Presidency on Tuesday said it has shelved the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting earlier scheduled for Wednesday 4th September, 2019.
This is just as Presidency also announced that it will fully participate in the peace meeting taking place in Abuja on Wednesday, which is being organized by the Governors of Benue and Taraba states
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the postponement of FEC is to enable the newly sworn in Ministers put finishing touches to the 2019 budget, amongst other issues.
Shehu also stated that this is due to the fact that all the memos earlier submitted to the Council for consideration have been returned to the various Ministries.
According to him, “ This action will allow Ministers who were recently sworn in have their inputs in the memos sent by their predecessors in office.
Presidency noted that the period is also to enable the Ministers, who are still taking briefs from bureaucrats in the Ministries and familiarizing themselves with their work space, have more time to contribute to discussions at the meeting.
“They will also utilize the period of the break to work towards the early preparation and submission of the 2020 budget estimates.
Shehu in another statement, said the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, will attend the Tiv, Jukun stakeholders meeting as a “stakeholder and guarantor to assure full federal government backing for the implementation of resolutions arising from the meeting”
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier called on Governors of Benue and Taraba States as well as their traditional and political leaders to initiate an urgent de-escalation of the crisis between the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups.
President Buhari has also emphasized the importance of reducing tensions between the Tiv and Jukun neighbors and maintaining peace in the two states which had witnessed series of violent clashes.
Representatives of the two states are meeting to resolve the lingering crisis which has of recent, claimed lives of innocent persons and property, on Wednesday, at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Center, Abuja.
Federal government said it was joining the peace plans which will be attended by governors of the two states, as well as their traditional, religious and political leaders and other stakeholders.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
