$800m Loan: W’Bank Clears Air, Says Decision to Draw Down Facility Rests with Incoming Govt Reiterates call for elimination of fuel subsidy Advises incoming government to be decisive, urgently engage stakeholders on assumption of office Obinna Chima Following the controversy surrounding President Muhammadu Buhari’s
recent request for the National Assembly to approve an $800 million World Bank facility, the multilateral institution yesterday clarified that
the loan request was not a fresh one, adding that the decision to withdraw the facility would rest with the incoming government.
The Country Director of the World Bank in Nigeria, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, who said this during an exclusive interview with THISDAY,
explained that securing the National Assembly’s approval would make it easy for the incoming government to easily deploy palliatives if
it decides to phase out the country’s controversial fuel subsidy policy. Continued on page 12
Appeal Court Stays Enforcement of Order Suspending Seplat’s CEO, Others... Page 31 Tuesday 16 May, 2023 Vol 28. No 10261. Price: N250
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L-R: Director General , World Trade Organisation , Dr. Ngozi Okonjo –Iweala ; Chairman Governors’ Forum , Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state ; Chief of staff to the President , Prof. Ibrahim Gambari ; Deputy Secretary General of United Nation , Amina Mohammed; Deputy Chairman of Governors’ Forum , Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state and Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state at the induction of governors PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI Elect held at the Conference Center of the Presidential Villa , Abuja…yesterday
Buhari: It’s Been Bumpy 8Years, But We’ve Built Foundation for Prosperous Nigeria Says nation’s electorate now maturing, advises elected officials to deliver or be shown way out Okonjo Iweala, Amina Mohammed, Saraki, David Greene, Elumelu, others task incoming govs on economy, good governance Chuks Okocha in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, reminisced about the last eight years of his administration, saying the journey has been rough, but his administration has laid the foundation for a prosperous Nigeria.
Buhari made the comments in his speech at a gathering of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in Abuja, read by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari. The president stated that the Continued on page 12
WIGWE EMERGES PRESIDENT OF FRANCE-NIGERIA BUSINESS COUNCIL... GMD/CEO, Access Holdings Plc and President, France-Nigeria Business Council, Herbert Wigwe, (right) and President of France, Emmanuel Macron, during a courtesy visit to Macron who congratulated Wigwe on his appointment as President of France-Nigeria Business Council and the launch of Access Bank in Paris…recently
US Imposes Visa Ban on Nigerians Who Disrupted 2023 Elections... Page 12