Many whys over rescheduled FEC meeting

For the first time in the life of this administration, there are many whys over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that did not hold this week.

The nation was told that the meeting, which holds on Wednesdays, would be postponed because President Muhammadu Buhari, who presides over it, would be on official visit to Lagos State to commission some projects executed by the outgoing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration.

That, in itself, is an aberration because the FEC meeting is sacrosanct, and the president could have visited Lagos on any other day of the week so that he can have time to preside over the meeting.

Alternatively, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo could have presided over the FEC meeting while Buhari was in Lagos since he has been doing that whenever President Buhari is unable, for one reason or the other, to attend.

Curiously, President Buhari could not even attend the rescheduled meeting yesterday as he travelled to the United Kingdom on a private visit.

The presidency, in a statement signed by the presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, yesterday said President Buhari was scheduled to depart for Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for a visit during which he will commission some projects.

“At the end of the visit, President Buhari will be proceeding to the United Kingdom on a private visit. He is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5, 2019,” the statement said with no further details.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is to spend N52 billion for the purchase of modern electronic gadgets to secure the country’s porous borders as well as respond to other emergencies in the areas.

Minister of Interior, Gen Abdulrahman Danbazzau (rtd), who gave the indication yesterday said: “Our borders are very porous and diverse and it is impossible to man these borders physically.”

Briefing State House Correspondents after the rescheduled FEC meeting presided over by Osinbajo, Danbazzau said there was need for the country to deploy the use of more modern technology to be able to monitor the nation’s borders.

“It is on this note that I presented a memo today for this eBorder solution. This process started in 2012 but we picked it up to move forward when we came in. The project is to be completed within the next two years and it will cost about N52 billion.

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu said the council also gave approval for variation cost totalling N202 million for construction of two dams in Katsina and Plateau states.

About N977million was approved for the Ministry of Budget and National Planning for the procurement of starter packs under the National Social Investment Programme.

Giving details, the minister, Senator Udo Udoma, noted that the initial approval was for consultancy service contract for the provision of training services and integrated supply of starter packs for N-Creative trainees in the northern states in favour of Messrs Patigon Services Ltd. in the sum of N652,318,104 inclusive of five per cent VAT.

According to him, the training will be held in Abuja for 1,500 beneficiaries with integrated starter packs distributed to the trainees at the end of the programme.