Aso Villa Reads for 17/07/2020
Every day, we bring you the best stories that the Media is reporting about the Government of Nigeria
The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated a campaign strategy team for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as she contests for the position of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Richard Adebayo, inaugurated the team in Abuja and said the creation of a campaign strategy group was vital in ensuring that the Nigerian candidate emerged as the DG of the WTO. According to Punch, the minister disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja by his ministry’s Assistant Director of Information, Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa. The statement was titled “Adebayo inaugurates campaign strategy team for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s post for DG WTO.” Adebayo said the decision of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to nominate Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for the position was taken in good faith. This, he said, was based on the overriding consideration of the need to boost Africa’s chance and for the promotion of gender mainstreaming at the world’s top trade post. He expressed optimism that the Nigerian candidate would emerge as the next DG of the WTO based on her capabilities and wealth of experience at the highest level of World Bank, as a development economist, diplomat and one of Africa’s most trusted technocrats.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday said improved gold mining operations in the country would generate 250,000 jobs and over $500m annually in royalties and taxes to the Federal Government. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicty, Femi Adesina, the President disclosed these at the presentation of locally mined gold bars by the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative in Abuja. The statement was titled “Improved gold mining operations to generate 250,000 jobs, $500m annually in royalties, says Buhari.” He said the initiative would support efforts at the creation of jobs for Nigerians, diversifying the revenue base, and improving foreign exchange reserves. The President said, ‘‘With the implementation of the PAGDMI schemes which will result in the set-up of accredited gold buying centres across key mining areas, artisanal miners and SMEs engaged in mining will be able to capture the value of their work. These operations will help in diversifying our revenue base. The sale of gold by artisanal miners and SMEs at accredited centres will help the government in realising royalties and taxes from the sale of these assets. These developments will also help in improving our foreign reserves by enabling the Central Bank of Nigeria to increase the amount of gold in its reserves. These gold assets which will be purchased in Naira, will not only help to bolster our international reserves, it will also provide a hedge against inflation and other economic volatilities associated with foreign currencies that are held in our reserves.” Buhari said efforts were being made to enable the setting up of gold refineries in Nigeria. Punch reported.
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, met behind closed doors with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Lawan said Buhari had made a deliberate effort to ensure a good relationship between the two arms and warned political appointees not to jeopardise the harmonious bond between the legislature and the executive arms of government. According to Vanguard, he said the National Assembly had always tried to ensure that the right thing was done for the country and that the president was in full support of their position for the sustenance of the relationship at all times for the benefit of the people of Nigeria.
