NEC moves to endorse new fuel price
Confirms 3 cases of Delta COVID-19 variant Urges adherence to protocols at Sallah Senate confirms Sani Adam as INEC Commissioner
The National Economic Council yesterday received and discussed the initial report of its AdHoc Committee interfacing with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on the complete deregulation of the downstream sub-sector of the industry, and appropriate pricing of petrol.
Laolu Akande, the spokesman of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in a statement issued after the meeting, said observations and comments were made and it was resolved that an updated version would be submitted by the committee inclusive of observations raised and an updated report be made to the National Economic
Council for further action.
Akande said the council noted that the Federal Government was working out modalities of providing Autogas conversion kits, and Compressed Natural Gas/ Liquefied Petroleum Gas, mass transit buses to major cities nationwide as cheaper alternatives to PMS/petrol for transportation and fuel.
He said the council received updates on the Federal Government’s Budget Support Facility to states as the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning informed stated that with the agreement reached on the matter with the CBN
The Senate yesterday finally confirmed the nomination of Professor Sani Muhammad Adam (North Central) as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
This followed the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on INEC.
The Senate had, on Tuesday, stepped down the confirmation of Adam’s nomination on providing a bridge financing facility to the states, deductions from state governments would now commence from July.
Akande said the NEC urged state governments to take proactive and necessary mitigative measures in addressing the envisaged 2021 flood disaster in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic while encouraging relevant MDAs to take necessary actions.
Ahead of next week’s Sallah festivities, the council urged strict adherence to the COVID-19 response guidelines across the country, after receiving a regular state the ground that it had not cleared him of a petition against his nomination.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya, said his panel received explanations regarding Adam’s personal life, work experience, suitability, competence and integrity for appointment as National Electoral Commissioner representing the North-Central.
“After a thorough investigation into the petition against the nominee, the performance report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
According to the report, the coronavirus positivity rate has gone up in the country just as 3 cases of the Delta variant have now been detected.
The NEC Ad-hoc Committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 led by Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor, said state governors would continue to monitor the situation for the next one week to see if there would be need for an emergency Adhoc committee meeting on the situation. committee found out that the petition against him was paltry and that the reason for the termination (not dismissal as alleged by the petitioner) was not based on gross misconduct but on the rationalization policy of the federal government.
“The court judgment was based on whether or not his appointment should have been terminated and this has nothing to do with his integrity or moral uprightness”, Gaya said.