President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the meeting of the Federal Executive Council FEC, the first in six weeks.
The morning which commenced at exactly 11:30am, was preceded by the formal announcement of
Ibrahim Gambari, as the new chief of staff by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who also formally presented him to the Cabinet Members
Thereafter, the Council members proceeded to observe a minute silence in honour of former members of the federal executive council at various times, including former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, late Richard Akinjide, the late chief of staff, Abba Kyari, Halilu Alhassan, former minister of health, Paul Wampana and Minister of State for Public Health during the Second Republic.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo delivered the opening prayer for the inaugural virtual FEC meeting with the minister of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono.
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Most of the Ministers are participating in the meeting from their various offices.
But those who were physically present at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa for the meeting include the ministers of finance, budget and national planning, Zainab Ahmed, transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, information and culture, Lai Mohammed, power, Saleh Mamma, and commerce, Niyi Adebayo.
National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungonu is also present at the Council chambers.
The Cabinet meeting, which is used by the Council to formulate policy direction for the country, is coming six weeks after the last one held on the 25th of March, this year, shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown.
President Buhari however established the Economic Sustainability team headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and an Inter-ministerial committee to provide response mechanism to the economic challenges posed by the dwindling price of crude oil on the international market
The team is made up of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Silva; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kyari.
The President also set up the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 response manage the nation’s response to the Coronavirus global pandemic.
Today’s Council meeting is expected to review all the response actions so far, get reports from the Osinbajo-led Economic Sustainability team and come up with new policies at the end of the meeting, according to a source at the Cabinet office, in Abuja.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy had earlier in the week set up mechanisms for smooth interactions that will involve all Cabinet Ministers, via videoconferencing.
This is to ensure compliance with the Presidential directives on social distancing in the wake of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic
The meeting will be used to pay tribute to the former Chief of staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who had attended the last FEC meeting on the 25th of March, before testing positive for the Coronavirus, which eventually claimed his life.
