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Tag: BUHARI

  • Buhari to attend Olubadan’s funeral

    Buhari to attend Olubadan’s funeral

    President Muhammadu Buhari will attend the forthcoming funeral of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana Odungade.

    Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimola, disclosed this to State House correspondents after meeting President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

    He also declared that claim by the Otun Seriki of Ibadan, Chief Adebayo Oyediji , to be  the next Olubadan of Ibadanland was an exercise in futility.

    He said: “My mission here basically is to see Mr. President and intimate him of the recent transition of the Olubadan who passed away a couple of days ago.

    “We had to wait for the traditional message from the palace before we could convey this to the President. I am glad that I have been able to convey it. You may even ask why conveying such to the President, at least he was just an Olubadan?

    “If you know, the Olubadan is not an ordinary King. Apart from the fact that he worked for the Federal Government, he was once a Minister of Labour under Alhaji Tafawa Balewa‘s government when he was prime minister, he worked as a parliamentarian and a minister.

    “He was part of the delegation to Britain for the Nigerian Conference, therefore, he was a national figure, hence he was honoured with a CFR. He contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria, so he stood out as a king.

    “I am glad to say that having seen the President, he has assured me that he would be attending the burial ceremony.”

     

     

  • Buhari can’t rebuild collapsing economy overnight, says Oyegun

    Buhari can’t rebuild collapsing economy overnight, says Oyegun

    •’Ikeazor is APC’s candidate for Anambra Central poll’
    •’We’re prepared for possible contingency in Kogi’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said yesterday that the suffering by Nigerians as a result of the economic hardship in the country is not the making of the party.

    Addressing a news conference at the party secretariat in Abuja, he said the Buhari government inherited a collapsed economy, stressing that the corruption investigation is affecting members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) more because they stayed longer in government and mismanaged the economy for 16 years.

    Oyegun said it is not possible to rebuild a collapsed structure overnight without first clearing the debris.

    He noted that while the Buhari administration could feel the hardship Nigerians were passing through, there is not going to be a quick fix for the economy.

    He said: “Our party, the APC, is aware of the hardship that the misgovernment of the last 16 years plunged this country. We are aware of the hard times, the tough times that Nigerians at the margin are going through. Apart from the party, I must also say that it is one of the main concerns of Mr. President.

    “He is fully conscious and aware of the tough times that people are going through. I want to assure the people through you that everything is being done to stabilise the economy and to ameliorate the deprivation that the people are going through.

    “The Buhari administration inherited a prostrate economy. Not just that, nobody envisaged that there will be a near total collapse of the price of crude and when you juxtapose that with our consumption habit – when we tend to import virtually everything from toothpick to choice champagne, which puts pressure on the foreign exchange stock of the nation and as a result, put up a lot of issues that are being dealt with today by the President’s team.

    He said the citizens consumed heavily in the past because oil was sold at over $100 a barrel, stressing that situation had changed.

    Oyegun urged Nigerians to adjust to the new reality.

    “The President inherited a collapsed economy. The economy was in a state of collapse. You cannot just start rebuilding a collapsed nation without clearing the debris and what we are doing today is to clear the debris. People talk about war against corruption and imply that nothing is going on. The reality is that at the same time the work of planning for the reconstruction of the Nigerian economy is rapidly in progress and I want to assure you that there will be plenty of good news in the next few months.

    “But there is no quick fix, there is no automatic solution. But the projects are being concluded and things will start rolling in another few months. Mr. President himself will, as time goes on, brief the nation on what to expect in the next few months.

    “I have read few comments from well-meaning people. Let me say this clearly. If we want to clean out this country, if we want to save this country, we must be serious about it and wherever the train goes, there we will also go. There is no two ways about it.

    “All these attempts to divert attention from the reality will just not succeed.”

    The APC national chairman told those joining the party to take up leadership position to wait for their turn as there have been people waiting on the queue before their arrival.

    Oyegun noted that they must first prove their loyalty to the party before being given any leadership role.

    He dismissed insinuations that those joining APC were doing so to hijack the party’s machinery, saying: “There is freedom of association, which is guaranteed in the constitution so, if they want to join us, they are free. I think that the essential fabric of the APC is strong enough to withstand any attempt to undermine it from within.”

    He added that the party had settled the issue of who represents it in the forthcoming senatorial election in Anambra State.

    Oyegun said: “Anambra has ceased to be an issue. The party, after due process of constitutional requirements, went through the process, which threw up Sharon Ikeazor as the candidate of the party in that senatorial election and that is an issue that has since been decided.”

    “All I can say about Kogi is that as a party, we have prepared for every possible contingency and so, whatever happens in the next few hours, we are ready. There is no doubt about that. But I don’t want to go into the details about what is likely to happen. That is still between INEC and our legal authority.”

    On the funding of the party, Oyegun said the party was not drawing funds from the Buhari administration as there was no budgetary provision for funding political parties.

  • Why we have conflicts, by Buhari

    Why we have conflicts, by Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has listed poverty, injustice and lack of jobs as being responsible for inter-communal and intra-communal conflicts in the country.

    He spoke while receiving a delegation from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, an organisation active in the promotion of peace.

    Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said to achieve peace, greater effort must be made to eradicate poverty and injustice.

    He described ethnic and religious conflicts in parts of the country as outward manifestations of underlying joblessness, injustice and poverty.

    On conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, the President said a plan to map out grazing areas would be presented to the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) as a temporary solution to the conflicts until cattle owners are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing their cattle.

    Buhari hailed the centre for the relative peace in Plateau State as well as their activity in Southern Kaduna.

    He agreed with the centre that dialogue was preferable to the use of law and order mechanisms to resolve conflicts.

    The centre’s Executive Director, David Harland, told the President that following their success in facilitating the settlement of the inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts in Plateau State, the group had moved to Kaduna State.

    He hoped that the techniques used in bringing peace to Plateau State could soon be deployed to deal with the Boko Haram insurgency and other conflicts.

  • Poverty, unemployment cause conflicts – Buhari

    Poverty, unemployment cause conflicts – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said poverty, injustice and lack of job opportunities were mainly responsible for inter-communal and intra-communal conflicts in Nigeria.

    He made the remark while receiving a delegation from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, an organization that is very active in the promotion of peace in Nigeria

    President Buhari, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said to achieve enduring peace in the country, greater effort must be made to eradicate poverty and injustice.

    He described ethnic and religious conflicts in parts of the country as outward manifestations of underlying problems of joblessness, injustice and poverty.

    On conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, President Buhari said a plan to map out grazing areas will soon be presented to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum as a temporary solution to frequent conflicts until cattle owners are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing their cattle.

    The President commended the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue for the relative peace that had returned to Plateau State and their ongoing activity in Southern Kaduna.

    The Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, David Harland, told President Buhari  that following their success in facilitating the  settlement of the inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts in Plateau State, the group had moved to Kaduna State.

    He expressed hope that the techniques used in bringing peace to Plateau State will soon be deployed to deal with the Boko Haram insurgency and other conflicts in Nigeria.

     

  • Setting the right course with Buhari’s Budget 2016

    Setting the right course with Buhari’s Budget 2016

    Africa’s largest economy and its most populous nation – Nigeria – is feeling the full brunt of a falling oil price. The value of the commodity has fallen by  more than 65 per cent since mid-2014 from $112 per barrel to less than $39. Such a decline is a significant negative shock for a country that typically derives two-thirds of its government revenues from oil. AMADU SY, the Director, Africa Growth Initiative and a Senior Fellow, Global Economy & Development, Africa Growth Initiative writes on how Nigeria will react to the shock.

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2016 Budget proposal charts the course for Nigeria in the next three years to not only manage the current external economic turbulence but also set the stage for strong, sustainable, and inclusive growth in the medium-term.

    What are the key objectives of the 2016 budget?

    By ramping up infrastructure spending, reducing existing inefficiencies public expenditures, raising non-oil revenues, and fighting corruption, Buhari’s 2016 Budget seeks to stimulate economic growth, increase competitiveness, and improve human development. There is a clear objective to diversifying the economy and using the expected economic gains to increase the welfare of Nigerians, including by reducing youth unemployment and extreme poverty. (For a great visual breakdown of the budget, see here).

     

    How does the government plan to meet them?

    Spending on infrastructure and human development to stimulate the economy: The government intends to increase capital expenditure as a share of total budget to more than 30 per cent from 15 per cent. Infrastructure spending is expected to revive economic growth and help create jobs in a number of sectors such as agriculture and mining. The government intends to also spend resources in education, health, and security to foster human development. Tax rates for smaller businesses will be lowered, and priority sectors such as agriculture and solid minerals will be subsidised. On the education front, unemployed graduate teachers will be recruited, trained, and deployed in public schools. In partnership with state and local government areas, financial training and loans will be provided to market women, traders, and artisans through their cooperative societies. In partnership with development partners, conditional cash transfer programs are envisioned for the poorest and most vulnerable segments of the population.

    A lean and cost-effective government:  Spending more is not the only way to have an impact, and the budget rightly emphasizes the need for a “lean and cost-effective government” by targeting efficiency losses, associated with the current budget and public expenditure framework. It will enforce the Fiscal Responsibility Act requirement for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to present their budgets in advance and remit their operation surpluses. In a departure from the previous budgeting approach under which only incremental expenditures have to be justified, a zero-based budgeting approach will also be implemented. The new Efficiency Unit will seek to reduce inefficiencies in spending, and the government will keep a close eye on personnel and pension costs, including through a new continuous audit process and the extension of the integrated personnel payroll information system.

    Raising non-oil revenues: The government hopes to increase non-oil tax revenues by 20 per cent in 2016 by expanding tax collection. Beyond improving domestic revenue mobilisation, the hope is that the expansionary fiscal stance will help generate growth in the non-oil economy, which then can be taxed. Although the government will not increase the value-added tax rate—one of the lowest in the world—it plans to free up resources by removing fuel subsidies, a politically courageous initiative.

    Fighting corruption: Buhari has clearly indicated his resolve to fight corruption and has replaced the heads of revenue generating agencies, including at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He also plans to recover misappropriated funds to help supplement fiscal revenues. The budget also plans for the implementation of a Treasury Single Account (TSA) to increase transparency in and improve the remittance of collections of revenues.

     

    What are the risks to achieving the objectives?

    The new budget is consistent with the  “new normal” in international oil markets and assumes a lower benchmark oil price of $38 per barrel down from $58 in the 2005 budget (together with reduced production).

    As all planned expenditures (N6.08 trillion, or about $34.5 billion using the official exchange rate) will not be covered by expected revenues (N3.86 trillion), the budget forecasts a federal fiscal deficit of N2.22 trillion in 2016. This is equivalent to 2.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is twice the 2015 figure of 1.1 per  cent. This begs the question of how the deficit will be financed. The budget plans for a blend of new domestic (N984 billion) and international (N900 billion) borrowing totaling N1.84 trillion, which would be complemented by the recovery of misappropriated funds.

    Some budget assumptions can be questioned: Will the government be able to raise non-oil revenues (corporate tax, VAT, customs and excise duties, and federation account levies) to the level of N1.45 trillion or 38 per cent of total revenue? Will it be able to raise an additional N1.51 trillion by enforcing the Fiscal Responsibility Act? Slippages on the revenue side will translate to a larger than expected budget deficit and higher financing needs.

    One issue that would be worth clarifying is the impact of a naira depreciation on the budget. Today, the exchange rate in the parallel market is at least N264 per dollar, indicating some overvaluation of the official rate (34 per cent using the difference between the two rates but of course there are other ways to assess an overvaluation, which I will not go into here). At N197 per dollar, the current official exchange rate that is assumed in the budget reflects the government’s use of administrative measures to stem the depreciation of the naira. My sense is that this reflects Buhari’s concerns of the impact of higher inflation on the population. The price of imported goods such as food imports would go up if the naira depreciates. Difficulties in obtaining United States (U.S.) dollars are increasing the cost of doing business and have led to Nigeria’s removal from two benchmark bond indices (JP Morgan and Barclays).

    The budget recognises the impact of the dollar shortage on the Nigerian economy. Buhari stressed that he is aware of the problems traders, business operators, manufacturers, airline operators and the financial services sector are facing. But, is not clear what the proposed solution for the Central Bank iof Nigeria (CBN) to “fine-tune its foreign exchange management to introduce some flexibility and encourage additional inflow of foreign currency” entails.

    Given the current level of foreign exchange reserves ($29.5 billion in mid-December) and the shrinking dollar export revenues coupled with the likely increase in imports associated with the stimulus, it is not clear how long the CBN can resist market forces and continue to rely on foreign exchange management.

    It would be wise to revisit the budget in a scenario that includes a naira depreciation. On the one hand, a depreciation would increase naira-denominated oil export revenues (the pass-through should be close to one). On the other hand, debt servicing costs would increase.  But given the fact that about two-thirds of total revenues are derived from oil exports, the resulting fiscal deficit may be lower than the one in the 2016 Budget. A depreciation may also help revive or increase foreign investment. Uncertainty about the future path of the naira is leading investors to adopt a wait-and-see attitude and postpone their investment decisions.

     

    How about the impact on food and other prices?

    Well, if the current parallel market exchange rate is extensively used by economic agents, prices may already have adjusted. The government can find ways to compensate the poorest segments using some of the increase in oil revenues associated with a depreciation. However, segments of the private sector that rely heavily on imports would face higher costs from a depreciation (although the pass through may be less than one). I guess my point is that it would be useful to get a clearer picture of the impact of a depreciation on the budget figures, including the likely impact on the overall economy. This would help ensure the consistency of exchange rate, fiscal, and monetary policies.

    Overall, however, it is difficult to disagree with Buhari’s roadmap. The 2016 Budget provides a useful template for African countries. This is the leadership that we expect from the country.

  • Dasukigate: Why Buhari must be on alert

    SIR: Since our return to civil rule in 1999, if there is one thing successive governments agree on as a barrier to our journey to development as a nation, it is corruption. Indeed no nation grappling with Nigeria’s kind of blatant corruption can experience any meaningful development.

    Ever since the story of $2.1b misapplied defence funds broke, many Nigerians are still alarmed at the height of wickedness in high places. Was it up to two years that Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State told the world that the Nigerian army was ill-equipped to fight Boko Haram insurgents? Shettima attracted knocks, sticks, stones and invectives mainly from political chauvinists who viewed the issue from the prism of sentiments. Today, the Borno governor has been vindicated by the stench emanating from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA).

    Curiously, former President Goodluck Jonathan either looked away or slept when the funds meant to secure Nigeria and Nigerians were funneled into his campaign to secure second term in office, even when he swore that his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

    One indisputable reason Dasuki played “Donatus” with the $2.1b defence fund is the fact that the former NSA and his cronies see the victory of the PDP in the 2015 elections as more important than the millions of IDPs in the Northeast. To them, Yobe can convulse. The entire Borno can burn; a PDP victory is all that matters. After all, the party’s chieftain, Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, attempted to justify the diversion of defence funds for partisan purpose in an interview with Punch newspaper lately. Hear him: “If one wants to contest for an election, will the person not have money to spend? Won’t money be shared? Whatever is happening is normal.’’

    Ogunlewe is not too far from the truth for what is normal here is actually weird in sane climes. That is why heads would have rolled through the guillotine in countries where there is punishment for stealing.

    Beyond excoriating Dasuki and all the beneficiaries of the blood money he gave, the diversion of defence funds for partisan purposes should provoke a national debate about how parties in this part of the world are funded. How, for instance, has the PDP been funding its Presidential elections after 1999? How have governors of all the ruling parties -PDP, APC, APGA, etc. at the state level been funding their campaigns?

    The only reason Dasuki is in the eye of the storm is because his party was displaced at the centre. We probably may never have the faintest idea of the blood money shared by Dasuki and the gang if PDP’s dream of ruling for 60 years had not been cut short. But the buck stopped on Jonathan’s table.

    It is apposite to state that corruption did not die with the PDP on May 29, 2015. Corrupt elements are also in the ruling party. Now that the call for Jonathan to speak up on the corruption that happened under his watch is gaining traction, the lesson President Buhari can glean from the Dasuki episode is that one day, it will also be his turn to take responsibility for all that happened under his watch. This is why Buhari must be on the alert.

    • Ladesope Ladelokun,

    Lagos.

  • ‘Why Nigerians should support Buhari’

    ‘Why Nigerians should support Buhari’

    Controversial politician Senator Buruji Kashamu represents Ogun East District at the National Assembly. He is the Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration. He spoke with reporters in Lagos on the anti-graft battle and reforms embarked upon by the anti-corruption campaign of the Federal Government. EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.

    What is your view on the  state of the nation?

    A new government just came on board and it is barely eight months old. So, it might be too early to rightly assess it. But, given that it is generally said that the morning makes the day, the concern and disapproval that are being expressed over some activities of the government are understandable. But, we also do know that history is replete with those who had a wobbly start and ended well, and vice versa.  For instance, we had the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD) who were elected governors of Lagos and Ogun states respectively. Despite the challenges they had at the beginning of their administrations, they did so well in their first tenure so much that the masses began to call for their re-election which they got.

    Nigeria as a member of the global community is challenged by a number of socio-political issues that are largely influenced by happenings internally and externally. Some of these happenings are sudden glitches that are wildly beyond the control of the government.  In my recent contribution on the state of the nation, I underscored the fact that governance is a collaboration between the leadership and the led. It requires the unreserved resourcefulness of the leaders and the led for the desired results to be achieved.

    What is your view on the anti-corruption crusade?

    We should be patient with the government and perform our civic responsibilities as patriotic citizens. For instance, I endorse the ongoing anti-corruption campaign. It is one effort that must be supported by all and sundry irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliations. My support for the ongoing anti-corruption campaign is neither meant to rubbish anyone, curry favour from any quarters nor join the ruling party. My support for the anti-graft campaign is borne out of my genuine desire to stand up for what is right, just and equitable in order for the masses to weigh whatever I say and be able to take informed decisions rather than being brainwashed.  For, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

    Naturally, the current anti-corruption campaign would affect a lot of those who played active roles in the immediate past administration, especially at the federal level. Therefore, it is only normal for the government of the day to first clear the Augean stable before settling down for the onerous task of governance. In the course of doing that, if anybody’s name is found in the books, the anti-graft agencies have a duty to do their job.  But, such a job must be done, according to the Rule of Law. It is only the court that can say whether someone is guilty or not. Indeed, it is an aberration for a creation of the law to violate the law.

    Yet, if the truth must be told, within the short time that this anti-corruption campaign began, there are positive results to show that the government is on track. The President rode to office on account of his integrity and goodwill. No matter what anybody says, his integrity is intact. He is a focused President whose body language is making treasury looters shiver and return their loot to the government’s coffers. Put simply, his anti-corruption record is infallible. In view of the dwindling oil revenue, we need all the money we can get to fix our infrastructure and develop our economy.

    What is your position on the oil sector reforms?

    With the current situation in the oil sector as it relates to oil subsidy, I am of the firm belief that the long term benefits of its removal outweigh the difficulties. Over N1 trillion is paid annually as subsidy, whereas the masses who should benefit from the policy do not really get it because the subsidy regime has been a drain pipe through which some brief-case millionaires have been ripping off the government and people of Nigeria.

    How can Nigeria overcome erratic power supply?

    The choice before us as citizens is either to give the government the benefit of the doubt by accepting to pay a little more for electricity supply in the hope that things will improve or remain where we are without any hope of improvement. I make bold to say that with the benefit of hindsight and our experience in the telecommunication sector, the first option is better. With time, market forces would force the operators to adjust as it was in the telecoms sector when the cost of SIM card and the method of billing changed for the good of the masses and the economy.

    How can Nigeria win the anti-terror war?

    Terrorism is a global phenomenon. It requires the concerted efforts of all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria. Let us not localise or politicise it. Perhaps we should be reminded that we now have the cooperation and support of our neighbouring countries. We might have forgotten that hitherto Cameroun, Chad, Niger and other neighbouring countries refused to support the immediate past government in the fight against Boko Haram.  We are now witnesses to how the uncooperative disposition of these countries has given way to a more aggressive onslaught against Boko Haram – all thanks to the untiring efforts of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He has provided the much-needed leadership and inspiration to the men and officers of the nation’s security agencies.

    On the Chibok girls, as a parent, I empathise with the parents of the abducted girls and pray that they are found. However, we must be thankful to the Almighty Allah for victories won so far. Our territorial sovereignty remains intact. While the agitation for the Chibok girls remains legitimate, we must see the proverbial cup as half full instead of half empty. The Chibok girls are symbolic of efforts to rescue every Nigerian held captive in socio-economical shackles. We have recorded appreciable victories against the insurgents. Many women, girls and children have been rescued, restored and reunited with their families. The other day I saw over 200 of such girls already rescued on the internet. Although most of them had been put in the family way, they can still be rehabilitated and made to live normal life yet again. All these have shown that our security situation has improved tremendously. In a nutshell, we must celebrate the successes recorded so far while we support the government in the continued search for the girls.

     

  • Buhari’s honour, my proudest moment, says Durodola

    Buhari’s honour, my proudest moment, says Durodola

    World Boxing Council Silver cruiserweight champion, Olanrewaju Durodola was honoured by President Mohammadu Buhari last Thursday with N1.5 million cash reward for his success in the ring. He was also promoted to the  rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP) by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase.

    Durodola got his due recognition at a function held in the State House for distinguished  sportsmen that were honored by President Buhari and Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung at The Presidential Sports Reception.

    Durodola said: “I was very surprised when my coach, Femi Babafemi told me I was to going to be honoured by the president in Abuja. I am very happy and this is my proudest moment so far. I am also very pleased that boxing has started to gain recognition from the government.”

    ”It is a good time to be recognised by the president ahead of a possible world title fight against Grigory Drozd later in the year and it gives me an incentive to go on and achieve even more in my career in the future.”

    The 35-year-old also expressed his surprise at being promoted by the IGP and thanked the police force for supporting him throughout his professional career.

    “I was also not expecting  another promotion from the Inspector-General. I would like to extend my appreciation to the I-G and the entire police force. Without support from the police, I do not know how my career would have panned out.

    “When my amateur career was over, I was employed by the police force and it was through their boxing platform I was able to fight Jamal Woods in Bartle Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, USA for my debut in 2011.”

    Durodola, nicknamed God’s Power, made his professional debut in 2011 and also holds the WBC Continental Americas cruiserweight , World Boxing Council-African Boxing Union (WBC-ABU) cruiserweight title and  is currently ranked second in the WBC world rankings with a professional record of 22 wins (20 K0s) and two losses

    Durodola made light work in his recent title fight, defeating crowd favourite Dmitry Kudryashov with a second round TKO in Kazan, Russia to win the vacant WBC Silver cruiserweight title.

  • Low ranking of varsities worries Buhari

    Low ranking of varsities worries Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday declared  the current low ranking of  Nigerian  universities as unacceptable.

    Reviewing the situation at the 19th- 22nd convocations of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Buhari said: “It is worrisome that no Nigerian university is quoted among the top 100 universities in the world.”

    Represented by Prof. Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), the president said: “We rank below a thousand. If we do not aspire to be among the world class universities, we cannot boast of robust system capable of making the country among the top economies of the world.

    “We have abundance of talents who excel elsewhere but appear incapacitated at home. This is unacceptable.

    ”Whatever makes our abundant talents fail at home and excel abroad must be identified and neutralised for our benefits and that of our future generation.”

    He described incessant strikes by teachers as “major bottlenecks to progress of the country’s university system,” and pointed out that the repercussions of strike usually retard the smooth running of academic activities with heavy negative consequences.

    Buhari asked state governments to support and encourage universities located in their states as they are responsible for harnessing local talents and promotion of local innovations

    Buhari said: “The seemingly challenges especially in tertiary institutions should be seen as a teething problem that will gradually vanish as the policy takes roots.

    ”MDAs should, therefore, exhibit patience and understanding, bearing in mind that Nigerians shall surely reap from the fruits of the policy,’’ he said.

    The Ewi of Ado Ekiti and Chancellor of the institution, Oba Rufus Aladesanmi, urged the graduating students to explore ways of self employment and contribute to the technological and economic development of the country.

    He said only a negligible number of those applying for admission into the universities are usually admitted and called on stakeholders to urgently find both short and long term solutions to the problem.

    8,127 students graduated yesterday.

    Among them, according to Prof. Saminu Ibrahim, the Vice-Chancellor, were 845 diploma holders and 5,577 first degree holders.

    The rest were 1,620 Post-Graduate Diploma and Masters Holders and 85 PhDs.

     

    Of the 5,577 first degree graduates, 32 obtained first class, 1,203 Second Class (Upper Division) 2,702 Second Class (Lower Division), 1,481 Third Class and136 Pass.

  • ‘Support Buhari with prayers’

    The General Overseer, Stand on His Promises Evangelical Mission Lagos, Rev Caleb Babatope, has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to enable him take the nation to higher level.

    The cleric spoke during the unveiling of this year’s revelations.

     He said the current administration will only achieve its missions only if all hands were on deck.

     He said better days were coming only if all Nigerians, and that irrespective of their status, they should contribute their quota to effect changes in the country.

    The cleric appealed to Nigeria’s political stalwarts and public office holders to have same focus with President Muhammadu Buhari as he is trying to bring country out of the sinking boat.

     This, he said, could only be attained if all could shun corruption and politics of bloodshed.

    Rev Babatope urged the leaders to have passion for love according to the God’s commandment.

    He appealed to them to always remember to assist the less-privileged and also embark on skills empowerment programmes that would benefit the masses.

    He urged youths to stop looking for instant and undeserved breakthroughs, miracles and prosperity.

    The cleric appealed to religious leaders to stop inviting youths to morning or afternoon programmes when they should be on the field striving for livelihood, stating manna does not fall from heaven and no man can bribe God.