Today's Headlines:How Tinubu, El-Rufai Ministerial Deal Crumbled;Fayemi Hails Oyebanji, cautions new commissioners, advisers against being threats to progress

How Tinubu, El-Rufai Ministerial Deal crumbled

Photo Credit:Punch papers

More facts have emerged on how the pact between President Bola Tinubu and a former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for the latter to become a minister in the yet-to-be-formed Federal Executive Council crumbled.

Saturday PUNCH investigation revealed that El-Rufai had been promised to man the proposed Ministry of Power and Gas based on his numerous discussions with the President on how the country would have uninterrupted power supply in a few years.

Findings by one of our correspondents showed that the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory had told Tinubu during the presidential campaign that he would prefer to travel out of the country to live a quiet life, but he changed his mind after what a source described as “intensive discussions with the President after winning the election.”

It was gathered that El-Rufai told the President that the ministry of power should be made to include gas after telling the President that gas was a must-have product if the country was to have regular power supply.

Fayemi Hails Oyebanji, cautions new commissioners, advisers against being threats to progress

Photo Credit:Punch papers

The immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Friday, urged the newly inaugurated commissioners and special advisers in the state to steer clear of actions capable of making them become a cog in the wheel of progress.

Fayemi urged them to rather focus on excellent service delivery in order to bring additional value to the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

The former governor, who gave the advice in his remarks at the ongoing three-day retreat for members of the Ekiti State Executive Council and accounting officers, in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, said Oyebanji was already doing well and making giant strides in the areas of development and inclusivity.

He expressed gladness that the Oyebanji administration had become a reference point for continuity in governance, adding that the main task before the new commissioners should be how to add value to the administration.

He said, “When I was asked by an interviewer to describe the quality of my would-be successor, I remember saying that I would want a successor that can perform excellently well, relate well with the people, be sociable, and one that possesses street credibility.

Photo Credit:Google

Reconsider Sanctions Against Niger, CNG Urges FG

Photo Credit:Punch papers

The Coalition of Northern Groups has called on the Federal Government to lift the sanctions imposed against the Niger Republic following the recent military coup in the country.

This was contained in a statement released on Friday and signed by the spokesperson for the group, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, who noted that rigid positions taken by both the leadership of the ECOWAS and the military junta in Niger had left little room for honest discussions on what he described as “ordinarily an African affair that can be solved the African way”.

According to him, the imposed sanctions were not in the best interest of peace, and also faulted the coup leaders’ “stubbornness” for rejecting overtures to peacefully resolve the crisis.

“The CNG notes especially the rigid positions assumed by both ECOWAS and the military leaders in Niger which left very little space for honest discussions towards a peaceful resolution of what is ordinarily an African affair that can be solved the African way.

For one, the hasty closure of borders and trade routes by neighbouring countries, the cutting off of electricity supply by Nigeria, and the slapping of a regime of economic sanctions were not in the best interest of peace.

Resident Doctors suspend Strike

Photo Credit:Punch papers

Members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors on Friday suspended the strike they embarked upon on July 26, 2023.

President of the association, Dr Emeka Orji told our correspondent in a chat that the resident doctors would resume work at 8 am on Saturday.

We just suspended the strike. Work to resume at 8 am tomorrow (Saturday). We will review progress made in two weeks,“ he said.

El_Zaxks (
)