The Nation Newspaper

Tag: BUHARI

  • Boko Haram to dominate Buhari, Obama’s July meeting in US

    Boko Haram to dominate Buhari, Obama’s July meeting in US

    The issue of insecurity to dominate discussion when President Muhammadu Buhari visit the United states next month.

    Buhari is expected to be a guest to his United States (US) counterpart, Barack Obama on July 20th, 2015.

    The visit is at the instance of US government.

    According to a press release issued by the US embassy in Abuja, the meeting would seek to advance a holistic, regional approach to combating Boko Haram.

    Also to be discussed is Nigeria’s efforts to advance far reaching economic and political reforms that will help unlock its full potential as a regional and global leader.

    The visit, the statement further stated, will underscore US longstanding friendship with Nigeria.

    He said: “The visit will underscore the United States’ longstanding friendship with Nigeria, our commitment to strengthening and expanding our partnership with Nigeria’s new government, and our support for the Nigerian people following their historic democratic elections and peaceful transfer of power.

    “President Obama looks forward to discussing with President Buhari our many shared priorities including U.S.-Nigeria cooperation to advance a holistic, regional approach to combating Boko Haram, as well as Nigeria’s efforts to advance important economic and political reforms that will help unlock its full potential as a regional and global leader.

    “In addition to hosting President Buhari at the White House, the United States will welcome President Buhari’s senior advisors for consultations with U.S. counterparts and other events aimed at building on the strong U.S.-Nigeria relationship.”

  • How Buhari can recover stolen billions, by UK envoy

    How Buhari can recover stolen billions, by UK envoy

    British High Commissioner to Nigeria Sir Andrew Pocock has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to break up the system that produced corruption and pick areas of interest “one after the other” to recover stolen funds.

    Buhari, during his meeting with the 36 state governors on Tuesday, vowed to recover the country’s stolen funds.

    The state governors have been experiencing crises following their inability to pay workers’ salaries in their respective states.

    Pocock said rather than addressing corruption as a whole, the President should, for instance, look into the military’s budget in terms of procurement or funds diverted from the Federation Account.

    The ambassador, who spoke on a live programme on Channels TV, said the Nigerian military has a yearly budgetary allocation of about $5 billion, which, according to him, was sufficient to equip the armed forces.

    He said: “Part of the issue is to trace and return stolen monies; but that is only a tip of the iceberg. The real question is to break up the system routines, organisations and individuals that contribute to the leeching of Nigerian public money overseas. More important is to assault the mentality of seeing public money as a free gold.”

    The envoy, who stated that he was not advising the President, added that Buhari might succeed, if he fights corruption across board.

    “The way to do it is to pick areas of primary focus and zero in on that. So, if you are looking at military reform, it might be to look at procurement. If it is to look at the oil sector, it might be revenue diversion; money that never reaches the federation account never mind oil theft. So, to breakup corruption cocoon into project sizes, you can focus on a particular difficulty,” he said.

    He added that the Swiss government had been reactive in returning some of the stolen money by former Military Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha.

    According to Pocock, the present administration should complement its moves with actions to showcase that impunity was no longer a norm in the country.

    On British intervention on insurgency, the ambassador assured of his country’s readiness to partner in the fight.

    He said the British government was ready to train Nigerian Army battalion and brigades in Maiduguri.

  • TETfund urges Buhari not to sign its bill

    TETfund urges Buhari not to sign its bill

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is urging President Muhammadu Buhari not to sign the bill on the organisation as it is fraught with many flaws.

    The bill titled “Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Establishment etc) Act (Amendment) 2015” was among the 46 bills passed by the 7th National Assembly in 10 minutes before it wound down on June 3, 2015.

    Championing the cause to stop Buhari from signing the bill into law is the Executive Secretary of TETfund, Prof Suleiman Bogoro.

    Bogoro who spoke in Port Harcourt during the opening ceremony of the 30th Conference of Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) said that if signed into law, the bill would kill the agency and Nigerian universities.

    Bogoro said that he heard of the passage of the bill in the news like every other person and he was surprised because the lawmakers who passed the bill claimed that about three years ago they had invited TETFund, the unions and other stakeholders to a public hearing after a second reading of the bill. He said that the lawmakers also claimed that it was stakeholders who suggested that the Nigerian law school be included as beneficiaries to the TETFund.

    The Executive Secretary said that when he heard that, he asked: “why Nigerian Law School alone, we have other professional institutions and regulatory agencies, why Nigerian law school alone?”

    While pointing out that his position is without bias, Bogoro stated that “the last paragraph of the Act was unbelievable – though he did not state what it said.

    “The Act sought to redefine what the university ought to be and the final part of that definition is what you cannot believe.”

    For this reason, Bogoro called on the vice chancellors of Nigerian universities to join him in advocating “that Mr President should not sign that bill because it will kill TETFund and the university.”

    Declaring the conference open, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike announced plans by his administration to overhaul the education system in the state through effective Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development.

    Wike who described the theme of the conference which is: “The Role of ICT in University Administration and Curriculum Delivery” as apt and timely also acknowledged that ICT is one way to guarantee efficiency and transparency in the nation’s educational system.

    He challenged universities to exploit the potentials of the “info tech” to enable them check administrative hitches, stressing that ICT remains germane if most of the universities are going to survive in the present world.

    In his opening remarks, the Chairman of AVCNU and Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, thanked the governor for attending the conference and urged him to support the body to achieve its set objective.

    Ajienka also lamented the numerous challenges vice-chancellors are faced with ranging from funding to poor conditions of service, but expressed hope that the governor would use his experience as former Minister of Education to address the problems of the nation’s universities.

    In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Prof Barineme Fakae while thanking the governor for gracing the occasion, said the university’s transformation was achieved through a robust ICT programme.

  • Buhari gets down to business

    Buhari gets down to business

    A month after his inauguration, President Muhammadu Buhari has put his hand to the plough. He is reinvigorating the anti-terror war. The President has also vowed to recover looted funds. Nigerians expect quick action in other sectors.Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN reports.

    President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians that he will hit the ground running immediately he assumes office. Besides the steps he has taken towards tackling Boko Haram insurgency through regional and global support and the restoration of the country’s integrity in the international community, critics believe he has not done much in the past four weeks.

    But, on Tuesday, the President swung into action. He sent signals to corrupt public officials that there was no hiding place. He vowed to recover stolen funds and prosecute culprits. President Buhari said the days of theft and graft were over.

    But, the President has been criticised for the slow pace of work in other areas. He is yet to appoint ministers, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Chief of Staff and Special Advisers that will assist him in policy implementation. Social crusader Tunji Adedigba said there is no sign that the new administration has taken charge as expected. He was particularly concerned that the burning issues in the oil sector have not been addressed. Admitting that the task ahead of the government is monumental, he said the Nigerians are impatient because what they are looking for is real change.

    He said: “If we are to assess Buhari on the first few days of his administration, I’m afraid not much has been achieved.” Nevertheless, Adedigba said the predicament of the Buhari-led government is understandable, “because they got the transition report very late and there was no platform to work on.” He added: “I think the Jonathan administration deliberately put this obstacle to slow down the take-off of the Buhari government. But, even at that some people argued that the government should have formulated economic policies that would form the thrust of his administration to attract local and foreign investors.”

    Similarly, human rights activist and social critic, Femi Aborishade, is not impressed with the performance of the new government. He said: “I will say that I am disappointed in several ways. By now, the expectation is that one would have started feeling the impact of change the President promised Nigerians.

    “The only good thing he has demonstrated is his commitment to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency. Nobody can take that away from him. Nobody doubts that he means business and is set to flush the terrorists out of the country. But, in other areas, I expected much more. In the first place, I expected him to have tackled the fuel crisis. The crisis started before he came on board and Nigerians were hoping that once he assumes office, he would tackle the fuel crisis headlong. Unfortunately, the President has not done anything about the crisis. He has not even said a word about it. It is as if to say we don’t have a government in place yet on the fuel issue.”

    But, other observers disagree. They argue that Buhari is moving at the right pace and that reversing the tide in a country like Nigeria at a critical time like this demands care and diligence. Former governor of the old Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife asked Nigerians not to use the few days in government so far to assess Buhari’s performance.

    He said: “It is not too late to appoint ministers. Buhari needs time to structure his administration. For instance, he wants to prune down the number of ministries, plan to appoint only 19 ministers which I think is a right decision given the state of the economy.

    “I think God loves Nigeria and that is why Buhari was elected President. Nigerians should have positive minds because the President needs positive attitude of people to succeed. I am confident that Buhari will do his best to develop Nigeria, given his integrity, pedigree and track record. If he fails, we would have failed as a people. This is why we must all ensure that we support him to deliver on his campaign promises. The President needs the support of every Nigerian to succeed.”

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu explained why Buhari has not hit the ground running. He said: “President Buhari did say he would hit the ground running, but he has not been given the chance to hit the ground running because the administration that he succeeded — the Jonathan administration — did not deliver the handover notes until two or three days to the inauguration; meaning that the handover notes were submitted at a time when everyone had been consumed by inauguration activities.

    “Unfortunately there was no time to look at them until after the President had been inaugurated. The President was left in the dark. He had to understand what the situation was and what was on ground. That was why he set up a different transition committee. It was only last week that the committee led by Dr. Ahmed Joda scrutinised the handover notes and handed over the report to President Buhari.

    “To be fair to him, he would have hit the ground running, if the previous government had handed over the notes early. However, the Jonathan government did not even permit any minister to interact in any way with the Buhari Transition Committee. Evidently, we had our hands tied behind our backs until we took over. Thus, there is nothing shady about it.”

    Shehu explained that the ministerial appointments had yet to be made because the committee needed to conclude its findings first. The committees 800-page report was presented to President Buhari only last Friday.

    A political analyst, Chidi Okoye, advised President Buhari on what he should do to sustain the confidence of the people who voted him into office. He said Buhari should pick areas of concentration. “The All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto was excellent for securing votes, but it is time for it to be cast aside. It is highly doubtful that the country’s present economic situation would allow the President carry out all the promises contained in that document.”

    Okoye said: “Focusing on a core area or two (say fighting corruption and fixing power) for the next four years will enable the President achieve appreciable results. According to him, in the long run, Nigerians will begin to experience the real change. He noted that the system will fight back, “but that is the more reason why any committed reformer needs to concentrate on specific battles and win them. One battle at a time weakens the system. All we need to do is get leaders ready to keep fighting these battles until we have won enough for the system to collapse. Only then can we build a new system that consists of things working as they are supposed to.

    “President Buhari has made several promises to Nigerians and it is the duty of every true patriot to help him succeed. One gets the impression that Mr. President is overwhelmed with the level of decay that confronts him and the shackles of politicking that has been thrown around him. To free himself and get down to the work, Buhari needs to assert himself as a political leader and Head of State. If truly he desires to fix a few things, he would have to jettison political correctness and trample on many toes to push through his reforms. For example, his alleged disinterest in his party’s shenanigans in choosing principal officers of the National Assembly would have to be reversed.”

    To a public affairs analyst, Ezenwa Nzegwu, Nigerians are a people in a hurry for development; we expect things to start working very quickly, not minding the circumstance the new government found itself. He said the main reason why people are complaining about Buhari’s pace is because he has not made key appointments like Secretary to the Federal Government, ministers and Special Advisers, despite the approval granted him by the Seventh Senate to appoint 15 Special Advisers.

    Nzegwu agreed that if certain key appointments have not been made after three weeks of inauguration, nothing will happen. “It is important to make appointments now that the National Assembly has been inaugurated, so that the business of governance will start full blast,” he said. The public affairs analysts said Nigerians are not in the mood to tolerate excuses. “They want action; they want to feel change as promised by the President during the campaign,“ he added.

    He advised the ruling party to put its house in order. “The love lost relationship between the executive and the leadership of the National Assembly is not good for the party; it is not good for governance and it will not benefit the Nigerian people. The four- year tenure of Buhari has started reading. The performance of the APC government will determine its success at poll in 2019. You can’t voice excuses for too long. If the APC is able to deal with its internal crisis, the party will make a difference.

    But, the SSA insisted that the President has so far shown determination to fulfil his electoral promises to Nigerians. He contended that the administration is just coming on board and the President has been busy setting out suitable modalities on how to actualise his plan of restoring Nigeria as contained in the manifesto of the APC.

    Shehu cited the invitation of President Buhari to attend the G-7 summit in Germany recently as a sign that the international community is obviously acknowledging Nigeria’s significant role in global affairs’ especially with the recent change in government. He said the President would do all within his power to guarantee that the Nigerians would not regret entrusting him with national responsibility by electing him during the March 28 presidential poll.

    National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Muhammed is contended with the Buhari’s performance within few days he assumed office. According to him, the Buhari administration has invigorated the fight against Boko Haram by rallying a regional and global front against the terror group. A proof to this claim is the pledge of $5 million made by the United States to the fight against Boko Haram, in addition to other material support. This is apart from the G-7 promise to strengthen Nigeria’s efforts to quell the insurgency. The APC spokesman also mentioned that Buhari has been able to restore Nigeria’s integrity and that many countries were beginning to respect Nigeria again.

    Ezeife advised Buhari to overhaul the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said the body should be made up of people of high integrity, uncompromised individuals that have what it takes to fight corruption in the public and private sectors.

    “Buhari should ride rough shod over obstacles in his way in his anti-corruption crusade. If you are doing the right thing people will support you. I am sure given his age and his antecedent he will deal with corruption decisively and instil discipline in our public life. If he succeeds in his anti-corruption war, he will become a hero.”

  • How Buhari can recover stolen billions – UK Ambassador

    How Buhari can recover stolen billions – UK Ambassador

    Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to fight corruption, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Andrew Pocock has said the President should break up the entire system and pick areas of interest, one after the other to recover stolen funds from the Federal Government coffer.

    Pocock said rather than addressing corruption as a whole, the President could look into the military’s budget in terms of procurement or monies diverted from the Federation Account.

    The Ambassador, speaking during a live programme on ChannelsTv disclosed that the Nigerian Military, for instance have annual budgetary allocation of about $5 billion, which according to him is sufficient to equip the military.

    Buhari on Tuesday vowed to recover stolen billions from the nation’s treasury during his meeting with the 36 state governors.

    The state goernors have been experiencing cash crises following their inability to pay workers’ arrears in their respective states.

    Pocock said; “Part of the issue is to trace and return stolen monies but that is only a tip of the iceberg. The real question is to break up the system routines, organisations and individuals that contribute to the leeching of Nigerian public money overseas. More important is to assault the mentality of seeing public money as a free gold.”

    The envoy who stated that he was not in any way giving advice to the President disclosed that Buhari might succeed if he fights corruption across board.

    “The way to do it is to pick areas of primary focus and zero in on that. So if you are looking at military reform, it might be to look at procurement. If it is to look at the oil sector, it might be revenue diversion, money that never reaches the federation account never mind oil theft. So to breakup corruption cocoon   into project sizes, you can focus on a particular difficulty,” he said.

    He added that the Swiss government had been reactive in returning some of the stolen monies by former Military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

    According to Pocock, the present administration should complement its moves with actions to showcase that impunity is no longer a norm in the country.

    Speaking on British intervention on insurgency, the ambassador disclosed his country’s readiness to partner in the fight.

    He said the British government was ready to train the Nigerian Army battalion and brigades in Maiduguri.

    “What we need more is access. Nigerian army should allow us to talk to the very senior people. Allow us access to the troops; provide us with the tools that are required, communications, and uniforms. The troops are there but not as well equipped as they might have been. That can be rectified. Nigeria has a military budget of 5 billion dollars a year that is more than adequate to provide the basic inputs the troops need.

    “They should be trained to give them confidence that they have good chance of staying alive and winning,” the envoy added.

  • Cash crisis: Buhari vows to recover stolen billions

    Cash crisis: Buhari vows to recover stolen billions

    U.S., others to support action

    President Muhammadu Buhari sent yesterday a notice to treasury looters in the Goodluck Jonathan administration – we are coming after you.

    He vowed to recover billions of dollars stolen from the treasury.

    Buhari spoke during his meeting –  the first – with governors of the 36 states at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    He told them: “There are financial and administrative instructions in every government parastatal and agency. But all these were thrown to the dogs in the past. Honestly, our problems are great, but we will do our best to surmount them.

    “The next three months may be hard, but billions of dollars can be recovered, and we will do our best.”

    The President explained that his administration had received firm assurances of cooperation from the United States and other countries on the recovery and repatriation of funds stolen from Nigeria.

    He stated this at another forum – his meeting with Northern Traditional Rulers Council led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar – also yesterday.

    The statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina quoted the president as saying: “In the next three months, our administration will be busy  getting those  facts and the figures to help us recover our stolen funds in foreign countries.’’

    Citing the report submitted by the Ahmed Joda-led transition committee, Buhari said many revenue-generating institutions in the country have been compromised, leading to a weak economy.

    Expressing surprise that  the governors had tolerated the atrocities allegedly committed with the Excess Crude Account (ECA) since 2011, the President  promised to tackle the issue decisively.

    For him, the days of impunity, lack of accountability, and fiscal recklessness in the management of national resources are over. Systemic leakages will be stopped, he added.

    The President said payment of national revenue into any  account other than  the Federation Account is an  abuse of the Constitution, adding that what he heard was going on in many agencies and corporations, particularly the NNPC, was clearly illegal.

    On the refund of monies spent on federal projects by state governments, the President  assured the governors that the Federal Government will pay, but insisted that due process must be followed.

    He promised special assistance for the three North Eastern states badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Buhari also said that  a comprehensive statement  on the economic and financial situation inherited by his administration   will be made available within the next four weeks.

    He said: “We will try and put the system back into the right position. What happened in the 2nd Republic has apparently happened again, and even worse, but we will restore sanity to the system.”

    On an immediate lifeline for states that owe months of salaries, Buhari said a committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will look at the ECA and see what can be shared immediately.

    The governors presented a six-point wish-list to the President. These are:

    •obedience of extant Supreme Court ruling that all monies go into the Consolidated Federation Account;

    •an order from the President that all revenue generating agencies must pay into the Consolidated Federation Account;

    •review of the Revenue Allocation Formula;

    •refund of the monies expended by states on federal projects;

    •a special consideration for the three states of the North East under Boko Haram infestation; and

    •full details of the amounts that accrued into the Excess Crude Account from 2011, and how the money miraculously shrank without official sharing.

    Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman Abdulaziz Yari, who is also Zamfara State governor, spoke to reporters along with Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar and Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, at the end of the meeting.

    The proposals given to the President, he said, include reimbursement of some projects sums embarked upon by states instead of requesting for the bailout, extension of repayment periods of loans’ balances owed by states from durations normally between four and seven years to 20 years.

    Opposing the operation of the ECA, he said governors  wanted first line charges stopped and revenue such as the $1.6 billion tax paid by the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), be paid into the Federation Account.

    Yari recalled that before the NGF was divided, $10.3 billion was left in the ECA ‎but only $2.6 billion was left even though sharing had been stopped since May 2013.

    He said the meeting was not really about a bailout but how the states and the Federal Government can overcome their financial crises.

    Yari said: “We proposed to Mr. President that instead of being given bailout, ‎that the funds for jobs, projects that were done by the states should be refunded by the federal government.  If the affected states are able to get the money owed them released, they can be able to start paying salaries without bail out.

    “Secondly, we also brought to his notice that most of the loans owed by the state, some between four and seven years, if it can be stretched to 20 years, the states willl be relieved and would be able to continue other businesses, including paying salaries.

    “Also, the first charge money that are paid by LNG about $1.6 billion, we requested that instead of paying to the federal government, we requested that it be paid to the federation account so that it could be shared amongst the three tiers of government, so that we can also get money to do one or two things.

    “Also, we urged the President to follow the Constitution when it comes to money sharing, Section 80 is very clear. That all monies should go to the Consolidated Revenue Account ‎for the purpose; no account should be kept anywhere because this is what the constitution says.

    “And Section‎ 162 also is explanatory, that whatever is going to happen to the money will be after sharing to the three tiers of government. That the NNPC or any other revenue generating agency should not have the first line charges.

    “So we met the President and we shared knowledge from what was gathered from the Transition Management committee, the findings and what is on ground. We also briefed him on the condition of our states, and we all appreciated that something has to be done and going forward, we are going to ensure that most of the states and the federal government that have not paid salaries, that something will be on ground in the next couple of days.

    On Boko Haram, Yari said: “We also discussed the issue of frontline states as regards insurgency Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. The President briefed us on his meeting with the G7 countries which have agreed to support the Nigerian government to fight the insurgency.

    “Also, it was noted that the insurgency has done so much damage to our infrastructure – schools, hospitals and bridges.

    “The President said he has put a committee in place to assess the situation and he has also made a commitment that he will not request money from any G7 country but support to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure.

    The governors kicked against the timing of the dismantling of military check points.

    “We also raised concern about the dismantling of military checkpoints ‎on the highways. We are saying it is not timely. But Mr. President cited some incidents at the military checkpoints but where necessary, he has given the Chief of Army Staff the permission  that they can continue, especially in the North, Southeast and the frontline states.”

     

  • PDP to Buhari: no to excuses

    PDP to Buhari: no to excuses

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as “evasive, diversionary and preemptive”, the present government’s “pile up of excuses” for possible failure in delivering on its campaign promises to Nigerians.

    The party was reacting to statements by President Muhammadu Buhari that the last PDP-led administration left an empty treasury.

    In a statement yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were privy to the nation’s dwindling economy.

    According to the PDP, the economic crisis was triggered by global economic downturn occasioned by fall in international oil prices, even before the start of the last electioneering campaigns.

    The party accused Buhari and the APC of choosing to deceive Nigerians with bogus promises, only to now resort to excuses after using the promises to secure power at the centre.

    The PDP said it noted with dismay Buhari’s statement on Monday that Nigerians should not expect much from his first 100 days in office.

    The statement said such claims only underlined the fact that the present administration was really not equipped to face the challenges of governance.

    The PDP said: “While we restate our resolve to engage only in credible and issue-based opposition, we want the President and the APC to note that their plea for patience from Nigerians does not arise, because ab-initio, there has not been no indication that they are actually serious and determined to deliver on their campaign promises upon which they rode to power.

    “Of course, Nigerians are willing to support and cooperate with the President, but we are worried that the pictures emerging from his Presidency and his party do not in any way inspire hope in the citizenry, especially as they have continued to show that theirs is ostensibly a matter of obtaining power by false pretenses.”

  • Buhari reaffirms support for Middle East peace

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said Nigeria will continue to support all efforts to ensure peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict.

    Speaking at an audience with the outgoing Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Montaser Abuzaid, Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the Palestinian cause.

    Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that Nigeria recognised the State of Palestine 31 years ago as he assured Ambassador Abuzaid that his administration will maintain and strengthen bilateral ties with Palestine.

    The President wished the outgoing ambassador well in his future assignments.

    Abuzaid extended the goodwill of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to Nigeria and congratulated the President on his assumption of office after a peaceful transition.

    He appealed for more support from the Federal Government for Palestinian companies interested in doing business in Nigeria, particularly in the area construction and provision of critical infrastructure.

     

  • Cleric advises Nigerians to support Buhari

    A cleric, Prophet Ezekiah Oluboye Oladeji has warned public office holders and other Nigerians who are bent on sinking the nation to desist from such act to avoid risking God’s anger, even as he said they must repent, as God is prepared to deal ruthlessly with Nigeria’s enemies.

    Prophet Ezekiah Oluboye Oladeji of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) (Canaan Worldwide) gave the warning on Sunday as the church begins its annual “Power Explosion” on Oke Erio (Erio Mountain) in Ekiti State.

    The week-long event which ends on Saturday is already attracting many visitors from within and outside Nigeria.

    The Prophet said Nigeria should rejoice because new times are here.

    “Nigerian will succeed. God will silence those who are bent on destroying Nigeria. I warn every fifth columnist to repent now, otherwise they may not live to see the glory of this country when it eventually crystallises,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “If as a leader you are dishonest, a betrayer or fraudulent, God will strike you in His wrath.”

    He said it was revealed to him that Nigerians should expect great transformation in all ramifications in the current dispensation. “God is going to do things that are extra-ordinary in people’s lives,” he said.

     

  • PENGASSAN to Buhari: address irregular oil blocks allocation

    PENGASSAN to Buhari: address irregular oil blocks allocation

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN)has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to address irregular allocation and transfer of oil blocks, which it identified as one of the major challenges affecting the oil and gas industry.

    The union also called for immediate declaration of state of emergency in the industry, saying anything short of this would be cosmetic because the industry is a critical sector of the nation’s economy.

    President of PENGASSAN, Francis Johnson, who said this in his address at the Fourth Triennial Delegate Conference of PENGASSAN in Abuja, argued that the state of emergency was necessary to highlight the many challenges bedeviling the industry.

    He said: “The association is using this forum to restate its call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the oil and gas industry in view of the highlighted challenges bedeviling the industry.

    “When you are talking about allocation of oil blocks, under normal circumstances, the Department of Petroleum Resources in conjunction with the minister will do something that is transparent, it must be open. But what is on ground now does not represent that.

    “That is why we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the issue and we said that for the oil and gas sector to grow as expected by all Nigerians, the government must declare a state of emergency.”

    Johnson further highlighted the challenges confronting the industry to include crude oil theft and pipeline vandalisation, irregular Joint Venture Funding and non-payment of JV Cash Calls, poor state of the refineries and fuel subsidy claims.

    He also identified bad state of access roads to operational locations (refineries, depots e.t.c), non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB)  and divestment by International Oil Companies as other issues facing the sector.

    He explained that the state of emergency should be an all-inclusive stakeholders’forum which would chart ways and evolve a framework for the industry as well as hold periodic meetings to evaluate and review the success and workability of the framework.

    The PENGASSAN chief noted that the forum would lay the bedrock for the resolution of challenges confronting this critical sector of the economy.