Oke Peter with Agency Report
Disturbed by the epileptic electricity supply and persistent fuel queues across the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, in the week under review, summoned Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, to a meeting at the Presidential Villa on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva, also updated the president on the fuel situation in the country during the week.
NAN observed that the meetings between the president, ministers and other stakeholders had since started yielding fruitful results as fuel queues are easing in some parts of country, while the nation has been witnessing gradual return to normalcy in the power sector.
The president had earlier expressed his concern over frequent power outages, apologising to Nigerians and assuring of prompt solution to the challenges.
Also on March 21, Buhari met with Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo as well as his Chief Economic Adviser, Prof. Doyin Salami.
The president, at the end of the closed door meeting with the Imo governor, approved deployment of additional security personnel to unravel the perpetrators of violence in Imo and ensure peace in the state.
Uzodimma, who confirmed this development to State House correspondents while briefing them on the outcome of his summon to Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the president on Monday, said Buhari had agreed to his request for more security personnel to address the security challenges facing the state.
NAN reports that the governor was summoned following the latest attacks in Imo targeting the home of Prof. George Obiozor, and some police assets.
The Presidency on March 22, advised the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to always promote the virtues of social cohesion and peaceful co-existence rather than instigating anarchy, social upheaval and disorderliness in the society.
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, gave the advice in a statement in Abuja.
Adesina also frowned at the way and manner the PDP had been encouraging some aggrieved citizens to embark on agitation worst than October 2020 EndsSARS protests witnessed in some parts of the country.
According to him, EndSARS signifies murder, mayhem, mass destruction and even cannibalism.
Also on March 22, the president visited Lagos State where he inaugurated Dangote Fertiliser Plant, which has an installed capacity of 3.0 million metric tonnes of Urea per annum.
While in Lagos, Buhari also inaugurated the new Terminal Building of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and inspected the rate of work done at the first Deep Sea Port in Nigeria located in Lagos Free Zone, 65Km east of Lagos.
At the inauguration of the new Terminal Building of the MMIA, Buhari directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to look for special funding for the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He also directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to conclude the documentation of the approved 12,000 hectares of land to accommodate the runway and other developmental projects.
He further tasked the Minister of Aviation to fast-track the airport concession programme to boost aviation practice in the country and make the aviation industry reflect global standards.
NAN reports that barely 24 hours after the inauguration of the MMIA, Lagos, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N92.1 billion for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The meeting of FEC, which was presided by Buhari, also approved over N14 billion to train 50,000 non-graduates of N-power for a period of nine months.
The council also approved the Business, Facilitation and Miscellanceous Provision Bill.
