Hope Uzodimma, Imo state Governor

By Chidi Opara

Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo said his government would raise the states monthly internally generated revenue (IGR) to N5 billion in the next few years.

Uzodinma, who made the promise at the maiden stakeholders forum held on Friday in Owerri to mark Democracy Day said the state currently generates N1.2 billion monthly.

He also approved the payment of the new minimum wage for Imo workers with effect from July.

The governor said that he met an internal monthly revenue of N600 million when he came on board but had so far moved it to N1.2 billion.

He said his government had worked out the framework to achieve the new monthly target without increasing taxes or introducing new ones.

According to him, a combination of creative interventions and prudent warehousing of government receipts and inflows will do the magic.

Uzodinma said his government had abolished all forms of consultancy so that every kobo belonging to the state would go straight into the IGR coffers without passing through a middle man christened consultant.

I can also proudly announce that we have managed to save an average of N2 billion every month from this exercise.

We have plugged leakages in the civil service, public service and the pension payrolls.

This will increase as the months go by and heads of various ministries, departments and agencies imbibe the new culture of transparency and probity.

We have also established a digital template, which ensures that all payments, into and out of government coffers must be automated.

This is to ensure proper accountability, he said.

Uzodinma said that his government had equally taken proactive measures to safeguard the health of Imo people in the face of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic.

We have taken immediate steps to prevent and control the spread of the virus in the state.

We provided 30 ambulances, one for each Local Government Area and three for the state capital.

We also provided six well-equipped isolation and treatment centres.

Each of the ambulances is connected to the call centre so that any emergency development reported to the call centre is handled with dispatch.

He noted that the government has not relented in carrying out aggressive public awareness campaigns on safety protocols for COVID-19.

We have used all available medium; electronic, print and social media to carry the message of safety measures to the people.

It is to the glory of God that Imo is one of the states with the lowest COVID-19 incidents, he said.

On democracy, Uzodinma said that May 29 marked the end to impunity but a triumph of the rule of law.

I believe that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves commendation for his courage and foresight in rightly legalising June 12 as the official democracy day celebration for the country.

Without the travails and struggles of June 12, the final retreat of the military to the barracks on May 29, would have been actualised.

June 12 is your day! It is the day of Nigerian voter; it is the day that assures us that no force on earth, nor intensity of capricious manipulation can trample the collective will of the people, Uzodimma said.

He added that democracy was so important, as it was the only system of government that guarantees accountability.

Democracy without accountability and transparency is worthless. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov.Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

By Deji Abdulwahab

The screening committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified Gov. Godwin Obaseki and two other aspirants, Mr Matthew Iduoriyekemwe and Mr Chris Ogiemwonyi, from participating in the June 22 Edo governorship primaries.

The seven-member screening committee, headed by Prof. Jonathan Ayuba, also cleared three aspirants: Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Hon. Osaro Obaze and Dr Pius Odubu to contest the primaries.

Ayuba said this on Friday, while presenting the committees report to the partys National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

He described the methodology used in screening the aspirants as evidence-based.

The methodology we used is clear. It was evidence-based. All we did was an interaction.

We screened six aspirants, three were eligible to contest and three were deemed ineligible to participate, the committee chairman said.

He said that the committee disqualified Obaseki due to what he called the defect in his Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Ayuba added that Obasekis name, written in his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, was issued in error by the NYSC authority.

Though, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, in his nomination form claimed to have obtained a Higher School Certificate (HSC) from an Institute of Continuing Education, Benin, it was observed, however, that no educational certificate such as HSC is known in Nigerian educational system.

Even then, the same HSC was never presented in the course of the screening exercise. The aspirant admitted that he has never collected it.

The attestation from the Institute of Continuing Education, Benin, from where the alleged HSC, which was indicated in the field of attendance, is of no consequence.

According to him, it only attests that Obaseki was a student of the institute.

So what we had was like an attendance; it was not a result.

Although, the committee received a petition on his University of Ibadan Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Classics certificate, which he submitted to INEC in 2016, when he first contested as governor, it, on further probing, was presented with original certificate, issued by the university and the original was sighted.

On the NYSC certificate, dated 6th August, 1980, the committee observed that he bears the name Obasek Godwin.

While this may be an error on the part of the issuing authority, we observed, however, that the aspirant has not taken any step to have the anomaly corrected by the issuing authority.

In our interaction with the issues raised, we concluded that HSC was defective and the NYSC certificate, and based on the partys constitution, this has made us to recommend that the above candidate, Obaseki, is not eligible to participate in the election, he said.

Ayuba also said that the names on all the certificates presented by another aspirant, Ogiemwonyi, were in contradiction with one another.

Also the sworn declaration of aged, deposed to by one Capt. Steven on 3rd June, 2016, bore two conflicting names of the aspirant.

There is discrepancy in all the certificates presented and also the difference in the names contained in the sworn affidavit of June 2016.

Having regards to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, APC constitution and the partys guidelines for the nomination of candidates and the reliance on the cases that have been settled by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, it is the considered view of the committee that this aspirant does not meet the requirement to participate in the APC primary.

In view of the findings of the committee above, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi is not cleared, he said.

He, however, said that the committee, after screening and the verification of Mr Osaro Obazes documents, found him eligible to contest the primary.

Based on the committees observation above, the candidate is cleared, Ayuba said.

Responding, Oshiomhole, who said that the outcome of the committee was subject to appeal, urged any aspirant, who disagreed with the committees report, to present his appeal or disagreement to the partys appeal panel. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Godwin Obaseki

By Kevin Okunzuwa

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, says he will not appeal his disqualification by the Governorship Primary Screening Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Obaseki, who said this in a statement issued by Mr Crusoe Osagie, hisSpecial Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, however, described the action as a mockery of the democratic process.

According to the statement: We have watched the mockery of democratic process, which Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is administering and superintending over in our great party the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It has been an unfortunate, disheartening and dreadful spectacle.

We had initially asserted that going by the open display and enthronement of illegality by one man in the party that comprises several organs and eminent personalities, there is no way that Gov. Godwin Obaseki would get a fair assessment in the run up to the nomination of candidates to fly the flag of the party in the forthcoming Edo gubernatorial election.

It said that it was unfortunate that this open show of shame, illegality and travesty of justice was the brand of democracy which Oshiomhole had reduced the APC into.

The situation is quite saddening because this is a party supposedly reputed for change, equity and social justice.

We have, therefore, decided that it would be effort in futility to appeal whatever the unjust outcome of the evaluation and screening process of the APC will be.

(This is) especially when Comrade Oshiomhole has declared that he is the Supreme Court and ultimate determiner of the fate and future of our great party.

We wish Oshiomhole luck in his maladministration of the party and trust that the Almighty will help our country to find the path to true liberty, freedom and justice.

We call on all party members and the teeming supporters of Gov. Obaseki to remain calm and await further directives, the statement added.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Mr Solomon Adodo, President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)

By Emmanuel Afonne

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has said that its permanent national secretariat would be ready in 18 months .

National President of NYCN, Mr Solomon Adodo, said this in Abuja on Friday at the inauguration of its national office, a rented apartment located near the popular Area 1 Shopping Complex.

Adodo said the council decided to occupy a rented apartment for now to have a place of convergence where issues concerning youth development would be deliberated upon pending the completion of its national secretariat.

He said the building, a five-storey structure to be known as the Nigeria Youth House, when completed, would be a multipurpose edifice with modern facilities.

This development was achieved because of the peace we now have among our members; the NYCN is now a one united body with no more faction and this youth house is a testament to that.

We have never had a structure like this since the history of the national youth council of Nigeria; this is just the beginning of great things to come.

We will soon invite you to the formal commissioning of the Nigeria youth house owned by the National Youth Council of Nigeria.

The prototype design is there and it will be completed in 18 months; it is a five-storey building and with a lot of facilities.

We are going to trigger flashpoint of development everywhere in the nation.

We will begin a step at a time and concentrate on the six geopolitical zones, and God willing, before the end of our tenure, we must have gone if not the whole 36 states, at least half the number, Adodo said.

According to Adodo, the unveiling of the NYCN office on June 12, is deliberate to highlight the importance of the youth in the development of the nation.

From L-R: Mr Steven Eriba, National Publicity Secretary; Malam Suleiman Musa, National Secretariat; Mr Solomon Adodo, President; Mr Adamu Matazu, Deputy National President; Mrs Transformer Eucharia, Stakeholder and Mr Emmanuel Odumosu, Vice President, South West, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)

He said that June 12, was symbolic as it reminded Nigerian youth of the need to join hands and struggle for the liberation of the country in spite of the storm and despair.

Today is a symbolic day in the life of our country because we are all aware that the election adjudged to be the fairest and freest in the history of our nation held on June 12, 1993, never saw the light of the day.

All hope is not lost in the midst of storm and despair; we can put ourselves together, assemble our potential and channel them into productivity.

NYCN has always maintained that Nigerian youth have energies, and where we channel our energies determines the outcome.
We cannot channel our energies to destructive purposes like terrorism, armed robbery, kidnapping, cyber crimes and so on.

We hope to assist the government at all levels in driving Nigeria to the frontline of development in the comity of nations.

This will ensure rapid economic growth by bringing the potential of our youth to assist the president and state governors build a new Nigeria, Adodo added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

FG evacuates 102 Nigerians from Egypt, expects 260 from India Saturday

By Lizzy Okoji

The Federal Government on Friday successfully evacuated 102 Nigerians from Egypt while 260 others are expected to arrive Nigeria from India on Saturday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama disclosed this via his verified twitter handle @GeoffreyOnyeama on Friday.

102 Nigerians arrived from Egypt and 260 are expected tomorrow morning from India.

@flyairpeace is bringing in the passengers from India and @EgyptAir brought the ones from Egypt.

Ms Sarah Sanda, Special Assistant, Media, to Onyeama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that the evacuation was done following the new protocols.

She said that the returnees who arrived via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja are already self isolating and would undergo the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing within 72 hours.

Sanda said that the same procedures would be followed by the expected returnees from India on Saturday after which they would go into the 14-day self isolation.

According to her, the Air Peace carrier from India is expected to land in Abuja after which it will proceed to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos where the rest returnees will disembark. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan

By Naomi Sharang

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the Senate would focus on how to keep Nigerias economy from going into recession.

Lawan made the pledge in his message on the 1st anniversary briefing of the 9th Senate during plenary.

The 10th of June, 2020, marked our one year anniversary. So, today (Thursday) is the beginning of a new year for us in the 9th Senate. We have every reason to thank the Almighty God for His blessings, he said.

According to him, in the next one year, we should focus on how to keep our economy from going into recession.

This entails working together with the executive arm of government to implement the Economic Sustainability Plan of the Federal Government.

We have to ensure that the economy remains afloat, provides for our citizens sustainable means of livelihoods.

Our business concerns need intervention to keep them viable in order to protect jobs.

We need to ensure that the various fiscal and monetary interventions provided in the revised 2020 budget, and particularly, the economic sustainability plan component are implemented fully.

Our priorities should continue to be on growth-enhancing, pro-poor expenditures and social sector investments, he said.

The president of the Senate noted that the red chamber in the period under review passed a total of 450 Bills.

Some of these Bills have already been signed into law and the remaining are in different stages of legislative processing.

The Senate has passed the request of the executive on the Revised Budget 2020. The review of the Budget 2020 is largely due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic on our revenues.

As an oil dependent economy, the slump in the price of crude oil in the world market means that the revenues we earn cannot meet the planned expenditure, he said.

He further said that the Senate had approved foreign loans of about 28 billion dollars for government in the last one year in order to support and enable it raise the necessary funds for national development.

Meanwhile, the Senate has adjourned sitting to Tuesday, June 23.

Source: NAN News

Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige says President Muhammadu Buhari reforms in infrastructure have yielded no fewer than one million jobs.

Ngige said this in his Democracy Day message to Nigerians issued by his media aide, Emma Nzomiwu on Thursday in Enugu.

He said that such successes recorded in job creation as a result of infrastructural development were fallout of the Executive Order 5 which the president signed in 2018.

The minister said that the order was meant to improve local content in public procurement with science, technology and engineering components to create jobs for millions of unemployed Nigerians.

He expressed satisfaction that Nigerians had begun to see the results of some of the policies of the Federal Government.

Ngige urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the 2020 Democracy Day to reflect on ways to create greater bond of unity and contribute in the growth of the country.

He appealed to Nigerians to see the 2020 celebration as a period to look at the journey so far, identify successes and shortcomings and chart the way forward.

The minister congratulated Buhari and all Nigerians for their efforts toward the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria after 21 years of experiment.

It is a thing of joy for me that democracy continues to thrive in Nigeria in spite of all odds, including the socio-economic and political challenges we face as a country.

However, we should appreciate the fact that democracy which has been globally adjudged the best system of government is not an end in itself.

It is a means to get to our destination, vis-a-vis national development, he said.

Ngige said that it was gratifying to know that the country was not looking back after 21 years of democratic experience.

He applauded Buhari for the successes recorded so far, particularly the enhancement of living standards of Nigerian workers through the increase in the Nation Minimum Wage.

According to him, the development of critical infrastructure, such as electricity, rail, roads and air transportation are some of the sectors the Federal Government recorded tremendous successes.

Ngige said government had also made huge investments in agriculture, resulting in the country becoming self sufficient in rice, sorghum, millet, maize and cotton production among others.

We now produce what we eat as the government introduced import restrictions in order to encourage local industries.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its part is providing local manufacturers with loans and other incentives to encourage them, he said.

Ngige praised the commitment of the president to the crusade against corruption which he said had earned him plaudits from the African Union (AU) and other members of the international community.

Source: NAN News

World Athletics, the athletics global governing body, has published a set of health and safety guidelines to assist competition organisers.

The aim is to minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus when staging in-stadium outdoor events during the current pandemic.

A statement on the bodys website read that the guidelines were drafted by World Athletics Health and Science Department.

The guidelines also addressed the post-peak period, as described by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and are based on scientific and medical knowledge of the virus responsible for COVID-19.

The document offers guidance for professional athletes, support staff, technical officials, workforce, volunteers, medical staff and media.

Although it does not include guidelines regarding spectators, the WHO has produced a document and risk-assessment tools for mass gatherings.

Competition organisers are advised to undertake a four-point risk assessment for all accredited attendants.

If an individual scores two or higher, it is recommended that they should undergo a medical clearance protocol before the event, the statement read.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the guidelines were for pre-event, at the stadium, during and after competitions.

Source: NAN News

The Executive Board of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has approved a 24-hour change in start date for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

A statement on the CGF website indicated that the Games would now hold from July 28, 2022 to Aug. 8, 2022.

The announcement was made by both the CGF and the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, and it has come after a significant negative impact on the international sports calendar by COVID-19.

This slight adjustment to the schedule is the result of multiple collaborative discussions between the leaders of some of the worlds major sports events.

It ensures that Birmingham 2022 will now boast two full weekends of Commonwealth Sports while extending the rest and recovery period for those athletes competing in the World Athletics Championships.

The alteration to the opening ceremony date also avoids a potential clash with the semi-finals of the recently-rescheduled UEFA Womens Football Championships, helping to protect and promote the profile of womens sports.

The UEFA Womens Football Championships will further enhance the ever-growing popularity of womens football, while Birmingham 2022 is expected to be the first major multi-sports event in history to have more womens medal events than mens events, the statement read.

It added that the global health pandemic had caused many major sports competitions to be cancelled or postponed.

This includes both the World Athletics Championships, scheduled for Oregon in the U.S., and the UEFA Womens Football Championships, billed for England.

Both events have now moved by 12 months from 2021 and will take place in July 2022.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the World Athletics Championships, the UEFA Womens Football Championships, and the multi-sports European Championships will now all be held over an exciting six-week period during the Summer of 2022, the statement added

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

1.The 2020 celebration of Democracy Day marks 21 years of uninterrupted civil administration in our dear country. This day provides us an opportunity to reflect on our journey as a nation, our achievements and struggles.

2.It is a day to honour our founding fathers who toiled to establish our republic and every Nigerian who has worked tirelessly to sustain it.

3.We are celebrating this years Democracy Day despite the COVID-19 pandemic which afflicts our nation and the whole world.

4.It is indeed a very difficult time for everyone especially those who have lost loved ones to the virus and those whose sources of livelihood have been severely constrained by the stringent measures we introduced at every level of government to contain the virus and save lives.

5.The dedication of our health and other essential services staff towards containing this virus is a testament of our courage and resilience as a people and as a great nation, and I use this opportunity to say thank you to all of you for your service to the nation.

6.Sustaining our democracy thus far has been a collective struggle, and I congratulate all Nigerians and particularly leaders of our democratic institutions on their resilience and determination to ensure that Nigeria remains a shining example of democracy.

7.In my 2019 Democracy Day address, I promised to frontally address the nations daunting challenges, especially insecurity, economy and corruption. I therefore find it necessary to give an account of my stewardship on this day.

8.We have recorded notable achievements in the course of implementing our nine priority objectives and are establishing a solid foundation for future success.

9.On the economic front, our objectives have remained to stabilize the macroeconomy, achieve agricultural and food security, ensure energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products, develop infrastructure, fight corruption and improve governance.

10.We have witnessed eleven quarters of consecutive GDP growth since exiting recession. The GDP grew from 1.91% in 2018 to 2.27% in 2019 but declined to 1.87% in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the decline in global economic activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

11.Every single economy in the world has suffered a decline. Ours has been relatively moderate.

12.In order to stabilize the economy, the Monetary Authority took steps to build the external reserves which resulted in improved liquidity in the foreign exchange market. The external reserves grew from .42 billion on April 292020 to about .00 billion in May, 2020 which is enough to finance seven months of import commitments.

13.Agriculture remains the key to our economic diversification strategy. The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative programme continues to deliver significant quantities of affordable and high-quality fertilizers to our farmers. This initiative has also revived 31 blending plants and created a significant number of direct and indirect jobs across the value chain.

14.Government is also revamping the cotton, textile and garment sector via a CBN Textile Revival Intervention Fund that would considerably reduce foreign exchange spent on cotton and other textile imports.

15.Through the food security initiative, we are promoting and . I am also delighted that more and more Nigerians are taking advantage of the opportunities in the agriculture and agri-business sector. I assure you that government will continue to support the Agriculture sector through the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme and similar schemes.

16.To protect our farming investments, we have deployed 5,000 Agro-Rangers and employed 30,289 in our para-military agencies.

17.We are also integrating rural communities to the formal economy by extending access to credit and inputs to rural farmers and building feeder roads.

18.Our efforts on growing non-oil exports have started to yield some results. For instance, in the past year, our revenue from Cocoa and Sesame Seed increased by .4 million and million.

19.Africa presents a huge opportunity for our export base diversification and we are developing our strategy to grow intra-Africa trade through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

20.Nigeria has risen by 25 places on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business ranking from 146to 131and is now rated as one of the top ten reforming countries.

21.This development is due to the Visa on Arrival policy, consistent promotion of initiatives that expand facilities available to Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, robust electronic registration and payment system, seamless processing of business registration and reduction of cost of registering business by 50%.We are confident that on-going efforts would result in further improvement of this rating.

22.We remain committed to expanding our mining sector. To this end, I have directed the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant based on Government-to-Government financing and a Public-Private Sector financing.

23.With foreign and domestic investments and the participation of Small Scale Miners, we are harnessing the supply value chain in gold production.

24.We would also be launching a fully digitized mineral rights management platform for quick processing of mineral rights application, digitization of records and plugging revenue leakages.

25.The Power Sector remains very critical to meeting our industrial development aspirations and we are tackling the challenges that still exist in the delivery of power through different strategies.

26.We are executing some critical projects through the Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme including the:

• Alaoji to Onitsha, Delta Power Station to Benin and Kaduna to Kano;

• 330kv DC 62km line between Birnin Kebbi and Kamba;

• Lagos/Ogun Transmission Infrastructure Project;

• Abuja Transmission Ring Scheme; and

• Northern Corridor Transmission Project.

27.Our agreement with Siemens will transmit and distribute a total of 11,000 Megawatts by 2023, to serve our electricity needs.

28.On transportation, another critical sector to improving our economic competitiveness, we are growing the stock and quality of our road, rail, air and water transport infrastructure.

29.Through the SUKUK-Funded Road Projects, a total of 412km of the targeted 643km road projects have been completed, representing 64%.

30.The Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund projects are also progressing very well. On the 2Niger Bridge, piling work has been completed and the approach roads are being constructed. 48% of work on this bridge has been achieved. We have constructed 102km of the 376km Abuja Kaduna Kano Road, representing 38%, and the 42.9km Obajana Kabba Road is 87.03% complete.

31.Furthermore, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency has completed routine maintenance on over 4,000km of federal roads out of the 5,000km targeted.

32.We are extending and upgrading our railway network too. We are introducing more locomotives, coaches and wagons for the Abuja-Kaduna Rail Line. The Central Ajaokuta Itakpe Warri Line has been completed and is being extended from Itakpe to Abuja on one end and from Warri Town to Warri Port on the other.

33.The Lagos-Ibadan Rail Line is 90% completed and would be extended to the Lagos Port which would help address the long-standing grid-lock at the Apapa port.

34.The Kano Maradi Single Track Standard Gauge Railway, Coastal Railway Project and Port Harcourt Maiduguri Standard Gauge Railway, with its associated branch lines running through the South Eastern and Gombe States, industrial park and Bonny Deep Sea Port are all ready for concessioning.

35.Government continues to make investments in the Aviation sector to position it as a travel and trade hub in West Africa and the wider African continent.

36.Airport Terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt are being expanded, while the rehabilitation of the Enugu Airport is almost completed. All our airports are being raised to international standards with the provision of necessary equipment, especially navigational aids, to guarantee world class safety standards.

37.For the first time in over ten years, Nigeria is conducting bidding process for 57 Marginal Oil Fields to increase revenue and increase the participation of Nigerian companies in oil and exploration and production business.

38.We continue to grow local content in other areas of the oil and gas sector with the disbursement of funds from the million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to indigenous manufacturers and service providers.

39.With sustained engagement of youths, opinion leaders and other stakeholders, we have restored peace in the Niger Delta Region and maintained our oil production levels.

40.The Head office of the Niger Delta Development Commission will be commissioned shortly. The Funding of sections IIV of the East-West Road shall be pursued with a view to completing the project by the end of 2021.

41.Furthermore, I am determined to ensure that development meant for the people of the Niger Delta get to them so I have authorised a Forensic Audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

42.Digital Economy continues to play an important role in our development agenda as we move into the age of Artificial Intelligence.

43.Since the creation of the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy has been launched. Steps have been taken to achieve a reduction of connectivity cluster gaps from 207 to 114 as well as increase the level of 4G coverage by 30%.

44.Nigeria remains committed to expanding access to quality education to enhance the productivity of its citizens and would continue to pursue the enforcement of free and compulsory basic education for the first 9 years of schooling.

45.In pursuit of this, we have launched the Better Education Service Delivery for All in 17 states, established additional 6 Federal Science and Technical Colleges and currently executing a pro-active Teacher Training Plan with all states of the Federation.

46.In our revision of the operations of specialized education funds and to implement reforms that would optimize their benefits to the sector, we have adopted a Public-Private Sector Partnership for provision of infrastructure and also collaborate with the private sector to create jobs.

47.Our pursuit of affordable housing for the low and middle-income earners has received a boost with the delivery of 1,200 housing units, provision of 520 service plots with infrastructure through a Public Private Sector partnership and the issuance of 868 mortgages totaling N7.7 Billion. Similarly, Home Renovation Loans totaling N16.2 Billion have been granted to 19,210 people.

48.Toenable sustainable access to safe and sufficient water to meet the social, cultural, environmental and economic development needs of all Nigerians, we continue to expand our water supply, irrigation and dam facilities.

49.TheCompletion of Amauzari, Amla Otukpo and other 42 Earth Dams with combined job creation of about 43,354 direct jobs and 71,172 indirect jobs, would provide more support for irrigation agriculture and water supply.

50.To further institutionalize our effort in this regard, I signed the Executive Order 009 on Ending Open Defecation in Nigeria.

51.In order to improve our forest cover and in fulfilment of my commitment at the74Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, we have commenced the planting of 25 million trees. This initiative will also contribute to our effort to mitigate the effect of climate change.

52.In the area of security, we remain unshaken in our resolve to protect our national infrastructure including on-shore and off-shore oil installations, secure our territorial waters and end piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

53.Ending insurgency, banditry and other forms of criminality across the nation is being accorded appropriate priorities and the men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded such threats across all geo-political zones.

54.All the Local Governments that were taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.

55.The total collapse of the economies of these areas, which constituted a threat to our food security, has also been reversed with the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.

56.Irecent sporadic incidents with tragic loss of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions. Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice.

57.I must implore state and local governments to revamp their intelligence assets so that the Security Agencies can nip in the bud any planned attacks in remote rural areas. I send my heartfelt condolences to all the relatives and communities affected.

58.As part of the strengthening of our internal security architecture, the Ministry of Police Affairs was created.

59.Amongst others, Government has expanded the National Command and Control Centre to nineteen states of the federation, resuscitated the National Public Security Communication System and commenced the implementation of the Community Policing Strategy.

60.Government has similarly established a Nigerian Police Trust Fund as a public-private sector vehicle for alternative sources of funding security activities.

61.To reduce security challenges through our external borders especially smuggling of oil products out of the country, inflow of small arms and drugs into the country and equally protect our local manufacturers, we introduced operation Ex-Swift Response closing our borders from August 20th 2019, and have considerably succeeded in meeting its objectives as well as improving our national revenue.

62.Our Government has continued to work to reduce social and economic inequality through targeted social investment programmes, education, technology and improved information.

63.Our Social Investment Programme has continued to be a model to other nations and has engaged 549,500 N-Power beneficiaries, 408,682 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and 2,238,334 beneficiaries of the Growth Enhancement and Empowerment Programme. This is being done in collaboration with the States.

64.Similarly, Marketmoni and Tradermoni Programmes have provided affordable loans to small and micro scale enterprises to grow their businesses. Under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, over 9,963,729 children are being fed to keep them in school and improve their nutritional status.

65.Fellow Nigerians, the year 2020 has been like none other. In January 2020, the COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The number of global infections has risen from less than 8,000 shared between China and eighteen other countries to over 7million spread over 216 countries and on all continents.

66.Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 on February 27th 2020 and within the first 100 days, I have had cause to address the nation on three occasions within one month, which underscores the gravity of this pandemic.

67.There is no doubt that this pandemic has affected the global economy and all known socio-economic systems. It has also brought grief and pain to families that have lost their loved ones. Like many Nigerians, I feel the grief and pain not only as your President but also as someone who has lost a close member of my staff and some relatives and friends.

68.In order to have a robust National response, I approved a Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to provide guidance and leadership in tackling the pandemic nationwide.

69.State Governments also constituted their own COVID-19 Task Forces.Complementing this was the establishment of a National Emergency Operations Centre responsible for providing technical and professional guidance in the National Response.

70.The overall objective of the PTF COVID-19 is to ensure that the pandemic does not overwhelm our health systems, while ensuring that we maintain an effective Case Management System to help in containing the spread of the virus.

71.The impact of the pandemic has disrupted our economic system and to ensure its functioning while still addressing the spread, the Federal Government put in place a number of various non-pharmaceutical measures to slow down the spread of the virus, in addition to a progressive re-opening of the economy.

72.As part of the strategy to create jobs in reducing the effect of COVID-19 on our youths, I directed the employment of 774, 000 Nigerians. These youths will be engaged in Special Public Works Programme aimed at cushioning the effects of economic downturn. Each of the 774 local government areas in the country will be allotted 1,000 slots. I am pleased to report that this programme has commenced.

73.I receive regular briefing from the PTF on COVID-19.I note that the National Response relies on Science, Data and Experience in taking decisions. This informed my approval for the ease of lock down phase to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods.

74.I am confident that the steps being taken by the PTF would result in flattening the COVID-19 curve. I, therefore, implore all Nigerians to abide by the approved guidelines and protocols. There is hope for us all if we take individual and collective responsibility.

75.Government is determined to turn this COVID-19 challenge into a motivation to action by building a nation-wide public health care system that will help us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for any future outbreak.

76.Already, we have begun to look inward and I charge our inventors, researchers and scientists to come up with solutions to cure COVID-19.

77.Government has continued to implement accountability and transparent policies through the Open Government Partnership and the transparency portal on financial transactions. Similarly, we have strengthened auditing and accountability mechanisms so as to ensure that rules and regulations are followed strictly.

78.Anti-Corruption Agencies have secured more than 1,400 convictions and also recovered funds in excess of N800 billion. These monies are being ploughed into development and infrastructure projects.

79.The Public Service of Nigeria remains the bedrock for the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes and projects in the country. This accounts for why it continues to evolve especially as new socio-economic challenges emerge for Government to address.

80.I will continue to give all the necessary support for the on-going reforms designed to return discipline, integrity and patriotism as the hallmark of the public service.

81.In the face of dwindling resources and rising cost of governance, I have authorized that the White Paper on the Rationalisation of Government Parastatals and Agencies be reviewed for implementation.

82.Our youth population remains a source of strength in achieving development objectives. In this regard, we would continue to concentrate in developing their skills, providing them with opportunities to express their entrepreneurial, research and industrial capacities as well as ample opportunity to take leadership positions in the service of the nation.

83.The commitment of this Administration to the well-being of people living with disabilities remains unwavering. Government recognises their contributions to development. I have directed that all relevant Government agencies pay special attention to the peculiarities of persons with disabilities in the formulation and implementation of their policies and programmes, and where suitable their employment.

84.Nigerian women remain a particular treasure to this nation and for this reason this Administration has continued to give them a place of pride in the affairs of our country.

85.I salute your courage, enterprise and resilience as well as your contributions to national development. I wish to assure all our women of this administrations determination to fight Gender Based Violence through the instrumentality of the law and awareness creation. I am particularly upset at recent incidents of rape especially of very young girls. The Police are pursuing these cases with a view to bringing perpetrators of these heinous crimes to swift justice.

86.Government continues to recognize and harness the power of the media for positive development. The reforms of the broadcast and advertising industries including digital switch over and continuous engagement through town hall meetings remain central to accurate and credible information dissemination.

87.Our culture provides the basis for our existence as a people and a nation. In preserving iconic aspects of our national culture, this government has been pursuing the recovery of artefacts removed from Nigeria, promoting heritage sites and festivals and working towards designating some of our heritage sites as UNESCO World Heritage Centres.

88.This administration is focused on ensuring that Nigeria would always be governed by the Rule of Law and I would do my utmost to uphold the constitution and protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.

89.Government has initiated a number of policies and programmes designed to promote the legal rights of Nigerians, facilitate the institutionalization of a responsive legal system, provide support to all constituted bodies in implementing their mandates and improve our custodial system of justice.

90.The National Assembly has been an important partner in our quest to sustain our democracy and achieve our development objectives.

91.I therefore greatly thank the leadership and members of the Senate and the House of Representatives for their invaluable support at all times.

92.I will also like to convey our deep appreciation to members of the Press for your doggedness in the struggle for attainment of democracy since the beginning of our nationhood.

93.I must admit that the relationship between the media and successive governments has not always been perfect. But there is no denying the fact that you have been an effective watchdog for the society especially in holding public officers to account. It is sad that in the course of securing our democracy, some of your colleagues have had to pay a heavy price.

94.We will continue to guarantee freedom of the Press as we place high premium on responsible journalism that is devoid of hate speech, fake news and other unethical professional conduct.

95.Fellow Nigerians, as we celebrate this years Democracy Day, let us remember that, notwithstanding our aspirations, humanity and indeed democracy is under the threat of COVID-19. Nigeria has survived many crises before and came out stronger. I am confident that by Gods grace we shall overcome this one and emerge stronger and more purposeful.

96.Thank you for listening. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Source: NAN News