The Nation Newspaper

Tag: BUHARI

  • Trade fair traders endorse Buhari, Sanwo-Olu

    Traders and artisans at the International Trade Fair in Lagos yesterday held a mega rally to declare their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential and governorship candidates, President Muhammadu Buhari and Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

    The traders, who staged a walk round the market and engaged in voter education, said their support for the APC was as a result of the improvement the market had witnessed under the current administration.

    According to them, they were particularly impressed by the leadership style of the Executive Director of the International Trade Fair, Mrs. Lucy Ajayi, an appointee of President Buhari, who they said ensured peace, transparency and accountability in the market.

    Among those who participated in the rally were former executive members of the market – Chief Paschal Udeh, Chief Alex Odunukwe, Chief Oscar Odogwu and Comrade Uba Amechi.

    At the rally, Udeh said he was supporting the APC because of Mrs. Ajayi’s strides in the market.

    The businessman said he and his colleagues had been conducting their businesses without fear of violence since Mrs Ajayi took over.

    He said: “I have been in this market for many years and I know how violent it used to be. People used to be scared. There was hardly a day that there wasn’t a fight and bloodshed. But all that has changed since this government came in.

    “I do not know President Buhari, but because of the good things Mama Lucy Ajayi has done in this market, I am supporting APC. We have never had it so good. We have had several executive directors in trade fair in the past; they were not accessible. She has been able to achieve this much because she listens and has a good vision.

    Read also: 2019: Aspanda, Mandellas traders rally for Buhari, Sanwo-Olu

    “They have promised to do more, especially provision of road. I belief they will do it. So, we are calling on our people to vote for Buhari in the presidential and Sanwo-Olu at the governorship elections. We do not want another party to come in and scuttle the good plans already on ground.”

    Addressing reporters, Mrs. Ajayi said the people’s support for the APC was a testament of the party’s good governance.

    She assured the business community that the current Federal Government would begin the repair of bad roads in the market soon.

    “When I came in, I met N44 million. But right now, we have been able to generate over N1 billion into the Federation Account. Not just the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) but also the Consolidated Account. Before now, we usually had N34 million or N44 million as budget. But right now, over N1 billion was approved because at the budget presentation, I told the lawmakers that I have studied the market and we can generate more money,” said Ajayi.

     

     

  • NUPENG, PENGASSAN urge Buhari to accelerate PIB assent

    Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) have  appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to assent the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

    The oil workers argued that the bill, when passed into law, would end political interference in the sector and optimise value chain in the upstream, midstream and downstream of the petroleum industry.

    They said it would also separate the role of policy makers from the regulator.

    Giving more instances, the unions noted that in the Bill, roles and accountability are better clarified; governance and transparency strengthened, and inefficiency, maladministration, corruption and secrecy are tackled.

    According to them, these are important and must be upheld. The unions said this why they commended the Federal Government for its milestone with the flag-off and official commencement of crude oil search in the Kolmani Well River-II, located near Barambu, Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

    They said the feat achieved was a reflection of government’s resolve and commitment to grow Nigeria’s economy, boost capacity and provide energy sufficiency as well as strengthen the country’s oil and gas industry.

    The initiative, according to the workers, would go a long way in galvanising the current government’s national drive for jobs creation, youth empowerment and human capital development.

    They also extended their commendations to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru,  for their contributions to the ceremony.

    “The untiring and fantastic efforts of our irrepressible members to the realisation of the noble dream are also highly commendable and we praise their uncommon contributions to the growth and development of our dear country.

    “There is no iota of doubt in our minds that workers have capacity and ability to deliver even much more than their counterparts in other climes when given the right tools and right working environment and conditions to do so.

    “This historic flag off is without doubt, a full demonstration of Nigerians’ resilience, doggedness and determination, and the entire productive oil and gas workers are very proud of this great achievement and we promise to keep raising the bar with other committed stakeholders.”

     

  • Why we adopted Buhari as presidential candidate, by SDP

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Thursday adopted President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its Presidential Candidate for the February 16 2019 presidential poll.

    The adoption took place in Abuja after the party’s NEC meeting where a communiqué was issued and adopted by NEC members present.

    But National chairman of the party, Chief Olu Falae was absent at the NEC meeting.

    Present however were National chairman South Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Deputy national vice chairman northeast Prof. Rufia Alkali; national Organising Secretary Hon. Emeka Atuma and National Secretary Shehu Gabam.

    The party explained it adopted Buhari because the battle for its presidential ticket between former Minister of Information Prof. Jerry Gana and former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has taken a great toll on it.

    SDP, in the communiqué read by the National Vice Chairman, Dr. Abdul Ahmed Ishaq said: “It is in view of all this that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP has resolved to adopt President Mohammadu Buhari and Vice Presidential candidate Prof. Yemi Osibanjo of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as candidates of the party for the 2019 Presidential election. “Consequently, all members of the party are hereby enjoined to vote for President Buhari of the APC at the presidential election coming up on Saturday 16 February 2019.

    “With less than ten days before the Presidential election, our great party is caught up in a web with very little room for manoeuver.

    “The options before us at this critical juncture are limited: we either realign our forces or we lose out completely

    “Whatever the dangers and demerits of political alignments, it is far better than to go on alone at this point as it will, in the end, disenfranchise our members.

    “With the multitude of parties in the race for the crucial Presidency of the country, it has become imperative for engagements and strategic collaboration between and among parties that are strongly committed to the Nigerian ideal so that the future of our great country is not doomed.

    “A number of political parties have approached the SDP for collaboration during the forthcoming elections. However, after extensive deliberations, NEC noted the party that comes close to and nearly shares the Social Democratic and Progressive ideals and values of the SDP is the All Progressive Congress (APC).

    “After further weighing the options and reviewing the political situation in the country, NEC was convinced that with the SDP and the APC working together.

    Read Also: Buhari mourns loss of lives at APC rally in Jalingo

    “SDP has a better chance of gaining lost grounds in meeting the yearnings of Nigerians and we have no doubt whatsoever that Nigeria will surely make progress and leap forward in the match go greatness through the solution of pending challenges and progressively to the next level.”

    The party NEC insisted that the adoption was only for the forthcoming presidential poll, stating “for the avoidance of doubt, NEC restates that this is not a merger between the SDP and the APC and therefore the SDP retains its identity and remains a distinct political party.

    “NEC calls on all our members nationwide to vote for SDP candidates for the National Assembly, Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections.

    “We indeed expect and demand reciprocity from the APC in return as the implementation of these resolutions will be coordinated through Zonal and State committees, in view of local peculiarities.”

  • Buhari mourns loss of lives at APC rally in Jalingo

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed profound sadness over of loss of lives at the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Jalingo, Taraba State on Thursday.

    Reacting to reports of the tragic death of some APC supporters due to the overwhelming crowd at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, the President said: “I always feel very sad and distressed when ordinary Nigerians who love me and our party because of what we stand for and have done, make personal sacrifices by taking the pains to show their support, end their lives tragically.”

    Read Also: Presidential poll will be walkover for Buhari, says El-Rufai

    While appreciating the massive support he is receiving all over the country, President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also called for restraint on the part of his supporters to avoid such tragic incidences and improved crowd management at rally grounds.

    “I want them to stay alive and witness the dividends of purposeful governance that the APC administration will unfold when they renew our mandate,” he said.

    Commiserating with the families of the victims and the APC family, the President prayed Almighty God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and speedy recovery to the injured.

  • Breaking: Five killed, Gov’s convoy attacked at Buhari’s rally

    Five persons were on Thursday feared killed and many injured in Taraba during President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign in the northeastern state.

    Two were said to be in critical state.

    Governor Ishaku’s convoy was also attacked on its way out of the Danbaba Suntai Airport where he, his deputy Haruna Manu and other officials of the government went to see off the president at the end of his rally.

    All of the governor’s posters and billboards and those of Atiku Abubakar in the State capital, Jalingo, were mutilated.

    Bala Dan Abu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Governor Darius Ishaku, who confirmed the incident, condemned the “unfortunate bloodletting” and faulted security agents of negligence of duty.

    Abu, who briefed reporters in Government House said: “The deputy governor’s car and several other cars in the convoy, including that of the commissioner of police and a special Adviser to the governor, were damaged.

    “The thugs, most of whom were imported from neighbouring states to create the false impression that APC enjoys a large following in the state, came heavily armed.

    Read Also: Photos from Buhari’s campaign in Taraba, Nasarawa

    “They carried guns, cutlasses and sticks, which they displayed openly and in the full glare of security agents who merely looked the other way,” Abu said.

    The governor’s media chief also accused the “APC thugs” of going round Jalingo metropolis and destroying PDP posters and billboards.

    “They were given cover by the security agencies who fired gunshots to scare away those who may dare to confront them.

    “What happened today is a big contrast to the PDP presidential flag-off of February 5 in Jalingo, which attracted a large crowd but recorded no incidence of crisis and deaths.

    “Residents of Wukari are still leaking the wounds of the APC violent visitation of January 29, during which PDP posters and bill boards were torn and a member of the PDP killed.

    “The Taraba State government will no longer fold its arms while innocent people are being killed and maimed,” Abu said.

  • Breaking: Presidential poll: SDP adopts Buhari as candidate

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Thursday adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate for the 2019 election.

    This is part of its resolution at the ongoing NEC meeting in Abuja.

    Details shortly…..

  • Photos from Buhari’s campaign in Taraba, Nasarawa

  • No personal grudge against Buhari, says Ortom

    BENUE State Governor Samuel Ortom said yesterday he has no personal grudge against President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Ortom, who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Makurdi, to receive President Buhari, whose plane, landed at the base around 10.37am.

    According to him, “Mr. President is beyond parties as he has made adequate security arrangement for his visit to Benue State”.

    Speaking with reporters before the President’s arrival,  Ortom said: “Mr President is beyond party, he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and whatever he is doing, it is our responsibility to give him adequate protocol.

    “He is our President, and he is beyond party and so, I am doing all that is necessary.

    “There is no special thing I am doing, what I am supposed to do as governor of Benue State irrespective of party because he remains my President and I respect him.

    “I have no personal issues with him; we talk about policies and issues, there is no personal grudge.

    “So, I am here to receive him, and I have made adequate arrangement. This state belongs to Mr President. So, he has access, he can be here and do whatever he wants.”

  • Obiano: additional Igbo state feasible under Buhari

    GOING by the words of Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano, an additional state is in the offing for the Southeast under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    The region has five states, the Northwest has seven states, Southsouth, Northeast, Northcentral and Southwest have six states each.

    Prominent of the Southeast have been agitating for the creation of an additional state to bring it at pal with other geo-political zones.

    Obiano made the disclosure when members of the Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo (Lagos State chapter) visited at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, Anambra State.

    The governor expressed hope that the Federal Government would set aside November 16 as a National Day for Zik’s Memorial.

    He described Ohanaeze as one united group, calling on members to remain a socio-cultural, non-partisan body with the goal of pushing the Igbo agenda.

    Obiano, who clarified that he was in good terms with the group’s President-General, John Nwodo, regretted the group’s decision to fix a meeting on a day the President was in the state to inaugurate the Mausoleum in honour of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who remained a world hero of Igbo extraction.

    Reaffirming his support to the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and all other candidates, the governor reiterated his support for restructuring.

    The Ohanaeze Ndigbo delegation said they were in the state to show solidarity to the Obiano-led administration.

    The Igbo group, led by its President Sir Nnamdi Nwigwe, lauded Obiano’s negotiating power, his “Think Home” philosophy, among other notable initiatives.

    He said: “We are particularly happy with your position on appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s good gestures to the people of the Southeast region and Anambra State in particular.

    “The completed Zik’s Mausoleum which is a national monument, the ongoing second Niger Bridge, road projects and other infrastructures lay credence to the fact that the Buhari administration has not forgotten the region.”

  • Choosing between Buhari and Atiku

    Sir: The ever interesting world of Nigerian politics has been busy in past few months with different contenders to the positions of power and influenceemploying different campaign strategies to ‘buy’ votes and voters to make their political dreams come true. From local to national levels, the approaches are similar since our political history has featured similar actors who have become less innovative. Consequently, the campaigns have been more of a comic relief than an inspiration. We have witnessed sponsored rallies and counter-rallies; purchased endorsements; mobilisation of people to attend political campaigns to show a false image of a candidate’s popularity; distribution of food and monies at campaign grounds; abusing personalities rather than addressing issues; utilisation of social miscreants across parties; campaign violence and deaths. They all speak less to our problems—roads remain bad, poverty and unemployment occupy major prayer points in churches and mosques; insecurity (terrorism, robbery, kidnapping) is on the increase even as local ‘science students’ have made scientific discovery of ‘printing’ money from ladies underwear and sanitary pads.At the national level, the pre-election confusionshas now been narrowed to two possibilities—Atiku or Buhari.

    Perhaps the only way to stay healthy and sound in Nigeria in this build up to electionsis to stay away from the emerging binaries—buharists/atikulates; hailers/wailers; next level/getting Nigeria work again.

    Hailers are supporters of the incumbent while a critic of the present government is labelled wailer. But there are also insider wailers in Ogun, Imo and some other states where internal displacement has occurred through the instrumentality of the Oshiomhole national leadership.

    If Nigeria is to remain hopeful of having a life and not die, the voters must vote wisely and think of who between the ‘two devils’ will meet their needs and connect with them—both (Atiku and Buhari) now represent known devils who are not likely to be threatened by “new angels”.The electorates must ask which of the devils will boost their standard of living. Which government will give our children quality schools? Which one of them can give us life centres as against death centres as health institution? Which of these will provide jobs and assure national security?

    INEC must remain impartial umpire and not declare concluded polls inconclusive. The air of tension blowing across the country is much to the extent that theslightest provocation and error may trigger violence. Similarly, the behaviour of the security agents will make or mar the polls. Their loyalty should be to the country and not the office holders as presently experienced. Voters should also be empathetic by voting compassionate – and not avaricious – characters.

    In the end, there are only two post February 16 possibilities: electorate can either re-electBuhari for another four years or vote him out of power. These two possibilities must be allowed to happen without let or hindrance and without the manipulation of the electoral process to give legitimacy to the winner.

     

    • Dr OludayoTade, dotad2003@yahoo.com