FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOES BACK ON ITS PROMISE OF PAYING N5,000 TO UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige disclosed this at the Special Day of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) at the ongoing 27th Enugu International Trade Fair on Friday.

“Instead of paying youths N5,000 monthly for doing nothing, the government has initiated plans to engage hundreds of thousands of youths in the country with over 10 empowerment programmes. Some of the intervention programmes will be spearheaded by the NDE including Teach Nigeria, skill acquisition and community services” he said.

According to the minister, anyone who enters the programme “would be earning far more than N5, 000 depending on his or her input.”

He also said that some youths would be employed after the programme and others will be assisted to start their own business.

BAYELSA ELECTION: INEC DECLARES WINNER TODAY

At some minutes after 2am on Sunday (today) the collation exercise of the rerun governorship election in Bayelsa State was abruptly adjourned to reconvene at 11am. This was after the results of the poll in four of the local governments were announced. The Independent National Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Mr. Zana Akpagu, adjourned the exercise which was taking place at the Yenagoa Local Government Area Headquarters. In the declared results, the All Progressives Congress scored 448 votes in Yenagoa LGA while the Peoples Democratic Party polled 839. In Brass LGA, APC had 1,679 and the PDP got 5. In Sagbama LGA, APC scored 119 , PDP, 180 while APC had 139 in Ogbia LGA with PDP polling 1,290 votes. During the announcement, there was mild drama when the PDP agent at Brass LGA, Fred Agbedi, protested against the result calling for its cancellation. The APC agent, Dennis Otitio, who was evidently agitated stood up and started talking to the audience without permission from Akpagu. Akpagu was displeased with the APC agent and threatened to send him out of the hall.                                       As of 9.45pm on Saturday, it was noticed that results were being brought by returning officers to the state headquarters of the commission.  Meanwhile, no fewer than 12 persons suspected to be militants and security agents were feared killed during the rescheduled election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and other polling units across the state.                              It was learnt that the 12 included four policemen, two soldiers and six civilians alleged to be militants from the neighbouring Delta State.                        It was further learnt that the deaths stemmed from shootings in some LGAs in the state, including Nembe and Ekeremor.                                      Shootings were said to have started in some parts of the state in the early morning of Saturday, the day of the rerun.     A resident of Ekeremor, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said some militants attacked Ekeremor, the hometown of the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, twice.       The source said the first attack, which was carried out by some militants suspected to be from Delta State was around 1am, while the second attack took place around 3am.           Investigations showed that the attacks, which were aimed at making it impossible for election to be held in the polling units with 13,000 voters’, were repelled by security agents.                 Also, as a result of sporadic shootings in Southern Ijaw, two persons were said to have received gunshot wounds in Agoibiri area.                                                     An unconfirmed number of casualties was recorded after the shootings.        The corpses of the dead bodies, numbering seven, were said to have been deposited in Oboro community in Bomadi area of Delta State.               When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said he had yet to be briefed on the incidents.   He, however, promised to confirm the incident, saying he only heard that some hoodlums snatched electoral materials in Ogbia and that the police had intensified efforts to recover them.                          As of the time of going to press, the spokesman had yet to respond to the death claims as well as the effort by the police on the snatched materials.       Some members of Governor Seriake Dickson’s campaign team, the Restoration Campaign Organisation, confirmed that there were shootings and killings in Ekeremor on Saturda.           They claimed that because of the development, election could not be held in nine units in Ekeremor.                   They further claimed that in the Amassoma area of Southern Ijaw, elections were only held in some units, while others could not get election materials because of widespread violence.                                                  In Brass, they claimed that election materials did not get to some units, including Akassa area.                         The Dickson loyalists also alleged that there were heavy shootings and attacks of the Peoples Democratic Party members in Bassambiri area of Nembe.        According to them, a prominent ex-militant leader and his supporters also hijacked election materials in Peremabiri.  They also alleged that in Ward 4 of Southern Ijaw, election materials for units 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 were hijacked by political thugs.                                The campaign spokesman for Dickson, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, alleged that from what transpired during the supplementary election, the security agencies had failed the people of Bayelsa.                                               He said widespread violence occurred across the LGAs that participated in the exercise despite the assurances from President Muhammadu Buhari that security agencies would live up to the expectations of the people.                  He said with what happened in the rescheduled poll, Dickson had been vindicated that the security agencies were not ready to provide the enabling environment for all the political parties to operate.                                           Speaking on the supplementary poll, the campaign team of the APC candidate, Mr. Timipre Sylva, dismissed the claim that the Presidency had any hand in the poll.                                                      The spokesman, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Mr. Nathan Egba, said, “Our attention has been drawn to a sponsored media report that the Presidency has issued a directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare Sylva winner of the election.                                       “The Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation wishes to sound it clear once again that President Muhammadu Buhari is not influencing the result of the election in favour of our candidate, having remained neutral from the beginning of the process.                                            “The report linking the Presidency to the Bayelsa election was misplaced and mischievous. The APC was shocked at such claims coming from the PDP at a time election was ongoing in the various polling units in the entire Southern Ijaw LGA and some units in six other local government areas of the state.”         Egba said the statement from the opposition giving victory to the APC in the poll is an admittance of imminent defeat on their part as they must have sensed from the reports coming from the field.                                                     He advised Dickson to learn from the experience of the last presidential election and stop his “brand of propaganda that had not taken him far since the election process began months back.”                                                   The PDP, however, praised the people of Southern Ijaw and others in the remaining 101 units where the rerun took place for their steadfastness in the face of intimidation.                                         The Director of Publicity, Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, in a statement, expressed joy that the PDP was cruising to victory in the rerun.                                      Obuebite said, “I want to appreciate the people of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and those in the other 101 polling units, as they listened to our call that they must not allow anybody to intimidate them as they step out to exercise their civic responsibilities.”      The rerun in Southern Ijaw and over 100 polling units across six LGAs in the state was not without some hiccups.         There were reported shootings, ballot boxes snatching and hijack of election materials, as well as late accreditation.   In Amassoma in Southern Ijaw, Ward 10, units 21 to 26, materials were not available as of 11.30am.                  Heavy shootings also frustrated movement of materials from Amatoru Community Secondary School to units in the ward.                                                 In Tara Kiwi community in Amassoma, the hometown of late former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the turnout of voters was high and accreditation was going on as of 11.50am.                         In Amatolo community, still in Southern Ijaw, there were sporadic shootings and the development prevented INEC from moving election materials to the area as of 12 noon.                                            In Ward 1, Agoibiri in Southern Ijaw, there was sporadic shooting and two persons were reportedly wounded by stray bullets.                                                 The development was said to have angered some of the youths in the area, who destroyed election materials.

REPS KICK AGAINST IMUNITY FOR SENATE PRESIDENT SPEAKER CJN

 A human right activist and member of the House of Representatives, Rep Philip Shaibu has said that the House will reject any proposal to grant immunity to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Judge of the Federation, CJN.

He also said that the green chamber would not entertain any bill or motion that is anti-people.

His opposition to immunity for the headships of the National Assembly and the CJN came few months after the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor had said the National Assembly may consider immunity for the afore mentioned in the Constitutional review.

Rep Ogor had contended that most of the distractions the legislature always faced was due to external influences, adding that giving immunity to the heads of the legislature and judiciary as being enjoyed by the executive arm would reduce external distractions in the National Assembly.

SENATORS DAVID MARK'S ELECTION NULLIFIED: APPEAL COURT

The Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi Benue state has annulled the election of Senator David Mark representing Benue South in the Senate. The Appeal court in its judgment this morning ordered the rerun of the election within 90 days.

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM GREETS KACHIKWU'S DOUBLE TOLE

The announcement of Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources did not come as a surprise to many. But what came as a shock, was his announcement on resuming office that he will also be retaining his job as the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, GMD, NNPC

Apart from being an unprecedented history in Nigeria, stakeholders note that both portfolios represent enormous challenges, especially with the NNPC having 11 subsidiaries under its kitty.

Similarly, respondents also believe that collapsing Power, Works and Housing into one ministry under former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, may be too much for him to handle, in view of the scope of work required in the separate entities within the group.

Those who commented on the issue responded as follows:

Chambers Oyibo – former GMD, NNPC

“Some of us have been in this industry long enough to know that the role of the GMD and that of the Minister of State will be very confusing to us as operator and as regulator. We hope government has thought through it. For example can DPR, which reports to the Minister stop NNPC if NNPC infringes on one of the laws? And NNPC reports to the same Minister who is one and the same person. I hope that has been thought through. I know that there is no problem without a solution, but we see that there will be some confusion in future.”

Hon. Sergius Ogun – Member, House of Representatives

“We have not been informed officially that the current Minister of State for Petroleum Resources will double as the Group Managing Director. I will advise that we wait till this becomes official before commenting on it.

“Also, efficiency is relative, depending on who is doing the assessment. Though I have said we should wait and hear before commenting on this, it looks like you have forced a response out of me.

“The work of the Group Managing Director is basically commercial and the work of the Minister is that of a Regulator how can these two responsibilities be fused into one?

“However, my interaction with the personnel has revealed that Mr. Kachikwu has changed the way business was done hitherto in the Corporation. They gave example of the so-called untouchable contracts that he cancelled; the unbundling of PPMC. He introduced whistle blowing and recognition of personnel contribution to the overall performance of the Corporation (reward system). They also mentioned that the quality of communication within the Corporation has increased a great deal and finally that he has given management and staff hope. If he can replicate these in the subsidiaries then he would have set the agenda for change in the industry.

Olisemeka Ojieh – Managing Director, Petrocarbon Engineering Limited “It is a smart move to bring in Dr. Kachikwu as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources while managing the affairs of the NNPC because this will synchronise the planned reforms in the oil and gas sector and increase the effectiveness of the system. Kachikwu will not only be a major voice in policy making as Minister of State, but will also enforce the implementation of such policies as GMD of NNPC. I do not think the dual role is too much for him. He is highly recommended, with over 30 years’ experience in the industry and a very impressive resume. The task ahead of him is onerous but he is equal to it.”

Lee Maeba – former Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Upstream)

“If President Buhari feels he wants to appoint Kachikwu minister and Group Managing Director of NNPC, it is up to him. If he thinks the man can combine both offices, he knows why it is so. He knows what he wants. It all depends on the President’s aims and objectives.”

Casmir Maduafokwa – Managing Director/CEO, Tecon Oil Group. “It makes sense as a transitional arrangement only to synchronise new and mandatory policy actions with the bureaucratic operational arm of the government as far as oil and gas is concerned. The new NNPC slimmer and focused blue print headed by an oil and gas technocrat with extensive experience outside the public sector should be in place before decoupling the two positions.”

BUHARI ORDERS THE ARREST OF DASIKI AND OTHERS IN RELATION TO THE $2.9B ARMS DEAL

President Muhammdu Buhari Tueday night ordered the arrest of the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), for allegedly siphoning billions of dollars earmarked for arms purchases.

In ordering the arrest, President Buhari observed that the actions of the erstwhile NSA brought the nation to international ridicule as the failure to procure the arms incapacitated the military in the face of the insurgency orchestrated by the Boko Haram sect.

The order was also extended to several others who were found culpable in the saga.The development followed  the release of the interim report by the presidential committee investigating arms procurement.

The president had on August 31 set up the 13 man committee to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, stated that Dasuki expended $2,193,815,000.83 on arms, a figure he said did not include grants received by the police and the Department of State Services, DSS, from state governments.

The statement read thus: “As part of the findings, the committee has analyzed interventions from some organizations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies.

“So far the total extra budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Hundred Naira and Eighteen Kobo (N643,817,955,885.18).

“The foreign currency component is to the tune of Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand US Dollars and Eighty Three Cents ($2,193,815,000.83).

“These amounts exclude grants from the state governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police. It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defence procurement.

“The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2,189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00; Fifty Three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively.

“Interestingly, it was noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East.  “The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N3,850,000,000.00) were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the federal goverment.

“Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt Col MS Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00. The contracts which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

“Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, two companies were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.”

Adesina in the statement added that the former NSA also directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer a certain amount to accounts domiciled in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.

“The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the North East were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition. Had the funds siphoned to these non performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.

“Furthermore, the ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided. It is worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily.

“In light of these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the relevant organizations arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit in these illegal and fraudulent acts”, the statement submitted.

INEC SUED FOR NONE ISSUANCE OF VOTERS CARD

A legal practitioner, Mrs, Jayne Eriata and 1,430 others have dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, over their being allegedly denied permanent voters’ cards by the commission before the last general election.

Eriata and others, who are claiming N20 million as damages, are from  Ward 10, Ekpon Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.

Joined with INEC as respondents in the suit are the National Chairman of the commission and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State.

Already, INEC has appeared in court to defend the action before Justice T. Liman, but asked  for a short adjournment to enable it file its  counter affidavit to the application.

When the matter came up, the respondents, represented by Miss Imoesi Susan, pleaded for adjournment to enable them file their counter affidavit to the application while Mrs. F. O. Uhunwa-Orhue,  who represented the plaintiffs, did not oppose to the request for adjournment.

Trial judge, Justice Liman adjourned the case to November 30, for definite hearing, while he directed the respondents to file and serve their counter affidavit within seven days.

ALLOCATION OF KEY MINISTERIAL PORTFOLIOS TO YORUBA EXTRACTION: A KEY CHALLENGE

Former Governor of Ogun State,  Aremo Olusegun Osoba, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s allocation of key ministerial portfolios  to Yoruba extraction as a big challenge, insisting that highest level of performance is expected from them.

Osoba, in an interview with Vanguard in Lagos, said President Buhari was a leader known for delegating duties on trust, and contended that the performance of the Yoruba ministers in the Buhari’s regime would be used to measure the future of South-West and Yoruba race in the politics of Nigeria.

The veteran journalist was optimistic that the President’s concentration of three major ministries central to infrastructural development and economic growth in the hands of former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola indicated that Nigeria was now serious about real and visible governance.

Osoba, however, advocated for collaboration between Fashola as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, overseeing the railways, maritime, and aviation, for Nigeria to get the best.

According to him, “as one of the leaders of Yoruba race, and as an elder statesman of Yoruba extraction, I will say that President Buhari has thrown a big challenge, a gargantuan one, to the Yoruba nation by the appointment of ministers.  I do not want to be sectional.  I will only analyze those who are party members.

“The success of Fashola will be a measure for the future of South-West and Yoruba in the politics of this nation.  I believe that we must all rally round party members who are now in the cabinet, especially from the South-West of the country.  This is because it is a big challenge that Buhari has thrown to us and the onus lies in us to perform.

“The economy of this country is heavily dependent on the old Western Region, starting from the old Mid-West that is Edo and Delta states, down to Lagos. Fashola is in the position now to revive the economy of this country, revive the middle class, the industrial base of this country is around this South Western area, his performance and that of Amaechi, combined will score enormous goals.

“My simple advice for Fashola is to, like he did in Lagos, pick some few essential network of roads and just get going on them and that will change the whole economic situation in the country.  By this I mean, he should pick the major link with the rest of the country.

“For example, Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Jebba road to the North; Ibadan-Akure-Okene-Lokoja-Abuja road to Kaduna, Kano’ Shagamu-Ore-Benin road to the East, and Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu road.  If Fashola can fix these networks of roads, they will change the whole of the economic life of the country.”

GOVERNOR OSHIOMOLE: WHY I'LL PROSECUTE IGBINEDION AND ESAMA

GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, yesterday, said  that he will take all the files containing alleged fraud perpetrated during the tenure of former governor of the state, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, to Abuja next week to commence prosecution.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole and Chief Lucky Igbinedion

Vowing to prosecute the former governor and his father, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and send them to jail if convicted, Oshiomhole alleged that both the former governor and his father converted property and funds meant for the people of the state to their private use.

He also expressed his readiness to publish the sales of government property during the administration of Chief Igbinedion and also fingered the former Secretary to the State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as one of the beneficiaries of some of the sales.

The governor  spoke when he addressed  youths, civil society organisations and students who embarked on a solidarity march to condemn what they described as the Monday protest in the state allegedly sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The youths had earlier condemned the protest, commending the governor for his developmental strides and introduction of the land use charge which, according to them, is geared toward uplifting the lives of the poor to the detriment of the rich.

Oshiomhole, who said he wanted to be remembered for eliminating god-fatherism in the state, commended the youths for their solidarity, saying: “It shows your support and your endorsement of my stewardship here in Osadebey Avenue.”

He said his problem with the Igbiendions started when he revoked the over 2,000 hectares of land the former governor gave to his father in Okada which, according to him, belonged to the state government and also the termination of the MoU the former governor signed with his father, which according to him “allowed medical students in Igbinedion University to use our state- owned hospital at the expense of Edo State Government while Chief Igbinedion collected N1 million from each medical student.”

According to him, “Every body born of a woman in this state must be subjected to the rule of law. I decree in the name of God my creator and in the interest of Edo people, even the ones yet unborn, that I want to be remembered, not only for roads, hospitals, schools but much more importantly, I want to be remembered as the man who brought an end to exemptions. I want to be remembered as the man who took from those who have bastardized, raped and privatized the resources of Edo State, used our money to build their private universities and walk around our streets when they are supposed to be in Oko prison.

“We provided leadership that has banished godfathers in Edo State, they can never  forget that once upon a time there was Adams. I did not promise to make everybody happy, what I promised was to make majority happy. And to make majority happy we must make some people cry, so that others can smile.”

BUHARI INAUGURATES CABINET FASHOLA TO HEAD POWER WORKS AND HOUSING MINISTRY

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated 36 ministers as members of   the Federal Executive Council  five months after his inauguration.

His cabinet is smaller than that of his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, who had 42 ministers. Under the constitution, the president must include a member from each of the country’s 36 states.

To set the tone for today’s swearing-in, President Buhari, yesterday appointed new 17 permanent secretaries and reshuffled all current permanent secretaries.

The full list of the ministers and their portfolios is below:

Kemi Adeosun (Ogun) – Finance

Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers)–Transportation

Chris Ngige (Anambra)–Labour and Employment

Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti)–Solid Minerals

Babatunde Fashola (Lagos)–Power, Works and Housing

Abdulrahman Dambazau (Kano)–Interior

Aisha Alhassan (Taraba)–Women Affairs

Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi)–Science and Technology

Abubakar Malami (Kebbi)–Justice

Hadi Sirika (Katsina)–State for Aviation

Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa)–Water Resources

Solomon Dalong (Plateau)–Youths and Sports

Ibeh Kachikwu (Delta)–State for Petroleum

Osagie Ehanire (Edo)–State for Health

Audu Ogbeh (Benue)–Agriculture

Udo Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom)–Budget and National Planning

Lai Mohammed (Kwara)–Information

Amina Mohammed (Gombe)–Environment

Ibrahim Usman Jibril (Nasarawa)— State for Environment

Anthony Onwuka (Imo) – State for Education

Muhammadu Bello (Adamawa) — FCT

Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) — Education

Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia) – Industry, Trade and Investment

Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto) — State for Trade, Industry and Investment

Khadija Bukar Abba (Yobe) – State for Foreign Affairs
Claudius Daramola (Ondo) – State for Niger Delta

Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu) — Foreign Affairs

Monsur Dan-Ali (Zamfara) — Defence

James Ocholi (Kogi) – State for Labour

Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna) – State for Budget and National Planning

Mustapha Shehuri (Borno) — State for Power

Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)–State for Agriculture

Isaac Adewole Folorunsho (Osun) — Health

Usani Usani Uguru (Cross River) — Niger Delta

Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger) — State for Solid Minerals

Adebayo Shittu (Oyo) — Communications

NEW PERMANENT SECRETARIES APPOINTMENT APPROVED

 President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of new Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service hours after her ordered the retirement of the sitting permanent secretaries . In a statement by his spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adesina, Buhari appointed the new permanent secretaries and deployed them to various ministries. 

The appointed are,

1. Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba
2. Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse
3. Mr. Taiwo Abidogun

4. Dr. Bukar Hassan
5. Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka
6. Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi
7. Mr. Sabiu Zakari
8. Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi
9. Mr. Aminu Nabegu
10. Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele
11. Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo
12. Dr. Shehu Ahmed
13. Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu
14. Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa
15. Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa
16. Mr. Bassey Apkanyung
17. Mr. Louis Edozien
18. Dr. Ugo Roy

The President also approved the deployment of Federal Permanent Secretaries as follows:

1. Dr. Shehu Ahmad – Fed. Min. of Agric & Rural Development
2. Arch Sunday Echono – Fed. Min. of Communications
3. Alh. Sabiu Zakari – Fed. Min. of
Transportation
4. Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba – Fed. Min. of Information & Culture
5. Amb. Danjuma Sheni – Fed. Min. of Defence
6. Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan – Fed. Min. of Education
7. Mrs. Fatima Mede – Budget & National Planning
8. Alh. Mahmoud Isa Dutse – Fed. Min. of Finance
9. Amb. Bulus Lolo – Fed. Min of Foreign Affairs
10. Dr. Amina Shamaki – Fed. Min. of Health
11. Mr. Aliyu Bisalla -Fed. Min. of Industry, Trade & Investment
12. Mr. Bassey Akpanyung – Fed. Min. of Internal Affairs
13. Mr. Taiwo Abidogun – Fed. Ministry of Justice
14. Dr. Habiba Lawal – Fed. Min. of Science & Tech.
15. Dr. Clement Illoh – Fed. Min. of Labour & Productivity
16. Dr. Jamila Shu’ara – Fed. Min of Petroleum Resources
17. Mrs. Binta Bello – Fed. Min of Women Affairs
18. Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye – Federal Capital Territory
19. Mrs. Rabi Jimeta – Fed. Min. of Water Resources
20. Dr. Bukar Hassan – Fed. Min of Environment
21. Mrs. Wakama B. Asifieka – Fed. Min. of Niger Delta Affairs
22. Mr. Istifanus Fuktur – Fed. Min. of Solid Minerals
23. Mr. Christian Ohaa – Fed. Min of Youth & Sports
24. Engr. A.G. Magaji – Fed. Min. of Works & Housing
25. Mr. Louis Edozien – Fed. Min. of Power
26. Mr. Jalal Arabi – State House
27. Mr. Mohammed Bukar – General Services Office, OSGF
28. Mr. Abbas Mohammed – Ecological Fund Office, OSGF
29. Dr. Ugo Roy – Council Secretariat
30. Mr. Aminu Nabegu – Special Services Office, OSGF
31. Amb. Bamgbose Akindele – Political Affairs Office, OSGF
32. Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo – Economic Affairs Office, OSGF
33. Mrs. Obiageli Nwokedi – Special Duties Office, OSGF
34. Mr. Innocent Ogbonnaya -Career Management Office, OHCSF
35. Mr. S.K.Y. Adelakun – Common Services Office, OHCSF
36. Mrs. N. Batagarawa – Service Policy & Strategies Office, OHCSF

The new appointments and deployments are with effect from today, Nov 10, 2015.

PRESIDENT BUHARI RETIRES PERMANENT SECRETARIES OF FEDERAL MINISTRIES

 -A gale of retirements may have swept across the federal civil service as president Mohammdu Buhari may have concluded plan to relieve about 17 Permeant Secretaries of their duties.

This is coming ahead of the swearing in of the ministers-designate on Wednesday.

Some of the permanent secretaries led by the new Acting Head of Civil Service of the federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, held a closed door with the president at the presidential villa.

It is not yet known what transpired at the meeting but feelers said that the president may have communicated the development to them.

Most of those affected were those senior to the acting Head of Service.

It was gathered the development brought tears to the Oyo-Ita at the meeting as she felt for the Permanent Secretaries

FORMER SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SENATOR NDOMA EGBA DECAMPS FROM PDP TO APC

Immediate past Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has publicly declared his defection to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

It would be recalled that within the last few months, speculations have been making the round that the erstwhile lawmaker has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.Ndoma-Egba, who represented Cross River Central in the 7th Senate, was a chieftain and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in cross River State.

He said he officially resigned his membership of the PDP early September this year, citing impunity and dictatorial tendencies in the PDP as reasons for his quitting.

Speaking at the APC secretariat, Monday in Calaabr, Ndoma Egaba said “I came to reciprocate the various courtesies paid to me by chapter chairmen of the APC from the ward level to the national organ of the party and to tell you that I want to formally join the APC family’’.

The former Senate Leader alleged that his former party ‘’created a large pool of internally displaced politicians who still have political life in them’’ as one of the reasons he and his teeming supporters decamped to the APC.

“We want to come to APC with values of integrity, we want to join you in offering the people of the state values of honesty and integrity, we are ready to serve and assure you that we will give the people an alternative choice”.

Ndoma-Egba reiterated that ‘’For a long time, Cross River has been a one party state but today, it is no longer the same as we cannot continue in this mantra of one party state’’.

Welcoming those who decamped to the APC, the Deputy state chairman of the party, John Ochala said the party doors remain open and assured the former Senate Leader and his supporters that they will be given equal opportunities as former members of the APC.

The decampee later paid a courtesy call on the APC Zonal Vice chairman South- South, Hillad Eta.

Eta said Ndoma-Egaba’s entry into the APC will strengthen the party in future elections, particularly the forthcoming local government elections in Cross River State.

NO LARGE PROTOCOL, CONVOYS,AIDS: BUHARI TELLS MINISTERS DESIGNATE

GIVEN the lean and dwindling economic fortunes of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has read the riot act to would-be Ministers, who will be inaugurated on Wednesday, saying his government would not tolerate ostentatious and flamboyant lifestyles from any one of them.                           He thus dashed the hope of some of his ministers-designate who may be wishing for a royal treat by way of lofty paraphernalia of office upon their swearing in as substantive ministers.

This was the fallout of the three days presidential retreat for the 36 ministers-designate held at the Banquet Hall within the precinct of the presidential villa, Abuja.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the retreat, which started at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on Wednesday and was later moved to the Villa on Thursday was essentially to educate the Ministers-designate on a wide range of issues that would bring them to terms with the current economic realities.

Given President Buhari’s body language and what he made clear to them it was learned that the general consensus forged at the retreat by the ministers-designate was that in the light of the economic downturn and the position of the President they would drastically reduce their retinue of aides, protocol staff and number of convoys.

We ‘re prepared for the task ahead – Onu, Ngige, Kachichukwu, Ocholi

Senator Chris Ngige, a minister-designate told State House Correspondents that the Buhari-led government was that of ‘change’, which would not tolerate waste of resources and impunity.

He said that all financial loopholes would be plugged to save money for the development of critical sectors of the economy, saying it is not going to be business as usual.

According to him, the retreat has equipped them for the task ahead.

He said: “I don’t think that I have not benefited in a way that will equip me to face the challenges of being a minister now. It is a lean economy in the sense that we are going to block areas of leakages; there are a lot of leakages. Yes, lean economy because we are going to block areas of leakages, retinue of aides, protocol staff, large convoys of cars are things that will not fly in this administration. It is a ‘change’ administration.”

Ngige said that he was not be worried if all the ministers-designate were not assigned portfolios.

“No, I am not. If you have portfolio, if you don’t have portfolio, it is one single executive council. It is one single cabinet. You bring whatever it is in your ministry where you have the portfolio and place on the table for everybody to see. So that shouldn’t worry us at all.

“We have even a right to interlope, not interlope actually but you have a right to discuss things happening in another ministry because it is one single Federal Executive Council, one single cabinet, one single Federal Government of Nigeria. The purpose being that we want to move our people from where they are now.

“They are in abject poverty and this poverty concerns about 75 percent of the populace. So, we need to actually restructure the political and social firmament of the country and that is what we are going to do and that is what it means. Poverty will be reduced, more people will smile and that is the essence of what we are talking about,” he said.

Another Minister-designate and former governor of old Abia State, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said that President Buhari harped on running a cost effective government.

He said: “The president has asked for a lean working government. You can see what has happened to the economy. We have had a drastic drop in the price of crude oil, more than 50 percent drop over the past one year or around that time. So, revenue coming into the country definitely has reduced considerably. So, government must really run in a way that we will be able to lead the aspirations of our people to make sure that Nigerians are happy.”

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director, GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu said that the retreat has equipped them for the challenges ahead. “It is a wonderful session. It equips us, gets us ready, charges us to action” Kachikwu, who is a minister-designate, told Saturday Vanguard.

On his part, another minister-designate, Mr. James Ocholi said the retreat has afforded the appointees the opportunity to know themselves.

“Government has to ensure that before we even get inaugurated we know enough to hit the ground running and many of us, virtually all of us are highly enlightened. We are grateful that getting into government at this time with the change mantra, we will not be taken by surprise. Some of the things we have learned within the last two days even former governors who have completed eight years term never knew them when they were sworn in. So, they were learning on the job and trying to find their way of sorting out things.

“There is a lot of demand on us as Mr. President told us at the opening session and he is preparing us to meet the challenges that we will face. I think it will be better for us ministers and the nation that most of us will hit the ground running from day one”, he said.

Ministers to be sworn in next Wednesday
Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard gathered President Buhari would swear-in the Ministers-designate on Wednesday.

It is also expected that the first Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting would hold on the same day to earnestly kick start the long awaited government business.

AVOID WASTAGE IMPUNITY... BUHARI WARNS MINISTERS DESIGNAT

President Buhari has charged the minister-designates to avoid wastage and impunity while in office. Buhari gave the charge during the ongoing retreat for the 36 ministers-designate holding at the state house Abuja. The retreat started yesterday November 4th and will end November 6th. See more pics after the cut...


He called on the ministers-designates to be change agents and work as a team to achieve his administration's dream for Nigeria. He also asked them to use the office of his chief of staff as official communication Channel inline with the presidential system of government.