News

Why Tinubu Ordered Ministers To Render Accounts – Presidency

Published

4 months ago

February 15, 2025

Editor

The Presidency has said the failure of some ministers to render accounts of their stewardship prompted President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive for periodic press briefings by cabinet members.

On Tuesday, the Federal Government announced that ministers would begin to hold regular press briefings next week to update Nigerians on government policies and activities.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja, stating that President Tinubu had mandated all ministers to engage with the public regularly to promote transparency and accountability.

According to Idris, the briefings will provide a platform for ministers to highlight key developments in their respective ministries, address public concerns, and combat misinformation.

“In 2024, we hosted 25 ministers at these briefings and reached millions of people in Nigeria and abroad through traditional and digital media platforms,” Idris said.

He added, “This year, 2025, is a year of consolidation—a year for building on the gains we have seen in the first 19 months of the administration.”

The minister’s announcement has fuelled speculation that the directive may serve as a means to reassess the performance of ministers, potentially paving the way for a cabinet reshuffle ahead of Tinubu’s second anniversary in office.

In the build-up to his first anniversary in office, the President ordered all 47 ministers at the time to present their performance reports to Nigerians.

Idris, who announced this at a press briefing in Abuja in May, stated that the low-key first anniversary celebration would feature sectoral media briefings by the ministers.

However, in October, when President Tinubu reshuffled his cabinet, some allegedly underperforming ministers retained their positions, while only five were sacked and 10 others were reassigned to new portfolios.

As Tinubu’s second anniversary approaches, some analysts have interpreted the fresh directive as a strong indication of an impending reassessment, potentially setting the stage for another cabinet reshuffle this year.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the president, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed such speculations, stating that the directive simply reinforced the President’s long-standing demand for accountability.

“The President has always insisted that ministers should render accounts. People want to know what they have been doing, but not all of them have been doing so.

“By asking them now to come forward and speak, the Information minister is merely implementing what the President has consistently emphasised—that the public deserves to know what each minister is doing. This has nothing to do with a reassessment or a cabinet reshuffle.

“It is simply about ensuring that all ministers provide periodic updates on their activities,” Onanuga said.

A source close to the President, who requested anonymity, also corroborated Onanuga’s stance, stressing that the periodic briefing had no connection to any performance reassessment or potential cabinet changes.

“I don’t believe it’s about assessment. This is nothing new. They have been doing it before, and this is just a reiteration. What I can tell you is that it cannot serve as a basis for assessment because the evaluation parameters are entirely different,” the source stated.

News

SEC Bans CEOs From Becoming Chairmen Without 3-year Break

Published

7 hours ago

June 21, 2025

Editor

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a new directive prohibiting Chief Executive Officers and Executive Directors from immediately assuming the position of Board Chairman within the same company or group after leaving office.

A mandatory three-year “cool off period” has been introduced before such transitions can take place.

The directive is part of a wider effort to strengthen corporate governance and prevent the concentration of power in public companies and capital market operators deemed to be of significant public interest.

This was disclosed in a circular released by the Commission and signed by the management on Thursday on its website titled “Circular to All Public Companies and Capital Market Operators on the Transmutation of Independent Non-Executive Directors and Tenure of Directors.”

The SEC expressed concern over what it described as a “worrying trend of the transmutation/conversion of Independent Non-Executive Directors (INEDs) to Executive Directors, including to the position of the Chief Executive Officer.”

It warned that such practices undermine board independence.

The Circular reads,”This practice clearly erodes the neutrality of the transmuting INEDs, compromises their ability going forward to provide objective judgment and is generally antithetical to the principles which underpin independent directorship as outlined in both the National Code of Corporate Governance (NCCG) as well as the SEC Corporate Governance Guidelines (SCGG).”

As a result, the Commission has directed the immediate discontinuance of the conversion of INEDs into Executive Directors within the same company or group structure.

The new rules also introduce strict tenure limits. Directors in Capital Market Operators considered to be of significant public interest will now be limited to 10 consecutive years in the same company, and 12 years within the same group structure.

“A Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director who steps down after 10 or 12 consecutive years, as the case may be, cannot be appointed as Chairman until the expiration of a 3-year ‘cool off period’.

“The tenure of such former Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director as Chairman shall be for a maximum of 4 years and no more.”

The SEC said these changes are backed by its powers under Section 355(r)(iv) of the Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025, which authorises it to set governance standards for regulated entities.

“The foregoing directives take immediate effect and compliance is mandatory. Public Companies and Capital Market Operators are therefore required to take the directives into account in their board appointments and succession planning,” the statement added.

The Commission also clarified that years already served by current officeholders will count toward the newly established tenure caps.

News

We’ve Initiated Policies, Reforms For Sustainable Health Delivery System — Edo Deputy Gov

Published

10 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Editor

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa has
said that the Senator Monday Okpebholo-led administration has initiated policies and reforms that will ensure a sustainable healthcare delivery system.

Idahosa stated this while chairing the second meeting of the state taskforce on Primary Health Care (PHC), at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin.

According to statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Friday Aghedo, the meeting included the taskforce members, stakeholders, and developmental partners.

In his keynote address, the deputy governor called for societal vigilance and surveillance to help curtail the effects of the outbreak of Dengue Fever and Diphtheria.

He mentioned that the state was putting up concerted efforts at building a responsive and resilient PHC system.

He encouraged members of the taskforce to be solutions driven, as well as be an instrument of change in their quest to disseminate, enlighten and champion a result driven health process that benefits locals across the eighteen local government areas.

He noted that the plan was to make primary healthcare the most accessible form of healthcare in the state to aid better maternal and health outcomes.

Idahosa singled out and commended the Egor local government chairman, Hon. Kelvin Eguaekun, for his concerted effort to network and maintain cleanliness in his council area.

Idahosa informed the state government move to implement a reward system for local government chairmen who play critical roles in their domains by disseminating and implementing processes that showcase the benefits of a cleaner environment to drive down diseases.

Amongst chairmen who pledged to implement reached decisions at the stakeholders meeting included Hon. Haruna Mohammed of Owan East and Hon. Joy Ohonyor of Owan West.

News

What We’ve Done So Far To Curtail Ravaging Dengue Fever, Diphtheria – Edo Govt

Published

10 hours ago

June 20, 2025

Editor

Edo State government said measures have been put in place to combat the outbreak of Dengue Fever and Diphtheria.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Oshiomhole, disclosed this during a meeting with the state deputy governor and taskforce on Primary Health Care (PHC), at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin

He said the government has made donations of medical supplies to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) as part of the intervention.

Oshiomhole listed the medical supplies to include hospital beds, mattresses, oxygen cylinders, intravenous fluids, and and erythromycin, among others.

Dr. Oshiomhole also mentioned that the state received support of twenty doses of Diphtheria antitoxins from Delta state government.

“We also want to commend the UBTH, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and development partners such as UNICEF, WHO for their collaborative efforts and provision of technical support to combat the disease.

“NCDC provided the state with diphtheria antitoxins and intravenous erythromycin and other logistics.

“In addition, NCDC team is presently on ground to do a verbal autopsy of some of the current victims of the Diphtheria outbreak,” he stated.

He noted that the state is also faced with dengue fever which has led to the emphasis on the need for a cleaner environment.

Oshiomhole also reminded on Lassa fever whose outbreak can be controlled to an extent through environmental cleanliness.

The commissioner explained the reactive vaccination for teens from ages 5-14 in schools based on the outbreak of Diphtheria in six council areas of the state.

He harped on the need for contact tracing in neighborhoods and schools in order to track and vaccinate high-risk people, front liners, and high-risk personalities in society.

Earlier, Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EDSPHCDA), Dr. Coulsen Oisokhai, called for collaboration with civil society organizations and development partners to strengthen relationships.

Speaking on behalf of implementing partners, Dr. Nora Eyo of the WHO harped on vaccine hesitancy as a major challenge faced in Edo State.

She pointed out the prevalence of waste dumps in residential buildings in the state as a challenge to sound health.