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Tag: BUHARI

  • Buhari reiterates commitment toward improved welfare for Army

    President Muhammadu Burhari on Wednesday reiterated his commitment to improve the welfare of Nigerian Army to enable them discharge their constitutional mandate of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.

    Buhari gave the assurance while addressing troops at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.

    He said the troops were always on his mind, adding that he had always woken up thinking about them and the conditions they operated.

    “I will support you to play your constitutional role of defending the integrity of the country from both internal and external forces.
    “This is the oath you have taken just as I took an oath as the President and Commander-In-Chief.

    “I assure you that I go to bed and always wake up thinking about you and the conditions under which you operate.

    “Please, maintain your loyalty and defend the country. Whatever happens, a military no matter how equip or how well led, without discipline is no use to the country,’’ he said.

    Read ALso: PHOTOS: Buhari arrives Maiduguri for COAS conference

    While commending the troops over their gallantry and sacrifices, Buhari urged them to increase their commitment in engaging the outlaw Boko Haram insurgents, without further delay.

    He said plans were on to adopt a new enhanced salary structure for the military in recognition of their contributions to security, social and economic development of the country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president also visit injured troops on admission at the Military Medical Centre. Maimalari Barracks, Maiduguri.

    Buhari had earlier inaugurated the 2018 Chief of Army Staff (COAS) conference and paid courtesy visit on the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai Elkanemi.

  • 2019 poll: Why Buhari must continue, by Tinubu

    Buhari, Oshiomhole, governors in Osun as Oyetola takes over from Aregbesola

    At a packed stadium, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday announced the resolution of the progressives  to support continuity of good governance.

    “There is no going back in the resolve to return President Muhammadu Buhari for another term in office,” the former Lagos State governor said.

    It was at the inauguration of Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and Benedict Olugboyega Alabi as Osun State governor and deputy governor.

    The colourful ceremony, attended by many dignitaries and ordinary folks, took place at the Osogbo Township Stadium  in the state capital.

    Tinubu said Nigerians could not afford to go back to the “scavengers, who personalised governance because of their greed”.

    To the APC stalwart, there should be enough of greed and self-serving government that “has held back our progress as a nation”.

    He stressed that there was nothing to show for the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in power.

    He said the PDP only laid the foundation for “greed” and “selfishness”.

    His words:  “Nigeria must never be allowed to go back to the corruption, greed and selfishness that have held back our progress. No shaking and no going back to the old foxes, old scavengers and old greed of this country. Look back at their years in government and find out if they laid any good foundation. They didn’t, except the personalisation theory of greed.”

    Tinubu, who was elated by the inauguration of the new government in Osun State, congratulated the former governor, Rauf Aregbesola, for handing over power to a progressive administration.

    He said: “I congratulate you, Aregbesola, for handing over power to a progressive. Now you have joined me in the club of former governors. You have really done very well. You have run progressive and welfarist programmes. I commend you for your performance in the two terms you have spent as governor.

    “You have done very well. Since eight years, which is like yesterday. You earned a progressive mandate and did it for four years and renewed it for another four years. It was a welfarist and progressive programmes now handed over to another progressive governor. Thank you for walking the path and doing a good job.”

    Tinubu, who congratulated Oyetola and Alabi, assured them that the administration would be supported by progressives in all parts of Nigeria.

    According to him, Oyetola’s emergence as governor is a continuation and testament of APC’s progressive ideology of governance started four years ago by President Buhari.

    He urged the new governor  to follow the path that will engender progressive development, put smiles on people’s faces and take the country to higher heights.

    The former governor said: “We want you to maintain the same path of progress. We are strongly behind you. Ride on, no going back. There is no any other party here in the Southwest.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the inauguration marked a peaceful transition from one administration to another.

    President, who commended the former governor for steering the ship of the state successfully for eight years and handing over power to an APC administration, thanked the people of Osun for conducting themselves peacefully during  and after the governorship elections.

    Buhari advised politicians in the 2019 general elections to make their campaigns focus on programmes and agenda capable of emancipating the people from hardship.

    He called on Oyetola to centre his administration around the welfare of the people of the state, especially women and youths, to make life meaningful to them.

    He said: “Public office is a trust. You must rule with a human face and the fear of God. You must ensure that all the ongoing projects are completed.”

    He assured the new governor of all the necessary support that would help him succeed.

    Buhari also called on Nigerians to vote for the APC in the 2019 general elections.

    He urged them to conduct themselves peacefully  – in a manner devoid of bitterness and violence, shunning hate speech and violence during the campaigns.

    He praised the Aregbesola for bringing “immense developments” to the state in the last eight years.

    He assured that the APC-led administration would continue to deliver the democracy dividends to the people.

    Among the dignitaries at the event were Senator Oluremi Tinubu,  Gen. Alani Aknirinade, Aregbesola’s wife, Sherifat and his former deputy Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori.

    There were Governors Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano).

    Former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo were there.

    Others were the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, former  Osun State  Governor Chief Bisi Akande, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Olabomi, the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Dokun Abolarin, former  House of Representatives Speaker Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, Osun state speaker of the State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, former state speaker, Adejare Bello, APC women leader, Chief Mrs Kemi Nelson, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, Senator Solomon Adeola , former Lagos deputy governor, Femi Pedro, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Senator Sola Adeyeye.

  • Buhari cancels private visit to Daura

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday cancelled his planned private visit to Daura, Katsina State. The cancellation is a mark of respect for victims of Boko Haram attacks across the battlefields in the Northeast zone.

    Instead, he will be heading to Maiduguri tomorrow to attend the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference.

    The President had planned a five-day trip to his Daura country home in Katsina State from yesterday.

    He had earlier cancelled his official trip to Benin City, Edo, where he was billed to inaugurate the Edo-Azura Power Plant and attend the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference, initially billed to take place in the ancient city.

    It was learnt yesterday that the advanced teams of the president, who left Abuja for Katsina and Benin on Sunday, had been asked to return.

    The trips cancellation would allow the President to continue his ongoing meetings and consultations with relevant security and intelligent community officials aimed at addressing the nation’s security challenges.

    He is expected to open the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference, which was moved from Benin to Maiduguri at the Government House Conference Hall in Maiduguri.

    President Buhari’s aide on New Media Bashir Ahmad, had on Sunday confirmed this development on his tweeter handle.

    He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the COAS Annual Conference on November 28, at the Conference Hall CGH in Maiduguri, Borno state.

    “The conference was earlier scheduled to take place from 26 -28 November 2018 in Benin, Edo State.”

  • NMMA names Buhari grand patron

    •Awards hold in Akwa Ibom Dec

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been selected as grand patron of Nigerian Media Merit Awards (NMMA).

    The investiture of the President, according to a statement by General Administrator, Nigerian Media Merit Awards, Mr. Tosin Ayo-Faluyi, will be announced later.

    Faluyi said part of the NMMA  Awards, which holds in Akwa Ibom State between December 13 and 16, is the  investiture of President  Buhari as Grand Patron of the NMMA, adding that the “Numero Uno Man of the Media” conferment was in line with the provisions of the NMMA statute.

    He stated that the entries for the NMMA 2018, which closed a few months ago, attracted from across the nation 651 entries from 461  entrants in print, radio and television.

    This, he said, was a great development to which awards administrators had responded by strengthening the screening.

    “Thus, 10 new accomplished media professionals were enlisted in a structured adjustment of the 25 man Panel of Assessors who screens the various entries in different categories.  New rules and provisions were also introduced to raise the standards of the scheme. The qualified nominations for the NMMA  Awards will be released on December 2, 2018,” he said.

    This year’s event will make Akwa Ibom the 11th state to host the awards outside Lagos, the media-city.  It is the second state from the Southsouth geopolitical zone since inception of the awards in 1991/92.  The first was Rivers in 2004.

    For this year’s award, three recommended states were considered by the administrators before a final decision on Akwa Ibom was taken.

    The hosting of the NMMA across the nation provides a special forum for the media practitioners and leaders to meet with members of the society across various zones of Nigeria. This helps to foster closer media understanding, recognition and interaction not only among media people but very much also with the people of the state and zone directly, making for the appreciation of their unique cultural heritage and economic potential.  This is more so because the celebration of media excellence brings the people closer to the media leaders and practitioners they read and hear of on the media platforms.

    The guests assembly at the three-day grand awards will include about 150 awards nominees, 50 media leaders and about 100 special guests from the public and private sectors of Akwa Ibom State and from across the nation.

    The grand awards presentation ceremony will feature, among others, NMMA Trustees Awards to three eminent national leaders while three media leaders who have contributed immensely to media excellence shall also be honoured at the ceremony.

    Other activities include sectoral programmes involving key media and Akwa Ibom State executives; a media leaders roundtable on topical subjects of national interest; a tour of the three Senatorial Districts of the state by media executives and guests; and the Media Heroes & Icons Night of Tributes.

     

  • Buhari to Oyetola: Rule with the fear of God

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has advised the new governor of Osun State, Gboyega Isiaka to show concern to the women, children and youths in his administration

    He spoke at the inauguration ceremony in Osogbo, Osun State on Tuesday.

    Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Buhari said that the Federal Government is solidly behind the development of the state.

    “Let me congratulate the new governor for his victory. This inauguration marks a peaceful transition from one government to another and demonstrates that our democracy is maturing. I thank the people of Osun State

    “I must however remind you to lead by example, rule with the fear of God and you should be a governor of all, paying attention to women, children and youths.

    “Good governance is a compelling requirement for the progress of our nation. In the past eight years, the APC has brought development to the state. The FG has continued to support developmental project in the state, and we will continue to do so.”

  • We are solidly behind Buhari,says Tinubu

    National leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has restated the support of South West for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He spoke after the swearing in of Chief Gboyega Oyetola as the new governor of Osun State.

    “We are solidly behind President Buhari. No shaking. We are not going back to the past years of greed.

    “There is no room for any other party in the South West, ” Tinubu stated adding that if the PDP government laid a good foundation, there would have been no need for the rebuilding programmes by the Buhari administration.

    He saluted the new governor and urged him to build on the achievements of his predecessor.

  • APC members free to seek legal redress, says Buhari

    President: we can’t deny people of their rights

    Aggrieved party members should be free to seek legal redress, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) recently barred members from taking the party to court.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “We can’t deliberately deny people of their rights. We agreed that party primaries should be conducted either through direct, indirect or consensus methods, and if anyone feels unjustly treated in the process, such a person can go to court.

    “The court should always be the last resort for the dissatisfied. For the party to outlaw the court process is not acceptable to me.”

    The APC, in a decision ascribed to the National Working Committee (NWC), had last week threatened to punish members who had sued the party to court.

    The statement said: “The Party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the Party and hurting the Party’s interest.

    “We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes. In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has put in place.

    “APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.”

    President Buhari has advised members to work with the reconciliation committees empanelled for the six geo-political zones by the APC, and not a purported Presidential Committee on Reconciliation, stressing that the party is the only body authorised to constitute such committees.

  • Better pay, pension coming for Police

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has approved an enhanced salary structure for the Police, it was learnt yesterday.

    He assured that his administration will continue to give attention to the welfare and operational needs of the Police with a view to restoring its lost primacy in the internal security framework of the country.

    The President spoke in Abuja during an audience with the leadership of the Police Service Commission (PSC), who were at the State House to show appreciation for the pay rise.

    With the approval, the salaries, allowances and pensions of policemen will go up.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity Garba Shehu, the President regretted that the inability of the police in their constitutional role as the frontline force in the prevention of crime led to military involvement in the maintenance of law and order throughout the country.

    Buhari was quoted as saying: “From Taraba to Sokoto, to the Southsouth, people don’t feel secured until they see the military. I am pleased to make the increase in salary and allowances in the hope that it will increase the performance index of the police and strengthen Nigeria’s internal security system.”

    He observed that the more efficient the police are, the more confident the government and citizens will be.

    “The military should be reserved for higher tasks. The police should be able to cope well with the challenges of armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom and such crimes. In every town and village, there is the presence of the police.

    “From all these places, they should be able to forward first class intelligence to you on which to act.

    “There is a need to amplify the question of more men of the police, especially given the condition we are in – emergency in the North-East, pervasive insecurity and abduction for ransom and banditry in many parts of the country.

    “I congratulate you on the success you recorded against criminals taxing people and stopping them from their farms. We are expecting more from you,” the President told the police.

    Full-time Commissioner in the commission, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi (rtd), who represented the chairman and a former IGP, Musiliu Smith, told the President that the Rank Salary Structure Adjustment would enhance police welfare and morale.

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, promised that the police would redouble efforts to ensure free, fair and credible elections next year.

    “We are ready; we have gone round the country; we have conducted several by-elections, which obviously prepared us to face the main challenge next year.”

    The IGP, who was with the  the PSC leadership, told State House reporters that the stage was set for the forthcoming elections.

    He said: “We are ready; we have gone round the country; we have conducted several by-elections which obviously prepared us to face the main challenge next.

    “I am assuring all Nigerians that we are going to do our best in ensuring that we have a free and credible election next year. Obviously, we have the equipment but if we can get more, we will appreciate it.”

    On the welfare of officers and men, he said he was excited with the commitment and efforts aimed at improving not only the salary but the training of the Police Force.

    According to him, he “expects more dedication and loyalty to government and people of Nigeria from the officers and men of the Nigeria Police.”

    Justice Ogunbiyi said the welfare of Policemen needed to be enhanced because the idea of security had become critical.

    Policemen, she said, should be encouraged as the populace will like to see them perform maximally.

    Justice Ogunbiyi said: “We are here on behalf of the PSC to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for seeing it fit to enhance the welfare of Nigeria Police.

    “To enhance their emolument generally and to see that things are improved not only in terms of salaries and allowances but also seeing that infrastructure is improved; their working conditions, training …

    “In our recent retreat; we were in Enugu and we saw that a lot of the training facilities are in deplorable condition.

    “We will want to see that our policemen are properly trained; and our police will be able to match up with any police force anywhere in the world.

    “This is one the reasons why we think we need to encourage the government to do that and the President is doing same in the right direction.”

  • Buhari appoints new High Commissioner to South Africa

    President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Kabiru Bala, as the new High Commissioner of Nigeria to South Africa with concurrent accreditation to Swaziland and Lesotho.

    A career diplomat, Bala joined the Foreign Service in 1999 and has at different times served in Brasilia, Sudan, The Gambia, the Netherlands and Thailand.

    He also served in various departments in the ministry and  the State House – Office of the Chief of Staff to the President as well as State House Protocol.

    Bala has since received his  Letter of Credence from Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.

    Onyeama urged the new High Commissioner to work towards further strengthening relations between the Nigeria and South Africa.

    The immediate-past Nigeria High Commissioner to South Africa, Ahmed Ibeto  resigned his appointment in pursuit of political ambition.

    Read also: INEC witness to tribunal: Ekiti poll free, fair

     

  • Buhari mourns NLNG poetry prize winner Oke

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over  the passing of one of Nigeria’s renowned poets and winner of the 2017 Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG)-sponsored Nigerian Prize for Literature, Ikeogu Oke.

    On behalf of the Federal Government, President Buhari extended heartfelt condolences to Oke’s family, the literary and creative community on the painful demise of the award-winning poet.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, affirmed that as an author, journalist and poet, Oke exuded vibrancy, intelligence and innovation in his works as a social commentator, constantly in search of plausible answers and solutions to contemporary issues bedeviling his society.

    Through his poetry, the President believed that Oke enriched Nigeria’s literary genre and his legacy will live on in his works, which he was incredibly proud of and committed to, as he wrote in his epic Epitaph: ”Here lies a man who loved virtue and art, And gave to both his fortunes and his heart…”

    The President encouraged Nigerians, the literary community and lovers of art to honour Ikeogu Oke’s memory by imbibing the didactic message of his works.

    He prayed God to console all who mourn the departed poet and grant Oke’s soul eternal rest.