POLITICS
Buhari to Ministers: We Must Not Fail Nigerians
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday charged his new cabinet members on the need to deliver on his administration’s Next Level Agenda to the 200 million people in Nigeria by implementing policies and programmes that will improve the lives of the ordinary citizens.
The President said that the safety, security and prosperity of Nigeria’s 200 million people “are our responsibility, we must not fail them.
”Speaking during the maiden Federal Executive Council Meeting (FEC) of his second term administration, Buhari stressed that “As a government our focus must remain that of safeless service.”
President Buhari said that he expected all the ministers to double your efforts in this second term.
For the new cabinet members, the President said, the weekly meeting presents an opportunity to know their fellow ministers and exchange ideas with a goal of perfecting his government’s stated policies which will positively impact on Nigerians.
According to him, in the recently concluded elections, “the majority of Nigerians who voted for us gave us a clear mandate – to enhance the security of lives and property across the entire country; create a diversified and inclusive economy that will bring prosperity to all, and to instal governance and accountability in our systems and processes, thereby eliminating corruption.”
“All ideas and projects that will contribute to achieving these goals shall be foremost in our deliberations.
“For returning ministers, my decision to appoint you is best on merit. During our first term, you executed your mandate diligently in a patriotic manner.”
“To enhance service delivery, we decided to restructure some functions which led to the creation of new ministries to achieve our goal of economic diversification and inclusive growth.
“For example, we merged the ministry of finance with that of budget and national planning, we also created a ministry for humanitarian affairs and disasters management and social development to fully institutionalized our various interventions that support some of the poorest and most distressed citizens of our country,” he added.
The president while explaining the rationale behind the splitting of the ministry of power, works and housing and ministry of transportation and aviation, said it would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation’s infrastructure delivery programmes and projects.
He added: “On security, keeping in mind the need to improve on our achievements, we created the ministry of police affairs whose purpose is to oversee the development and implementation of strategies that will enhanced Nigeria’s internal security in synergy with other security and intelligence agencies.
“This will include supporting the re-establishment of civil authority in the liberated areas of the north east.”
On the role of Senator George Akume’s new ministry, President Buhari said, said that he created the ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs to manage key projects and initiatives of the presidency.
“The minister’s the role will include coordinating of multi-agencies and inter-ministry functions as designated by the President,” he added.
President Buhari said that he had instructed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to draft a schedule of ministerial responsibilities for his review and final approval.
“As I said during the recent retreat, we must work in harmony with each other. Communication and team work are the hallmarks of success,” he reiterated.
The president tasked all the ministers to keep in mind the oath they took three weeks ago and work selflessly for the good of the citizens.
POLITICS
Assembly Passes Edo N675bn 2025 Budget for Assent
The Edo House of Assembly on Monday passed the state 2025 budget of N675 billion for assent.
The passage followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Budget and Project Monitoring at plenary in Benin.
Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Sunday Fada, (PDP Esan Central) said the budget was made up of N225 billion recurrent expenditure and N451 billion capital expenditure.
Fada noted that the committee came up with the increase in the budgetary allocation to enable the governor carry out his five points agenda in the state.
The House at the committee of Supply, considered the budget clause by clause and subsequently, approved the increase from N605.
7 billion to N675 billion.The Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, thereafter directed Mr Yahaya Omogbai, the clerk of the house to forward clean copies of the budget to the governor for his assent. (NAN)
POLITICS
Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday attributed the deadly stampede that claimedmore than 105 lives in stampedes during food and cash distribution events to “poverty-induced neoliberal economic policies” and “criminal negligence.
”In a statement released on Sunday, Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond ASCAB, demanded justice for victims of the tragic events, saying, “These tragic events are a national shame, the victims were not just statistics but human beings driven to desperation by systemic poverty and the gross incompetence of those entrusted with their safety.
”On December 21, 12 people died and 32 others were injured in Okija, Anambra State, during a scramble for rice distributed by a philanthropist.
On the same day, a stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including children, as over 3,000 people jostled for palliatives.
Just two days prior, on December 19, 35 children lost their lives in a stampede at a Christmas funfair at an Islamic High School, Basorun. in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The loss of these innocent lives is heart-wrenching,” Falana lamented.
“It underscores the indignity that poverty imposes on our people.”
Falana also criticized the elite for their treatment of the poor during such events, stating, “No member of the elite invites others to lunch by throwing the food,” and condemned what he termed “class prejudice” in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
He also announced plans to mobilize lawyers to pursue civil suits against the organizers of these events.
“We will ensure survivors and families of the deceased are adequately compensated,” Falana affirmed. “Those responsible for these avoidable tragedies must be held accountable.”
POLITICS
2025 budget: LP Chieftain Lauds Tinubu for Diving Priority to Security, Others
Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, National Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) ,has commended President Bola Tinubu for giving priority to security and other key sectors in the 2025 Appropriation Bill .
Olorunfemi gave the commendation while speaking with newsmeon Thursday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the President had on Wednesday presented the N47.
9 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill , christened “Budget of Restoration, Securing Peace and Rebuilding Prosperity” , to a joint session of the National Assembly .The President listed highlights of the 2025 budget allocations to include: defense and security: N4.91 trillion; infrastructure: N4.06 trillion; Health: N2.
48 trillion and Education: N3.52 trillion.Reacting , Olorunfemi described security as an enabler of development.
He called on the President to ensure proper implementation ,saying budgets had always been well-crafted but usually lacked monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing that can happen if there is no security. This is good if the budget is properly utilised for the purpose.
“Our problem is not about policies and budgets, it is about monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing wrong in bringing a budget proposal forward in terms of expectation, what we want to do, how we want to do it, and how much we want to spend.
“Now, the most important thing is the implementation,, budgets in Nigeria have always been properly crafted,” the LP boss said.
Olorunfemi called on the President to build strong institutions to prevent sabotaging of his policies.
“If this government wants to do anything, it must wake up to the responsibility of monitoring policies and ensure severe penalty for anyone who attempts to sabotage such policies.
“We need institutions that no one will be able to interfere with. We must allow these institutions to work, that is what we expect.
“Once we have strong institutions, most of our problems are solved,” he said.
He also called on the President to take steps to address the problems experienced by Nigerians in the banking sector.
Olorunfemi decried the inability of many Nigerians to get cash at bank’s Automated Teller Machines and the high charges paid to get cash from Point of Sales (POS) operators.
The LP boss also urged the President to devise ways of ending multiple taxations and high fuel price, describing them as major causes of hardship .
Recalled that the President said that the budget was a demonstration of government’s commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives and repositioning the country for greater performance.
He also said the budget sought to consolidate the key policies instituted to restructure the economy, boost human capital development, increase the volume of trade and investments and bolster oil and gas production. (NAN)