The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Aminu Masari

  • Masari to Buhari: Your promised 3m votes intact despite postponed elections

    Katsina state Governor, Aminu Masari has said the postponed elections will not affect the promise made by Katsina people to deliver three million votes for re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari on Feb. 23.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Saturday shifted the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections to Feb. 23.

    The governorship, house of assembly, FCT area council elections were also shifted from March 2 to March 9.

    However, Masari told State House correspondents in Katsina that the postponement would not change the position of Katsina people, stressing that the APC Thursday’s rally had clearly indicated that the people would deliver on their three million votes for Buhari/Osinbajo ticket.

    He said: “Katsina people are ready; you saw it if you were here on Thursday (rally) you would know Katsina people are ready and prepared for these elections.

    “The postponement will not change anything, it will not change the position of Katsina state.

    “We were ready two days ago. I believe those of you who were in Katsina since on Wednesday or Thursday you would have seen that we were more than ready as far as the elections is concerned.’’

    According to the governor, the postponement based on previous experience did not come as surprise to him.

    Masari, who expressed serious concern over the postponement of the elections almost at the last hours by INEC, said “I hope INEC does not develop a culture of shifting dates of elections’’.

    He maintained that it would be unfair for anybody or organization to shift the blame of the postponed elections on President Buhari, adding that INEC, an independent body should be held responsible for its action.

    He said: “But the fact on ground is that INEC gave assurance and the federal government has given INEC all the resources they required. So, the failure if there is any is their own.

    Read also: Buhari’s directive could lead to extra-judicial killings – Dogara

    “It has nothing to do or very little to do with the President except that being the President and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces whatever happens under the sun in Nigeria he becomes responsible but not liable.

    “If you are looking for somebody who is liable, INEC is liable to convince Nigerians why it shifted the elections because all the political parties are going to suffer the consequences of INEC’s action.

    “So, obviously there will be additional cost on the political parties and also on the government. So, the president cannot deliberately orchestrate this and knowing the kind of president Nigeria has now –  he has not even interfered with departments that are directly under him let alone a commission that is independent based on the provision of the constitution.

    “He is somebody who believes in the rule of law.’’

    On security situation in the state, the governor disclosed that the state government in collaboration with relevant security agencies at both local and state level had succeeded in securing the state from criminals.

    He commended the federal government for deploying more security personnel with additional tracking and other security gadgets to locate and apprehend kidnapers and bandits within and beyond the state.

    “From the time I cried out to date, one – there has been reinforcement in the police, also the Department of State Services has sent in more tracking devices and more personnel and the military are operating, the air force is in the air always.

    “I think there is improvement in terms of the level of security with regards to kidnapping, armed banditry.

    “We were very much concerned because we were afraid that it would affect elections in some of the wards that are bordering the forest areas.

    “But luckily enough with the combined operations of the local security under the local government system, the police; the Nigerian Civil Defence and the army, the situation has improved tremendously and we can now conduct elections in more than 95 per cent of those places that were being daily attacked, because most of the attacks were coming from the forest in Zamfara.

    “They hit and go on motor bikes. So, really security, yes,  is still a problem but not to the extent that it will disturb the issue of elections,’’ he said.(NAN)

  • Katsina under siege by armed robbers, bandits – Masari

     

    The Katsina State Government on Wednesday lamented that the state was under siege by bandits, armed robbers and kidnappers.

    Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State said this during the opening ceremony of an extra-ordinary security meeting in katsina.

    “The citizens are on daily basis being harassed by bandits and kidnappers that are on rampage in the state.

    “The Katsina Government organised this one-day joint security and stakeholders meeting to proffer solutions to the state’s current insecurity challenge.

    “Our state is currently under serious siege by armed robbers, kidnappers and armed bandits who arrest rural people at the grassroots at will and demand ransom, which if not paid, they kill their victims.

    “The people of Katsina in the 34 local governments now sleep with one eye closed and the other opened.

    Read Also: Katsina APC rep defects to PDP

    “Our state is in a dangerous situation. Travelers are afraid of being stopped on the highway and arrested by kidnappers who demand ransom,” Masari said.

    Masari said the situation was so bad that some thieves stole some electrical equipment near the Government House at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Katsina.

    “I am calling on all stakeholders to come out with solutions that will assist the security agencies to discharge their duties,” he said

    The governor urged the stakeholders not hide any criminal, and reveal vital information about criminals during the meeting.

    “This time around, we should be able to make sacrifices that will make our state safe and will allow people to go about their lawful business without fear of being arrested by armed bandits and kidnappers.

    Soldiers, the Police, Department of Security Service (DSS) and other security outfits and traditional rulers attended the meeting.

    NAN

  • Our Opponents only exist on billboards in Katsina State – APC Campaign Chairman

    The Chairman, Campaign Council for  Gov. Aminu Masari re-election, Mr Mustapha Inuwa, says candidates of opposition political parties in Katsina State only exist on billboards.

    Inuwa said this during the flag-off of the campaign for the re-election of the governor in Funtua on Saturday.
    Inuwa said the billboards would not intimidate the ruling All Progressives Congress((APC) in the state during the forthcoming general elections.
    “We have the people, we are only contesting with billboards.
    “People are in support of our party’s candidates,” he said.
    He said this was because Gov. Masari had fulfilled his campaign promises he made to the people in 2015.
    The chairman, therefore, urged the people of the state to come out en masse to vote for the party’s candidates during the elections.
    In his remarks, the APC chairman in the state, Mr Shitu Shitu, said that President Buhari had performed wonderfully.
    Shitu said that the president had salvaged the country from corruption and had also improved the economy.
    He also said that Gov. Masari had executed numerous projects in the state.
    He urged the people of the state to come out en masse to vote for all the party’s candidates during the 2019 polls.(NAN)

  • SME summit holds …as Masari, Umahi, Ugwuanyi Okowa, Ishaku get recognition

    Many stakeholders, including governors Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Aminu Masari (Katsina), Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba),  will be honoured as SME summit and Awards holds in Abuja.

    The governors are being recognized for their role in using Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to give succour to the army of unemployed youths and women in their states. They are creating jobs not only to boost their states’ respective economies but also providing the atmosphere for businesses to thrive.

    The organizers said the governors are being honoured for their recognition of SMEs as the engine of economic growth.

    The event, driven by Lakewhyte Communications and significantly endorsed by SMEDAN, the Nigeria, SME Summit and Awards 2018 is designed to showcase the giant strides of SMEs operators in the face of the odds, promote excellence among the operators and recognise stakeholders who have helped to advance the cause of the sector. It also promises to be a platform to brainstorm on the challenges inherent in the sector and point the way forward.

    The ceremony, according to the organisers, is scheduled to hold on November 29, 2018 in Abuja.

    The organisers pointed out that the event is to retune Nigeria’s SMEs in such a way that they act as the engine of economic growth and thus help to take Nigeria out of the cesspit.

    Apart from the SMEDAN endorsement of the project, Vice President Osinbajo is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. “The choice of the VP to play the role at the Nigeria SME Summit and Awards 2018 is understandable, given the huge attention SMEs have been getting from the Buhari administration through his headship of the EMT.

    Of particular interest is the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) under which Osinbajo, in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, has been reaching out to micro enterprises with funds.

    Significantly, five governors who have been adjudged as standing out of the pack in their pro-SME schemes will be honoured at the event”.

    According to the organisers, Umahi, Masari, Ugwuanyi, Okowa and Ishaku, among others, will receive awards for being SME-friendly.

    “The Awards Committee of the SME Summit and Awards 2018 has found Govs Umahi (Ebonyi), Masari (Katsina), Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okowa (Delta) and Ishaku (Taraba) worthy to receive awards for their pro-SME activities”, the organisers’ statement said.

    The organisers cited the N250, 000-grant to youths and women in Ebonyi and the interest free loan to farmers to justify their decision to honour Umahi with the award while they are excited by Okowa’s Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) which has the backing of the UNDP, Ugwuanyi’s implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals Skill Acquisition programme for youths, Masari’s Goat Empowerment Scheme and Ishaku’s SME scheme which has empowered over 6, 000 women and youths.

    A former deputy governor of Ogun State, Alhaji Adegbenga Kaka, an agriculture entrepreneur, is also billed to receive an award at the occasion while Alhaji (Dr.) Shehu Chindo Yamusa 111, the Emir of Keffi, is the Royal Father of the Day.

    “The event promises to be the biggest SME show in this part of the world,” the organizers said.

  • Katsina releases N400m for S-Power employees’ stipends

    The Katsina State government has released N400 million for the payment of monthly stipends to 5,000 youths engaged in the newly introduced state-power programme tagged “S-Power”.

    The youths engaged in the programme, mostly holders of Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE) and Diploma in Education certificates, have been deployed to primary schools to reduce manpower shortage there.

    Gov Aminu Masari, while inaugurating the programme in July 2018, had said that it was aimed at reducing redundancy and indolence among youths.

    Malam Lawal Buhari, Executive Chairman, Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who spoke on the scheme in an interview with the Agency on Friday in Daura, said that the participants would be paid the four months stipend they were owed.

    Read Also: Fed Govt to rehabilitate Kastina roads

    “Each of the participants will receive N80,000 for the four months; the monthly stipend is N20,000 as indicated in their letters of engagement,” he said.

    He explained that payment would be at selected local education authority offices,  adding that the 34 local governments had been divided into 12 centres for that purpose.

    Buhari said that the state government had approved the engagement of additional 2,000 degree holders into the programme, to complement the teaching manpower in senior secondary schools.

    “Those in that category will be supervised by the ministry of education,” he said, adding that the recruitment exercise would soon begin.

    NAN

  • Buhari leads Nigeria delegation to Paris Peace Forum

    President Muhammadu Buhari is to attend the first ever Paris Peace Forum schedules to hold in the French capital between November 11 and 13, 2018 aimed at discussing issues of global peace.

    The Paris Forum is Organised by the French Government and a number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), based on the “simple idea that international cooperation is key to tackling global challenges and ensuring durable peace.”

    Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said in a statement that the Nigerian President will join the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and other world leaders in discussing contributions towards global peace while underscoring the imperative of collective action.

    Read Also: ‘Why Buhari must keep his word’

    Adesina said that while in Paris, President Buhari will also join other world leaders to commemorate the centenary anniversary of the Armistice signed on November 11, 1918 between the Allied Forces and Germany in the forest of Compiegne in France to end the First World War.

    He said further that President Buhari will also attend a luncheon hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France in honour of visiting heads of delegations and attend an interactive session with the Nigeria community in France before returning to Abuja.

    President Buhari is accompanied on the trip to Paris by Governors Aminu Masari, Willie Obiano and Kayode Fayemi of Katsina, Anambra and Ekiti States, respectively. Others include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd); and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar.

     

  • Masari battles Isah Funtua

    As the Katsina State branch of the All Progressive Congress, APC, gets set to conduct its primaries to choose a flag bearer for the 2019 elections, Augustine Okezie takes a critical look at the intrigues that have characterised preparations and possible projections on the final outcome

    The decision of the Katsina State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at its last stakeholders meeting to adopt the indirect primary system in the selection of flag bearers for the 2019 elections and to consider the incumbent governor as consensus candidate, did not go down well with the ”Akida” faction of the party in the state, who viewed both positions as being at variance with the stand of the national leadership of the party.

    The Akida group believes the adoption of consensus arrangement may foreclose the chances of emerging aspirants for the same post, impinge transparency, level playing field and indeed muzzle opposing views.

    Governor Aminu Masari however countered the views of Akida, even as he insists that there is no contention over the decision. “I think it shouldn’t be contentious issue. In fact, the constitution of the party is very clear; there is nothing contentious in this. The constitution of the party recognises direct, consensus and indirect primaries, so whichever method is adopted, nobody is breaching the constitution of the party; so what is the big deal about it,” he asked.

    A coalition of 37 aspirants, who contested for various elective positions under the Katsina APC in 2015, also faulted the adoption of indirect primaries by the APC stakeholders and Central Working Committee as a model for selecting the party’s candidates for the 2019 poll, saying it is undemocratic.

    Also in his reaction to the argument by the opposition, the Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Danmusa, said there is nothing wrong for the state APC Executive Committee, duly recognised by INEC and the APC national leadership to carry out its responsibilities until the courts rule on the allegations of those crying wolves.

    Also commenting on the request of the concerned APC aspirants for direct primaries, a chieftain of the party, Hon. Lawal Ado, observed that though an average member of the party would have preferred direct primaries, the party stakeholders and leaders opted for indirect primaries because of chances that direct primaries would lead to crisis and violence.

    He said ”Governor Masari has fought many battles in his political career. He won many and lost some. Has the on-going battle for the governorship ticket of APC placed his tenure on a cliff hanger? Fillers from powerful blocs in the party indicate that this seems not to be feasible”.

    ”Virtually who is who in the Katsina APC have said that Masari has passed that stage, any individual or group bent on outsmarting the governor is wasting time and resources”.

    Investigation by The Nation revealed that the controversy on whether the party in the state should adopt direct or indirect primaries hinged on the suspicion, particularly by the opposition to the effect that the control of the party’s structure and delegates could not be divorced from the grip of the governor even on a large scale and that Abubakar Isa stands no chance under indirect primaries because of limited number of delegates loyal to him despite his connections and wealth.

    Stakeholders further argued that another factor that may stoke the internal wrangling in the party as it heads towards another gubernatorial primary is the perennial rivalry that has once again pitched the two leading contestants, namely; Governor Aminu Bello Masari, and Abubakar Isa Funtua, Buhari’s son-in-law who wants to wrest the gubernatorial ticket from Masari in 2019.

    Masari and Funtua will perhaps go down in history in the country as politicians that have slugged it out for no fewer than three times in their quest for governorship seat.

    The Nation recalls the political tussle between the two rivals dating back to 2011 when, during the primary of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the duo locked horns. Masari snatched the party’s ticket. Again after waiting for four years, Isa renewed his governorship ambition, prompting another tussle in 2015. Masari also defeated Abubakar that year and collected the APC 2015 gubernatorial mandate.

    The struggle has been rekindled this year again, though with a new dimension as Masari is currently the incumbent governor while Isa Abubakar with no political experience and having not occupied any political post till now, even in the Katsina political landscape, is pitched against a formidable foe with stronger war chest and popularity.

    With the only attribute to Isah’s political clout being that he is President Buhari’s beloved son–in–law, stakeholders in the state view the contest as a direct battle between Katsina forces and some Abuja based politicians. The fact that the young man has refused to shift ground when other potential governorship aspirants under the party threw in their towels however fueled speculation that the presidency may be behind his ambition.

    Lawal Ado, an APC chieftain and former Minority Leader in the Katsina State House of Assembly that represented Daura Local Government Area under the defunct ANPP between 1999 and 2007, however contested the above assertion, when he pointed out what he described as Buhari’s neutrality in any political contest.

    He said” the President has never taken sides on who emerges at any of his party’s governorship contest; what is happening in Katsina APC is nothing but internal democracy at play. The floor is opened to anybody in the party to aspire for any elective position. It’s not an issue of Governor Masari’s relationship with the presidency,” he said.

    Funtua’s current political battle with Masari gathered momentum few months ago, when a forum of aspirants for the state assembly tickets in 2015, who lost at the APC primaries, resolved to lend their weight to Isa to become the governor in 2019.

    Mustapha Musa Kofarbai, the Chairman of an NGO: Katsina Funtua Daura Network for Justice alleged that the swell of support Isa is currently enjoying stems from those who were aggrieved by the refusal of the Masari administration to compensate them after they were prevailed upon to give their support to all APC candidates in the last general elections.

    Kofarbai Forum also vowed to pull the rug off the feet of Masari in the forthcoming election in support of Isa, who they said is sympathetic to their travail. The spokesman of the APC in the state, Abubakar Gambo Danmusa, in an interview however doubted the credibility of the group. He argued that it was not the responsibility of the governor but Katsina lawmakers to assist members of the coalition.

    The core loyalists of Abubakar Isa are mainly former members of the House of Representatives who later contested for the ticket of the party in Katsina South and North senatorial districts respectively. They include Barr. Abbas Abdullahi Machika and Dr. Umar Katsayel, Alhaji Kabir Abdullahi Murja, a one-time chairman of ANPP in the state, who is also a leader of the APC Akida, a faction that has remained a thorn in the flesh of the ruling party in the state.

    Danmusa, while dismissing the fears expressed by the opposition in the coming electoral contest, argued that the party will provide a level playing field to all aspirants. He said” anybody that believes he can pick the governorship ticket is welcome. Do you start a building from the roof? Politics is just like a building. Masari was a speaker of the House of Representatives in 2007; he had the resources, the structure and power but it was no time for him to be a governor until 2015”.

    ”So, he has nothing to fear although in politics you cannot expect everyone to be loyal to you,” he said. Mustapha Inuwa, Secretary to the State Government and Chairman of the APC Primaries Committee, in an exclusive chat with The Nation, assured that his committee will organise a free and transparent process. He assured the opposition that they had no cause to fear. “We shall provide a level playing field to every contestant. It’s a family affair, our party is not divided,” he said.

    Abdul Malumfashi Labaran, the Special Adviser (Media), to the governor, also said Masari has an undisputed edge over Abubakar Isa Funtua in the contest for the party’s governorship ticket.

  • 2019: 2.5 million votes ready for Buhari in Katsina, Says Masari

    Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, on Thursday said that a minimum of 2.5 million votes are already waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari in the state for the 2019 presidential election.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting President Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja.

    According to him, his state is 100 percent behind Buhari, who hails from the state.

    He said “The people of Katsina are 100% behind president Buhari and they will continue to support him even after the elections of 2019.

    “We expect based on figures coming out of the registered voters to give him nothing less than 70 to 80%.

    “We don’t have the figures now because they have completed additional registration, we are not talking about the last exercise that led to the election of 2015 and in 2015 he got almost 1.5 million votes from Katsina state.

    “So we expect by 2019 we will be able to give him additional 1 million making it not less than 2.5 million votes.” he added.

    Read Also: Don’t return undertakers to power, says Buhari

    On FEC setting up electoral offence commission, he said “If I could remember during the Uwais committee,  we were heading some  sub comitttees of former legislators, former and serving governors and we made presentation and part of our recommendations is that apart from the independence of the electoral body, to establish this tribunal so that at least, this tribunal will help in sanitising the electoral process.

    “The legal system as that today is prolonged and takes time and cases are decided when you have even forgotten about your offence and I think , this will help to sanitise and make the elections more credible.” he said

    He said that there is nothing contentious on the direct and indirect primary controversy.

    Masari said “It is not a hot cake, first of all, let me say from all the states that we have read and heard, Lagos, Kano and Niger are the only states that have opted for direct primaries in  a country of 36 states plus FCT.

    “I think it shouldn’t be contentious issue. In fact the constitution of the party is very clear,  there is nothing contentious in this .The constitution of the party recognizes direct, consensus and indirect primaries.

    “So which ever method is adopted, nobody is breaching the constitution of the party. So what is the big deal about it?” he queried

  • Masari calls for more NHIS enlightenment

    Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has urged the management of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to intensify efforts toward enlightening people in the state on the scheme.

    Masari made the call during a courtesy call by the NHIS Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf, on Wednesday in Katsina.

    He said the call became imperative because some people misunderstood the scheme, hence the need for more enlightenment.

    The governor said it was only when people understood the scheme that they would be able to enroll in it.

    Read Also: Masari tasks NHIS on Advocacy campaign in Katsina

    He further said the state government was making arrangements to enroll its workers in the scheme for their own benefits.

    Earlier, Yusuf explained that the bill establishing the NHIS which was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, provided that one per cent of Federal Revenue be spent on the health sector.

    Yusuf commended the administration of Gov. Masari for renovating and upgrading some general hospitals across the state.

    He also announced that the NHIS had opened a new Zonal Office in Kano to take care of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina States for effective service delivery.

  • 47 APC aspirants kick against indirect primaries in Katsina

    A total of 47 aspirants under the All Progressive Congress ( APC ) have unanimously opposed the adoption of indirect primaries by the party in Katsina State in electing the party’s candidates for the 2019 general elections.

    This is contained in a communique signed by Alhaji Abubakar Samaila, on behalf of the aspirants, and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Katsina.

    ‘’47 aspirants opposed the use of indirect primaries in the state in electing the party flag bearers for various positions during the elections.

    ‘’Direct primaries remained the most transparent and credible process of electing popular candidates for the party.

    Read Also: Shekarau officially defects to APC

    ‘’We are not part of those who adopted indirect primaries in the state, we have unanimously rejected any process other than direct primaries in electing those that will represent the party in 2019 elections,’’ he said said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the party had adopted indirect primaries during its stakeholders meeting held on Thursday, and said that the decision was binding on every member of the party in the state.

    The APC Chairman, Alhaji Shitu  Shitu, also said that the stakeholders have unanimously adopted both President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Aminu Masari as sole candidates for President and Governor respectively in 2019.