The Nation Newspaper

Tag: BUHARI

  • Buhari expresses sadness over Ekiti truck accident

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the tragic truck accident that took the lives of several Nigerians at Iworoko Ekiti in Ekiti State at the weekend.

    On behalf of the Federal Government, President Buhari extended sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of victims of the tragedy, which has indeed brought great grief to the local communities.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, joined the Ekiti State Government and people in mourning those lost in the accident.

    Read also: Those scheming to turn Buhari against me will fail, says Amosun

    He appreciated the efforts of the State Government in bringing timely succour to the victims in the aftermath of the disaster.

     

  • 2019: Adewale hails Obasanjo, canvasses for Protection of south west votes

    A chieftain and former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly called Aeroland, has hailed the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for his exemplary leadership concerning the State of the Nation.
    Adewale said that Chief Obasanjo’s letter “Point of Concern and Action” came at the right time,  because he has been echoing in the same direction, the need for all stakeholders to be vigilant, and ensure that our nascent democracy is not truncated by those who are hell bent on staying in power at all cost.
    He stressed further that, the biggest threat are those who do not care about our constitution anymore but only care about “Regime Protection”, advising that Nigerians must remain resolute by voting for a candidate that can get the country working again.
    Adewale however reiterated on his earlier call, that South West votes will determine who will emerge as the next President of the country, according to him,  he said both Atiku and Buhari will slug it out in the North, while South South and South East are the area of strength for PDP, but the total number of votes in that area will be complimented by what South West can add.
    He said, PDP must work very hard to secure the bloc votes that the South West will produce. Adewale noted some factors that may militate against this victory, that if wrong people are engaged to coordinate the region, there will be big trouble for the party.
    Adewale made this known to Newsmen at the Muritala Muhammed Airport on his way out of Lagos for a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday Morning.
    According to him, he believes that the chances of the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is very bright but must ensure that he work with people who truly wants him to emerge at the polls.
    He said for instance in Lagos, a lot of the people running and forming a circle around Alhaji Atiku from the State, have not lifted a finger to add anything to Atiku’s electoral fortune or campaign, adding that many of them lacks the political sagacity to use their influence to affect his electoral fortune.
    It is not a news that Nigerians have rejected APC, their only hope is to rig the election shamelessly, and our party must be ready to prevent it by looking for trusted and capable hands with committed party members who are ready to man or protect all the polling Units and collation centres in the region.

    Read Also:Olusegun Obasanjo: Ideas, politics and the love for country II

    PDP have always won convincingly in South West but our polling agents are too porous, the elections are rigged right from polling units to collation centers with  intimidation and forceful declaration of fake result, outright refusal or allowing PDP voters to even vote in some of the polling units.
    He stressed further that the 2019 election is a very peculiar election year in Nigeria’s history, noting that, the campaign emphasis must be on securing votes rather than extensive campaigns or spending too much money and time on the nationwide tour, getting people who can secure our votes in various state should be out paramount task, Adewale Said.
    Adewale said if Atiku truly wants to win convincingly in South West, he must assemble young and smart “Hard Working Team” with proven electoral track record and not the regular old and tired brigades who won’t event step outside their doors on the election day. It is one thing to be a leader and another thing is to be a responsible leader, how do you categorize some of them that on the election day, when our PDP members have issues, the so called leaders won’t do anything while some of them will deliberately switch off their mobile phones.
    He said that the party must take a cue from the recently concluded Ekiti and Osun election, he posited that all hands must be on deck if indeed the party want a resounding victory in 2019. Adewale said that Nigerians will vote for PDP massively, we must play our own role to secured Atiku Victory by looking for a minimum of 100 strong, vibrant and honest people from each ward throughout the South West to man our polling units
    The PDP Chieftain said that, it is obvious that some of the so called leaders from the region are running from pillar to post just to be named State Coordinators but cannot stake their personal finance to kick off campaign but waiting for the “Atiku’s Money”, the same set of people have their strong links and family members benefiting immensely from Buhari’s government, how do we expect such people to work with all their strength to ensure that Atiku emerge from the region?  Adewale asked.
    According to him, both Atiku and Buhari will share Northern votes, South East and South South are for PDP but South West is the battle ground and as such, credible people must be chosen to man all the States in the region. Adewale said that Lagos, out of the about 85m registered voters declared by the INEC, has over 5 million voters spread across the 20 local government and 37 LCDAs created by the State government, it is a peculiar State that needs men who can navigate it despite the structure of the ruling APC.
    I am speaking from experience because I know how APC rig elections recklessly. In 2007 when I first contested, the ruling party got a wind of my popularity, they connived with INEC and removed my party’s logo from Ballot paper. In 2011, I won convincingly same INEC declared a fake result in favor of Olamilekan Yayi.
    They used the same pattern in 2015 when i won in 7 out of 10 Local governments, APC in connivance with INEC delayed results from 3 local governments,  when they knew the summed up of the figures from the 7 LGS where I won, they suddenly released outrageously rigged results from the delayed 3 LGs.
    Evidence of the real results were presented in court, but the presiding judge at that time claimed that the file was stolen from his office and no effort was made to investigate the theft of the sensitive tribunal documents.
    Adewale, said to guide against APC’s planned manipulation of results, serious plans must be put in place by the PDP,  he said it will be difficult to achieve good outing if the party continues to enthrust it’s political plans in the hands of those who are PDP in the morning and APC members at night.

  • No schemer can turn Buhari against me- Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun on Monday declared schemers working hard to turn President Muhammadu Buhari against him will fail woefully.

    Amosun vaguely identified people he considered as “foreigners” with intent to enslave Ogun people and their votes as likely suspects in the plot to sway the President against him.

    The Governor spoke at Kajola ward in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area in continuation of his campaign for Ogun Central Senatorial seat in the February National Assembly election.

    He urged the people to vote for President Buhari, saying he has added value to the development of the country and the state in particular.

    “All that they are doing is to turn President Buhari against me. Nobody can turn President Buhari against me. It is impossible.

    “It is important we vote for President Buhari because he is adding value to the development of Nigeria and Ogun state too.

    “Look at our railway, airport and power and many others so we should all vote for him.

    “It was now the state is fast developing that some people are now trying to disrupt its peace.

    “Where were they before this time? It is now that the state is fast developing they want to disrupt its peace. Resist them, don’t allow anybody to enslave you with your votes,” Amosun said.

    Read Also: Buhari, IGP meet in Aso Rock

    In Obafe ward, Amosun advised people not to allow any politician collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the name of given them loans.

    He said: “Don’t allow anybody to collect your PVCs for loan, protect it very well. That is your right. Don’t give anybody your PVCs.”

    Also in Oni Onipako ward, Amosun vowed to fight any politician that wants to disrupt the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state.

    He appealed to the people not to engage in violence, urging them to continue to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.

  • Buhari, IGP meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting started around 4.30p.m when the President returned to the seat of power after attending a function at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

    A similar meeting was also held on Friday 4th of January, 2019 shortly after the Jumma’at prayer at the State House mosque.

    Idris was expected to retire from service on attainment of the mandatory 35 years in service on the 15th of January, 2019.

    Read Also: Buhari greets Abdullahi Ibrahim at 80

    Idris was appointed by President Buhari on 21 March 2016 to replace Solomon Arase, who retired from the police force on 21 June 2016.

    The 59- year old Ibrahim Idris enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force in 1984, after graduating from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria with a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Heavy protest rocks Lagos over suspension of Onnoghen

    Protesters on Monday paralyzed commercial activities in Lagos State in support of President Muhammdu Buhari’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
    The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, declared that Onnoghen lacks moral standing to remain in office as CJN.
    Comrade Festus Akintola, Convener of the protest, said Justice  must take its full course to serve as a deterrent to others that it is no longer business as usual.
    He said, “We have all gathered here to express our disgust with the actions of some segment of the country that have viewed the action of the president in placing the Chief Justice of Nigeria on suspension for false declaration of assets in contravention of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act for public office holders in the country.
    “Nigeria is not a country where anyone should be viewed as above the law as the law is no respecter of persons. And what an irony  that the chief law officer of the country would violate the law and would still want to evade justice. If that should ever happen, then Nigeria is no longer a country but a banana republic.
    “We stand in absolute solidarity with our dear and amiable president who has risen in defense of the country by suspending the Chief Justice of the country and thereby sending a strong message to all that no matter how highly placed, once you violate the law, there would be consequences.
    “We are also at a loss as to what case or position some people to want to canvass in a situation as glaring as this. Are they trying to deny the fact that the Chief Justice of Nigeria did not commit any offense? Are they trying to say that the president didn’t do the right thing by asking the Chief Justice to proceed on suspension pending the determination of the suit before the Code of Conduct Tribunal?
    “We wish to state that it amounts to moral bankruptcy for the Chief Justice to cite “forgetfulness” as the reason for not declaring a part of his estate. And we now wonder how someone of such high standing would think he can take over 180 million Nigerians for a ride.
    “And quite ironically some ethnic and religious champions have taken turns to give the actions of the president all manners of ethnic and religious coloration at the detriment of the fact of the matter.
    “But they shall be all put to shame because the majority of Nigerians are with the president and supports wholeheartedly the action of the president in the quest to rid the judiciary of corrupt elements such as the suspended Chief Justice.
    “In Nigeria today, under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari, we have indeed seen how and what it takes to fight the cancerous corruption. That is what President Muhammadu Buhari has displayed in the bold action of his.
    “We are all gathered here despite our busy schedules to show solidarity to the man of the people. The man who has the interest of the country at heart. The man who has dared the path where no one dares venture. The man that has an unshaken belief in the unity of Nigeria. The man who says a yes and it is a yes. A man who would not dip his hands in government coffers and a man who has shown us what it takes to have integrity in a country like ours.
    “The case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria presents us with one of such instances in which our president has risen in defense of the country.
    “And it takes more than a commitment and belief in the national development agenda for such actions to protect the people from dubious and corrupt minded individuals such as the suspended Chief Justice Walter Onnoghnen.
    “We are angry at the audacity if Justice Walter Onnoghnen to insult our intelligence as a people by wanting to whip up ethnic and religious sentiments through paid political jobbers.
    “If Justice Walter Onnoghen has any atom of morals as the Chief Justice of the country, the rational thing for him to have done was to honorably resign from office to save the judicial arm of the country the shame and denigration that has it brought upon us.
    “So bad is this case that Nigeria has become a laughing stock among countries. And the ethnic champions do not see anything wrong with it the shame Justice Walter Onnoghen has brought upon our country.
    “We support President Muhammadu Buhari wholeheartedly in the fight against corruption in the judiciary. We are consequently of the firm opinion that if the judiciary is not sanitized, then we might be in for considerable trouble.”

  • Buhari greets Abdullahi Ibrahim at 80

    President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, on his 80th birthday.

    Describing the celebrant as one of Nigeria’s finest and most erudite lawyers, the President said that he is honoured to have enlisted the services of the dedicated gentleman as Minister of Transport and Education, during his tenure as Nigeria’s military Head of State.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said “As you mark your 80th birthday, I am proudly reminded of your remarkable record of service as my then Minister of Transport and Education during my time as military leader.

    “Your landmark achievements in law and in the public service are impressive and worthy of emulation by others,” the President wrote in a congratulatory message to the octogenarian.

    Read Also: Buhari expresses sadness over Ekiti truck accident

    President Buhari noted that “one of the greatest achievements of any individual is the ability to serve his country without compromising his reputation and integrity”, hailing the senior lawyer for “passing this test.”

    “As you celebrate your 80th birthday, the country is proud of your record of service, patriotism and integrity, and you remain a role model to others in the country”, the President said.

    “As you attain 80 in your life’s journey, I am proud to be a living witness to your shining virtues. May God continue to bless you with good health, wisdom and many more years of service to your community, country and society”, President Buhari said.

  • Group rallies support for Buhari, Sanwo-Olu, Tinubu, others

    Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the RMB Family Political Group has started mobilisation of support for candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere, Lagos State.

    The group donated campaign materials, including six branded vehicles and 10,000 posters and handbills.

    The group, which is under the leadership of a former Chief Whip of Lagos State House of Assembly, Dr Abdurrazaq Balogun, said the development became imperative in view of the need to facilitate the campaign process of APC.

    It added that the candidates the party elected were genuinely committed to the development of the country.

    At the New Year thanksgiving of the group at RMB secretariat in Aguda, Surulere, Balogun said it was important for members to go all out and mobilise support for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Senator Oluremi Tinubu as well as election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as governor and all APC candidates in the February 16 and March 2 elections.

    Addressing over 500 party leaders, members and various groups at the gathering, Balogun said: “This is the time for party loyalists to remain focused on the job ahead. We must remember that our unity as people of the same party is non-negotiable. We must get all our candidates elected or re-elected at the coming polls to consolidate on the democratic gains that the people have been enjoying from APC.”

    Also, APC’s House of Representatives candidate for Surulere Constituency II, Lanre Okunlola, advised his constituents to show love within the rank and file.

    The politician noted that such a move help to build a strong foundation for APC to make it achieve victory at the general elections.

    The member representing Surulere Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mosunmola Sangodara, hailed party members for their steadfastness and zeal towards the party’s affairs.

  • Strike threat: Buhari summons emergency FEC meeting on new minimum wage

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is determined to avert a labour crisis over the new minimum wage.

    He has, therefore, fixed a Special Federal Executive Council meeting for tomorrow.

    The meeting might consider the draft Bill on the new wage structure before it is sent to the National Assembly.

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made the presentation of the Bill a precondition for shelving its proposed nationwide strike.

    Labour is insisting on a N30,000 minimum wage. The Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF) is proposing N24,000.

    Labour and Employment Minister  Chris Ngige last Tuesday told labour leaders that the new Minimum Wage Bill will be transmitted to the National Assembly on or before January 23.

    The NLC plans to start its strike on January 28.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed that “all members of the FEC have been advised to cut short official visits or campaign activities in their states to be at the session”.

    Asked if the salaries of workers earning above N30,000 labour’s proposed minimum wage will be renegotiated, the source said: “It is going to be a comprehensive FEC meeting. We will look at all options.”

    Budget and National Planning Minister Udoma Udo Udoma said at the weekend: “Technical Committee on the Implementation of a new Minimum Wage inaugurated last Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari is to, among other things, identify additional sources of revenue.”

    He said  the panel would assist the government on how it can “meet its expenditure on other services, such as education, health, infrastructure and other important functions of government, after paying the increased salaries”.

    Udoma made the clarifications at the weekend  at a session with editors in Lagos.

    A statement by Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Akpandem James, said: “The committee is to ensure that government can meet the increased costs that will arise from the implementation of a new minimum wage without affecting government’s ability to meet the other obligations of government, particularly with respect to the ambitious infrastructure development plans of the government.

    “The committee is expected to, among other things, look at how to get additional revenues so that as our wage bill goes up, we are able to increase our revenues to ensure that our spending on capital projects, our spending on basic infrastructure, our spending on health, our spending on education and others is not reduced.

    “In short, the committee is to advise on ways to ensure that notwithstanding the increase in payroll costs, there continues to be adequate funding for other government activities. This is not just for the 2019 fiscal year, but going forward, thereafter.”

    On budget deficit, the minister said the government is “proposing to bring it down slightly from the N1.95 trillion projected for 2018 to N1.895 trillion in 2019. This, he said, is 1.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), well within the three per cent limit set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

    As regards the debt service to revenue ratio, he assured that as the country’s revenue situation improves, that ratio will come down.

    Udoma added: “Nigeria does not have a debt problem as such. Our debt is within prudent limits. However, we need to optimise our revenue generating potential. This will bring down our debt service to revenue ratio.

    “Given the size of our economy, we can, and should, be doing better in revenue generation. This explains our focus as a government on revenues and revenue generation.”

    On the alleged small size of the budget, he said the government was limited by the revenues available to it.

    Udoma said: “Some commentators have complained that the 2019 budget proposal is too small. They would like us to have a larger budget. All of us in government would also like Nigeria to have a larger budget.

    “Indeed as our revenues grow, we will be able to expand our budget size. In truth, though we have increased our budget size significantly since we took over government in 2015, our budget size is still far too small to meet all our needs.

    “However, we are limited by the size of our revenues. Our current proposal for 2019 represents the maximum size that we believe we can prudently fund from our revenue and debt sources.

    “There is no point announcing a large budget that you cannot fund. As we are able to generate more revenues in future, we will be able to continue to increase the size of our budgets.”

    Concerning unemployment, the minister said the government was working hard to improve the enabling environment for economic expansion which will lead to the creation of additional jobs.

    He was confident that as the various initiatives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (the ERGP) continue to be implemented, Nigeria will be able to create jobs at a rate that is much faster than population growth, thereby bringing down the unemployment figures.

    “Most of these jobs will be created in the private sector, particularly in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, trade and services,” Udoma said, adding that “many of the major economic indices are showing signs of improvement.”

  • PMB as God’s will for Nigeria

    The elections are around the corner, and again, the hysteria that usually greets such exercises has rented the air. There has been lots of politicking going on around the country.

    Political strategists and analysts are at their best-giving situations and scenarios that would shape the outcome of the elections. In all of these, I know for a certain that indeed 2019 is the year of greatness for Nigeria.

    As usual, clergies have made all manners of positive predictions as regards the future of the country. And this is coupled with the relative peace that has permeated the nook and cranny of Nigeria indicates that something good is about to happen in Nigeria. So far the few prophecies that have been released suggest that Nigeria’s greatness might be around the corner. I am happy as well as sad for two reasons; one is the fact that since the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, a lot has changed in the way we do things as a people and as a country. And I am sad for the fact that those that contributed to the downfall of Nigeria have all ganged up against a man that believes so much in Nigeria and they are hell-bent on undermining him and all the efforts he has put in to set Nigeria back on track. Now, this is the irony of life that calls for serious concern from all well-meaning Nigerians.

    I am of the opinion that one of the best things that happened to Nigeria was the providential coming of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. What many did not understand then was that God indeed heard the cries of Nigerians who had been subjected to all manner of abuse by those saddled with the task of governing us. They took us all for a ride and stole our commonwealth. And they did all of these with so much impunity.

    The way and manner President Muhammadu Buhari won the elections indicated that God indeed loved Nigeria and would never allow the disintegration of the country. This was on the heels of the various predictions on how Nigeria would not remain as a country after 2015. But God used President Muhammadu Buhari to thwart the plans of evil ones against Nigeria. And this much can be verified with the way and manner the president has carried on since he assumed leadership of the country. He has put the interest of the country first and above his interest. For him, the wealth of Nigeria belongs to all and not for a select few. And this has been his undoing and why the hawks that have held this country down for years are all gathered to ensure that he is voted out so that business, as usual, can resume. But they will fail. Just like the holy bible says in Psalms 91 vs. 7 “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

    ” The evil plot against President Muhammadu Buhari shall not come near him if God is on the throne. I am not one of those that would be blinded by religion or ethnicity and shy away from realities of life. And I would also not hide under the umbrella of faith to deny the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has impacted positively on the lives of the average Nigerians on the street. Take it or leave, President Muhammadu Buhari was God’s will for Nigeria in 2015 and he remains God’s will for Nigeria in 2019. If not for anything, let us admit that he has freed our commonwealth from the hands of looters and for this singular act, they have vowed to take him out. But if God is for him who can be against him? No one. Also, but for his intervention, the Boko Haram insurgency would have engulfed North East Nigeria and by extension the whole country.

    Read Also:‘Vote for Buhari or live in perpetual regrets’

    Should we not be grateful to a man that has shown an unalloyed commitment to the Nigerian cause? Should we not appreciate God for this rare gift to humanity? Should we not stand up in unity and defend a man that is clearly on the side of the masses? Do we need a soothsayer to tell us that if not for President Muhammadu Buhari, the entity called Nigeria might have disintegrated? All of these are questions the intelligent minds should ask if we must be honest with ourselves. We should not be deceived by the narrative bandied around by people with questionable characters.

    We should not fall for their gimmick that would take us back donkey years. I want to believe that we have gotten to that stage of our existence where we can decipher between good and evil. President Muhammadu has indeed not failed in the discharge of his duties as president of this great country. This is evident in the numerous people-oriented projects that are ongoing around the country. And what do we owe this great and selfless man? It’s simple. Nigerians must unite with the voice of God to ensure that we defeat the evil ones at the elections. Nigerians must come together with one loud voice to say enough is enough to those that have milked us dry.

    Nigerians must vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari in the coming elections because here is a man that has not failed and his words to the citizens have been a strong bond. I am of the opinion that in the very least if we do not know or remember where we are coming from, we should at least know where we are going to. And with a man like President Muhammadu Buhari, we know he has been destined to take us to the promised land. Let us make no mistakes about this. For Nigeria, it is forward ever, and backward never. Enough is enough.

    Bishop Garuba is the President, national inter-faith and regious organization for peace.

  • Buhari greets Anyaoku at 86

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who turns 86 on Jan. 18.
    The president’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Thursday.
    The message read, “Buhari joins family, friends and professional colleagues of the career diplomat in celebrating the many years of lofty achievements and contributions to the development of Nigeria, Africa and Commonwealth of nations.”
    The president particularly lauded Anyaoku’s personal interventions in promoting good governance, democracy and peace in many nations of the world.

    Read Also:Group rallies support for Buhari in Delta, South-South

    He also saluted the historical role Anyaoku played in the fight for the emancipation of South Africa from apartheid regime.
    Buhari further cited Anyaoku’s exemplary role in the “political, diplomatic and developmental issues that had shaped the Africa continent,” including the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity, now called the African Union.
    He described Anyaoku as a visionary elder statesman and applauded “his uncompromising position on the unity of Nigeria, which he has  relentlessly pursued, without compromise’’.
    The president prayed that God should grant the octogenarian longer life, good health and more strength to continue to render selfless service to his fatherland.