Aso Villa Reads for 04/10/2019

Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari says a strong strategic relationship between Nigeria and South Africa can become the engine for the rapid economic, political, social, cultural development of Africa, thereby delivering ‘the Africa we want’. The Nigerian leader stated this at State Banquet organised in his honour by the South African government on the occasion of his three-day official visit to South Africa on Thursday night in Pretoria. According to him, the building blocks for the Africa we want are being systematically put in place, thanks to the political will of African leaders over many years. ”The process began with the transformation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU) on July 9, 2002. A key objective of this transformation was to have a union of the peoples of Africa rather than a unity of African leaders,” he said. The president noted that under the former Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma, African Heads of State and Government signed the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the formation of the OAU/AU in May 2013. Buhari said the Declaration marked the re-dedication of Africa towards the attainment of the Pan-African Vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena. Vanguard reports.

THE National Assembly has cleared the way for the presentation of the 2020 budget by President Muhammadu Buhari by approving the 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP submitted by the president, last week. In two separate approvals both chambers of the federal legislature okayed the recommendations in the documents and jerked up the value of the country’s 2020 budget outline by N729 billion from N10.002 trillion to N10.7294 trillion based on expectations of higher oil prices. Vanguard reported that the lawmakers adopted $57 as the benchmark price for a barrel of oil in the international market. They also adopted N305 per dollar as the official exchange rate and production of 2.18 million barrels of crude oil per day. Meanwhile, the $57 adopted by the legislature is already threatened as the price of Oil slipped further below 58 dollars a barrel yesterday, pressured by concerns about global economic growth, oil demand and signs of excess supply, despite OPEC-led cuts. The 2020 MTEF approved by the lawmakers pegged oil production at 2.18 million barrels per day (bpd), with the country currently producing at roughly that level, though it had pledged to cut it meet an OPEC cap on crude oil of 1.685 million bpd.

According to Punch, South Africa and Nigeria signed 30 trade and cooperation agreements on Thursday, weeks after a wave of violence against Nigerian nationals in Johannesburg and Pretoria had strained relations between Africa’s top two economies. Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Muhammadu Buhari at the conclusion of a two-day visit by the Nigerian leader said they regretted the violence and subsequent retaliation in Nigeria against South African businesses, pledging instead to deepen trade ties. In September, mobs armed with makeshift weapons attacked businesses and homes owned by foreigners, leading to at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and up to 400 arrests. “As the government of South Africa, we have expressed our deep regret at the attacks directed at foreign nationals and our condemnation of all forms of intolerance and acts of violence,” Ramaphosa told reporters. Ramaphosa said the two countries had sealed 32 bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding, covering trade and industry, science and technology, defence, agriculture and energy. Nigeria accounts for 64 per cent of South Africa’s total trade with the West African sub-Region and is one of its largest trading partners on the continent.

Airline operators and other users of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, have confirmed that there has been improved security at the terminal and airside of the airport. THISDAY learnt that Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) has been deployed at the various areas at the international terminal and also at the sterile areas of the airport after the runway incursion of the Nigerien who gained access to the domestic runway of the airport few months ago. FAAN said it also wanted to put to an end the illicit activities of baggage handlers and other airport workers who allegedly plant prohibited drugs in passengers’ luggage, hence the comprehensive CCTV at the nooks and crannies of the airport, which THISDAY learnt was being extended to all the international airports in the country. The Chief Operating Officer of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc., Herbert Odika, who also confirmed the improvement said it was one of the major reasons why there have not been baggage losses at the airport in recent times.

As reported by Guardian, Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources says President Muhammadu Buhari will soon issue an Executive Order to all federal agencies to key into sanitation in the country. Adamu said this when he met with the National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS) in his office in Friday in Abuja. He said that the Federal Government had expressed strong support in addressing the challenges in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector of the country. “I will like to say that there is going to be an Executive Order by Mr President that all federal agencies must key in to sanitation. “All institutions must have proper toilets facilities and at the state levels, we are trying to get all state governors to also meet the requirements. “This will ensure that commercial buildings open up toilets facilities; this includes working with the private sector to achieve this very goal. “Also our problem is, we need to get the National Assembly to be involved to ensure that they give particular attention to sanitation budgets as they are not really interested in it,” he said.

The Commandant, Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), Maj.- Gen Adeniyi Oyebade, said on Thursday that the institution has recorded 85 successful research engagements that have added value to national security and development. Oyebade made the disclosure at the 30th convocation ceremony for cadets of 67 regular course and post graduate students of the Academy, held in Kaduna. The Commandant explained that a N20 million annual institutional research intervention set up by the academy facilitated the feat. He said, “Notable inventions by various departments in the Academy include the Radio Frequency identification for armory management, wireless healthcare monitoring sensor, swift satellite tracker unit and an obstacle avoidance, as well as unmanned solar powered vehicle surveillance system among others. “As a means of showcasing the depth and diversity of research engagements in the Academy, the Professional Inaugural lecture series was resuscitated and for the first time in the history of the academy, 7 out of 10 professional inaugural lectures had been delivered within an academic year. “This will boost the quality and vibrancy of academic engagements in the academy. “As at today, all NDA academic programmes enjoy full accreditation status, just as all new programmes have undergone successful resource verification. “In addition, the academy has received approval and commenced a new undergraduate course in logistics and supply chain management.” Vanguard reports.

As reported by Blue Print, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Thursday held a closed door meeting with a delegation from the Trade Union Congress (TUC). The TUC President, Mr Quadri Olaleye, who spoke with State House correspondents shortly after the meeting , said the union came to discuss some burning national issues with the Vice President. The organised labour had on Wednesday rejected the offer by the Federal Government on consequential adjustment for the new minimum wage for workers from Grade Levels Seven to 14. It demanded the reconvening of the meeting of the committee negotiating the consequential adjustment with a view to concluding the process within one week. Olaleye, however, told newsmen that his union used the opportunity of the meeting to proffer solutions, suggestions on how to resolve the issues.

According to Punch, the Chairman, Joint Tax Board, Mr Babatunde Fowler, on Thursday said the revenue generated at the state level rose from N800.02bn to N1.6tn between 2016 and 2018, representing an increase of 46.11 per cent.Fowler made the disclosure in his welcome address at the North-Central zone’s commencement of the new Tax Identification Number Registration System and National Consolidated Taxpayer Database held in Ilorin. According to him, the jump in the revenue collection by states is largely due to the economic policies of the Federal Government, which have resulted in the expansion of the national tax base from 10 million to 20 million. This, he added, was expected to rise to 45 million at the end of the year. Fowler, who is also Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, specifically stated that the collections by the FIRS rose from N3.30tn in 2016 to N5.32tn in 2018, the highest ever. This represents an increase of 53.81 per cent. He also said the non-oil revenues climbed to N2.85tn, representing 54 per cent of the total revenue generation.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin has called for partnership between the military and the media as part of measures towards combating the security challenges confronting the nation. Olonisakin who gave the charge in his opening address at seminar tagged, ‘Enhancing National Security and Cohesion through Responsive Media Reportage’ in Abuja, observed that propaganda remained the oxygen that sustained terrorism. Business Day reported that he charged the media professionals to be circumspect in the reportage of security issues, saying national interest should take precedence over other considerations. “I want to use this opportunity to urge the media and all other stakeholders to see themselves as partners with the Armed Forces towards solving the various security challenges facing our nation. I am convinced that such partnership could be encouraged by interaction at fora such as this, which is geared towards strengthening the existing relationship amongst stakeholders. “Let me reiterate that the media serves as veritable tool towards winning the hearts and minds of the citizenry there propagating non-kinetic measures to solve security issues”, he said.

No fewer than 65,000 youths including Secondary School Students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have benefitted from Power Forward, a youth development initiative on life skills, health literacy and education through basketball. The Officer in Charge, Africare Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Adah made this known on Friday at the finals of the sixth edition of Power Forward Finals at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abuja, an Initiative of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Africare and supported by ExxonMobil. Adah explained that the Power Forward project since it’s inception in 2013 have greatly impacted on the lives of the students and community members through basketball and community programmes. According to him, the project have reached over 65,000 youths in schools and vulnerable communities with life skills information such as leadership, respect and responsibility, malaria prevention strategies and treatment, environment sanitation awareness, hygiene education as well as menstrual hygiene management awareness campaign. He informed that over 500 girls have also been trained in menstrual hygiene while 373 campaigns on public health have been carried out in communities. This Day reports.