N’Assembly Raises 2021 Budget by N580bn, Approves N13.588trn Adjourns till January 26, 2021 Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday passed the 2021 Appropriation Bill, increasing the budget
size from N13.08 trillion presented to them by President Muhamnadu Buhari 11 weeks ago to N13.588 trillion. The passage of the 2021 budget followed consideration
and adoption of harmonised reports separately submitted to them by their Committees on Appropriation. The two chambers increased the 2021 budget by about N580 billion and pegged daily crude
oil production at 1.86 million barrels per day, while oil benchmark price was fixed at $40 per barrel. They approved N379 to dollar as the official exchange rate while GDP growth rate
was pegged at 3 per cent. Highlights of the report approved by the Senate showed aggregate expenditure to be N13,588,027,886,175, statutory transfer of N496,528,471,273, recurrent expenditure
of N5,641,970,060,680, capital expenditure of N4,125,149,354,222, debt service will be N3,324,380,000,000 and Continued on page 8
Dangote Cement Executes Share Buyback Programme... Page 6 Tuesday 22 December, 2020 Vol 25. No 9388. Price: N250
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FG Extends NIN-SIM Card Linkage Deadline Emma Okonji and Ugo Aliogo
FUNERAL RITES FOR HARRY AKANDE... L-R: Daughters of the deceased- Atinuke Akande, Foluke Akande, Olawunmi Akande- the widow, Mrs. Tolulope Akande and the son, Olumide Akande, at the commendation service for the late industrialist, Chief Harry Ayoade Akande, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos...yesterday
The federal government yesterday extended the initial deadline fixed for the integration of Subscriber Information Module (SIM) cards with National Identity Number (NIN), from December 30 to February 19 for all subscribers without NIN and from December 30 to January 19 for all subscribers that have already obtained their NIN. It also suspended all USSD and verification charges for the duration of the extension. The federal government, last week, had ordered the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enforce Continued on page 10
To Curtail COVID-19 Resurgence, FG Directs States to Close Bars, Others Limits guests at conferences, weddings, others to 50 Warns against non-essential travels Public workers on GL.12 and below to stay at home Lagos, Kaduna, FCT account for 70% of cases
Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The federal government yesterday rolled out measures to combat the resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the curbs, the federal government issued an advisory to all the 36 states of
the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to close all bars, night clubs, restaurants, event centres and recreational centres for the next five weeks. It also restricted public gatherings such as conferences, social events such as weddings
and religious activities to not more than 50 people. It ordered federal civil servants from Grade Level 12 downwards to stay home for the next five weeks. The Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, reeled out
the curbs at a press briefing in Abuja. Mustapha said President Muhammadu Buhari has authorised the PTF to engage with the states and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response by deploying legal structures
and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdictions. He added that bars, night clubs and other recreational centres as well as event centres are listed to be closed for the period because they are
considered super spreader events for COVID-19. All the states and the FCT are to restrict all informal and formal festivity events, including weddings, conferences, congresses, office Continued on page 8
House Threatens to Sanction PDP Caucus Leader over Buhari’s Impeachment Call...Page 5