TheNewsGuru

Tag: Aso Villa

  • Shettima receives 114 EndBadGovernance ‘minors’ at Aso Villa after freedom

    Shettima receives 114 EndBadGovernance ‘minors’ at Aso Villa after freedom

    A group of about 114 #EndBadGovernance protesters, including 30 minors, whose release was ordered by President Bola Tinubu on Monday, have arrived at the State House Auditorium in Abuja.

    They were brought to the premises at around 2:00 pm and were received by Vice President Kashim Shettima on behalf of Tinubu to be handed over to their respective state governors.

    Their release was facilitated by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

    Justice Obiora Egwatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier dismissed the case against the protesters as requested by the Office of the Attorney-General.

    In attendance are Deputy Senate President Jubrin Barau, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation Abubakar Bichi, as well as the Governors of Kaduna, Uba Sani, and Kano, Abba Yusuf.

    Ministers of Education, Tunji Alausa; Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda; and Environment, Balarabe Lawal, are also present at the venue.

    Others include the Ministers of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Tanko Sununu, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (Northwest), Abdullahi Yakasai.

  • BREAKING: Inauguration of 45 Ministers-designate underway

    BREAKING: Inauguration of 45 Ministers-designate underway

    The inauguration of 45 ministers-designate is currently underway at Aso Villa this Monday morning following the Senate’s confirmation of 45 out of 48 ministerial nominees presented by President Bola Tinubu.

    Just over a week ago, President Tinubu also revealed the portfolios assigned to each minister-designate, setting the stage for this inauguration.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that three out of the 48 candidates initially put forward by the President failed to get security clearance and consequently were not approved by the Senate.

    At the inauguration ceremony, the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity Aguri Ngelale, read out the citations of the ministers in batches of five, which was followed by the administration of oaths and taking of photographs with President Tinubu.

    Inauguration of 45 Ministers-designate underway at Aso Villa

    Earlier on Sunday, the President approved the redeployment of some Ministers-designate, such as Abubakar Momoh from the Federal Ministry of Youth to now head the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development, which was not among portfolios previously listed, leading to speculations that the Ministry had been scrapped.

    Additionally, there were reshuffles in the ministries of Transportation, Interior, and Marine & Blue Economy. while Adegboyega Oyetola was redeployed as the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo was reassigned as the Honourable Minister of Interior, and Sa’idu Alkali as the Honourable Minister of Transportation.

    President Tinubu also approved the renaming of the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management to the Federal Ministry of Environment.

     

  • Soludo in Aso Villa, reveals master plan to turn Anambra into massive construction yard

    Soludo in Aso Villa, reveals master plan to turn Anambra into massive construction yard

     

    …to prioritize security, power, roads, health and education sectors

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has commended Gov Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, “for the transformational agenda he is bringing to bear in Anambra State…”

    Prof Osinbajo paid the compliment when the Governor visited him in Aso Rock Villa on Wednesday.

    Shortly after the meeting with the Vice President, Soludo during interview with the State House Correspondents revealed plans by his administration to embark on massive action in some very critical sectors of life in the state soon.

    He listed the sectors to include Security, Roads, Health, Power and Education amongst others.

    Though he did not give details of his discussion with the Vice President, but he was able to admit that it was “private”.

    According to the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime, the Governor confirmed to the journalists that the hitherto disturbing level of insecurity in Anambra was now being tamed by the reorganized, reinvigorated and restructured security architecture he has put in place.

    Prof Soludo, according to the statement from Mr Aburime noted that, “… the State is now comparatively safer and peaceful with the security architecture
    being put in place”

    The Governor used the opportunity also to commend the various security agencies in Anambra State and the citizens for their cooperation and partnership in the fight against insecurity in the State.

    Commenting on his six months in office and the massive programmes especially in the areas of road, health, education, power and other critical sectors, that are presently being aggressively executed, the Soludo assured that in few months time Anambra will be, one big construction site for massive development!

  • Buhari meets UN Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres at Aso Villa

    Buhari meets UN Secretary-General, Antonio Gutteres at Aso Villa

    President Muhammadu Buhari and the visiting Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutteres, on Wednesday, engaged in talks bordering on war against terrorism, food security and other international issues.

    Newsmen reports that the Nigerian leader welcomed Guterres at the State House at about 3.p.m., before going into closed door discussions on matters affecting Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

    The UN boss, who arrived in Nigeria on a two-day visit, was in Maiduguri, Borno, where he interacted with victims and repentant Islamist militants, on Tuesday.

    Gutteres, who is visiting Nigeria for the first time since he assumed duty as UN secretary-general, had before the meeting with President Buhari, performed a wreath-laying ceremony for victims of the 2011 bombing at Nigeria’s UN House in Abuja.

    Newsmen reports that the visiting secretary-general had already visited Senegal and Niger Republic.

  • FG releases N10 billion for presidential wing clinic

    FG releases N10 billion for presidential wing clinic

    The Federal Government has so far released N10.06 billion to speed up the construction of the Presidential (VIP) Wing of the State House Clinic, Aso Villa, Abuja.

    The Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijanni Umar, made this known while giving an overview of the financial status of the project, scheduled to be completed by December.

    Umar was addressing members of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, who were on oversight inspection of the ongoing project on Tuesday in Abuja.

    He said the N416.6 million budgeted for the project in 2020 and N1.06 billion in 2021, have already been paid in full.

    The Permanent Secretary indicated that out of the N20.8billion budgeted for the project in 2022, the federal government had paid N8.5 billion.

    Umar recalled that in line with due process, President Muhammadu Buhari had granted approval to engage Messers Julius Berger Plc to review and develop the concept design and proceed with the construction of the project as a turnkey contract.

    ”Accordingly, on July 29, 2021, the company was instructed to proceed with the review of the concept design and other site works simultaneously, based on which a roadmap/timeline for the construction of the facility was developed.

    ”In furtherance to this, the site was handed over to M/s JBN on 23rd August, 2021 which proceeded to undertake a necessary and extensive site survey and other ancillary works paving the way for the groundbreaking and foundation laying that was performed by the Chief of Staff to the President on Nov. 1, 2021.

    ”It is instructive to note that the schedule of payment plan which is linked with the work plan that was negotiated with the company in line with the advice of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning outlining milestones at which the client is expected to effect regular periodic payment for work done,” he said.

    According to him, this is in order to sustain the momentum of work and to deliver/commission the project by Dec. 31, 2022.

    He, however, noted that this was yet to be fully aligned.

    In his remarks, The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, Sen. Danjuma La’ah, expressed satisfaction at the progress of work on the Presidential (VIP) Wing of the State House Clinic.

    He said: ”For the remarkable steps so far reached on the project site, I am highly impressed,” he said.

    The Senator, who described the progress of the work as fantastic, commended the contractors, Julius Berger Plc and the management of State House, led by the Permanent Secretary, for complying with the time schedule for the completion of the project.

    ”We will take it as a point of duty to keep a tab on this project until it is completed, ” he added

    La’ah recalled that when he assumed the leadership of the Committee, he had pledged that the Senate would ensure that the clinic is properly equipped to provide world-class medical services to principal officers in the Presidential Villa.

    The regional manager of Julius Berger Nigeria, Oliver Berger, who took the lawmakers through the milestones on the projects so far, assured them that the project which is situated on an area of 2800sqm would be completed on schedule.

    The following members of the Senate Committee inspected the project: Senators Istifanus Gyang (PDP- Plateau North), Mpigi Barinada (PDP-Rivers South-East), Tofowomo Nicholas (PDP-Ondo South) and Nmachi Ama (PDP-Ebonyi South).

    Others at the site of the ongoing project included; Gershon Basset (PDP-Cross River South), Bulus Amos (APC-Gombe South), Dimka Ayuba (APC-Plateau Central), Frank Ibezim (APC-Imo North) and Halliru Jika (APC-Bauchi Central).

  • Buhari hosts Tinubu behind closed doors at Aso Villa

    Buhari hosts Tinubu behind closed doors at Aso Villa

    President Muhammadu Buhari has met behind closed doors with National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The agenda of the meeting between the president and Tinubu was unknown to newsmen as at the time of filing this report.

    However, it was gathered that the APC leader was in the villa to officially exchange New Year greetings with the president and also to discuss some national issues.

    Tinubu is believed to be nurturing political ambitions in 2023.

  • Presidency speaks on alleged mass spread of COVID-19 in Aso Villa

    Presidency speaks on alleged mass spread of COVID-19 in Aso Villa

    Presidency has reacted to the report of alleged spread of the COVID-19 in the Presidential Villa, saying presidential aides are also humans.

    Report had emerged on Saturday, listing a number of close aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had been diagnosed with the virus and have been asked to self-isolate and stay away from the Villa.

    However, speaking on a monitored Channels Television programme, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the fact that aides of the President could fall ill as a result of a pandemic ravaging the entire population means that they are also humans like any other member of the society.

    “Well, what I like to say is that presidential aides are just human. They can fall sick. If anything happens to human beings, it can also happen to presidential aides. The fact that we are presidential aides does not make us to be immune to certain things. If there is a virus that is ravaging the society, well, it can touch anybody.

    “So, Mallam Garba Shehu has confirmed that, yes, he tested positive, but he said it’s mild and I believe that by now, because it happened since Wednesday, by now, he should almost have beaten it if he had not beaten it already. There is no cause for alarm,” he said.

    Asked how he was holding up since he had contact with Shehu, Adesina said: “Well, I also believe God for the best. If it happens, I’ll recover. So, that’s it.”

    Asked how many of the President’s aides in the State House have been infected, Adesina said: “No. That will not be within my purview to discuss maybe if you get the Presidential doctor or anybody in the medical side, they will tell you. I wouldn’t know because, it is a private thing. If it happens to anybody is between that person and possibly the doctor. It’s not going to be general knowledge. So, I may not be able to say.”

    Asked if the President was isolating because he had been exposed to those infected, Adesina said: “Well, I think Mr. President is quite fine; he is doing his normal routine, following his normal schedule.

    “But if anybody close to him test positive, that person is required to stay away till he tests again, and he test negative. So, Mr. President is following his normal schedule and routine,” he said

  • Buhari hosts South Africa’s President, Ramaphosa at Aso Villa

    Buhari hosts South Africa’s President, Ramaphosa at Aso Villa

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday hosted his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, in the Presidential Villa Abuja.

    Ramaphosa, who is on a two-day official visit to Nigeria, was received at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa by President Buhari before the two leaders went into a closed door bilateral talks.

    NAN observed that there was a brief cultural display by members of the Nigerian National Troupe, who entertained the visiting South African President and his delegation.

    The two presidents are expected to address a joint press conference at the end of the bilateral talks.

  • Why I snubbed Osinbajo’s Aso Villa invitation – Mr Macaroni

    Why I snubbed Osinbajo’s Aso Villa invitation – Mr Macaroni

    Comedian, Debo Adebayo aka Mr Macaroni, has explained why he declined an invitation to meet Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The Vice President on Wednesday hosted a team of young skit practitioners at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The delegation, under the aegis of the Nigeria Skits Industry Awards (NSIA), was led by its promoter, Bimbo Daramola.

    Those on the delegation were Maryam Apaokagi popularly known as Taooma; Josh Alfred (Josh2funny); Ayo Ajewole (Woli Agba); Adebamiro Adeyanju (Mr Hyenana) and Adeoye Adeyemi Elesho (Yemi Elesho).

    The visit has since attracted criticisms for those who attended.

    While social media users lashed those that attended, they commended Mr Macaroni for not going.

    Speaking on his absence, in a lengthy post on social media, Mr Macaroni, who has been lending his voice to social injustice, said he declined because of his anger with political leaders.

    He said he does not want to be associated with them because of how the country has been governed over the years.

    Mr Macaroni however said he believed those that went did so in their quest for a better nation as that’s what they’ve been fighting for all these while.

    He said; “First, I do not think there is an association of skit makers. If there is, then I don’t know anything about it. And that would be fine because I am an Actor/Thespian first before the Tag “Skit Maker”.

    “So I don’t think those that went to see the VP without me or anyone else meant to sideline me. I want to believe they were invited to see The VP by the organizers of an Award Ceremony the same way I was invited. The only difference is that I declined the invitation.

    “The reason I declined is simple. As a citizen, I’m not happy with our leaders and I do not want to associate with them. It’s ok if others believe that sitting with the Govt will change certain things and decide to try it out. I don’t think they should be crucified for that.

    “I have just seen too much to know that The govt sees and hears everything. They and their workers are always on the Internet. They know what we cry and complain about and they do nothing about it. So what will sitting down with them to tell them what they already know change?

    “I don’t know what was discussed in that meeting as I wasn’t there. But I don’t believe those that went would go there to say anything other than demanding for better governance and leadership as we all have been doing all these while.”

  • #ENDSARS Anniversary: Massive security beef up around Aso Rock, NASS

    #ENDSARS Anniversary: Massive security beef up around Aso Rock, NASS

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    As the #ENDSARs protesters mark first anniversary, the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly has an unusual security presence around both structures as security operatives mount sentry in all major entry points of the seat of power in Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports both structures from the headquarters of the Department for State Security (DSS) through the entry point of the Office of the Secretary to the Government to the Federation, (SGF) policemen positioned themselves under trees and bridges scattered around NASS Complex and Aso Rock.

    Shehu Shagari road linking the backside of Aso Rock and NASS was earlier barricaded as the protesters converged at the Ministry of Justice which was initially barricaded in the morning hours but as at the time of filing this report, the barricade had been lifted by the security operatives.

    There’s a free flow of traffic on Shagari road but with heavy presence scattered all over Shagari road in Abuja.