The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Boss Mustapha

  • 2019: Buhari not jittery over Atiku, APC govs declare 

    Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari and the party are not jittery over the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the main opposition Presidential candidate in 2019 election.

    Atiku was elected by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as its Presidential flag bearer during the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after leading four governors of the party to a closed-door meeting with President Buhari over the just concluded party’s primaries, Chairman of the APC Governors Forum and Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, was optimistic that Buhari would be reelected in 2019.

    Other governors at the meeting attended by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, included Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi); Abdullahi Gamduje (Kano); Kashim Shettima (Borno); and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos)

    Also at the meeting was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

    Okorocha said that the party had no reason to lose sleep over Atiku’s emergence.

    According to him, the party has concluded not to engage in any verbal attacks with any candidate in the forthcoming election.

    He said that the APC governors were at the State House not only to congratulate Buhari for being elected as the party’s presidential candidate, but to also request for a date when they would bring all the party’s governorship candidates to him to show their readiness for the 2019 political battles.

    He added “For the Governors to come together with our followers and supporters to further inform the world for our readiness to deliver him in 2019 election.

    “This is just basically the message we have come and to say that Mr. President is more than ever ready for the entire exercise.

    “Our election this time will not engage on castigations or talking. We will be taking on issues, Nigerians are tired of political abuses, what we want to be talking about is issues, the tract records of people involved in our elections.

    “Nigerians are very wise now, before they elect anybody they will ask questions, what has been your tract records, who were you before, who are you now and everything about you. And for that reason we are confident that in 2019, APC will go through.

    “We have also looked at the issues concerning our primaries, in every democracy, you should expect a kind of disagreement and we have kindly requested that something be done to bring warring factions together so that we can have a united party to face the challenges ahead and we are happy that will soon take place.

    “Most of the problems have been resolved except for one or two states where we have issues and where it becomes more difficult, we ask for Mr. President’s intervention in the matter.

    “We are talking about reconciliation, what is important to us is that we must never go into this battle, a divided family and we want to make sure that all governors are intact, all national assembly members are intact while going into this battle. We will never speak differently, we will speak as members of the party.” he said

    On whether the controversy surrounding the Zamfara State APC primaries was part of the discussion, he said, “Zamfara is one of the issues that we have addressed also.”

    Asked whether the APC was jittery because of the emergence of for Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the Presidential candidate of the PDP and his tough stance since he emerged, he said that the party was not jittery at all.

    He said, “I don’t know about talking tough, we can’t be jittery and history is there to speak, history is very important and it is there to speak so like I said we are not going to engage in this verbal war with anybody, we will be talking about issues. If we say look, you are not good, we tell you what we can do and we cannot do and what others cannot do.

    “APC is not going to join in those talk shop but right we are discussing issues of what our party can for our people.”

    On what was the President’s response, he said, “The President is quite happy with the whole outing and he is looking for a date to invite the governors, in fact, he will give us a date to celebrate him and tell the world our joy and happiness that he emerged as our Presidential flag bearer which is victory assured 2019.”

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha described the APC governors meeting with the President as a welcome development.

    He said, “It is a welcome development, we are one big family in a contest there is bound to be winners and losers but in the spirit of the game of politics which is like any other sports, after the game is over, whoever has emerged victorious must be magnanimous and gracious in his victory and whoever has lost out will also accept it in the spirit of sportsmanship.

    “So, this is a welcome move, our governor who is the Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, has spoken rightly all the things that are in motion to ensure that we quickly heal the wounds and bring the family together for a greater task ahead.

    “We are a government that has credibly performed this morning I had the privilege of laying before the council a compendium of the policies, the programmes and the projects initiated and implemented by this government in two and half years. A total of one thousand and forty two page documents, not stories, facts of what we have been able to achieve.

    “I think we are set to record, this campaign will be driven by issues, this campaign must be predicated on what you are able to bring to the table for the people of Nigeria. It is not going to be a noisy campaign, anybody that is preparing for noise should be prepared to receive defeat in February of 2019,” he said.

  • Buhari receives 1042-pages achievement compendium at FEC

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday received 1042-pages achievement compendium from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

    The presentation was made by Mustapha just before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting settled down for the business of the day.

    Mustapha disclosed that the compendium was a summary of policies and programmes implemented between 2015 and 2017 as approved by FEC.

    He also recalled that ministries between 10th of January 2018 to 2nd of May, 2018 presented the status of all projects and programmes in their ministries to FEC.

    According to him, the document will serve as first hand information to the President on projects and programmes implemented.

    The document, he said, will also serve as reference point and lends credence to the fact that the administration has fulfilled its campaign promises.

    Stressing that the document came one year after he assumed office as the SGF, he said that the document can be used to evaluate the administration.

    Read Also: Buhari, governors, ministers, others for Fayemi’s inauguration

    “It is a valid and vivid proof of the giant strides by this administration.” he said

    He said that the document will be circulated to all the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).

  • Buhari to teachers: Be agents of positive change

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday charged teachers to be positive change agents in the growth and development of the country.

    The president, who said that Nigerian children were pillars of strength as well as drivers of economic growth, charged teachers to be positive influence to students.

    Buhari stated these at this year’s World Teachers Day in Abuja with theme “The right to education means the right to qualified teacher.”

    Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, the president stated that despite the teaching profession was faced with various challenges such as low wages, low self esteem and lack of professional and in-service training, government was committed to the course of teaching profession.

    He said frantic efforts were being made by the Federal Government to improve teacher education for skills acquisition, through teachers continued professional development.

    Buhari said: “Having ascertained that education is a right, teachers have important role to play to adequately prepare the young for their roles in the society, in order to achieve the set national objectives.

    “You will agree with me that a qualified teacher is crucial in the educational system, that is why it is important to ensure every teacher is academically and professionally qualified.

    “In many countries, the quality of education has been eroded due to acute shortage of trained and qualified teachers.”

    Read Also: Teachers’ Day: NUT holds special prayers for end to Plateau killings

    He said that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 4 (SDG4) by 2030, the Federal Ministry of Education had developed a Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) Education for Change (2016 to 2019).

    The plan, the president explained, was a roadmap to guide its efforts toward effective implementation and the achievement of the SDG4 and other related education targets of the SDG agenda.

    He called for the professionalisation of teachers while urging teachers to obtain their professional license from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) as the deadline is December 2019.

    Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said that research findings had consistently shown that the most important factor that influenced students’ learning outcomes was the presence of the teacher.

    Adamu said the effectiveness of the teacher in their commitment to the teaching profession was key to the development of a child.

    He said the ministry had developed the strategy with respect to teacher education, capacity building and professional development.

    The minister also said that the ministry was also working toward improving the capacity of teachers, attracting the best brains to the profession and providing the nation with the required skilled human capital.

    Adamu called on all teachers to work with the government at all levels to move education forward.

    Also, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, said the present administration had been encouraging and reward good behaviour and contributions to nation building in the teaching profession.

    He said school administrators and schools, at basic and secondary levels under the President’s Teachers and School Excellence Award, had been recognised for their effective performances.

    Mr Adaramola Femi- Patrick of Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, Ogun, was presented with the overall best teacher award. He went home with a Sonata car.

    Also, the overall best school administrator went to Mrs Grace Ezenwa of Anambra, while Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti state got a bus as the overall best school.

  • Boss Mustapha visits Omisore in Ile-Ife

    The Secretary to the Government of Federation, Barr Boss Mustapha, has visited Sen Iyiola Omisore in Ile-Ife.

    Mustapha came with Ekiti Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who has been to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) gubernatorial aspirant, Sen Omisore’s house, three times in the last 24 hours.

    Mustapha’s visit came after another visit by an APC delegation, comprising four state governors, Fayemi and the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

    The SGF told a Pressmen that Omisore has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he plays politics of maturity.

    He said that his visit was beyond politics as he married from Osun State.

    He described Omisore as his in-law.

    “Omisore has been exemplified among other leaders because of the pivotal role played in the establishment of democracy in Nigeria.

    “Honestly, Omisore needs to be commended, should forget all that happened in the past and come together to build our state and nation at large” he stated.

    In his response, Omisore lauded his visitors and other supporters throughout his journey so far in politics.

    Omisore appealed to all voters to cast their vote to their right choice and maintain peaceful coexistence in the rerun election. (NAN)

  • FG inaugurates Presidential panel on prerogative mercy 

    The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.

    The inauguration was done by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha in the SGF conference hall.

    He was represented at the brief ceremony by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is the chairman of the committee.

    Read Also:Prerogative of Mercy: Lagos orders release of 18 Kirikiri inmates

    He said “The significance of an occasion like this goes beyond the ceremony itself; it gives a signal for the members so inaugurated to brace up with the responsibility embedded in the assignment.

    “The committee is a four year tenured committee constituted to assist Mr. President in the discharge of his constitutional responsibility of not only granting pardon to deserving prisoners and ex-convicts and reintegrating them into the society but also to work towards decongesting the prisons nationwide.”

    According to him, the inauguration of the committee will go a long way to reduce the congestions in the prisons.

    Stressing that the responsibility of the committee is sensitive and enormous, he said that the purpose for its constitution and its guiding principles must be completely adhered to.

    He said that the terms of reference of the committee are statutory and constitutionally as they are enshrined in Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution.

    “The inauguration today enables you to kick start the processes leading to nationwide prison visits and consequent recommendation of eligible ex-convicts and convicts for presidential pardon.” he stated

    While making an opening remark, a member of the committee and Permanent Secretary in the Special Duties office, Williams Alo, recalled that the President reconstituted the committee on the 19th of June, 2018.

    Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution on Prerogative of mercy reads “(1) The President may (a) grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence created by an Act of the National Assembly a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions; (b) grant to any person a respite, either for an indefinite or for a specified period, of the execution of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; (c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence; or (d) remit the whole or any part of any punishment imposed on that person for such an offence or of any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to the State on account of such an offence.

    “(2) The powers of the President under subsection (1) of this section shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Council of State. (3) The President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State, may exercise his powers under subsection (1) of this section in relation to persons concerned with offences against the army, naval or air-force law or convicted or sentenced by a court-martial.” it stated

    The 12-man committee included Abubakar Malami (Chairman), Williams Alo,  Lucy Ajayi, Joshua Abu, John Idoko, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, representative of the Nigerian Prisons Service, representative of the National Human Rights Commission.

     

  • Osinbajo, Tinubu, others storm Daura for APC rally

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday arrived the ancient town of Daura in Katsina state for the All Progressives Congress (APC) grand rally for Saturday’s Katsina North Senatorial District bye-election.

    Osinbajo arrived in Daura at about 12.45 p.m. in company of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Mr Boss Mustapha and Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State.

    Others, who came with the vice president, were Minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinibu, among others.

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Tinubu, others welcome Akpabio to APC

    The acting president was received by the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, Commissioners and Heads of Agencies and Parastatals.

    NAN  reports that the popular Kangiwa square, venue of the event was thronged by thousands of people and party loyalists, praising the acting president and chanting “Sai professor mai gaskiya.”

  • ‘Buhari engages critical stakeholders for solutions to nation’s challenges’

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday night met with members of Parliamentary Support Group as part of efforts to build synergy, consensus on national issues to find solutions to socio-economic and security challenges facing the country.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after the closed door meeting between the president and members of the group at Aso Rock, Abuja.

    Mustapha, who described the meeting as an encouraging interface between the legislature and the executive, said the meeting was for the betterment of the nation.

    “Well it’s a very encouraging interface between the legislature and the executive.

    “Don’t forget that the national Assembly had an Open Week, throughout the course of this week, this is a continuation of that engagement and I belief that after this kind of interaction with different arms of government, we will be able to build synergy, build consensus on issues and find resolutions to it.

    “Politics is a game of negotiations, it’s a game of dialogue, and understanding and it is for the betterment of our country. We are the party in government; the legislature is part of government; if the executive does not succeed, it will also rub off on the legislature.

    “So it is just a continuation of this dialogue that can afford us the chance to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people,’’ he said.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen Ita Enang, who also spoke on the outcome of the meeting, appreciated members of the group for promoting President Buhari’s vision on the floor of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly as a whole.

    He stated that during the meeting, President Buhari invited the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiohmole to address all the concerns of the group, and assured them that matters of the party would be properly addressed.

    He further assured that none of them should have fear because “the party is for every person.’’

    “Let me very sincerely appreciate these honorable members of the parliamentary support group and they have come as persons who have come together to support the president’s vision on the floor of the House of Representatives and the national Assembly as a whole.

    “And I use this opportunity to express to them the concerns of all the members and Mr President has responded in a manner that is very satisfactory to them.

    “This is one of the back channels that is being arranged and is granted by Mr President and officers of the executive from time to time to enable the legislators interact personally, with personal questions and personal concerns on the state, the party, projects and programmes of government and that has been fully addressed and of course.

    “Mr President invited the National Chairman of the party and addressed all their concerns assuring them that matters of the party will be properly addressed and that none of them should have fear because the party is for every person.

    “And has told them how the nominations will go and has given them confidence and this confidence will be transmitted to all other members of the house and Senate who are not here.

    “And next time, we are going to arrange for Senators in the next few days as part of confidence building and bridging the gap between the executive and legislature,’’ he added.

    The Chairman of the group, Musa Sarkin Adar, told the correspondents that the group embarked on the solidarity visit to the presidential villa as a mark support to the Buhari administration.

    He, however, stated that the group used the opportunity to alert the President on issues and concerns raised by members of APC across the country.

    He said: “We looked at the concerns within the country and the various political parties because election is approaching and we members of APC in the National Assembly felt that it is necessary to come and interface with Mr president and the national chairman of the party to address issues and concerns raised by members across the federation.

    “In each state of the federation, there are certain concerns and misgivings when the congresses were held from wards, to local government to state level, there were so many discrepancies and issues that came up and people made a lot of complaints and they were not listened to as a result of that some people thought that they will move out of the party and join another party.

    “Others, even before that have made up their minds they are going somewhere and we feel it is necessary to come and inform the president that we are committed to remain party members, but issues should be looked into and addressed properly, so that all aggrieved members can be persuaded to remain together so that we can ensure victory for our party in the 2019 general elections.’’

    He expressed the hope that the interaction of members of the group with the president would also encourage the relationship between the executive and the national Assembly to be cordial.

    “We know who causes all those frictions and we are trying as much as possible to make sure that such things does not happen again for the betterment of this country.

    “We should not be partisan in everything we do, especially on our conduct on the floor of the House.

    “From the previous experiences of the previous Assembly which we were opportune to be members then, we know what happened and we know what it caused the country.

    “So it is now a clarion call for us to rally behind the president and the need for us to also be listened to so that the issues of development of this country can be addressed,’’ he said.

    Sarkin Adar, who described the respond of the president to the group’s demands as “very fantastic’’, said they explained to the president “the idea of zonal intervention or what is called constituency projects.’’

    He said: “It is not money given to us, but projects worth millions of naira that we should only site where it should be sited in our various constituencies and it is one of the most unifying factor of this country.

    Read Also: Fed Govt to increase budget allocation to health sector, says Buhari

    “Because it one of the ways in which you can have a reflective performance of the government in certain areas.

    “For example if you go to rural areas and you don’t have provision of water borehole, primary school or primary health care, before you take certain projects to them, it will be difficult.

    “But these constituency projects that are allocated to us on the basis of where you come from and you select 1 2 3 4 or whatever the money allocated to the project is given then that is what your people will benefit from and as such, there is equitable distribution of infrastructure across the nation.’

  • Obasanjo rejects front row seat at Afreximbank Abuja meeting

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday caused a stir at the on-going African Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank) Annual Meeting in Abuja, when he chose to sit among the participants instead of occupying a front row seat reserved for him at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton.

    Obasanjo have no reason for his action although he arrived late at the event.

    Before Obasanjo’s arrival, Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State; Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun and Albert Muchanga, African Union’s Commissioner for Trade and Transport were already seated.

    He arrived when Benedict Oramah, the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank was delivering his address of welcome.

    Earlier, the meeting witnessed the opening ceremony which featured a documentary on the history of Afreximbank’s 25 years of existence.

    Read Also: Soyinka: Obasanjo failed woefully

    George Elombi, the Executive Vice President of Afreximbank had also delivered his introductory remarks.

    But when Bronwyn Nelson, the Editor-at-Large of CNBC Africa who was moderator of the event, walked up to welcome Obasanjo at the entrance with the aim of ushering him to his seat, the former Nigerian president refused and chose to sit on an empty seat on the right row of the hall.

    The audience was surprised at Obasanjo’s action including the other dignitaries in front of the hall.

    After Oramah’s speech, Muchanga and Nelson went to persuade Obasanjo to take his seat.

    The former president, however, complied and followed them to his seat.

    He shook hands with the dignitaries starting from Mustapha to El-Rufai, Oramah and Adeosun among others before sitting.

  • FG to fast-track implementation of transport treaties – Osinbajo

    The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said that Federal Government had realized the need to fast track the implementation of all transport treaties and conventions it signed for economic growth.

    Osinbajo said this at the closing of the Sub-Sahara Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP) Annual General Meeting, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Abuja.

    Osinbajo, who was represented by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that Africa needed to integrate for trade and economic development, stating that the cost of transportation in Africa was too high.

    “We have also as a country realized the need to fast track the implementation of all the transport related treaties, conventions, protocol and agreements that were signed.

    “We are working with United Nations agencies and our transport, environment and petroleum ministries to promote clean air and fuel emission from vehicles.

    We have also signed the 1968 conventions on road signs and signal to ensure safe roads for users.”

    Read Also: ‘I am excited Osinbajo noticed what I am producing’

    Osinbajo, however, commended the SSATP countries for selecting three states – Lagos, FCT and Calabar – for the pioneer urban mobility development.

    He said that the meeting had brought African countries together to share ideas and knowledge on the various challenges and the way forward for transport system in Africa.

    However, the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, commended the partners of SSATP for coming together to develop policy that would help the transport sector.

    He said that aviation still remained the fastest and safest means of transportation, adding that the cost of transportation within African nations was too high, based on connectivity.

    Sirika said that if the problem of networking and connectivity was tackled, it would improve the economy.

    NAN

  • Dealers waiting for Presidential amnesty for vehicles

    Vehicle dealers under the auspice of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), on Tuesday said that they are looking forward to securing amnesty for their already imported cars from President Muhammadu Buhari.

    According to its President, Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, who spoke with The Nation on phone, the association about three months ago met with the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, who promised to take the message to Buhari.

    The dealers are insisting on their demand that the Presidency grants them amnesty to its already imported vehicles.

    Adedoyin said that “as at the last count we have been asking for something like amnesty from the federal government for all the cars. This is because we realize that most of the cars we are still using a lot of them are still without duties. 

    Read Also: Niger Delta leaders warn against attack on Amnesty boss

    “In order to bring them to the street and start from a clean slate even if you are going to do anything it will be like amnesty. 

    “The other one is for the reduction of duty. We are still trying to see how we can push it in as much as Customs has not be forthcoming on it because they have always thrown us back to the presidency that their own is just to implement whatever the federal government tells them to do. 

    “We are trying to see how we can lay our cards on the table for the federal government to see reason why it needs to give us and to bring down the cost of duty. 

    We met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha and he said that he will take our message to Mr. President. That was about two three months ago.”