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Tag: BUHARI

  • Why Buhari’s May 29 inauguration will be low key

    The Federal Government said President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration for a second term on May 29 will be low-key and that a number of events slated for the inauguration will be held on June 12.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the announcement when he spoke to State House correspondents on the activities slated to mark the May 29 inauguration.

    Buhari had in June last year, directed that from this year, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, marked every May 29 for the past 18 years, be shifted to June 12, to honour Nigeria’s Chief Moshood Abiola.

    Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election but the results were annulled by former military ruler Gen. Ibrahim Babangida on June 23, 1993.

    The minister said the decision to have a low-key inauguration for the president was taken at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council on May 8.

    He said, however, that invitations had been sent to world leaders to attend the ceremonies, marking the observance of Democracy Day on June 12.

    “Since the first observance of June 12 as Democracy Day falls into an election year and as a measure to sustain June 12 as Democracy Day, the celebration of the inauguration and the advancement of democracy in the country will now take place on June 12,’’ the minister said.

    According to him, the country can ill-afford two major celebrations within a two-week interval.

    He said that details of the events, slated for the two ceremonies would be unveiled at a world news conference, slated for May 20 in Abuja.

    In a later elaboration, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, told Channels TV on Monday that while May 29th remains significant as the inauguration day, all ceremonies associated with the inauguration have been deferred to June 12.

    “We want the world to see June 12 as this country’s most important (day) as far as democracy is concerned,” he said.

    He further explained that the May 29 inauguration will still be marked because according to the Constitution, the four-year term officially ends on the 29th.

    Read Also: I am upset with the level of poverty in Nigeria – Buhari

    “Let me say emphatically, it is important that the President and the governors are being inaugurated on the 29th.

    “Constitutionally, that must take place because their four-year term (2015-2019), expires on the 29th.

    “However, the President will be swearing an oath, taking the oath of office as would the governors be doing, but the big ceremonies associated with the inauguration have been deferred to June 12, in order that we empower, we activate this day in a big way”.

    On the venue of the event, he noted that it would take place at the Eagles Square, Abuja and the missions in the country, embassies, and other key figures will be duly represented.

    “Delegations will come but we are welcoming them on June 12,” Shehu added.

  • Buhari, Senate, AGF shun suit querying Muhammad’s choice as CJN

    President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on Monday failed to attend court in relation to a suit querying the choice of Justice Ibrahim Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

    Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, on May 3, ordered respondents in the suit to show cause why reliefs contained an ex-parte motion by the plaintiff should not be granted.

    The plaintiff – the Board of Trustees of Malcom Omirhobo Foundation – had, in the motion ex-parte sought “an order of interim injunction restraining the 5th defendant (Buhari) from appointing the 3rd defendant (Justice Muhammad) as the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the motion on notice filed herein.

    “An order of interim injunction restraining the 7th defendant (the Senate)  from confirming the appointment of the 3rd defendant as the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

    Named as defendants in the suit, are National Judicial Council (NJC), Federal Judicial Service Commission of Nigeria (FJSCN), Justice Muhammad, Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), President Buhari and the AGF and the Senate.

    On Monday, only three of the defendants – the NJC, FJSCN and Justice Muhammad – were represented by lawyers.

    The NJC was represented by Elizabeth Jonathan, while Sani Sule announced appearance for the FJSC.

     A.O Ajana, who appeared for Justice Muhammad, said he appeared in protest because his client was not served with court processes.

    Plaintiff’s lawyer, Malcom Omirhobo admitted that  Justice Muhammad was yet to be served with the processes and the order made by the court on May 3.

    Omirhobo said other defendants have been served. He consequently withdrew the motion he filed for leave to served Justice Muhammed through substituted means when Ajana agreed to accept service for his client.

    When Justice Ekwo indicated that he intends to hear the case promptly, the plaintiff’s lawyer equally withdrew the motion on notice he filed for an order  restraining the defendants from  appointing Justice Muhammad in substantive capacity.

    The judge  then gave the defendants 14 days to respond to the substantive suit and  adjourned hearing till June 3.

    Justice Ekwo ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on parties that were not in court on Monday.

    The plaintiff, in the substantive suit, is praying the court to restrain President Buhari from appointing the Justice Muhammad as the substantive CJN.

    READ ALSO: Court asks Buhari, NJC,others to justify Muhammad’s choice for CJN

    The plaintiff contended that the Acting CJN conducted himself in a manner that reduced the confidence of the public in the integrity and impartiality of the Judiciary.

    It argued that President Buhari lacked the constitutional powers to unilaterally suspend and/or remove a CJN from office, as was done in the case of Onnoghen.

    The plaintiff is praying the court to declare that by combined interpretation of sections 1(1 )(2), 231(4), 292(1)(a)(i)(b), 153(1)(i), 158(1) and paragraph 21 (a)(b) of Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, “it is unlawful and undemocratic for the 4th and 5th Defendants (Federal Government and President Buhari), to declare the office of the CJN vacant on January 25, 2019 and consequently appoint and swear in the 3rd Defendant as the acting CJN”.

    It is also wants to restrain the National Assembly from confirming Justice Muhammad’s appointment as the substantive CJN.

    He is praying the court to declare that Justice Muhammad, who is the most senior jurist at the Supreme Court, is unfit to replace the sacked CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

    The plaintiff wants the court to declare that Justice Muhammad, having made himself available as a tool for the violation of the Constitution, especially with regards to the “illegal” removal of the former CJN, is therefore not a proper and fit person to be recommended for appointment to head the judiciary.

    It prayed for: “An order, compelling the 2nd Defendant (FJSC), to select and the 1st Defendant (NJC), to recommend the most qualified Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria that is fit and proper,  to the 5th Defendant, for appointment to office of the CJN, and for the confirmation of the 7th Defendant with a two third majority vote.”

    In a supporting affidavit, the plaintiff stated that unless restrained by the court, the Executive arm of the government would continue to violate the extant provisions of the Constitution and sanctity of the judiciary.

  • Insecurity: APC stalwart tasks Buhari to do more on intelligence in second term

    As the first tenure of Buhari-led administration is winding down in just less than three weeks, a chieftain of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Stanley Osifo, has called on the President to do more in the area of intelligence in his second term to subdue the spate of insecurity that had plunged Nigeria into a dangerous adventure in the last few years.

    Speaking with The Nation in a telephone chat in Lagos yesterday, Osifo said in  view of myriad of security challenges inherited by Buhari administration in 2015, the President has done his best and deserves commendations from Nigerians.

    The business mogul turned politician noted that the issue of security is a collective effort of every Nigerian to join hands with government to ensure a safe society.

    Osifo warned that politicisation of security issue in Nigeria is one major problem that must be condemned by all Nigerians to let the nation off hooks of various degrees of crimes that bedevilled the nation.

    The APC stalwart noted that given the reports that were issued by the military, one may not be far from truth that security challenge in Nigeria has a political undertone.

    Responding to the case of unemployment and poverty which many adjudged as factors responsible for proliferation of terrorist groups in the country, he opined that those factors should not be yardsticks to join band wagon and unleash mayhem on society.

    He urged Nigerian youths on collaborative efforts with government  to harness opportunities waiting for them in an enabling environment which Buhari-led administration has been doing its best to provide.

    He tasked the President to look beyond party line for his cabinet members in second term and get the right persons for the right positions who will reflect the uprightness he is known for across the globe.

    “The issues of security challenge has always been in the country and most time politics usually comes in to create division among Nigerians along ethnic and religious considerations. “

     

     

  • Insecurity: Declare state of emergency in Zamfara, group tells Buhari

    A group of Zamfara State indigenes has called for the declaration of a state of emergency on the insecurity in the area.

    Zamfara Advocates, which is made up of professionals from the state, said in a statement yesterday that the present situation must be addressed immediately in the interest of the north and the nation at large.

    ”It must be clear by now that we need hands that are fully committed to addressing the state of insecurity that is consuming the North,” it said.

    It also asked  President Muhammadu Buhari to “examine those he has given the task of securing Nigerian and get rid of those who have shown themselves to be incapable and replace them with those who can demonstrably do the job.”

    It added: “ We know President Buhari values loyalty. His own loyalty should and must be to the people of Nigeria above anyone else.

    “We want to see immediate, holistic, effective, coordinated action specifically targeting those shedding blood across the North.

    “We don’t want to hear of bandits escaping across state borders to wreak havoc in neighboring states, almost as if the security services couldn’t predict this.

    “We want to see proper programmes put in place to ameliorate the suffering of thousands that have been displaced by violence and programmes that allow them to begin to pick up the pieces of their lives.

    “ We want to see effective policies and programmes in education, health, drug rehabilitation and a reintegrating millions of roaming Almajiri children into communities to be cared for and nurtured.

    A society is only as safe as it most vulnerable and without security for all, we are all doomed.”

    The group said while efforts such as ‘Operation Puff Adder’, ‘Operation Sharan Daji’ and ‘Operation Harbin Kunama’, have recorded remarkable achievements in checking rampant killings, kidnappings and insecurity in Zamfara State, “the improvement in security isn’t across all of Zamfara and has not provided a lasting relief from the attacks, abductions and killings in the State.

    “Scores of lives continue to be lost and scores more are daily still been abducted by the armed bandits operating in the State.”

  • Updated: Buhari to launch campaign against open defecation

    President Muhammadu Buhari will be launching a campaign against open defecation in the country. The campaign “Clean Nigeria, Use Toilet,” is to be launched at a date yet to be announced.

    The campaign is part of the efforts to achieve an end to open defecation in the country by 2025.

    About 47 million people still defecate openly in Nigeria according to records. Also, only 10 out of 774 local government areas have been certified open defecation free since the road map on sanitation 2016-2025 was launched by President Buhari.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Suliaman Adamu, said this while briefing alongside State House Corespondent at the end of the marathon weekly Federal Executive meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja.

    President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the meeting which went on break twice.

    Adamu said Nigeria has road map to end open defecation 2016-2025, adding that out of the 774 local government areas, only 10 are open defecation free.

    He said, “Ten out of 774 local governments is very dismal but it is work in progress. But we have also made some progress as 20 to 21,000 communities in the country today are open defecation free. The problem is we still have 47 million people practicing open defecation and Nigeria has been moving up the ladder since 2012 from being number four or five in the world to having the ranking of number two. India is number one but India has been working to end open defecation, in the last four years they have taken over 500 million out of open defecation. And India plans to declare itself open defecation free by October 2019. Once that happens, Nigeria will become the number one country in the world that practices open defecation. You will all agree with me that this is an honour we do not want to have.

    “So council approved a number of measures including the fact that Mr. President will launch the Clean Nigeria Campaign on a day to be decided. So our campaign is ‘clean Nigeria, use the toilet.

    “The president and cabinet members are to become ambassadors of clean Nigeria campaign by providing the needed leadership and commitment for successful implementation of the campaign.

    “We also hope to create a clean Nigeria movement and to harmonize ministerial activities so that we have a seamless approach regarding sanitization in the country.

    “We are also requesting for annual budget of N10.6 billion to be approved, this is not money that will be taken out of budget alone, we will also have contributions from development partners, corporate world including leveraging on corporate social responsibility, grants and to mobilize Nollywood, youths, children, women etc.

    “It will come with an executive order to give effect to the clean Nigeria campaign. All ministries are to establish specific budget lines and work plans to implementing their sector specific activities to end open defecation and improve sanitation in the country.

    “The campaign will also involve state governments and households. We intend to use community led sanitation and hinging more on behavioural change rather than doling out money.”

    The President had in November 2018, launched National Action Plan for Revitalizing the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), where he also declared a state of emergency on water and sanitation sector in Nigeria. An important aspect of the plan is for Nigeria to be open defecation free.

    The National Plan of Action is a significant political milestone towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 to reach everyone, everywhere with clean water and decent sanitation by 2030.

     

  • Buhari inaugurates North-East Development Commission

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated the North-East Development Commission (NEDC).

    The commission also gets N10 billion take off grant, which is already captured in the 2019 budget.

    The Senate, in October 2016, passed the bill for the establishment of the North East Development Commission to coordinate the rebuilding of the insurgency-ravaged North East region of Nigeria.

    President Buhari assented to the bill on 26th October, 2017.

    The inauguration took place before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    The commission had last month presented a budget of N55 billion to the Senate out of which the grant of N10 billion is for humanitarian interventions.

    Buhari had in January sent the nominees names to the Senate for confirmation by the senate.

    The Senate had last month confirmed a retired army major-general, Paul Tarfa, as chairman of the Commission.

    Also confirmed is Mohammed Alkali as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission and nine others as members of the board of the commission.

    The members are Musa Yashi, Executive Director Humanitarian Affairs; Mohammed Jawa, Executive Director, Admin and Finance; Omar Mohammed, Executive Director, Operations and David Kente, member representing North East zone.

    Others are Asmau Mohammed, member representing North West zone; Benjamin Adanyi, Member representing North Central zone; Olawale Oshun, member representing South West zone; Theodore Ekechi, member representing South-East and Obasuke McDonald, member representing South-South zone.

  • PDP faults Buhari over ‘kidnapping as business’ comment

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari for his comment that anger, frustration and disenchantment among the youth were responsible for the escalation of kidnapping, abduction and other crimes in the country.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the President’s comment was a direct admission of his failure in governance.

    The party said the comment also confirmed that President Buhari was aware that Nigerian youths did not vote for him in the February 23 presidential election.

    The statement said: “This self-confession by Mr. President is equally an admission that he has no solutions, and points to the ugly situation that would continue to confront the nation, if the stolen presidential mandate is not retrieved in the courts.

    “Is it not appalling that at a time when other world leaders are leading their youths to constructive and productive ventures and developing their nations, Nigerian youths are being pushed into situations of anger, frustration and recourse to criminality?

    “Under President Buhari, our national economy has continued to slide; over 30 million Nigerians have lost their jobs and basic means of livelihood; businesses have continued to shut down; the cost of essential goods and services has persistently soared, while the purchasing power of citizens has worsened.

    “It is more disheartening that instead of finding solutions, Mr. President resorted to rhetoric and begging the question to the extent of describing criminality as a new occupation and a business.”

    The main opposition said Nigerians were shocked at President Buhari’s “insensitivity” to the victims of bloodlettings, kidnapping, banditry and other acts of violence in the country.

    The party considered the President’s joke, where he quipped that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu’s weight loss was an indication that the police chief was effectively tackling insecurity in the land.

    “It is most heart-breaking that at the time President Buhari was making a joke on the security situation, bandits were having a field day in communities in Zamfara State, where they reportedly killed over 50 Nigerians, while many more compatriots are still (being) held hostage by kidnappers in forests in various parts of our country.

    “Such attitude to governance, especially on issues that have to do with the lives of Nigerians, is completely unacceptable and must be condemned by all,” the statement added.

     

  • Okowa hails Buhari for revitalising WASH

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring a state of emergency on the revitalisation of WASH services.

    The governor supported the strategies contained in the National Action Plan.

    Okowa, who spoke in Asaba, yesterday, said a lot is required for the country to provide public water and sanitation facilities for her growing population, adding that in Delta State, the water and sanitation sectors will receive more funding.

    The governor inaugurated a steering committee, chaired by him, to coordinate the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Services (WASH) and “proffer effective reforms as well as formulate policies to end open defecation”.

    He said: “In the next four years, we will increase the allocation to water and sanitation sectors, and hold those within the sector accountable as we intend to have good value for any money released.

    “Water, as the saying goes, is life; but regrettably, we have not done enough collectively as a country in the provision of public water and sanitation facilities to our ever growing population.

    “Nigeria currently ranks No. 2 in the world after India, on the open defecation index, as about 25 per cent of our population still practice open defecation. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.1 and 6.2 seek to stop open defecation by 2025 and ensure access to sustainable and safely managed WASH services by 2030.”

    Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu, represented by Mr. Osikela Omo-Ikirodah, praised Okowa’s for declaring a state of emergency on water and sanitation. He promised that such has qualified the state for financial and technical assistance from the Federal Government, which is determined to end open defecation by 2025.

     

  • Buhari seeks global help to tackle Boko Haram

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sort the assistance of United Nations and the international community in addressing the issue of insecurity that has bedeviled the country.

    The president also decried the current situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the troubled states in the country.

    This is as the United Nations Tuesday poured cold water on the country’s quest to take a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council.

    President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés said the much talked about reform aimed to open up the council may be a mirage after all as there is no political will to see the reform a logical conclusion.

    Ms. Espinosa Garcés spoke Tuesday in Abuja after a closed door meeting with President Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

    There are only five permanent members in the Security Council out of the fifteen member body.

    The  five are:  United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom, while the remaining 10 non-permanent member-countries are chosen yearly for two-year terms, distributed on a regional basis as follows: five for African and Asian States; one for Eastern European States; two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other States.

    The reform would have enlarged the permanent seat with Nigeria jostling for a possible Africa sole seat.

    For the reform to be successive, she said members’ states must have the political will to do so in an inclusive and transparent manner.

    According to her,  “Regarding the question of UN Security Council reform, I have to say very honestly that this is one of the most complex, divisive and contentious negotiations processes at the UN.

    “As you know, the reform of the Security Council is under the responsibility of the UN General Assembly and I have appointed two co-chairs to lead the works of the inter-governmental negotiations that have been taking place for 10 years now.

    “The process of reforms started 25 years ago and the mandate to negotiate the reform came 10 years ago when I was the Ambassador of Ecuador at the UN. And at the time I thought we had a resolution to start the negotiations and with a great naivety, I thought this is going to be a process that will, perhaps be for two or three years.

    “Ten years later, I have to say that there is no consensus, there are very different views and positions regarding the reform process. As we know, we need consensus to advance reforms.

    “This is one of the issues where my work as the president is to lead to make sure that we agree on the fundamentals to ensure that the process is inclusive and transparent. That the outcome of the reform is going to depend very much on the political will of member states themselves.

    “Then of course, the African position is well known and there are also different groups that also have different positions, we are trying to bring them together and find a common denominator.

    “And the common denominator is that the Security Council has to deliver more and better because they have the main responsibility to deliver on peace and security agenda of the organization.”

    The UN chieftain who also spoke on the humanitarian needs around the Lake Chad area and the role of the UN, assured that the global body will deploy its capacities in conjunction with governments of the Lake Chad basin to improve humanitarian aid according to people’s needs in the regions and micro regions.

    “I have specific numbers on how much, specific coverage and people but everything we do is in strict and close coordination with the governments of the Lake Chad Basin.

    “As you know, the UN has signed five-year UN cooperation framework with Nigeria whereby $4.5 million will channeled there according to the Nigerian government’s priorities”, said Espinosa, who is the 73rd president of UNGA”.

    She was also quoted to have commended President Buhari’s leadership of ECOWAS, and of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, pledging to call the attention of the international community to the “hurting effects” of the Lake Chad problem, and other issues raised by the Nigerian leader.

    According to a presidency statement issued at the end of the meeting, the President of UNGA also praised Nigeria for rehabilitating the UN building in Abuja, which was destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents during an attack in August, 2011.

    The UNGA President, the statement further stated, commended Nigeria for being a key part of the United Nations system, saying the country was well respected in the global body, as “Nigeria is a major troops’ contributor to peace keeping operations, and a major part of the human rights architecture”.

    President Buhari on his part has used the opportunity of the meeting with Espinosa to appeal for the support and assistance of UN in addressing the increasing security challenges in Nigeria.

    According to the presidency, Buhari noted that “the condition of internally displaced persons ((IDPs) in the country is pathetic. We have at least a million children who neither know their parents, nor where they come from”.

    He also pointed out the damage to infrastructure, particularly in the North-east, which he described as horrendous will need international help to restore.

    “Bridges have been blown up, schools, hospitals, churches, mosques, and other buildings have been destroyed. All these will be rehabilitated, and every form of international help is welcome.”

    On the recharge of Lake Chad through inter-basin water transfer from Congo River, Buhari said climate change was quite real to the region, noting that no fewer than 30 million people are negatively affected by the shrinking lake, with at least half of them being Nigerians.

    He stressed the role the international community needed to play in the endeavor, since recharging the lake was beyond the financial power of the affected countries.

  • Call minister to order, pensioners’ union tells Buhari

    The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call to order the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and stop him from plunging labour unions into a crisis.

    The NUP accused the minister of attempting to factionalise the union.

    The umbrella pensioners’ union noted that to achieve his intention, the minister was sponsoring his ethnic compatriots to create a faction of the union.

    The Nation reported last week that a new pensioners’ body, called Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria (FEPPAN) had approached the Ministry of Labour for registration as a pensioners’ union.

    The new group alleged that the NUP had failed its members.

    NUP’s General Secretary Elder Actor Zal said the action of those behind the new body was illegal and against the spirit and letters of the nation’s labour laws.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has once again been drawn to the renewed efforts by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to illegally regroup, despite the pensioners’ resolve to remain in one indivisible union.

    “To achieve this ignoble objectives, Dr. Ngige deliberately went shopping for few disgruntled elements within the union from his tribe, organised them and sponsored them with government money, including PHCN superannuation fund to the tune of N407 million recently collected by the self-appointed interim president of the minister’s pensioners’ association.

    “We want to alert the general public that the effort of the minister is self-serving and is not in the best interest of the country. Furthermore, what the minister is about to do is not only contrary to existing labour laws, it will (also) amount to proliferation of industrial unions.

    “This is what the labour law is actually guiding against. Section 3(2) of the Trade Union Act clearly settles this matter when it says “no trade union shall be registered to represent workers or employers in a place where there already exists a trade union”.

    It adds: “For this reason, the drafters of the Trade Union Act posited that there should be only one union in each industry representing the interest of workers in that sector. For example, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the university, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) for (junior) non-academic workers, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) for all teachers, among others.

    “The minister’s intention of window-shopping for ways to divide our union is not only barbaric and crude but the height of insensitivity of a government appointee.”