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Tag: BUHARI

  • Buhari ‘ll defeat Atiku, says group

    A pro-Buhari campaign group, Re–elect Buhari Movement (RBM) has described ratification of President Muhammadu Buhari’s candidature by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 Presidential election as a reward for good performance over the last three years in office.

    The group, in a congratulatory message by its Convener, Mr. Emmanuel Umohinyang, therefore, expressed confidence that President Buhari will give the former Vice-president, Atiku Abubakar a bloody nose in the coming poll.

    According to the group, the President has lived up to his billing in the delivery of the three cardinal programmes he promised Nigerian in 2015.

    The statement reads: “The President came on board with an unblemished record of public service, and he has justified the confidence that some of us reposed in him in 2015, that he would better his past record. We are happy he did not disappoint.

    “We want to assure Nigerians again that since he did not disappoint in his first four years, he will not now, rather he will continue to move Nigeria forward.

    “The propaganda that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been rebranded is not true. PDP, we have always said, can never change.

    “What therefore is before us in 2019 is not a contest between President Buhari, and former Vice President Atiku. It is a contest between darkness and light.

    “It will be funny if the PDP think having come out of Egypt; we are willing to go back. Never! We have seen the 16 years of PDP, which Atiku was a part of, and we have seen over three years of President Buhari’s administration. Atiku’s emergence has even made the job easier for President Buhari in 2019.”

  • Buhari, Atiku and the battle ahead

    With the primaries of the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Parties, PDP, now over, the coast is now clear for real politicking. Understandably, all eyes are now on President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the flag bearers of the APC and PDP respectively in the 2019 presidential election. While it could be said that Buhari had it easy securing his party’s ticket, being the sole candidate, Atiku on the other hand had to slug it out with over 12 political titans that included Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Senate President David Mark, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal and host of others.

    Now that the primaries are over, what are the chances of these two political gladiators in the battle for Aso Rock Villa? From the look of things, the battle is likely to be a lot tougher than it was in 2015, especially for President Buhari. This is because lots of events have overtaken most of the sentiments that effortlessly worked in his favour in 2015.

    For one, the religion card that readily tilted in his favour in 2015, especially in the northern part of the country, might not wholly work for him this time around. This is for the obvious fact that Atiku Abubakar, his major contender, is also a northern Muslim like the President. Thus, while it might have been too easy for some northern Muslims to vote President Buhari ahead of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, same scenario might not automatically play out in 2019.

    Also, unlike in 2015 when President Buhari smoothly secured majority of the votes in the north, he must be prepared for a tougher battle in 2019 in the region traditionally acknowledged as his political fortress. He would, no doubt, face a stiffer duel in the Northeast where Alhaji Atiku Abubakar hails from. For some time now, the zone has been clamouring to also have a fair shot at the presidency. If not well managed, major fallouts of the APC primaries from the Northeast, especially in Adamawa and Taraba states might further jeopardize the president’s performance in the region. So, unlike in 2015 when the president got block votes from the Northeast, he might need to worker extra hard to make better inroad in 2019.

    Also, in the Northwest, where the larger chunks of the president’s votes usually come from, the signs are not also too sure for him. For one, the squabble between Kano State governor, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, and his immediate predecessor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso might play a significant role in reducing the number of votes the president usually gets from Kano. In 2015, out of a total valid votes of 2,128,821, President Buhari secured 1,903,999, representing about 90 % of total votes cast.

    When it is considered that President Buhari won the 2015 presidential election against Jonathan with a total of 2, 571, 759 votes, the import of the almost two million votes he got from Kano significantly becomes noticeable. So, without a doubt, Kano is President Buhari’s strongest electoral fortress. But then, with Senator Kwankwaso, who in his own right is a popular Kano politician, now aligning with Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and the PDP, the president’s chances in Kano might not be as massive as it was in 2015.

    Though, it might be argued that recent defection of former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau from the PDP to APC represents a good omen for the president’s prospect in Kano, but the refusal of Mallam Shekarau’s long-time political ally, Malam Salihu Sagir Takai, who is now PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kano State, to follow him to APC might further narrow the chances of the president in Kano.

    Still on President Buhari’s prospect in the Northwest, Sokoto might also constitute a serious banana peel for the president, especially with the defection of the governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to the PDP. It has equally been alleged that the president doesn’t really enjoy the best of relationship with the highly revered monarch of Sokoto, Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III. It will be recalled that in 2015 presidential election, APC scored 671,926 as against PDP’s 152,199. Tambuwal’s defection to the PDP as well as other political undercurrents in the state might likely alter things in 2019.

    In the North-central, where the president for the first time had an appreciable standing in 2015, lots of issues might also work against his chances in 2019. Chief among such is the farmers and herdsmen clashes in states such as Benue, Plateau and Nassarawa. Also, the defection of Senate President, Bukola Saraki to the PDP might really work against the president in Kwara State, and to a large extent in Kogi State. The well publicized antagonism of some powerful retired Generals of the North-central extraction to President Buhari’ second term bid might also be a huge factor, especially in Niger and Plateau states.

    Now, going down south, President Buhari would need the best of strategies and a more than a miracle to have a major breakthrough in the Southeast and South –south. Since 1999, these two zones have always been an enclave of the PDP and that might not really change in 2019. However, recent defections of Senator Godswill Akpabio and former Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan from the PDP to the APC, may translate into a substantial electoral success for the APC in the South-south, considering the political stature of these two men in the zone.

    In the Southwest, for many reasons, President Buhari is probably going to have an upper hand.  First, his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is perceived by many to be a leading light of the Buhari administration, is from the zone. Second, the APC effectively controls five out of the six states in the region while Ekiti would soon join as Dr. Kayode Fayemi takes over from incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose in a few days time. Thirdly, unlike what transpired during the Jonathan presidency, President Buhari seems to favour the region in the choice of key ministerial appointments. However, from the closeness of recent gubernatorial elections in both Osun and Ekiti, it is quite clear that the PDP still has a fairly good foothold in the region.

    From the look of things, the 2019 presidential election is likely to be a close one. Alhaji Abubakar Atiku is a shrewd politician with massive political networks across the country and he has been eyeing the presidency since God knows when. This might be his last possible attempt. No doubt, he will give it all it takes. President Buhari, on the other hand, has the power of incumbency and his well-known tough stance against corruption going well for him. It is hoped that the two leading candidates would run an issue based campaign that is devoid of mudslinging and undue rancour. At the end of the day, it is the interest of the country and his people that should be paramount.

     

    • Ogunbiyi is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • Buhari: we’ll deal with anyone against Nigeria’s unity

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday declared that the Federal Government is ready to contend with anyone who is against the peace and unity of Nigeria.

    He made the spoke while receiving the Offor of Umuofor Kingdom, Oguta Local Government Area, Imo State, Eze Abdulfatah Emetumah III, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “Anybody that tries to joke with the unity of this country has a problem as long as we are alive.”

    The President told members of the delegation led by the monarch, who is also the Chief Imam of Oguta, that his main objective of serving as an elected public office holder was to make the country better.

    “Our single objective is how to make Nigeria better and we will never get tired,” he said.

    Buhari, who thanked the delegation for identifying with the progress made so far by the administration in moving the nation forward, assured them that their well-thought-out recommendations on engendering unity in the country would be considered.

    Eze Emetumah hailed the President for demonstrating his love for Nigerians and Nigeria through purposeful leadership in the last three years.

    “Your Excellency, from birth you have a mission for Nigeria and you have demonstrated this in your career as a soldier, minister, Head of State, in PTF and now as President.

    “You have fought for the unity of this nation and its enemies. We know very well that you won’t tolerate anything that would affect its unity and our collective existence,” he said.

    According to the royal father and cleric, it is noteworthy that under the present administration, ”dissemblers like Boko Haram and other anarchists have tasted the bitter pills”.

    ”In agriculture, today locally produced rice has outnumbered the imported, while critical infrastructure, especially Federal roads across the nation, have improved and are still improving,” he said.

  • Buhari ‘ll lead Nigerians to Promised Land, says Support Group

    The Buhari/ Osibanjo Mandate Group, one of the many support groups working for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election, said yesterday that Nigerians should support the President lead the country to the “Promised Land devoid of money politics”.

    National Coordinator Prince Europe Martins told reporters yesterday that Nigerians must be careful not to hand over the country to desperate politicians who spend billions of Naira to secure nomination as Presidential candidate, saying: “what do you expect if such a person is voted in to govern this country”.

    Martins asked Nigerians to select the best among the Presidential candidates who has the interest of the nation at heart and not those who are desperate for power, and lacking the integrity to govern.

    He called on all Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari administration in its drive to ensure infrastructural development.

    Countries all over the world, including China and Dubai are able to succeed because of their ability to put in place proper infrastructure and it is on record that none of them was able to do this within four years a day the good news for Nigeria is that President Buhari has started putting together proper infrastructure for the country”, he said.

    According to him, Nigeria had the largest number of abandoned projects before the coming of the Buhari government,  stressing that the government had started completing those projects because of his believe that they are important to the overall development of the country.

    While commending the government for the take off of the Mambilla Hydro power project,  Martins reminded Nigerians of how the previous governments wasted 16 billion dollars on power project without anything to show for it while the Buhari government had raised power generation to about 7,000 megawatts.

    He said the social intervention programmes of the government were not popular because they are targeted at the poor

    Leader of the South East Forum Chief Ansleem Njoku said every sensible Igboman with the interest of the people at heart should know that a Buhari second term is the only guarantee for an Igboman President in 2013.

    He pledged that the south east would give the President an overwhelming support because he is the only president that has genuinely addressed the marginalisation of the Igboman nation through infrastructural development and the payment of pension too retired ex-Biafran policemen.

    He challenge other political parties to an open debate regarding the provision of infrastructure for the South East, saying: “they should come out and tell us what they have been able to do for the South East over the years despite our support and we will show them what President Buhari has been able to do for the South East in just three and half years despite not voting for him in 2015”

  • 2019: How Buhari’ll battle Atiku, by APC governors

    Atiku Campaign raises posers for President

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are taking the 2019 battle to Peoples Democratic Partty (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar.

    They are confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will defeat the former vice president in next year’s election.

    The governors, after a meeting yesterday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said they would engage in issue-based campaigns to convince Nigerians to vote Buhari.

    The Atiku camp, also yesterday, said it was ready for an issue-based campaign and went ahead to raise some questions which it said would dominate the campaign and for which they are demanding answers from the government.

    To demonstrate that Buhari also wants to campign based on his performance, the President received a 1042-page achievement compendium from Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, shortly before yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    Mustapha said the compendium was a summary of policies and programmes implemented between 2015 and 2017 as approved by FEC, adding: “It is a valid and vivid proof of the giant strides by this administration.”

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

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

    Governors at the meeting with the President, which was also attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and SGF Mustapha, are: Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Kashim Shettima (Borno) and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos).

    Okorcha told reporters that the APC was not jittery because of Atiku’s emergence as PDP’s candidate.

    He said the governors came together “with our followers and supporters to further inform the world of our readiness to deliver Buhari in the 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 track records of people involved in our elections.

    ”Nigerians are very wise now, before they elect anybody they will ask questions, what has been your track 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.”

    He added:  ”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’ll  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 do for our people.”

    Mustapha said the government had 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 42-page document, not stories, facts of what we have been able to achieve.

    ”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.”

    The Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation also picked up the gauntlet by raising issues yesterday.

    In the posers, the Atiku camp challenged the administration to name one project it initiated, started and completed in the last  three years.

    Besides, it also challenged the Buhari group to name one youth in President Buhari’s cabinet.

    The Atiku camp also challenged the Buhari campaign and the APC to name one promise that President Buhari has kept or one Southerner heading any of the security agencies.

    It added:  “Name one terrorist arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned by the Buhari administration. Name one Buhari government official arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned over their many budget padding scandals.

    “Name one member of the Buhari administration fingered in corruption that was fired, arrested and currently facing trial. Name one former President or Head of State that has not been blamed by President Buhari for the precarious state of the economy he led us into.

    “Name one year that Nigeria’s GDP grew faster than her population under Buhari (for 16 years of PDP administrations, Nigeria’s GDP always grew faster than population growth).

    “Name the initiatives the Buhari government has put in place to address Nigeria being named the world headquarters for extreme poverty under Buhari.

    “Name one initiative the Buhari government has put in place to address Nigeria having the world’s highest number of out of school children (13.2 million according to the United Nations Children Fund)

    “Name the date the Ogoni cleanup will begin. Name what President Buhari has done with the ¦ 13 trillion loans he has taken in three years (compared to the ¦ 6 trillion borrowed by the PDP in 16 years). Name the real owners of the Ikoyi Apartment billions.

    ”These are the issues the Nigerian people want to hear about, not insults from a Presidency and a party that has spent three years in office only to preside over Nigeria’s first ever recession in 25 years.

    ”We urge the Buhari administration to remember that it is this disinterest in real governance and focus on trivialities that caused Bill Gates to look President Buhari in the eye and tell him that ‘your economic blueprint does not address Nigerians’ needs.”

    The group said the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation runs an issue based campaign where refined language and cerebral arguments founded on facts are used to disseminate the vision of its candidate.

    “Which is why we call on the Buhari Campaign Organisation to waste no time in taking the #BuhariChallenge in clearing the air on these knotty issues bothering the minds of Nigerians.”

     

  • Buhari, Atiku, others and the road to 2019

    WERE you surprised that Atiku Abubakar snatched away the trophy at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention in Port Harcourt?

    I wasn’t.

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike raised hell when the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) advised that the show be moved elsewhere. He vowed to “deal” with the party should that advice be taken. In fact, he viewed the advisory as a declaration of enmity against the Niger Delta. Apparently not willing to incur the wrath of His Excellency, the party agreed to go to Port Harcourt. The popular thinking was that with Port Harcourt as venue, Wike’s candidate just needed to be present to carry the day – by fair or foul means; by hook or crook; or by all means. Whatever.

    He was believed to be backing Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal. Tambuwal came a distant second, scoring 693 votes. Atiku got 1,532 votes.

    As I was saying, Atiku’s victory didn’t surprise me.. The former Vice President started early, moving from one state to the other. He is more experienced than the others, some of whom thought it was a town union election. An old war horse, a master of ambush –ask former President Olusegun Obasanjo; he reportedly knelt down for Atiku in a desperate bid for a second term –and a pragmatist who is well connected with the high and mighty even as he never disdains the humble company of the poor, Atiku is also a strategist of considerable weight.

    Since he got the ticket, the race has grown more exciting. Brickbats have been flying. Nobody is talking about the other candidates. Nor are they pushing any profound idea to lift our spirits. Just abuses. Political vitriol. There are scores of other candidates, products of the laissez faire that rules party formation.

    With remarkable glee, Atiku told Nigerians that they now have a choice. That sparked a fire in the Buhari camp. It shot back: “The Nigerian electorate deserves to be given a choice of decency, integrity and honour and not dirt, corruption and infamy. The choice between Buhari and Atiku is one between light and darkness; between positive change and business as usual; between transparency and under the table deals.”

    The Atiku camp rejoined: “The APC primary was a study in dictatorship and corruption. The sole candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, scored 15million votes. How could that occur without rigging or manufacturing of faceless votes?”

    Besides, the Atiku camp accused the Buhari Campaign of being confused. Really? There have been insinuations that Atiku may have had some integrity deficit. Is this the right time to push such arguments?

    In the shark-infested ocean that is our politics, does decency count for anything? Haven’t ideas been elbowed out by cheap populism and slandering? There are enough issues to convince Nigerians which party to fall in love with. Boko Haram, the economy, poverty alleviation, the anti-corruption war and more.

    It is not yet clear if the ceasefire ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be respected. The electoral agency has said it is not yet time for campaigns.

    Ordinary Nigerians who take advantage of the social media to laugh at our leaders are having fun. The rumour that the PDP ticket went to the highest bidder  became the subject of derisive jokes. Atiku was said to have, of course without proof, shelled out an incredible $5,000 per delegate.

    Before he could tell the world it is “a lie from the pit of hell”, the purveyors of that rumour, some of who swore that they were at the convention, claimed by their own arithmetic that the former Vice President must have spent N42billion. They did not stop at that; the Yoruba among them played on the PDP candidate’s name, Atiku, which when separated as “A ti ku” means “we are dead”. The clumsy logic, according to them, is that should Atiku becomes president,” we are all dead”..

    There were reports that Port Harcourt currency changers had their hands full, their offices flooded by crowds of emergency customers battling to change their dollar to naira. This sparked another joke couched around the slogans of the two major parties: “APC – Change; PDP – Bureau de Change.”

    The Buhari Campaign believes that with Atiku as PDP’s candidate its job has been made “easier”. I disagree – with due respect. Atiku is a formidable opponent, who you underrate at your own peril.

    Leaders of Afenifere – yes; they insist on their relevance – visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday. The visit sparked many speculations, chief of which was that they went pleading with Obasanjo to forgive Atiku and back him for president. Atiku won their heart with his promise to restructure Nigeria – in six months (that will be a global record in such matters).

    Obasanjo, you may wish to recall, had scoffed at an Atiku presidency as a joke. “I dey laugh o,” he said in 2015. And recently he swore that God would not forgive him if he backed Atiku. Atiku replied dismissively, saying if Obasanjo had any issue to settle with his God, he should go ahead and settle it without dragging his name into it.

    As I was saying, little attention has been paid to the other candidates, who are  eminent Nigerians in their own right. Take, for instance, His Excellency Donald “fine boy” Duke who won the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ticket. He deserves a chance. Although he shares the same first name with the United States President, he has none of his eccentricities. Affable, young and humorous, he will make a good leader.

    His critics claim that the former Cross River governor planted many white elephant projects; they failed to hail the vision that gave birth to those projects. I am sure that with Duke as president, every kid will get a free saxophone and music – love songs, street carnivals and all – will take its pride of place . Imagine your president jamming on Fridays and television stations beaming it all live.  “The Villa Show.”

    Mrs Oby Ezekwesili is also in the race – for the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). Her candidature has elicited so much more excitement than many are willing to acknowledge. A pastor, critic, activist and former minister, Ezekwesili will no doubt make a good president. Her critics scorn her as “madam know-all”, perhaps on account of her vociferous bashing of the Buhari administration.

    All I know is that should Ezekwesili become president, the Chibok girls – are they still girls? – and their Dapchi counterparts will return within 100 days of the new administration and Boko Haram will become history,

    After the Labour Party (LP) denied him of its platform, former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko simply went to pick up, without breaking a sweat, the ticket of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Those who lack a proper understanding of the workings of party formation and politics are asking: “ZLP; which one is so called?” “Is Iroko not running for Senate?”

    With a Mimiko presidency, no doubt, local fabric (adire) makers will reap a bounteous harvest for their toil as patronage will hit an all-time high.

    There are many others. Olapade Agoro (remember him?), the chairman of the National Action Council (NAC) who declared his ambition in February in the ancient city of Ibadan. So popular is he that till date nobody has contested the ticket with him.

    Lagos televangelist Kris Okotie is also in the race (he never misses it). He is the sole candidate of his Fresh Democratic Party (FRESH). He keeps running in the hope that one day, Nigerians will realise that salvation is not only a message for the pulpit; politics and politicians can also do with it.

    In the All Blending Party (ABP), there is a storm in a teacup. The BoT and the National Executive Council (NEC) are up in arms against the chairman, Moses Shipi, for declaring himself the party’s candidate. The party surely needs a blender.

    Ex-detainee and murder suspect Hamza Al-Mustapha, the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s torturer-in-chief before whom Gen. Oladipo Diya was said to be grovelling, saying, “save my life” after he had been roped into the phantom coup that sent Obasanjo to jail, is also on the ballot – courtesy of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

    Candidates all: Omowole Sowore ,African Action Congress (AAC), John Ogbor, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Yabagi Sani, Action  Democratic Party (ADP), Habu Aninchi, Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Chuks Nwachukwu, All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), Fela Durotoye, Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Kingsley Moghalu, Young Progressive Party (YPP), Prof Peter Nwangwu, We the People of Nigeria (WTPN) and Alistair Soyode, Yes Electorate Solidarity(YES).

    Ahmed Buhari, Sustainable National Party (SNP), Mrs Eunice Atuejide,National Interest Party (NIP), Alhaji Ibrahim Usman, National Rescue Movement of  Nigeria (NRM), Tope Kolade Fasuan, Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) and Edozie  Madu, Independent Democrats  (ID).

    Never has the Nigerian political landscape been this rich and exciting.

  • Buhari gets 1,042-pages achievement compendium

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has 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 added that the compendium was a summary of policies and programmes implemented between 2015 and 2017, as approved by FEC.

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

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

    The document, he said, would 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 the document could be used to evaluate the administration.

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

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

  • Buhari tightens tax, money laundering rules with Executive Order 8

    The Federal Government has stepped up regulations on money laundering and tax evasion with President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order 8 signed on Monday.

    Tagged Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS), the new Executive Order (008) mandates Nigerian taxpayers who hold offshore assets and incomes to, within a period of 12 months, declare voluntary those assets and pay taxes on them. When they do this, they should expect to derive certain specified benefits.

    A statement by Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said according to the order, “any taxpayer who truthfully and voluntarily complies with the conditions of the scheme, pays a one-time levy of 35 percent on the total offshore assets or pays all outstanding taxes, penalties and interest after forensic audit of their offshore assets and income shall obtain immunity from prosecution for tax offenses and offences related to offshore assets, among others.

    “Equally, failure of any defaulting taxpayer to take advantage of this scheme shall, at the expiration of the scheme result in investigation and enforcement procedures concerning offshore assets anywhere in the world pursuant to information now readily available through automatic exchange of information between Nigeria and foreign countries.”

    In accordance with the new order, the Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will set up a VOARS in Switzerland for all categories of taxpayers who have defaulted in the declaration of their offshore assets, payment of taxes due and collectible subject to the fulfillment of the terms and conditions as stipulated in the order, or any other subsequent complementary regulations that follow.

    To avoid the abuse of this process, the Federal Government makes clear that the “scheme is open to all persons, entities, and their intermediaries holding offshore assets and are in default of their tax obligations in any way, including those who are not already under investigation by law enforcement agencies in Nigeria or any other country and have not been charged with any crimes including theft of public funds or obtaining offshore assets through corrupt practices.”

    In signing the order, President Buhari noted that under the Nigerian law, every citizen has the duty to declare his or her income and assets and pay taxes on them but regretted that this, in most instances, had not been the case.

    “The sad reality is that efforts to recover these taxes from defaulters through litigation are often frustrated by the complications caused by the change in the character and nature of such assets, insufficient financial intelligence, long delays in courts, among several other reasons,” the President said.

    President Buhari is optimistic that the new scheme will help to facilitate the expedient regularization of offshore assets connected to Nigeria and lead to “a new expanded tax base for the Federal Government, and also fund the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund in Switzerland,” the statement said.

  • ‘Buhari tightening tax, money laundering with Executive Order’

    The Presidency on Wednesday said that the Muhammadu Buhari administration is stepping up the regulations on money laundering and tax evasion by releasing a new Executive Order number eight.
    The new order, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, is tagged Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS).
    According to him, the new Executive Order (008) took effect from Monday, October 8, 2018, the same day it was signed by President Buhari.
    He said “By this order, Nigerian taxpayers who hold offshore assets and incomes are expected to, within a period of 12 months, declare voluntary those assets and pay taxes on them. When they do this, they should expect to derive certain specified benefits.
    According to the order, “any taxpayer who truthfully and voluntarily complies with the conditions of the scheme, pays a one-time levy of 35 percent on the total offshore assets or pays all outstanding taxes, penalties and interest after forensic audit of their offshore assets and income shall obtain immunity from prosecution for tax offenses and offences related to offshore assets, among others.
    “Equally, failure of any defaulting taxpayer to take advantage of this scheme shall, at the expiration of the scheme result in investigation and enforcement procedures concerning offshore assets anywhere in the world pursuant to information now readily available through automatic exchange of information between Nigeria and foreign countries.”
    He said that in accordance with the new order, the Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will set up a VOARS in Switzerland for all categories of taxpayers who have defaulted in the declaration of their offshore assets, payment of taxes due and collectible subject to the fulfillment of the terms and conditions as stipulated in the order, or any other subsequent complementary regulations that follow.
    To avoid the abuse of the process, he said that the Federal Government makes clear that the “scheme is open to all persons, entities, and their intermediaries holding offshore assets and are in default of their tax obligations in any way, including those who are not already under investigation by law enforcement agencies in Nigeria or any other country and have not been charged with any crimes including theft of public funds or obtaining offshore assets through corrupt practices.”
    In signing the order, President Buhari noted that under the Nigerian law, every citizen has the duty to declare his or her income and assets and pay taxes on them but regretted that this, in most instances, had not been the case.
     “The sad reality is that efforts to recover these taxes from defaulters through litigation are often frustrated by the complications caused by the change in the character and nature of such assets, insufficient financial intelligence, long delays in courts, among several other reasons,” the President said.
    President Buhari was also optimistic that the new scheme will help to facilitate the expedient regularization of offshore assets connected to Nigeria and lead to “a new expanded tax base for the Federal Government, and also fund the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund in Switzerland.”

  • PDP condemns APC’s virulent attacks on Atiku

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned what it described as virulent attacks on its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The party also flayed similar comments by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as well as other officials of the Buhari Presidency.

    At a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, decried what he viewed as deliberate efforts by agents of the ruling party to impugn on the character of Atiku Abubakar.

    Ologbondiyan said the APC and the Presidency are intimidated by the successful conduct of the PDP presidential primary and the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the main opposition party.

    Ologbondiyan said, “They have gone into panic mode and ignobly resorted to trading on rumour and spurious allegations, having failed in their evil machination to scuttle our presidential primary ambition.

    “The PDP is aware of how the unnerved and intimidated Buhari Presidency has unleashed its officials, spin doctors and hack writers with billions of naira, siphoned from our national treasury, to fabricate lies, spurious allegations and smear campaign against our presidential candidate.

    “While it is understandable that President Muhammadu Buhari is discomfited and afraid to face a popular candidate in any elections due to his incompetence, for which Nigerians earnestly seek his replacement, engaging in smear campaign, as a means of survival, is completely reprehensible and cowardly.

    “President Buhari and the APC, in their desperation, should not attempt to confuse personal economic prosperity that comes from hardwork, as in the case of Atiku Abubakar, with corrupt enrichment. That President Buhari failed in leading a successful personal economic life does not mean that others cannot succeed without being corrupt.

    “Furthermore, unlike President Buhari, who has failed in managing both private and public enterprises; who also confessed his failure to successfully manage his own farm and has made no personal contribution to our national development, our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is internationally known as a hard working, resourceful, versatile and successful private entrepreneur, a vast employer of labour; an ingenious citizen, who has made immeasurable contribution to our national development both in public and private lives.

    “It is therefore a heinous perversion for Lai Mohammed, who has earned himself a notoriety, to the extent Nigerians now replace his first name, ‘Lai’ with ‘lie’, to attempt to suggest that the choice of Atiku Abubakar is a return to era of corruption, whereas President Buhari is internationally reputed to be presiding over the most corrupt administration in the history of our nation”.

    The PDP spokesman reminded Alhaji Lai Mohammed that while Atiku has never been indicted for corruption or facing any corruption charge, President Buhari is overburdened by indictments and allegations of humongous corruption, for which he has failed to provide explanations.

    Continuing, the PDP said, “Since Lai Mohammed is talking about era of corruption, we charge him to speak up on the leaked memo detailing the stealing of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) through underhand oil contract at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of Petroleum, under President Buhari’s direct supervision.

    “Lai Mohammed should speak up on the alleged siphoning of N1.4 trillion through sleazy oil subsidy regimes and those benefitting from the alleged N58 hidden tax per liter which Nigerians have continued to bear since the fuel price increase from N87 to presumably unsubsidized cost of N145.

    “Lai Mohammed should speak up on why the Buhari Presidency is suppressing investigation into alleged use of 18 unregistered companies to lift and divert N1.1 trillion worth of crude oil in 2017 and the President’s alleged link with the beneficiaries of this fraud.

    “Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how the Buhari era allegedly presided over the stealing of over N18 billion from the funds approved for rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and rebuilding of six northeast states ravaged by insurgency?

    “Can Lai Mohammed tell Nigerians how over N25 billion meant for health needs of Nigerians was stolen by the Presidency cabal from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and how the same cabal siphoned the $322 million repatriated by Switzerland, under the guise of sharing the funds to the poor?”.

    The main opposition party added that it’s only in an administration like the Buhari Presidency that thrives in lies and deception, that characters like Lai Mohammed, with his proclivities, can be appointed a Minister.

    “This is the same person, who nearly caused a national crisis when he, in May 2015, accused former President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP of frustrating the activities of then Transition Committee only for the head of the APC team, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, to declare that that the team had all the cooperation from the PDP.

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    “This is the same Lai Mohammed, who, in 2014, alleged that the PDP denied a plane carrying a state governor from landing in Ado Ekiti to attend the APC Governorship election rally in the state, only for the State Government to debunk the lie stating that the governor did not travel to Ekiti but was attending official functions in the state.

    “This is the same Minister that has not been able to explain the circumstances surrounding his attempt to obtain over N13 million from the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) under the mask of a ‘loan’, against budgetary approvals and principles of the Treasury Single Account (TSA)”.

    The PDP said that in as much as it remained committed to issue-based campaign ahead of 2019 elections, it will not by any means tolerate further lies and fabrications from the Buhari Presidency, particularly from agents “who have no ethical substance” to make allegations against any Nigerian.

    The party counseled the Buhari Presidency and the APC to shed their resort to lies, falsehood and smear campaign and get prepared to face an inevitable crushing defeat, come 2019.