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Tag: 2019

  • Breaking: FG raises alarm over plot to attack governors, 10 states

    The Federal Government on Monday accused some opposition leaders of alleged plot to unleash violence on 10 states in the North.

    It also said some mercenaries have been hired from Niger Republic to attack key government functionaries including some governors in the North-West.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed raised the alarm at a briefing in Abuja.

    He said the uncovering of the plans to orchestrate violence followed intelligence report.

    He said: “As you are aware, Nigeria goes to the polls just 27 days from now. However, the Federal Government is in possession of credible intelligence to the effect that widespread violence being orchestrated by the opposition is threatening the 2019 general elections.

    “Before you accuse the government of crying wolf, let me tell you, gentlemen, that we have credible intelligence that armed bandits and Boko Haram insurgents have been mobilized to engage in massive attacks and other acts of violence in several states across the country, including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

    Read Also: Opposition politicians plotting violence to truncate 2019 elections – FG

    “The Benue-based armed criminal group, led by Terwase AKWAZA, also known as Gana, has been commissioned to strike soft targets in Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States. In Kano State, a group of notorious miscreants have been mobilized by some prominent opposition leaders to provoke massive chaos before, during and after the elections.

    He said some mercenaries from Niger Republic had been hired to attack top government officials including state governors.

    More details later

  • Residents take self-imposed leave to welcome Buhari in Yobe

    Some residents in Damaturu have taken a day leave to receive President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC) who is on a presidential campaign visit to the Yobe capital on Monday.

    The residents, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria on Monday, said the one-day leave would afford them the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the president while in the state.

    Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha, a provision seller at Bayan Tasha Business Centre, said he had locked his shop until after the president’s visit.

    “I am going to the main road where he will be passing through so that I can catch a glimpse of the president,” he said.

    Habu Habibu, an electric materials dealer, said: “today we are on a self-declared holiday to welcome the president until after the visit.”

    “Everyone on our street has closed his shop to welcome the president; we are so proud of him to have restored relative peace to the Northeast,” he said.

    Mohammed AbdulRahman of Zanna Zakariya Housing Estate, said: “we will support and re-elect Buhari for a second term for providing more dividends of democracy.”

    Read Also; Buhari campaign train arrives Maiduguri

    Meanwhile, security operatives have been deployed to all strategic locations in the metropolis to ensure safety and peace throughout the visit.

    NAN reports that there was no official declaration of a public holiday by the state government, but most of the state civil servants have not been to work, while most schools and business centres are closed.

    Some streets were cleaned, while the Damaturu Stadium, the venue of the campaign, was given a facelift as part of the preparation for the President’s visit.

  • 2019: Ganduje campaigns for Buhari’s re-election

    Overwhelmed by the feats achieved by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state moves his campaign train for Buhari re-election bid, in the forthcoming general election, to the 44 local government areas of the state, revealing to the electorate that Buhari would continue with the good projects and policies he started when given the mandate for the second time.

    Starting from Tudunwada/Doguwa federal constituency, Ganduje, while at the palace of the District Head of Doguwa, where all other village heads including Imams were converged, informed them about the many projects cutting across all the six geo-political zones, executed by the federal government.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari is a leader whose love for Nigeria Superceded any other presidential candidate from all the opposition parties contesting against him in the forthcoming presidential election, ”

    Ganduje urged them to continue praying for the peaceful conduct of the general elections, emphasising that, “It is with your prayers that this government is able to achieve what we are witnessing now. While at the same time we have a leader who is focused and has the political will to deliver.”

    Read Also: Principals laud Ganduje on members’ promotion

    Ganduje continued that, “We are here today to convey the message of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, that, Nigeria is the only place we have on earth. So we must remain resolute to see to the genuine and sustainable development of our fatherland. This can only be possible when we come together and elect those that have the country at heart.”

    As Ganduje’s tour entered its sixth day, he has covered 13 local governments areas, campaigning for Buhari with incessant urge, for the strong reason that Buhari loves Nigeria more than any other presidential candidates.

    Governor’s unprecedented confidence in President Buhari, makes him to take more than half of the time he spends talking to the traditional leaders, when he visits them at their palaces, canvassing for unflinching support for Buhari.

    Even on the podium, he urges people, to first see the reason why Buhari deserves second term, as he speaks with all sense of responsibility and commitment, governor Ganduje repeats the same message in all the local governments that,

    “Our dear President Muhammadu Buhari has directed me to come and convey his message to you that, APC government at all levels brings succour to Nigerians. Our party will continue with the good work it started when given another chance.”

    The tour is designed in such a way that, governor with his campaign train move around local governments under federal constituency arrangements, daily. So far he toured Doguwa/Tudunwada, Kunchi/Tsanyawa, Takai/Sumaila, Rano/Bunkure/Kibiya, Dambatta/Makoda and Karaye/Rogo federal constituencies.

    In all the places he touches he says “Kano state promised to give President Muhammadu Buhari 5 million votes. We should strive and make sure that we give him what we promised when the election comes.”

    “We should also make sure that we elect APC candidates as legislators, that will help him to continue with his developmental projects and programmes. He needs good legislators that will put heads together with him for the overall development of our dear nation,” Ganduje says.

    He challenged that whoever is interested in a peaceful Nigeria with good leadership, that is focused and committed, should vote Buhari for the second term, into office, insisting that, “This people-oriented President is a leader we can all trust.”

    While at the palace of the District Head of Dambatta, who is also the Sarkin Bai of Kano, and the Kingmaker of the Emirate, Alhaji Mukhtari Adnan, after urging all the District Heads and Imams to continue praying for Buhari’s victory in the coming election, Ganduje urged them to work hard and inform all their subjects to go and collect their permanent voters card.

    In his remarks, the Sarkin Bai, commended the governor for developing the state and for the achievements recorded in all the sectors of the society, “We are also aware that, you are doing well in the area of human development. We appreciate what you are doing in the state.”

    For this reason, he added “You deserve another term of four years. We are solidly behind your candidature. And we shall tell people to support you.”

    He added that, people like Ganduje who respects people of all ages and social status “…need to be encouraged in their public responsibilities. Because supporting Governor Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for second term is a project that all should accept.”

    All chairmen of the visiting local governments believe that governor Ganduje is a performing governor, whose vision and interest in the development of the state, takes him to higher level both politically and in governance.

    Projects executed by his administration, ranging from road construction to renovation or upgrading of health facilities, among other things, are some of the many reasons why many people believe that, his (Ganduje) achievements are enough reasons for him to get re-elected even without him going round for campaigns.

    No local government, that he goes without either commissioning completed projects or inspecting ongoing projects. In Makoda local government, the governor commissioned two health facilities. One in Makoda town and the other one in Chidari, that was renovated and fully equipped with modern health care equipment, at over N400 Million.

    In Sumaila local government, it was not only the chairman of the local government, who attested to what the administration of Ganduje was able to do, the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, commended the governor for an all-important Gani Bridge, hospital in Rimi town and other projects executed.

    .In all places the governor visited, he urged people to make sure that they collect their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) for their support to be realistic and meaningful. He then calls electorate to make sure that they vote for the APC at all levels of elective position.

  • APC desperate to remove CJN over polls, PDP alleges

    The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being desperate to illegally remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen ahead of the 2019 elections.

    In a statement Monday by the spokesman for the PDP campaign organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it’s despicable that rather than retracing their steps, the President and the APC were attempting to blackmail Nigerians who have raised a voice against the arraignment of the CJN before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    The statement said, “The Buhari Presidency and APC in turning around to fight Nigerians have further exposed their desperation to replace Justice Onnoghen with a pliable CJN, who will execute their plots to use the courts to detain opposition leaders as well as vocal members of the Civil Society during the elections.

    “It is now crystal clear to all Nigerians that apart from failing woefully in all its promises, the APC and its presidential candidate, President Buhari, are beginning to manifest their autocratic attributes.

    Read Also: No division in PDP, says Ekweremadu

    “Furthermore, the Buhari Presidency is not only corrupt but has become an asylum for corrupt people. The PPCO therefore challenges the APC and the Buhari Presidency to name one APC member that has been investigated, prosecuted or arraigned before any court of competent jurisdiction in the last three and half years in spite of their humongous corruption.

    “If for anything, President Muhammadu Buhari has encouraged corruption in our nation more than any President that had the privilege of governing our country, Nigeria.

    “It is important to restate that the Buhari Presidency is now a refugee camp for known and well advertised faces of corruption. From the factional National Chairman of the APC, the co-chairman of the Buhari campaign Organization, the Director General of the Buhari Campaign, the zonal directors and the recent entrants from Bauchi and Gombe states, all leaders of the APC and Buhari campaign structure are all candidates of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “We therefore charge Nigerians not to be deterred by the attacks by the Buhari Presidency, which has since become desperate and anti-people following its rejection by Nigerians because of its corruption, incompetence and insensitivity to the plights of our citizens”.

  • No division in PDP, says Ekweremadu

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Monday, frowned at the reports purporting divisions in the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) ahead of the 2019 presidential election.

    Ekweremadu described the reports as “cheap blackmail, smear campaign, and extreme propaganda” and urged party faithful and supporters not to be distracted by the lie mills as the nation approached the critical stages of the 2019 elections, but to remain focused on delivering the votes to ensure the success of the PDP.

    The Senator, who took to his social media handles @iamekweremadu, to make the explanations, said: “My attention has been drawn to the orchestrated attempts by some characters to create the impression of a divided house in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the coming presidential election. Such characters dish out fake and divisive stories without source on a daily basis and attribute same to me.

    “While I refuse to be distracted by such cheap blackmail, smear campaign, and extreme propaganda, it is important to reassure our supporters that the PDP is united and focused on wresting power from the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    “After the PDP lost the presidency and majority status at the National Assembly in 2015, I made it clear that I would stand by the party, no matter what. It took other party stakeholders and I a lot of efforts, sacrifices, soul-searching, and painstaking negotiations to hold the party together and rebuild it. If I did not abandon the PDP at its darkest hour, it does not make the slightest sense to say that I abandoned it now that its sun is rising again.

    Read Also: Withdraw charges against CJN, Ekweremadu urges FG

    “Meanwhile, I have held separate meetings with our Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the Chairman, South East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi, to work out strategies for the success of our party and candidates in the coming elections. We are also setting up a meeting of South East PDP stakeholders by weekend to continue to strategise on the coming elections.

    “I have no doubt that the South East leaders will deliver the region overwhelmingly to the PDP and I expect that other leaders will also do the same in their respective geopolitical zones”.

  • PHOTOS: Massive turnout as Buhari campaigns in Bauchi

    Bauchi

     

    Bauchi

    Bauchi

  • 2019: Tunde Bakare tasks politicians on peaceful election

    The General Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly,  Pastor Tunde Bakare,  has called on politicians across  the country to eschew violence  in the forth coming 2019 elections.

    The out spoken cleric noted  that peace is essential in the country for the transition process to be free and fair.

    Bakare who was the guest speaker at the Apostolic Fire Conference 2019, held at the Worship Centre Avenue, Oregun, Lagos, urged Nigerians to  God first in everything they do.

    “We should fear God not just because of the punishment that will come out of not fearing Him, but more importantly because we should fear Him so that fearing him will lead us to do things that will please Him.”

    “The beauty of holiness is that we cannot do it by ourselves. There is the need to seek God and His standards which will determine our ability to be holy according to the standard of God. Bishopric does not conjure holiness because it is just a title. But it is a habit of being in one mind with God, agreeing with God’s judgment as written in the scriptures, measuring by the standard of God that determines holiness.”

    Bakare concluded that holiness is not  exclusive to  Christians alone. “It is  open to everyone and to all politicians as well,” he said.

    Also speaking during the conference, the Convener and Host of the Apostolic Fire Conference, Pastor Seyi Adeyemi,  said that the” issue of holiness is important for every individual and that is the reason it has been brought to the front burner of this year’s Apostolic Fire Conference.Holiness is needed to revive and beautify the life of the nation. Nothing can attract the nation to God and God to the nation other than holiness.”

    Adeyemi also used the opportunity to call on the Federal Government to urgently address the issue of ASUU strike “which has kept university students at home these past months.

  • 2019: A year of promise?

    SIR: The much anticipated year 2019 has finally come. Year 2019 means different things to Nigerians. In a few weeks’ time, Nigerians will go to polls. Yes, 2019 is an election year. The country will go into the general elections where new leaders are expected to emerge. Last year, Nigerians had faced myriad problems ranging from insecurity, economic hardship and poor standard of living. Recall that in 2018, 87million Nigerians were said to be living below the poverty line. Will these negative trends change in 2019? The year will likely inherit thestate of insecurity such as the unfinished war against Boko Haram, banditry, killings and kidnapping in Katsina and Zamfara states etc.

    What about the inflation and high rate of unemployment? Nigeria will haveissues like the unresolved national minimum wage, petroleum marketers’ subsidy claims and ASUU strike to contend with. Infact, 2019 will prove a challenging year.

    Already,our politicians have been busying campaigning or promising what they cannotfulfil. The APC has promised “next level” while for the PDP, it is to “make Nigeria work again”.

    Whereas theprogrammes are good on paper, the reality, after the election is a different kettle of fish. These politicians are birds of the same feather.They don’t have the country and the people at heart.If you don’t believe it, just reflect the gale of defections that rocked the two major political parties last year and are still going on.These politicians are united by one common goal: how to be in power and amass wealth for themselves, families and cronies.

    Sadly, poor Nigerians who are the victims of these elite manipulations have failed to see through the gimmicks being employed by these power mongers. During elections, they will employ ethnicity, religionand regionalism. After election, they will start the blame game. The last 20 years of uninterrupted democracy has failed to transform the country. In fact, it only bred corruption, wastage and hooliganism. Nigerian democracy in the last two decades has not only deepened but also widened the gap of inequality between the haves and have-nots. No wonder, the country recently became the poverty headquarters of Africa. Will 2019 change this narration?

    This year will be a promising year if Nigerians will vote for credible candidates. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered many political parties. The political parties have fielded candidates for various electives posts. It is left for Nigerians to elect candidates with  impeccable integrity. Unless Nigerians do away with politics of parties and opt for politics of personalities, 2019 which ordinarily signals a lot of promises will end up as disappointing.

     

    • Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State.

  • Amechi’s leaked audio clip doctored – FG

     

    The Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has declared the purported leaked audio of Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi criticising President Muhammadu Buhari was doctored.

    He also said the leak clip will not break the ranks of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

    The Minister, who stated this at a media briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, said the leaked audio was part of the “mudslinging’’ politics of the opposition”.

    “Again, the opposition is determined to ensure that the ongoing campaign for the 2019 elections is not based on issues but on mudslinging.

    “What is the point in shopping around for audio clips or publications that are then maliciously edited out of context?

    “Why do they think this will break our ranks in the ruling party?

    “What advantage do they think they can get from this infantile act?

    “Whoever wants to circulate any audio or video clip should do so in its entirety so that the people can understand the context.

    “Otherwise, let them continue wasting their time circulating an audio that is clearly designed to blackmail,’’ he said.

    The minister also said that the growing accusations that 9-Mobile and Keystone Bank were bought by President Muhammadu Buhari’s family members were part of the PDP’s Dubai agenda.

    He said the agenda reached in Dubai by the opposition was to “throw enough mud at the President and hope they can succeed in tainting his integrity’’.

    “The sooner the PDP realises this and retrace its steps, the better. President Buhari is globally acknowledged for his legendary integrity, and no one can tarnish it.

    “When its allegations were proved to be wrong, those behind the shameless allegation did not even have the decency to admit their lies and apologise to the nation.

    “This is bad politicking and it will not win more votes for the sinking PDP.

    “It is sad that instead of focusing on issues, all they spew are innuendos, lies and concocted stories,’’ he said.

    He said PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s campaign has lost steam and all it is doing is to make wild allegations not backed by facts.

    The minister also said that President Buhari should be commended for his decision to concentrate on his job rather than focussing on re-electioneering campaign.

    “The President, in his wisdom, said he would not want his work to be affected by electioneering campaign, and decided to hand over the responsibility of steering the campaign to Asiwaju.

    “That is within the President’s prerogative, and a mark of the confidence he reposed in Asiwaju.

    “How is this now a problem to the PDP? The President deserves accolades for putting the nation first, even with the elections approaching,’’ he said.

    The minister said that the mischievous insinuation from the opposition that the President handed over the campaign to Tinubu because he could withstand the rigours of electioneering campaign is absurd.

    “The President’s punishing daily schedule over the past months is more rigorous than any electioneering campaign.

    “Of course, it has never happened in the recent history of Nigeria that a President facing re-election will rather concentrate on his job rather than his campaign.

    “PDP, for one, cannot fathom this because of their brand of do-or-die politics.

    “Again, the President deserves commendation, not condemnation, for that decision,’’ he said.

  • FIRS targets N8tr revenue in 2019

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has set an N8 trillion revenue target this year, its Executive Chairman Tunde Fowler said yesterday.

    Fowler, who spoke in Lagos at the opening of the 2019 FIRS Management and Stakeholders Retreat tagged: “Parliamentary support for effective taxation of the digital economy”, said the Service generated N5.320 trillion for the government last year.

    Prior to 2018, the highest revenue figure ever attained by the FIRS was N5.07 trillion, which it generated in 2012. He described the N5.320 trillion generated by the FIRS as remarkable, given that it was achieved at a period when oil prices averaged $70 per barrel compared to the period between 2010 and 2013 when oil price was at an average of $100 to $120 per barrel.

    The non-oil component of the N5.320 trillion was N2.467 trillion (53.62 per cent), while oil contributed N2.852 trillion (46.38 per cent). The FIRS collected N212, 792 billion exclusively from audit, a figure that arose from 2,278 cases, and with a huge reduction in audit circle.

    Fowler said: “While we have been steadily increasing revenue collection over the years, our cost of collection has actually been going down. In 2016, we collected N3, 307 trillion; in 2017, we collected N4, 027 trillion and in 2018, we collected N5, 320 trillion.

    “Meanwhile, the cost of collection as a percentage of actual taxes collected has been reducing. In 2016, it was 2.6 per cent. In 2017, it was 2.49 per cent, while in 2018 it was 2.14 per cent.”

    He added that the Service has been working hard to ensure an increase in the amount of non-oil revenue it collects. Non-oil collection, he disclosed, contributed 64.99 per cent in 2016, 62.25 per cent in 2017 and 53.62 per cent last year.

    Read also: Forex: CBN makes first intervention in 2019

    This, he stated, is indicative of the government’s increasing focus on non-oil revenue sources and diversification of the country’s economy.

    He attributed the steady rise in the collection figures to a series of initiatives adopted and implemented by the Service to enhance tax administration and ease tax payment.

    Among these is the deployment of ICT initiatives, which enable taxpayers to pay taxes from anywhere in the world and at any time.

    The FIRS boss said: “With the e-payment channel, one can pay taxes with the click of a button and one can also download their receipts.

    “Other e-Services are the e-Registration, e-Filing, e-Stamp Duty and e-Tax Clearance Certificate. Taxpayers can now also choose the tax office where they would like to conduct their tax transactions.”

    Fowler noted that taxpayers are fast embracing modern tax collection methods introduced by the FIRS via the six e-Solutions.

    He equally stated that the Service is automating Value Added Tax (VAT) collection to ensure compliance cost reduction.

    Fowler said: “We are doing system-to-system integration between banks and the FIRS. And I am happy to announce to you that we had a 31 per cent increase year on year in VAT collection in the banks that have gone live between Jan 2017- Dec 2018 and collected N25 billion so far.

    “We are also automating the payment of VAT by states through the State Offices of Accountant General Platform (SAG). This will ensure that we automate and deduct at source and remittance of VAT and withholding tax from state government contract payments directly to FIRS’s account and so far, collected N13 billion.”

    He noted that the number of taxpayers that requested for and processed their Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) grew from 9,574 to 59,350 within a year of introducing the platform.

    “Auto VAT collection in key sectors has also facilitated reduction in the cost of compliance. Between January, 2017 and December, 2018 VAT collection increased by 31 per cent, which translates to a collection of N25 billion.  Overall, in 2018, VAT crossed the N1 trillion mark. Indeed, VAT is the fastest growing tax type in the world and even rich countries that did not depend on taxation have now introduced VAT, like the United Arab Emirates.”