AMINA HUSSAINI
The Federal Government has deferred the monthly deduction of States’ Budget Support facility from their Federation Account’s allocations till April 2021.
The government confirmed the deferment of the deduction on Thursday at the virtual NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Laolu Akande, in a statement in Abuja, said the deduction was suspended in April, this year, as a supportive measure to help States finances stabilize.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2016 approved the Budget Support facility for the States following a request by the States for support to pay workers’ salary.
The NEC, at the September meeting, advised Nigerians to maintain the precautions necessary to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The advice, according to Akande, has become necessary to prevent a complacent attitude in confronting the infectious disease in the country.
He said, “The Council resolved that as long as people are still getting infected, Nigerians should maintain the use of non-pharmaceutical measures and precautions, so that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country are not heightened.
“NEC made the resolution after a presentation by the Director-General of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who gave an update on the pandemic as at September 15, 2020.
“According to the report, there are 56,478 cases in 36 states and FCT. There are also 479,712 tests, 10,960 active cases, 44,430 discharged and 1,088 deaths.”
The NEC received a presentation by the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, on “Education in the New Normal.”
Nwajiuba stated that the new normal in education will require the use of distance learning programmes and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely and limit the disruption of education.
He stressed that the adoption of digital and technological infrastructures will support different forms of virtual learning which is necessary at this period.
In the presentation, Nwajiuba pointed out the main objective of the COVID-19 education response plan is to ensure that education system recovers from school closure and implement safe school operation as well as measures to arrest the potential growth in the number of out of school children, among others.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, reported to Council that the balance in the excess crude account was $72,408,743.16 as at September 15, 2020, while the stabilisation fund account stood at N43,603,048,431.80.
Agba also stated that the balance in the natural resources development fund account N138,770,528,353.88.
Comments are closed.