Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Sunday for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who disclosed this in a statement, on Saturday, said the summit will focus on the prevailing situation in the Middle East.

The Summit is expected to commence on Monday, November 11, 2024.

According to Onanuga, the summit is being held at the invitation of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and follows last year’s summit in the same Saudi city.

He said, “During the summit, President Tinubu is expected to address the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict, emphasising Nigeria’s strong call for an immediate ceasefire and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution.

“Nigeria will also advocate for renewed efforts to revive the two-state solution as a pathway to lasting peace in the region.

Key officials including the minister of foreign affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, will accompany the President.

“Other members of the entourage are the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Mohammed Mohammed.”

The Presidential Spokesman said after the conclusion of the summit, President Tinubu will return to Abuja.

Following the outrage that trailed the arrest and arraignment of minors over the #EndBadGovernance protests held in several parts of the country in August, President Bola Tinubu on Monday directed the immediate release of all the children.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Monday after the President swore in seven newly appointed ministers cleared by the Senate.

The minister said the President ordered the immediate release of the minors without prejudice to whatever legal processes that are ongoing.

The President also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to immediately see to the welfare of those minors, and also take part to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country.

Tinubu also directed that a committee would be set up to be spearheaded by the humanitarian affairs ministry to look at all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, treatment, and finally, the release of the minors.

President Bola Tinubu has sworn in seven newly-appointed ministers at the Council Chambers, Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Those sworn in include Nentawe Yilwatda as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi as the Minister of Labour & Employment; Bianca Odinaka Odumegwu-Ojukwu as the Minister of State Foreign Affairs.

Others are Jumoke Oduwole (Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (Trade and Investment), Idi Mukhtar Maiha (Minister of Livestock Development), Yusuf Abdullahi Ata (Minister of State, Housing, and Urban Development), and Suwaiba Said Ahmad as the Minister of State Education.

In his address to the ministers, Tinubu asked them not to shy away from responsibilities.

“Nigeria’s head is above the waters. This ship will not sink. We will not run away from our responsibilities,” he said.

“I am proud to lead you and we will lead you to success and prosperity… We have taken the bull by the horns. We have stopped the scavengers and profiteers…”

Angry youth in Northern Nigeria has pulled down the campaign billboard for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu by 2027.

The youth were seen a viral video on social media destroying the billboard, there actions however is largely related to the current hardship facing Nigerians.

Watch video below:

The administration of President Bola Tinubu has again increased the pump price of petrol.

The increase, which was made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), now mean residents in Lagos will pay N1,025 per litre, while those in Abuja will pay N1,060 per litre.

This development comes after petrol prices were previously set at N1,030 in Abuja and N998 in Lagos at NNPCL stations in October, with other stations charging between N1,150 and N1,200 per litre.

As of Tuesday morning, NNPCL stations in Lagos and Abuja displayed the updated prices.

Since President Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023, and announced the end of the fuel subsidy, petrol prices have skyrocketed from N145 to over N1,000.

Adegboyega Fasasi, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Bola Tinubu, has refused to leave the Aso Rock Villa despite being redeployed by the Department of State Services (DSS) Director General, Tosin Ajayi, since October 20.

Sources within the Presidency revealed that Fasasi has the backing of influential people and state governors who allegedly paid him to ensure regular access to Tinubu.

However, other officials in the Villa accuse Fasasi of receiving bribes to control access to the President.

Fasasi was replaced by Rasheed Atanda Lawal, a deputy director of the SSS, who is currently enrolled in a fellowship course at the National Institute for Security Studies.

“There is a lot of pressure by governors and influential people from whom he has collected money to keep him, saying that he has to be there. We can confirm from Villa that the CSO refused to leave,” Sahara Reporters quoted one of the sources as saying.

“He’s accused of shaking down people to visit Tinubu. The logic of those supporting his stay is weird. They claim that if he leaves, they will have to bribe the new person afresh to have access to Tinubu,” the source further revealed.

“Some powerful people are backing Fasasi and are negotiating to let him leave in December,” another source corroborated.

Leading reporters reports that President Tinubu approved Fasasi’s removal, citing the need for him to attend a “strategic course”, which is a common pretext for replacing top security officials close to the president.

Lawal was reportedly due for promotion to Director in July 2023. However, his advancement was delayed by the former administration, allegedly because he was not favoured by the previous Director General.

In March 2019 a similar scenario happened when the then-President Muhammadu Buhari approved the redeployment of his Chief Security Officer, Bashir Abubakar, replacing him with Idris Ahmed.

It is reported that the Director General of the SSS at the time, Yusuf Bichi, convinced the president that Mr. Bashir should attend a “strategic course” at a university in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which led to his replacement.

The Federal Government has proposed a 50% tax cut for companies that increase wages or provide transportation subsidies to low-income employees.

This incentive, detailed in a bill from the National Assembly, aims to reform Nigeria’s tax system and support lower-income earners amid rising costs.

According to the bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal Certain Acts on Taxation and Consolidate the Legal Frameworks relating to Taxation and Enact the Nigeria Tax Act,” companies that raise salaries to a monthly gross of N100,000 or less or offer transportation allowances will qualify for the deduction.

“A company shall be entitled to an additional deduction of 50 per cent in the relevant years of assessment in respect of costs incurred in 2023 and 2024,” the bill states.

However, this relief is limited to workers earning N100,000 or below. Additionally, companies that expand their workforce with new hires in 2023 or 2024, leading to a net employment increase, will also qualify, provided the new hires remain employed for at least three years.

The Federal Government is also introducing an Economic Development Incentive Certificate, which offers tax benefits to firms investing in capital projects.

Companies must apply for this certificate through the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). Applications are subject to a 0.1% fee on capital expenditures, capped at N5 million.

Applications approved by the NIPC will be recommended to the Minister and potentially forwarded to the President for final approval.

This bill underscores the government’s commitment to fostering economic growth through job creation and workforce support initiatives.

President Bola Tinubu has restricted Ministers, Ministers of State, and Heads of Agencies of the Federal Government to a maximum of three vehicles in their official convoys.

No additional vehicles will be assigned to them for movement.

The cost-cutting measure was announced today in a statement signed by the President.

In January this year, President Tinubu took significant steps to reduce government expenditure, by reducing his entourage on foreign trips from 50 to 20 officials. For local trips, he reduced it to 25 officials.

He similarly reduced the Vice President’s entourage to five officials on foreign trips and 15 for local trips.

In the directive issued today, President Tinubu also ordered all ministers, ministers of state, and heads of agencies to have at most five security personnel attached to them.

The security team will comprise four police officers and one Department of State Services (DSS) officer.

No additional security personnel will be assigned, he ordered.

President Tinubu instructed the National Security Adviser to engage with the Military, Paramilitary and Security Agencies to determine a suitable reduction in their vehicle and security personnel deployment.

All affected officials are expected to comply with these new measures immediately, underscoring the urgency and seriousness of these changes.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

October 24, 2024