Wardchat

In its inaugural meeting yesterday, the National Economic Council unveiled its plans to provide relief measures for workers and vulnerable groups in Nigeria to help mitigate the effect of fuel subsidy removal, which has led to increased cost of living.

The meeting, which was chaired by the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima has announced the formation of a committee saddled with the responsibility of developing a framework for organising and distributing relief measures within a two-week timeframe.

Reports from has it that, Bala Mohammed, the governor of Bauchi state, disclosed that the council explored the possibility of securing funding from the World Bank and London partners to implement a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme for vehicles. Furthermore, he made known that recommendations from the organised labour for N702 billion consequential adjustment on allowances as well as the about N23 to N25 billion monthly are also being considered.

The feasibility of securing funding from the World Bank and London partners for a CNG program in Nigeria will ultimately depend on, political will, stakeholder engagement, and the alignment of the proposal with the priorities and requirements of the funding organizations. Conducting a comprehensive project assessment, engaging with relevant stakeholders, and seeking expert advice will be essential steps in pursuing external funding for such initiatives.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday the 2nd of June announced his appointment of George Akume - a former Governor of Benue state and a former Minister of Special Duties, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

The office of the SGF consists of six offices, these offices are managed like a ministry and are headed by Permanent Secretaries. These offices are;
• Special Duties
• Cabinet Affairs
• Special Services
• Ecological Fund
• General Services
• Political and Economic
Affairs

In addition to the various offices listed above, the SGF is also responsible for the direct supervision of about 21 government agencies. Examples are; the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), Nigeria National Merit Award (NNMA) etc.

Administratively, the SGF functions in the following capacity;
• He handles petitions and appeals to the President.
• Processing of the requests for duty tours and medical treatment of government officials abroad.
• He coordinates and manages the National Honours Awards.
• Evaluation of the performance of Ministers and Permanent Secretary on behalf of the president.
• He serves as the liaison officer to the Secretaries to State Governments in a situation when FG’s policies have to be implemented at the state levels.
• Provision of support services to Administrative Tribunals, Commissions and Panels of Enquiry.