Osinbajo Urges States To Send #EndSARS Judicial Panels’ Progress Reports

As plans for next year’s budget begins to gather pace, the
National Economic Council (NEC) has endorsed the 2022-2024 Medium
Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP)
which was presented to it at an emergency meeting of the Council
today.

Besides the MTEF presentation, the NEC also updated its focus on
the reports of the State Judicial Panels set up across the country
after last year’s #EndSARS protests.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, urged States where the panels
are still sitting to also send interim reports so as to measure
progress.

According to the Vice President, in a statement by his media
aide Laolu Akande, the reports are now being received ahead of a
Council meeting where presentations would be made on them, both for
States where the panels have concluded their work and those that
are still sitting.

The statement said these were some of the major highlights of
the emergency meeting of the Council which held virtually and was
presided over by the Vice President, with several State Governors,
FCT Minister, Finance Minister, Central Bank Governor, and other
government officials in attendance.

It will be recalled that the Council recommended the
establishment of judicial panels nationwide to address complaints
of police brutality after the President dissolved the Police SARS
unit. Almost all states in the Federation set up the panels,
including the Federal Capital Territory.

The Council comprises the 36 State Governors, the Minister of
the Federal Capital Territory, and the Governor of the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN), as well as other senior Federal Government
officials.

During the presentation of the MTEF to the Council, the Minister
of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, stated
that the draft of the 2022-2024 MTEF/FSP was prepared against the
backdrop of global economic recovery, amidst improved vaccination
outlook and lower incidence of (COVID-19) infection.

She also said the Nigerian economy sustained a tepid recovery in
first quarter of 2021 posting a Year-on-Year (YoY) GDP growth of
0.51%, consolidating the exit from recession in Q4 2020, reflecting
the easing of COVID-19 induced restrictions.

The Minister recalled that the economy, which lapsed into
recession in Q3 2020, after two successive quarters of negative GDP
growth, promptly emerged from the recession with a positive 0.11%
GDP growth in Q4 2020. She added that the Medium Term Fiscal
Framework showed that there are continuing global challenges in the
aftermath of the COVID-19.

The presentation to the Council by Dr. Zainab Ahmed today
followed the public presentation of the paper yesterday and a
forthcoming presentation to the Federal Executive Council soon.

Also at today’s meeting, Council was informed that the issue of
the repayment of the Budget Support Facility has now been resolved
after a meeting presided over earlier this week by the Vice
President, Governor Kayode Fayemi, representing the States, the
Finance Minister and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Under the new arrangement, the Central Bank of Nigeria has
offered a fresh bridging financing to States as they resume the
repayment of the FG-backed Facility.

As plans for next year’s budget begins to gather pace, the
National Economic Council (NEC) has endorsed the 2022-2024 Medium
Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP)
which was presented to it at an emergency meeting of the Council
today.

Besides the MTEF presentation, the NEC also updated its focus on
the reports of the State Judicial Panels set up across the country
after last year’s #EndSARS protests.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, urged States where the panels
are still sitting to also send interim reports so as to measure
progress.

According to the Vice President, in a statement by his media
aide Laolu Akande, the reports are now being received ahead of a
Council meeting where presentations would be made on them, both for
States where the panels have concluded their work and those that
are still sitting.

The statement said these were some of the major highlights of
the emergency meeting of the Council which held virtually and was
presided over by the Vice President, with several State Governors,
FCT Minister, Finance Minister, Central Bank Governor, and other
government officials in attendance.

It will be recalled that the Council recommended the
establishment of judicial panels nationwide to address complaints
of police brutality after the President dissolved the Police SARS
unit. Almost all states in the Federation set up the panels,
including the Federal Capital Territory.

The Council comprises the 36 State Governors, the Minister of
the Federal Capital Territory, and the Governor of the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN), as well as other senior Federal Government
officials.

During the presentation of the MTEF to the Council, the Minister
of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr. Zainab Ahmed, stated
that the draft of the 2022-2024 MTEF/FSP was prepared against the
backdrop of global economic recovery, amidst improved vaccination
outlook and lower incidence of (COVID-19) infection.

She also said the Nigerian economy sustained a tepid recovery in
first quarter of 2021 posting a Year-on-Year (YoY) GDP growth of
0.51%, consolidating the exit from recession in Q4 2020, reflecting
the easing of COVID-19 induced restrictions.

The Minister recalled that the economy, which lapsed into
recession in Q3 2020, after two successive quarters of negative GDP
growth, promptly emerged from the recession with a positive 0.11%
GDP growth in Q4 2020. She added that the Medium Term Fiscal
Framework showed that there are continuing global challenges in the
aftermath of the COVID-19.

The presentation to the Council by Dr. Zainab Ahmed today
followed the public presentation of the paper yesterday and a
forthcoming presentation to the Federal Executive Council soon.

Also at today’s meeting, Council was informed that the issue of
the repayment of the Budget Support Facility has now been resolved
after a meeting presided over earlier this week by the Vice
President, Governor Kayode Fayemi, representing the States, the
Finance Minister and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Under the new arrangement, the Central Bank of Nigeria has
offered a fresh bridging financing to States as they resume the
repayment of the FG-backed Facility.