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Tag: BUHARI

  • Buhari lists transparency, inclusiveness as policy thrust in next four years

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday gave an insight into what will shape his administration in next dispensation.

    He told Nigerians that his government will pursue inclusive and transparent policies to guarantee security and economic safety of all.

    The President, who received a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by Mr. Chris Isiguzo at the State House, said: “As I look to the next four years, I will remain committed to a safe and secure nation; creating an inclusive and diversified economy; and a governance system that is free of corrupt practices.   In all these areas, we will remain transparent in implementing our policies.’’

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the President told the visiting NUJ leadership to rally their members in devising a means to control the spread of false information.

    According to him, those who “create alternative reality’’ on social media are steadily eroding the credibility of journalism.

    The statement reads: “Your profession today is undergoing a fundamental shift. For better or worse, the digital space is now becoming the major outlet for ‘news’. This space is difficult to regulate and police. In many instances, the participants in this medium are not trained or professional journalists.

    “The stories they present are neither factual nor true. However, through the digital platform, they are able to reach millions and create an alternate reality in their minds. I am sure you will all agree that the biggest threat to the sustainability and credibility of your profession is the uncontrolled and unregulated news platforms operating in the cyber space.’’

    The President noted that some misleading information in the social media were created and posted by people who lived outside the country.

    ”Many of the perpetrators of these acts do not even live within our shores. However, they have been able to damage the reputation of hard working Nigerian journalists while at the same time promoting conflict and divisions within our society,’’ the statement added.

    President Buhari commended journalists for the effective coverage of the 2019 elections, pointing out that many, out of patriotism, went beyond their call of duty and took risks to ensure full and balanced reporting of the election, assuring the NUJ that security agencies will do their best to protect reporters, especially in hostile environments.

    Isiguzo congratulated the President on winning the 2019 Presidential Elections, attributing the victory to his integrity and commitment to the development of the nation.

    The NUJ leader said the union was concerned by the growing number of media casualties in Nigeria, and across the continent, in carrying out their duties, urging Federal and State governments to take effective measures in protecting journalists.

    He said: “Sir, we also wish to encourage your administration to evolve better ways of impacting positively on the lives of Nigerians who feel marginalised from the mainstream of Nigeria’s social, economic and political activities.”

    In a chat with State House reporters, Isiguzo said: “Basically, we have come to congratulate the president on his re-election as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and of course, to also make it clear to him that to whom so much is given, much more is also expected from him.

    “He’s gone through the first-four years; by May 29, he will be through with that and he’s been given yet another mandate to lead Nigeria for another four years and we also made it clear to him that some of the major challenges that we have had in the past four years, this is an opportunity for him to correct them especially when it comes to the area of inclusiveness, carrying everybody along.”

     

  • Buhari mourns Etsu Patigi, District Head of Kafur

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the family, government and people of Kwara State on the passing of the Etsu Patigi, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar.

    The President, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, hailed the monarch’s commitment to the peace, stability and growth of his domain and the state.

    He urged for his worthy legacy to be sustained.

    Buhari has also commiserated with the family, the government and people of Katsina State on the transition of the District Head of Kafur, Alhaji Rabe Abubakar, Dan Galadiman Katsina.

    Read also: Toward a progressive governance outcome

    The President described the late traditional ruler as a deeply religious, peaceful and kind-hearted man, who was committed to the welfare and progress of the people in his domain.

    Buhari prayed that God Almighty would comfort the bereaved families, friends and associates of the departed royal fathers and grant them peace.

  • Census: Buhari to decide on date, says NPC boss 

    The Acting Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Alh. Hassan Bashir on Thursday said the commission is pushing hard to get the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari to conduct the next population census.

    Briefing newsmen on the commencement of the fieldwork for the continuation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise which precedes any population census, Bashir said: “we are waiting for the confirmation and proclamation from President Muhammadu Buhari before we know the date for the next census.

    “Until there is a proper planning, the nation will not be able to plan effectively. We are proud to say that Mr. President is doing very well in the provision of infrastructure. We are convinced that he will continue to provide infrastructure for the commission.”

    Census, the NPS boss said will serve as a guide in identifying human elements that can be exploited for development process and formation of people responsive welfare Programme.

    He maintained that the EAD was the bedrock of the census and formed the basis for the planning and execution of the census project.

    He explained that the EAD exercise involve the division of the country into small geographical areas to facilitate enumeration and scientifically verify doubts and contentions.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country and its outcome will not in any way determine the population of any community, local government or state,” he said.

    He emphasized the need for the training the trainers exercise saying, “The quality of the personnel for the EAD has great impact on the outcome.”

    Bashir said the commission was not leaving any stone unturned in order to ensure that the EAD was carried out meticulously, professionally and scientifically.

    NPC is still maintaining that to conduct the proposed population census, over N220 billion will be required due to logistics.

    It would be recalled that the former NPC boss told newsmen about two years back that about N220 billion will be needed to conduct the next census.

    About N22.5 billion according to findings will also be needed to carry out the demarcation of 112 EAD across the country.

    The EAD started on Thursday, March 21, according to Bashir and ends on April 13, 2019 across 23 states of the federation.

    Bashir went further that: “It is in recognition of this fact that the Commission has adopted a meticulous and gradual approach to the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise. After each phase, a stock taking is done, the quality of job executed, as well as, the personnel involved in the fieldwork are reviewed. The Commission has so far demarcated 112 Local Government Areas in all the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory under the previous Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercises.

    “The Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) will be commencing today and will take place in one LGA in 18 States out of the 23 selected States of the Federation. The mairggjcgtateseharaely, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Adamawa and Taraba are, due to 3663mm, stepped down till Saturday  30lh March, 2019.”

    On the budgetary provision for the proposed census, the NPC Director General, Dr. Ghaji Bello told newsmen that: “I agree with you that there is no provision for the Census in the 2019 budget. Normally, it is done within a wide service vote, which is directly under the presidency. When proclamation is made by President Muhammadu Buhar, we are hopeful, having put the elections behind us, we are of the view and we are pushing very hard that Mr. President will graciously look at the commission favorably so that we can have the next census because without the census there will be no planning.”

     

     

  • Buhari, corruption and next to ‘next level’

    On March 2019, the Financial Times of London, in an editorial, opined that Nigeria under President Buhari is performing far lesser than its potential.

    The UK based newspaper urged the Buhari administration to make amends in his second term, else he risks “going down in history as a general who should have stayed in His barracks”.

    What can be more desperate or is corruption fighting back? The paper accused the President of “Lack of perceived economic clear-cut policy directions”.

    This is a loud protest, accompanied with economic undertones, coming from decades-long beneficiaries of Nigeria’s stolen commonwealth, who have weaponised their frustrations to attack and discredit an elected foreign government in a bid to create relevance for their in-country accomplices.

    No doubt, the sustained fight on corruption by Buhari’s administration has shaken and frayed the very fabric of these syndicates that could only use foreign illicit funds to finance their economy, robbing the country of its economic potential.

    This can be adduced to a report on March 4 by the Guardian Newspaper London in an editorial, where the paper berates the UK government for withdrawing a bill presented by the Foreign affairs select committee that called on the Minister to demonstrate “political leadership in ending the flow of dirty money into the UK”. The paper went ahead and concluded that the action of the UK government “reveals that it still prefers a global regime underpinned not by strong but weak international regulations”.

    Clearly, it is why the Sasquatches, the King Kongs and the Ghouls dwell and  glut with no conscience.

    Over the last three years since the ERGP and fast forward to the “Next Level”, the people of this country downshifted, hard as it is, to keep pace with the transition, as the macroeconomic indices of the nation steadily gets reconfigured, emerging from negative to positive and now heading to double-digits and springing up businesses that lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty and onto economic growth.

    The economic policy directions the FT accused this government of lacking is the very effective fiscal policy tool used to suffocate the illicit activities of their paymasters and retained the money to work for our economy.

    With appropriate mix of fiscal instruments, the FG has achieved efficient distributive objective in a manner that is consistent with fiscal sustainability in progressive spending on conditional cash transfers for social safety nets, building infrastructures, improving security and financing Agriculture.

    It would not be less of a truth for The Financial Times to wake up to, more so make clear to their paymasters, that Nigeria is set on an irreversible processes of transformative economic reconfiguration. The rail lines for movement of essential goods from one end to the other, the cash transfers, power, in-kind benefits and cutting less progressive spending etc.

    The President’s team has set a policy that changed the gear-select, the cruise mode and turned the policy direction of the  country’s commonwealth to operate within its rightful time zone. The policy is a complete representation of the International Monetary Fund’s policy on fiscal consolidation for income redistribution in developing economies.

    The International Monetary Fund has long recognized the nexus between income distribution and fiscal policy. In the late 1980s there was growing recognition and discussion of the potential effects of macroeconomic and structural adjustment programmes  on poverty and inequality.

    These discussions highlighted the importance of social safety nets to protect the poor and safeguard their access to essential public  services such as primary education and healthcare. The Fund also expanded its analytical work in  this area, drawing on contributions from leading academics.

    The growing attention of the Fund to the impact of fiscal policy on the poor was also reflected in the creation of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (later PRGT), which emphasised  the importance of  pro-poor government  budgets. More recently, the work on fiscal policy and equity was revived and subsequently broadened to cover jobs and growth.

  • Buhari mourns Etsu Patigi, District Head of Kafur

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the family, government and people of Kwara State on the passing of the Etsu Patigi, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar.

    The President, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, commended the monarch’s commitment to the peace, stability and development of not only his domain, but also the entire state.

    He urged for his worthy legacy to be sustained.

    President Buhari has also commiserated with the family, the government and people of Katsina State on the transition of the District Head of Kafur, Alhaji Rabe Abubakar, Dan Galadiman Katsina.

    The President described the late traditional ruler as a deeply religious, peaceful and kind-hearted man who was committed to the welfare and progress of the people in his domain.

    President Buhari prayed that God Almighty would comfort the bereaved families, friends and associates of the departed royal fathers and grant peace to their souls.

  • My second term ’ll be guided by inclusiveness, Buhari assures

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja assured his administration will in the next four years pursue inclusive and transparent policies that will guarantee security and economic safety of every citizen.

    The President, who received a delegation of the Nigerian Union of Journalists led by Mr. Chris Isiguzo at the State House, said: “As I look to the next four years, I will remain committed to a safe and secure nation; creating an inclusive and diversified economy; and a governance system that is free of corrupt practices.

    “In all these areas, we will remain transparent in implementing our policies.’’

    President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, urged members of the NUJ to support the government in devising a means to control the spread of false information.

    He warned that those who “create alternative reality’’ on social media are steadily eroding the credibility of journalism.

    “Your profession today is undergoing a fundamental shift. For better or worse, the digital space is now becoming the major outlet for ‘news’.

    “This space is difficult to regulate and police. In many instances, the participants in this medium are not trained or professional journalists.

    “The stories they present are neither factual nor true. However, through the digital platform, they are able to reach millions and create an alternate reality in their minds.

    Read Also: Buhari declines assent to five bills

     

    “I am sure you will all agree that the biggest threat to the sustainability and credibility of your profession is the uncontrolled and unregulated news platforms operating in the cyber space,’’ he said.

    The President noted that some misleading information in the social media were created and posted by people who lived outside the country.

    “Many of the perpetrators of these acts do not even live within our shores. However, they have been able to damage the reputation of hardworking Nigerian journalists while at the same time promoting conflict and divisions within our society,’’ he added.

    He commended journalists for effective coverage of the 2019 elections, pointing that many, out of patriotism, went beyond their call of duty and took risks to ensure full and balanced reporting of the election, assuring the NUJ that security agencies will do their best to protect journalists, especially in hostile environments.

    Isiguzo congratulated the President for his re-election, attributing it to his integrity and commitment to the development of the nation.

     

     

  • Buhari’s trust in God gave him victory, says ex-NYSC DG

    Ex-director general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Col Peter Obasa (retired) Thursday attributed President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the recently concluded election to his reliance on God and his belief in his mission.

    The retired army officer added that “no doubts, he has won God’s favour. He battled through the turbulent period of the early years of his presidency, a period during which most Nigerians wrote him off.”

    Col Obasa made a passionate appeal to President Buhari to pay his gratuity and pension, 35 years after he was compulsorily retired by the military.

    The 81-year old retired military spoke with reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

    The former NYSC boss, who served between 1979 and 1984, said that he had received no letter of dismissal from the Army to have informed nonpayment of his entitlement.

    “I make my appeal to Mr. President, in the name of Almighty God, in the names of all that are holy, in the names of all that are good, true, and are just, to give me justice of the type that will attract the approval of God”, he said.

    The octogenarian, who presented a book, titled, House of Exile, during the press conference, chronicled his experiences in 1984, his prison accounts, the nation’s democracy, and judiciary.

    “The Federal Republic of Nigeria official gazette, No 56 of November 6, 1986, under Ministry of Defence, Nigerian Army officers, voluntary/compulsory and dismissal page 1340 declares that I was compulsorily retired from the army. Under that condition, I should be entitled to my gratuity and pension. The Army has denied me both.

    “They claim that I was dismissed. If that was the case, a letter to that effect would have been served on me, and the army would have withdrawn my officer’s sword, ceremonial dress, mess jacket and service suit. I received no letter, and am still in possession of the items mentioned above.

    “Like President Buhari, I am favoured by God. I fought through the tumultuous and terrifying period of my trial and more than seven years in incarceration, and I am here by the special grace of God to ask for true justice. The world wrote me off, some claiming that I would not exit the jail house. How wrong they are. God Almighty fights for the innocent”, he said.

    Retired Colonel Obasa described his trial by the Supreme Military Council (SMC), headed by General Muhammadu Buhari, as illegalities of 1984, saying that the SMC promulgated decrees that had retroactive effect.

    He said: “The laws were backdated by three years. This is immoral and illegal. The God of creation made laws which he handed over to Moses. Those laws became effective from the time they were read to the Israelites.

    “The SMC took over the roles of the executive, legislative and judiciary, the accuser, the prosecutor and the judge. This is illegal. The Nigerian Bar Association condemned this and prohibited its members from appearing before the tribunals to defend accused persons.

    “The process of trial was gravely flawed. Trials were in secret. The public was denied access to the tribunals and it was only when judgements were passed that the world became informed of the verdict.

    “All statements from suspects were extracted under duress. This is illegal

    “Accused persons were compelled long before trial began to sign away the contents of their accounts under duress by the same characters that came to testify at the tribunal that the accused willingly signed away everything. This is illegal.

    “Falsified documents (as exhibits) were brought into the tribunal by the Special Investigation Panel. This too is illegal.

    “Accused people were incarcerated in solitary confinement, denied access to their family and prevented from reaching anything that would enhance their defence. This is illegal.

    “They made it impossible for accused persons to explain clearly how they came about what they had. Everything went under the label of “kickback”. This is illegal.

    “False witnesses were press-ganged to testify against accused persons. This is illegal.

    “From the beginning to the end in my case, the truth was undermined and justice was perverted. This too is illegal”.

  • Atiku, PDP hallucinating over 1.6m votes claim, says Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on Thursday faulted the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, who claimed that he defeated President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with about 1.6 million votes.

    According to him, it was mere hallucination.

    Obaseki spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Asked to respond to Atiku Abubakar’s claim that he won the elections with about 1.6 millions, Obaseki simply said, “You heard the word, they are hallucinating”

    According to him, he was at the State House to congratulate President Buhari and also to discuss some developmental issues that have to do with the South-South and South East being the only APC governor in the area.

    He said, “I came to congratulate the President on his victory in the pools. If you understand the Nigerian politics, I am the only APC governor in the South South and South East. So, it means I must keep a very close relationship with my President.”

    Read Also: APC hits Atiku, PDP over electoral victory claim

    On what he discussed with him, he said, “It is just issues pertaining to the region, economic development of the region, security and how to make progress in the next four years.

    He said that his discussion with the President had nothing to do with politics.

    “Well, I didn’t come to discuss politics. INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) will determine what it needs to do, and as a compliant party we will accept the decisions of INEC.”

    He also said that his party has nothing to worry about in the Saturday’s supplementary election in Rivers State as it has no candidates in the election.

    On what his administration was doing to curb insecurity in Northern part of Edo State where some police officers including a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), he said that those involved in the act had been rounded up.

    He said “Security in that part of the state has been a concern to us and fortunately the Police stepped up investigation of the killings in Afuze Police Station last week and I am happy to report that the culprits have been found.

    “They are hoodlums who wanted to release one of their colleagues in the police cell. They did it in such a gruesome manner by killing four police officers including the DPO who Watson duty at that time.

    “They have been arrested and they have made useful confession. We are still investigating to see how this activity is related to such similar activities that we witnessed in that part of the state over the past one year.”

  • Presidency spanks PDP for threatening to stop Buhari

    Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are threatening to stop with a court’s order President Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration until the determination of the petition challenging the President’s victory in the February 23 election.

    The Presidency has dismissed the threat as “unserious” and dared the PDP to launch its legal battle.

    The main opposition party was reacting yesterday to the plethora of court cases filed against the announcement of results of the March 9 governorship and state Assembly elections in Bauchi and Rivers states by candidates of the President’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Governor Mohammed Abubakar (APC) of Bauchi State has obtained an ex parte order at the Federal High Court stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from concluding the governorship election.

    A similar court case was filed by the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers State, Mr Awara Biokpomabo, seeking an order of the court to stop INEC from releasing the results of the governorship election in the state.

    But the PDP, which believes that its candidate, Governor Nyesom Wike, won the election, alleged that the case filed by the AAC and its candidate was instigated by the APC.

    The PDP has filed a petition with the National judicial Council (NJC) against Justice Ekwo Inyang who granted the Bauchi governor the order, inciting a violation of the Constitution and Section 87(10) of the Electoral Act.

    The said provision of the Electoral Act prescribes that no court has the power or jurisdiction to stop any election pending the determination of a suit.

    The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who decried the action of the petitioners, expressed concerns over hiccups in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The party, at an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday, complained about the inability of INEC to conclude the elections in record time.

    The PDP chieftains were particularly miffed that almost two weeks after, INEC could not conclude the governorship and state assembly elections that were held on March 9.

    Winners of the governorship elections are yet to be declared in seven states where the polls were “inconclusive”. The states are: Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Bauchi states. The concluding part of the elections are billed to hold in the states on Saturday.

    The governorship election in Rivers state has become a subject of legal rigmarole by interested parties following the suspension of the announcement of the results.

    Also of grave concern to the main opposition party is what it called the militarisation of the elections in many states in the Southsouth.

    Secondus who presided over the meeting, called on the military not to allow themselves be called out again for what he described as illegal duties.

    He enjoined the military and other security agencies to resist any attempt to be dragged into paying manipulative roles in Saturday’s supplementary elections.

    According to him, “inconclusive” is a rigging strategy introduced by the INEC to aide the APC and its candidates.

    He expressed optimism that PDP candidates will emerge victorious in the upcoming supplementary elections in five of the six states that the election will take place.

    Secondus said that posterity will hold the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, responsible for the consequences of all his actions.

    He said: “The way they are going about getting court injunctions stop elections that have already been held, if we also go to court to stop inauguration of elected officers, it will disrupt the democratic process.

    “If INEC has to give people the opportunity to go to court, we too can go to court and stop the swearing in ceremony, be it the President or other (APC) governors”.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said the result of the presidential and state elections reflected the strength and character of the PDP and urged members to build on the foundation.

    Saraki said the victory of the APC in the presidential and state elections will be short lived, adding: “We have a great future ahead and I believe we will start that on Saturday to make sure that we defend those five states that are declared inconclusive.

    “If anybody believes that it is a loss to PDP, it is a loss to the country that history will not forgive. We said it many times here, that the worst to do is to do an election that our country, Nigeria will not be proud of.

    “We have done an election that no doubt anybody and even those that think they have won are ashamed of the kind of election that we did.

    “I think it is a shame to the country and to those that were given that responsibility to do. They have Saturday as their last opportunity to try as much as possible to reclaim part of their embarrassment to the country.”

    “How can a country like Nigeria have this type of election? Ghana has done it, Congo and Zimbabwe have done elections. And we say we do elections, with seven inconclusive. We did elections in 2015, we did it in 2011 and 1999 and after so many years, this is what we can produce.

    “It is not a loss to the PDP; it is to the country. It just showed the level of desperation. I have confidence that this will be shortlived and, as such, let us ensure on Saturday that these fives states that are ours remain within the PDP and INEC should, for once, do what is right,” Saraki said.

    Also speaking at the meeting, House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara said: “Elections are done all over the world, elections are conducted in Africa and at no time have we heard of this inconclusive elections in other jurisdictions. Ghana elections were held not long ago.

    “It will be very unfortunate if INEC, which is led by a first class Professor, set this very dangerous and unacceptable precedent in our political history. That I want them to take note of.

    “And also what has happened is pure evil; our consolation as members of this party is that evil does not last and no evil doer has ever escaped punishment.

    “If they do what others have done before, they will see what those who did evil saw. Definitely they cannot escape from it. It’s a law of nature and in the scriptures of God, that whatever you sow so you shall reap.

    “This is also for those who believe in power for the sake of power, not because they want to empower people, not because they want to better the lives of our people.

    “There is also lessons they can learn from history. History is now replete with examples of all those who pursued power for the sake of power. Their lives have always ended in tragedy that awaits anyone who seeks power for the sake of power. We have seen that display in Nigeria.

    “For us as members of this party, I don’t want us to despair, even though we have inconclusive elections in some states. In five of those states, PDP clearly won the election in those states.”

    The PDP vice presidential candidate in the February 23 election, Mr Peter Obi, said besides blaming the INEC and the security agencies, the biggest shame goes to those who are directing them to do the wrong thing.

    Obi said: “If you choose to be a leader, especially with APC that claims integrity, the biggest corruption and the biggest show of a government that does not believe in integrity is to rig election. Because the process through which you come into office, is far more fundamental than what you do there after.

    “I think we should hold them responsible for what is happening in this country now. The examples we are setting for the young ones, I don’t know what they will tell a young man who is cheating in an examination in this country after seeing the ways our elections are conducted.

    “I don’t know what they will tell those who are robbing banks and kidnapping people, because we have seen the biggest of it by this election where people are happy after robbing the nation and their states.

    “The chairman said we will do a post mortem after the election. I thank the party, because it is the party that is going to court, not just the presidential candidate going to court to challenge this rascality.

    “I, as a person, have always believed that the biggest enemy of freedom or progress are happy slaves. And thank God that this party has chosen this path, and we will all stand by it.”

    The Presidency said the threat by the opposition party to block May 29 was not suprising.

    It said: “From the day they lost the presidential elections by a margin of four million votes, the biggest margin of defeat by anyone in the Fourth Republic, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has embarked on a plan to erode the credibility of the internationally acclaimed election and erode the authority of this country’s elected government under President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Read also: Presidency spanks PDP for threatening to stop Buhari

    “So much has been said and written about their so-called Dubai Plan or blueprint, designed to win at all cost or paralyse the elected government.

    “The opposition party is doing everything to backslide Nigeria’s democracy and this country’s judiciary, bureaucracy and civil society should not allow them to do so.

    “The PDP has no right to give sermons about democracy, given their dismal and shameful track record during their 16-year tenure.

    Also reacting, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidential Campaign  Council, Festus Keyamo (SAN), dared the opposition party to go ahead with its plan.

    He said: We challenge them to go to court. Buhari is the sitting president. He will continue in office till when they want him to be sworn-in. Let them go to court. We shall meet there.”

  • Buhari declines assent to five bills

    President Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to five bills passed by the National Assembly.

    They are the Nigeria Film Commission Bill 2018; Climate Change Bill 2018; Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2018; Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioners of Nigeria Bill 2018; and Digital Rights and Freedom Bill 2018.

    President Buhari said he relied on Section 58 (4) of the Constitution (as amended) to convey to the Senate his decision on March 5, 2019, declining Presidential assent to the Nigeria Film Commission Bill 2018.

    The memo read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said the President declined assent because Section 1(3) (d) & (e) conflicts with Section 2 (a) (i), (ii) and (c) of the National Film and Video Censors Board Act, which confers functions in relation to film exhibition on the National Film and Video Censors Board.

    The memo also said Section 7 (1) (k), which states that one per cent of proceeds for television licence from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) shall be paid into a fund to be controlled by the National Film Commission was in conflict with Section 16 (1) of the National Broadcasting Commission Act, which stipulates the purpose for which expenditure generated by NBC may be used.

    It said Section 7 (2) (d), which proposes to divert five per cent of VAT on all film-related activity to the National Film Development Fund violated Section 40 of the Value Added Tax Act and the sharing formula prescribed therein, because it diverts funds normally distributed to the states to a single federal institution.

    Reasons for the refusal of assent to the other four bills were also given.