The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, says President Muhammadu Buhari is not happy over the difficulties citizens are facing in getting the new Naira notes.
Ahmed fielded questions from State House correspondents while featuring in the 65th edition of State House briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
Buhari had on Jan. 29, approved extension of the ongoing currency swap by 10 days, moving the deadline from Jan. 31 to Feb. 10.
The minister said that the Federal Government was concerned about the plight of the citizens on the currency swap, adding that the situation would not persist.
“Of course, we are worried; we are not that happy that citizens have to queue and struggle at bank ATM to be able to get their cash but this is a temporary solution.
“Let me just give you an analogy; if you have a wound, for your to be able to heal that wound, it needs to be dressed; sometimes, when you go to the hospital, they put iodine and it is very painful but it is necessary to that to get the wound to heal.
“So, it is not easy and the president is not happy that the citizens are really suffering; but we are convinced that it is something that needs to be done this time.’’
According to her, the CBN has been responsive in terms of providing some extension.
She said that the apex bank had also given further explanation that that there was still opportunity for citizens after the closing date as provided for in the CBN Act Section 20 subsection 3.
“There is still opportunity for citizens to actually take their old currency to the CBN for redemption; so it is not all over.
“But the positive side of it is that there is a lot of currency that has been mopped up by this operation and it means it has achieved a good level of success.
“The pain it has caused the citizens is regrettable but it is also very transient and the bank is continuing to address it,’’ she said.
Ahmed said that in 2021, the performance of the ministry on its 39 deliverables was 70 per cent.
According to her, 723 MDAs have been enrolled into the IPPIS including educational, security agencies and the Nigerian Police.
Ahmed disclosed that as at November 2022, aggregate Federal Government revenue was N6.5 trillion representing 67.8 per cent of the target set in the budget for 2022.
[6:42 PM, 2/2/2023] Cnl Comfort Ekeleme: Nigerian farmers promise 17m votes for Tinubu
Farmers
By Emmanuel Mogbede
Alhaji Abubakar Bello, Director, Agro Commodities Directorate, All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) says Nigerian farmers have promised to deliver 17 million votes to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 general election.
Bello said this on Thursday in Abuja at a National Farmers Stakeholders Summit organised by the directorate for farmers from across the federation.
He said the directorate comprised over 100 recognised commodity associations cutting across agricultural production, manufacturing, processing and marketing of food and cash crops among others.
Bello said it also included all other support structures such as fertiliser, agro chemicals, packaging and transportation.
“Representatives of these structures are in this venue today to affirm their support to the APC Tinubu/ Shetima presidential ticket.
“And on their behalf, I wish to inform this gathering that they have all been working hard since the inauguration of the directorate in November 2022.
“The aim is to deliver at least 17 million votes to the APC presidential candidate during the upcoming presidential election slated for Feb. 25,”he said.
He said that the country`s agricultural sector had seen consistent in terms of holistic development since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015 through value chains.
This, he said, included the formulation of appropriate policies which had led to the provision of prerequisite infrastructure that had the potential to uplift the sector sustainably in the years ahead.
He said the country was at the stage of producing and processing what it needed in food crops and was gearing for export of cash and tree crops, tubers, livestock and fisheries.
Bello said that such favourable policies ensured investments in the construction of vital futuristic structures such as the Lekki deep seaport in Lagos and the dry port in Kano and Kaduna among others.
“The agro commodities groups had to ensure full support and ensure we mobilise our teaming members to usher in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the only government that will not only continue with these successes.
“But has the capacity, ability, vision and doggedness to double the speed at which the sector transformed in order to cater for the projected massive population leap in the coming years.
“We cannot afford to allow in a clueless government that had already promised to open the national borders and take us back to the era of massive food and weapons import.
“If allowed to happen, our over 70 newly established integrated rice mills and other agricultural investments would become moribund while most youths would become unemployed,” he said.
Bello said the summit intended to review work done in the agricultural sector and to lay solid plans for transition for the incoming government.
He added that it was also to strategise on how to get massive votes from the farmers and agro commodity groups for Tinubu to become the country`s next president.
“We have all what it takes to fulfill our mandate and we shall deliver this mandate by the grace of God,’’ he said.
Mr Retson Tedheke, the Secretary of the directorate, said given the right incentives, Nigerian famers could build the country like the case before the advent of oil exploration.
He said the summit was to bring together farmers who were especially involved in the cassava and maize cultivation in the country to brainstorm and analise Tinubu`s action plan on agriculture.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu`s action plan on agriculture would elevate Nigerian farmers if implemented.
