President Muhammad Buhari has assented to the legislation requiring the President-elect and governors-elect to submit the names of individuals nominated as ministries or commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly.

Fidel Info reports that In addition, he signed three other legislation, 14 other constitutional amendment bills, and the State Houses of Assembly’s financial and state judiciary autonomy bills.

The Administration claims that this advances Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare, in a statement on Friday, made this known.

The highlights of the assented Constitutional Alteration Bills, among others, are ensuring financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; regulating the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly and for related matters.

The statement read, “Others are ensuring that the President and governors submit the names of persons nominated as ministers or commissioners within 60 days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly; and for related matters; enabling states generate, transmit, and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid; and for related matters.”

“Excluding the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election matters petitions, etc; regulating the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the national and state assemblies; changing prisons to correctional service and re-designate correctional service in the concurrent list; and moving item “railway” from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.”

The President also assented to three other bills: The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology Act, The Nigerian Institute of International Relations Act, and The Federal Medical Centres (Amendment) Acts.

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has asked residents of the state, especially marketers, to collect and spend the old and new naira notes as both are still legal tenders in the country.

Fidel Info reports that According to a Kwara State Government House statement on Tuesday, ”Per the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the latest circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the old naira notes still remain a legal tender in the country. Banks are now officially issuing the old naira notes (including N500, N1000). I, therefore, urge all residents of our state to spend and receive both the old and the new naira notes.” 

“This appeal especially goes to our marketers/traders. Further rejection of the old naira notes is in breach of the Supreme Court judgment. Such rejection is also inflicting economic pains on ourselves. Marketers, and indeed everyone in the state, can and should receive the old and new naira notes since commercial banks are now receiving the two. Citizens are to note that rejection of the legal tender, such as the old naira note, is a serious crime under our law.

“I also implore the banks to kindly extend every support within their powers to our people to ease all their transactions as things return to normal.”

The Okpanam community in Delta State’s Oshimili North Local Government Area has praised governor Ifeanyi Okowa for authorizing N1.9 billion in counterpart money for the construction of the Amachai/Igwogwo road to Akwuku Igbo and the management of erosion on the Ogbeozoma route.

Fidel Info reports that Amb. Felix Ideh, the senior special assistant to the governor of Delta State, urged the neighborhood to cast as many votes as possible for Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP in the March 18 governorship election. He made the request while going door to door on Sunday.

He said, “I want to let you know Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has approved the sum of N1.9 billion for the counterpart funding of Amachai/Igwogwo road to Akwuku Igbo and erosion site control, Ogbeozoma road/erosion site control and Obodogba area erosion control among other.

“This projects would be financed and constructed by the world Bank and European Investment Bank.

“Amachai Quarters and Okpanam community in general embrace and support the positive vision of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party by voting en mass for Oborevwori in the March 18.”

“This door to door campaign is to inform you again that Oborevwori will sustain the developmental strides of Okowa led administration not only in the Okpanam but the state at large”

He pointed out that the town has benefited much from the Okowa administration in terms of political appointments, educational upgrades, and human capital development.

Ideh emphasized the significance of praising the governor with resounding votes for Oborevwori and every PDP House of Assembly candidate, warning that these crucial infrastructure would be terminated if any other political party than the PDP wins the governorship election.

He reminded the good people of Okpanam that despite being close to the state capital of Asaba, they had not had it so good before the Okowa administration took office in 2015 because there was no obvious government presence there. He claimed that the PDP-led administration in the state had always prioritized the Okpanam community in its plans.

Ideh continued the campaign at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Amachai Quarters, Okpanam, where he urged the congregation to exercise good judgment on March 18 by voting for Oborevwori since he is the honorable and appointed candidate to inhabit the Delta state Government House.

He stated that through the assistance of the Secretary to the state government , Patrick Ukah , they had embarked on the maintenance of some of the roads so as to ease the stress they undergo using the roads, noting that the installation of street lights had also commenced.