Presidency says Buhari will continue to rest until he's fit to work

Presidency says Buhari will continue to rest until he's fit to work – Newspaper review

– President Muhammadu Buhari missed the Federal Executive meeting for the third consecutive time

– Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said the president is following doctors’ orders to take a lot of rest

– The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the total public debt of the Federal Government and 36 states of Nigeria jumped to N18 trillion in 2016

ZENITHBLOG.com brings to you the newspaper headlines of May 4, 2017 which are focused on President Muhammadu Buhari’s health condition and the economic situation of the country.

This Day reports that the federal government has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will continue to rest until he has fully recovered and is fit to work based on his doctor’s advice.

Making this remark on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said Buhari was not in the meeting because he chose to rest.

He dismissed inquiries by State House correspondents seeking to know if the president’s health had deteriorated to the extent that he was being fed.

This Day Newspaper

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Punch reports that the National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that a cabal is now ruling Nigeria.

It believes the health challenge of President Muhammadu Buhari has shown that some individuals have taken over the running of the government from the ailing President.

The reaction of the committee followed the inability of Buhari to attend the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting for the third consecutive week.

Though there is nothing unusual in the President being sick, the former ruling party submitted that what was bad was the refusal of the President to disclose the true state of his health.

Punch Newspaper

Vanguard reports that the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), on Wednesday, May 3, said that the total public debt of the Federal Government and the 36 states jumped by 43 per cent to N18 trillion in 2016.

The bureau disclosed this in its report on Nigeria’s Domestic and Foreign Debt for 2016, issued on May, 3.

READ ALSO: A cabal has taken over power from Buhari – PDP

According to the report, total foreign debt of the Federal Government and 36 states rose by 6.5 per cent to $11.41 billion in 2016 from $10.71 billion in 2015, while the total domestic debt rose by 36.5 per cent to N14.02 trillion from N10.49 in 2015 trillion.

At the

exchange rate of N360 per dollar, which is the rate for invisibles, the domestic and foreign debt result in N18.02 trillion for 2016.

Vanguard Newspaper

The Guardian reports that the Federal Government has concluded plans to withdraw licences of private refineries which have not been able to produce petroleum products after many years of their acquisition from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

About 25 of the affected 32 licences may be withdrawn by the regulator, as they have exceeded the two-year grace given them by the agency to commence the production of petroleum products. Out of these refineries, with anticipated capacity to process over 1.352 million barrels of crude oil, only Dangote Refinery has started work.

The Guardian Newspaper

The Nation reports that the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted an employee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for accepting over N70million bribe from former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, to rig the 2015 general election results.

Justice Mohammed Idris convicted Yisa Adedoyin for receiving cash payment of N70,050,000.00 after he pleaded guilty to an amended charge.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned him along with Christian Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir.