The Nigerian President’s directive to ministers and other political appointees, who have declared their intention to contest the 2023 presidential election and other elective offices to tender their letters of resignation dominates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Thursday.
The Punch reports that there are strong indications that members of the Federal Executive Council who have declared their intention to contest the 2023 presidential election may appear before the All Progressives Congress screening committee with copies of their letters of resignation and acknowledgement.
Party sources stated that this might form part of the additional stipulations the aspirants were expected to comply with.
The development was sequel to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday that all members of his cabinet vying for elective offices must step down on or Monday.
Buhari on Wednesday finally bowed to pressure when he called the ministers to resign following persistent calls by eminent lawyers and other Nigerians, who argued that their continued stay in office amounted to a conflict of interest.
The order came at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting which he presided over at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.
But an APC chieftain told The PUNCH that aspirants might be asked to produce their letters of resignation and acknowledgement copies during their screening.
He said several appointees and aides had been rushing to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to submit letters of resignation and collect acknowledgement letters.
The newspaper says that the Secretary-General of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region, Sunday Umoren, has said that a total of 52, 000 vessels visited the West African region in 2021.
Speaking on Monday at the International Maritime Organisation/Abuja MoU designed for heads of maritime administrations in the west and central African region in Lagos, Umoren said that the secretariat had achieved appreciable success in the training of port control officers who were the first line of both offence and defence in the battle against sub-standard shipping in the region.
He said that despite the fact that the group put a minimum ship inspection at 15 per cent, some countries in the region still found it difficult to meet up.
“Last year, 2021, we had about 52,000 vessels visiting the West African region.”
The Abuja MoU scribe said that the essence of the Lagos meeting was to engage policymakers to come up with maritime-friendly policies.
“We are engaging the policymakers so that we will have knowledgeable policymakers and ensure we have maritime-friendly policies.
“Remember, our objective is to rid the area of substandard vessels. If a ship is leaving Nigeria and has issues along the line, the port control officer should naturally inform the next port of such vessel.”
The Guardian reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, approved N2,024,935,000 for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to facilitate purchase of 52 operational vehicles.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who briefed newsmen alongside his Information and Culture counterpart, Lai Mohammed, and Minister of State for Power, Jedy Agba, explained that the automobiles comprised 27 Buffalo Double Cabin, MG 2021 model, 15 Toyota Hilux four wheel drive Premium Package 2020 model and 10 Toyota Hiace ambulance bus with full option.
“This is done to enhance the capacity of the agency to combat crime and criminality in Nigeria. It’s my belief that this will go a long way in protecting lives and property in Nigeria.
“It was an open bidding exercise, and I think I saw some of our local manufacturers participating, and the best and most responsive bids won the contract,” he clarified.
On his part, Agba said the gathering also sanctioned three major contracts geared at enhancing the national grid for better power supply.
He observed: “You will agree with me that of late we’ve had grid collapses, resulting in epileptic power supply in most parts of the country. There’s definitely been the need for us to reinvigorate our national grid to sustain and provide electricity to most citizens and communities.”
“One of the lines is the one linking Benin, Osogbo and Akure in Edo, Osun and Ondo states.”
“The grid in that area has been weak for sometime, but with this approval of today’s (yesterday) contracts, we are swinging into action and certainly, very shortly, we would witness improvements.
“Also, the 133 KVA in Akwanga and Lafia in Nasarawa State has been improved to strengthen the line to Abuja. Plateau and Benue states would witness better electricity supply following the strengthening,” he said.
The Nation says that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has stated that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 4.03 per cent in the third quarter of last year.
This is according to a report released by the NBS on Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report (Expenditure and Income Approach) for third and fourth quarter (Q3, Q4 2021) in Abuja yesterday.
In the third quarter of last year, the report said, Nigeria’s real GDP at basic prices grew by 4.03 per cent on a year-on-year basis showing a steady improvement from the economic downturn in 2020.
The NBS said growth improved further in Q4 of 2021 with a positive GDP growth rate of 3.98 per cent.
“The negative quarterly growths in Q2 and Q3 2020 resulted in a recession, which led to a negative annual growth rate of -1.92 per cent for 2020, compared to 2.27 per cent in 2019 on a year-on-year basis.
“Annual growth in 2021 stood at 3.40 per cent, an improvement of 2020. Compared to the third and fourth quarters of 2020, the performance in 2021 indicated an increase of 7.65 per cent points and 3.87 per cent points higher,” NBS said in the report.
The report said Household Consumption Expenditure in Q3 and Q4 2021, grew by 19.36 per cent and 7.30 per cent in real terms, year-on-year.
The newspaper reports that Nigeria and 13 Africa’s largest economies and capital markets have created a unified platform for trading of securities.
The breakthrough promises to enhance free flow of investments across the continent without hitches.
The other countries involved in the first phase of the cross-border trading are: South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Casablanca, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
The Exchanges in the first phase of the cross-border trading include Nigerian Exchange (NGX), Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM)- which serves eight West African countries; Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE), The Egyptian Exchange (EGX), Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM).
Already, four Exchanges – NGX, BRVM, CSE and EGX have been successfully connected to the continental trading terminal live environment as the integration process continues for the other Exchanges.
BRVM is a regional stock exchange serving eight West African countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
The cross-border trading project, known as African Exchanges Linkage Project (AELP), allows investors to access all Africa-listed securities through the AELP Link, as well as all securities that are available for cross-border investors.
GIK/APA