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Tag: 2019 ELECTIONS

  • 2019: Ezekwesili pledges 50 % appointment for women, youths

    The Presidential Candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Mrs Oby Ezekwesili has promised a better deal for women and youths if elected in 2019.

    Ezekwesili made the promise in an interview with newsmen shortly after canvassing for votes from market women at Afor-Ukpor market, Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra on Sunday.

    Ezekwesili said that if elected, the ACPN would ensure that 50 per cent of appointments into the cabinet were made up of women and young people.

    The presidential candidate said the party’s major campaign targets women, who are operating at low productivity in the economy.

    “We have a programme that targets all the barriers that impede economic productivity of women, some of which include the lack of large scale farm land for decent output.

    “One of the research for development showed that women in Osun state, who were given the same amount of inputs as their male counterparts, performed more than their male counterparts by 40 per cent.

    “We will do everything in terms of our policies, rules and procedures to empower our women in the agricultural sector,” she assured.

    Ezekwesili said if elected, her administration would also focus on education for women, adding that education enhances the quality of policies women make in governance.

    According to her, of the 80 million Nigerians living in poverty, more than 50 per cent of them are women.

    “So, if we must tackle poverty in Nigeria, we must focus very much on women and young people,” she said.

    “It will be an inclusive government where merit and competence will guide our selection and where every part of the country is well represented in governance,” she added.

    The former Minister of Education expressed confidence that INEC would conduct free and credible elections, but said “the society must compell the commission to do so.

    “INEC is able to do it but may not do it because of political pressures that may come upon it; that is why we as citizens must insist that electoral integrity is a sine qua non for the 2019 elections.

    “It is therefore imperative that President Mohammed Buhari is prevailed upon to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018,” she said.

    Ezekwesili urged President Buhari to also invite all the candidates for the elections and political parties to discuss the rule of the game in terms of how the military and the police will work during the elections. (NAN)

  • ASUU, ASUP strike and 2019 elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) may affect the 2019 general elections, if not resolved now. There was a twist to the tale when the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) threatened to “wade” in if their teachers did not return to work in two weeks, reports ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA.

    When the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began its indefinite strike on November 5, many thought the matter would be settled in no time. But the strike has dragged for over one month and there appears to be no end in sight. To compound matters, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has also been on strike since December 12.

    The fear of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the strike could affect the forthcoming general elections, if not suspended before the polls, has heightened calls for the resolution of the matter.

    INEC is eyeing over one million ad hoc workers for the election, which begins in February, 2019. The bulk of these workers would comprise lecturers and students of Federal Government tertiary institutions nationwide as well as National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

    But, according to the election umpire, this may no longer be  because of the strike.

    Last weekend, ASUU said there was no going back on its action. At a briefing on Sunday at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), ASUU National President Prof Biodun Ogunyemi urged the government not to drag ASUU into the election.

    Ogunyemi implored the government to, among others, “demonstrate serious commitment to implement the spirit and letter of the 2009 Federal Government/ASUU agreement and consider the implementation of the 2013 and 2017 Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the union”.

    “All we are asking for is the improved infrastructural development of Nigeria’s public universities to be globally competitive,” Ogunyemi said at the briefing.

    He said it was not true that the strikes would affect the February 2019 elections.

    ASUP too has vowed not to back down until its demands are met. The strike followed the government’s alleged failure to implement its agreements with the union since 2016.

    According to ASUP leadership, its members too would not bulge, if the lingering issues between the union and the government were not addressed before the elections.

    This development has left INEC with only one option; to co-opt students.

    But the NANS’ threat to “wade” into the strike may not make that option feasible.

    ASUP National President Comrade Usman Dutse told our reporter that it was only ASUP-NEC that could direct members to return to the classsrooms, adding that that seemed unlikely now until their meeting with the government on January 10, 2019.

    “It is true that some of our members are actually mobilised during general elections. But in view of the strike, I am not in a position to decide whether this (mobilisation) will be possible or not.” Dutse told The Nation on phone on Sunday.

    “Besides, it is only ASUP-National Executive Council (NEC) that can take a final decision on that. We already have a meeting with the Federal Government on January  10. After the meeting, ASUP-NEC will deliberate on the next line of action,” he added.

    Usman claimed that despite the 21-day ultimatum by ASUP to the government to address some of the issues, it had been nonchalant in acceding to the demands for improved funding for polytechnic education.

    Also, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the students’umbrella body, at the weekend, vowed to disrupt the general elections if their teachers were not settled. NANS demanded that all parties sheathe their swords two weeks or face a showdown.

    The students’ body said having appraised the issues between ASUU and Federal Government, and applied two of its three ‘Cs’ (Consultation and Consolidation), the body is left with no other alternative than to apply the last C (Confrontation).

    In a statement, the NANS National President, Comrade Danielson Bamidele Akpan at the weekend,  threatened to ‘engage in a mass protest to grind down activities across the country, and ‘’mobilise over 100,000 students to also shut down the Federal Capital Territory’’.

    The students leaders also said ASUU members must be ready to vacate their various staff quarters on campus. ASUU members, NANS insisted, should pay the students  from the salaries that they did not work for.

    NANS added: “Finally, we are determined to carry out these actions to the fullest if our campuses are not reopened at the expiration of this ultimatum. We, therefore, urge the Federal Government and ASUU not to test our resolve as students have been patient and taken for granted too far too long.”

    In a telephone chat with our reporter, Danielson said should the strike persist, many of their members would have been disenfranchised by the time the election is held.

    “Truth is, many of our members registered close to their campuses for ease of voting. But many of us are now home due to the strike and we cannot travel to our schools to exercise our franchise during the election period. This is the time many of us are also prone to violence because they are idle,” he told The Nation on phone.

    He continued: “The end of the year is usually like graduating period and while the New Year serves as the beginning of a new academic session. This means many of our members due for graduation may not graduate, let alone being mobilised for the mandatory NYSC. This also means they may have to pay tuition in the next academic session. Who takes care of that?

    “We felt these people are just toying with our future and it’s about time we took our destiny in our hands.”

    But in an interview, Ogunyemi said ASUU would attend a meeting with INEC Chairman on Friday, January 4.

    He said the union had not decided if it would deal with any member who chose to work with INEC, in case ASUU did not to pander to INEC’s request.

    “We have not yet discussed whether we will sanction our members who choose to work individually for INEC, if our strike still persists.

    “We have a plan to meet INEC that has invited us on January 4. We wish to see what INEC has in store for us. We shall then take INEC messages and get back to our members.”

    During a workshop organised by INEC, in conjunction with the United Nations in Abuja last week, the Commission’s Chairman of Information and other Education Committee Festus Okoye, had expressed concerns that the burden of recruiting ad hoc workers could not be shouldered by NYSC members alone.

    He said: “It is next to impossibility for members of NYSC to provide all the ad hoc staff needs and requirements of the commission, and over 70 per cent of ad hoc staff requirement in some states of the federation are drawn from students of federal tertiary institutions.

    “Hence the lingering strike by ASUU will no doubt have serious impact on the conduct of the 2019 elections. We, therefore, call on ASUU and the Federal Government to resolve the lingering impasse that had led to uncertainty in the education sector.

    “The national interest, the interest of our democracy and the reputation of Nigeria demand the immediate resolutions of the issues that led to the strike and we so urge.

    “It is important that students in federal tertiary institutions should and must be in school at least a month before the February 16 presidential and national assembly elections. They are a critical resource and their absence will have adverse effects on the ad hoc requirements of INEC.”

  • 2019 elections: Govt’s lawyers pledge neutrality

    Lawyers in the employment of the states and the Federal Government met in Abuja between December 9 and 12, to reflect on their activities in the course of the year and strategise for a better outing next year. They dwelt on various issues, including those directly related to their operations and those affecting the nation’s socio-political life. Eric Ikhilae reports.

    Although the gathering was meant for the lawyers in the Justice Ministries of Federal, states and other agencies to take stock and prepare them for the forthcoming general elections, they could, however, not afford to ignore the foreboding political climate.

    They examined their roles, particularly in relation to election issues, and in election season. After series of contributions and suggestions on how best lawyers in government establishments could assist to ensure that the country records a less rancorous and fair outing in the next general elections, they all agreed that they must remain neutral in all their conduct in relation to the next year’s elections.

    This was one of the many resolutions by lawyers in the employment of governments at both the state and Federal levels when they drew the curtain on the Third Annual General Conference of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN) on December 12  this year, in Abuja.

    The conference had as its theme: “The law officer as an unbiased umpire amidst economic challenges and realities  towards the 2019 general elections”.

    Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN) drew participants’ attention to their important roles in the maintenance of law and order in the country. He said those roles have become more important as the nation steps into another election season.

    Malami, who was represented by the Acting Director, Law Reporting Department, Federal Ministry of Justice, Martins Okoi (a former High Court Judge in the Gambia), assured participants of government’s commitment to their welfare, career development and the provision of conducive work environment.

    The AGF added: “The law officer, in and out of the electoral season, must always strive to exhibit professionalism, impartiality and courage in the discharge of his official responsibilities.

    “As we prepare for the 2019 general elections, which is another watershed in our journey to nationhood, those qualities will be tested often and often again as law officers proffer legal advice at various levels and defend the public interest in election-related litigation.

    “It is, of course, indisputable that the law officer faces challenges, including economic, everyday in the course of his duties, like other members of the public. He must, however, never compromise on his ethics on account of such challenges, no matter how severe they might appear.”

    Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General of the Federation (SGF), Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata, who spoke in similar vein, identified some of the challenges confronting lawyers in public service, but admonished them not to succumb in the face of such challenges.

    Apata noted the problems confronting lawyers in government’s employment to include “delay in the payment of duty tour allowances (DTAs), late payment or non-payment of robe allowance, training, non-implementation of the 1994 circulars by some states, etc.”

    Apata noted that despite the challenges, “we must remain committed and resolute to discharge our duties judicially and judiciously”.

    “We must not allow our sentiments and our teething challenges to becloud the sanctity of our oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; always remember that we have a tradition, a culture and of course, ethics that we must guide jealously,” he said.

    He told the gathering that “a permanent solution is underway” to address the identified challenges, so that law officers can rise above temptations in the course of their duties.

    LOAN’s President, Yusuf Abdulkadir, while welcoming participants, said the gathering was among others, intended for members to review their performances and activities for the year under review, with the aim of strategising for a better outing next year.

    Abdulkadir added that the event equally provided members the opportunity to discuss issues affecting their  welfare, “and share our burden with government and our most respected Attorney-General of the Federation.”

    He hailed President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s decision   to implement “the 1994 circular on harmonisation of peculiar allowances of the State Counsel with that of the Magistrate at the Federal level.”

    Abdulkadir, however, expressed disappointment that many states were yet to implement the circular, urging relevant stakeholders to put pressure on such defaulting states to urgently ensure the implementation of the circular.

    The LOAN President disagreed with the argument that the Ministry of Justice was not a revenue generating agency and as such was not entitled to be categorised as “one of the first line charge ministries in terms of financial releases.”

    He argued that by its duties of representing the government and its various agencies in court, the Justice Ministry saves trillions of naira annually for government, debts that would have arisen from charges against government.

    Abdulkadir added:“Take for instance, if we have failed in our responsibilities and duties, and allowed only fundamental rights actions against the government to sail through, probably all the money generated would have been expended on judgment debt.”

    He frowned at the practice where allowances and funds meant for Justice Ministry delayed or in some cases, denied.  ”Most pathetically, the transport allowance of the law officers, assigned to these cases, are sometimes not paid to them before they go for the cases and may probably not be paid three to five months after the conclusion of such cases.

    “The situation is not that the Chief Accounting Officer did not want to pay the money, but because of the financial impecuniosity of the Ministry that cannot immediately pay. This development compels law officers to bring out their personal money to sponsor their DTAs in most cases.

    “This observation is not intended to denigrate anyone, but to further emphasise the urgency of adequate budgetary funding and releases to the Ministries of Justice in Nigeria and justice sector in general.”

    Abdukadir noted that the general elections slated for February next year presents “a litmus test for the country and its people. He urged stakeholders to abide by the dictate of the law.

    He tasked members of the association to do all within their powers “to ensure that the process is not acrimonious, but fair, just and acceptable to the world”.

    In the communique issued at the end of the event, members agreed that law officers should “maintain and sustain their unbiased positions in relation to the 2019 general elections and the discharge of their duties”.

    The group proposed that the office at the Attorney-General be separated from that of the Minister/Commissioner for Justice (as the case may be), so that the Attorneys-General be appointed from among the career law officers, while the Minister/Commissioner may be political appointees

    LOAN decried what it described as “political interferences, intimidation and gender discrimination, which some law officers are facing,” and urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Body of Benchers and the Legal Practitioners Ethics and Privileges Committee to consider the need to automatically confer career law officers, who have risen to the ranks at Solicitors-General, Director of Public Prosecutors and Director of Civil Litigation with the rank at SAN.

    On the reluctance of some states to implement the Circular on Harmonisation of Salary Structure and Condition of Service of Law Officers in the Ministries of Justice with those of Magistrates in the Judiciary dated March 17, 1994 (following the Resolution of body of Attorneys-General), the group resolved that aggressive measures be adopted to demand for implementation by states that are yet to comply.

    It called on managers of justice sectors, particularly the Attorneys-General and Solicitors-General to demand for enhanced welfare package for low officers and the Justice sector.

    Other resolutions were that:

    *LOAN, through her various state chapters and, with the necessary support of National Executive shall push beyond the “harmonisation of peculiar allowances with that of Magistrates” to demand on adequate salary structure for law officers.

    *Apart from the non-implementation or partial implementation of the Circular on Harmonisation of Salary Structure and Condition of Service of Law officers in the Ministries of Justice, law officers also face challenges of transportation, witness expenses, research facilities, lack of/poor or inadequate office accommodation, and insecurity among other logistic bottlenecks in the discharge of their functions.

    To this end, LOAN shall be more factual and scientific in articulating the challenges facing low officers by always presenting her demands with facts and figures in order to make them more convincing and compelling towards achieving adequate funding for the Justice Ministries;

    *LOAN shall come up with  national minimum standard on welfare of law officers and insist on the accreditation of Justice Ministries against the backdrop of those standards;

    *LOAN demands increased budgetary proposals for the justice sector in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 0nd Annual Budgets of the Federal and State Governments;

    *LOAN calls upon the Federal and states to stipulate certain percentages of contract sums (hockney charge) to be paid by government contractors to the Ministries of Justice (who vet such contracts) to  fund its budgets and projects;

    *LOAN demands for a reversion to the January-December budget cycle to ensure timely appropriation and release of funds for the Justice sector;

    *LOAN demands the establishment of Police Liaison Offices in Ministries of Justice and that resident state counsel be posted to all judicial divisions to monitor the number of cases being prosecuted for appropriate statistics;

    *LOAN demands that Attorneys-General appoint law officers as Special Advisers to represent the interest of law officers.

    *LOAN demands that the practice of “firming out cases” be discouraged or minimised. Instead funds/expenditure on such cases should be invested in capacity building and motivation of law officers;

    *LOAN demands an upward review of hazard, robing, books/journals, research and  other necessary allowances to law officers and insist on car grants rather than loans to her members  and

    *LOAN requests waivers/subsidised fees for courses offered by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) that would impact positively on the performances of law officers.

  • 2019 elections: Peace is all we need

    SIR: In 1962, Nigeria‘s Governor General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe paid a three-day official courtesy visit to the Premier of Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, in Kaduna. He was accompanied by his wife Flora. The host mobilized all the paraphernalia of office in honor of his guest whom he gave an unprecedentedly flamboyant hospitality. The visit enabled their wives to become so familiar with each other that Flora also invited the Bellos to the East on a similar visit. By the end of the visit, Azikiwe had become so much impressed that at the point of departure he held Bello’s hands and gently told him “please, let us forget our differences”

    In response to that emotional gesture, Bello said in an equally gentle voice “No sir, rather than forgetting our differences, let us understand them. You are a Christian and a southerner and I am a Muslim and a northerner. It is only by identifying and understanding these differences that our friendliness can truly endure”. There and then, Azikiwe nodded in approval to his host’s logic and accepted the fact that one could not forget what has not been identified and accepted.

    As the general elections approaches, we need to learn from the above. There is need for national peace committee to go a little beyond facilitating the signing of peace accords among political parties and their candidates. Meetings should be facilitated between their families, as this would send a signal to their die-hard supporters and electorates that the coming elections is not war but merely a democratic contest between brothers and sisters. All stakeholders should go into the elections with a high sense of mutual understanding and respect without arrogantly claiming any non-existing superiority. That is the spirit upon which the marriage of political strange-fellows who find themselves in the same political party is based in Nigeria. It is also the spirit upon which the partnership of many Nigeria business men and women is based despite their cultural, religious and ethnic incompatibilities.

    We need to go into the forthcoming elections, bearing in mind that whether PDP, APC or any other political party, we are all Nigerians; we are all brothers and sisters. Whoever wins the election is not going to invent his/her own constitution but will be guided ultimately by the Nigerian constitution. This means we shall all emerge winners after all. After the elections, we should all embrace each other in the spirit of brotherhood, friendship and unity and rally round the elected leaders, as we prepare and wait patiently towards another round of elections in 2023.

    Whether you are a supporter of APC, PDP or other political parties, you should bear in mind that the rights of others starts where your own stops. Just as you are free to market and sell your preferred party and candidates publicly, you should also allow others to freely do so without attacking or making an attempt to shut them down. Campaigns should be based on the real issues that concern the Nigeria and the overall wellbeing of Nigerians, and not trivial, sentimental and divisive issues. Improved infrastructural development, healthcare delivery system, agriculture revolution, advancement in engineering, science and technology, assessable and low-interest loans for SMEs, quality and affordable education, access to clean water and general security should take a front seat and characterize the campaigns by all political parties and their candidates.

    Peace is achievable by anyone and everyone, all that is needed is the resolve for peace. Our leaders should take concrete steps to ensure peace and stability by recognizing all tribes and religions as equals. There is always a reason for any form of anger; behind every person’s anger is a deep-seated pain that makes the angry man lash out at anyone and everyone within reach. Yet all it takes is love, empathy and understanding to calm frayed nerves, cool and douse anger and tension and finally bring about peace and love to troubled waters again.

     

    • Hussain Obaro, oseniobaro@yahoo.com

  • 2019 elections in Nigeria

    The two major parties, the APC and the PDP, have chosen their presidential flag bearers in the persons of the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari and former vice president, Abubakar Atiku. Some foreign commentators demonstrating more enthusiasm than wisdom have characterized the contest as between tweedledee and tweedledum. This is far from the truth. The difference between the two is clear to all Nigerians no matter how their propagandists may try to portray them.  Buhari is introverted, withdrawn, quiet – some will say cold, but at the same time determined and set in his ways. He is certainly not a man given to frivolity and worldly interest and materialism. He does not relate with people well and does not go out of his way to make friends. This is why as a former military head of state and for the past three and a half years as president, he does not seem to have friends or close contacts outside the coterie of a few northerners who served with him either in government or in the military.   He is so distant from people outside his immediate ethnic or religious cohort that he attracts negative feelings from other Nigerians. He is a product of the Nigerian military and even though retired, still represents the proud tradition of that institution at its finest hour. All this would have been fatal to his candidacy in normal times but these are not normal times in Nigeria. This is why Buhari remains the candidate to beat.

    Atiku on the other hand is gregarious, outgoing, lively, a man of the world and a wealthy man and a man of capitalist inclination. Atiku served as a customs officer in Lagos for several years before retiring into business exploiting either his contacts or knowledge garnered when he was in the Customs. Atiku has family connections with the three major ethnic groups of the Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba, and the Igbo through marrying wives from them. I first  knew  about him in 1983 or so when in an outlandish fashion, he married the young daughter of the then Lamido of Adamawa and shut down Yola for a whole day with who was who in Nigeria, flying in private jet to attend the wedding. That was the year Shagari was overthrown because of rampant corruption and Buhari played a major role in that change of government.

    Atiku since the return to democratic governance was a protege of General Shehu Yar’Adua who had himself wanted very much to be president in the Babangida “transition without end “quoting the recently departed professor, Oyelaran Oyediran. General Yar’Adua was murdered by General Abacha while in detention. Atiku in 1999 had been elected governor of Adamawa State before Obasanjo brought him to the centre as his running mate. He was virtually the president between 1999 and 2003 while Obasanjo was busy travelling around the whole world showing the flag of Nigeria’s new democracy and begging for reduction or cancellation of our foreign debt to reduce our then debt overhang that had crippled our economy. Atiku was in charge of the privatization of the various federal companies and parastatals, houses and lands acquired over the years from colonial times to the most recent time. Selling off of government-owned companies under the ideological slogan that “government has no business in business” may have made sense in the capitals of the capitalist western world but to us in Nigeria, only few people had capital or access to it through their friends in the banks. Thus most of our heritage was sold to companies fronting for people in government and their foreign collaborators. The process of sale was so opaque that it was bound to be corrupt like in Russia; Nigeria witnessed the rise of our own oligarchs controlling enormous wealth in property and oil blocks.  Rightly or wrongly, Atiku’s stupendous wealth is traced to his years in the customs and in government.

    Both Buhari and Atiku are employers of labour. Buhari employs farm hands on his cattle farm in Daura, the ancient city of Bayijidda to take care of his cattle. His embrace of pastoral agriculture has made him a target of the victims and potential victims of the rampaging cattle herders who in recent times have constituted themselves into a scourge of the peasantry in many parts of Nigeria but particularly in North-central Nigeria. On the other hand, Atiku’s companies particularly at the ports and at the so-called American University in Yola employ hundreds of Nigerians.

    Atiku is a natural politician while Buhari is a reluctant politician in the mould of General Charles de Gaulle, who as a patriot feels it is his bounden duty to save his much beloved country. These two gentlemen have great experiences in government. Buhari as head of government is used to delegating power and responsibilities to his lieutenants while Atiku in government enjoyed a lot of delegated power and responsibilities until his principal felt his deputy was developing wings and arrogating too much power to himself and building rival loyalty rivalling that of his principal. The picture I am painting therefore is of two totally different human beings interested in leading the most populous African country with the biggest economy on the African continent.

    As Chief MKO Abiola used to say “The bigger the head the bigger the head ache”; Nigeria has legion of problems ranging from infrastructural inadequacy to health, financial and educational deficits. Above all, Nigeria needs moral rearmament and ethical revolution. It is not that we do not have resources; what is lacking is resource management and ability to plan well and execute plans that will lift our people from our present economic dependency and the curse of easy money derived from hydrocarbons as well as unstable economy swinging dangerously from boom to doom following the ups and downs of oil prices.

    The leader that Nigeria therefore needs in a hurry is a man who can force the country to embrace changes while he himself and the coterie of advisers around him remain transparently untainted.  We do not have too much time on our hands. The window opened to us will shut within the next decade when the world will shift from the industries and transportation system being currently powered by hydrocarbons to electricity derivable from renewed energy and liquid oxygen, thus undercutting our economy that is now dangerously dependent on oil and gas. We need a president who can totally embrace the knowledge economy prevalent in most developed countries and in rising powers like China and India. Africa’s 4% contribution to the quantum of global trade must increase exponentially and Nigeria must be at the vanguard of this revolution. To achieve this, Nigeria must build modern infrastructure of railways, autobahnen (expressways) aviation and shipping networks unlike the present antediluvian system crippling our cities ports and highways.

    To get to our Eldorado, emphasis must move from politics to development and governance. The world respects China today not because it is a huge exponent of democracy but because it is a rising economic and technological power. Even the high priests of democracy in the west are kowtowing to China. Until we have the technological know-how, Nigeria will never be respected. This is why in spite of our being the biggest economy in Africa; nobody bothers to invite us to the G-20 annual conferences in which only South Africa is the only country invited apparently because of its manufacturing and financial capability and capacity. The president we need is somebody who will be able to assemble a good team and impose a discipline based on his own sense of discipline and integrity and lead from the front by example. We need a man of tremendous focus who by his asceticism and charisma would attract the respect of the people. We need a president who will commit himself to finding solution to our multifarious problems.

    Unfortunately we have to make a choice between two people who do not provide us with an exciting choice. No country that I know has the best president that it can have. Looking around the whole world, with the exception of Monsieur Macron, there is no exceptional leader and Nigeria will just have to make do with the president that it can have at the present. A president who can keep the country together. We need to have a country first before we can reconfigure or restructure it and if it cannot be kept together without restructuring the weight of opinion and the force of events will force Buhari to lead the way to peacefully restructure Nigeria. No matter who wins in 2019, he will be faced with a situation that makes it impossible for him to conduct affairs in a leisurely business as usual fashion. The country will not stand for it.

  • 2019 elections result’ll reflect people’s will, Says Buhari   

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja said he understands the yearnings of Nigerians and strongly believed in the collective dream for a greater country, assuring that all will be done to ensure that results of 2019 elections reflect the will of the people.

    He made the remark while receiving Letter of Credence from Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Dr Jyrki Juhani Pulkkinen, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said Nigerians reserved the right to elect leaders at various levels in 2019, and all efforts will be made to safeguard the integrity of the process.

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    “I respect the people’s feelings. I assure all that we will have a free and fair election next year.’’ he said

    The President congratulated Finland on its 101 independence anniversary, December 6, 2018 and commended the growing relations with Nigeria, especially in areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT), trade and education.

    In his remarks, Ambassador of Finland said the areas of mutual benefit in relations with Nigeria can be extended to electricity, smart technology and crises management initiatives, pointing out that he will work hard to improve the trade figures and exchanges.

    “We will like to contribute to Africa rising, and we know that Nigeria is the biggest country on the continent, so we are very interested in the growth of Nigeria,’’ he said.

    At the level of the United Nations, Dr Pulkkinen said his country will continue to support the restructuring of the multilateral institution to give greater roles to African countries like Nigeria.

    President Buhari, who also received letter of Credence from Ambassador of France, Mr Jerome Pasquier, said French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and the stopover in Lagos, was really impressive in bolstering both countries’ relations.

    The President said he was impressed with relations between France and its former colonies in Africa, noting that France continues to play positive roles in promoting security and economic growth in the countries.

    “France is investing so much in Nigeria and we are grateful,’’ he added.

    President Buhari, however, called for more support in the fight against terrorism as the networks keep expanding with fighters moving across borders to support insurgents.

    Responding, France Ambassador said President Macron will continue to support Nigeria, especially in the ongoing war against terrorism, with specific interest in gathering and sharing of intelligence.

    He commended the President for Nigeria’s role in resolving the crisis in Togo and Guinea Bissau.

    President Buhari equally received Letter of Credence from the Ambassador of Czech Republic, Mr. Marek Skolil, assuring him of improved economic relations in areas like solid minerals exploration.

    Mr. Skolil said his country will continue to support Nigeria’s military in the fight against terrorism in the North East.

    “Nigeria is a very important country for us. We look forward to stronger ties, particularly with the armed forces,’’ he said

  • We can’t return to Egypt again, Tinubu tells PDP

    …. says Saraki sold APC mandate for pot of pottage

     

    Former Lagos state governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that Nigerians must not allow the nation to return to part of destruction and retrogression which the People Democratic Party (PDP) led government subjected it to for 16 years but aim to move forward in building a nation that every citizen will be proud of.

    Tinubu who spoke at a National, consultative forum organised by the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups in Abuja accused the Atiku Campaign Organisation and the People Democratic Party of trying to blackmail the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police with the accusation of plots to rig the 2019 elections because “they knew that they will not win”.

    Read Also:2019 poll: Why Buhari must continue, by Tinubu

    He also accused Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki of using the mandate of the APC to negotiate and give lifeline to the opposition, saying “he left the PDP, joined us, got elected, got our mandate, our majority and sold it for a pot of pottage. God is honest, Saraki is not”.

    The former Lagos state governor also recalled how the rigging machineries of the PDP almost denied him his re-election in 2003 when INEC published what he described as fake results of the governorship election in Lagos state on its website, saying it took the then Resident Electoral Commissioner’s courage to insist that what was published was not the real results for his election to be validated.

    He said: “Come February, we will re-elect Buhari. It is not easy to put together a National Committee, but we are in the same family. As free minded people, you are all free to be doing other things this morning, but you are here because you have the vision and the determination that Nigeria must continue the foundation and the progress of the future.

    “Working together to re-elect Buhari is a task that must be achieved. Why are they complaining? Buhari is too busy to exchange words with them because he is building foundation of a prosperous Nigeria that will magnify the economy and provide employment for everyone regardless of the status in the society.

    “A fervent man like him will not have time for the nonsense being thrown at him. I give you one message for them and there will be many such messages. Their candidate who is supposed to beat Buhari has been in our party and many other parties. He has more party members to build a house.

    “All you have to do is to go out there and tell him that a house built on cards will be collapsed with a single stroke of broom. He said they are reformed, but reformed what? Reformed PDP. No. Tell them as you go out that we accept the admission of guilty that they were vagabond before and now being reformed.

    “But they have not served enough probation. You can only be reformed if you are an ex-convict, a drug addict or a political prostitute. It is because Buhari has not temperament and no tolerance for corruption, he is vigorously ridding the nation of blemish and looting, a bad reputation.

    “I can see them celebrating the visa. What a shame? Yet you want to lead this country with the most vibrant economy in Africa? Why should we allow them?

    They ran this country from 1999 till 2015. They were planning for 60 years of doing nothing, lack of direction and concern for the citizens.

    “Are we still in this nation where visionary leadership is required? If yes, then they are not competent and not qualified to be leading Nigeria again and say they want to come back to government. If they left our schools in such dilapidated condition, left out hospitals without Medicare, they don’t deserve to come back.

    “They say we should not talk about their past anymore because they are ashamed of it, but we cannot go without talking about it because a nation has no history if there are no reference. If you give me an application for Employment which is the application of Atiku Abubakar, I must look at what you have done before, you experience.

    “We have to look at Halliburton and why they left Nigeria. Go and ask those questions. They spent 16 billion dollars of NEPA money and what they give us is darkness and when they knew that we were kicking them out, they shared the company through irregularities called privatization which I called personalization of the wealth of Nigeria.

    “We won’t allow that to happen again and I will recommend that we Campaign on that. We should find a way to technically dissolve those companies they shared among themselves. There is no way you can industrialize a nation without providing electricity.

    “So many industries in Kaduna, Ikeja and other parts of the country. What were they doing for 16 years? That is why we believe that President Buhari is the best person to lead us and got him elected in 2015.

    “They said he will die, but he did not die and is back hale and healthy and when they saw seriousness on his part, they now said he was cloned. That is because they know so much about forgery. I am glad he told them he is real. They exist to lie.

    “Take their new found Jehovah Witness, former President Obasanjo. After they disgraced the office of the President, fighting in public and abusing each other, telling us how they stole money and dancing naked in the market square, Obasanjo said he has spoken to God never to allow Atiku to become President.

    “Which God is he now talking to, to say Atiku should be President? I believe he is not telling the truth and not to the God we know. He is just talking to himself.

    We have sacrificed too much under the PDP and we cannot go back.

    “People must ask you why you belong to this support group. Tell them that you are members of a very committed rescue mission that started in 2015. I remember how things were. So, remind them of what happened because they can’t shut us up.

    “They had the best opportunity for prosperity, but they are now complaining. They were there for 16 years and never added one barrel capacity to the refineries in Nigeria. They didn’t even pay counterpart funding for our rail, electricity and we cannot industrialist a nation without the power source.

    “I stand before you as a very proud individual. When I introduced Independent power generation to fire the industries at Ikeja industrial estate, they killed it because there was bribe under the table.

    “Imagine what Buhari is doing today in rail and in feeding our children which creates opportunity for the farmers, it creates small scale business for those cooking the food and a lot of people involved are doing better and we are battling poverty with the best weapon which is education.

    “They are busy changing parties and that is why they are confused. Atiku is now PDP Aladdin. He is going to create 14 million jobs and I say how? They will turn Atlantic into fuel to crash the prices without the refineries working and the population is expanding and people must move around. He just talks of crashing the prices of fuel. They are lying again because a leopard cannot change its skin.

    “They had 16 billion of unprecedented resources and yet, they didn’t bring power to Nigeria. They invested that money in their personal industries. They bought turbines from General Electric and did it add one pipe line to bring gas to the plant.

    “They can say anything now about Buhari. I agree with Okonjo Iweala that it is difficult to fight corruption. The agents of destruction are there fighting us, but we will win with strong determination.

    “Don’t let them sweep things under the carpet that when we came in as a government, before then they had too much resources in their hands, but Buhari funded states to pay salaries. In that period, 27 states were unable to pay salaries as at May 2015. The states and local economy would have collapsed long time ago.

    “If PDP members truly love this country, those should humbly step aside and allow Buhari continue with the work of addressing the ills in our nation. However, since they seem to obstruct and remain focus as applicants, we say no job for them.

    “No matter what they say, don’t listen to them, don’t kind them. What they want is to continue to distract with the talk of rigging because they know that they are losing. They want to blackmail INEC and the police. I remember my own election for my second term.

    “On the website of INEC, they announced a funny result, but a woman of great character who was the State Resident Electoral Commissioner said no, the result she got from the field are the valid results and not the fake ones published and upheld our election. They know they cannot win.

    “That is why all the noise from either Saraki, a man who used our mandate to negotiate and give lifeline to the opposition. Leadership is about character. How can he now ask us to vote for PDP. he left the PDP, joined us, got elected, got our mandate, our majority and sold it for a lot of portage. God is honest, Saraki is not.

    “They talk about farmers and herders clashes. If they are honest, they should know that it also happened during their time, but they have no way of thinking; they have no capacity to convert tragedy into economic prosperity. We have the capacity in this country to do irrigation and utilize our water resources, to create pastures and ranches so that we can convert those miseries, that tragedy to opportunity for our people. Livestock is economy.

    “It is not about intellectual talent alone. There are so many unrewarded talents across the world. It is about character, determination, the love of a country and our commitment to nation building. That is what PDP is opposed to and APC is determined to continue as a progressive entity and the man to lead the nation on that part is President Buhari. Tell Nigerians that after Moses crossed the Red Sea, he is not going to return to Egypt.”

     

  • 2019 elections: Be combat ready, police boss charges personnel

    As electioneering campaigns in Nigeria kick off, the police high command has tasked officers and men to be alive to their responsibilities.

    The command also charged its personnel to be combat ready in their duty post.

    Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 8 Adekunle Oladunjoye said this Tuesday in Ilorin while on a familiarisation tour of the Kwara state command.

    Zone 8 comprises Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti states.

    Read Also:Edgal alleges politicians are importing thugs for 2019 elections

    Mr. Oladunjoye added that; “once you are on duty as a policeman be combat ready as if you are in war front. Don’t take things for granted.

    “Crime is generally on the increase. We are trying to tame it. Though, the police is overstretched but we are on top of the game.”

    He called for optimal utilization of manpower, material and resources among officers and men in the police command, saying that the short fall of personnel affected all state commands.

    The AIG also charged police personnel to uphold rule of law in their dealings, be tactful, and be helpful to members of the public, saying that no police personnel can achieve anything without cooperation of members of the public.

    Earlier, the state Commissioner of police, Bolaji Fafowora lamented short fall of officers and men in the command, saying that only 46 out of 116 traffic wardens are left to cover the whole command.

    The CP said that the shortage of manpower had made it increasingly difficult to meet human resource needs of the command in terms of deployment, patrol and other critical assignments.

    The police boss, who said that 48 out of the 116 traffic wardens had already gone on retirement between January and June 2018, added that 22 of them had also gone on retirement between September and now.

    He said that the development was not unconnected to movement of officers and men out of the command in form of transfer without any corresponding replacement, especially to special units like the border patrol, police mobile force, CTU, and the SPU.

    “In the same manner, the command is equally facing serious depletion of its personnel in the 15 pmf squadron attached to the command through movement of about five units out of the eight units in the squadron, on special assignments outside the state.

    However, the police boss said that despite the challenge, the state was relatively calm, adding that officers and men were driven to remain on their toes in prevention of crime and criminality.

    Fafowora, who said that the command had succeeded in bringing down activities of cultists, added that the command was hopeful that more feats could still be achieved if required basic policing tools like serviceable patrol vehicles, anti-riot equipment, armored personnel carriers (APC) and more men were provided.

  • 2019: Avoid politics of inducement – Primate

    Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, the Primate of Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, on Tuesday in Abuja urged Nigerians to avoid politics of inducement but vote wisely as the 2019 elections were approaching.

    The Anglican leader said this at the Carnival for Christ with the maiden Anglican symposium dedicated to all Anglican faithful, themed “Christians and politics”

    He said Nigerians should join political parties and not complain of being sidelined because party politics was governed by philosophy and ideas.

    He said ideas that politics was a dirty game should not scare Nigerians. “Politics is the most important activity of organised life in the society.

    “If one tries to argue that on a macro basis, life without social or political thought is than one wrong,” he said.

    He said political behaviour was almost entirely linked to social behaviour and interests and vice-versa.

    The primate said nowadays some Nigerians often pompously declared that “I am not interested in politics”.

    “To them politics is some disreputable art of manipulating one’s way into positions of state power for personal and party gains.

    “And they don’t look forward to being called a “politician” ever in their working lives. In fact the word has almost gradually become a term of abuse.

    “As far as the concept of politics is really concerned, this is a most naive and dumb notion,” he explained.

    According to him, “in everything we say or do, we are taking a position that is actually a political position whether we like it or not. For politics concerns everything in life.”

    Speaking on Christian and politics, the Anglican leader said praying for those in governance was a form of political activity.

    He added that the bible said that Christians should make supplications, prayers and intercession be made to all, including those in higher positions that they may lead a peaceful and quiet life.

    Read Also: Primate Okoh urges decisive action on herdsmen menace

    “If any form of other political activity is not possible, praying that political leaders would make correct decisions is the one thing that we all have the obligation to do as Christians.

    “The government may not always do what we believe is best, they have been put in place by God for his purposes.

    “Lets understood the need for Christian participation in politics. Government plays a role in the work of God’s kingdom on earth.

    “Good government encourages an environment conducive for people living peaceably, whereas bad government fosters unrest and instability,”he said.

    The cleric,however, said that it’s the prayers of Christians and their involvement in politics that would influence the people that God had put in place, so it was important for Christians to be active in politics in some form or another.

    The vicar of Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Durumi Abuja, Ven. Syrenius Okoriko,said that when christians were rightly informed and motivated, they could change the characters in politics to moral standards of God’s kingdom.

    “Christians will bring the moral standards of God’s kingdom into the civic realm and thereby become agents of God’s common grace of His provision for those who believe as well as those who don’t,” he said.

    Okoriko said that Christians had a duty “to work through civil authority for the advancement of justice and human good”.

    “It’s a pervasive responsibility. After all, politics determines whether we’re at war or peace.

    “It affects the nation’s job supply, wealth creation and distribution, and property rights. It determines our freedom to speak, write and worship,” he said.

    The cleric observed that religion tended to be important to people who cared about politics.

    He says likewise, politics often matters most to those who care about religion.

    NAN

  • 2019: SGF urges APC members to bury grievances for better outing

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, has called on All Progressives Congress (APC) members to bury their differences and work for the success of the party in the 2019 general elections.

    Mustapha made the appeal at the end of the two days APC North East Zonal meeting in Bauchi on Sunday.

    He said grievance is a enemy of progress that does not allow achievements and development within the party and the nation.

    “We have to work towards successful outing in forthcoming general election, so we have to forgive and forget,”he said.

    The SGF noted that the reconciliation committee set up by the national body of the APC would be the best solution to solve all the crisis bedeviling the party.

    Represented by the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA) Dr Garba Abare, he said the setting up of the committee came at a right time when the 2019 general elections is approaching.

    Mustapha underscored the need for all members of the party to leave their differences and unite under one umbrella for the success of APC in the elections.

    Earlier, Gov. Muhammad Abubakar, had earlier said the meeting would go a long way towards tackling its internal problems and called on those that have lost during the recent primary elections to cooperate and work in close collaboration with others for the growth and development of their various states.

    Abubakar therefore called on all people of the the North East and the entire nation to do their best to ensure the success of President Muhammadu Buhari and APC in the 2019 general elections.

    The APC North East Zonal Vice Chairman, Mr Mustapha Salisu, described the meeting as an avenue that would enable all members of the party to share ideas on how to win the 2019 general elections.

    In his remarks, Gov. Kashim Shetima of Borno, expressed optimism that the entire people of the North East and other States of the Federation would vote for APC considering the number of developmental  projects executed by the APC administration across the country. (NAN)