President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday ordered all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) from engaging in any form of recruitment without obtaining presidential clearance. The decision is to prevent swelling their expenses and ultimately altering the implementation of the budget.

The Senate on Tuesday called for the abolition of Excess Crude Account (ECA).

The Upper Chamber also called on the executive to pay the amount above the oil benchmark into the Federation Account in compliance with the constitution.

The Presidency says the United Nation’s prediction that 2019 elections in Nigeria will be credible and violent free is yet another indication of the world’s confidence in Nigeria’s current administration. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, expressed pleasure at the world body’s observation of the trends in President Buhari’s government, which could only lead down the path of free and fair elections come 2019.

The three Senators representing Kaduna state in the National Assembly have condemned plans by the Governor of Kaduna state, Malla Nasir El-rufai to sack over 21, 000 teachers over alleged failure to pass competency test conducted recently by the state government. Senator Shehu Sani who spoke on behalf of the other senators claimed that Gov. El-rufai was only seeking to replace the teachers with loyalists who will assist him in realizing his 2019 political ambition.

The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday formally presented an N8.6 trillion 2018 budget to a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives at the National Assembly. Dubbed the “budget of consolidation” the budget was baout 16% increase from the N7.44 trillion appropriated in 2017.

The Federal government has said it is ready to engage with Niger Delta Avengers and other groups if they make their interests known.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Usani Uguri, made the remarks on Monday, after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.