ALL THE RELEVANT NEWS: THURSDAY

16 Sep ALL THE RELEVANT NEWS: THURSDAY

🌍Highlights FEC Meeting:
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved about N38.4 billion for the completion of road projects in Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Imo, and Nasarawa states, which were inherited from previous administrations; and N10.7bn for an irrigation project in Sokoto State . The meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari
* Minister of Works and Housing, Fashola, said the roads “are not new projects, they are projects that we inherited and are trying to complete”
* Minister of Water Resources, Adamu, said Council approved the sum of N10.7 million as augmentation for the completion of the Middle Rima Valley Irrigation Project in Sokoto State.
* Before the meeting, President Buhari swore in 3 National Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They are Dr Baba Bila representing the North-East zone; Professor Sani Adam, North-Central and Professor Abdullahi Abdu, representing North-West.

🌍President Muhammadu Buhari will around 9am ( 2pm Nigerian time) on September 24, 2021, address the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.

🌍Oil Monitor: Prices slipped on Thursday, after large gains made the previous day on the back a larger-than-expected drawdown in crude oil stocks in the United States. Brent crude oil fell 12 cents, or 0.2%, to $75.34 a barrel by 0649 GMT, after rallying 2.5% the previous day.

🌍AGF Abubakar Malami, has written to the 36 state governors of the federation about the state of stamp duty collection and remittance in the country; says no recoveries yet.

🌍Access Bank has launched a $500m senior unsecured Eurobond to provide medium-term funding and help enhance its capacity to support its general banking activities.

🌍COVID-19 Update: On Wednesday, 299 new cases, 198 recoveries and 3 deaths were recorded in Nigeria. So there are now 200,356 confirmed cases; 188,917 recoveries; and 2,640 deaths.

🌍Minister of information Lai says FG is very close to resolving the issues that led to the ban of Twitter in the country. (8) The DMO yesterday said Nigeria’s total public debt, comprising states and FG debt obligations, grew by 7.75 per cent, from N32.916 trillion in December 31, 2020, to N35.465 trillion as of June 30, 2021.

🌍FG has launched a Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP 2021-2024) to mobilise the energies and capacities of youths to minimise national security risks.

🌍FG, striking resident doctors have agreed to negotiate before Friday’s hearing at the National Industrial Court, Abuja.

🌍The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) told a court yesterday that Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers state, is on the watch list of the EFCC.

🌍The AIB has submitted an interim report of the air crash that resulted in the death of Ibrahim Attahiru, former chief of army staff, and 10 other military officers.

🌍First all-civilian crew, yesterday in the US, launched into orbit aboard SpaceX rocket ship.

🌍After initial denial, the Nigerian Air Force has now admitted that one of its fighter jets on a mission against terrorists “unfortunately” bombed civilians in Yobe State on Wednesday. NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Edward Gabkwet, said in a statement today that investigation had commenced into the incident. He had, on Wednesday, denied reports linking one of its fighter jets to the bombing.