was the only state that had yet to receive its January allocation.

The governor said that he received a text message from the Central Bank of Nigeria recently that the money had been paid only to be informed again by the apex bank that Ekiti was not included on the list of of payments.

This, according to him, is unacceptable as many workers in the state are currently suffering the negative impact of the delay in releasing the fund.

He said, “I believe I should do a follow up today (Wednesday) to meet with the minister of finance for an update, but she actually called me on Tuesday that she just got back but will look into it today (Wednesday) and have it resolved as soon as possible.

“You will however appreciate that Ekiti civil servants are restive, having spent Christmas and there is no money in January, obviously there will be challenges.

“By the time I got here, the minister has already gone for the Federal Executive Council meeting, but I met the Special Adviser, who assured me that the matter will be resolved when the minister is back.

“What we are talking about is a part of the monthly allocation and the budget support which is about N1.1bn that have not been paid.

“I believe this should be done immediately and I want to believe also that it was a mix-up and not political. But if it is political, they will have a lot of questions to answer (about) why it should be so.

“If they want to fight Fayose, they should fight Fayose, not the civil servants of Ekiti, but I appreciate her promise to resolve the matter.”

The governor said if the promise of the finance minister is not quickly implemented, he would have no other option but to continue to raise the alarm by bringing the issue back to the public domain.

He said, “It is only Ekiti that is involved and this is the second time, that explains why I was suspicious and have to act fast.

“I got a text from the Central Bank of Nigeia that the money has been paid and later I learnt that there is a withdrawal of that instruction that Ekiti was not included in the list out of the entire Federation.

“So, naturally I have to be and when it happened that it was just Ekiti State alone, I have to be suspicious. The minister has given me her word, at her level as a minister, that is good enough.

“If the promise of the minister to resolve this issue as quickly as possible is not adhere to, I will have to bring it back to the public domain.

“We are all in the court of the public opinion where the public is able to judge whether justice is served at all times. Governance is beyond all of us but I want to believe that they will do it.”

Drama ensued on the floor of the Senate at the ongoing budget defence as the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola could not explain how N2bn ‘walked into his proposal’.

However, Fashola denied knowledge of the N2bn allocated to Regional Housing Scheme in the 2017 budget proposal of the ministry.

The minister, who appeared before the committee to defend the proposal, referred the lawmakers to the Ministry of Finance for information on the controversial item.

The item was labeled FMOW99934089.

“I know as much of it as you do,” Fashola told members of the committee.

He further noted that he had no knowledge on the N2bn allocation as it was discovered in the proposal after it was worked upon by the Ministry of Finance.

The Chairman of the committee, Senator Barnabas Gemade, requested that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, be invited to explain the insertion of the allocation.

The following conversation ensued between Fashola and Gemade during the budget defence:

Gemade: Finally, what is this provision of N2bn for regional housing scheme? What is regional housing scheme? Where is it taking place? What is happening? Have you seen it on Page 18?

Fashola: It is not our project. It came in from, I think, the Budget (Office). It is a Ministry of Finance initiative; saying that they want to do what they called ‘family homes’. It is not from us.

Gemade: Yes, but they have put it here; otherwise, we will not be in the position to accept it.

Fashola: I know as much of it as you do sir.

Gemade: But you are here to defend this budget in totality.

Fashola: That is why I have come. I am explaining to you now, sir, on how it came into our budget. That is not what we submitted. We didn’t submit that proposal.

Gemade: So, will the ministry be kind enough to tell the people who put this in this budget to come forward and let us know?

Fashola: Please.

Gemade: Let us know what is regional housing programme because government cannot be operated in secrecy.

Fashola: I think the committee, if you permit me to bring this suggestion…

Gemade: …should invite them?

Fashola: Yes, sir.

Gemade: But you know the people; we don’t know them.

Fashola: No, sir. We just said finance sir.

Gemade: Finance ministry?

Fashola: Yes sir.

Gemade: We will write to the minister.

Fashola: Please do sir.

Gemade: (Pointing to the committee’s secretariat) Write to the minister: We have seen this line, which costs N2bn. Let them send information here for us to know what it is all about.

herzern:
Why is it I can't view any picture uploaded by latestamebonaija on his threads??

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Love Machine:
Make dem pai you and reward your family with 2 million naira.No take am personal.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State yesterday dispensed with partisan considerations to broach issues of core interest to the Igbo nation when Acting President Yemi Osibanjo visited the state on strategic consultations. The governor detailed account of marginalization of people of the South-East and Imo State in particular by the present Muhammadu Buhari administration. Okorocha regretted that the region has been grossly shortchanged on many fronts, particularly in the areas of appointments and allocation of Federal Government projects.

His words: “No other group in Nigeria that had invested as much into our nationhood can sing the song of marginalisation as much as Ndigbo has been made to sing it.

We have nothing to show that we are part of the Nigerian project; neither do we have any sense of belonging in the present government at the national level. “We have been marginalised both in terms of projects and appointments. In Imo State, for instance, all we have is a Minister of State to show for all the efforts and extreme sacrifices we made to ensure that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had a good outing in the last general elections.”

Okorocha continued: “I know you are the Acting President and has the ears of the President. So, there is no better person to tell our painful story than you. You need to take a second look at what is happening in the South-East. No serious political appointment, no visible federal infrastructure so far, to show the presence of Federal Government in the South- East in general. “I beg that as the government gives subsequent appointments, let the qualified sons and daughters of the state and region be considered.

Those in business should 1be considered for federal patronage.” Apparently, these were no easy words for Okorocha who is also the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum as he carefully chose his words. “Imo State played major role in bringing APC to power because if what had taken place in other states was allowed to happen in Imo State and other states in the South-East, probably we wouldn’t have had the APC government today.

“Given the roles that I personally played as a sacrificial lamb in the South- East during the elections, my state deserves a better deal. There is no Federal Government presence in the oil-producing areas, and none of our youths benefitted from the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme. I also use this opportunity to ask for the quick refund of the money spent by the state on Imo International Cargo Airport and on some federal roads in the state.”

Okorocha, who noted that he had made a case previously to President Buhari, expressed confidence that Osinbajo had the ear of the President and will convey the feelings and grievances expressed by stakeholders in the state. Responding, Osinbajo said that it was not exactly correct that President Buhari had been unfair to Imo people. He said that the Presidency couldn’t deliberately set out to marginalise Ndigbo in view of their contributions to the development of the country.

“You said that the highest appointment given to Imo under Buhari was Minister of State for Education. I will like to equally inform you that Katsina, the home state of Mr. President, and Kaduna State where Buhari resides all have ministers of state.

“If there is any governor in this country that has the ear of Mr. President, I will say that it is Governor Okorocha. As such, it cannot be said that the state is marginalised by the APCled Federal Government,” the acting president said. Osinbajo, during the visit to the palace of the chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri in Owerri, however, conceded to the fact that the oil-bearing communities in Imo State have largely been mistreated and neglected. He reassured that the Federal Government would make amend.

He said: “My visit here is in continuation of consultations with all the states of the Niger Delta as directed by Mr. President, and I can say that the oilproducing communities in Imo State have been largely ignored and this will be appropriately redressed.

“The oil-producing communities in Imo have a lot of vibrant young men and women who must be carried along in the scheme of things. My interaction today with those concerned has given the government the opportunity to discuss with the people directly involved with a view to making sure that there is justice and even development across the Niger Delta communities.” Meanwhile, Osinbajo has expressed dismay at the level of projects abandonment in the oil-producing communities of Imo state. Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Forum held at the Imo International Convention Centre, Owerri yesterday, the Acting President declared that there are over 40 abandoned projects scattered across Oguta and Ohaji-Egbema, the two oilbearing communities in Imo State.

He, therefore, directed contractors handling all on-going projects in the oil-producing areas of Imo State to return to sites with immediate effect. Osinbajo, who also visited the N4 billion Federal Government‘s Skill Acquisition Centre and the multi-billion naira gas plant in Ohaji-Egbema explained that from the lists submitted to him by various groups, Imo has over 40 abandoned projects awarded in the oil bearing areas, apart from numerous roads projects that are abandoned. He equally warned against the diversion of projects meant for the oilbearing communities by political office holders, noting that such act compound incidences of marginalisation and restiveness in the oil communities.

According to him, the Federal Government was committed to injecting fresh ideas in the development of the Niger Delta area whereby the oil firms, government, corporate bodies and the host communities would come together and step up development of these areas. Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who also spoke, assured that his ministry would investigate reports of diversion of oil wells due Imo to other states.

Chief Jones Uzoka, an indigene of the oil-bearing communities who spoke, claimed that some oil wells in Imo were allocated to other states, while some others were shut down for no reason. Due to these reasons, he said Imo does not get her due share as oil bearing state and called on the Federal Government to remedy the injustice.

Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has described corruption as one of the reasons Nigerians are facing hardship.

Osinbajo said corruption, which had been in the country for many years, contributed a lot to the economic challenges affecting Nigeria.

Explaining that the Federal Government was investigating a $15bn defence contract, Osinbajo stated that the disappearance of such an amount would lead any country into hardship.

The Acting President, who spoke in Port Harcourt on Tuesday during a town hall meeting with the members of the All Progressives Congress, also attributed the country’s current economic woes to the continued attack on the nation’s oil facilities.

“It is easy for people to say that times are hard. One of the reasons things are hard in the country is the corruption that has been in the system for years.

“At the moment, we are investigating the $15bn defence contract award. If $15bn disappeared when you have a reserve of $30bn, there is no way there will not be hardship.

“The other thing is the destruction of pipelines and facilities. Oil prices fell by half, then we started losing one million barrels a day, 60 per cent of revenue. There is no way there will be no recession.”

Osinbajo, however, expressed optimism that with the prudent management of the nation’s resources, the country would move out of its current economic challenges.

“We are sure that because of the way we are approaching the business of governance, even with the little resources, things will change for the better. For the first time, we have bailed out the states of the federation.

“When we came, 22 states were not paying salaries at all. We had to bail them out twice. Despite the lean resources, we were still able to support the states.

“In the next few months, as things shape up, this country will improve and the exchange rate will improve,” the Acting President stressed.

Osinbajo noted that Nigeria would have crumbled economically but for the prudence of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He added that the economy was recovering, noting that in a few months, things would begin to change for the nation.

Osinbajo noted that projects that would benefit the people of the Niger Delta region would be given adequate attention by the Federal Government.

“We must maintain ourselves first of all; we must maintain peace. The government of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to changing the narrative of the Niger Delta. Most of the things that have been said are the same things we have been saying all along.

“Like the issue of the clean-up of Ogoni, I explained in every detail what has been done so far. Not only has the project’s coordinator being appointed, Shell Petroleum Development Company is compelled to give $1bn for the project in five tranches of $200m a year.

Earlier, the lawmaker representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, urged the Federal Government to take a clear and decisive step towards bringing peace to Rivers State.

Similarly, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, listed exclusion, politicisation of issues and insincere agitators as some of the hurdles hindering the development in the Niger Delta region.

Osinbajo also reassured oil-producing communities in Imo State of Federal Government’s support.

Osinbajo, who spoke in Owerri while on a one-day working visit to the state on Tuesday, said he was in the state at the behest of President Muhammadu Buhari to consult with stakeholders in the oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta region with Imo State being one of them.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

The Presidency has said the nation’s economy which is currently in recession is currently on course for recovery and growth.

This was contained in the 23rd newsletter published by the Presidency Office of Digital Engagement, a copy of which was posted on the official website of the Presidency, @AsoRock.

The Presidency said there were 11 reasons to prove that the nation’s economy was gradually coming out of recession.

It said, “After two consecutive quarters of negative growth, the non-oil economy showed, in Q3 2016, a modest return to positive territory, at 0.03 per cent.

“This was partly due to the continued good performance of agriculture and the solid minerals, two sectors prioritised by the Federal Government.

“Agriculture grew by 4.54 per cent in the quarter under consideration of which growth in crop production at nearly 5 per cent was at its highest since the first quarter of 2014. Growth in the solid mineral sector averaged about 7 per cent.”

According to the document, the Anchor Borrowers Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria substantially raised local rice production in 2016.

It explained that yields improved from two tonnes per hectare to as much as seven tonnes per hectare in some states.

It added that the Fertilizer Intervention Project which involves a partnership with Morocco, for the supply of phosphate is on course to significantly raise local production, and bring the retail price of fertilizer down by about 30 per cent.

The government said the newly established Development Bank of Nigeria was taking off, with initial funding of $1.3bn provided by the World Bank, German Development Bank, the African Development Bank and Agence Française de Development to provide medium and long-term loans to MSMEs.

It also disclosed that a new social housing programme tagged ‘Family Homes Fund’ is starting this year with a N100bn provision in the 2017 budget while the rest of the funding will come from the private sector.

“…Strategic Engagements with OPEC and in the Niger Delta have played an important part in raising our expected oil revenues. Already, Nigeria’s external reserves have grown by more than $4bn in the last three months.”

jojothaiv:
Amen, Boss..

You no watch UCL ni?

jojothaiv:
Once Again!

Weh Done Sir!

We Will Be Watching!

LivingHuman:
Bruh I tell u.. He probably didn't know. I think God used those Soldiers for him... in a bad way tho

Bitterleafsoup:
smoked fish and orijin lol.

naijaboy756:
why are u giving value to a valueless ZOmbie like Sarki?

psucc:
When will they arrest the 'grass cutter'?

sarrki:
I blame the former president

He's the leader and Nigeria entrusted him with the treasury what did we get

He allowed miscreants to loot us dry

2016v2017:
Buhari is a bloody hypocrite fighting corruption outside corruption.

sarrki:
I don't support criminals

Am a patriot check most of the people on that list

I hardly support anyone

I don't support blindly

That's why I respect Baba and Asiwaju

jusRadical:
Wicked.

That is walking dead things now?

sarrki:
High chief of the wailing wailers I hail thee

Ow Val?