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Tag: BUHARI

  • NASS elections: Constitutional process has occurred – Buhari

    NASS elections: Constitutional process has occurred – Buhari

    … I’m ready to work with new leaders – President

    Although Tuesday’s National Assembly elections did not follow the dictates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday the elections were in line with the constitutional process.

    Contrary to expectations, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara emerged the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively in the elections that took place on floor of the two chambers on Tuesday.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said he has taken note of the elections’ outcome.

    President Buhari said he would have preferred the process to follow the initiation and conclusion of the APC.

    “Nonetheless the President took the view that a constitutional process has somewhat occurred,” the statement said.

    “To this end, President Buhari said he is ready to work with those elected.

    The statement reads: “President Buhari had said in an earlier statement that he did not have any preferred candidate for the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that he was willing to work with whoever the lawmakers elected.

    “That sentiment still stands. Though he would have preferred the new leaders to have emerged through the process established by the party.”

    According to the statement, the stability of Nigeria’s constitutional order and overall interest of the common man were uppermost on the President’s mind as far as the National Assembly elections were concerned.

    The President called on all the elected representatives of the people to focus on the enormous task of bringing enduring positive change to the lives of Nigerians.

     

  • Buhari meets APC lawmakers-elect

    Buhari meets APC lawmakers-elect

    President  Muhammadu Buhari will address all Senators and House of Representatives elect of the All Progressives Congress at 9:00am on Tuesday morning.

    A statement issued by the APC, National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the meeting will take place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

     

  • Buhari, G7 leaders for talks on Boko Haram, economy

    Buhari, G7 leaders for talks on Boko Haram, economy

    President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Bavaria, Germany, clutching a wish-list for consideration by leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations.

    The summit of the top industrialised nations started yesterday.

    Top on the President’s list are Boko Haram and Nigeria’s economic cirisis.

    The summit is due to discuss militant threats from groups, such as Islamic State, with the leaders of Tunisia and Iraq, who, along with Nigeria, form part of an “outreach” group of non-G7 countries invited to the Summit.

    Attending the Summit are United States President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, French President Francois Hollande, Canada’s Prime Ministers Stephen Harper and Italian Prime Ministers Matteo Renzi.

    Buhari will hold bilateral talks with Merkel and Harper on the sidelines of the Outreach Programme.

    He is also expected to meet Obama, Hollande and Cameron in the course of the Outreach Session and a working lunch at the Elmau Castle today.

    “He is in a group of seven other Heads of State who were called in as guests,” said presidential spokesman Garba Shehu.

    “The international community is obviously acknowledging Nigeria’s significant role in global affairs, especially with the recent change in government,” Shehu added.

    Also invited are: President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia), President Macky Sall (Senegal), President Beji Caid Essebsi (Tunisia) and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (Ethiopia).

    There are also Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi (Iraq); the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon; the Secretary-General of the OECD, Angel Gurria; the Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Largarde; the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim; the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Guy Rider; and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

    Buhari arrived in Munich, Germany at about 3.25 p.m. local time yesterday.

    He was received by the Vice Minister-President of Bavaria, Mrs. Inge Aigner. The president was accompanied by Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, former Army Chief Gen. Abdulrahman  Dambazau  and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Paul B. Lolo.

    Last night the head of the Bavarian regional government hosted Buhari and the others to dinner.

    Apart from Boko Haram and general insecurity, other issues on the wish list, which Buhari took along after consultations with members of his think-tank, include: economic reform, especially support on agriculture, SMEs and job creation; Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in power supply and mass transit; electoral reforms ; collaboration on anti-corruption, including the strengthening of anti-graft agencies, good governance, including commitment to democracy, accountability and transparency;  development assistance and peace in the sub-region.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Certainly, Boko Haram insurgency is one of the top issues on the wish-list of the President to the session of G-7. It is one of the reasons why Governor Kashim Shettima, is on the delegation to Germany.

    “This will cover intelligence sharing on Boko Haram and ISIS on how to curtail terrorism in the sub-region. We also need sophisticated surveillance and preventive equipment to fight the scourge.

    Buhari wants to put an end to arms and military hardware embargo on Nigeria by some G-7 nations, especially the United States.

    “There is no point pretending, terrorism is trying to have roots in the sub-region and we need international collaboration to check the spread.”

    The source added: “Without energy, no country can develop. So, President Buhari is seeking Foreign Direct Investment in power supply, mass transit and others to make life comfortable for Nigerians.

    “The focus borders on the diversification of the nation’s sources of power supply. We are not tapping solar and wind energy. Most of our investments in power are on hydro-electricity.

    “Therefore, Nigeria needs the support of the World Bank for interventions on SMEs and agriculture to promote mass job creation.”

    Obama and Merkel held talks yesterday before the summit.

    Russia is the target of European Union and US sanctions over its role in support of Ukrainian rebels.

    Russia has been excluded from what was previously known as the G8, since the annexation of Crimea last year.

    The West accuses Russia of sending military forces into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels – a charge echoed by analysts. Moscow denies this, saying any Russian soldiers there are volunteers.

    As he arrived in the Bavarian Alps, Obama said G7 leaders would discuss “standing up to Russian aggression” in Ukraine.

    The White House issued a statement after Mr Obama’s talks with Mrs Merkel, saying: “The duration of sanctions should be clearly linked to Russia’s full implementation of the Minsk agreements and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

    Germany, Britain and the US want an agreement to offer support to any EU member state tempted to withdraw backing for the sanctions on Moscow, which are hurting the Russian economy.

    Last September’s Minsk accord, involving Russia, pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian government, included the establishment of a 30km (19-mile) buffer zone between the two sides.

    But fighting has intensified in recent weeks. In the latest incident, two Ukrainian coastguards were injured when a blast ripped through their patrol boat in the port of Mariupol, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.

    The European Union’s President of the Council of Ministers, Donald Tusk, signalled a toughening of sanctions in a statement at the G7.

    “If anyone wants to start a debate about changing the sanctions regime, the discussion could only be about strengthening it.”

    Cameron said he was hopeful that there would be a united front to ensure that sanctions were “rolled over” despite admitting that “sanctions are having an impact on all of us”.

    EU sanctions are due to expire at the end of July.

    UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond echoed concerns about wider Russian military pressure in an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

    But, when asked if the US should redeploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe, Mr Hammond said the West had a “delicate act to perform”.

    “We’ve got to send a clear signal to Russia that we will not allow them to transgress our red lines. At the same time we have to recognise that the Russians do have a sense of being surrounded and under attack, and we don’t want to make unnecessary provocations.”

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia was not a threat and had “other things to worry about”.

    He told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: “Only an insane person and only in a dream can imagine that Russia would suddenly attack Nato.”

    Mr Obama was greeted in the town of Kruen by Germany’s Chancellor Merkel.

    The two leaders then sat down to a traditional Bavarian meal of sausages and beer in the sunshine.

    Greece’s debt crisis and how to tackle global warming was also on the agenda.

    Ahead of the G7 gathering, thousands of protesters marched in the nearby town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, sparking sporadic clashes with police.

    Several marchers were taken to hospital with injuries, but the violence was minor compared to some previous summits.

    Security is being provided by 17,000 police officers.

  • What we expect from Buhari, by Nigerians in South Africa

    What we expect from Buhari, by Nigerians in South Africa

    Some Nigerians resident in South Africa yesterday urged the Federal Government to tackle insecurity, unemployment, epileptic power supply and poverty facing the country.

    The Nigerians made the call at the sidelines of the inauguration of the National Secretariat of the Nigerian Union in Pretoria, South Africa.

    Prof. Dele Braimoh, a retired professor of Adult and Distance Education, University of South Africa, urged the Federal Government to tackle insecurity in the country.

    ‘’ Many Nigerians in the Diaspora are afraid of going home because of insecurity.  I appeal to the government to win the war against Boko Haram to bring peace to the North Eastern part of the country,’’ he said.

    Braimoh also said many Nigerians in the Diaspora were willing to return to contribute to the development of the country in various fields.

    Senior Pastor, Jesus The Breathe of Life International Ministry, Pretoria Rev. Harold Anagu urged the Federal Government to work for the unity of the country.

    ‘’ We thank God for a successful election and inauguration of a new administration in Nigeria. We also want the government to ensure unity, empowerment and understanding among the people.

    ‘’Nigerians in South Africa want a relationship with the Buhari administration to enable us contribute to the development of the country,’’ he said.

    Chairman of the Nigeria Union, NorthWest Province Chapter Mr Chikaodili Nwanedo called on the government to tackle epileptic power supply in the country.

    He said inadequate power supply had taken its toll on Small and Medium Scale businesses in the country.

    ‘’ Nigerians also need good health care and efforts should be made to tackle poverty,’’ he said.

    Chairman of the Nigerian Union, Gauteng Province Chapter Mr Mathew Okafor urged the Federal Government to tackle insurgency and improve on intelligence gathering.

    Okafor, an IT specialist in Johannesburg, commended Buhari for relocating the command centre of the armed forces to Maiduguri in order to effectively insurgency.

    ‘’ To me, this is a step in the right direction. Nigeria has a good army. We need to equip our army to make it fight the new enemy that is using guerrilla warfare.

    ‘’ Guerrilla warfare is alien to us and I believe we will defeat the enemy,’’ he said.

    The President of Arewa in South Africa, Mr Nimram Longbap, said Nigeria was blessed with resources to make her the leading economy in Africa.

    ‘’ Buhari has a track record of performance and we believe he can still do it again. The Federal Government should embark on massive road construction aimed at opening up the country such that each state would be linked to its nearest neighbour,’’ he said.

    Longbap also said the Federal Government had the potential to win the war against the Boko Haram.

    ‘’ I appeal to other intelligence agencies in the country to sit up and assist the armed forces in intelligence gathering to overcome the insurgents,’’ he said.

  • ASUU to Buhari: severe economic ties with Morocco

    ASUU to Buhari: severe economic ties with Morocco

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders to severe economic ties with Morocco to end the colonisation of Western Sahara.

    A communiqué signed by Dr Dipo Fashina at the end of a 3-day International conference themed “Towards the Liberation of Africa’s Last Colony” organised by ASUU, condemned the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, describing it as a crime against humanity in the 21st century.

    The communiqué also urged the United Nations to hold the referendum for self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with the relevant UN and OAU resolutions.

    ASUU also condemned the ‘shameful’ role palyed by France at the Security Council in supporting Morocco’s  hold on Western Sahara.

    “The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is the last Colony in Africa forcibly being controlled, raped and exploited by Morocco, another African country.

    “Morocco has refused to allow the independence of the Western Sahara people since 1975 when it took it over shortly after Spain left the territory. In doing this, Morocco has refused to honour declarations of International organisations such United Nations and African Union to the effect of conducting a referendum and determining the fate of the people. Western Sahara, a mainly desert territory in Northwest Africa is the subject of a decades-long dispute between Morocco and the Polisario Front. The territory is phosphate-rich and believed to have offshore oil deposits, and most of it has been under Moroccan control since 1975. Morocco presently occupies 80percent of the territory containing ‘juicy’ resources while leaving 20 per cent desert portion for the owners who have been exiled.”

    ASUU urged African countries to use their bilateral relations and act individually and collectively to exert all forms of pressure on Morocco to end its illegal occupation of Western Sahara Republic.

    It called for the establishment of Nigeria-SADR bi-national commission to reinforce cooperation between the two countries.

    ASUU also wants Nigeria and other countries to break diplomatic ties with Morocco, which has distanced itself from the African Union by withdrawing its membership.

     

  • Activists to meet Buhari over Chibok girls

    Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy are set to meet President Muhammadu Buhari over the missin schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram sect 420 days ago.

    The group also said it was saddened by the continuous death and suffering in the Northeast.

    It urged Buhari to address the country on the moves he is making to ending insurgency and bring back the Chibok girls.

    A member of the group, Aisha Yusufu, who spoke on other members’ behalf,  said Nigerians gave the President their mandate because they believed in him.

    She said: “The Chibok girls have been in captivity for 419 days and they do not have the liberty to decide to stop living the life of captivity that they have been caused to live. Our daughters have been living in the forest for the past 419 days and still we have not heard anything about them.

    “Now the new President has been sworn in and we in the #BBOG decided to give him one week in power before writing a letter demanding to meet with him. We will send our letter to him next week and we will not be begging to be seen but we will demand to be addressed as citizens of this country.

    “We are impatient and are tired of being afraid. We are tired of wondering who will be next; we expect that by now, President Buhari would have addressed the country and told us what he has been doing so far. We are tired of being kept in the dark. Nigerians need to know of the steps being taken to end this scourge of insurgency because our Chibok girls are tired of waiting.”

  • Gambari to Buhari: fix Nigeria’s broken social contract

    Gambari to Buhari: fix Nigeria’s broken social contract

    Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Prof. Ibrahim Gambari has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to fix the broken social contract between the rulers and the ruled in the country.

    Prof. Gambari, who is the Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU), spoke at the weekend in Malete, Moro Local Government area of the state at the institution’s third convocation ceremony.

    The former envoy described emergence of the new government as an opportunity to deepen the nation’s democracy.

    He said there was need for the administration to ensure that the change mantra that accompanied its election campaign does not remain a mere slogan.

    Prof. Gambari said: “Nigeria now has a new opportunity to deepen its democracy and deliver its dividends such as quality social services, including education and health, prosperity and security of life and property. Undoubtedly, the new President is faced with very high expectations, but these are accompanied by enormous goodwill within and outside Nigeria.

    “One thing is clear however. Change must not remain a slogan. The governments that have been elected on that platform must prepare themselves to deliver on campaign promises.

    “In this regard, the current socio-economic challenges such as high poverty level, huge youth unemployment, persistent power-blackout despite huge amounts of money invested, the challenge of insecurity, especially the scourge of Boko Haram, and the perennial disconnect between the citizen and the government that has inevitably led to high levels of distrust of the leaders by the rest of the citizens must be tackled headlong.

    “Indeed, the broken ‘socio-contract’ between the rulers and the ruled must be fixed.  The government should as a matter of priority open and strengthen communications between government and citizens.  Trust building between the government and the citizens would make the people feel carried along in the business of governance.”

  • PDP knocks APC over Buhari’s regional tours

    PDP knocks APC over Buhari’s regional tours

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of double standard and insincerity over the recent tours of Chad and Niger Republic by President Muhammadu Buhari for cooperation on the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Faulting the tours, the party observed that the APC had criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan for similarly co-opting Chad and Niger in the military offensive against the sect.

    A statement yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, faulted the commendation being showered on Buhari for seeking military assistance from Nigeria’s neighbours.

    “In the days ahead, Nigerians should expect further unmasking of APC’s double standard and blackmail upon which they rode to power,” the statement said.

    The PDP also condemned the APC for allegedly attacking well-meaning Nigerians for daring to offer constructive criticisms to President Buhari, following loss of tempo in the fight against insurgency since he took office.

    The PDP lamented that since the APC took over power at the centre, there has been no clear sign of seriousness and direction, “but confusion, selfish infighting and hysteria for positions of power while the nation drifts”.

    It noted that the situation was unhealthy for democracy and national development.

  • Buhari urged to diversify economy, tackle corruption

    Buhari urged to diversify economy, tackle corruption

    The Diocese of Badagry, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to diversify the economy to reduce dependence on oil.

    It said the new administration must tackle corruption ‘as a matter of urgency’, urging the National Assembly to give priority to a speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law ‘to help us solve various issues emanating from the petroleum sector’.

    In a communiqué issued at the second session of its fourth synod held at the Cathedral Church of St. Thomas, Badagry and signed by the Lord Bishop, Rev. Babatunde Adeyemi; Chancellor, Justice S.O Hunponu-Wusu and Lay Secretary Mrs. O. A. Akinliba, the synod observed that “the state of the economy is very poor and recommended a diversification to other sources of revenue such as agriculture and solid minerals. Over-dependence on crude oil should be discouraged as any fall in price affects the economy”.

    The church said private companies should be encouraged to build additional refineries while existing ones should be privatised to help fight fuel scarcity.

    On electricity, the synod said: “Power generation should be improved on by harnessing other sources such as solar, coal, wind, etc. Prepaid meters should be installed in homes to ensure that users pay only for what they consume”.

  • Buhari’s “wish list” for G-7 leaders

    Buhari’s “wish list” for G-7 leaders

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who arrived in Munich, Germany on Sunday is expected to present the “wish list” of Nigeria to the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, said that th G-7 demanded President Buhari to prepare a shopping list and come with it for their consideration in what is seen as an excellent goodwill gesture towards the new leader and the country.

    Top on the list of the requests, he said, is on the problem of security.

    “We have a problem which they know,” President Buhari stated.

    The President said he has used every opportunity at his disposal ahead of the meeting to discuss the country’s needs with specific reference to terrorism and development needs at person-to-person meetings and phone conversations with some of the leaders.

    He said: “These development issues, many and varied as they are, touch on the economy, combating corruption, increased foreign direct investment, FDI; power and energy, infrastructure, environment, enhanced transparency in elections and good governance.”

    President Buhari announced that the leaders of the industrialized nations have shown a preparedness to work with Nigeria to help the country out of her problems.

    He will hold meetings on the sidelines with the host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French President, Francois Hollande, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim.