President Bola Tinubu chaired the 19th meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the State House in Abuja, marking his first council session since returning from a two-week vacation in the United Kingdom and France. The previous council meeting took place on September 23, 2024. However, Vice President Kashim Shettima was notably absent from this session, as he is representing Nigeria at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
Several key ministers were also absent due to international commitments. The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, are attending the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C. Similarly, Ministers Yusuf Tuggar of Foreign Affairs, Festus Keyamo of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Balarabe Lawal of Environment, and Nyesom Wike of the Federal Capital Territory are away on other national assignments.
Prior to the meeting, President Tinubu officiated the swearing-in of Dr. Abdullahi Bello as the new Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Dr. Bello, appointed on March 28, 2024, succeeds Prof. Isah Mohammed, who held the position since November 2018. During the ceremony, Bello pledged his commitment to integrity and accountability, emphasizing the Bureau’s role in combating corruption and upholding ethical conduct among public servants.
Dr. Bello highlighted that Nigeria possesses the necessary systems and institutions to tackle corruption effectively, stressing the importance of leveraging technology to prevent corrupt practices. He assured the public of his dedication to fulfilling the Bureau’s mandate, aiming to strengthen accountability and integrity within the public sector. Bello further noted that while corruption is a challenge in any society, strong systems and institutions are vital to controlling it.
