Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting is currently on going.

The meeting is being presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and several ministers in attendance. The meeting commenced at 11:00a.m.

The opening prayers for the first time were said by two Christians, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige.

President Buhari had asked the Minister of Environment, Jibril Ibrahim, to pray but was told he was not around.

He then asked the Minister of Labour and Productivity to pray, but when Ngige reminded the President that he was also a Christian, he insisted he should go ahead and pray.

Meanwhile Vice President Osinbajo was seen discussing with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole and the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed. Their discussion seemed to be connected with the reinstatement of the suspended Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Usman Yusuf.

Unlike the altercation between the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, in Council Chambers over the leaked memo exonerating herself from the reinstatement of the embattled former Chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, into the service, the discussion was civil but clear that Osinbajo was seeking clarification.

Mr. Yusuf was suspended by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, in June 2017, following allegations of gross misconduct.

A panel commissioned by the minister after Mr. Yusuf’s suspension later found him culpable of infractions that ranged from nepotism to theft of public funds.

Adewole confirmed to an online medium that he got the reinstatement letter, on Tuesday evening.

“It is true that the president has reinstated him,” Adewole was quoted to have said.

The reinstatement letter urged Yusuf to work closely with the minister upon resumption.