Shettima presides over NEC meeting in Aso Villa

This month’s meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) has commenced at the presidential villa, Abuja with Vice President Kashim Shettima presiding.

According to Tribune Online, the meeting is coming at a time the hike in the price of petroleum products has brought serious stress on citizens.

The meeting is expected to dwell extensively on ways to mitigate the adverse effects of the removal of petroleum subsidy which is at the root of the rising inflation in the country.

Following increased pressure over the subsidy removal, President Bola Tinubu has been engaging in consultation with relevant stakeholders on how to deal with the fallout of the measure.

NEC comprises the 36 governors of the federation, Ministers in charge of finance, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari among others.

Among those in the Council Chamber of the presidential villa for the meeting slated for 11 am are governors Ademola Adeleke (Osun state), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa state), Ifeanyi Ossai (deputy governor of Enugu state), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe state), Dauda Lawan (Zamfara state) Dikko Radda (Katsina state), Abdulrahman Abdulrazak (Kwara State), Alex Otti (Abia state) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos state).

Others are Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Sheriff Obrevwori (Delta), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), David Onoja (deputy governor, Kogi), Umaru Namadi (Jigawa), Mai Mala Bunu (Yobe), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Prince Bassey Otu (Cross River), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (acting governor, Ondo state), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Ahmad Aliu (Sokoto State), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Hope Uzodimma (Imo) and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).