By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Tinubu Thursday inaugurated the National Economic Council (NEC), headed by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In his address, the President charged the council to support his administration in transforming the economic fortunes of the country.
According to him, the task of growing the nation’s economy is quite enormous, saying that no excuse for failure would be entertained.
The inauguration came a week after Tinubu directed NEC to meet to come up with intervention programmes to mitigate the effects of the petroleum subsidy removal.
The NEC meets monthly and has the mandate to “advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”
Membership of the NEC comprises the 36 State Governors, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Finance and other co-opted government officials.
Those in attendance as at the time the meeting commenced were Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Osun, Ademola Adeleke, Kogi, Yahaya Bello, Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji, Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, Akwa Ibom, Umo Eno and Enugu, Peter Mbah Cross River, Bassey Otu, Plateau, Caleb Muftwang, Kebbi, Nasir Idris, Katsina, Aliyu Radda and Benue Hycinth Alia.
Others were Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, Ogun, Dapo Abiodun, Anambra Charles Soludo, Yobe, Mai Mala Buni, Taraba, Agbu Kefas, Gombe, Delta, Sheriff Oborevwori, Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, Niger Mohammed Bago and Sokoto, Ahmad Aliyu.
Also present were Ebonyi, Francis Nwifuru, Kaduna, Uba Sani, Edo, Godwin Obaseki, Abia, Alex Otti, Bayelsa, Douye Diri, Kano, Abba Yusuf, Bauchi, Bala Mohammed, Oyo, Seyi Makinde and Borno State Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur and Deputy Governor of Ondo, Lucky Ayedatiwa
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, Acting Governor of Central Bank, Folashodun Shonubi, Permanent Secretaries Budget and National Planning, Federal Capital Territory Administration were also in attendance.
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