Buhari absent as Osinbajo presides over FEC meeting

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is currently presiding over this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting.

The meeting which began at 10:00am is held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Present are the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.

Ministers attending in person are the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire; Dr Chris Ngige; Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Agriculture, Mohammad Abubakar; Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Niger Delta, Umana Umana; Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare and Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Also present are the Ministers for Finance, Zainab Ahmed; Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen; Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo; Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi FCT, Mohammed Bello; Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami; Science and Technology, Olorunimbe Mamora; and Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

Meanwhile, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is not attending today’s meeting as he is away in Dakar, Senegal, to attend the high-level Dakar 2 Summit hosted by President Macky Sall of Senegal and who is also the chairperson of the African Union.

It is the second FEC meeting in a row that the President is absent from.

Likewise, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, and the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Babagana Monguno are not present as they are on the President’s entourage in Dakar.

They are expected back in the country later on Wednesday