President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with some state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting which started at about 2:00 p.m. has six governors in attendance.
Those at the meeting were – Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Aminu Masari (Katsina).
Others were – Simon Lalong (Plateau), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Kebbi Government has procured N300 million modern ultra sound machines for 14 general hospitals in the state, the Commissioner of Health, Alhaji Umar Kambaza, has said.
Kambaza, who represented Gov. Atiku Bagudu, during the inspection of the machines in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, said they were procured to improve health care delivery in the state.
He said health centers for women and children especially those located in remote areas would be accorded priority in the installation of the Ultra sound machines, to help reduce maternal and new born diseases.
According to him, the government is committed to reducing all health challenges facing women and children in the state.
Hajiya Halima Boyi, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, called on health management committees of the benefiting hospitals to ensure proper utilization of the machines.
Dr Aminu Bunza, the State Director, Medical Services, assured of proper maintenance of the ultra sound machines.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja reiterated Federal Government’s determination to continually review and strengthen ongoing reforms in the agriculture sector “until Nigeria regains its pride of place as food exporting country.”
The president said this when he received a delegation of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) from Kebbi, led by the state Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu in the Presidential Villa.
He added that the country’s rice import bill had dropped significantly, noting, however, that “beyond self-sufficiency, Nigeria must strive to become net exporter of food commodities.
“We are not doing badly in the agriculture sector: Nigerians and indeed the world, are beginning to appreciate our efforts. We will work harder until we start exporting food.
“We are happy that rice and beans importation into the country have gone down by over 90 per cent, and everyone can see how productive states like Kebbi turned out to be and states like Lagos, Ogun and Ebonyi are following the example.”
The President said Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto states had already reported remarkable turn-around in the agriculture sector, with more youths taking interest in entrepreneurship.
Buhari, who disagreed with the astronomical food import bill presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) from the inception of the administration, pointed out that it was later discovered to be “fraudulent practices’’ by some elite to deplete the foreign reserves.
He said “when I was told that the CBN had no savings after the windfall of selling oil for more than 100 dollars per barrel for many years and production was 2.1 billion barrels per day, I did not believe them.
“I did not believe them because majority of Nigerians cannot afford imported food; they rely on what is locally grown. It turned out that 50 per cent of the export bills were fraudulent, courtesy of the Nigerian elite.
“Unfortunately, we will not know all that happened because the elite worked in collusion with institutions in developed countries like insurance firms, shipping companies and other financial outfits, to perpetuate the fraud.”
On security, President Buhari said the return of farmers to their farm lands in the North East, with glaring results of high yields, was a testimony to the relative peace that had been achieved.
He assured that more would be done to check the mayhem of suicide attacks.
The President said his administration would put in more effort to reposition the education and health sectors to compete with other global institutions.
While introducing the delegation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, commended government’s policies toward reviving the agriculture sector.
The Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said “the state government and the APC family was pleased with the performance of Federal Government in securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.”
Bagudu and members of the delegation, which included former Governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Dakingari and other former PDP stalwarts, prayed for the quick recovery of the President’s son, Yusuf Buhari who was involved in a bike accident.
The Police in Kebbi have arrested 10 suspects in connection with the recent violent clash between farmers and herdsmen in Bakoshi Community of Suru Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Kabir Ibrahim, who accompanied Gov. Atiku Bagudu to the scene of the clash on Friday, said more suspects were being tracked down.
The clash led to the destruction of foodstuff and livestock, with one person dead.
The commissioner said that the discovery of the corpse of a farmer, Shehu Bakoshi, 30, close to the settlement of the herdsmen resulted in the reprisal attack by farmers.
The District Head of Bakuwai, Jagwadeji Tukur, commended the police for their quick intervention by arresting identified persons who attacked herdsmen in the community.
The governor directed the immediate resettlement of the dispersed herdsmen with a promise to provide basic amenities to the new settlement.
He blamed rumour mongers for the escalation of the clash and warned that perpetrators would be penalised.
The Chairman of the local government, Alhaji Umaru Miagandi, said the council would provide assistance to the victims.
Miagandi also said that awareness campaign would be embarked upon to educate the people on the need to avoid “violent resolution of disputes”.
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Some Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weights behind President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election for a second term in office, saying there is no candidate better than the President to fly the party flag in the 2019 Presidential election.
Speaking in separate interviews with reporters before the commencement of the National Executive Committee meeting of the part in Abuja, the governors said that the belief that President Buhari’s integrity, couple with his performance since 2015 remain unbeatable.
Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong said that all the governors have agreed to work for the President’s re-election.
“Concerning the issue of a sole ticket for Mr President, I want to say that if Mr President is performing, well respected and carrying everybody along, all of us have resolved that we will work for him.
“Do we have any other person that will challenge the President again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one President and that is the ticket we will fly.
“I want to assure you that you won’t see a wrangling party after the meeting. From now onwards, it will be a focused governance from Mr President and all the governors from the states. We have all resolved to support Mr President.”
Also speaking, Nasarawa state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, “For anybody to preempt the consensus opinion of the people is to say the least, not fair to the vision of our party. I can tell you that if there is anything that is clandestine, the President will not honour it, so let wait and see as we embark on these meetings.
“I believe the consensus and the preponderance of opinion of all party members will be what is good for this country, and we have already known the will of this country, the future of this country as we are now as a country is associated with one person, who is impeccable, who has the greatest amount of integrity that you can find in any human being around, so your guest is as good as mine.”
Also speaking, Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu said: “the performance of the President in the last two and half years suggest that if he wants to contest, l will certainly support him and l know that our party members feel the same about him.”
Imo state governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum said he will only sacrifice his presidential ambition to support the President if he is interested in seeking a second term in office.
He said: “If Mr president wants to run for election, he will follow all the processes and if he is the person, we will all support him. In APC, there is no imposition of a candidate. If Buhari is running, I will allow that man to continue but if he is not running, I won’t sacrifice my Presidential ambition.
“Mr President is showing the right leadership and taking the very right steps and there is reconciliation going on even with nobody talking about it. There is the spirit of reconciliation and people understand their role.
“Our role is to make this party great and we are all trying to do that input own form but importantly the governor have remained the pivot upon which this wheels of change has rotated so far, we have kept this party working and after this meeting our congresses and convention will commence in the early part of next year and all party organs will be strengthened. We are in good mood and high spirits.”
Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has promised to construct four modern stadia in the four emirate councils of the state to boost sports development and unity among youths.
The four stadia will be constructed in the Gwandu, Argungu, Zuru and Yauri emirate councils.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Abubakar Muazu, said on Monday in Birnin Kebbi that the promise was made at the Argungu emirate ward football competition.
“The provision of the stadia is part of efforts to improve on the state’s participation in zonal, national and international competitions as well as enhance peaceful coexistence,’’ Muazu said in a statement.
It added that the governor urged groups and organisations to sponsor competitions to encourage the government to implement policies that would improve sports development.
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The Kebbi Government says it will engage 100,000 unemployed youths in provision of livestock services as part of efforts to reduce unemployment and make them self-reliant.
Gov. Atiku Bagudu, made this known in Birnin Kebbi on Friday when officials of the Birnin Kebbi Technology Incubation Centre visited him.
“We will collaborate with the Technology Incubation Centre to create jobs for women and youths through entrepreneurship in order to make them not only become self-reliant, but employers of labour,’’ he said.
Bagudu said that about 7,500 women would also be offered soft loans by the government in collaboration with the Bank of Industry.
“We believe in service delivery to our youths and women; we will not relent toward that direction.
“We believe in technology; we believe is the way to follow; we will demystify technology so that our young men and women can join and reap the benefits of technology,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Acting Manager of the Incubation Centre, Alhaji Abubakar Koko, commended the Wife of the Governor, Hajiya Aisha Bagudu, for her contributions to the graduation of 350 youth entrepreneurs in the centre.
Koko pleaded that the state government should assist in the construction of additional rooms and provision of buses for transportation of products produced from the centre to other states.
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The Kebbi Government has earmarked N900 million for the digitisation of the state radio and television stations, a government statement said on Wednesday.
The statement signed by Abubakar Dakingari, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Atiku Bagudu, said the decision followed complaints that most parts of the state were not getting the stations’ signals.
According to the statement, the latest complain was by the Emir of Yauri, Dr Zayyanu Abdullahi, who said that the entire emirate do not enjoy the services of the stations.
“The emir said the situation made it impossible for people in the emirate to be conversant and abreast of the day-to-day activities and policies of the government,” it said.
According to the statement, the governor is committed to ensuring that the two broadcast stations cover the whole state including Zuru and Yauri Local Government Areas.
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Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, on Thursday inaugurated the state Advocacy and Community Engagement Forum to raise the level of enrolment of children in school over the next five years.
Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has promised to provide skills acquisition equipment and other materials to inmates of the two prisons in the state with a view to properly rehabilitate them.
Bagudu made the promise on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi while donating tailoring machines to the inmates of the two prison inmates in the state.
The governor urged the inmates to consider their incarceration as an act of God meant to reform them and not to abuse their personality.
He called on them to change their attitudes, before and after the expiration of their prison terms.
The governor also promised that government would revisit the cases of some of the inmates for possible pardon.
“Government will look at some of your cases and some of you on awaiting trial.
‘’This is with a view to paying fines and possible pardon after consultation with security agencies, courts and prison authorities,” he assured.
In his remarks, the Controller of Prisons in the state, Alhaji Sani Potiskum, commended the governor for his continued assistance to the two prisons.
“We also thank you for the renovation of toilets, provision of 100 mattresses, repairs of boreholes and provision of drugs and insecticides to the inmates, he said.
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