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Tag: BUHARI

  • Buhari, Oshiomhole upset R-APC defection plan

    Overtures by President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to influential leaders of the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) may have stalled the planned mass defection of members of the group, at least for now.

    Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and four APC governors met on Thursday with Senate President Bukola Saraki on the grievances of the group while Oshiomhole has also met individually with the likes of Saraki, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara,Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and ex-Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwakwaso, as well as the  APC caucus in the National Assembly with a view to dousing the defection fire.

    Sources in R-APC told The Nation that the peace talks of the last few days have succeeded in slowing down their defection plan.

    “The defection of our members was to be in batches. We have started as you can see, with some party leaders in some states as well as prominent aides and associates of our leaders announcing their resignation from the APC in the past weeks,” one of the sources said on Thursday, just before the president’s meeting with Saraki.

    Feelers from the meeting indicated that the president urged the aggrieved APC chieftains not to dump the ruling party.

    The R-APC sources added: “Several meeting were held these past days to review and fine tune the processes outlined for others to move as agreed.

    “If everything works out as planned, some members of the National Assembly will announce their defection this week. They will be joined by some party officials in some states as well as other prominent leaders of the ruling party across the states of the federation.”

    With Buhari and Osinbajo at Thursday’s meeting were Governors Abdul’Aziz Yari of Zamfara, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), and Aminu Masari (Katsina).

    The meeting took place a day after the Senate President and some governors met with the national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus. The governors were Abdufatah Ahmed of Kwara, Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Samuel Ortom of Benue, and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

    Emerging from his meeting with Ortom, Oshiomhole said that the ruling party would not allow Governor Ortom defect to the PDP. He said the national leadership of APC would do everything possible to ensure that peace returns to the Benue State chapter and that Governor Ortom remains in the party.

    Also pushing for a halt in the defection plot of the aggrieved APC chieftains is a committee of APC elders in Sokoto State.

    The elders who are working on the reconciliation initiative launched by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu some weeks back met separately with Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and his predecessor, Senator Aliyu Wammako, during the week.

    Sources said the thrust of the meeting was the need to convince the governor to jettison his alleged plan to leave the APC ahead of the 2019 general election.

    Speaking to our correspondent yesterday, an R-APC chieftain in Kwara State said there are strong indications that the planned defection process may be put on hold in the face of what he described as ‘ongoing reappraisals.’ He added that a meeting of the leadership of the group may hold early this week to determine the next line of action following certain unforeseen developments.

    “We are likely to halt some of our plans for now. It is true the R-APC was to take some very crucial steps this week but due to the need for us as a group to re-appraise some of the things we have done before now, we may suspend some of the immediate things we planned to do, especially in the coming week. But I can assure you that it is not true that we have back tracked on our decision to leave APC. We will still leave the party.”

    Another R-APC source said: “we are waiting eagerly to know if anything has changed. There are talks about a deal being worked out between the leadership of the ruling party and some of our leaders.

    “We don’t know how true this is yet. But what I can tell you now is that the decision of President Buhari to reach out to Saraki is unsettling the R-APC and the silence of the Senate President after the meeting is not helping the situation.

    “In Kwara here, all we hear are rumours. Just yesterday, we heard that some of our members in the National Assembly who were to announce their defection from the APC during the week have been told to hold on.

    “Party leaders were also summoned to a meeting in Ilorin on Saturday and we hear the discussion was on what the R-APC should demand from the presidency and the APC. There are so many things flying around as we speak. Until the leaders speak, we are uncertain of what next,” our source said.

     

  • Buhari, APC, govs woo Saraki with juicy offers

    There were strong indications that President Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress and governors are considering juicy offers for the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to prevent his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It was learnt that some prominent leaders of the party, especially the coordinator of the reconciliation initiative, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, might be involved in the negotiation with Saraki.

    Tinubu was said to have been briefed about the President’s interaction with Saraki and others.

    But Saraki, who bowed well for the President after a meeting at the Presidential Villa, was frank in expressing his mind.

    He said he felt humiliated by the party he co-founded and the government he jointly put in place with others.

    He was solemn in expressing his disappointment to the President and some APC governors.

    Investigation conducted by our correspondent revealed that the President and some APC governors met with the Senate President as a follow-up to the talks with New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) caucus of APC being coordinated in the past few months by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    It was gathered that most APC leaders, governors and other members were unhappy that the party was on the verge of losing Saraki to PDP.

    They believed that the defection of such a “political heavyweight” to the opposition might affect cohesion in APC for the 2019 poll.

    The consequences of a depleted APC impelled some governors and party leaders to broker understanding between the President and Saraki.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “At least, for the first time, there was a frank session between the President and Saraki.

    “He expressed disappointment with his humiliation by the government he fought hard to put in place.

    “We were all sober while he relived his travails, because none of us would pray to be in such a situation.

    “We understood with him but we felt it was time to forgive and forget in order to move forward.

    “As part of preventing Saraki’s defection, we may offer him juicy terms including:

    .Automatic return as the President of the Senate in 2019

    .More consultation and inclusiveness in key decisions henceforth

    .Mutual Executive-Legislature relationship

    .Revisiting all issues raised by nPDP Caucus which formed the basis of talks in the past few months

    .Reconciling with all aggrieved leaders of nPDP

    .Avoiding a repeat of past mistakes which led to his humiliation

    “We also appeal to Saraki to shelve moves to defect to PDP or any other party. We agreed that he has a better stake in APC than any other party.”

    Asked if Saraki made any commitment, the source added: “There was none yet, but the atmosphere was cordial and hopeful.

    “After the meeting, he even bowed well to the President.

    “The session was the climax of talks in the past few months. As one of our leaders, we leave the final decision to Saraki to take.

    “But one thing was clear from Saraki: he will want all commitments put into writing and documented in case of any breach in the future.

    “To some of us who have been wooing him, such a demand is in order. It is a case of once bitten, twice shy.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “The final stage of talks with Saraki will still involve some of our leaders, like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is coordinating the reconciliation in the party.

    “In fact, Tinubu has been briefed on the outcome of the meeting at the Villa and why he has to play a key role too.”

    Some of the major complaints on nPDP are:

    • Grudges on the conduct of state congresses
    • Alleged refusal of the party leadership to stamp its feet on parallel congresses in some states
    • In the constitution of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) the New PDP block was generally sidelined as virtually no position was conceded to it. The only member of FEC that belonged to former New PDP block comes from a state that contributed virtually no vote to the APC in the 2015 presidential election.
    • There has been no significant patronage and appointments to executive positions in various government agencies such as Chief Executives and Executive Directors of government agencies and parastatals as members of our block of the party continue to helplessly watch as these positions are shared by the erstwhile CPC, ACN, ANPP and even APGA blocks of the party and those who have no party at all.
    • In appointments into boards of various government agencies, very few former New PDP members were patronised. These are, however, not commensurate with our contributions to the growth and victory of the party.
    • When members of the former New PDP block showed interest in running for the offices of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, they were subjected to a vicious and relentless political opposition as if they were not legitimate members of the APC family.
    • During the party primaries preparatory to the 2015 general elections, most of the promises made to sitting members of the National Assembly, who belonged to the former new PDP in terms of a level playing field were reneged upon or observed more in breach.
    • There has been general lack of consultation, non-recognition and even persecution of former New PDP members and leaders by the party and government. For example, some of our leaders are denied the security cover necessary to visit their constituencies even though they are elected representatives of the people in a government they sacrificed so much for.
    • Harassment, intimidation and persecution of former New PDP leaders by the government is still an ongoing affair. We do not want to overstate the obvious by cataloguing names of former new PDP stalwarts that are targets of this political pogrom.

  • Why I declared early for 2019 elections —Buhari 

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja said he made his intention to contest the 2019 presidential elections known early in order to douse rising speculations and give the party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), enough time to prepare for the polls.

    President Buhari, who received members of the Buhari Support Group Centre (BSGC) at the State House, said he noticed that speculations were already constituting distraction to governance and stirring tensions, so he had to declare during the National Executive Committee meeting of the party.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the president said: “I had to announce before the National Executive Committee of our party about my intention to ask for the party’s nomination for next year’s election so that we could save a lot of time and cool tempers.

    “A lot people were trying to make it a habit of being a nuisance to themselves and many Nigerians, so when I came out I said those who are serious let them come out.

    “And I tried to make sure that the party is organized and consolidated so that we start from the bottom to the top, and that Nigerians will be involved in a way that each constituency will pick those that are going to represent them at various levels, whether as local government chairmen, in the state assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and finally the president,’’ he said.

    The President said early declaration guaranteed more participation and inclusivity within the party, and further strengthened the bond with supporters and Nigerians.

    “Some of the people thought to be uneducated and unsophisticated are very educated and sophisticated during elections; for those who have money to give, they say bring the money, we will still do what we want to do,’’ he added.

    President Buhari noted that God’s divine intervention and the use of technology during the 2015 elections exposed the weakness of previous processes where a privileged few sat and allocated figures to constituencies during elections.

    The President commended the BSGC for all the sacrifice and steadfastness in championing his candidacy.

    “I thank you very much for the sacrifice you have been making. I am happy to use this opportunity to meet you and thank you for the sacrifices and steadfastness. I don’t think I can thank you enough because by identifying yourself as a group for all these years and getting nothing for it visibly, I think it is worthy of commendation,’’ he said.

    In his remarks, the Coordinator of the BSGC, Umaru Dembo, said: “Through thick and thin, rain or sunshine, hot or cold, we are here to assure Mr President that since 2014, we have been working, expanding and helping to explain the new life that your government has ushered in for the good people of Nigeria.’’

  • ‘Ex-IGP Coomassie brought honour to Nigeria’-Buhari

     President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday offered condolences to the family and relatives of the late Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Coomassie, describing him as a valiant officer who brought honour to the nation.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari was speaking at the funeral of the former IGP in Katsina on Friday.

    The President, who was represented at the funeral in Katsina by a federal government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, condoled with the government and people of Katsina State.

    He said the country had lost a conscientious, competent and patriotic citizen who would be sorely missed.

    In a letter presented to Gov. Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, Buhari said: “The late Ibrahim Coomassie, Sardaunan Katsina, was a dedicated public servant who served creditably as Nigeria’s Chief Police Officer.

    Read Also: ‘Buhari makes his presence felt at AU-EU summit’

    “He was a conscientious, competent and patriotic officer who brought honour to himself and to the nation.

    “His stewardship of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), which helped successive governments to maintain harmony, will be sorely missed.”

    Gov. Masari, who received the delegation at the Government House, thanked the President for showing affection to the people of the state.

    He added that the death of Coomassie was a loss not only to his state, Katsina, but the entire country.

    The delegation was also received at the Palace by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir Usman and that of Daura, Alhaji Umar Faruk Umar.

    The Emir of Katsina called on Nigerians to support President Buhari’s reforms aimed at the betterment of the country.

    The delegation included Sen. Abu Ibrahim, from Katsina South; the Ministers of Interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau; Education, Adamu Adamu; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing, Sulaiman Hassan.

    The Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Babba Kaita; a nephew of the President, Musa Daura and Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, were also part of the delegation.

    NAN

  • Buhari to inaugurate Bayelsa Airport August 27

    President Muhammadu Buhari will inaugurate the Bayelsa State International Cargo Airport located at Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state on August 27.

    The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, and the Managing Director of Bayelsa Airline, Capt. Henry Ungbuku, confirmed the development when the commissioner toured the project on Friday.

    The airport with the longest runway of 3.5km was one of the key projects started by Governor Seriake Dickson after assuming office in 2012.

    Iworiso-Markson said test flight would begin in the project on August 20.

    The commissioner said the multi-billion naira international airport project was conceived by Dickson to improve the state economic fortune.

     

     

     

  • ‘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.’

  • Fed Govt to increase budget allocation to health sector, says Buhari

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abuja said the Federal Government is considering an upward review of budgetary allocation to the health sector with the aim of improving the quality and access to medical facilities across the country.

    Buhari, who received the new executive of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the State House, said the review of the budgetary allocation would reflect the government’s priority of ensuring that Nigerians get better healthcare, especially in specialised areas.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “We place quality healthcare on our priority list, and we are already marching on with the Primary Health Care services and some state governors have bought into it. We are committed to universal health care.”

    The President assured the leaders of the NMA that the White Paper from the Ahmed Yayale-led panel report on Inter-professional Harmony in the Healthcare Sector was already being considered by the government to ensure more organised and harmonised working relationships among medical practitioners.

    Buhari, however, urged the medical practitioners to always consider their profession as  “divine call”, especially in taking decisions that directly impact on the lives of Nigerians. He added that other means of negotiation for better working conditions should be explored instead of strikes.

    “The medical profession is regarded as a divine call because of the strategic role you play in the lives of human beings,” he said.

    The President hailed the NMA and its members on some of the medical feats being achieved in Nigeria like the separation of conjoined twins, organ transplants, heart surgeries and treatment of cancer patients.

    He noted that the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council would soon be constituted to further enhance service delivery and regulation of the sector.

    Minister of State for Health Osagie Ehinare said a newly released basic health care provision would further focus on improving service delivery to Nigerians through the Primary Health Care.

    NMA President Dr. Francis Adedayo hailed President Buhari for including members of the NMA in the Federal Executive Council and signing of the Medical Residency Training Act into law.

    Adedayo urged the Federal Government to improve on the budgetary allocation to the health sector as required by the Abuja Declaration, which sets a benchmark of 15 per cent.

    He said the speedy processing of the Ahmed Yayale report on harmony among practitioners in the medical sector would go a long way in enhancing service delivery and better working relationships.

    The NMA president said the association had already reached out to the National Emergency Management Agency for stronger partnership in providing care for victims of disasters.

     

     

  • Buhari, Osinbajo, Saraki, APC governors meet in Aso Villa

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met behind closed doors with Senate President Bukola Saraki and some All Progressives Congress (APC)  governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The governors, who were around at the President’s office before Saraki arrived the forecourt of the Presidential Villa at 4.18p.m, moved back into the office with Saraki.

    The governors at the meeting included Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun,  Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Katsina State Governor Bello Masari.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Ekiti State Gov-Elect, Kayode Fayemi were also at the meeting.

    At the end of the meeting which lasted about 30 minutes, the Senate President declined to talk to State House correspondents on the agenda of the meeting.

    However, Kayode casually said they came to rejoice with the President over his election victory.

    Fayemi, who was displaying his Certificate of Return from the INEC, also jokingly said the Ekiti State election had gone and that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will also take over Osun State.

  • FG to increase health sector budgetary allocation – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday the Federal Government is considering an upward review of budgetary allocation to the health sector in order to improve the quality and access to medical facilities across the country.

    Buhari, who received the new executive of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the State House, Abuja, said the review of the budgetary allocation would reflect the government’s priority of ensuring that Nigerians get better healthcare, especially in specialized areas.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “We place quality healthcare on our priority list and we are already marching on with the Primary Health Care services and some state governors have bought into it. We are committed to universal health care.’’

    The President assured the leaders of the NMA that the White Paper from the Ahmed Yayale-led panel report on Inter-professional Harmony in the Healthcare Sector was already being considered by the government to ensure more organized and harmonized working relationships among medical practitioners.

    He, however, urged the medical practitioners to always consider their profession as  “divine call’’ especially in taking decisions that directly impact on the lives of Nigerians.

    He said other means of negotiation for better working conditions should be explored instead of strikes.

    “The medical profession is regarded as a divine call because of the strategic role you play in the lives of human beings,’’ President Buhari added.

     

     

  • Buhari, Saraki, APC governors meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Saraki arrived the Presidential Villa at 4:18 p.m.

    The governors at the meeting were – Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina).

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Ekiti State Governor-Elect, Kayode Fayemi, were also at the meeting.