…on Corruption, Sports, Projects, orders
•SUSPENDED AN ERRANT MINISTER:
Dr. Betta Edu, Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs was suspended within the week by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over her alleged involvement in reported diversion of money meant for the less-privileged Nigerians. She had since been invited by anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning.
•SUMMONED ANOTHER MINISTER OVER A CONTROVERSIAL CONTRACT:
The Honourable Minister for Interior; Mr. Tunji-Ojo was also summoned by the President within the week under review for his role in what has been tagged ‘#BettaGate. A company the Minister is reported to wholly own and operate was said to have received sums of money running into hundreds of millions of naira.
Although the yet-to-be suspended Minister has not denied that the said company received the said sum, his argument during a programme on Channels Television was to the effect that he had since resigned his position from the company.
•REDUCED HIS TRAVEL ENTOURAGE AND DRAMATICALLY CUT COSTS:
In order to show good example in his preachments on sacrifice, the President this week, directed that all federal and states entourages and MDAs be cut by 60%.
In a release by the Presidency, the following directive was announced:
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that all federal and states entourage and MDA henceforth should be cut by 60% as follows:
FOREIGN TRIPS
President -20 persons
Vice President -5 persons
First Lady -5 persons
LOCAL TRIPS:
President – 25 persons.
Vice President. -15 persons.
First lady -10 persons.
DISMISSED TWO CEOS OF FEDERAL PARASTATALS FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE:
According to a Press Release on January 8, signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity; Chief Ajuri Ngelale “In conformity with plans to restructure and reposition critical agencies of the Federal Government towards protecting the rights of Nigerian consumers and providing a strong basis for enhanced contributions to the nation’s economy by key growth-enabling institutions, President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the following Chief Executive Officers:
(1) Mr. Babatunde Irukera —EVC/CEO, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC)
(2) Mr. Alexander Ayoola Okoh— Director-General/CEO, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE)
The two dismissed Chief Executives are directed to hand over to the next most senior officer in their respective agencies, pending the appointment of new Chief Executive Officers.
By this directive of the President, their removal from office takes immediate effect”
Others were:
•Acted on the six weeks degree for cash program by blocklisting Benin and other nations
•Announced plans to build a new Chinese-built steel plant in Nigeria
•Launched the automated passport portal
•Cleared the ₦12 billion outstanding for the Super Eagles and other national teams
•Began paying the wage support benefits to civil servants
•Disbursed ₦105.5 billion for 266 road repairs
•Intervened to bring peace in Sierra Leone after the foiled coup attempt
Summarizing, Reno Omokri said “In one week, Tinubu has achieved what Buhari would have taken one year to complete. This vindicates what I said during the campaigns, that any of the major Presidential candidates would have been better than Buhari.
The downside is that the administration is not projecting these achievements. They probably need to understand that effective rebranding of Nigeria will only take place when we project positive things that are already happening. If you don’t blow your trumpet, your enemies will blow your downfall”
©Reno Omokri and Ime Silas