With just 19 days to exit office, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has given reasons why it continues to approve multi-billion naira contracts for award, insisting that it remains in office and will work until the last day.

The explanation came after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja considered 37 agenda items in a marathon session on Wednesday before announcing the award of contracts in various sectors.

Speaking at the post-FEC media briefing, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu, described Wednesday’s session as quite extraordinary, saying: “It’s been a very long day for everyone, 37 agenda items were considered for today’s meeting. Quite extraordinary.”

Fielding questions on why the administration had waited till late hour before churning out Wednesday’s contracts, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, maintained that the administration will continue to perform its duties to May 28.

He said: “Ladies and gentleman, without any intentions of mischief, this government was elected to function from 2019 to precisely 29th of May 2023. Should we now stop functioning one month before the next appointment because we’re coming to the end of the tenure?

“This government must work. We expect the next government to also work until the very last day of their tenure.”

Also speaking, Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, explained that contracted processes take time, saying that even if the administration cannot finish what it has started, government being a continuum, it will be be the business of the incoming government.

He said: “If I may add, there are processes and this process have started. We’re still operating the 2022 budget, we have agencies. These things are not just done in one day. We had lots of submissions to BPP to ICRC, all the agencies involved in the procurement, and they have to get ready.

“So, anytime they’re ready, it’s at that point that we have to submit. And like the Minister of Transportation said, we’re still in office technically until the 28th of May.
So, we still have to operate. And this is the instruction that we have from Mr. President.

Since the elections were conducted, that government must continue to function regardless of elections and so on. And so we’re just doing our duty as we should serve in the country.

“We do not control the process, but when it’s completed and we’re still in office, we’re duty-bound to bring these memos to Council for Council to approve. Government is a continuum. There are still a lot of memos.

“I can assure you a lot of contracts will not see the light of day in the next one week or two. And for those, we don’t have any option but to let the process continue. And then for the next government to come and continue. That’s what we face also.

“Some of the very first memos we brought to council in 2015, for me, I had no idea when they started, but I had to be briefed on, this was the the way that it had to be and then we were brought in here. So, government is a continuum. And it should be seen as such.

“And I think this administration should be given that full credit because, to a large extent, we have continued since 2015, to implement projects and programs that we didn’t initiate that which, in our assessment, were good for the country. We continued them, we didn’t jettison them, and we’re confident that the incoming administration will do the same.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has observed that young people around the world have proven that they have the capability to drive the change process, contributing positively to the socio-economic development of their communities.

He made the assertion while declaring open the Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit in Abuja on Tuesday.

The President said his administration has heavily invested in youth development, creating formidable platforms through which youths can hone their leadership skills.

President Buhari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, pledged that Nigeria as a member of the Commonwealth would continuously create an enabling environment for young people to blossom and reach their potential.

‘‘I am very optimistic that with the breed of young people gathered here, actionable policy decisions that will further enhance development and productivity of the youth will be reached for the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth to implement to further better the lots of young people of the Commonwealth,’’ he said.

On initiatives to support the empowerment of young people, as the theme of the Summit is ‘Co-creating our common future leadership in the digital age in Africa,’ the President said:

‘‘The digital Revolution is clearly upon us with the young ones leading the way in ICT, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, E-Commerce and the like. Investments in building a digital economy must proceed along with investment in the ideas, skills and enterprise of our youth.

‘‘In line with the key values of the Commonwealth, Nigeria over the years has invested heavily in youth development, created formidable and reliable platforms such as the Youth Parliament, National Youth Council of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Students, Nigeria Youth Congress, amongst others, through which our young people and students can hone their leadership skills and make relevant contribution to the decision-making process, especially on issues that border on their development and welfare.

‘‘Nigeria is committed to the actualization of the core values of the Commonwealth and firmly believes in the power of the youth as the driving force, in making a difference in the socio-economic development of their societies.

‘‘It is, therefore, a welcome development that this summit has brought together young people from various socio-cultural and political backgrounds to further strengthen youth engagement and their full involvement in decision-making on issues that concern them, particularly in the areas of education, job creation, entrepreneurship, and digital economy.”

In his remarks, the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, urged African governments to increase the budget for youth development to about 30 per cent, while sustaining funding of youth-centric policies and programmes.

Affirming that African Youth have come of age and can no longer be ignored, the Minister recalled that this year has been designated the Commonwealth Year of Youth by leaders at the last CHOGM in Kigali, Rwanda.

He highlighted the exploits of the African youth in various spheres of endeavour – from technology, science, AI, robotics, E-commerce, digital marketing, and creative arts to entertainment, saying:

“From country to country, from continent to continent, the youth of Africa, wherever they find themselves, are making great impacts and standing up to be counted.”

Dare told participants at the summit that the future belongs to those that decide to have a positive attitude to life, understand that rigour must precede pleasure and embrace facts in a world of information.

“To those who turn their skills into entrepreneurship, these are the youth that will navigate opportunities better and with an ocean, rather than drops, Africa will be truly unbeatable. The time for African criticality in our approach to youth development has come.

“We must be Africancentric in the programmes and initiatives we design and implement,” he said.

Nigeria is currently the headquarters of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) and 21 countries of the Commonwealth in the African Region are attending the four-day summit in Abuja.

Ayomide, an 18-year-old male, admitted to defiling two younger siblings, ages 9 and 7.

In an interview with a radio station, he acknowledged having sex with them six times and three times, respectively,

The mother of the daughters lives next door to the young man who works as a plumber. He admitted that whenever the females come over to play with him, he would lock them in his room and perform the gruesome act.

The mother of the victims said that the atrocity took place while she was away searching for means of livelihood for her children. She sobbed as she explained that she is a housekeeper and was unaware of the tragedy until her nine-year-old daughter told her about Ayomide’s crimes against humanity.

She mentioned her daughter had informed her that it had occurred when she was out looking for food, and that Ayomide, the plumber, had instructed them not to tell anybody about it.

Madam Alice Odumakin, mother of late National Publicity Secretary of pan- Yoruba socio- political group, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, has passed on, aged 93.

According to a short statement titled: ‘Odumakin: Heavens gain a third angel,’ copy of which was made available to newsmen by Dr. Joe Okei- Odumakin, wife of late Afenifere chieftain, the matriarch died Wednesday morning in Ikorodu, Lagos at about 10.15 a.m.

She disclosed that Yinka’s mother never recovered from the death of her son and husband till she gave up the ghost.

Okei- Odumakin, however, said the family would soon make available further information on the passing of the matriarch.

Text of the statement read: “The matriarch of the Odumakin family, Madam Alice Odumakin has passed on.

“Yinka Odumakin’s mother passed on this morning in Ikorodu, Lagos at about 10.15 a.m.

“Madam Alice Odumakin never recovered from the death of her son and husband.

“Dr. Joe Okei Odumakin told journalists today that further information will be released by the family soon.”

It would be recalled that Yinka Dunkin Odumakin died early April 2021 of Covid related ailments.