Federal Executive Council, FEC on Wednesday said it was supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives to security agencies to shoot ballot box snatchers on sight, ahead of the Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhamamdu Buhari.
Lai Mohammed disclosed that the Ministers had reviewed the directive at the cabinet meeting and threw its support for the directive.
The Minister who was reacting to questions on the issue reiterated that anyone who steals the mandate of the people should face the wrath of the law
“Absolutely, I mean if you want to intimidate voters to steal the mandate of the people, you should be able to face the wrath of the law,” he said
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday at the meeting of All Progressive Congress APC caucus meeting said he has given directives to security operatives to deal ruthlessly with ballot box snatchers ahead of the Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
FEC backing is coming despite widespread rejection of the directives by several organizations including the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, the main opposition party, the PDP, the coalition of political parties and the Civil Society organizations
Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed while also briefing, commended the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN for reeling out plans to cushion the negative effect of election postponement.
“The Independent Petroleum Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN), with over 50,000 members and who control almost 80 percent of our distribution network, met a couple days ago met on how to cushion the effect of postponement, announced the reduction of the price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) from N145 per liter to N140 per liter”
“This discount reflects the alignment of IPMAN with government and the discount is valid between the 21st of February and the 25th, this year to allow those who want to go back home to vote.
This is just as he also commended the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), for reducing the cost of transportation for travellers
According to the Minister, “This discount is also to encourage voters who would have normally been disenfranchised as a result of INEC’s postponement. This discount is also valid between the 21st of February and the 25th of February.”
“Arik and Aero airlines have also thrown in their own incentives. Aero contractors have offered a 50 per cent discount to all travellers who present their the permanent voters’ card (PVC) at the purchasing point.
“Arik will be selling their one-way ticket at N16,000 to any destination across the country. This is to support Nigerians looking to travel to cast their vote. The discount is valid between the 18th of February and the 11th of March.
“On the part of the federal government also, we decided that to make it easy for those who will want to go back to vote, salary payment started yesterday (Tuesday) as opposed to the normal 25th of every month. This is just to ease the burden of people who want to go back and cast their vote.
Federal Executive Council, FEC, also Wednesday hinged last quarter economic growth on early releases of funds, saying that the statistics recently released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that economy attained the strongest growth in recent times
Budget and National Planning Minister, Udoma Udo Udoma, disclosed this while also briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
Udoma said FEC expressed happiness that real GDP grew at 2.38%, Services sector at 2.99%, while agriculture grew at 2.46%.
According to him, “ FEC received the good news that Nigeria’s economy received a positive performance report, with the gross domestic product (GDP) growth at about 2.38 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018”
“It is very heartwarming that economy is on the path of growth,” he said
Udoma attributed the growth to the impact of early releases of funds by the federal government.
