State House
Lagos launches N5 billion support capital for low-cost schools
Lagos State Employment Trust Fund Lagos State Government in partnership with First Bank of Nigeria has launched N5 billion Post-Coronavirus (COVID-19) Recovery Support capital for the education sector to support low-cost private schools across the state in mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic. The intervention fund, which targets over 2,000 private schools, was formally launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday at a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall in the State House, Alausa, Ikeja. Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) collaborated with First Bank of Nigeria Limited to facilitate the matching fund, which will be given as a loan to schools and vocational education centres across the State. Sanwo-Olu said the intervention was part of the State Government’s sustainable...
Minister: Nigerian government waiting for NPAN to make submissions on palliatives
The Federal Government yesterday said it was ready to look into the hardships and the challenges the media, especially print, was facing due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this after presenting a portrait of the Argungu festival to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Briefing State House correspondents, the Minister said he had a virtual meeting with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, some time ago, adding that he was waiting for the association to make submissions to him on the challenges the print media was facing. He said the Federal Government was willing to assist the media industry within its means to ameliorate the situation. Alhaji Mohammed, who said gov...
President Buhari approves 5,000mts of maize to support poultry industry
Following hardship faced by poultry farmers, President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, approved the release of 5,000 metric tonnes of maize from the National Strategic Grains Reserve, NSGR, to support the Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, in order to mitigate the challenge of affordability of feed. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director, Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Theodore Ogaziechi, where it was also made know that the 5,000 metric tonnes of maize is subsidized at the rate of N90, 000 as against the current market price of N170, 000. The statement reads in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 5,000 Metric Tonnes of maize from the National Strategic Grains Reserve to support the Poultry Association of Nigeri...
Nigerian government approves N1.1 billion to accommodate NDLEA officials
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday in Abuja approved N1.1billion for the acquisition of a 156-room accommodation for use by Staff of the Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, announced this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council. He said: “The memo presented by the office of Attorney General and Minister of Justice is related to National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). “It is a memo that seeks council’s approval for the award of contract for the purchase of a property properly known and described as Plot No. 1123-1129 Cadastral Zone 0607 at Aviation Village, Airport Road, Abuja – a property which consists of 156 rooms in a...
Senator Lawan: National Assembly won’t tolerate disrespect from presidential appointees again
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, on Monday, said the federal lawmakers would no longer tolerate appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari, abusing the National Assembly. He said the President himself had made it clear that he would not tolerate such. Lawan spoke with State House correspondents shortly after Buhari inaugurated the Executive, Legislative Party Consultative Committee at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said, “I believe that should be the end of it (appointees knocking heads with legislature). We believe that we should work together. “Mr President made it very clear that he is not going to tolerate any of his appointees doing things that are not respectable, things that have no dignity to the National Assembly. “For us in the National Assembly, ...
Senator Akpabio: FEC approves 8 field forensic auditors for NDDC
Determined to clean up the rot in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NCDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs Wednesday got the approval for the appointment of eight Forensic Auditors who will work in the field in the Niger Delta region. This much was disclosed Wednesday in Abuja by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, while briefing State House Correspondents after the 13th virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at Council Chambers, State House, Abuja. According to the Minister, “Ministry of Niger Delta presented a memo to the Federal Executive Council and at the end of the deliberations, the memo was approved. The memo is basically the appointment of Field Forensic Auditors to undertake the forensic au...
Nigerian government approves N13.3 billion take off for community policing
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N13.3 billion for the take-off of Community Policing initiative across the country. This is as the World Bank has cleared 35 states for the US$1.5billion stimulus package for Nigeria’s states to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Economic Council (NEC) at its virtual meeting on Thursday, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, resolved that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, with two other governors, meet with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Finance Minister and the Inspector General of Police to coordinate the proper utilization of the funding of the initiative Attendance at the NEC virtual meeting with state governors, included the Min...
President Buhari reads riot act to ministers, MDAs over discord with National Assembly
President Muhammadu Buhari has read the riot act to ministers, ministries, departments and agencies, warning that any disrespect to the National Assembly will not be tolerated. According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari issued the warning after meeting Senate President Senator Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila at the State House, Abuja. Garba said the meeting, which lasted for almost an hour, was characterized by an engaging discussion on a range of key issues of National importance particularly the role of the Legislature as a critical component in supporting their common goal and commitment towards improving the lives of the people of Nigeria. The statement read in part: “In the course of their...
Presidential panel grills four EFCC sectional heads
File Photo The Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential investigation panel probing corrupt allegations levelled against the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, on Tuesday grilled four-unit heads of the commission. The officials had previously appeared before the panel last week but were said to have been unable to provide meaning responses to queries. They were therefore instructed to return to the panel on Tuesday armed with relevant documents and answers to the questions raised. However, it was learnt that Tuesday’s appearance of the anti-graft officials was still not very helpful as they were again not able to satisfy the panel. TribuneOnline gathered that they have however promised to study the documents in their possession before...
Presidency: Why 2020 budget was increased despite drop in revenue
File Photo The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Umar El-Yakub, has said the decision of the Presidency to increase the 2020 Budget despite drop in revenue was meant to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s economy. President Muhammadu Buhari had on Friday signed the Appropriation (Repeal and Amendment) Act, 2020 into law. The revised budget provides for aggregate expenditure of N10.81trn, which is an increase of N216bn over the level of expenditure initially proposed in the 2020 Appropriation Act. El-Yakub, in an interview with State House correspondents, attributed the increase to the government’s decision to prioritise infrastructure projects that would reflate the economy. He said, “One needs to und...
President Buhari meets Governor Obaseki at Villa
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met with the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Bashir Ahmad, announced this via his Twitter handle. He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari meets with Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki this afternoon, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.” Newsmen reports that eight governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, on Sunday, held a meeting with the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, at the State House Marina, Lagos State to make a case for Obaseki. It was gathered that the governors were at the closed-door meeting to seek Tinubu’s intervention in the search for a truce in the political conflict between Obaseki and h...
President Buhari gets Madagascar herbal formula
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday at the State House, Abuja, received Covid Organic, the Madagascan native formulation against the COVID-19 pandemic. Samples of the solution were delivered to him by President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau who brought them along as part of the traditional medicine shared to African nations by the government of Madagascar. According to a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) in Abuja, President Buhari however reiterated that he will listen to science before allowing traditional or any new medicines to be administered on Nigerians. He said his position on all such herbal or traditional medicinal postulates had remained the same. “We have our institutions, systems and processes in the co...
