The Nation Newspaper

Tag: BUHARI

  • Declare Abiola president, group tells Buhari

    The recent declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day by President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as incomplete and another token that will only be meaningful with the declaration of the late Chief M. K. O Abiola as president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

    This statement was made in reaction to the announcement of June 12 as Democracy Day by the president by the Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Groups (COSEG)  in a statement signed by the chairman of its co-ordinating  council, Comrade Ifedayo Ogunlana, decrying past administrations attitude  towards June 12 by refusing  to accord the day its rightful place in the history of the country.

    The COSEG leader said: “Our attention has just be drawn to the declaration of June 12 as the authentic Democracy Day as against  May 29 by Mr President, but as we thank him for this laudable step, we also call on him to be more original by taking the much-awaited, realistic and bold step of declaring Chief Abiola  the winner of June12, 1993 presidential  election which historically  will accord him his right posthumously as president  of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Buhari signs bill granting autonomy to state Assembly, judiciary

    President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Constitution 4th Alteration Bill into law

    Briefing State House correspondents on Friday, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, said the new law grants financial autonomy and independence to Houses of Assembly and judiciary in the states.

    He said: “The funds due to the judiciary are now to be paid directly to the judiciary of those states, no more through the governors.

    “And the funds standing in the credit of the Houses of Assembly in the states are now to be paid directly to the Houses of Assembly of the states for the benefit of the legislators and the management of the Houses of Assembly.”

  • My life in danger, Buhari’s govt planning to silence me – Obasanjo

    There appears to be no letup in the frosty relationship between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari with Obasanjo on Friday alleging that the Buhari – led government is planning  to use Gestapo tactics to cow and silence him.

    Obasanjo said the reason behind the alleged desperation to frustrate, intimidate and blackmail him into silence was borne out of the government’s belief that the tactics could impel him to jettison what he identified as his  “divine mandate to protect the rights of the people to better life and living.”

     

    The Ebora Owu who made this known in a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, alleged that the antics have not only continued unabated, but also  and taken a bizarre dimension as “impeccable security sources have alleged his (Chief Obasanjo’s) name is on their Watch List and that the security of his life cannot be guaranteed.”

     

    According him, the latest  development is the fall out of his “State-of-the-Nation Special Statement on January 23, 2018,” in which he advised Buhari  not to seek re – election.

     

    He noted that the attempt to place him on Watch list by the administration was to put his life at risk,  was a “joke carried too far,” adding that he remained  “someone who do not act on unofficial information and had cautioned all informants” while electing to adopt a “wait-and-see attitude to the bestial propositions allegedly being contemplated to cow, cage and embarrass him.”

     

    He lamented that Nigerians now contend with a “nation where the Number Three citizen is currently being harangued and the Number Four citizen is facing similar threat within the same Government they serve.”

     

     

    According to him, not a few nationals are palpably worried that they “could be hounded, harassed, maimed or even killed as the battle for 2019 takes a worrisome dimension.”

     

     

    The statement reads: “impeccable security sources have alleged Chief Obasanjo’s name is on their Watch List and that the security of his life cannot be guaranteed.

     

    “According to these informants, many of who are in the top echelon of the Nation’s security management and close to the corridors of power, the operatives are daily perfecting how to curtail the personal liberties of the former President and hang a crime on him.

     

    “Ordinarily, we would not have dignified these reports with a response but for the fact that many of these informants are not known for flippant and frivolous talks. Secondly, this Government has demonstrably exhibited apathy, and in some cases, encouraged by its conduct, daily loss of lives and property in many States of the country, the office cannot be indifferent.

     

    “We are currently in a nation where the Number Three citizen is currently being harangued and the Number Four citizen is facing similar threat within the same Government they serve. There is a groundswell of our nationals that live in fear that they could be hounded, harassed, maimed or even killed as the battle for 2019 takes this worrisome dimension.

     

    “For Chief Obasanjo, this is a joke carried too far and being someone who do not act on unofficial information, he had cautioned all informants and adopted a wait-and-see attitude to the bestial propositions allegedly being contemplated to cow, cage and embarrass him.

     

    “The content of the alleged beastly designs, it was learnt are two-fold for now. One, to seize his International Passport and clamp him into detention indefinitely, in order to prevent him from further expressing angst on the pervasive mediocrity in the quality of governance, economic management and in the protection of lives and property by the Government.

     

    “But, since that could expose the Government to a swath of international condemnation, embarrassment and outrage, it is said that another plot being hatched is to cause the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to re-open investigation into the activities of Chief Obasanjo’s administration using false witnesses and documents. This will be a re-enactment of the Abacha era in which Chief Obasanjo was one of the principal victims.

     

    “The same EFCC that had conducted a clinical investigation on the activities of Obasanjo in and out of Government, it was said, would now be made to stand down the existing report that gave Chief Obasanjo a clean bill of health on the probes are now to get him indicted, fair or foul for possible prosecution and persecution like it is being done to real and perceived opponents, enemies and critics of this Government. Dissent is a fundamental principle on which liberal democracy is predicated. A true democrat must be ready to live with and accommodate dissent and opposition.

     

    “While it is regrettable how the Government has sunk in its shameless desperation to cow opposition, a resort to blackmail, despotism and Gestapo-tactics being employed by the goons of this Government would not hold water.  And no government ever remains in power forever.

     

    “For the record, Chief Obasanjo reiterates his readiness to face probe again after that of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the ICPC, and the EFCC, but before an independent, objective and credible panel of enquiry to account for his stewardship in Government and beyond.

     

    “Chief Obasanjo reiterates that he has taken a principled position to ensure that the ship of the Nigerian State does not capsize and he remains steadfast in his resolve to turn the tide of maladministration, poor economic management and rudderless governance model that has tore Nigerians apart on account of religion and ethnicity which is a great threat to our democracy.

     

    “We would like the Government and its supporters to understand that no amount of campaign of calumny, no matter how well contrived, orchestrated or marketed would deter Chief Obasanjo from calling a spade by its name. Chief Obasanjo is a patriot whose sole agenda is to ensure that the country’s unity, progress and democracy are not negotiated on the altar of incompetence and provincialism and mediocrity.

     

    “It is important to point out that chief Obasanjo is one former President and Head of State who has engaged the current administration privately and in a bilateral manner on several issues of direct interest to the government and other matters of national concern. That channel of private engagement remains open and continues,”

     

     

  • Buhari greets Aduwo at 80

    *You’re signpost, inspiration for younger generation, Buhari tells Aduwo

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sent warm greetings to former Chief of Naval Staff and Governor of the old Western State, Vice Admiral Akintunde A. Aduwo (rtd), CFR, on his 80th birthday.

    In a letter to Chief Aduwo, who is the Oloye Obateru of Aye and Oloye Taarelase of Ile-Ife, President Buhari congratulated the elder statesman for his contribution to nation building during a military career that saw him holding many key positions in the country.

    The President, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “On behalf of my family, the Federal Executive Council and good people of Nigeria, I write to felicitate with you on the occasion of your 80th birthday.

    ‘‘Our nation is immensely grateful to the Almighty God for giving you the opportunity to see this special day, particularly in reminiscence of your contributions and sacrifices for the country’s development.

    “As a nation, we are thankful as we reflect on the many appointments you have held over the years, at home and abroad, with remarkable dedication to duty which still serves as a signpost and inspiration for our youths.

    “On this auspicious occasion of your turning into an octogenarian, be assured that the nation still counts on your wise counsel, patriotism and devotion to the service of humanity to move forward.’’ he added

    President Buhari prayed that Almighty God will grant Chief Aduwo longer life and strength.

  • Abiola, Gani families hail Buhari for honours

    Attorney-Gen. to Gazette order

    Senate: release election result

    Tinubu hails ‘right decision’

    The President got more kudos yesterday for honouring the late Chief Moshood Abiola and the late Gani Fawehinmi (SAN).

    The families of the democracy heroes were excited by President Muhammadu Buhari’s action.

    Buhari, also yesterday, ordered that his proclamation of posthumous national awards of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) to the late Chief Abiola and the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) to the late Chief Fawehinmi, be gazetted immediately by Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami. This is to enable the investiture go on as planned on Tuesday, the anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Abiola but which was annulled by the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

    Abiola’s running mate Alhaji Babagana Kingibe is also to be honoured with GCON. Chief Fawehinmi was a major crusader for the actualisation of the election.

    Buhari has also declared June 12 as the Democracy Day to replace May 29, beginning from next year.

    In a letter to the President on behalf of the Abiola family,  his eldest son, Mr. Kola Abiola said: “On behalf of the wives, children and grandchildren of the late Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, I am writing to formally express our sincere appreciation to you for conferring him with the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and designating June 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria going forward.

    “You Excellency, as I wrote in my letter to you on June 12, 2016, in our minds, the award was the only befitting recognition of the importance of Chief Abiola’s fight for democracy for Nigeria which culminated in four years in incarceration/solitary confinement and decimation of his business and financial interests, before the ultimate sacrifice, being his life on July 7, 1998 at the age of 60.

    “You Excellency, your decision to also designate June 12 as Democracy Day rights the wrong done to all the nation-builder and heroes that produced the democratic credentials on which the Nigerian polity now thrives. We are profoundly grateful to the people from all corners of Nigeria that worked tirelessly to ensure the most free and fair election in our nation’s history in 1993, fought valiantly for the Hope ’93 mandate given to Bashorun Abiola by the Nigerian people and died trying to protect the mandate.”

    ‘It’s well deserved’

    The late Fawehinmi in 2008 rejected the offer of a national award by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. His family rejected a posthumous one offered by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014, but accepted the Buhari offer “warmly”.

    The scion of the family, Mr. Mohammed Fawehinmi, said: “Accepting the award is a fuller affirmation of the commitment of the late Mr. Fawehinmi. The award is coming at the same time as the recognition of Chief M.K.O Abiola as the winner of the June 12 election.

    “The award to Abiola is a veiled indictment of the old decision by the evil geniuses of yesteryears. This would have been my father’s happiest moment, because what he had canvassed for is now being done.”

    Mr. Fawehinmi added: “It is well deserved because Chief (Fawehinmi) practically killed himself for this country. And this is demonstrated by his detention in so many places, very dangerous detention centres that IBB, Abacha and Obasanjo put him in, because they intended to kill him outright but for the press and God.”

    He added: “We are very, very excited! We are very happy. … It was what my daddy wanted. Now, he is being given an award, which is equivalent of award for Chief Justice of Nigeria and also the Senate President. It’s a thing of joy.”

    Mr. Mohammed also hailed the honuor for the late Chief Abiola, saying, “This (award) is an entitlement to all Nigerians, because Nigerians voted this man (Abiola). They voted a Muslim/Muslim ticket, with Babagana Kingibe, his running mate. All Nigerians agreed to vote. That shows that it is the will of the people.”

    He criticised those who said the honuor was extended to the family by President Buhari for political gains. He told online newspaper The Crest: “They that were not desperate, what did they do when they were there? Ask them (particularly these PDP leaders)! Ask them! What did they do? Did PDP recognise June 12? Did they recognise Abiola? That is what we have to ask ourselves now. In fact, (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo was jealous of Abiola. … He went to South Africa to say that the best man may not necessarily win an election. Shortly after that, he was invited to be the president. Imagine if he was the one who won that election and he was denied, how will he feel?”

    ‘It’s like a dream’

    Abiola’s daughter Hafsat, in a television interview, said she felt like being in a dream when she heard of the President’s pronouncement.

    She said: “I cannot believe it; I’m still praying that somebody won’t wake me up and say I was sleeping or something.

    “I just cannot believe it, it’s so long overdue. (25 years), it should have been done in 1999. June 12 should have been declared the day of transition in 1999 and it was not and that was already a sign that Nigerians were going to be cheated.

    “We had fought, fought soldiers and the army who wanted to oppress and dictate to us and when it was now time for us to begin this new democratic transition, it was as if they pulled out someone that would continue to protect their interest and not recognise and validate the interests and needs and rights of the people of Nigeria.

    “We saw with June 12 that even before an Army, journalists came out, wrote articles, people were on the streets, labour unions went on strike, market women went on strike and shut down a powerful military dictatorship.”

    In a Facebook post, she said: “Dear friends, words cannot truly express how happy I feel. Here is President Buhari’s executive order declaring that June 12, the day of the election that my father won, would henceforth be Nigeria’s Democracy Day and conferring on my dad the title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, a title reserved for presidents. Twenty five years after June 12.”

    Malami to gazette order

    Ordering immediate gazette of the proclamation, the President directed Malami to “take immediate steps to publish the Presidential Order in the Federal Gazette as follows:

    “Chief MKO Abiola-Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (Posthumous).

    “Alhaji Babagana Kingibe – Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.

    “Chief Gani Fawehinmi – Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (Posthumous) so that the awards slated for June 12, 2018 can go on as planned.’’

  • Labour to Buhari: Reverse Electricity Privatisation

    Organised Labour has restated its call for the reversal of the power sector’s privatisation.

    Reacting to President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech on Democracy Day, the United Labour Congress (ULC),  said the power sector has failed Nigerians.

    Its President, Joe Ajaero, said the power sector privatisation was a failure.

    “It has been a harvest of woes. The United Kingdom has done the needful with their railways on seeing the woes the sector was bringing to the nation, the government has started reversing the privatisation of that sector. The government should emulate this and do the most sensible thing at this time by mustering the needed courage to reverse the nation’s electricity sector privatisation,” he said.

    Ajaero said labour considered it  embarrassing that the country has continued to pay the individuals that captured the DISCOs and GENCOs, despite repaying the nation with darkness.

    He said: “Our  findings showed that the government has paid about N1trillion to these private entities and this is most befuddling.

    “It is, therefore, better to reverse the sale so that instead of paying these companies, Nigeria can manage its funds for the purposes of generating and delivering power to our homes and organisations.”

    The ULC chief said workers were surprised that Buhari did not find it necessary to address the myriads of problems confronting them and the  workplaces.

    “We had thought that the President will recommit to ensuring that the minimum wage quickly become a reality but he never did.

    “We had thought that the President would have talked about the infrastructure deficit. We had hoped that the President would have addressed the crisis of unemployment and the increasing business shut down; alas, it did not happen,” he said.

    He, however, called on the government to move towards delivering the benefits of democracy to the people, especially workers, adding that the country’s testimony of harvests of benefits would be the demonstration of the government’s service and commitment to the people.

  • ‘Buhari has done more for Delta than Jonathan’

    A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, on Wednesday night, declared that President Muhammadu Buhari has done well in Delta State more than former President Goodluck Jonathan, who hails from the zone.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.

    On what are the chances of Buhari in the Southsouth, Emerhor said,:”In 2015, we had President Jonathan who is from the south south, that created an emotional issue but we have seen now that even when Jonathan was in power, he did not do for Delta what President Buhari has done for us.

    “The Ogoni cleaning exercise that is going on there is one of the major thing we can count on. The east west road is being completely rehabilitated and that did not happen when one of our own son was the President.

    “So, we are very very confident that the south south this time around wants to belong to the center and that is why we are going to be able to deliver the President there.”

    Optimistic that the APC can take over the reins of leadership in Delta State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said that the current Governor off the State has not done enough thus, clearing the coast for the APC to take over.

     

  • Fayose to Buhari: declare Abiola as president

    EKITI State Governor Ayo Fayose has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to go a step further by officially declaring winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola as the president-elect.

    The governor, at a press briefing in Government House in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, argued that it is after this has been done that the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) honour conferred on Abiola will have constitutional backing.

    Fayose said: “The honour done to late Moshood Olawale  Abiola  (MKO) by President Muhammadu Buhari is a welcome development. We thank the

    President, even though we know it is for political reasons, we see it as a step in the right direction.

    “We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to go to the next level and declare MKO the President of Nigeria because MKO won the election, but the then dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, denied Nigerians that victory and the opportunity to have Abiola as our President.

    “Having realised that they goofed, they have come out to right the wrong. Besides, you can’t keep such title of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) without being the President of Nigeria. Therefore, the President should be courageous enough by declaring the results of the election and declare Abiola the winner of the June 12 poll. This is a lesson that what you do today will be reference point for others tomorrow.

    “We condemn the annulment of the June12 presidential poll results, brutality of Nigerians who protested against it, election rigging, brute force and manipulations during elections.”

     

     

     

     

  • Ekiti, Kwara APC hails Buhari

    THE Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) and a faction of the party in Kwara State  have praised President Muhammadu Buhari for honouring the late businessman and politician, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, with a posthumous award of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR).

    The party also applauded Buhari for awarding Abiola’s running mate,

    Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe and the late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani

    Fawehinmi, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and declaring June 12 as the Democracy Day.

    The Ekiti State APC, in a statement, in Ado-Ekiti by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, praised Buhari for displaying a rare courage to address the nagging question on the relevance of June 12 election in Nigeria’s democratic credentials.

    The President, he said, had put to rest the pretensions and injustice inherent in the most peaceful and transparent election in the nation’s electoral process.

    “Abiola is adjudged the winner and hero of our democracy for standing against the jackboots of the military dictators and paying the supreme price for being a resolute democrat.

    “Abiola won the freest and fairest election without religious and tribal sentiments in the history of electoral process and democratisation in Nigeria, but most unfortunately, the conspiracy of the same capitalism agents that truncated Nigerians’ dream to have the late MKO Abiola as the President are now in PDP, which benefited and assumed the control of our national government on the strength of June 12 symbolic history, struggle and sacrifice.

    “After profiting bountifully from the blood of MKO, they decided to selfishly and wickedly ignore that iconic national symbol and hero of democracy to give him a deserved place in history.

    “Today, we are happy that another hero of democracy without tribal sentiment, who is also a progressive leader, President Buhari, has

    demonstrated integrity by not only honouring this fact of history, but

    has also done honour to the hero of democracy, who sacrificed his life

    to ensure that democracy establishes root in Nigeria,” he said.

    The APC Kwara faction, led by Hon Bashir Bolarinwa, said: “We are indeed appreciative of the historic move by the people’s president who has always shown that he is holding in trust the mandate of the people.

    “Nigerians have always trusted President Buhari knowing fully well that he has everything to reposition the country and restore her lost glory.

    “It is heartwarming that he has laid to final rest the agitation of many years for the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 2003 presidential election,  Chief MKO Abiola, to be recognised and declared accordingly. The conferment of the highest honor (GFCR) on the acclaimed winner of June 12 presidential election is a watershed.”

     

  • NANS: Buhari is a new progressive

    THE National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a new progressive for declaring June 12 as the country’s Democracy Day.

    Buhari had on Wednesday proclaimed that June 12 will henceforth be known as Nigeria’s Democracy Day instead of May 29.

    The president said the decision was in honour of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.

    He also conferred Abiola with a post-humous award of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

    Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer of NANS, Mr. Idowu Odebunmi, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria yesterday in Akure, said: “President Buhari has proven to be a progressive and champion of people’s course, which June 12 stands for.

    “The properties and lives lost in the struggle of June 12 and the main centre of the people that liberated us from the shackles of military regime have been compensated today by President Muhammadu Buhari.”

     

     

    “This shows the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy and it shows we have a president that appreciates free and fair election,” he said.