Malami Meets Buhari on Probe of SGF, EFCC Chairman Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) yesterday met with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed doors, ostensibly to seek clarification on the
directive by the president for Malami’s office to carry out a probe of some top government officials of the administration who have been fingered for corruption. Although the minister did not answer questions from State House correspondents
after his meeting with the president, sources said that he came to meet with Buhari on the directive to investigate top government officials alleged to have engaged in corrupt acts. Also yesterday, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume met with Buhari over the Senate’s
decision not to confirm the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, following a security report from the Department of State Service (DSS) that indicted him for corruption and leading a
double life. The president’s directive came on the heels of the Senate’s report on the humanitarian crisis in the North East which indicted the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir David Lawal, for
awarding a weed clearing contract to his firm, Rholavision, as well as the upper legislature’s rejection of Magu over the damning DSS report. However, when Ndume
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CBN May Legalise Use of Bitcoin for Transactions, Says NDIC...
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Buhari Congratulates Saraki at 54 Describes him as one of Nigeria’s most influential politicians Tobi Soniyi in Abuja and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON...
L-R: Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke; and former interim Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, at the special evening of music to usher in the yuletide season, held at the Lagos State Government House, Alausa, Lagos… Sunday night
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday described the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as one of the most influential politicians in the country. In his goodwill message to Saraki on the occasion of his 54th birthday, Buhari congratulated the senate president, describing him as a man who has made tremendous impact on the Continued on page 6
Udoma Calls for Action to Tackle Revenue and FX Shortages in 2017 MTN Fine, N258.6bn recovered funds to partly finance 2017 Budget $1bn expected from oil royalties FG rules out retrenchment of civil servants Recession will ebb in 2017, president assures Nigerians Tobi Soniyi and Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government yesterday restated that Nigeria was facing "not just a revenue problem, but specifically, a foreign exchange shortage" and
that much more needs to be done to diversify the economy away from reliance on oil exports. Minister of Budget
and Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma made these comments while unveiling details of the 2017 Budget
proposals presented to The National Assembly last week by President Muhammadu Buhari. Udoma said while a
ministerial committee has been set up to improve oil receipts, much more need to be done to reduce foreign exchange
FG to Close Abuja Airport for Six Weeks for Rehabilitation of Runway... Page 9
demand by "producing more of what we consume" in Nigeria in an apparent alignment between fiscal and monetary policy. Udoma said: "we must reduce the demand for foreign Continued on page 6