Giant stride

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the implementation of the Steve Oransaye committee report on the rationalisation of government agencies. The committee set up by the Goodluck Jonathan administration had recommended the scrapping of some federal government agencies to reduce Nigeria's over-bloated recurrent expenditure and ultimately the cost of governance. It recommended a reduction in the number of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, while advocating for the merger of some agencies. Minister of finance, budget and national planning, Zainab Ahmed, has disclosed that the president will be implementing the recommendations. She made the comment when she appeared on a programme on Channels Television. Ahmed said the federal government had started to address the issue of high costs of governance by implementing the report. Her words:  “The president has approved that this administration should implement the recommendations of the Oransaye report. “So, the Orans...

The Senate has agreed to give an accelerated approval to  President Muhammadu Buhari’s  request to raise a fresh loan of N850bn from the domestic capital market to fund projects in the 2020 budget. The approval was given soon after the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan read a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking for the approval to go for fresh loan of N850 Billion from the Domestic Capital Market. The upper chamber also mandated it’s Finance and Appropriation Committees to liaise with the Finance Minister to obtain more details of the loan request.

The President, Muhammadu Buhari addressed the nation on Monday 27th April from the State house, Abuja regarding the current covid-19 lockdown in the country. The full speech: 1. Fellow Nigerians 2. I will start by commending you all for the resilience and patriotism that you have shown in our collective fight against the biggest health challenge of our generation. 3. As at yesterday, 26th April 2020, some three million confirmed cases of COVID nineteen have been recorded globally with about nine hundred thousand recoveries. Unfortunately, some two hundred thousand people have also passed away as a result of this pandemic. 4. The health systems and economies of many nations continue to struggle as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 5. Nigeria continues to adopt and adapt to these new global realities on a daily basis. This evening, I will present the facts as they are and explain our plans for the coming month knowing that some key variables and assumptions may cha...

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari, to scale down the total lockdown imposed in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja. This was contained in a letter dated April 24, 2020 and signed by NGF chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State. The letter was addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha. The Governors have asked Buhari to allow free movement in all the states, but with restrictions on large gatherings. The other things the governors want incorporated into President Buhari’s impending pronouncement on the lockdown are: “Inter-state lockdown, excluding movement of essential supplies- food, beverages, medical and pharmaceutical, petroleum supplies and agricultural products; internal free movement but with restrictions on large gatherings and assemblies; overnight curfews; lockdown of flights; and compulsory use of face masks/coverings in the public.” Fayemi said NGF...

With the two-weeks presidential lockdown order coming to an end and the coronavirus continues to spread to more states in the country, Nigerians are yet to know if the lockdown will be extended or not. President Muhammadu Buhari had on Saturday issued a statement to the public through its Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,  which has left many Nigerians wondering if the lockdown on Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states has now become indefinite as the president was not specific but rather said the lockdown will last as long as necessary if recommended by medical experts. The statement: I wholeheartedly thank all Nigerians for your patience, resolve and strong determination to defeat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. We realize that today, there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones. And there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suf...

As Nigerians continue to stay at home following the total lockdown imposed on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja over the coronavirus pandemic, vice president Yemi Osinbajo has stated that President Muhammadu  Buhari  is very much concerned about the daily survival of Nigerians among other issues associated with the lockdown. He made this known on NTA news shortly after meeting with Buhari. “What we are concerned about is how to ensure that the economy remains stable, that jobs are protected and if possible, more jobs are created,” he said. “We are very concerned about that and the President has expressed very serious concerns about the problems that may be associated with the lockdown. “Many of our people work for a daily wage, they have to go out to work, so we have to think in terms of how to ensure that we are able to give them some succour during the period when they are not able to work. “Some of those issues are the issues Mr President wanted me to discuss fully w...

With a death toll constantly on the rise, the novel coronavirus covid-19 has claimed the life of thousands in its wake. Here are some of the notably deceased: Suleiman Achimugu, ex-PPMC boss, 67 Suleiman Achimugu, an engineer and former PPMC MD was Nigeria’s first coronavirus fatality. His family said Achimugu returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom two weeks prior to showing symptoms of the virus. Christogonus Osuagwu, hotelier Christogonus Osuagwu was the owner of Fancy Hotel, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. He was said to have arrived the country from South Africa via Abuja. He visited Owerri, where he fell sick. Later, he returned to Abuja where he was said to have died of complications arising from the infection. Alfa Sa’adu, medical doctor, 68 Alfa Suda, a prominent Nigerian doctor in the United Kingdom, lost his life to the novel coronavirus after treating many patients suffering from the disease on March 31. Dr Saadu’s death was mourned by the Niger...

The names of the Nigerians who have died from the Coronavirus pandemic abroad have been released by the Federal Government. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), published a video in honour of the victims via her Twitter handle on Thursday. She wrote; ”May the souls of our brothers and sisters in Diaspora, who lost their lives to COVID 19, RIP. May the Lord heal the world ”Alfa Sa’adu (United Kingdom) ”Carol Jamabo (United Kingdom) ”Kole Abayomi, SAN (United Kingdom) ”Bode Ajanlekoko (United Kingdom) ”Adeola Onasanya (United Kingdom) ”Ugochukwu Erondu (United Kingdom) ”Chidinma Olajide (United Kingdom) ”Bassey Offiong (USA) ”Caleb Anya (USA) ”Mmaete Greg (USA) ”Akeem Adagun (USA) ”Laila Abubakar Ali (USA) ”Patricia Imobhio (USA May the souls of our brothers and sisters in Diaspora , who lost their lives to Covid 19, RIP. May the Lord heal the world 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/T1Nu77xP3G — Abike Dabiri-Erew...

Mrs Aisha Buhari has extended her magnanimity to the people of Edo state by donating 1,000 bags of 10kg rice to the state government to share to the vulnerable. Edo state first lady, Betsy Obaseki, while speaking during the presentation, assured residents that the relief items are expected to be shared as soon as possible. “I have received these items from the First Lady of Nigeria and informed the governor who advised that it should be given to the state’s COVID-19 committee for distribution to vulnerable persons and groups in the state.

In response to the National Assembly’s earlier expression of displeasure at the manner in which the federal government handled the conditional cash transfer scheme, the presidency has fired back, stating that poor Nigerians are not people who can access internet or have bank verification number(BVN). This was contained in a statement signed by  Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments on Thursday, where details of how National Social Investment Programme works and how the poor and vulnerable are reached. “The National Cash Transfer Programme derives all the cash transfer beneficiaries from a National Social Register (NSR), comprising State Social Registers that are developed and hosted by the State Ministries of Panning of each State. “The process for objective identification of poor and vulnerable households is as provided in the Financing Agreement (F.A) signed between Nigeria and the World Bank, for which purpose the World Bank IDA Cred...