The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Keeping Presidency indivisible

    No doubt Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has clearly been calling the shots since President Muhammadu Buhari embarked on vacation in the United Kingdom.

    Buhari, unlike some past leaders, has made that possible when he transmitted letters to the National Assembly in line with the 1999 Constitution.

    That move paved the way for Osinbajo to act in Buhari’s absence since January 19.

    But what has become worrisome now is the alarm raised by the Presidency last week of deliberate and calculated attempts by some individuals to divide the house.

    The Presidency believed that the individuals are bent on causing division between Buhari and Osinbajo.

    They have been praising Osinbajo since the naira appreciated against the dollar under his watch.

    They have also thumbed up for Osinbajo for the relative peace in the Niger Delta region, which has led to stoppage of sabotage and bombing of oil and power installations.

    The new peace in the area has increased oil production to over two million barrels per day, which had hovered around one million barrels during the period of hostilities.

    Generation of power has also increased to over 4,000 megawatts with the availability of more gas.

    Apart from signing seven bills into law, Walter Onnoghen was also confirmed by the Senate as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) after Osinbajo forwarded his name to the National Assembly  just before the expiration of his 90-day acting status.

    So this set of Nigerians general believed that things are better under Osinbajo as Acting President in comparison to Buhari in the saddle.

    But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, faulted them, warning that they have bad plots against the unity of the Presidency.

    He said: “I think it is thoughtless. I also see it as a ploy by the opposition to cause an unnecessary ýdivision. It is joint ticket, the president and the vice president were elected based on the manifesto of the party and since they were sworn-in they have been committed to implementing that manifesto.

    “The same people who said we never had economic team, no policy, nothing are the ones saying this. It is now that the policies we are implementing are maturing and they are seeing the result. It is not a question of one person being better than the other person.

    “I will give you an example, there is nothing that has been done since the vice president started acting that is not something that started far back in the past.

    “A good example is the Niger Delta initiative. The President called the Vice President and said I am giving you the mandate, go into the Niger Delta meet with everyone who is a stakeholder, all the communities, talk to the militants and make sure you solve this problem for the benefits of Nigerians.

    “We are losing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, all the gas pipelines powering the turbines are being blown up.

    “And the President has said unless and until we resolve this problem we will not get out of recession.

    “The Vice President took up the mandate and went to the Niger Delta, it is the initiative of Mr. President not that of Vice President.

    “This is mischief makers, those who do not wish this country well, who are always promoting crisis, who will not allow the people to benefit from this democracy, are the ones promoting this kindý of divisive tendencies.” he added

    Noting that the Acting President has been consulting with the President in London, he said: “Almost on a daily basis, yes.ý Well, there are things he still needs to consult the President, I mean it’s not a regular thing but major decisions he still has to consult Mr. President. The president is still the president.

    “ýHe is in charge but like I said earlier on, this is a joint ticket the president of Nigeria remains the president of Nigeria. He is acting because it is one government and the same.

    “He is more experienced, he has been in the game longer than the vice president and if there are major issues that he needs to take decision on, he could call on him and say Sir, what do you think about this we are about to take decision on it, do you have opinion? That does not mean he is not in charge.” he said

    He added: “Again, one other thing you have to see is that if you give someone a responsibility, he must be able to show to Mr. President that despite that he is not around, it is not going to create any vacuum.

    “He can then decide not to sleep at all, all through the time the president is away just to show him that he is capable of ensuring that Nigeria goes on well while he is away.

    “And the President could also have given the mandate let nothing go wrong, I believe in you, I appointed you as my Vice President you must make sure that you do this. If you have a boss who gives you an assignment you will want to impress him and Nigerians as well and that for me is what has happened. ýIt is not that one person is better than the other, certainly not.

    “I’m telling you that I have seen some things sent out intentionally to cause some kind of division within the presidency. Some people who have been condemning everybody in the past, I see them on twitter and on facebook and generally on social media. Some people are trying to promote division and we are not going to allow that.

    “This president and vice president worked together in tandem and I know they both have confidence in this nation.” he said

    While Nigerians have the right to appreciate the improvements they are seeing in the government, it definitely will not augur well for the relationship between the President and the Vice President to be strained.

    When two elephants fight…

     

  • Minister laments poor power supply to Abuja

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has called for improvement in the volume of electricity supplied to Abuja from the national grid to effectively power critical infrastructure in the nation’s capital.

    Bello made the call while receiving the new Managing Director, of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) who led the company’s management team to the Minister’s office on a courtesy call.

    The minister, who stated that the 11 percent electricity allocated from the national grid to the FCT and other neighboring states covered by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) is grossly inadequate, called on the TCN to allocate more power to the Abuja Distribution Company with specific instruction that the extra power should be dedicated to the Territory.

    He said, “Powering the city’s critical infrastructure like the streetlights, the hospitals, water treatment plants and the entire waste management value chain, especially the liquid waste management has been a big challenge with epileptic power supply. We have been faced with a number of options, some which include just going off grid. But we realize that going off grid, the immediate solution will be using fossil fuels, putting generators all over the city and of course that affects the environment critically”.

    The Minister continued, “Really, I want you to look at some short term solutions. We need power in Abuja, not just to make the city look beautiful but even for the security of the city. I’m sure when you go round the city at night, the infrastructure is there. We have put street lights in most of the major streets, but simply no power and we wouldn’t want to use generators in multiple locations.”

    In a statement issued by the Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister explained that the FCT’s geometric expansion has exceeded all plans and expectations; saying, “it is very clear even from our data and your records that the way in which the city has been expanding within the last two decades, we are talking of an area with a population running into six million already which is overstretched”.

    The Minister who recalled that a special arrangement around the Katampe area which existed some years back took care of power supply to the FCT, called for a return of such projects to tackle the problem of power shortages in the capital city.

    The Minister noted that in the alternative, “We could also identify a system where you can run the streetlights directly from your facility and we are willing to pay, so that that can be looked at as a priority project, independent of the distribution company because it’s priority for us. The seat of power of the country is in Abuja with the President, National Assembly, the highest courts in the land as well as the diplomatic community are all here. This is the centre of Nigeria. We cannot afford to leave Abuja to be dark at night”.

    He tasked TCN to look at specific areas in the Federal Capital City like the Central Business District, the Three Arms Zones, the hospitals and the security zones; emphasising, “I don’t know what the legal implication will be but you could look at it under national security to find ways to solve that”.

    Bello revealed that recently the FCT Administration released the sum of N500 million to the AEDC being part payment of its bills; stressing that FCTA has been very punctual in paying its electricity bills since he assumed office.

    Bello stressed that the FCT Administration believes that power is a critical social infrastructure that every government has to support and assured them of his support and cooperation.

    The Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed appreciated the warn reception of the Minister.

    He promised that TCN in collaboration with the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) will look into the request for more allocation of power to the Abuja zone; saying that his company is presently working on the possibility of bringing in additional power lines through Lafia, Nasarawa State into Abuja.

    The Managing Director disclosed that currently TCN transmits power into the FCT through Gwagwaglada and Suleja axis but would make it a tripod arrangement with Lafia axis being added.

     

  • An Amazon departs

    Tears flowed freely last Wednesday from the eyes of some cabinet members during the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    The reason for the tears was not death or any unpleasant news.

    It was because one of them, the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, was attending the FEC for the last time.

    She is scheduled to resume duties at the United Nations as new Deputy Secretary-General on  March 7, 2017.

    So the valedictory session held in her honour, before the meeting came to an end, was very emotional.

    All those who spoke during the session, had good things to say about Mohammed.

    Though they believed that the appointment she is taking at the UN is not really for herself but for Nigeria.

    At the same time, they believed that her contributions and wealth of experience are still needed in Nigeria to overcome the present challenges it is facing.

    They were caught between whether she will be more relevant to Nigeria at home or at the UN.

    The tears were definitely mixed feelings on how Nigeria can have Mohammed representing Nigeria at the UN and at the same time actively playing her role in Nigeria’s stride to overcome it challenges.

    Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said: “I will just try to say we are all going to miss her. Most of us met you probably for the first time when we came for confirmation and we have been interacting with you since we all became members of FEC.

    “I think your contributions, intellectual depth, your exposure, all have contributed to assist government in its assignment of servIng the people. The only consolation is that you are leaving to assume high responsibilities and we are very confident that you are going to make us proud. Actually speaking, you are the darling Minister for all my girls. They look up to you and they wanted me to tell you oh, our Idol is leaving for the United Nations and I said yes, I am very happy about it. I wish you all the very best.” he said

    Amina Alhassan, the Minister of Women Affairs, said: “Mr. Acting President, it is difficult for me to describe to my sister, Amina because everybody here knows who she is and what she is capable of doing.

    “You are a pride to womanhood. You have never failed us and I am sure where you are going to now, you won’t fail us. You are kindhearted. Everybody knows that. You help without asking. Just like my brother, the Minister of Information said, there was something you did for me that I will continue to remember and you know it. The quality contributions that you have given in our meeting, we will miss that and as Minister of Women Affairs, Mr. Acting President, I am pleading on behalf of the Nigerian Women that the person that will replace my sister here, of not as good as her, should please be a woman (laughter).”

    The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Usman Jubril, who worked directly with Mohammed,  said “For me, this is a very emotional moment and I very unusual…for the last 15 months, to me, have been a period that I always cherish in my career. It is has been 15 months full of exciting moments and experiences having to work with a near-perfect team leader.

    “I believe that we were able to achieve what we achieved because of the quality of the Minister that I have worked with. In the last 3 months, I will say, it has been traumatic for me, trying to gather the reality of her departure. But one thing, I know that I have learnt a lot, she has added value to what we are doing in this country and it is something that you cannot take away from her.

    “The only thing I can say is that in leaving for the UN, the President has decided to give his best. A gold fish has no hiding place. That is what’s happening today. As she moves on to greater height, I will like to wish her all the best and I do hope and pray that (voice shaking, crying) the Ministry of Environment will carry on in order not to disappoint our country.”

    Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said: “I will start by praying God Almighty will see her through in her next assignment. Indeed, she is a lady per excellence, very articulate, focused, forward-looking, amiable, very friendly, very direct, very sincere, very open and more importantly, I found in her this huge patriotism that has driven through, not only now but much before the current assignment as Minister of Environment.

    “She’s quite knowledgeable. Indeed, she has impacted knowledge. She has become a role model even for my daughter, Fatima who went to the University to study Environment, who has graduated with 2:1 and who has never met Amina, of course, but she’s been her driving force.” he added

    Science and Technology Minister, Ogbonnaya Onu, said “Looking at the Honourble Minister of Environment, the positions that she held in the past, I can summarize briefly that she is a gift to Nigeria and now Nigeria is giving her as gift to the world. I wish you success in this high office that you are occupying on behalf of our country and for the good of humanity and I congratulate you.”

    On his part, Mines and Steel Minister, Kayode Fayemi, said “What do you say of a woman of substance who has affected lives in every facet either as civil society activist, a public official, a professional in the private sector? It was Oliver Wendel Homes who once said that not to affect your environment is not to live.

    “There is no doubt that Amina has affected our environment. She’s affected all of us who have had the privilege to meet and know her. As a beneficiary, in some way, I would even say, we have been working together in the last two decades in the civil society, monitoring our work in the MDGs and being a beneficiary as a governor in Ekiti State and then working as a colleague and partner in the FEC, her prodigious intellect, her capacity as hardwork, her never say die attitude, whether she is going into the bushes of Shakira after mines accidents or Ogoni land or Bama, she’s ever so committed to the work.

    “We are proud of her. We know that she’s a star the world will come to appreciate in this new position that she has and we wish her God’s speech.” he said

    Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Zainab Ahmed, said “Mrs. Mohammed is up to my mother. So, I have never called her by her first name. I call her Aunty. I want to say thank you because she has been an inspiration and a role model not just for me for so many of us who come from the northern part of Nigeria.

    “She has shown us what hardwork and dedication can bring. She’s been an ambassador to us and this job doesn’t come as a surprise to us. It is just a stepping stone to where she should be going. She’s close to me in the act of politics, in the act of getting along with my colleagues in the FEC. She always gives her advice. She’s not afraid to say what she think is right. I will live every day, thanking you for who you are.” she said

    Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, said “I just met Amina Mohammed on the plane a few years ago and she was talking with so much passion about MDGs and I found it incredible that she has the incredible gift of making something very mundane, very, very exciting.

    “And she did precisely when she got to Environment which a lot of us don’t understand. She made it very exciting. I called her mama Ogoni because she even got everybody very passionate about Ogoniland. I know she’s going to do incredible well where she is going.

    “So, I feel incredibly proud of her and I know that she’s doing amazingly well. I will miss her on the side of the table will miss her because she supplied us with chocolate. We will certainly. But the thing I will mostly miss about her is just her capacity which is incredibly. She reads. She understands. Anything she says.”

    The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, said “Your life has been quite a big event and your star is still shinning and it is going to shine even brighter. Your future is going to be quite more glorious than today.

    “As you go there at a time that Nigeria is in the dark cloud of financial stress and recession, you appeared on the world stage to play a role which is almost beyond comprehension. She was our colleague, she came out of this cabinet.” he stated

    Osinbajo said “This is well deserved. I have always been very fascinated by her incredible understanding of so many things. It is amazing that you have one person who seems to know so much. She is competent in practically everything: finance, planning, environment even law sometimes.

    “I recall that when the discussion was going on about her going to the UN or not, she spoke to me about it and sought my opinion. My view was that that was an incredible opening. And for me, we are more likely to find a good minister of environment and we may certainly not be able to get another shot at being the deputy secretary-general of the UN.

    “So I thought this was too good to miss and I thought this is a right decision. I am happy she took that decision. She has been a good role model for many young people, especially my two daughters. They always say of her that she is the best. A lot of young women are inspired by her and her contributions. That is a role she must continue to play.

    “My only problem is how she talks. She talks so fast and I had an occasion to tell her that it’s really difficult to follow what you are saying. You have to speak a lot slower. I think I am one of the few who can follow what she says because my first daughter also speaks very fast and I have learnt to cope with that. Now, I think she has slowed down considerably and I think I might have influenced that a bit.

    When given the opportunity to speak, Amina Mohammed “I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the privilege of being here to serve. For the Acting President, I want you to please extend my deepest gratitude to President Buhari, our leader. He is not here today but he is in our hearts and prayers. He gave me this opportunity to serve.

    “I thank the Acting President for your wise counsel and for being there for me. Based on your advice, I have been trying to speak slower. I have been trying because the secretariat have been telling me to write whatever I say. I promise I will speak slower on the 38th floor.

     

  • New vista opens

    Beyond providing qualitative learning, a new educational centre in the nation’s capital proves the private sector has much to offer, victor oluwasegun 

    Education is essential for growth and national development. And the enormous resources being pumped into the sector annually by the Federal government is sadly insufficient. The need for private sector participation has been continually emphasized by many pundits.

    The desire for qualitative players in the sector who will impact the youths positively and close the yawning educational chasm has never been more real than in the present circumstance in the country’s history

    This is why the commissioning of Brookstone/Northern Coalition of UK Universities (NCUK) International Foundation School in Abuja was a source of excitement for the city last week.

    For those parents seeking the best university education abroad for their children and wards especially in the United Kingdom, a new vista has opened with the commissioning of the Abuja Centre of Brookstone/ NCUK as they have direct access to 16 universities in the UK after a year’s foundation school.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Hon. Zakari Mohammed who chaired the First Educational Fair of the School in Abuja last week commended the School for winning the Best Academic Award at NCUK Partner Conference 2016.

    Mohammed, who spoke at Brookstone / NCUK 2017 Education Fair in Abuja where the award was presented, noted that it was a feat the country should be proud of.

    The NCUK has over 30 centres globally including partnerships in Kenya, UK Ireland, China, Japan, South Korea, Columbia in South America, but gave the award to Brookstone International Foundation School for being the best academic partner in the world.

    Mohammed, said the award is no small feat, adding that education is the bedrock of civilization and that Nigeria and Britain have always had a healthy partnership especially in the area of Education.

    He said private sector participation is essential in education as the government cannot do all that is necessary to ensure quality education for all. According to him, the Chairman of the Governing Board, Kalada Apiafi and his wife, Betty should be encouraged.

    According to the lawmaker, it would be impossible for the teeming youths in the country to get the right type of education unless the government creates an enabling environment for private sector participation in education.

    Speaking on the award, he said: “I think, it’s a translation of hard work. It didn’t just come overnight and from all the testimony we’ve heard today, it’s like the icing on the cake.

    “Definitely what you should know is that whatever you’re doing people are watching you so, I believe that hard work was translated here today and the award, I wish them well.

    “But it’s the beginning of better things to come for the school from the benefit of hindsight. If from 2003 some of these feats can be recorded, it means that so much hard work has gone into it.

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright in his speech said it is wrong for people to say the United Kingdom does not give visas to students wishing to study in the UK. According to him, over 90 percent of visa request from Nigeria is approved.

    “Some people think that perhaps the UK government approach to Nigerian student, that we don’t want them in the UK is wrong. Indeed we value very highly Nigerian students.

    “I don’t know how many Nigerian students you think are currently studying in British Universities. It’s about Eighteen Thousand, that’s the fourth largest international group. I don’t know whether you know that over 90 percent of all visa applications to study in the UK are approved…not rejected, approved, for Nigerians who want to study in the UK.

    “There’s been an increase in 8 percent in the number of students since 2009/2010 and we do hope the growth will continue as awareness of the quality of the overall education experience in the UK continue to increase.”

    Andrew Straughan , the Marketing Development Executive for NCUK while speaking on why they were giving Brookstone the award said:

    “Brookstone throughout the three years we have worked with them has continued to display the very highest quality both in terms of the academic support they can give to their students and also through the pastoral process.

    “We feel that Brookstone demonstrate the key qualities which is why we thought it was very apt to give them the award.”

    He said the NCUK has over thirty Centres globally “these include partnerships in Kenya, UK Ireland, China, Japan, South Korea, Columbia in South America.

    “It’s an award to be very proud of for Brookstone and we are happy to give them the award too.”

    The Chairman, Board of Governors, Mr. Kalada Apiafi, while speaking about the school said the International Foundational Year is a progression of strategic plan.

    “We started our Nursery and Primary in 2003 and we proceeded to open the secondary school in 2006. And then we partnered with NCUK to establish an international foundation year Programme in 2013. And here we are setting up an international Foundation Year Programme in Abuja in 2017.

     

  • Firm equips school lab

    The dream of science students of Day Secondary School, Tunga, Minna, Niger State to use a standard laboratory for study got a boost when Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, an oil exploration company, refurbished their archaic laboratory. The oil firm spent over N3 million to bring the old laboratory to life.

    The school, which was established in 1988 with about 200 qualified teachers and a student population of about 4,000, had been using inadequate and obsolete  apparatus, thereby denying students the opportunities to investigate, engage in scientific reasoning, manipulate equipment, record data, analyze results, and discuss their findings.

    Head of Science Department of the school, Aisha Yusuf, said, with the upgraded laboratory would improve students’ performance in the two subjects.

    According to her, numerous challenges had faced laboratory approach in science instruction raging from the use of inadequate labs to outdated facilities.

    She said the school borrowed facilities from other schools to be able to form reagents or carry out experiments especially during external exams.

    At the commissioning/ handing over of the equipment to the school recently, the Senior Adviser, Public and Government Affairs, of the firm, Abdullahi Jibrin, said, the refurbishment of the combined Physics/ Chemistry laboratory was part of the company’s commitment to shaping lives through improved education in Nigeria.

    According to him, MPN supported the education project through the Network for science Education Advancement (NSEA).

    He stated that ExxonMobil subsidiaries had contributed over N10 billion Naira in supporting good education in neighboring communities and across Nigeria.

    “Education is vital to the development of communities and is the means through which tomorrow’s future leaders are built. This is why over the years, ExxonMobil subsidiaries have contributed over N10 billion naira in supporting good education in our neighboring communities and across the nation.

    “Through this project, we hope to further improve the quality of education received by the students in this community.

    “This project Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN) three million six hundred and eighty five thousand naira only (N3, 685, 000.00). It is our hope that the beneficiaries will endeavor to make the most of this opportunity, and that through projects like this, we will improve education and raise the standard of living across communities in Nigeria.

    “We expect that the laboratory and all equipment will be maximally utilized for the benefit of all. The laboratory has been upgraded and provided with equipment such as; conical flasks, a galvanometer, test tubes, screens, micrometer screw gauge, optical lenses and litmus papers etc,” Jibrin said.

    The Principal of the school,  Mr. Ibrahim Anzag, said the school had grown from strength to strength over the years and that in spite of crumbling laboratories and other facilities, 60 per cent of the students achieved credit in at least five subjects in both the Senior School Certificate Examination  (SSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO) exam in 2016.

    Mr. Anzag, said effort will be made to boost the academic performance of students with the rehabilitation of the laboratory, adding that the laboratory would be used with care.

    He called on the state government to recruit lab technician to keep the facilities in good shape.

    The principal said delinquent behavior which had been a major concern in the school had hugely reduced among students.

    He cited lack of classroom and office furniture, perimeter fencing, sporting facilities and relevant textbooks as the major challenges affecting the school and called on the state government to address them.

  • Peace Corps helps IDP’s vulnerable kids

    THE horrors of being violently displaced in your country are multiple. You are only lucky to escape alive, for some of your neighbours, sometimes even family members did not. Those who fled Boko Haram attacks have experiened this, but there is more. Sometimes, those who survived have no parents, or are living with physical challenges.

    At the Aisha Buhari Special School for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children in Abuja, there is quite a number of these vulnerable children. For them, life can be quite an ordeal.

    But there was cause for cheer at the school when the Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) Dickson Akoh visited bringing with him items worth thousands of naira.

    There are about 168 male children from various families in the school.

    They expressed joy and happiness that they could find shelter far away from home.

    Akoh, who showed love to the children, said it has been a corporate social responsibility of the PCN to engage in national advocacy that engender youth development and nation-building.

    Akoh went further that factors that bring about vulnerability of children vis-à-vis Internally Displaced Persons should be vehemently kicked against as every child deserves a home and the right to be loved.

    Represented by the Deputy Corps Commandant in charge of Finance, Omolola Ahmed, the PCN boss said: “pet projects are being embarked upon by first ladies of various states government but none can be compared or given reference to supporting vulnerable and under-privileged children who were displaced unconditionally, lost their parents and rendered homeless as that being embarked by the wife of the President, Hajia Ashia Buhari.

    “Her Excellency in this unalloyed magnanimity has taken the bold step to give home to the homeless, put food in the mouths of those without hands to provide for themselves, and ultimately give hope to the hopeless. In our view and that of the general public, it is widely said that posterity will never forget you.”

    It is also pertinent, Akoh said to point out that the corps has reached out to several charity homes and most recently the IDPs home at Durumi in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja.

    He acknowledged the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration which has gone beyond the confines of fighting corruption, retrieving looted funds to making sure that youths are given the necessary platform to exhibit their God-given talents.

    Akoh prayed for Buhari to return in good health and vigor, adding,  “He will in recourse to the socio-economic advancement of our youths, speedily and convincingly assent to the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps.         Situated in Gwarinpa, the Principal of Hajia Aisha Buhari Special School for the Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children, Ben Onwudinjo said the children who are victims of the Boko Haram insurgency hail from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States and were selected from 14 IDP camps in FCT/Nasarawa States.

    Onwudinjo said the children depend on well-meaning Nigerians to survive.

    He disclosed that the: “wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari has formally adopted the school as one of her pet projects, hence the official change of the name of the school to  Hajia Aisha Buhari Special School for the Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children.

     

  • Minister, AGF to strengthen internal control and audit system

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello and the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Ayine, are to strengthen internal auditing and control.

    They both gave the assurance when  Bello received the Auditor-General who paid him a visit in his office.

    Bello said that this is a proactive step to ensure that all government financial regulations are strictly monitored, thereby translating into good governance.

    He also assured that the FCT Administration would work very closely with the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, to ensure transparency in government business especially as it concerns monetary transactions.

    The Minister reiterated that his Administration would foster existing relationship between the FCT Administration and office of the Auditor General of the federation and ensure proper accounting system.

    Bello, who congratulated the new Auditor-General of the Federation over his appointment, reassured that: “we are going to work very closely with you”

    In a statement issued by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the Minister said that the nature of the day-in-day-out activities of the FCT Administration is such that requires a different auditing template from the one being used to review other federal ministries.

    According to him, “We are a Ministry as well as a Territory. As you know, by virtue of section 299 of the Constitution, we are being considered as if we are a state”.

    He said, “We run a Ministry but we also run a Territory that has approximately six million people now, which is more than many states. It’s probably like two States combined. In terms of geographical size, we are talking of 8,000 square kilometers. That’s obviously much bigger than many States. We run six Area Councils. We have agencies for education, health, justice, social services, agriculture, Area Council and Chieftaincy matters. The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) undertakes the works aspect, while the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council manages municipal services. So, basically, it’s as if we are a state.”

     

  • A night of humour

    Last Wednesday night was for the immediate past Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole and outgoing Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko. It was also a night of laughter. Both were honoured by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) at a lavish ceremony at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    The occasion, termed ‘NGF Valedictory/Dinner in Honour of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Dr. Olusegun Mimiko’ was graced by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Many serving and past state governors also attended.

    While all the seats in the hall were occupied by the guests, some persons could not find a place to sit in the well decorated hall. They had to stand for a better part of the ceremony.

    Oshiomhole and Mimiko were honoured for their outstanding achievements during their eight – years tenures in their states, their contributions at the national level and during their times in the private sector.

    The significant roles they played at the NGF and the National Economic Council (NEC), during their tenures, were also highlighted by their colleagues at the occasion.

    It wasn’t only the two of them that will remember that night for a long time to come. The guests that attend the occasion almost laughed their hearts out of their chests as they were thrilled by various humours at the occasion.

    One of the outstanding jokes that night was the one about the short heights of Oshiomhole, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai and other short politicians in the government.

    Speaking at the occasion, el-Rufai jokingly said: “Oshiomhole and I are both short people. We started the Nigerian association of short people. Stella Obasanjo was our first chairman. We started in the Villa and we are still because Osinbajo is the current chairman. Adams was President and I succeeded him when he became governor.

    “Those who make jokes about short people should be careful. We are in power, we are in charge. The Acting President is looking at you with matured eyes.

    “Myself and Ribadu attended Adams fundraising. Obasanjo called me and said you went there, I said yes. He said why, I said because I am a short person. Nuhu did not have a defence because he is much taller than us.

    Switching to Mimiko, who is taller than his group, el-Rufai said: “Mimiko and I served in 2003 to 2007 cabinet of Obasanjo. He contributed well. He promised to contribute to my campaign which he did not because he was sympathetic to PDP. It is a debt I know I will collect one day and I will not stop reminding him that he owes me money.

    “He is not a member of our association because he is too tall but his achievement makes us very proud of him. Iroko has remained an Iroko. When he said he wanted to run for governorship, Obasanjo was not pleased with that decision. But a few of us went and confronted Obasanjo to allow him develop himself to the fullest.

    “Mimiko was one of the best ministers that time and we felt we must stand by him. Obasanjo will shout at us and send us out of the room. Obasanjo is very proud of you and what you have achieved. We are Obasanjo Class of 2003 to 2007 have turned out to be good leaders.

    “I have a grudge against both of them (Oshiomhole and Mimiko) because they did not warn me that being a governor is a difficult job. If they had told me, I would have taken cover and got another job. I will forgive Oshiomhole because he contributed money to my campaign but Mimiko, until you pay the money, I will not forgive,” he said jokingly

    When Oshiomhole got to the podium to make his own remarks, he also joked about his height challenge.

    He said, “Not every governor has the privilege to be honored like this. I am surprised that people have good things to say about me because I have troubled people just like people like troubling me because of my small size. Now I am unemployed and you know that in Nigeria, pensioners are the ones paid last.

    “My Oga is here (referring to current Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki) and I know he will pay on time and if he does not, I will join Nigeria union of pensioners and we will block the ring road.” he said

    Cracking another joke concerning the party through which he won his governorship election in Edo State, the Action Congress (AC), Oshiomhole said: “It is interesting that Mimiko and I are sharing this platform tonight. God has a way of putting us together. Mimiko joined the Labour Party and as he was coming to the party, I left it for him so that he will have absolute control and I went to AC. The environment is warm and I felt we needed AC, he went to labour and I felt he laboured enough.

    “Only him can explain why after labour it and delivery, he left labour for where he is now. We were both victims of the system of people voting and a few deciding. We are both beneficiaries of courageous judiciary and competent lawyers. He is still owing El-Rufia.

    “The only different between us is that when he chose to return, his luck ended. I handed over to a man of my own party. I have a strategy for him. I will give him APC membership card this night and when he will be handing over to Akeredolu, he will say he is handing over to his party man. In this business, you have to be smart.

    Also joking about the Paris Club refund,  Oshiomhole said: “I have a grudge against Mimiko like el-Rufai. The last time we had a meeting here, you prayed that the Paris Club refund will not come until the end of my tenure. I thought you were joking.

    “You went home to iroko tree, tied red cloth around it that this money must not come until the departure of comrade and as soon as I left, the money came. On that one, we shall settle out of court. When he wants to contribute, they will pretend not to see him because he is dark, when he stands, they will pretend not to see him because he is short.” he said

    Going back to the jokes on short height, he said: “Uduaghan claimed he is taller than me. It is an argument we will not be able to resolve. It is the difference between dot and comma, which is longer?”

    When it was his turn to make his remarks, Mimiko also joked about Oshiomhole’s short height.

    He said: “When Adams talked about his height, yourba proverb said that if you are bald, God compensates you with beard. I can see Rotimi nodding in approval. Oshiomhole is vertically challenged but over compensated with a mouth. You can’t have it all.

    “Can you imagine a vertically endowed Oshiomhole with his kind of mouth? The whole of Nigeria will not rest.” he added jokingly

    Replying Oshiomhole on the Paris Club refund, Mimiko said jokingly: “Talking of Paris Club refund, I have not been paid and I now know where my problem is coming from, by some incredible arrangements of man’s oppression against man, I won’t talk more but I think I will look beyond the surface and research about the role Adams played.

    Osinbajo went further with the jokes on their heights when it was his turn to speak at the occasion.

    He said: “Mimiko is a brethren. We even attend the same church. Oshiomhole is also one of my brethren as he belongs to the elite club that has been eloquently described by el-Rufai. The club as he said, is one that comprises Ngige, el-Rufai, Oshiomhole, and my humble self.

    “It is an elite club but people tend to take the matter to a great extreme. A certain gentleman by name Babachir Lawal, he is the SGF. He told the President one afternoon that all of us that I have mentioned have reduced the average height of the leadership of the APC.

    “Looking at both Mimiko and Oshiomhole standing next to each other, it struck me that this is the long and short of the matter.” he said jokingly with the guests bursting out laughing.

    Highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of giant portraits to Oshiomhole and Mimiko.

    Oshiomhole’s portrait has the aerial view of Oruku Rock in Ososo, Akoko-edo in Edo State.

    The portrait presented to Mimiko has the aerial view of Idunrin Hill in Idunrin village in Ondo State.

    They also posed for snapshots with the Acting President and the serving and ex-governors that graced the occasion.

  • Corps members: New advocates for SDGs

    Corps members: New advocates for SDGs

    Spotting where the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) flopped, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are training Corps members to play advocacy roles for the SDGs. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports

    One major flaw of the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs is the fact that local residents often failed to step up and take ownership of the projects sited in their areas. Now, the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are partnering to solve that problem.

    How? By training NYSC members to go into communities across the country and get locals to understand what projects have come into their domains, and why they have to make those projects their own. That way, the projects will last and serve the purpose they were meant for.

    The Corps members comprising male and female are 400 and have undergone several training and were excited to be part of the refurbishing process

    At the flag-off ceremony of the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC/ Sustainable Development Goals champions in Keffi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire vowed to revamp all old projects undertaken under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) programmes then the need to involve the 400 corps members.

    The corps members were selected from the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on advocacy strategies.

    Inaugurating the group, Orelope-Adefulire said, “It is logical for SDGs office and the NYSC to evolve a partnership of using Corps members to drive the SDGs advocacy since the SDGs seek to complete the unfinished business of the MDGs.”

    She called on the group to sensitise their communities where they are posted to serve on the importance of seeing the SDG projects as their own, liaise with them to know their challenges and report back to her office to address their challenges.

    She said, “It is as a way of preventing some of the drawbacks found with the implementation of the MDGs in Nigeria that setting up this group of corps members became necessary. One major drawback of the MDGs implementation was the inability of communities where projects were sited to take ownership of the projects.

    “One of the aims of the NYSC/SDGs Champions will therefore be to develop in the Nigerian citizenry a commitment to development through awareness creation in the implementation of the SDGs and to galvanise Nigerians for active participation in the achievement of the SDGs.

    “As you may be aware, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently at the Centrepiece of the current global development agenda which envisages a world free from poverty and deprivation where the fundamental conditions for human survival and prosperity are safeguarded.  This vision, which was endorsed by 189 nations in New York in September, 2015 is expected to guide nations, international organisations, the private sector, civil society and governments in all countries and at all levels in the shared pursuit of a healthier world and a better tomorrow.

    “The 17 goals and 169 targets of the SDGs is a response to the numerous challenges that confront the world today.  While we assert that Nigeria recorded appreciable progress in the implementation of the MDGs, particularly in the area of Universal Primary enrolment, gender parity as well as the prevalence of hunger, critical challenges remain, which have been rolled over to the SDGs.  The 17 goals are integrated and indivisible and balance economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, indeed these goals, targets and indicators will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance to us as a nation.

    “The Office is in partnership with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to mainstream and integrate the SDGs into the medium and long-term National Development plans for effective planning, adequate budgeting and overall successful implementation across the nation. We are equally working with the National Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Development Programme in the conduct of a mapping of existing SDGs related data and establishing baseline data which will be useful in benchmarking SDGs progress.

    “It is as a way of preventing some of the drawbacks found with the implementation of the MDGs in Nigeria that setting up this group of Corps members became necessary. One major drawback of the MDGs implementation was the inability of communities where projects were sited to take ownership of projects.

    “The implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria is envisaged to be community based. This will enhance strict development programme and create zeal for the communities to protect and sustained the programmes,” she said.

    Mrs. Orelope-Adefulire urged “the corps members to see this assignment as a clarion call to contribute your own quota to the development of this great nation.”

    The Director General of the NYSC, Brig-General Suleiman Kazaure said the presence of the scheme in the 774 local government areas of the country put it in a better position to domesticate any government agenda or programme at the grass root level.

    “Your selection as SDGs champions is another clarion call for duty. You are to promote good and moral values in your community by working together with them to solve some challenges,” he advised the corps members.

     

  • ‘Track all cattle coming into Nigeria’

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has challenged the National Implementation Committee for the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria to evolve a robust mechanism to track all the cattle coming in from neighbouring countries.

    Bello gave the challenge while receiving members of the Committee led by its chairman, AIG Charles Ugomuoh who were in the FCT Administration on an advocacy visit.

    The Minister said that all such cattle could be tracked from the border thereby reducing friction often being generated by their activities in the hinterland, which can also be used for statistical purposes.

    He said, It would be a good idea for your Committee to set up a robust mechanism to track all those coming across the border even for statistical purposes.”

    Bello reiterated that majority of cattle rustling activities are being perpetuated by those coming from the neighboring countries hence the need for their actions to be nipped in the bud.

    In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister urged the Implementation Committee to take advantage of technology to track them and ensure that the herders pay for such services.

    “The Implementation Committee needs to capture them by creating a data base with their names and identity because nobody can move in other countries without identity,” the Minister emphasised.

    According to him, “the policy if well harnessed will go a long way to help reduce problems associated with cattle rustling in the country and make people to continue to live in peace and prosperity.

    He called on the Committee to work in concert with existing committees in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory for greater understanding and better results.

    The Chairman of the National Implementation Committee on the Curtailment of Cattle Rustling in Nigeria, AIG Charles Ugomuoh, said that they were in FCT for advocacy visit as an enlightenment programme to curtail their menace.

    Ugomuoh stated that cattle rustling in Nigeria have come with adverse economic and security implications with negative consequences on the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    It may be recalled that the Minister recently set up similar committee consisting of 22 members on cattle grazing and rustling in the Federal Capital Territory.