The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, gave approval for three bills bordering on electoral reforms to be forwarded to the National Assembly for passage.
Although the National Assembly is still on recess, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, listed the bills as Constitution Alteration Bill (2018); Electoral Act Amendment Bill (2018); Electoral Offences Commission Bill (2018).
In the build-up to the general election next year, Buhari has spared no words in assuring both the local and international communities of his desire to deliver free and fair election.
He has also been intimating his audience at every public forum that he has been a beneficiary of a free and fair electoral process.
Malami, who briefed State House correspondents of the development, said the president remained committed to strengthening the electoral process in the country, hence the setting up of the Ken Nnamani Electoral Reforms Committee whose report, among others, have given rise to the bills, as well as the need to have permanent institutions to drive the reforms.
The AGF said the bills were inspired by the need to entrench accountability in the conduct of elections and political parties’ affairs; ensure speedy resolution of pre-election matters and election disputes; impose stiffer penalties on electoral offenders, as well as enhance the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) such that it would not be subjected to the directives or control of any authority.
On his part, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, spoke on the state of the economy, noting that government was worried about dwindling performance and revenues from the oil and agriculture sectors.
Udoma said the economy grew by 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2018.
“The economy grew by 1.5 percent in the second quarter, but what is encouraging to the council is that non-oil has continued to grow.
“The non-oil sector grew by 2.05 percent and we are very encouraged by this. In fact, this is consistent with the economic recovery and growth plan objectives.
“However, the council was a bit concerned about agriculture as well as crude oil and so we intend to intensify efforts in agriculture which has been affected by some of the insecurities in some parts of the country and some of the clashes which are now being contained.
“So, we expect agriculture to pick up again. We expect agriculture to go back to the three percent which we have been experiencing before. Then, in terms of crude oil production, we are going to intensify work to get oil production back to over 2 million barrels a day.”
Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello, on his part, said the council had approved the setting up of a committee to investigate last week’s tremor in Mpape, Jabi, Gwarinpa, and other parts of Maitama District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with a view to ascertaining what triggered it.
He also said the suspension of all blasting activities in and around the areas affected by the earth tremor would stand until the committee which comprised scientists and geologists from the ministries of science and technology, power, works and housing, mines and solid minerals and FCT, submit full and comprehensive reports of their findings.
He, however, failed to give the timeline for the submission of the report.
Bello, who said scientists had already assured that the earth tremors were mild and that no damages were recorded, said the council adopted the setting up of the committee to ascertain what actually happened.
