FEC

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, chaired the first Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for the year 2023 on Wednesday. 

The meeting was held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Osinbajo stood in for his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, who departed the country to Nouakchott, Mauritania, to participate in the Programme of the Third Forum of the African Conference for Peace on Monday.

In attendance are the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan; and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Dr Adeola Ipaye.

Most of the cabinet members were also physically in attendance for the first FEC meeting of the year. 

However, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi and the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Monguno were absent as they were on the President’s entourage in Nouakchott.

The President and his entourage are expected to return to the country on Wednesday.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has been on strike for four months, will call off the industrial action soon, the Federal Government assures through Minister of Labour Chris Ngige.

Dr Chris Ngige revealed this to reporters after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, met for its weekly meeting on Wednesday.

Ngige claimed that efforts were being made to settle the ongoing conflict, which was primarily brought on by payment platforms.

However, he confirmed that the Federal Government has no plans to set up an alternative funding model for institutions.

Dr Ngige was quoted to have said, “Federal Government was indeed engaging with ASUU, despite notions that it has been snubbing the union.”

The university teachers have been insisting on the use of a payment system called University Transparency and Accountability Solution, which the Federal Government opposes, showing no sign of shifting ground on the use of the initial payment platform it came up with, called Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).