Press zooms in on establishment of Presidential Transition Council ahead of May 29th handover date, others

Published on 10.02.2023 at 11h21 by APA News

The report of the approval for the establishment of a Presidential Transition Council to oversee the 2023 transition programme by President Muhammadu Buhari dominates the headlines of Nigerian newspapers on Friday.The Punch reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of a Presidential Transition Council to oversee the 2023 transition programme.

Buhari also signed Executive Order No.14 of 2023 on the Facilitation and Management of Presidential Transitions.

The PUNCH report that a key feature of the order is the institutionalisation of a legal framework that would enable a seamless transition of power from one presidential administration to another.

In a statement on Thursday, the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary General of the Federation, Willie Bassey, said the SGF, Boss Mustapha, was appointed by the President to lead the council.

The council will be inaugurated by the SGF on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

It was gathered that members of the committee include the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; the Solicitor-General of the Federation; and Permanent Secretaries from ministries of Defence, Interior, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Foreign Affairs, Information and Culture, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

Others include the Cabinet Affairs Office, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Economic and Political Affairs Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and State House.

The newspaper says that the Regional Sales Director, Lagos/Ogun, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr Dolapo Alli, has said that the firm's automobile subsidiary can produce 10,000 trucks annually.

According to him, Dangote Sinotruck West Africa Limited, assembles full range of different types of commercial vehicles covering heavy-duty trucks, medium truck, light truck, semi-trailers, and buses.

He stated this at the ongoing 13th Gateway International Trade fair in Abeokuta. He noted that the automobile subsidiary was participating in the trade fair for the first time.

Alli said, "The company aims to meet the expected increased demand of segments like logistics, constructions, food and beverage industries as the government focuses on boosting the economic development across the country.

"It has capacity to produce 10,000 trucks annually and is creating thousands of jobs both direct and indirect."

According to him, Dangote Group is committed to helping Nigeria attain self-sufficiency in all the economic sectors where it operates.

He explained that the group has been a reliable partner to many trade fairs across the country because it believes that Chambers of Commerce & Industry occupies a unique position in driving economic development through their activities.

He stated that Dangote Industries Ltd considered Ogun State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture to be unique because Ogun state has one of the largest concentration of industries in Nigeria and serve as a corridor for transportation of goods, services, and people.

Alli said, "Gateway International Trade Fair therefore remains an avenue for us to connect with our customers in South-West and other parts of the country.

The Guardian reports that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will begin to mobilise its members, students and civil society allies for appropriate response against current scarcity of naira notes if the situation does not improve by weekend.

President of TUC, Festus Osifo, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking on the unavailability of naira notes and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

Osifo said: "The leadership of TUC shall be monitoring the situation closely within the time frame of our ultimatum and will give further directive, should the situation not improve. All affiliate unions and state councils, civil societies, traders, students our allies, market men and women, religious leaders are, hereby, put on red alert."

Osifo added: "We are interested in government taking steps that will assuage the suffering of the people. We don't want to be seen as taking sides on both views that have been expressed so far.

"There are people that are supporting the new naira and those against it. For the record, TUC is not interested in who is right and who is wrong. All we are interested in is that money and PMS are available."

Also, youths under the auspices of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have announced plan to embark on a nationwide protest over the fuel and naira scarcity.

The protest is scheduled to hold from today to February 24, 2023.

The youths also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and General Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, for alleged gross incompetence.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, NYCN President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, said the action would save the nation from further economic meltdown.

He lamented that drivers of the economy have showcased lack of technical knowhow in handling the economy, adding that the country is heading for economic doom, if nothing is done urgently.

The newspaper says that the Defence Headquarters, yesterday, confirmed killing of 81 terrorists across theatres of operations in the Northeast, North-Central and Northwest in the last two weeks.

Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, made the disclosure at a bi-weekly news conference on operations of the armed forces in Abuja.

He said troops of Operation Hadin Kai, operating in the Northeast, eliminated 56 Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents, arrested 26 and rescued 59 victims within the period.

The DMO explained that the air component also neutralised scores of hoodlums in recent operations conducted at Gogore, a hideout, Damboa, Tumbun Dila, Arege and nearby settlements in the western fringes of Tumbuns in Borno State.

Danmadami added that 340 terrorists and members of their families, comprising 12 adult males, 133 mature females and 195 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre.

He said the military had on January 27 raided a terrorists’ enclave at Yuwe village in Konduga Council of the state and neutralised 17 of them.

The troops, according to him, also recovered one GPMG, 36 hand grenades and 77 rounds of belted 7.62mm NATO ammunition.

The spokesperson said the troops equally on January 30 neutralised three terrorists and rescued 10 victims in an offensive at villages within Bama and Mafa Councils of the Northeast state.

The military, he further said, apprehended four t logistics suppliers at Maina Hari in Biu Council on January 28.

Danmadami went on: "Troops recovered a vehicle conveying 13 jerry cans of automotive gas oil, two mobile phones and sum of N5,000.

"Equally, on same day, troops responded to credible information on presence of terrorist collaborators at Benisheik market in Kaga Council and arrested 13 suspects in a vehicle loaded with food items.

"Troops recovered a vehicle with 20 wraps of cannabis, three cartons of biscuit, six mobile phones, six jack knives and sum of N72, 250.

"Equally, on February 4, troops raided a terrorists’ enclave at Balange Village on the fringes of Sambisa Forest and neutralised five terrorists and rescued 55 civilians.

"Also on February 6, troops responded to intelligence on terrorists’ activities and conducted several artillery fire missions on Tumbun Barebare, Tumbun Mata, Kaye Kura, Kwatan Yobe and Dumba areas in Kukawa Council of Borno State.

"Following the artillery fire mission, feedback received later revealed that about 42 terrorists were confirmed dead as a result of the fire mission."

In the Northwest zone, the DMO said men of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 16 terrorists and apprehended seven in different operations across the zone within the period.

He stated that the troops recovered 12 AK47 rifles, 16 locally made pistols, one FN rifle, 48 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

Others Danmadami listed are 12 rounds of 9mm ammo, 11 cartridges, 27 AK 47 magazines, and 10 motorcycles, among others.

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