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Tag: BUHARI

  • Monarch to Buhari: save Katsina from banditry, kidnapping

    EMIR of Katsina Alhaji Abdumuminu Kabir Usman yesterday urged visiting Minister of Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbeh to tell President Muhammadu Buhari to save the state from the menace of kidnapping and banditry.

    The monarch was reacting to the kidnapping of the in-law to the President and Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Mohammed Ubah.

    The emir  lamented that the bandits and kidnappers have taken over the state, particularly the rural areas.

    He said: “Please take my message to the President. I know I always speak with him but since you are here, take the message to him. Tell him to help us and save us from banditry and criminality; imagine that no one is safe in the state again. Let him ensure the prompt release of Magajin Daura.

    Read also: Katsina Commissioner of Police relocates to Daura

    ‘’Those living in the rural areas are the worst affected as they are frequently killed, maimed and set ablaze at will and no one is protecting them. No one in the rural area is farming in that area at the moment. They have fled and their farms burnt. We have looming cases of food scarcity in our state presently.

    “We don’t have authority over security agencies. The only thing the traditional rulers can do is to provide information to the authorities.’’

    Ogbeh, who led the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and other directors of the CBN, to the emir palace, said they were in the state to launch the distribution of cotton seeds to farmers and also to announce preparations for the inauguration of the production of “Dabino’’ seeds.

    He said the production of “Dabino’’ seeds is part of measures by the Federal Government to promote poverty alleviation and tackle unemployment.

  • Buhari back after 10-day trip to UK

    AFTER a 10-day private visit to the United Kingdom (UK), President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday returned to Abuja.

    His plane touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 6:24pm.

    A statement by his spokesperson Femi Adesina, said some “reckless online media, irresponsible political opposition, and other bilious groups and individuals, had gone on overdrive since the President left the country on April 25, insinuating that he was going for hospitalisation, and would not return after 10 days as stated.

    “In their vain imaginations, they even stated that fictive doctors have advised President Buhari to stay longer for more intensive care.

    “Now that the President has returned, can these apostles of evil imaginings swallow their words? Can they retract their tendentious stories as well as press statements, and apologize to millions of Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora that they have fed with hogwash?

    “Few days after the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, we daresay that this valuable freedom does not tantamount to liberty to mislead and hoodwink the populace through concocted and jejune publications.

    “The Buhari administration will always respect and uphold press freedom, but the onus lies on those prone to passing off fiction as facts, to remember that freedom demands concomitant responsibility.

    “Those who further share and disseminate falsehood are also encouraged to embrace responsible conduct.”

  • Buhari, Kwara Governor-elect greet Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday felicitated with Nigerians in general and Muslims in particular as they commence the month-long Ramadhan fast.

    A statement by his Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity) Garba Shehu, President Buhari called for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country.

    The President noted that Islam is a religion of peace that upholds the values of tolerance and mutual coexistence without a place for hatred and violence.

    He urged Muslims to use the fasting period to build a relationship of friendship and harmony with fellow citizens of other faiths.

    President Buhari prayed to Allah for the continued peace, progress, and the wellbeing of the country.

    Kwara State Governor-elect AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq urged Muslims and all Kwarans to use the holy month to reflect on and commit themselves to the themes of piety, personal discipline, compassion, good brotherliness, and selfless service to humanity which Ramadan embodies and calls to.

    “I join the Muslim community to thank the Almighty Allah for another opportunity to witness the month. I pray Him to give us the patience and strength to not only observe the fast but to reap manifold rewards. May Allah accept our worship, grant us tranquillity and prosper our dear state and country,” AbdulRazaq said in a statement by his media aide Rafiu Ajakaye.

  • South West suport for Buhari, wise, progressive – Group

    An Osun State-based social group, Ifesowapo Kajose Society, has described the resolve of the South West geo-political zone4 to work with other zones to actualize second term in office for President Mohammadu Buhari and his vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as wise and progressive.

    The group saluted the “active participation of the South West” to achieve the feat.

    In a statement by its President, Mr. Samuel Jegede, the group said when it is time for South West to provide national leadership for the country the zone will count on other zones for support and to return the goodwill it has established over the years. According to him, the six states, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun Ondo and Ekiti that make up the South West have the resources to lead Nigeria.

    However, he cautioned Ogun State out of the six states in the South West to step aside when it is time for the zone to produce the nation’s leader because “it has benefited more than the rest in the past and therefore, as a matter of equity and equality only Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States must have a shot at the presidency.

    “Congratulating Buhari for returning to power in the second term, Jegede advised that he must not allow himself to be distracted from focusing myraids of challenges facing Nigeria, including insecurity, economy, energy among others and must proffer solutions to them without further delay.

    He commemded the All Progressives Congress for providing exemplary government and good governance in Osun, Ekiti and Lagos States.

  • New ministers: Buhari shuts out kitchen cabinet members, others

    AHEAD of his inauguration for a second term on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari has kept members of his kitchen cabinet, close associates and outgoing ministers in suspense with regard to those who will be in his new team.

    The President has opted to go solo in choosing the new set of ministers. Some members of his inner power circle, popularly called “The Cabal”, who went to London during the week to see him, were denied access on the basis of Buhari’s strict instructions. Only a minister (name withheld) was allowed to meet with the President in London. It was, however, not clear whether the minister took some documents to him.

    At press time, the President had not demanded any ministerial nomination list from either the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the governors elected on the platform of the party. Many of the outgoing ministers have been running to the governors of their states, asking that some words be put in for their return to the cabinet. The President himself was said to have expressed surprise at the high number of names dropped in some states for ministerial slots.

    According to findings made by our correspondent, the President has adopted a tough approach to the formation of his cabinet unlike in 2015 when some members of his kitchen cabinet “hijacked the privilege of assisting him to source for good hands to impose their friends/allies on him.” It was learnt that all those who wanted to influence appointments into the cabinet were shut out in London. A top source said: “It seems Buhari has realised that there are some deadwoods in his cabinet which he ought to offload. “He is keeping the choice of new ministers to himself alone.

    Read also: Buhari receives UN General Assembly’s President Monday

    Even those who should know have been fenced off. “His London itinerary was not only kept to himself until the last minutes, he did not allow close associates, strategists and members of his kitchen cabinet to have access to him in London. “Those who went to London came back empty handed. “Only an outgoing minister was allowed access to the President. And the minister was still in London as at 7pm today (yesterday).

    “We do not know what informed this sudden change of attitude, but it seems the President is really determined to live up to his promise to leave sustainable legacies in his second term by looking for the right people to serve in his cabinet.”

    Investigation also revealed that the President has not demanded any ministerial nomination list either from the APC or the governors in the ruling party. A reliable government source said: “You can crosscheck from the party; Buhari has not asked for any input from APC. “Does he really need it? Are you saying he does not know what to do unlike 2015? “He did not request for nominations from the APC governors not to talk of receiving any list from them.

    “Some governors attempted to gauge his mood but he was noncommittal. He only kept quiet and allowed the governors to do the talking. “Both the party and the governors have also respected themselves by not putting pressure on him.” A governor said: “The truth is that we have not been asked by the President to make recommendations on ministerial nominees. “We have tried to be careful too because he does not choose our commissioners for us.

    “I can say that we are really in the dark like other Nigerians. “Ironically, some of the outgoing ministers run to governors to influence their retention by the President. “We cannot say whether or not the President will consult us.” Section 147(1-3) directs the President to appoint at least 36 ministers unless the constitution is amended. The section reads: “There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.

    “Any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President. “Any appointment under subsection (2) of this section by the President shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution: “Provided that in giving effect to the Provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each state, who shall be an indigene of such state.”

    Meanwhile, the presidency last night dismissed the rumour of possible extension of the President’s 10-day vacation on health grounds. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, simply said: “This story on the President’s return is absolutely shameful and disgraceful. Disgusting.”

  • Buhari hails monarchs over role in 2019 polls

    President Muhammadu Buhari has praised traditional rulers for their role during and after this year’s general elections.

    He attributed the relative peace in the country to the role of the monarchs played in the electoral process.

    The President spoke in Owerri, the Imo State capital, at the post-election peace summit organised by the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

    He noted that the responsibility of ensuring peace rests more on the shoulders of the traditional rulers “because they are closer to the people than the government”.

    President Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said: “My royal highnesses and traditional rulers, the Presidency has saddled my office with the very responsibility of overseeing the post-election peace conference/summit in the six geo-political zones of our dear country.

    “But the most sterling issue about the whole matter is establishing peace, how to bring peace to Sokoto, to Adamawa and others. But we all understand that this responsibility rests rather more squarely on the shoulders of our traditional rulers who are closer to the people than the government.”

    He added: “This is why my office attends to everything pertaining to this matter with utter dispatch. Also, the team spirit with which you have carried out your functions has not gone unnoticed. It was also noted that your effort in improving the economy through agricultural schemes in the last four years is also worth mentioning.

    “I am reassuring you that my office will continue to work in collaboration with the National Council of Traditional Rulers in all their developmental strides. Again, the Presidency has not taken for granted all your efforts towards the management of insurgency in the Northeast.”

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha noted that “the problem with our country is that we don’t understand the people called the Igbo”.

    He added: “The Igbo, if I must describe us, are the most misrepresented ethnic group in Nigeria. It’s only the Igbo amongst all other ethnic groups that can go to any other cultures and settle to develop that culture.

    “The Igbo man is the one who will hardly come back home to his grassroots without leaving a lasting impression of good development in the place he is living. But Nigerians have taken this for weakness. And that’s why at every side, they’re chased from pillar to post as if they’re not part of the entity called Nigeria.”

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saidi Abubakar III, thanked Okorocha for hosting the conference.

    He said: “…The unity of Nigeria is of paramount interest to all of us. Therefore, this is another reason why we are here.”

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said: “My fellow traditional rulers from across the various ethnic groups of Nigeria, I want us to bear in mind that the reason for this conference is the peace of this country. We cannot afford to be seated on our various thrones and see the people we are ruling scattered. So, the peace of Nigeria must cost us something worth sacrificing. All of us seated here have a duty to let our subjects know that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”

    The host and Chairman Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, said: “Our joy knows no bounds today to see our brother traditional rulers come to have this national summit in Imo, our dear state. Again, we return all the glory to God Almighty and to Governor Okorocha whose singular effort has brought about today’s development.”

     

  • President Buhari mourns Hajiya Omoti

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the Omoti family on the demise of Hajiya Amina Omoti, the former National President (Amirah) of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN).

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Wednesday, the president commiserated with the government and people of Edo as well as the leadership of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs over the incident.

    President Buhari also commiserated with FOMWAN and the entire Nigerian Muslim Ummah on the passage of the exemplary woman leader and accomplished educationist.

    According to him, Omoti will be fondly remembered and honoured for promoting spirituality and decency among Nigerian Muslim Ummah, as well as religious tolerance in the country.

    While affirming that Omoti served her religious community with dignity, diligence and courage, the president paid tribute to her invaluable contributions to nation building.

    He praised her for rallying Nigerian Muslim women to fulfill their God-given roles in building the family and by extension, the nation.

    Buhari prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased and Allah’s divine comfort for all who mourned her.

  • Ngige to workers: Buhari committed to leaving a bouyant economy

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has assured Nigerian workers that President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to lifting the lives of Nigerian workers and leaving behind a legacy of service and a buoyant economy.

    In a message he personally signed and made available to The Nation, Ngige said it was as a result of the President’s resolve to better the lives of Nigerian workers that he gave states bailout to pay salary and pension of their workers.

    The Minister also said the President was determined to creating an economy capable of creating a sustainable abundance for the people.

    He said: “On behalf of the Management and Staff of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as well as its parastatals, I wish to send warm felicitations to the Nigerian workers on the occasion of 2019 Worker’s Day.

    “The Theme of this year’s celebration which is “Another 100 Years of Struggle for Jobs, Dignity and Social Justice in Nigeria” aligns with the vision and efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to not only uplift the lots of the Nigerian worker, but also leave a legacy of a buoyant economy capable of creating a sustainable abundance for our people.

    “The uniqueness of this year’s event manifests eventfully in its co-incidence with the Centenary celebration of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which Nigeria proudly pioneered as the first Country Office in Africa sixty Years ago, in Lagos, 1959.

    “While I sincerely salute the resilience of the nation’s workforce and its numerous contributions to national development, we owe plentiful accolades to the most labour-friendly President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, who took practical steps to douse the restiveness in the labour force he inherited four years ago due to unpaid salaries and allowances.

    “He released bailout funds at the State and Federal level, and capped it all with a New National Minimum Wage for the Nigerian working class in public and private sectors. As we move to the Next Level, I have no doubt that things will get better. I wish you all a productive and fulfilling workers day celebration.”

  • NLC to Buhari: declare state of emergency in power sector

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the power sector and take steps to halt the drift and exploitation of electricity consumers.

    The workers berated electricity distribution companies (DisCos) for their continued imposition of estimated billing on their customers.

    Its President,  Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke with The Nation, also sought the reversal of privatisation  in the sector.

    He said: “We decried the continuous exploitation of electricity consumer by DisCos through estimated billing.

    “We  call on the government to declare a state of emergency in Nigeria’s power sector and take necessary steps to arrest the situation, ordering the reversal of the privatisation exercise in the power sector.

    “I also condemn the continued refusal by many DisCos to supply prepaid meters to electricity consumers, describing the use of estimated billing as daylight robbery of poor workers and citizens.”

    Read Also: NLC to Buhari: overhaul security architecture

    Ayuba re-affirmed the commitment of the Congress to picket the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for failing in its regulatory duty and the DisCos for refusing to obey Nigeria’s laws and court processes against estimated billings.

    The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEC) had called for a review and sanction of violators of electricity privatisation.

    Its President-General, Comrade Chris Okonkwo spoke in Enugu at its delegates conference.

    Okonkwo said the position of the association was that there should be a review of privatisation because they were given contracts, but they did not abide by their terms.

    He urged the Federal Government to review the document on power privatisation to see if it had been violated, sanction defaulters and reward those who had not.

  • Buhari to varsity administrators: be prudent in resources management

    President Muhammadu Buhari has urged university administrators across the country to ensure “frugality” in their management of resources.

    The President spoke at the  second convocation of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State.

    He noted that the frugal policy of his administration would prevent wastes and allow fruitful use of the meagre funds available for the institutions for their development.

    President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Onwuka, directed the release of the varsity’s take-off grant.

    Emphasising that his administration would not tolerate any form of corruption, he said: “I admonish university administrators across the country to imbibe our policy of frugality in order to avoid wastages and any form of corruption.

    “I, therefore, sound this warning that we will not condone corruption in whatever guise. The very scarce resources that are made available must be judiciously utilised to give value to the system.”

    Challenging FUPRE to be innovative and take the lead in technological revolution in Nigeria, the President said: “No doubt, energy is critical to nation-building and it is a major challenge to our nation at this time.

    “Nigeria has continued to be a net importer of refined petroleum products in addition to its poor levels of electricity generation. I task the university and other agencies to rise and surmount these daunting challenges through the establishment of modular refineries and sustainable power generation to take this country to the Next Level.”

    Praising the varsity’s management for the achievements it recorded in the past two years, despite the “paucity of funds,” Chancellor of the University and Emir of Zamfara, HRH Attahiru Ahmad, assured of his continuous support to ensure the training of high level manpower for the petroleum industry.

    The chancellor hailed the host monarch, Ovie of Uvwie, HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe I, and the Delta State government for their peaceful disposition and support for the institution.

    The Pro-chancellor, Prof Shehu Zuru, urged the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board and other stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to support the varsity.

    Emphasising that the council was committed to taking the institution to its Next Level, Zuru said a “deliberate funding policy” through the implementation of all sections of the University Establishment Act was “urgently” required to propel the needed growth and development of FUPRE.