11 ‘Awkward Actions’ of Buhari’s Govt Few Days to Handover
The two-term of eight years which President Muhammadu Buhari ‘enjoyed’ as Nigerian leader will soon elapse, in just a matter of days.
However, Mr. President took some certain actions recently that many Nigerians would have wished came, long before now.
As citizens prepare to welcome incoming President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on May 29, here are the top 11 actions the Buhari administration took, as part of bidding Nigerians farewell.
Fresh Loan
President Muhammadu Buhari recently sought the approval of the National Assembly, NASS, for a N819.54bn supplementary budget, which it planned to finance through domestic borrowing.
In a letter to NASS, Buhari explained that the loan will be used to fix some infrastructure destroyed by floods across the country, last year.
Swearing-in of RMAFC’s Commissioners
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday swore in seven federal commissioners of the Revenue, Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
The president performed the brief ceremony before the start of the Valedictory Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The federal commissioners include Senator Ayogu Eze (Enugu State), Peter Opara (Imo State), Hauwa Umar Aliyu (Jigawa State) and Rekiya Haruna (Kebbi State).
The rest are Ismaila Agaka (Kwara State), Kolawole Abimbola (Oyo State) and Ayuba Ngako (Federal Capital Territory).
Legacy Projects’ Inauguration
As the imminent day of leaving Aso Villa approaches, President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja on Tuesday, virtually inaugurated seven legacy projects.
The projects were three bridges, three secretariats and one road project undertaken by his administration.
According to Buhari: “The Ikom Bridge is meant to boost trade in and around the Calabar Port and Free Zone, and facilitate transport connectivity from the South-South, through the North Central to the Northeast.
“The Second Niger Bridge, which has been long in the making, and is certainly now a reality, is a bridge of choice across the River Niger to bring relief to those crossing from the Southeast to the Southwest.
“The Loko-Oweto Bridge, across the River Benue, will provide a shorter connectivity for those traversing from Benue to Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory. It cuts off travel through Lafia and provides connectivity to Keffi and to Abuja”.
Buhari also inaugurated 200 kilometres out of the 365-kilometres Abuja-Kano highway. The president also inaugurated three Federal Secretariats in Anambra, Bayelsa and Zamfara States.
Dabiri-Erewa Returns as NiDCOM Boss
President Muhammadu Buhari recently asked the Senate to confirm Abike Dabiri-Erewa as Chair of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), for a second term in office.
Buhari’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the floor of the upper legislative chamber, on Tuesday.
Dabiri-Erewa is the pioneer Chair of the commission that is domiciled in the federal ministry of foreign affairs.
Inaugurating Customs’ New Headquarters
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday also commissioned the Nigerian Customs’ corporate Headquarters in a ceremony that was well-attended by top government functionaries and members of the diplomatic corps.
The building is a world-class architectural masterpiece that is befitting of the status of the Nigeria Customs Service and a showpiece of the skill, craftsmanship, and ingenuity by the designers and managers of the project.
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The project was conceived in 2002 with the aim of providing a comfortable and conducive working environment for Customs staff and all other authorized visitors to the building. But its construction work started in 2007.
Ministers Remain Despite Valedictory FEC
Another awkward moment in this transition period came on Wednesday when President Muhammadu Buhari asked members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to continue working as Ministers, insisting that their tenure has not elapsed.
This was despite holding the valedictory FEC meeting.
Minister of Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this on behalf of the President said: “The news that the FEC has been dissolved is not correct. We’ve been directed by the President that we should all go back and return to our offices. So it is not true that the FEC has been dissolved, it is still very much alive”.
New Accountant General Emerges
President Muhammadu Buhari, a few days, also approved the appointment of Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein as the substantive Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).
This was contained in a circular by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esin.
Yemi-Esan said that the appointment took effect from Thursday, May 18, 2023.
Ms. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein hails from Iperu Remo in Ikenne LGA of Ogun State, and was born on the 7th of March, 1965.
A 50 Years Economic Plan
As President Muhammadu Buhari prepares to hand over the mantle of leadership to a new captain, he still does not want to stop the launching of ‘vision agenda’ for Africa’s most populous nation.
He recently unveiled the ‘Nigeria Agenda 2050’ which according to him, is aimed at increasing the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth by seven per cent, while also creating 165 million new jobs for the country’s teeming youth population.
Abuja and Kano Airports Concessioned
They may not be the only international airports in the country, but the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, have been concessioned by the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A statement by the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, James Odaudu, said the concessioning of the two airports came after the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
According to him, the consortium comprises the Corporation American Airports, Mota Engil Africa, and Mota Engil Nigeria and that the Corporation American Airport Consortium would make upfront payments of $7 million for NAIA and $1.5 million for MAKIA.
He said during the concession period, total projected nominal revenues accruable from the combined concession of NAIA and MAKIA would exceed $4 billion. He said that over 70 per cent of these projected revenues will be payable to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
That N21bn State House Medical Centre
With the end of his administration coming to a full stop as Nigerian leader, President Muhammadu Buhari has been putting finishing touches to his stewardship by commissioning projects.
One of such project is the N21bn presidential wing of the State House Medical Centre commissioned on Friday, May 19, 2023, in Abuja.
The facility is said to house several specialized departments, and state of the art equipment which, hopefully, will end medical tourism by subsequent Presidents and his cabinet.
*$556M, £98M, N226B for ‘Judgment Debt’ Payments*
And on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari, called upon the Senate to grant approval for the payment of a substantial ‘judgment debt’.
The requested amount totals $566,754,584.31, £98,526,012.00, and N226 billion owed by the Federal Government. Buhari proposes the issuance of promissory notes as a means of settling this debt.
The formal request from the President was presented during a plenary session, with Senate President Ahmad Lawan, reading the letter to the Senate.
