Presidential Villa roundup from Sept. 9 to Sept. 15, 2018

President Muhammadu Buhari commenced his weekly activities at the presidential villa on Tuesday, Sept. 11, when he received the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from a group, the Nigerian Consolidation Ambassadors Network.

The group donated the forms worth N45million to him to support his bid for re-election next year.

In his remarks after receiving the form, the president said: “I am honoured today to receive youths from all over the country contributing to buy the forms for me. The weakest people whose senses of expectation do not align with our vision have exited our party.”

Later on Tuesday, the President received the Audit Report from the Presidential Audit Committee on Recovered Assets.

The President after receiving the report called on the National Assembly to pass Proceeds of Crimes Bill before it, noting that it will strengthen the administration’s asset recovery mission.

“However, a key tool that will revolutionise our asset recovery and management architecture is the Proceeds of Crimes Bill which is currently awaiting passage by the National Assembly.

“Once the Bill is passed and assented, many of the challenges facing our asset recovery and management practice will be adequately taken care of as the bill addresses most of the challenges facing effective asset recovery and management in Nigeria.

“I therefore encourage the National Assembly to take necessary steps to pass the bill,” he said. The Chairman of the three-man committee, Mr. Olufemi Lijadu, told the President that it had recovered N769 billion.

Elsewhere, on Tuesday, Sept. 11, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, assured traders in Calabar that the Federal Government would continue to encourage them to grow bigger in their businesses.

Osinbajo gave the assurance when he visited Watt’s Market, Calabar, to ascertain the level of traders’ compliance with the federal government initiated “Trader Moni” scheme.

The vice president who interacted with the traders urged them to be patient with government as it was not relenting in its effort to improve their lot through its enterprise and empowerment programme.

On Wednesday, Sept. 12, President Buhari presided over a meeting of the Federal Executive Council. Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said FEC approved three bills on electoral reforms to be forwarded to the National Assembly.

The bills are the Constitution Alteration BIll, (2018); the Electoral Act amendment BIll (2018); the Electoral Offences Commission BIll (2018).

Malami said the President remained committed to strengthening the electoral process in the country, hence the setting up of the Ken Nnamani Electoral Reforms Committee, whose report, among others have given rise to the bills as well as the need to have permanent institutions to drive the reforms.

Later on Wednesday, the President submitted his nomination form at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja. In his remarks, the President told party members not to allow “those who brought the country to its knees from 1999 to 2015 to come and take us back.”

President Buhari, who expressed appreciation to those who contributed money to buy the form for him, assured all that if given the mandate and reelected next year, he will continue to serve the country to the best of his ability.

Also on Wednesday, Osinbajo, expressed support for the request by young aspirants under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) to be given quotas in elective offices.

The vice president gave the assurance during a meeting with young aspirants under the platform of APC at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Osinbajo commended Nigerian youths for their desire to contribute to nation building in their various constituencies through active involvement in politics.

He called on them to make needed sacrifices to ensure the ideals they want to see in the country were realised.

On Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018 President Buhari appointed Mr Yusuf Bichi as the new Director-General of the Department of State Services (SSS).

According to a statement by Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bichi’s appointment takes effect from Sept. 14.

Earlier at the State House, the President received Letters of Credence from High Commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria, Mrs Gloria Corina Peter Tiwet, Ambassador of the Republic of North Korea, Mr Jon Tong Chol and High Commissioner of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Wendell Vincent Carlton De Landro.

During his audience with the Malaysian High Commissioner, the President assured the Malaysian government that issues relating to the documentation and welfare of Nigerian students in the country will be properly handled to avoid hitches during their stay.

The President said he had instructed the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure full compliance of students with all the requirements for studying abroad, including visas, before departure.

President Buhari told the Ambassador of the Republic of North Korea that the recent opening of discussions between the country and America, and South Korea, was very encouraging to the ongoing peace efforts across the globe.

Also on Thursday, Osinbajo said that Nigeria must urgently build an economy that would support its fast-growing population in order to avoid a `time bomb’ scenario.

Osinbajo made this submission in his address at the Religious Leaders Consultative Forum on Harnessing Demographic Dividend for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of Muslim Religious Leaders in Abuja.

The theme of the forum is “Increasing Access to Reproductive Health as a Key Pillar for Achieving Demographic Dividend in Nigeria.”

The vice president also on Thursday inaugurated the Trader Moni loan scheme in Gbagi Market, Ibadan.

 

He told the traders that more funds would be committed to the scheme as soon as the traders began to pay back.

President Buhari continued with his busy schedule for the week on Friday, Sept. 14, when he received a delegation of Ogoni leaders from the Supreme Council of Ogoni traditional rulers, elected representatives, religious leaders and the academia.

In his remarks at the event, the President assured the group that the country’s resources will be retained and utilised for the benefit of all citizens, with a strong focus on infrastructure.

“We will not abuse the trust. What belongs to Nigeria stays in Nigeria and will be utilised by Nigerians,” President Buhari told a delegation of Ogoni leaders from the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers and elected leaders of MOSOP at the State House.

The President also received traditional rulers from Abia State led by His Royal Majesty, Dr. Isaac Ikonne.

The President expressed optimism that new investment commitments coming into Nigeria’s textile sector, of which Aba is a major beneficiary, will be actualised within the shortest possible time.

The President also assured the monarchs that the issue of unstable electricity and other basic infrastructure in Ariaria market, a major trading hub in West and Central Africa, would soon be a thing of the past.

Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to rapidly industrialise the country through projects that promote import substitution, the President said the investments in the textile industry would create thousands of jobs for youths in Aba.

On Friday night, Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, announced that President Buhari has accepted the resignation of the Hon. Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

The President thanked the Minister for her services to the nation and wished her well in her future pursuits.

The President also approved that the Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, should oversee the Ministry of Finance with effect from Friday Sept. 14.

Also on Friday, Presidency announced that President Buhari had delegated authority to the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, to declare a “national disaster” in the event that anticipated flooding turns a reality in parts of the country.

The President’s directive follows a warning by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency that Rivers Benue and Niger had almost reached levels that resulted in flooding in 2012, which led to loss of lives and destruction of property.

Vice president Yemi Osinbajo and Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, extolled the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo as he celebrates his 75th birthday.

They both spoke at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, venue of the birthday celebration on Friday, Sept. 14.

The vice president who spoke while supervising the cutting of the cake, described Alake as a man of peace.

On Saturday, Sept. 15, Osinbajo attended the 50-year anniversary of the Church of God Mission International (CGMi) founded by late Archbishop Benson Idahosa in Benin City, Edo State.

Osinbajo delivered a lecture at the event titled “The Christian, Politics and Nation Building”.

 

 

NAN