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Tag: BUHARI

Cleric calls prayers for Buhari

Nigerians have been urged to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari’s success.

The Founder/General Overseer, Christ Apostolic Church Wonderful Way, Pastor Bola Omosanya , gave the advice in Lagos, during the church’s 16th anniversary thanksgiving and induction of some Deacons and Deaconesses penultimate week.

The cleric also advised Nigerians to shun tribalism, corruption, ethnicity and religious discrimination which have the tendency of affecting Nigeria’s growth.

“Nigerians,” he said, “irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political inclinations, should encourage and support President Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade which aims at cleansing Nigeria to be a better country to live in.”

The cleric further said for the promises of God to manifest in the country, Nigerians should assist the President with prayers for divine wisdom and knowledge.

He said: “Prayer remains the only spiritual weapon that will bring about the much-needed change Nigerians clamoured for. We all should call on God to take over and direct the affairs of the country. We should pray for the President to be imbued with divine wisdom to be able to formulate and implement good policies and programmes that would transform all the sectors of the economy.”

He appealed to President Buhari to ensure that Boko Haram is defeated, create employment for youths, eradicate corruption and make sure insecurity became a thing of the past. He also advised him to revitalise ailing industries in the country. Also speaking, the Superintendent of Argugu zone in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Pastor Sunday Akinlabi Omosanya, urged the leaders to always have the fear of God in all they do; noting that lack of fear of God caused Nigerian leaders to steal from the nation’s treasury with impunity.

He also appealed to religious bodies across the country to organise periodic special prayers for the success of the new administration.

Pastor Akinlabi advised the newly ordained deacons and deaconesses to work in unity and avoid anybody or any condition that could turn them to be obstacles to the progress of the church.

Describing them as servants of God, he said their roles are to work for the growth and progress of God’s work. He warned them to eschew persecution, greediness and backbiting.

October 21, 2015
Buhari flags off N600m Calabar-Katsina-Ala Highway

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday performed the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the 260km dual carriage road to link Calabar to Northern Nigeria.

Speaking at the event held at Obung Village, Netim Clam, Akampa local government area of Cross River State, Buhari expressed the commitment of the Federal Government to the speedy completion of the project, which is scheduled to be completed within the next four to five years.

The project, he said, is expected to open the doors of opportunity for the people of Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole.

He said: “When completed, this road, which starts from the seaport and terminates at the boundary between Cross River and Benue States will link the southern part of Nigeria to the North-Central, the North-East and ultimately Central Africa.

“This will undoubtedly expand the boundaries of our economy by providing countries such as Niger Republic and Chad access to the seaport.

He commended the state governor and his team for creating a new vista of business opportunities for Cross River and the rest of the country.

The 260km super highway, which is an evacuation corridor from a deep seaport in Bakassi, is expected to reduce travel time between Calabar and Katsina-Ala from about six hours to one hour and 30 minutes.

The super highway and the sea port projects are estimated to cost about N700 billion.

October 20, 2015
Buhari, Tambuwal, Wamakko meet over ministerial nominee

To resolve the controversy surrounding the nomination of Aisha Abubakar as minister from Sokoto State, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met the Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Waziri and his predecessor, Senator Aliyu Magatakrda Wamakko.

The Nation gathered that the outcome of the one hour meeting was fruitful.

“At the moment, all issues are being resolved‎,” a source told our correspondent.

October 20, 2015
Buhari expresses commitment to Ayade’s signature projects

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday expressed the commitment of the Federal Government to the signature projects of Cross River State governor, Prof Ben Ayade, which are the construction of a 260km superhighway and a new deep seaport.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the superhighway that will link Calabar to Northern Nigeria, in Obung Village, Akamkpa Local Government Area of the State, Buhari said the road will open a window of opportunity for the people of Cross River State and Nigeria as a whole, as well as reduce travel time.

His words, “That I am here in person underscores the importance the Federal Government attaches to this. It is indeed a significant milestone in the economic and policy of the governor.

“This is the first groundbreaking under my presidency. I commend Ayade and his team for their foresight in conceptualising this project.

“I want to assure you of the commitment of the Federal Government to ensure the completion of the project. I promise I will come back to commission it. I urge the governor to ensure work is done on it quickly.”

Ayade expressed gratitude to the President for his support.

He said, “You said you are for everyone and today you have proven this by your support for us. That is because given the circumstances of our nation and the politics, Cross River State would not have been worthy of being your first port of call. You have shown that you are truly a president.

“The ontological kinetics of the road started with the loss of oil wells, consequent on the loss of Bakassi. The state was reduced to want. It became imperative to reconstruct a new means of production and open a horizon to get teeming young men employed.

“The road will serve as an evacuation corridor for the new deep seaport. The seaport will have a draft of 14 metres and a key wall of 680 meters that will allow for all sizes of vessels to berth.”

The governor said some features of the road, which he described as digital, will include broadband internet connectivity, speed cameras and ambulatory services.

In attendance at the event were governors of Akwa Ibom and Imo States, Udom Emmanuel and Rochas Okorocha respectively.

October 20, 2015
Buhari, Service Chiefs meet on Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met with service chiefs in order to overcome weather and logistic challenges hampering the ongoing campaign against Boko Haram.

The government has declared its intentions to crush the sect before the year runs out.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Abayomi Olonisakin and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismaila, spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the closed-door meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The CDS said they briefed the President on the security situation on ground after a 60-day review.

He said: “It is a normal consultation to intimate him of the issues on ground. We briefed him on the security situation on ground after a 60-day review and we had to brief him on the challenges we have and ensure that the mandate we have is properly delivered.

“Of course, the challenges we are looking at include weather as it were and some other logistics that we feel we should have.

On the President’s response, he said: “He is very excited, very happy. As for our request, he gave the mandate.

Asked on any consideration for extension of the deadline, the CDS said: “We have not said that. The mandate is that we should clear Boko Haram from the occupied territories and ensure that we reclaim all the lost grounds. That is exactly what we are doing.”

October 19, 2015
Ayade: Cross River ready for Buhari

•Obong of Calabar excited

Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has restated the state’s readiness to host President Muhammed Buhari tomorrow for the inauguration of the construction work on its 260-kilometre six-lane super highway.

Ayade spoke during his inspection of ongoing preliminary work at the site of the groundbreaking ceremony.

He described the President’s planned visit to the state as “an epoch because it represents the fact that he will identify with any state that has a clear vision, irrespective of party line or political calculations as much as you do all that fits into his core values.”

The President’s visit is significant in more ways than one, he added.

“The President confirmed that he is not just coming, but to him it is a home-coming because he was one of the few generals that fought for the emancipation of Gakem, Bekwarra Local Government Area during the civil war and has traversed all that terrain. So, it is a terrain that he knows very well and he understands the value of our proposed projects and that is why he is personally committed to its actualisation,” he said.

Ayade added: “As he performs the groundbreaking for the 260 kilometre superhighway, we are challenged to ensure its completion so that he can commission it. It is a strong commitment he has given and I am sure Cross Riverians are anxiously waiting to receive him on Tuesday.

“Our President is long done with politics just as I have and he is now facing governance and that is why he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Obong of Calabar, His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, and other traditional rulers in the state, in separate interviews, expressed their delight at the President’s visit and promised to drum up support for the project, which they described as a catalyst to the socio-economic development of the state.

The Obong, who could not hide his excitement at the visit and the effort so far put in place by the governor, said: “I am equally happy that our state governor has started showing signs of dynamism and as somebody who has the interest of the people at heart because he has started very well. He is using his contact well because we will support this idea to ensure that it comes to fruition.”

Chairman, Traditional Rulers Council and Paramount Ruler of Bakassi, where the deep seaport is to be sited, HRH Etiyin Etim Okon Edet, said: “The super highway and the Deep Seaport project in Bakassi shows clearly that this government is poised to change the story of his people.

“We have been abandoned for so many years. The Deep Seaport which is domiciled in Bakassi will signal to the whole world that the neglected people of Bakassi now have a saviour and messiah in the person of the governor of Cross River State. We take his government as our government because our people believe that he will be the one to take us out of the woods.”

October 19, 2015
Buhari not to blame for Nigeria’s woes, says Yari

•Governor: NGF faring better under President

Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s (NGF) Chairman and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari has emphasised that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be blamed for the nation’s economic woes.

The governor, who spoke with reporters in Abuja at the weekend, noted that what Nigeria was going through was a reflection of the global economy, which adversely affected international crude oil prices.

He added that despite the drop in oil prices, Buhari had done well in managing the economy in the last five months.

The NGF’s chairman said only Nigerians, who were aggrieved by ministerial nominations and other appointments, could be unhappy with Buhari.

“They should understand how Buhari emerged as President and the situation he met on ground on the issue of the economy, which is a global issue,” he pleaded.

Yari noted that the present global economic recession was tougher than that of 2008, stressing that China, Brazil, Argentina and other developed economies were experiencing drop in their Gross Domestic Products (GDPs).

“The only countries that are doing well are America and India. So, there is significant drop in GDP globally, except America and India. So, it is not about Buhari,” he added.

The NGF chairman noted that before, the country was selling oil at “$102/$110” with $38 as production cost and $70 remaining for sharing as revenue.

He added that today, “we are selling at $46 and the Joint Venture partners are still taking $38 as their cost of production, thereby leaving us with less than $20”.

“So, how are we going to survive?” he queried.

“But we are still moving and thinking of how we are going to show that Nigeria has piloted change. So, the people of northern Nigeria or the entire Nigeria should look at this scenario because those in the global business know what the situation is and there is no magic. So, therefore, I believe the President is doing well and he started very well,” Yari said.

The economy, he said, would experience a significant improvement as all the leakages were being blocked through the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“So, we are trying to manage with the little that is coming to us for the betterment of Nigerians,” he added.

Stressing that Buhari came on board with an agenda, he said Nigerians should give him time and chance to work.

Yari said: “Definitely, he will deliver the campaign promises and at the same time the issue of security, energy, productivity and discipline in the service. What he has achieved within the five months is remarkable.

“I have no idea that they are not happy because, if anyone can say that, it should not be the North alone; it should be all Nigerians.

“And I am surprised anyone will say he or she is not happy. But maybe they are not happy because he did not consult them in the selection of who his ministers will be. But in general terms, he has done well.”

He maintained that the NGF, which was crisis-ridden before his tenure, was now faring well under his leadership.

His words: “Glory be to the Almighty, who gave me the opportunity to be a chairman by the support of my colleagues. Now, we are having one forum and it is a rallying-point to all governors and a rallying-point to the Federal Government.”

October 19, 2015
Banire to ministers-designate: key into Buhari’s programme

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Legal Adviser Muiz Banire, SAN, has urged ministers-designate to buy into the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He believes that after taking the oath of office, they would hit the ground running because of Nigerians’ high expectations.

Banire spoke at a reception held in his honour for attaining the SAN rank by Muslim groups in the country.

The senior advocate, however, urged Nigerians to give President Buhari more time to restore sanity and establish efficient institutions, saying it was by so doing that people can benefit from the system.

He described the election of Buhari as the best option for the country given its present circumstances.

Dr Banire said the attainment of the SAN’s will spur him to do more in contributing his quota to quick dispensation of justice in the country.

The former Lagos commissioner for the Environment thanked the organisations for the honour, promising to assist the less privileged.

Speaking the organisers, Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso, a former Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) chief, said the reception was to appreciate Banire’s exemplary leadership traits for others to emulate him.

He enjoined Banire to champion more of the fundamental rights of the people as enshrined in the constitution.

Lagos State Deputy Governor Idiat Adebule, described Banire as a disciplinarian and a great political leader.

According to her, Dr Banire has always contributed his quota to the development of Lagos and national polity.

“I thank Allah for him for not only having a doctorate degree in law but also attaining the position of SAN. For us, it is an opportunity to honour him and celebrate what Allah has done for him,” she said.

October 19, 2015
Buhari, Tinubu have same character, says SGF Lawal

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, an Engineer, yesterday described President Muhammadu Buhari and a national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as selfless and generous leaders whose commitment to the good of all is legendary.

The duo, Lawal said at a thanksgiving service at ECWA Church, Wuse, Abuja on his recent appointment, share a passion for serving humanity.

The SGF who is a long standing friend of the President said he has learned the value of loyalty and the virtues of integrity and love from Buhari.

He also said that the president could be extremely emotional, especially if he finds people suffering.

He said the country is in safe hands under the leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari, adding: “The country is in safe hands and we will try our best to deliver the change the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised Nigerians, we have no time to waste in ensuring this.” he said.

He also said that the ministerial nominees would do well to advance the course of the nation and the people once they assume office.

He said Tinubu is selfless and generous to a fault.

“Tinubu made an impression on me, he is generous, he will give you what you require and even more.”

Tinubu speaking through Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State at the occasion threw his weight behind President Buhari on his appointment of Engineer Lawal as SGF.

He hailed Lawal’s choice as a step in the right direction and was optimistic that the SGF would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the office.

Tinubu extolled Lawal’s qualities, saying that while some of his contemporaries have succumbed to the temptation of illicit wealth and the abuse of power and privilege, he (Lawal) has remained faithful to the course of the nation.

“If you are looking for a man who is diligent in his work with a keen eye for details and correct process, there is none better than Babachir Lawal,” Tinubu said.

He added: “He knows this nation and understands its complexities, from the intricacies of our federal bureaucracy to the diversity of our social fabric to the, multiple dimensions of our political dynamics.

“He is a man well-tailored to fit his position in today’s Nigeria where we find ourselves in a situation not meant for the faint hearted. A situation that requires grit, guts and wisdom. These attributes, Lawal has in abundance”.

Tinubu said that despite the qualities the SGF possesses, he has remained humble, a trait he said is rare in the nation’s political climate.

“He is humble and does not need to see his name in the spotlight. As long as the job is done correctly, he is happy. He does not seek credit even when duly deserved. This humility and self-contentment is not a common thing, especially in the arena of politics and government”.

He expressed confidence that Lawal will ensure that operations of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will be conducted smoothly and professionally.

“He will do his utmost to do the best for all of Nigeria. He plays no favorites and is not one to operate under the veil of bias or discrimination. This big often gruff man also has a big heart and that heart is dedicated to good of our beloved land.”

In his remarks, the APC National Chairman, Mr. John Odigie-Oyegun, called the SGF a man of impeccable character, humble to a fault and “brutally frank and ferocious in defending whatever he believes in.”

October 18, 2015
Boko Haram: Buhari gives condition for negotiation

Says there must be proof that Chibok girls are alive

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said he was willing to negotiate with the Boko Haram, if the group can provide him with enough proof that the kidnapped Chibok school girls are alive and well.

Buhari, who made the pledge while speaking to Al Jazeera English’s Mehdi Hasan in a wide-ranging and exclusive interview, also vowed to defeat Boko Haram by December.

“They (Boko Haram) have to prove to us that they (Chibok grils) are alive; they are well; and then we can negotiate with them,” President Buhari said.

He added: “We said it and we meant it. If we are satisfied that the girls are alive, we shall negotiate with them.”

When asked whether he would offer them money or release their members who are being detained in return for the girls, Buhari did not rule out either option, saying: “Well, it depends on the negotiation with the leadership of Boko Haram.”

The president insisted that the Nigerian military would defeat Boko Haram by the end of 2015.

“As soon as the rainy season comes, which is by the end of the year, Boko Haram will virtually be out of their main stronghold and that will be the end of it. Attacks by Boko Haram on townships and military installations will certainly stop,” he said.

The president also said he had not seen the Amnesty International report from June 2015, entitled ‘Nigeria: Stars on their shoulders: Blood on their hands’, in which the human-rights group documented alleged abuses, torture and unlawful killings by the Nigerian armed forces and urged the government to prosecute a group of officers and senior commanders.

“I haven’t received that report personally,” Buhari said. “If I get those documents, I assure you that I will take action as Commander-in-Chief.”

He denied the rumours that he supports the total implementation of the Sharia in the country, saying: “I cannot change it. I haven’t been voted by a majority of Nigerians to change the Nigerian constitution.”

It will be recalled that more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram from a government-run boarding secondary school in the town of Chibok, a largely Christian populated remote town in Borno State, North-East Nigeria, on April 14, 2014.

While some of them managed to escape, more than 200 still remain with the terrorists.

October 17, 2015