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Why I Sacked Agriculture, Power Ministers, Redeployed Others —- Buhari

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has said that the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Nanono, and his Power counterpart, Saleh Mamman, were sacked in a bid to reinvigorate his cabinet and consolidate legacy achievements.

Buhari also hinted that the contributions of the ministers could be considered “weak”.

“These significant review steps have helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps,” he added.

The president said this in his address during the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

A copy of the address was made available to our correspondent by the president’s special adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

Buhari also noted that the ministers were sacked after an independent and critical self-review of their performance.

Though the president did not reveal the rating of the sacked ministers’ performances, many Nigerians have continuously complained about the poor state of power and high price of food in the country.

After relieving the ministers of their jobs, the former military leader redeployed Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, Minister of Environment, to the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, while Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, Minister of State, Works & Housing was asked to assume office as the Minister of Power.

Buhari said that the sackings of the ministers was to also close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public good to Nigerians.

He said, “On Wednesday 21st August 2019 the current Federal Executive Council was sworn-in after a rigorous retreat to bring returning and new members up to speed on the accomplishments, challenges, and lessons drawn from my first term in Office and to emphasize the nine priority areas of government for the second term.

“Two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programs implementation to independent and critical self-review has taken firm roots through sector Reporting during Cabinet meetings and at Retreats.

“I must commend this cabinet for demonstrating unparalleled resilience that helped the government to navigate the disruption to global systems and governance occasioned by the emergence of COVID-19 shortly after the inauguration. The weekly Federal Executive Council meetings was not spared because the traditional mode was altered.

“As we are all aware, change is the only factor that is constant in every human endeavour and as this administration approaches its critical phase in the second term, I have found it essential to reinvigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements.”

The president explained that the sacked ministers had earlier been informed, adding that vacant positions would be filled in accordance with the constitution.

“In due course, substantive nominations will be made to fill the consequential vacancies in accordance with the requirements of the constitution.

“I have personally met with the departing members to thank them for their contributions to discussions in cabinet and the invaluable services rendered to the nation.

“Today, effectively marks their last participation in the Federal Executive Council deliberations and I wish them the best in all future endeavours,” he said.

BIG STORY

NAFDAC Shuts Down N50 Million Worth Counterfeit Cosmetics Manufacturing Facility In Lagos

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has successfully shut down an illegal cosmetics manufacturing facility located at Benue Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.

This significant enforcement operation targeted counterfeit products.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), NAFDAC revealed that its officers discovered large quantities of unregistered chemicals, expired products, and packaging materials intended for the production of fake cosmetics during the raid.

The operation resulted in the seizure of over 1,200 cartons of counterfeit goods from the location. Alarmingly, expired cosmetics were being revalidated for sale, raising serious concerns about consumer safety.

The agency also confiscated equipment used in the illicit manufacturing process, such as mini-mixing containers, unlabelled chemicals, batch coding materials, and thinners.

These materials were transported to NAFDAC’s office for further investigation. The agency estimates the street value of the confiscated goods at approximately N50 million.

NAFDAC has reiterated its commitment to protecting public health by clamping down on illegal and unregulated products in the Nigerian market.

In a statement, the agency urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing cosmetics, particularly from unverified sources, and to report any suspicious products to NAFDAC for further action.

This operation underscores NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to combat the production and distribution of counterfeit goods, which pose significant risks to public health and safety.

The agency has emphasized that such enforcement actions are part of a broader strategy to ensure that only regulated and certified products reach consumers, safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s cosmetics market.

In a related development, about 5 months ago NAFDAC sealed several unregistered bakeries and water-packaging companies operating without the agency’s approval in Plateau State.

According to Mr. Shaba Mohammed, Director of NAFDAC’s North Central Zone, the closure followed inspections that revealed substandard Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the water-packaging firms.

As a result, these companies were shut down to prevent the circulation of potentially unsafe products.

In addition to this, numerous patent medicine stores were sealed for selling expired and unregistered medical products.

The raid, part of NAFDAC’s routine inspections in local government areas such as Dengi, Wase, Yelwa Shendam, and Namu, was aimed at enforcing compliance with safety standards and protecting public health.

Mr. Mohammed emphasized that NAFDAC remains committed to ensuring only certified and safe products are available to Nigerian consumers.

He urged the public to be vigilant, choosing only NAFDAC-registered goods, and to report any suspicious or expired products.

He also reiterated that businesses found violating the agency’s regulations would face appropriate sanctions, while advising aspiring entrepreneurs to seek guidance on product registration to avoid penalties.

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BIG STORY

Crisis In PDP Is Creation Of APC, They Want Us To Be In Disarray — Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed

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Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has attributed the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to interference by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He made this assertion while receiving members of the PDP Board of Trustees at the Government House in Bauchi.

“Any challenge is not insurmountable, it is insurmountable by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that,” he stated.

“It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged.”

“You will notice that this is the creation of the other side. They want us to be in disarray, it is the creation of APC. They always want to have moles within us, they want to have knowledge of what is going on.”

“Even the Wike that is in APC is in PDP, he is performing very well. They don’t have people that will perform like our members and that is why they chose to pick him and gave him a state-like structure to run.”

“To us, it is a commendation. The press will see that at least irrespective of the bizarre situation, it is a recognition that PDP has the human capital to deliver Nigeria.”

Gov Mohammed also acknowledged the challenge posed by Wike’s dual role and attributed the party’s crises to opposition from the APC but assured that they have a strategy to navigate the situation.

To him, the PDP’s primary focus was on unifying the party to take over leadership in 2027 and ensure effective governance.

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IGP Appoints Tunji Disu As FCT CP, Redeploys Two Others

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Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has reassigned Police Commissioner Tunji Disu from the Rivers State Police Command to lead the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command.

As part of the redeployment, Abaniwonda Olufemi, formerly Delta State’s Commissioner of Police, will now head the Rivers State Police Command, while Peter Opara, the previous FCT CP, will take over the Delta State Police Command.

In a statement on Thursday, Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said the redeployment was “to strategically emplace a Police Force well efficient for effective policing”.

Also, following the approval of the Police Service Commission, the IGP deployed four CPs as Commissioners of Police for Abia, Lagos, Ebonyi, and Akwa-Ibom State Commands.

“The deployment includes the posting of CP Danladi Nda to Abia State Command; CP Olanrewaju Ishola Olawale to Lagos State Command; CP Anthonia Adaku Uche-Anya, fdc to Ebonyi State Command and CP Festus Eribo to Akwa-Ibom State Command.

“The posting of these strategic managers reflects the mission of the Inspector-General of Police to strategically reposition the Police Force and ensure maximum utilization of human resources available to the Force.

“The IGP has, however, urged the new CPs of State Commands to ensure diligence in the discharge of their lawful duties and adopt innovations that could mitigate security challenges in their respective areas of responsibility,” the statement read.

He further encouraged them to key into the police reform plans, which will help the progress of the Nigeria Police Force and the growth of the country in general.

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