Connect with us

News

Osinbajo Lists Buhari’s 57 Achievements In Two Years

Published

on

The Presidency on Saturday released a compiled list of achievements by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the past two years, all amounting to 57.

According to the released by the Vice President’s Office to mark the independence anniversary of Nigeria, security, results of initiatives on growth of economy, war against corruption, release of Chibok girls and more are top in consideration.

Below are the achievements as compliled by the Offie of the Vice President

57 Achievements Of The Buhari-Led Administration

SECURITY & RELATED MATTERS

Release of 106 Chibok girls, as well as over 16,000 persons in Boko Haram captivity.

Tackling insurgency, decimation of Boko Haram in the North East.

Recovering 14 local governments and territories previously under Boko Haram control in the North East, rebuilding lives of citizens there; about one million displaced persons in the NE have returned to their communities in two years of this administration.

Curbing the incidence of kidnap across the country. (Arrest of kidnap kingpins and dismantling of kidnap cells across the country)

Restoring morale of the Nigerian military; re-organizing and better equipping the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Purchase of 12 Super-Tucano aircrafts worth $600 million to aid the Nigerian military’s current operations in the North East.

Ensuring continued peace in the Niger Delta through consistent funding of the FG amnesty programme for ex-militants.

Introduction of an improved mechanism for distribution of aid to IDPs in the North East through the establishment of the Special Intervention Programme of the Federal Government. (Door-to-door strategy)

ECONOMY

Implementing the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to aid economic recovery, taking the country out of her worst recession in 29 years, despite fall in oil prices.

N1.2 trillion expended on capital/infrastructure projects nationwide, a milestone in the nation’s history.

Effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account, and increasing government revenue by over N3 trillion as well as entrenching transparency and accountability.

Implementation of the Bank Verification Number (BVN), thus tackling corruption by plugging loopholes for siphoning of public fund and tracking of illicit funds through multiple accounts

Ease of doing business: the Federal Government signed into law two bills from the National Assembly (Acts are the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 (otherwise known as Collateral Registry Act) and the Credit Reporting Act, 2017) which has facilitated access to more affordable credit for Nigerians, fast tracked budget submissions and promotes Made-in-Nigeria products.

Establishment of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum to enhance interaction and private sector participation in the development of the economy.

Institutionalizing E-governance setting the foundation for the creation of a truly digital economy.

Creation of opportunities for youths to leverage innovation in technology through the introduction of the Aso Villa Demo Day (AVDD) through which over N700 million has been disbursed to young entrepreneurs.

The revitalization of the Made-in-Nigeria campaign. (Emphasis on consumption of local products gain grounds)

Implementing reforms in the civil service which has led to the elimination of over 30,000 ghost workers, thereby saving the country billions of naira monthly.

Massive investments in agriculture, e.g, Anchors Borrowers Programme to improve local produce, improving fertiliser distribution and access across states through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative.

Reduction in rice imports as a result of government’s policies that has encouraged massive rice production across Nigeria.

Improving transport infrastructure (rail and road); construction work ongoing on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, renovation of Abuja International Airport runway, completion of Abuja – Kaduna Railway among others.

Social Investment Programmes (SIP): N-Power Volunteer Scheme creating jobs for over 200,000 (and still counting) unemployed graduates in all the 36 states and the FCT.

SIP: Ongoing Government Enterprise and Empowerment (GEEP) Scheme; commenced in November 2016 in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, where soft loans ranging from N10, 000 to N100, 000 have been given to over 189,000 market women and traders across different states.

SIP: Home Grown School Feeding Programme, where almost three million schoolchildren have been fed, while tens of thousands of cooks have been engaged in their respective states.

SIP: Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme, under which about 25,000 less privileged Nigerians so far are now being funded with the monthly N5,000 stipend in 9 pilot States (Bauchi, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo). More beneficiaries are expected to be added in more states.

The establishment of MSMEs Clinics, a small Business support programme to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in different states.

Establishment of One-Stop-Shops to support policies on Ease of Doing Business.

The take-off of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Phasing out subsidy for petroleum products, elimination of fuel scarcity and queues in petrol stations.

Implementation of the FG Niger Delta new vision, a comprehensive road map to improve livelihood and social infrastructure.

Improved power generation nationwide adding $500million to Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund and about $87million to its excess crude account.

The creation of the N30billion Solid Minerals Development Fund.

Encouraging the patronage of local contents and increasing export in agriculture.

Signing of Executive Order 001 which is the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment – to ensure that public servants offer prompt service in a predictable and transparent manner, and sanction undue delays.
Signing of Executive Order 002 which is on prompt submission of annual budgetary estimates by all statutory and non-statutory agencies of the Federal Government including incorporated companies wholly owned by FG.
Bailout of cash crunch states; about N689 billion to 27 states of the federation to pay salaries in 2015.

Complete refund of Paris loan deductions to states (unprecedented).

Implementing the 2011 UNEP report for the ongoing Ogoni clean-up process after decades of oil spills and pollution.

Modification of the tax system so that it is more efficient.

Reforms in the airports (reconstruction of the Abuja airport runway and ongoing work at the Lagos airport).

Reforms at the nation’s seaports (Issues with cargo clearance at the ports addressed)
Improved duration (under 48 hours) for visa approval especially for investors.

Resuscitation of the nation’s refineries which are now working at 50 percent capacity for the first time in over a decade.

Eleven of the dead 33 fertilizer plants have been resuscitated while four others are to be revived shortly and this has profound impact on the ongoing revolution in the agricultural sector.

For the first time in more than 45 years, the Mambila Power Plant is set to take off with the allocation of $5.6billion for its realization and an expected 3,050 MW output upon completion.

Increasing external reserves to a 13 month high of $33 billion from $29.13 billion which has surpassed the ERGPs target of $30.56 billion despite global low oil prices and production challenges.

tion of the Joint Venture cash calls with oil multinational companies operating in Nigeria (For the first time in the history of the industry) which has led to savings of billions of dollars lost to fictitious contract payments.

Release of N2 billion take off grant for the Maritime University as part of measures to address agitations in the Niger Delta region.

The new development bank of Nigeria (DBN) is finally taking off with initial funding of $1.3billion (provided by the World Bank, German Development Bank, African Development Bank, Agence Francaise De Development) to provide medium and long term loans to MSMEs.

ANTI – GRAFT WAR.

Improving Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation with neighbouring countries in fighting insurgency.

Anti-corruption war: Prosecuting alleged corrupt public officers and recovering billions of naira of stolen public funds; the successful establishment of the whistle-blower policy.

Signing of Executive Order 004 – Voluntary Income Asset Declaration Scheme (VAIDS). This aims to increase tax awareness and compliance, and reduce incidence of tax evasion.

Signing of agreements with a number of nations to provide Automatic Exchange of Information.

Signing of the Extradition Treaty between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates (UAE) toward strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign.
Establishment of PACAC – a think-tank that has provided leadership, direction and also built capacity of personnel in the fight against corruption.

OTHERS

Eradication of polio disease in the country.

The introduction of the One Primary Health Centre per ward programme of the Federal Government.

Comments

News

Customs Surpasses Revenue Target with N5.7 tn Collection

Published

on

By

Comp[t. General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a record revenue collection of N5.7 trillion as of November 12, 2024, surpassing its yearly target by 10 percent.

This was disclosed by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the ongoing 2024 Comptroller-General of Customs Conference in Abuja.

Themed “Nigeria Customs Service: Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose,” the conference showcased the Customs Service’s progress in modernizing its operations and fostering collaborative partnerships.

“Today, I stand before you to demonstrate how our commitments in 2023 have evolved into tangible achievements,” Adeniyi stated.

He attributed the revenue growth to a series of reforms, including the implementation of a one-stop solution for cargo alerts, a revamped ICT infrastructure, streamlined inspection procedures, and enhanced automation.

Adeniyi explained that these changes reflect the agency’s commitment to elevating operational transparency and efficiency.

“We pledged to re-align our free trade operations, elevate cargo integrity standards, and expand our scanning capacities,” he said.

“Above all, we promised to usher in a new era of customs operations—one built on transparency, efficiency, and genuine collaborations with our partners.”

As of Tuesday, November 12, Adeniyi confirmed that the NCS collected N5.07 trillion, achieving the anticipated 10 percent revenue surplus.

“This performance validates our partnership-driven approach to revenue collection and trade facilitation,” he added.

Adeniyi also highlighted recent strides in trade facilitation, revealing that six companies have been selected to benefit from the Authorised Economic Operators programme, which provides fast-tracked customs clearance and other trade facilitation benefits.

Similarly, the NCS has processed 21 requests under an advance ruling programme, designed to expedite customs decisions on import and export cargoes before they reach Nigerian ports.

The Comptroller-General expressed optimism about the NCS’s potential to drive further economic growth, citing the agency’s commitment to fostering partnerships and advancing innovative practices within the customs sector.

 

Continue Reading

News

Half of Shortlisted Directors Fail Federal Permanent Secretary Exam

Published

on

By

 

Nineteen out of the thirty-eight directors who were shortlisted to fill permanent secretary vacancies within the Federal Civil Service have failed the qualifying examination, a memo from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) revealed on Tuesday.

 

The memo, signed by Dr. Emmanuel Meribole on behalf of the examination committee, disclosed that the qualifying exam was conducted on Monday, November 11, 2024.

 

The Federal Government, through the OHCSF, launched the recruitment drive in October to fill permanent secretary vacancies in eight states.

 

Providing insights into the progress, Eno Olotu, Director of Press at OHCSF, stated, “Of the 38 eligible directors who sat for the exam, 19 have passed the first stage and will move on to the second stage, which will assess their competency in using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in government operations on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.”

 

Olotu highlighted the rigorous three-stage selection process, designed to ensure that only the most capable individuals are appointed to these high-ranking civil service roles.

 

This comprehensive approach, according to OHCSF, aims to elevate the quality of leadership across federal ministries.

 

The directors who advance beyond the ICT proficiency test will face a final stage on Friday, November 15, 2024, where a panel of senior government officials and private sector experts will conduct a final evaluation to determine their suitability for the permanent secretary positions.

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading

News

Rep Oseni Rallies Support for Ikogosi Development Projects, Calls for Resilience, Unity

Published

on

By

The Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and representative of Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in Oyo State, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, on Saturday urged the community to unite in advancing key development projects aimed at transforming Ikogosi.

 

Speaking at this year’s Ikogosi Day celebration and the launch of a N1 billion development project in Ekiti, the lawmaker, who served as the Chairman of the occasion, emphasised the importance of unity and collective action.

He encouraged attendees to approach the celebration as a call to action for the betterment of their community.

“As we all know, Ikogosi is not merely a town; it is a treasured gem in the heart of Ekiti State and Nigeria as a whole,” he said. “Ikogosi, a historic and vibrant town, plays a vital role in the tourism and economic landscape of Ekiti State. Its rich cultural heritage and unique resources draw visitors and stimulate economic activities that benefit us all.”

 

“Today is not just a celebration; it is a call to action,” he continued. “Let us come together, united in purpose, to support these transformative projects that promise to uplift the Ikogosi community. I urge everyone here to invest their time, resources, and energy in this endeavor. Together, we can build a legacy of self-help and development that future generations will cherish.”

Reflecting on the broader challenges facing the country, Oseni encouraged the people of Ikogosi and all Nigerians to remain hopeful and resilient, assuring them of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to a brighter future for the nation.

“To the good people of Ikogosi and all citizens of Nigeria, I urge you to remain steadfast and hopeful. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu means well for all Nigerians. The APC-led administration’s Renewed Hope agenda holds the promise of a brighter future. Though the beginnings may be challenging, perseverance will guide us toward a prosperous new Nigeria,” he stated.

 

In a statement released by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker lauded the Ekiti State government under Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s leadership for its transformative efforts in governance and development.

He acknowledged the strides made by the governor and praised his impactful initiatives, which have set Ekiti on a progressive path.

 

“First and foremost, let me commend the Ekiti State government under the leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. The trailblazing development initiatives and effective governance during your tenure have not gone unnoticed,” Oseni remarked.

“Under your stewardship, we have witnessed remarkable progress and commendable governance that have undoubtedly made Ekiti State a shining example of peace and development,” he added.

Continue Reading

Trending