Politics
PRESIDENT BUHARI INAUGURATES PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL ON E- GOVT,
……Gov Inuwa Yahaya, El- Rufa’i, Sanwo-Olu, Others inaugurated as members
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja inaugurated the Presidential Council on Digital Economy and E-government, promising that his administration will continue to take advantage of digital technologies to transform every sector of the economy
The membership includes Gombe Governor Inuwa Yahaya,Nasir El Rufai, Babajide Sawon-Olu among others
Recall that President Buhari had recently approved the appointment of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as a member of the Presidential Council on Digital Economy and E-government.
The notice of his appointment was contained in a letter signed by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami which described Gombe State as critical to the success of Nigeria’s Digital Economy Agenda.
According to Buhari, the constitution of the Presidential Council was in an effort to implement the National Digital Economy Policy (NDEPS) and the Nigerian E-government Master Plan (NEGMP).
However, in a Government Statement issued by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, Buhari directed the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) to chair the Council on his behalf and give regular updates.
The President tasked members of the Council to work towards strengthening further the capacity of government to develop, adopt and deploy digital technologies to make government more efficient and transparent, thereby improving Nigeria’s global standing in the ease of doing business index.
Buhari noted that the Council, whose members have been arrived at after a painstaking and thorough process, would provide the oversight needed to bring about a veritable structure for accelerating achievements in digital economy and in the implementation of e-government in the country.
He enjoined every member of the Council to consider the task as a national assignment and justify the trust reposed in their ability to support and significantly enhance the digital transformation of Nigeria.
‘‘I launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) on the 28th of November, 2019 and expanded the mandate of the then Ministry of Communications to include Digital Economy.
‘‘The implementation of that policy and mandate has enabled us to achieve significant progress and record a number of unprecedented achievements.
‘‘The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy showed that the steps we took in developing and implementing NDEPS were indeed timely.
‘‘For example, the Information and Communications Technology sector was the fastest growing sector in both the fourth quarter of 2020 and the entire year 2020, based on the Report by the National Bureau of Statistics.
‘‘The sector’s 14.70% double-digit growth rate was instrumental in supporting our country to exit the recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, far earlier than predicted by experts.
‘‘The significant contribution of 17.92% by the ICT sector to our GDP in the second quarter of 2021 is another example of the important impact of the digital economy on the overall economy.
‘‘In the same vein, the growth of our digital economy sector enabled us to cope with the effect of the lock-down as both activities of the government and private sector, as well as educational activities, were able to move to online platforms,’’ he said.
Furthermore, President Buhari expressed delight that the approval of the National Policy on Virtual Engagements for Federal Public Institutions has helped to formalise government online meetings.
He noted that statutory meetings like the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Council of State, and other meetings can now effectively and legally take place online.
He added that Nigeria’s progress in e-governance has been noted by the international community, eliciting recognition from international stakeholders including the appointment of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy as the Chairman of the 2022 Forum of the highly regarded World Summit of the Information Society.
While congratulating the Minister, the President acknowledged that the Ministry has partnered with the Korea International Cooperation Agency to develop a National e-government Master Plan, approved by FEC in August 2019.
The President listed benefits from the partnership including; “the training of over 1,400 Nigerian public servants in both Nigeria and South Korea on e-governance; the launching of an E-Government Training Centre handed over to the Federal Government in November 2019 and the signing off of Phase II of the e-government Project – “Project for Building Foundations Towards Digital Governance in Nigeria (2020-2026).’’
In his remarks, Prof. Pantami noted that NDEPS launched in 2019, made provision for the establishment of the Presidential Council to coordinate the development of an indigenous digital economy.
Describing the implementation of NDEPS for a digital Nigeria as very successful, the Minister said in the last two years, the sector has provided ICT intervention to no fewer than 1,667 institutions at the Federal and sub-national levels.
He added that the recent auctioning of spectrums by the Ministry generated over 400 per cent revenue to the Federal Government coffers while two virtual institutions established by government have trained some 500,000 Nigerian on digital and emerging technologies.
The 27-man committee chaired by Pantami on behalf of the President has the following members: Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, Governor of Gombe State; Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State; Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State; Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State and Senator Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State.
Others are Dr Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of Civil Service of the Federation; Prof. Umar G. Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission; Prof. M.B Abubakar, Managing Director/CEO, Galaxy Backbone Limited; Dr. Abimbola Alale, Managing Director/CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited and Engr Aliyu A. Aziz, Director General/CEO, National Identity Management Commission.
Also in the committee are Mr. Oswald Osaretin Guobadia, Senior Special Assistant, (Digital Transformation) to the President; Engr Olufemi Olufeko, Director, e-Government Dept, Federal Ministry Of Communications and Digital Economy; A.B. Okauru, Director General, Nigeria Governors Forum; Prof. Simon Adesina Sodiya, President Nigeria Computer Society and Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
Other members are Prof. Kabiru Bala, Representative of Academia and Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira; Prof. Nnenna Oti, Representative of the Academia and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri and Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Secretary and the Director General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency.
Mr. Sungil Son, Country Director (KOICA), Dr Olufemi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Research & Development) to Hon. Minister of Communication & Digital Economy and Abubakar A. Dahiru, Special Assistant (Cyber Security & Digital Identity) to the Minister are also members of the Committee.
End
“… as he pays thank You visit to constituents for call on him to re-contest for 3rd term, organizes reception for his immediate electoral ward, reveals plans to flag off campaign Soon… “
The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, has today organised a warm reception for the people of his immediate electoral ward Umaisha in Umaisha/ Ugya State Constituency to appreciate them for the call on him to re-contest for the third term which he has officially accepted.
The Speaker who made the call while speaking in an event in his honour today in Umaisha, called on his constituents and the State at large to support the Presidential candidate of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Gov. Abdullahi Sule and himself as well as APC party to succeed in 2023 general election.
He said that the APC government at both the State and Federal levels have performed well in touching on the lives of the people, hence the need of his call in that direction.
” I am here to say thank you for always supporting me to succeed and to officially answer your call to recontest for third term to represent you in the state legislature beyond 2023,
” peace is the foundation of every development and even the enemy of our Governor Abdullahi Sule will give him credit in the area of security not to talk of other achievements,
” Our presidential Flagg bearer Bola Tinubu is the best man for the job and these are the people we are going to vote come 2023.
” You are aware of what I have done and still doing in touching on your lives positively and I believe this is why you asked me to re-contest and I have accepted your calls and together we shall swim Insha Allah” He said.
” As I used to say, Toto LGA is a home of APC and will remain the home of APC beyond 2023.
” And By God’s grace, I will win, Gov. Sule and Bola Tinubu will win in 2023.
Balarabe Abdullahi urged the people of Umaisha and other people of the constituency to pray and support him, Gov.Sule and Bola Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of APC to succeed in 2023 in order to enjoy more dividends of democracy.
The State Number Three Citizen appreciated Gov. Sule for his security efforts that has brought peace in Toto LG and other parts of the State as well as his developmental strides in almost all sectors of the economy.
He assured the Governor of his readiness to mobilise support to all nooks and crannies of Toto LG and other parts of the State to enable him and other APC candidates succeed beyond 2023.
Besides, the Speaker has disclosed that he would soon flag off his campaign in the area.
” Very soon , I will sit with my campaign team to decide when we will flag off my campaign where I will invite all the people of my six electoral wards, from my LG, my political associates and other personalities to witness the flag off” he added.
On their parts, Hon Yusuf Musa Omaki, a former Lawmaker and Commissioner who is the State Coordinator Tinubu/ Shatima Campaign Organization and son of the soil, Mr Isaiah Agah, the APC Zonal Chairman, Nasarawa West, Hon Abdullahi Aliyu Tasha,Chairman Toto LG all underscored the positive representation and leadership qualities of the Speaker and drummed support for him, Gov. Sule and Tinubu to succeed in 2023.
The trio said that the people of the State and Nigerians would benefit more, if the vote APC at all levels in the country.
Also speaking, Mr Mohammed Musa Galadima, APC Youth Leadee of Umaisha ward, Hajiya Kumajo Yusuf, APC Women Leader of Umaisha ward, Ali Maigoro, APC Chieftain as well as two PDP strong supporters Mr Abdullahi Sheikh and Mr Eheda Usman, who recently defected to APC lauded the leadership qualities of the Speaker.
They assured of their readiness to mobilise support for the Speaker, Gov. Sule and Tinubu to succeed in 2023.
It was reported that the well attended brief reception for Umaisha Electoral Ward demonstrated that the Speaker Nasarawa State House of Assembly Alh Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi is with his people and the people are with him and a clear road for his victory and that of his party in coming elections.
Alhaji Yusuf Idris, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara said there was no President like Buhari in the history of Nigeria.
idris told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday,” the president has really performed creditably in the last seven years.
“However, more publicity needs to be given to the myriad programmes and policies, as well as the achievements of the Buhari-led Federal Government.”
Idris said that in the history of the Nigerian presidency, it is only Buhari that initiated a social investments programme that has various components.
He added that these components had tangibly touched the lives of the common man across the country.
He listed these components to include: N-Power, Conditional Cash. Transfer, TraderMoni and Senior Citizens’ programe, among others.
“If you check you will find out that a lot of people had benefitted, but more public awareness is needed.
“For instance, in Zamfara, more than 200,000 people have benefited from these programmes in the last seven years.
“This feat is being replicated across the country and already, trillions of naira had been sunk into these invaluable programmes.
“People are being credited directly from the banks including some of them criticising the government.
*The president has good plans for the country,but more needs to be done in terms of Implementation and publicity,”Idris said.
On economic development, the APC top official said that Buhari has empowered many Nigerian farmers through the Anchor Borrower’s Programme (ABP), saying, “this is glaring not hidden.”
According to Idris, the farmers were given improved seeds and farm implements, among other items, saying, “the president has done a wonderful job.
“That is why the country is not suffering from the much expected hunger occasioned by the effects of COVID-19 and other disturbing global economic downturns.
“Buhari has also done a lot in the anti corruption fight and there are sustained efforts to combat the various security challenges facing the country.”
Alhaji Yusuf Idris, Publicity Secretary of the APC Zamfara chapter says the 2023 governorship election in the state will be a walk over.
“We will only go and cast our votes for APC candidates at all levels just because of formalities,” Idris told the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
According to him, the issue of the second mandate for Gov. Bello Matawalle had already been signed and sealed by the people of the state.
idris said:” We have planned all our strategies to retain power in the state as we are much happy with the way the Governor is leading the state.
“The people of the state are happy with his various plausible programmes and polices of development especially in the areas of youth empowerment, health, education and social investments, among others.
“I think, this will give us an upper hand to the electorate and we are optimistic we are going to dear any political party in 2023.”
Idris added that APC had much on the ground at all levels in the state, insisting that all the major political gladiators since the return of democracy are in the party.
“We are more united, we are formidable, we are under one umbrella and we don’t have any issue of intra-party wranglings.
“So, we are ahead of the plan and we are sure by the special grace o God, we are going to win the elections at all levels.
“This is ranging from the presidency and we are going to give him nothing less than one million votes.
“We are much ready for the forthcoming polls as we have set up all the needed committees and a governorship campaign council which will be unveiled soon,”he said.
Idris said that the people of the state had tremendous confidence in the governor, adding, “if a governor performs wonderfully, the electorate will support him.
“Our people in the state are happy with the way and manner he is relentlessly making efforts to secure the state.
“He recently weighed about three options and shut down three local governments in line with the advice of the state security council to ensure the security of lives and properties of the citizens.
“The situation has really improved within the last two weeks and we have not heard about any kidnapping, killing or banditry.”
Idris said that the governor was making frantic efforts to restore the lost peace and security in the state, saying, “the people are having much confidence in him.”
The APC spokesperson also said that Matawalle has introduced various social investments programmes that were touching the lives of the common man.
“That is why the electorate are not seeing any political party or candidate apart from APC and its flag bearers.
“Members of the other political parties are also daily defecting to APC including executives and candidates,”Idris said.
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