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IWD: Tinubu celebrates Nigerian women

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IWD: Tinubu celebrates Nigerian women

President Bola Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to Nigerian women, describing them as the cornerstone of the nation’s progress and prosperity.

The President’s maiden message to mark International Women’s Day is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu celebrates Nigerian women, says they are the pivot of the nation.’

Underscoring the occasion with the theme ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’, Tinubu noted the exceptional contributions of Nigerian women across various fields of endeavour.

He emphasised that their achievements are not only national assets but also serve as global symbols of resilience, strength, courage, and ingenuity.

According to Tinubu, these accomplishments underscore the remarkable quality of Nigerian women as beacons of hope and agents of change worldwide.

This year’s theme, he said, “fits well within his administration’s policy initiatives on educating and empowering women, not only through inclusion in governance but also by ensuring that they remain relevant and unimpeachable voices in the development process across all sectors of the economy.”

The president stated that his government is focused on providing investments in educating the girl child while fostering inclusive programmes and initiatives that bolster their active roles in the areas of knowledge, science, technology, research and innovation into the future.

International Women’s Day is celebrated globally on March 8 every year, marking a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.

The day owes its origins to the early 20th century, during the labour movements across North America and Europe.

Although the first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, designated by the Socialist Party of America in honour of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, the concept of an International Women’s Day only can be traced back to Clara Zetkin, a German Marxist and advocate for women’s rights, at the International Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen in 1910.

It was agreed upon by over 100 women from 17 countries, highlighting the universal demand for women’s suffrage and rights.

Consequently, the first IWD was celebrated on March 19, 1911, in several European countries.

Over the years, however, IWD has evolved from a day of protests and suffrage marches to a global day of celebration, recognising women’s achievements and continuing the fight for gender parity.

For the IWD 2024, Tinubu celebrated with Nigerian women, assuring them that his administration will always prioritise their welfare, protect their rights and advance their causes.

N’Assembly will support implementation with

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N’Assembly will support implementation with

The senator representing Kebbi Central, Adamu Aliero, has said the Senate will do “whatever is required in terms of legislation” to ensure the implementation of the Oronsaye report. ⁣
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“We are in support of the implementation of the Oronsaye report and whatever is required, in terms of legislation, the National Assembly will do it,” Aliero told journalists after he emerged from closed-door talks with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.
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Aliero described the report’s implementation as “overdue,” calling for a 50/50 per cent split in allocations for recurrent and capital expenditures, respectively.⁣
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Twelve years after it received the Stephen Oronsaye Report, the Federal Executive Council, on Monday, February 27, 2024, approved the implementation of some of its recommendations to reduce the cost of governance. ⁣
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Consequently, 29 government agencies were earmarked for merger, even as eight parastatals will be subsumed into eight other agencies. Four agencies have been relocated to four various ministries, while one was tagged for scrapping.⁣
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Submitted in 2012, the Oronsaye report on public sector reforms revealed that there were 541 statutory and non-statutory—Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies.⁣
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A year earlier, then-President Goodluck Jonathan had set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies under the leadership of former Head of Civil Service, Stephen Oronsaye.⁣
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The 800-page report recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies be slashed to 161, 38 agencies be scrapped, 52 be merged and 14 be reverted to departments in various ministries.⁣
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A Sunday According analysis revealed that the Nigerian Government could save over N241bn if the report is duly implemented.⁣
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Aliero, who has chaired the Senate committee on land transport since August 2023, maintained, “The Oronsoye report implementation has been long overdue because the cost of governance is getting extremely high to the extent that over 70 per cent of whatever is budgeted goes into running government leaving only 30 per cent for capital projects. ⁣
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“This is not good for a developing country like Nigeria. I will be very glad if we can reduce the cost of governance by about 50 per cent and then 50 per cent of the budgeted amount should be used for capital development.⁣
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“So the National Assembly is certainly in support of the implementation of the Oronsoye report and anybody who means well for Nigeria will certainly support the implementation of this report. It is a well-intentioned report. It should have been implemented a long time ago.”⁣
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Asked about the National Assembly’s contribution to ease implementation, the former Kebbi State Governor said, “The National Assembly is working hand-in-hand with the executive branch of the government. There is harmony. There is a cordial relationship between the National Assembly and the executive arm and it will continue.” ⁣
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Aliero, a member of the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, argued that his party is a “responsible opposition.” ⁣
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He urged lawmakers to prioritise the nation over party affiliations when deliberating on matters critical to Nigerians’ welfare. ⁣
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“We have a responsible opposition. Wherever the government is going wrong, we come and tell the government, ‘You are wrong. Do the right thing.’ And it doesn’t mean that cooperation or harmony means compromising whatever is your party’s stance. ⁣
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“Once you are elected, and particularly in the National Assembly, we have only one government. We have one senate. ⁣Even if you have differences of party, it should not show in the debate you are doing. ⁣
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“What is most important is to defend the interests of Nigeria. Do what is good for the entire country. Don’t look at your party.” ⁣
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Aleiro described his visit to the President as a “friendly” engagement that allowed him to “talk about the situation in the country generally, particularly the security situation and also the inflationary trend.” ⁣
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However, he admitted discussions on “several issues” some of which, he said, “I cannot reveal to you because it’s so personal to me and him.”

Saraki’s office knocks Akpabio over constituency project funding

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Saraki’s office knocks Akpabio over constituency project funding

The Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office has responded to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’s recent accusations that the leadership of the 8th Senate failed to fully fund constituency projects for its members.

Reacting to a comment by the Chief Whip of the red chamber, Ali Ndume, on Wednesday, Akpabio said he was a member of the “Nigerian Senate” and not “Saraki’s Senate.”

Akpabio said, “This is the Nigerian Senate. If you say I was part of Saraki’s Senate, it means I was part of those who paid 40 per cent of the constituency project, and 60 per cent has not been paid up till today.”

However, In a statement released on Thursday by the Head of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki’s office stated, “Our initial response was to ignore the report because Dr. Saraki believes there are more serious existential issues confronting our country and her people like hunger and extreme hardship which should keep the leaders disturbed, busier, and more focused than throwing banters.

“However, the office felt compelled to explain the project funding process to prevent the public from being misguided about the roles of various institutions and individuals.

“For clarification, the Saraki Media Office will want members of the public to note that then President Muhammadu Buhari deliberately refused to approve funds for the constituency projects of members of the Eighth National Assembly obviously to punish the members for questioning some of the loan requests presented by the executive before the legislature.”

The office accused the Buhari government of being hostile towards the legislature’s scrutiny of loan requests, stating, “Instead of viewing the legislature’s scrutiny of the loan’s request and the demand for elaborate explanations that would help in making informed decisions as democratic necessities, the Buhari government’s reaction was to be hostile and to seek to stifle the performance of the legislature.”

“The refusal to fund constituency projects of members of the legislature was used as one of the retaliatory instruments. That was the experience of the 8th National Assembly,” the statement read.

The office also took a swipe at Akpabio, who served as Senate minority leader for over three years during the 8th Senate’s tenure.

“Mr. Akpabio, as Senate minority leader for over three years in the four-year tenure of the 8th Senate ought to know better and even his experience as Senate President in the last eight months also ought to have made him more informed.

“Therefore, Mr. Akpabio is very well aware that the leadership of the Eighth Senate cannot be held responsible for failure to fund constituency projects,” it noted.

The statement said Akpabio was playing politics with facts and making a joke of serious national issues, stating, “Unfortunately, he chose to play politics with facts, and as usual, make a joke and jest with serious national issues.”

Nigeria witnessed forex inflows increase in February

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Nigeria witnessed forex inflows increase in February

The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced a surge in foreign exchange inflow into the economy during February 2024.

This increase is attributed to substantial growth in remittance payments from Nigerians abroad and heightened interest from foreign portfolio investors in acquiring naira assets.

The Bank’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications Mrs. Sidi Ali, revealed this in a document made available to According Online on Thursday.

Sidi said that overseas remittances reached $1.3bn in February 2024, surpassing the previous month’s inflow of $300m by more than fourfold.

She noted that foreign investors actively participated in the Nigerian market, purchasing over $1bn worth of local assets last month.

Foreign investment outflows from Nigerian stocks rose in November to the highest level in nearly three years despite reforms that spurred a rally in the market last year.

The bank noted that the total portfolio flows for 2024 have already reached $2.3bn, compared to the US$3.9bn recorded for the entire previous years.

The apex bank bank said the trend of higher foreign exchange inflows continued into March 2024, driven by increased investor interest in short-term sovereign debt following adjustments to benchmark interest rates.

Notably, government securities issuances received overwhelming demand, with foreign investors accounting for more than 75 per cent of bids during auctions held on March 1 and 6, 2024.

Recalling recent efforts, CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso outlined a comprehensive strategy aimed at curbing inflation, stabilizing the exchange rate, and instilling confidence in Nigeria’s banking system and economy.

Through last month’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting and a conference call with foreign portfolio investors, the central bank set expectations for sustained growth in the country’s foreign currency reserves and improved liquidity in the foreign exchange market.

“All the different measures we have taken to boost reserves and create more liquidity in the markets have started to pay off”, Cardoso said.

The document partly reads, “The Central Bank of Nigeria reported a significant increase in foreign exchange inflow into the economy in February 2024, with marked increments in remittance payments by Nigerians overseas and purchases of naira assets by foreign portfolio investors.

“The Bank’s data indicates that overseas remittances rose to $1.3bn in February 2024, more than four times the $300m received in January.

“Foreign investors purchased more than US$1 billion of Nigerian assets last month, with total portfolio flows of at least $2.3bn recorded thus far in 2024 compared to $3.9 billion seen in total for last year.

“When people understand the real issues and see a strategy and a plan, things tend to calm down. Our objective today is to ensure that the market has supply, that the market functions, and that investors can come in and go out.”

Tinubu reconstitutes board of FGN Power Company

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Tinubu reconstitutes board of FGN Power Company

President Bola Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the governing board of the FGN Power Company tasked with implementing the accelerated performance agreement with Siemens Energy.

This comes four months after the governments of Nigeria and Germany signed the Presidential Power Initiative agreement designed to ultimately inject 12,000 MegaWatts of electricity into the national grid.

The Managing Director of the Federal Government of Nigeria Power Company, Kenny Anuwe, and the Managing Director (Africa), Siemens AG, Nadja Haakansson, signed the agreement on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Summit, COP28, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on December 1, 2023.

At the time, Anuwe and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Siemens Energy AG, Joe Kaeser, revealed that the German government nominated the mandated lead arrangers and financiers even as Siemens Energy has successfully delivered 10 units of power transformers and 10 units of mobile substations.

The initiative dates back to an initial agreement signed in 2018 under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

On Thursday, Tinubu also approved the reconstitution and amended structure “to achieve the full end-to-end modernisation of the nation’s electric power transmission grid as part of the Presidential Power Initiative,” read a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The statement is titled, ‘President Tinubu approves reconstitution of the FGN Power Company board of directors.’

By the President’s new directive, the Chairmanship of the FGN Power Company Board has been assigned to the Office of the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu.

Under the new arrangement, the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, would serve as the board’s Vice-Chairman, while the Managing Director/CEO of the FGN Power Company would serve as a member.

Other members include the Director-General, Bureau for Public Enterprises,

Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, a representative of the distribution and generation companies and the President, of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Furthermore, President Tinubu approved the removal of the Steering Committee from the governance framework of the FGN Power Company with full oversight powers granted to the Office of the Minister of Power.

Ngelale said Tinubu approved these changes with “the full expectation that the leaner structure will provide greater organisational agility and efficiency in delivering the complete modernisation of the nation’s electric power transmission grid in collaboration with Siemens Energy for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

500 patients benefitted from free surgeries in one week

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500 patients benefitted from free surgeries in one week

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has disclosed that over 500 surgeries have been performed on patients under his administration’s free surgical Intervention programme in the last week.

Abiodun disclosed this when he received the Committee of Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals in Nigeria, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Thursday.

The governor said the free surgery programme was designed to provide succour to the poor and vulnerable who could not afford medical bills at this difficult time.

He said his government has also done a lot to improve the healthcare sector in the Gateway State since 2019.

Abiodun said, “We have also implemented our Health Insurance Programme called Ilera Dero and the Ibidero for the women. As of now, because of the prevalent economic situation, we have decided that all our women and children, the poor and vulnerable should go to our Primary Healthcare Centres and secondary or tertiary hospitals in the state. We will register them under our Free Health Insurance Programme.

“Our pregnant women, when they go to the hospital, they get free pre and post-natal attention. After they put to bed, they also get N10,000.”

Abiodun disclosed that the state is creating a database that would track a family or community, and the kind of disease prevalent among them.

The government will also compile such records at the grassroots that would enable the government to predict predominant diseases in the family, community or area and take proper care to treat them.

Speaking on the situation of the 250-bed hospital located at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the governor noted that his administration is collaborating with a partner, as part of its medical architecture, to run and make it a centre of medical excellence, to engender medical tourism in the country.

Abiodun noted that medical institutions in the state are wearing new looks as his government has employed a large number of medical personnel and purchased new equipment to make them render quality service to the people.

The governor described the relationship between the state Ministry of Health and the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, as cordial.

“We do not see the difference between the FMC, Abeokuta, and our own Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), because when there is a problem, we rush the patient to the nearest available medical facility. This has, over the years, helped us in dealing with difficult situations,” he added.

He commended the committee for initiating the meeting, noting that it would help them review each other’s research, development, and new techniques and assist in dealing with different types of illnesses and diseases.

Speaking earlier, chairman of the committee and Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Prof Emem Bassey, commended Governor Abiodun for investing in the health sector, emphasizing that the increased funding, recruitment of different categories of health workers and renovation of over 100 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state, was worthy of note.

He said the committee, made up of all heads of federal medical institutions, was in the state for its 106th regular meeting to peer review and learn from each other to have a positive impact on their different hospitals at the end of the meeting.

JUST IN: Tinubu re-appoints agricultural quarantine service boss

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JUST IN: Tinubu re-appoints agricultural quarantine service boss

President Bola Tinubu has reappointed the Director-General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, to serve in the same capacity for another five-year term.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed this in a statement he signed on Thursday titled ‘President Tinubu reappoints Director-General of Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.’

The President expects that the Director-General will “build on the service’s recent performance after it ranked in the top three agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the efficiency and transparency index by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council,” Ngelale stated.

Stephen Angbulu

With three years of experience, Stephen, The According correspondent, has been covering Nigeria’s presidency, politics, security, immigration and trafficking in persons

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from According.

Contact: [email protected]

Tinubu reconstitutes electricity liability management company’s board

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Tinubu reconstitutes electricity liability management company’s board

President Bola Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the board of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company.

He also modified the NELMCO Board structure, which empowers the Office of the Minister of Power to take over the Board Chairmanship from the Office of the Minister of Finance, given NELMCO’s central role in the operation of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry.

A statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed the changes Thursday night.

The statement titled, ‘President Tinubu approves reconstitution of NELMCO board and amended structure,’ noted that the membership includes the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, as NELMCO Board Chairman and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, as Vice-Chairman.

The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, would serve as a board member alongside her counterpart at the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

Tinubu also approved the appointment of Mrs. Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas as NELMCO Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Joseph Bello as Executive Director, Asset Management, and Mr. Hassan Yahya as Executive Director, Corporate Services, all for a five-year term each.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abdullahi Gaya and Prof. (Mrs.) Ayanfemi Ayandele will serve as non-executive director for a three-year term each.

Tinubu expects that the NELMCO Board’s new structure and composition will “yield expeditious and measurable progress in the management of the power sector’s post-privatization liabilities to create conditions for the sustainable attainment of world-class standards of operational efficiency across all sub-components of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry,” the statement read.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from According.

Contact: [email protected]

Listen to Nigerians’ cries, Tambuwal urges

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Listen to Nigerians’ cries, Tambuwal urges

Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has urged President Bola Tinubu to listen to the cries of Nigerians amid the harsh socio-economic realities citizens have continued to grapple with.

Tambuwal made the call on Thursday during his visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, at his penthouse residence inside Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

The senator representing Sokoto South was said to have visited the former president to rejoice with him on his 87th birthday.

This was according to a statement issued by the former President’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi.

Tambuwal urged Nigerians not to lose hope as things would change for good.

While speaking on the state of the nation, the former governor said Nigerians must continue to pray and do the right thing, including those in government and followers.

He said, “My clarion call is to Mr. President as the situation is getting worse by the day. Mr President should listen to the cries of Nigerians, the country is going through hard times, and things have never been this bad.

“But he sought this job and he got it, so, he needs to rally and make sure that things are put in better shape for the progress of Nigeria.”

On his visit to the former President, the former governor said that he had always been part of the Obasanjo family and that coming to felicitate with him on his birthday was an annual thing.

“I came all the way to Abeokuta as I always do every year on Baba’s birthday. I pray with Baba for more good health and many more years of service to Nigeria and humanity.

“He has been an enigma, he has been a great leader and a source of inspiration and indeed Baba has been a great leader not only in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa but, globally too. He is an international statesman, and we pray to God to keep him in good health,” he said.

Speaking on his contributions so far on the floor of the National Assembly particularly,  as they affect his constituency, the Sokoto South Senator, said that he would continue to give robust representation to his people.

He said some strategic road projects linking Zamfara and Kebbi states from his constituency have been included in the 2024 budget.

He also said bills that will ensure Nigerians become beneficiaries of affordable housing are in the pipeline.

Oronsaye report: FG inaugurates implementation committee

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Oronsaye report: FG inaugurates implementation committee

The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated a committee on the implementation of the recommendations on the review of reports and White Papers on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, and Commissions.

The FG had on February 28, 2024, approved the implementation of some of the recommendations to the Stephen Oronsaye Report to reduce the cost of governance.

Approval for the inauguration of a committee that would see to the implementation of the report was granted.

The committee was given 12 weeks to submit its report.

The approval for the implementation of the Oronsaye report is coming 12 years after the panel submitted its report.

The 800-page report recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies be slashed to 161; 38 agencies be scrapped; 52 be merged and 14 be reverted to departments in various ministries among others.

A statement by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary General of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, said the SGF George Akume, while inaugurating members of the committee stated that
the implementation of the report was to reduce the cost of governance and streamline efficiency across the governance value chain.

The statement read, “The Federal Government has inaugurated the Committee on the implementation of the recommendations on the review of reports and White Papers on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.

“The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, while inaugurating the Committee on behalf of President Bola Tinubu stressed that the implementation of the White Papers on the report which would involve the merger, relocation, subsuming or scrapping of some Parastatals, Agencies, and Commissions is aimed at reducing the cost of governance and streamlining efficiency across the governance value chain.”

Akume outlined the general guidelines of the Committee to include reviewing current mandates to understand the existing functions, responsibilities, and objectives outlined in the mandates of the Agencies.

“Identify redundancies and overlaps or conflicting objectives among the mandates of different organisational units.

“Define strategic objectives to ensure the revised mandates align with the strategic objectives and priorities of the government.

“Engage key stakeholders and gather input and feedback on the proposed revisions to the mandates.

“Draft clear, concise, and actionable revised mandates for the organisations involved in the restructuring. Ensure the revised mandates comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies governing government operations”, he said.

The other guidelines according to the SGF also include obtaining necessary approvals from relevant authorities for the revised mandates, effectively communicating the revised mandates to employees and stakeholders implementing the revised mandates effectively, and monitoring their implementation to identify any issues or challenges.

According to the statement, members of the committee are Akume; Attorney General of the Federation/ Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Budget & Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu;
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, and Special Adviser to the President, Policy & Coordination, Usman Bala.

Others are Director-General Bureau of Public Service Reform, Dasuki Arabi; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Abdullahi Gumel; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (House of Representatives) Ibrahim Olarwewaju; Principal Secretary to the President, Hakeem Okunola and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Richard Pheelangwah.

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