The inaugural cabinet meeting, which was held at the council chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was presided over by President Bola Tinubu, who unveiled his vision for “economic growth, prosperity for all and ending poverty.”

Addressing the ministers, the President admonished them to achieve the first phase of his administration’s eight-point agenda within three years.

He asked the members of his cabinet to work hard to revive the country’s economy because Nigeria is in a difficult time.

The President said the ministers have the capacity to make a difference in the ministries they have been assigned to oversee.

“We shall evolve a homegrown re-engineering of our finances, a reimagined stewardship of our resources, and we will let the economy work for the people of this country.

“There are so many things we can and will do. Yes, some cynics will say it is impossible. But in your own dictionary of service, everything is possible, and it must be possible,’’ he told the ministers and other cabinet members.

Emphasising that anyone thinking that appointments are fixed-term appointments was mistaken, the President expressed confidence that the carefully selected cabinet members knew that his government is a new one with a new approach and mandate to deliver for Nigeria without any lamentation or excuses.

He noted, “We have the talent. We have the level of intellectual capacity required to turn this country around. We will make sure that the country is on the right path to succeed on behalf of more than 200 million Nigerians who rely on us.”

Tinubu noted that the country would rely on the experience, skills, intellect and networking of those who had been appointed to make headway in the challenging times.

He cautioned that the cabinet members were appointed to make headway in the challenging times, and failure would not be explained away under his watch.

“You and I know that expectations are high, and these are tough times. We must work hard and move ourselves to create a buoyant economy that will serve Nigeria.

“We have an employment rate that is unacceptable, and we are facing threats from climate change. In order to turn things around, you have been selected to perform your utmost best.

“Our policy implementation will reform the economy, ensure inclusive growth, and strengthen security for peace and prosperity. Without security, there can be no investment,’’ he pointed out.

The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, and his water resources counterpart, Sulaiman Adamu, explained this after the FEC meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

Sambo, while responding to a question on the reason for the award of contracts which the outgoing ministers would not execute due to the expiration of tenure on May 29, said the regime would continue to perform its duties up to May 28.

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

“This government must work. We expect the next government to also work until the very last day of their tenure.”
Adamu explained that the contract approval process consumed time, noting that the incoming government would continue from where President Buhari’s administration stopped.

He noted: “If I may add, there are processes and this processes have started. We’re still operating the 2022 budget, we have agencies. These things are not just done in one day.

“We had lots of submissions to BPP to the ICRC, all the agencies involved in the procurement, and they have to get ready.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the virtual council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister explained that the increased police personnel take-home pay by 20 per cent of their present earning was one of the ways to improve the relationship between the force and the Nigerian populace.

The council also approved the review of police duty tour allowance and shift allowance to six per cent, and as well, the release of N1.2 billion for the payment of uninsured benefits.

Besides, he said that FEC approved the sum of N1.2 billion for the payment of outstanding allowances.

According to him, the approval was in consonance with President Buhari’s promise to enhance police personnel pay as demanded by #EndSARS protesters.

The Minister said that the sum of N13.128 billion was approved for outstanding death benefits for 5,472 police personnel.

He, however, said that the payment would only commence after the Auditor General of Federation must have scrutinized it.

He also announced a tax waiver of N18.6 billion for personal between GradeLlevels one to Grade Levels 14

But the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed said the upward salary review for the police was not captured in the 2022 Appropriations Bill.

She said the government could raise a Supplementary Budget could be raised and sent it to the National Assembly for passage.

FEC approves N658m for deployment of sniffer dogs in Lagos and Abuja airports

The approval was granted during the weekly meeting presided over by President Buhari on Wednesday, August 18.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this while speaking with reporters after the council meeting. He said four memoranda was approved for the ministry totalling N16,697,742,839

According to Sirika, the projects to be executed in the contracts include construction of Wachakal Airport in Yobe State at N6.3 billion; post-construction services for the same airport at the cost of N219.8 million. It also includes the procurement of eight airport rescue and firefighting vehicles at the cost of N9.5 billion; and a contract for the deployment of sniffer dogs to the Lagos and Abuja international airports at the cost of N658.8 million.

“FEC approved four memoranda from civil aviation. One of it is the approval for the construction of Wachakal Airport in Yobe State and at the contract sum of N6,284,065,056. Even and in our drive to develop the sector and ensure connectivity within our region and also improve on our security architecture and also attend to the various needs of civilization, we found this airport and many others that are coming across the country useful.

The second was a post-Consultancy Services for the construction of the same airport, Wachakal Air stripe which is very close to Nguru in Yobe state. So, first Consultancy Services is given to Kafe Engineering at the sum of N219,782,500 only. This will include seven and a half percent VAT.FEC approves N658m for deployment of sniffer dogs in Lagos and Abuja airports

The third memorandum that was taken his approval for the supply and maintenance of eight units of airport rescue and firefighting vehicle including spare parts and training. And this was given to Messers Gulf of Africa International Limited.

The exclusive representatives of the OEM and the OEMs are Emirate firefighting equipment factory, this is in the sum of N9,535,132,500 even. This also will include seven and a half percent and the delivery period for this procurement is 12 months

The last memo that was taken from aviation, it has to do with approval for the award of contract for the deployment of sniffer dogs canine in airports in Lagos and Abuja, we will be continuing with this procurement and other airports as well. So, the total contract sum for this procurement is N658,762,783.36 which includes seven and a half percent VAT.”

The rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna refineries awarded to  Messers Saipem SPA and Saipem Contracting Limited at the combined total sum of $1.484 billion, will be carried out in three phases of 21, 23 and 33 months.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timperley Sylva, disclosed this to state house correspondents after the six hours meeting which started with a minute silence in honour of the former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Malami Buwai, who served during the regime of the former Head of State, General Sani Abacha from 1994 – 1996.

According to Sylva, 15 per cent of the total sum for the rehabilitation of the two refineries in Port Harcourt which was awarded earlier this year had been paid to the construction firm currently working at the site. According to him, $897,678,800 will be spent to repair the Warri refinery while the Kaduna refinery will gulp $586,902,256.

He stressed that the completion of the rehabilitation exercise will be in three phases spread over 77 month period.

He said “The completion of the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna refineries is going to be in three phases. The first phase will be completed within 21 months, in 23 months phase two will be completed and in 33 months, the full rehabilitation will be completed”.

The Minister noted that the repair works at the Port Harcourt refinery have commenced and that already the first 15% of the contract sum has been paid to the contractor and the contractor has been fully mobilised to the site.

The approval came after the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire presented the memo for the procurement on behalf of the centre at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the 11th virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House in Abuja.

This fund is designed to create an avenue where the accessing of credit facilities and financing for the youths will be readily possible and accessible so as to adequately fund their numerous ideas, innovations and also support their various enterprise.

The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare made this known after the 9th virtual meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.

Commenting on the category of youth who will benefit from the special fund, Dare stated that people whose age falls within 18 and 35 will enjoy this fund.

According to him, “For the first time in the history of Nigeria, the Federal Executive Council today approved the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of N75 billion.

“This fund is meant to create a special window for accessing credit facilities and financing on the part of our youths that will help to fund their ideas, innovations, and also support their enterprise.

“The best way to call it is that for the first time the country will have a youth bank. A fund that will cater specifically for our youth within the stipulated age band, which is going to be between 18 and 35 years.

“The second approval that secured was for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to play a lead role in working on necessary steps that need to be taken in terms of legislation, organisation and other aspects of financing.”

He said that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning will take the lead when it comes to the aspect of the financing, working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and other relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs.

He said, “A couple of other details will be released later, but I think the most important thing is that the N75 billion Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, to cater specifically for this target group, a population of over 68 million, got the attention and support of the Federal Executive Council today and this fund will be assessed by our youths, once they are able to present their ideas, they can assess this fund directly.”

The approval was given at a virtual meeting of the council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was revealed by the Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clement Agba at the end of the meeting.

Agba listed other projections in the budget to include $40 per barrel oil benchmark, oil production volume of 1.6 million barrel per day, inflation rate of 11.9 per cent, projected gross domestic growth rate of three percent and revenue target of N7.50 trillion.

The FEC meeting which is the highest decision-making body of the Federal government, had its last meeting on March 18. The meeting was suspended as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

While most Ministers and Heads of parastatals will attend the virtual meeting from their offices, the President will be joined by a few of his aides in his office or the Council chambers where he will preside over the meeting.

According to Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, ‘this is due to the fact that all the memos earlier submitted to the Council for consideration have been returned to the various Ministries.

This action will allow Ministers who were recently sworn in have their inputs in the memos sent by their predecessors in office’.

They will also utilize the period of the break to work towards the early preparation and submission of the 2020 budget estimates.