President Bola Tinubu says he will not partake in the economic destruction of the country by enemies of the nation.
He said the bleeding of the country through the oil subsidy regime was a huge joke that should never be allowed to continue under any guise.
The president stated this on Thursday at a reception in his honour by the Lagos State Government.
“We will be needing the necessary resources to achieve the promise we made to Nigerians during our campaign.
“We need to stop the bleeding of our finances through fuel subsidy and the arbitrary exchange regime. We have no choice.
“We’ve to re-engineer the effectiveness of control and management of our resources in order to meet the obligations owed to Nigerians.
“I could have said yes I want a share of my benefit and participate in the arbitrage. But no, God forbid. That’s not why you elected me,” he said.
The president said that Nigerians would continue to see new and better initiatives for the benefit of, not only the adults, but the children who are the future of the country.
Tinubu pledged to work with the national assembly and state governors in a true separation of powers to achieve the renewed hope agenda of his administration.
The President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, promised to work with the executive arm of government to ensure that Nigerians enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“With what the president has done in Lagos, we are assured that Nigeria is in safe hands.
“We didn’t know this was the plan you had for the country, we wouldn’t have contested with you at the party primaries.
“These few decisions you have taken has served as a catalyst for the country’s development,” he said.
Akpabio said that Lagos has been a model of development for states in Nigeria, adding that the man that did the framework can also do it for Nigeria.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State also said that the state governors are in full support of the policies and programmes of the present administration.
He said that the support of the state governors was important towards the realisation of the dream of a better Nigeria.
Similarly, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara said the state governors support the urgent need of Tinubu to reposition the economy of the country.
“The removal of the petroleum subsidy and reversal of the arbitrary exchange regime was the right step in repositioning the country,” AbdulRazaq, who is also the Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, said.
Former governor of Lagos Raji Fashola, who represented past governors of Lagos state, assured the president of their continued loyalty to the Tinubu administration.
“We want you to know that we are only a phone call away. Whenever you need us, any of the class that you have mentored, we are ready to serve you once again,” he said.
In a dramatic event, the national assembly members and governors stood up on the podium with their current and former members to show solidarity with the president.
The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has taken a further step in his administration’s pursuit of accountability by suspending the state’s Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries who served under the previous administration of former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
The suspension came in the wake of the newly inaugurated judicial panel of inquiry tasked with recovering assets and properties belonging to the Abia State Government.
Governor Otti, who assumed office on May 29, 2023, has been practical about his commitment to good governance and the recovery of stolen state resources.
In line with this objective, the judicial panel of inquiry was set up to investigate alleged mismanagement of government assets during the previous administration and recover stolen ones.
A statement released by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Kazie Uko, indicated that the decision to relieve the Head of Service and the Permanent Secretaries of their duties is aimed at avoiding interruption with the judicial panel’s investigation.
“Following the inauguration of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Properties and Funds belonging to Abia State Government, the Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has directed the immediate suspension of the Head of Service (HOS) and all Permanent Secretaries in the State civil service” Uko stated.
He said Governor Otti has approved the appointment of Lady Joy Maduka, Director, Ministry of Education, as Acting Head of Service (HOS).
The current Permanent Secretaries were directed to “hand over to the most senior Director in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies”.
Uko, however, noted that John Pedro Iroakazi, Clerk of the House; and Mrs. U. G. Uche Ikonne, Solicitor General, were not affected by the development.
Nigeria’s external reserves fell by $2.85bn in the first half of 2023 due to external debt finance among other challenges, figures obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria have revealed.
The CBN revealed in its figures on movement on foreign reserves that the reserves which commenced January 3, 2023 at $37.07bn fell to $34.22bn as of the end of June 26, 2023.
According to the CBN, the reserves fell by $3.43bn in 2022, from $40.52bn as of the end of December 31, 2021, to $37.09bn as of December 29, 2022.
At previous Monetary Policy Committee meetings, the former Governor, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, said, “The Committee, however, noted the marginal decline in the level of gross external reserves to $36.13bn in February 2023, from $36.4bn in January 2023, a decrease of 0.7 per cent, reflecting the downtrend in crude oil prices, as global uncertainties persist.”
“The Committee, also, noted the moderate decline in the level of gross external reserves to $34.91bn in April 2023, from $35.14bn at end-March 2023, attributable to transactions in the foreign exchange market and largely to minuscule accretion to reserves from crude oil exports,” He said.
A member of the MPC, Adeola Adenikinju, said current and capital accounts were higher in Q3, 2022 than in Q2, 2022.
He said, “Gross external reserves fell by 0.7 per cent to $36.13bn at end-February 2022 from $36.4bn at end-January 2022. This was driven by the rise in debt service payments and foreign exchange swap transactions.
“The FGN’s net fiscal operations resulted in an expansionary fiscal deficit in February 2023 (m-o-m). The overall deficit rose by -N539.01bn in February 2023 compared to – N417.75 in January 2023.
“Both government expenditure and revenue declined. FGN Debt increased owing to new borrowings to finance the deficit in the 2022 budget and new loans by subnational governments.”
Another member of the MPC, Mike Obadan, said foreign exchange market pressures continue to pose challenges as supply-demand imbalances remained unrelenting.
“The external reserves position has remained weak against the backdrop of the limited capacity of the country to earn foreign exchange from both non-oil and oil exports,” he said.
A good handle on the oil theft and other challenges along with commencement of local refining of oil by the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Company coupled with elimination of the notorious petrol subsidy regime should help to achieve stability in the foreign exchange market and exchange rate, he said.
The three suspects arrested over the murder of a Naval Officer, Sub-Lt. Samuel Akingbohun, in ldo- Ani, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, has narrated why and how they killed the officer, after an altercation.
In an interview, while they were paraded by the state police command, the suspects, Ayomide Sambo, Johnson Adeleke and Shagari Francis, 17, confessed to killing the officer for assaulting one of them.
It was gathered that the three suspects just finished secondary school in the town.
They narrated how they used an iron rod to hit the deceased officer’s head and scrotum.
Ayomide Sambo, aged 20, narrated that the naval officer physically assaulted his friend, Johnson Adeleke, by slapping and giving him a headbutt, while trying to contest for the right of way in the community.
“We were so annoyed that we went after him and we cornered him at a junction, where we attacked him using an iron rod.
“We were on our way to collect a power bank when we encountered the naval officer. He was coming from the opposite direction, and the portion he was coming from was bad.
“We were both trying to take a good path when my friend used his shoulder to shove the officer. “In annoyance, the naval officer slapped him and also gave him a headbutt. We started to beg the naval officer. After the naval officer had left, my friend said it was fake military personnel.
“It was then that we took a bike and traced him to the junction and challenged him.
“The naval officer and my friend started fighting. It was in the process that I picked up an iron rod and began to hit him all over his body. My friend also collected the iron rod from them and started hitting him.
“But the two of my friends are now denying it and saying that I was the only one that hit him with the iron rod.
“We have never seen the officer before. That was the first time we set our eyes on him. Even the Okada rider that carried us was saying that where my friend hit him with the iron rod was dangerous.
“We were arrested while trying to flee from the town. I was first arrested, while the other two were arrested the following day after I told the naval officers their whereabouts. The two of them are now saying that I was the only one that hit him.”
The second suspect, Johnson Adeleke, aged 20, however denied his involvement in the beating and killing of the officer.
Adeleke said: “When I was on my way to remove my power bank, I mistakenly hit my elbow with the navy officer. He slapped me and gave me a headbutt. At that moment, we didn’t know that he was a naval officer.
“After the fisticuffs, we took a bike and traced him. After catching up with him, I confronted him, but he refused to say anything.
“The friend of the naval officer used his elbow to hit Ayomide, it was at that point that Ayomide picked up the iron rod and started hitting him. I did not hit him at all, it was Ayomide that was hitting him.
“I was already out of Idoani in a bid to escape when my mother’s elder brother called me to report to the station.”
The third suspect, Shagari Francis, 17, in an interview said: “I didn’t hit the naval officer. I was just following them. I was arrested when my mother took me to the station to ask if I was part of them.”
Commenting, the spokesperson for the command, Funmi Odunlam, said the suspects would soon be charged in court for prosecution after police investigation.
Odunlami said, “Currently, three suspects are in custody, and in the course of interrogation, we realised that one Ayomide Sambo was one of those mobilised to the scene, and when he got there, he carried an iron rod, hit him on his head and his testicles, and started stoning him.
“Later, he became unconscious, and he was rushed to the hospital in the town, where he was confirmed dead by the Doctor.”
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said the cashless policy implemented by former President Muhammadu Buhari around the last general elections confiscated “our monies,” even though according to him, the policy did not work.
He made the assertion in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, where he said he had to invoke the spirit of freedom and determination as symbolised by “Baba Emilokan” to overcome the obstacles in the election.
He said that he remained hopeful and optimistic about achieving victory in the last presidential election, despite the ineffective cashless policy implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
According to a statement issued by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, the president spoke in separate remarks at the palaces of the Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, in Ijebu-Ode and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, in Abeokuta , during a thank-you visit to the Royal Fathers.
Reflecting on the challenges in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, President Tinubu recounted his concerns about the confiscation of funds and the failure of the cashless policy, and how he had previously sought wisdom and guidance from Oba Adetona during his visit to the palace.
He said: “Our monies were confiscated. The cashless policy didn’t work, it was terrible then. I realised that, I came to Ogun State to invoke the spirit of freedom which we are noted for.
“I invoked that spirit twice. The spirit of Baba Emilokan. That’s Baba. Being blunt, being decisive, that’s him, he will tell you. The second spirit is that money or no money (we will do the election and we will win).”
President Tinubu acknowledged that these spirits had been the driving force behind his service and expressed his gratitude to Oba Adetona, all the Obas, elected officials, particularly his ‘personal friend’, Senator Gbenga Daniel, the Senator representing Ogun East.
He thanked them for their loyalty and commitment during those crucial times in the 2023 election.
The President, who described his visit to Ijebu-Ode as a homecoming, told Kabiyesi:
“The way you have taken me, the way you have responded to me, all I can say is thank you. May you live long and may you witness a prosperous Nigeria.”
CBN Directive On Bank Customers’ Social Media Handles Illegal — Nigeria Data Protection Commission
AdminTHE Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has faulted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) recent directive that banks should obtain and verify customers’ social media handles.
The Commission described the directive as illegal, noting that it violated privacy laws.
The apex bank had on June 26, directed banks to obtain the social media handles of customers as part of enhanced Customer Due Diligence (CDD) regulations.
It explained that the move was geared towards bolstering bank customers’ compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) provisions, while aligning with international best practices.
However, in a statement on Thursday, June 29, the NDPC said it was currently engaging with the CBN on the directive, stressing that there is need to adhere to fundamental principles when collecting citizens’ data.
NDPC national commissioner Vincent Olatunji, who reacted to the directive in the statement, highlighted the significance of the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA), which was enacted on June 12, in ensuring the responsible handling of citizens’ data by Data Controller Organisations.
Olatunji said the Act outlines guidelines for the processing of personal data, emphasising fairness, lawfulness, transparency, minimal data collection, and limited retention periods.
He explained that there were prerequisite steps any Data Controller must take prior to the collection of data from data subjects.
The NDPC official added that any organisation that defaulted was going against the law and causing a data breach, noting that such would attract a fine.
“We are already engaging with the CBN to let them know that what they have done is against the law because there are basic principles you must meet when you want to collect citizens’ data,” he said.
“There is data minimisation, meaning you don’t collect data beyond the purpose for which it was intended, purpose limitation, what purpose it is for.”
Olatunji stressed that the NDPC’s role is to protect the rights and interests of Nigerian citizens, making it applicable to all data controllers, including private and government offices, NGOs, and hotels.
“The purpose of this law is to safeguard the rights and interests of Nigerians who are data subjects.”
He highlighted key principles, such as data minimization, which mandates that data should only be collected for its intended purpose, and purpose limitation, which specifies the purpose for which data is collected.
Olatunji further argued that requesting social media handles from bank customers was unnecessary.
However, he acknowledged that if the collection of social media handles served a public interest, such as transaction monitoring, customers should be properly informed.
2023 Election: Buhari’s Selection Of Mahmood Yakubu, Others Made INEC Vulnerable To Partiality – EU Observers Say In Final Report
AdminThe European Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Nigeria has alleged that the appointment of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, and other electoral officials by the immediate past president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, left the electoral umpire vulnerable to perception of partiality during the conduct of the 2023 elections.
The EU Observers made this known in its final report on the 25 February and 18 March elections, published on its official website on June 27.
Mahmood was appointed as INEC Chairman by former President Buhari on 21 October 2015 and reappointed in 2020.
But the EU mission claimed that the public perception of INEC’s alleged partiality was as a result of the “presidential selection” that produced them.
“Weak points include a lack of INEC independent structures and capacities to enforce sanctions for electoral offences and breaches of campaign finance rules.
“Furthermore, the presidential selection of INEC leadership at federal and state level leaves the electoral institution vulnerable to the perception of partiality,” the observers stated.
The observers added that the conduct of 2023 federal and state elections by INEC exposed enduring systemic weaknesses thereby damaging public trust in the electoral umpire.
THE WHISTLER reports that during the counting of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly results, the EU Observer Mission chaired by Barry Andrews, cited “lack of transparency” on the part of INEC, particularly regarding INEC’s failure to transmit presidential poll results on its INEC Results Viewing Portal in real time.
In its final report, the EU maintained that the shortcomings associated with the election were glaring.
“Following a three-month-long observation across Nigeria, and in accordance with its usual practice, the EU EOM is now pleased to present its findings and recommendations.
“Shortcomings in law and electoral administration hindered the conduct of well-run and inclusive elections and damaged trust in INEC.
“With the aim of contributing to the improvement of future elections, the EU EOM is offering 23 recommendations for consideration by the Nigerian authorities,” the EU mission stated.
According to Andrews, Nigerians demonstrated a clear commitment to the democratic process but the election exposed enduring systemic weaknesses and therefore signals a need for further legal and operational reforms to enhance transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability.
“We are particularly concerned about the need for reform in six areas which we have identified as priority recommendations, and we believe, if implemented, could contribute to improvements for the conduct of elections,” said Barry Andrews.
Andrews added that “Importantly, there is a need for political will to achieve improved democratic practices in Nigeria. Inclusive dialogue between all stakeholders on electoral reform remains crucial.”
Listing its recommendations, the EU suggested clarity and plainness in Nigeria’s electoral laws, real-time transmission of results, among other recommendations.
“The six priority recommendations point to the need to (1) remove ambiguities in the law, (2) establish a publicly accountable selection process for INEC members, (3) ensure real-time publication of and access to election results, (4) provide greater protection for media practitioners, address (5) discrimination against women in political life, and (6) impunity regarding electoral offenses,” it stated.
The EU assured it will support stakeholders in the implementation of its recommendations.
The EU final report published on its website as on Tuesday comes amid the ongoing sittings of the Presidential Election Petitions Court in Abuja.
Three petitioners, namely, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and Allied Peoples Movement are challenging the electoral umpire’s declaration of Bola Tinubu as winner of the election.
Meanwhile, the Election Observation Missions made it clear that it operates independent from the institutions of the European Union, adding “The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy and position of the European Union.”
Spokesperson to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, on Thursday, denied that the former leader asked his successor not to investigate some ministers under the previous government.
He also said Buhari had left Daura for London to get some needed rest which, constant visits from well-wishers, had denied him.
“If social media is to be believed, former President Muhammadu Buhari is requesting his successor, President Bola Tinubu not to investigate some former officials of his government…this is fake news, and nothing more,” Shehu said in a statement he signed on Thursday evening titled ‘What Buhari didn’t say to President Tinubu.’
On Tuesday, an online news outlet reported that Tinubu assured his predecessor that he and his close aides will be spared in any anti-corruption war his government embarks upon following the suspension of the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
“It is fake, let us not discuss it or give it energy or air of publicity,” said Shehu.
He noted that there was no one other than the two leaders in the room in which they met on Monday night.
“So, no one was there to report their conversation,” he added.
According to him, the former President wishes to remain outside the spotlight so as not to distract the new administration.
Shehu revealed that “He (Buhari) chose to go home in Daura hoping to find the type of quiet he wished for himself but realising that this was not the case, visitors trooping in morning, day and night, he moved out to a more distant place.”
He said it remains Buhari’s wish to be allowed to have his needed rest, and for the Tinubu administration to have the right atmosphere to work on the realisation of the promises it made to Nigerians.
Former Acting Governor and one-time Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, His Excellency Rt. Hon Nestor Binabo, has passed away.
Binabo died in the early hours of Thursday at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.
Confirming his death in a WhatsApp post, one of his sons, Mr Binabo Momos, wrote, “I thought you’d pull through, Dad. But God knows best.”
It was revealed that the late Binabo had been battling an undisclosed ailment for the past year.
Binabo served as the governor of Bayelsa State from January 27, 2012, to February 14, 2012. He also held positions as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly during Chief Timiore Sylva’s administration. He was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The deceased hailed from Okumbiri in Sagbama Local Government Area
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with President Bola Tinubu on his decision to remove fuel subsidy,
The monarch stated this while speaking with Vanguard on the current economic crisis caused by the removal of the subsidy
The Ooni insisted that Tinubu is a decisive leader ready to serve the country with his depth of knowledge and experience.
He maintained that Tinubu would turn out to be the best president Nigeria has ever produced.
He said: “Tinubu is a very decisive leader. I want to implore everybody, especially the youths of this country, to be patient with him. He is very focused; God has blessed him.
“In everything that he has been doing, he has been very consistent over the last 30 years and it is now for him to give back to the country.
“We should keep praying for him everyday. The President is getting stronger, wiser and his public rating keeps going up.
“I am very positive his going to be the best president ever produced in Nigeria.”
He advised the President not to waste time in tackling the challenges confronting the country as a man of action that he was known to be.
The Ooni also averred that as the country just transited to another civilian government, it’s best for all hands to be on deck regardless of affiliations, as the election had gone and governance and putting Nigeria on the right path to greatness should be a collective effort.
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The Ogun State Government has presented scholarship documents to the state contingents that won the Overall 1st and 3rd out of 148 participants, during the 25th edition of the Junior Engineers Technicians and Scientist Competition (JETS) that would cover them throughout their tertiary education in any government-owned institutions in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Abosede Ogunleye, while presenting the documents to the Winner of 1st Position, Enoch Afenisumen of Great Grace Science Secondary School, Owode-Yewa and the 3rd Best, Orebiyi Emmanuel of African Church Grammar School, Ita-Eko, Abeokuta, noted that the State contingents won eighteen out of the available awards.
Mrs. Ogunleye, according to the Press Officer, Mr. Ayoola Obadimu, said since the resuscitation of the State participation in JETS in 2019 by the present administration, the State has been maintaining the overall best position, commending the Governor for his continuous and result-oriented investment in the education sector.
She said, "the excellent performance of the State learners in all competitions was the feedback of unrelenting efforts of the Principals, Teachers and Proprietors of both public and private schools to ensure students’ lives up to their potentials".
Speaking, the Principals, African Church Grammar School, Ita-Eko, Abeokuta and Great Grace Science Secondary School, Owode-Yewa, Mrs. Abosede Egbetokun said that the State was famous for academic excellence, appreciating the present government for providing platform where teachers and learners could come together to revitalise the excellent performance the State is known for.
In his appreciation note, Master Afenisumen commended the Ministry’s officials for giving learners in the State the opportunity to strive, regardless of whether they are from either public or private schools, urging the present administration not to relent on its oars to ensure the State maintain its position as number one in qualitative education.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president on May 29, 2023, and has wasted no time in implementing his economic agenda for the country.
In his first 30 days in office, he has taken some bold and controversial decisions that have shaken up the status quo and generated mixed reactions from Nigerians and the international community.
During his inauguration speech on the 29th of May 2023, President Tinubu shocked analysts and observers when he announced the removal of fuel subsidies.
Here are 10 of the most significant economic decisions he has made so far:
10. Unification of the naira
In a significant policy shift, President Tinubu announced his government’s decision to unify the exchange rate, replacing the previous multiple exchange rate regime implemented during the administration of former President Buhari by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
- The move is expected to enhance transparency, reduce distortions, and boost confidence in the naira.
- The unified exchange rate is now determined by market forces, with the CBN intervening only to smooth out volatility.
9. Inauguration of the economic council
On June 14th, 2023, President Tinubu inaugurated a new economic council to advise him on economic policies and reforms, coinciding with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s announcement of the unification of the forex market, merging all segments into a single window.
- The council, typically consisting of 36 state governors, the CBN governor, and other officials, aims to foster collaboration among governments at all levels. The Vice-President chairs the council.
- The council is expected to provide independent and evidence-based advice to the president on how to achieve his vision of transforming Nigeria into a prosperous and inclusive economy.
8. Removal of CBN Governor
On June 9, 2023, President Tinubu ordered the suspension of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
- The reasons for Emefiele’s suspension are believed to be related to issues including the handling of the naira redesign policy, a failed presidential bid, and policy mishandlings such as mismanagement of foreign exchange reserves and ineffective monetary policies.
- The Central Bank Act does not explicitly allow for the suspension of the CBN Governor during an ongoing investigation, raising concerns about the independence of the central bank.
- Mr Emefiele was also directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Mr Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, who will act as the Central Bank Governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms.
7. Managed float of the naira
On June 20, 2023, The Central Bank of Nigeria disclosed that the recent monetary policy decision implemented is not a free float but a managed float.
- In a Bloomberg in Rabat, Morocco, Deputy Governor Kingsley Obiora revealed that the Central Bank of Nigeria clarified its recent monetary policy decision.
- The deputy governor also expressed caution in determining whether the exchange rate of the naira to the dollar has reached its lowest point, suggesting that it may still be too early to make such a determination.
- The decision to move to a managed float exchange rate policy is in line with the president’s decision to pursue a more market-driven forex policy.
6. Removal of fuel subsidy
President Tinubu abolished the fuel subsidy, which had been a source of corruption, inefficiency, and fiscal burden for decades.
- The subsidy had cost the government over N1 trillion annually while benefiting mainly the wealthy and the smugglers.
- The removal of the subsidy is expected to free up resources for infrastructure, health, education, and social welfare programs, as well as encourage private investment in the downstream sector of the oil industry.
- The price of fuel has since more than doubled from an average of about N185/litre to an average of about N495/Litre depending on where you are buying from.
5. Dissolution of governing boards of FG parastatals
On the 16th of June, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of all Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies in the exercise of its Constitutional Powers and in the Public interest.
- The dissolution does not affect Boards, Commissions, and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
- The permanent secretaries were also mandated to act as chief executive officers accordingly.
4. Suspension of EFCC chair
On June 14, 2023, President Tinubu approved the removal of the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, who had been appointed by former President Buhari in February 2021.
- Mr Bawa was accused of being compromised, ineffective, and partisan in his fight against corruption.
- He was also directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Director, Operations in the Commission.
3. Appointment of national security adviser
On June 19, 2023, President Tinubu announced the appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as the national security adviser (NSA).
- He said he chose Ribadu because of his integrity, experience and expertise in security matters.
- He is also expected to coordinate all aspects of national security.
2. Retirement of service chiefs and appointment of new ones
On June 19, 2023, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced the retirement of all service chiefs and their replacements.
1. The signing of electricity, student loan and data protection acts respectively
[Nairametrics]
In bid to fulfill his promise of helping to renovate the Awka and Onitsha mosques and also to celebrate with the Anambra Muslim community in Onitsha on the auspicious occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir, Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate in the 2023 election has presented the former with cheques worth millions of naira to commence with the renovation projects.
It be recalled that during Obi’s visit to Awka and Onitsha Muslim communities in April, he promised to support them in renovating their places of worship, which was no longer in good condition.
He equally called on Nigerians to embrace peace, unity and brotherly love.
Obi gave the donation when he played host to leaders of the Anambra Muslim Community in Anambra capital, Akwa, on Wednesday.
According to him, he decided to celebrate the Eid Al-Adha with the Muslim community in Anambra, to show the brotherly love and unity that should exist among Nigerians, irrespective of tribal, political or religious belief.
Obi presented both Awka and Onitsha Muslim communities
Speaking at the event, Obi said, “We are all Nigerians, and we will continue to live as one irrespective of our religious or political beliefs. What we owe each other is brotherly love and care, so we can live in peace and unity as a nation. We have no other nation but Nigeria and we must make it work.
“I know that times are difficult for everybody in the country, but if we rise above our religious, political and ethnic divisions, we will be able to surmount our challenges in unity. We will not give up on our nation, but continue to work for a New Nigeria that will be beneficial to every Nigerian.”
Earlier today, I hosted the Anambra Muslim Community at my residence in Onitsha, to celebrate the Eid al Adha. In also presented cheques to the leaders of Onitsha and Awka Muslim Communities, in fulfilment if my earlier promise of helping to renovate their respective mosques. pic.twitter.com/RHONsGbOAu
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) June 28, 2023
In his remarks, the Sarki of the Awka Muslim Community, Alhaji Garba Haruna, said they were thrilled by Obi’s simplicity and consistency.
According to him, Obi has demonstrated that he is a “truly detribalised Nigerian”, by making out time to mark their Sallah celebration with them.
[Tribune]
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Buba Galadima said the presidential candidate of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso has not informed the party faithful that he is defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Galadima stated this while speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Thursday.
The NNPP chieftain, however, noted that Kwankwaso was ready to work with President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “Kwankwaso has not told anybody he is joining the APC; people are just talking, but what we have before is winner take all. If Tinubu is calling for a unity government, it is not a bad thing.”
Recall that Kwankwaso had met with Tinubu after he won the presidential election in February.
After their meeting, however, there have been speculations that Tinubu might be considering Kwankwaso for a political appointment.