The Nation Newspaper

Tag: criticisms

  • Buhari: We’ll sustain anti-graft war despite criticism

    Buhari: We’ll sustain anti-graft war despite criticism

    •Promises not to sack workers

    The anti-corruption war will remain unrelenting despite the massive criticisms against it, President Muhammadu Buhari has stated.

    He vowed that all looters of public funds will be brought to book regardless of whose ox is gored.

    Buhari, who was apparently reacting to insinuations the fight has not yielded any positive impact, said the responsibility of the Executive is to investigate and prosecute, leaving the judiciary to convict offenders.

    The President spoke in an interview published in the 2017/2018 Nigeria Outlook, a study on the economy, governance and investment opportunities in the country compiled by a team of professionals led by Reginald Ibe and Dahiru Ali.

    He said: “We are succeeding in the anti corruption war. Cases are being investigated and those indicted are prosecuted. The number of convictions is not within the ambit of the Executive.

    “Ours is to investigate and charge to court while it is the duty of the judiciary to convict. We can’t be prosecutor and jury at the same time.

    “We respect the principle of separation of power as enshrined in our constitution. We don’t teleguide the judiciary and the onus is on that institution to do its work expeditiously.

    “The anti corruption war is not limited in scope. Anybody that runs foul of the law will answer for it.”

    He went on: “We will strengthen the war in due course. You don’t need a national debate to fight corruption.

    “You just need to crack down on corrupt people without fear or favour. We will strengthen the war and fight it at all levels.”

    President Buhari said the major task of his government is to make an enduring impact on Nigerians, lamenting that for many decades “we paid lip service to diversifying the economy.

    “But we merely succeeded in turning ourselves into a mono economy. And when oil price crashed, we simply crashed with it as a nation.

    “It should never happen again and that is why we are focused on agriculture, mines and steel development as well as manufacturing.

    “We will lay a solid foundation and build on it. That will ensure that Nigeria will never be at the mercy of just one commodity again.

    “Oil will still get attention but it gets it along with any other commodities. That is our goal, and Nigeria and the international community can count on our single mindedness as an administration. We are determined to make a difference.”

    On overbloated public service and whether the government has plans to down size, Buhari said: “There is time for everything. This time of parlous economic reality is not the right time to send more people into the Labour market. This is a government with a human face.

    “We met a monthly wage bill of the public service at about N165 billion. It is very easy to say downsize.

    “But we preferred to audit the system and scores of thousands of ghost workers have been discovered in the process.

    “We saved more than N20 billion which has reduced the monthly wage bill significantly. We will continue to audit the process, get the correct number of workers we have, rather than retrench and cause more misery.

    “I have said it before and I say it again. If I have my way, no single Nigerian will lose his or her job at this time.”

     

  • Don’t shun opponents’ criticisms, Ngige tells governor

    Don’t shun opponents’ criticisms, Ngige tells governor

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has congratulated Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano on his re-election victory in last Saturday’s poll.

    In a message to Obiano, the minister said a historic opportunity had been offered the governor to complete projects and take on other critical areas he could not start in his first term.

    Ngige said: “The people of Anambra have offered Governor Obiano a rare opportunity for a huge delivery in view of the relaxed atmosphere often provided by a final term of office. A golden opportunity is, therefore, here for our governor to bring to fruition his ongoing projects, initiate the ones he couldn’t start in his first term as well as bring fresh ideas to tackle critical areas that will define his administration in the continent of quality governance.

    “Our people have spoken and the election is over. We must, therefore, unite behind the governor to ensure that he succeeds. Anambra is first, and the collective aspiration of our people must remain utmost. The only way to ensure this is to give necessary support to those entrusted with our mandate. The election was credible except for a few isolated cases of electoral misdemeanour by overzealous All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftains in Idemili North and Nnewi South local government areas.

    “It is important that the governor extends his hands of fellowship to his opponents at the election as no good idea should be thrown away.

    “I will advise him not to throw away completely some of the constructive criticisms by his opponents during the election as some of them raised issues that will assist the him to perform better in the second stanza and etch his name indelibly in the hearts of the people. I hence wish him a very successful final term.”

    The minister also congratulated Ndi-Anambra for turning out in good numbers and making their choice.

    He hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a credible election as well as the security agencies for contributing to the success of the poll.

     

  • We ’re not deterred by criticisms, says Defence chief

    THE Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said yesterday the Nigerian Armed Forces will not be deterred by any criticism in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in the Northeast.

    Badeh spoke in Abuja when a group under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society Group visited the Defence Headquarters.

    He was reacting to Amnesty International’s indictment of some past and serving military chiefs over the counter-insurgency campaign.

    He noted that the Nigerian Armed Forces fought a war in the 1960s, which ended in the 1970s and that the country had remained one, adding that the current war against insurgency was not different.

    “One thing that the Armed Forces are doing is that we are not deterred by criticism; in war nothing is equal and people behave differently under pressure.

    “And war is the worst form of pressure any normal human being can ever face. So, if there are one or two infractions out there at the venue of war, it is normal.

    “It happens in every army, the most developed armies had committed worst crimes.”

    Badeh said the military was waiting for the outcome of investigation by the Federal Government on the indictment of some past and serving military officers for alleged human rights abuses by the Amnesty International.

    He said: “Our duty and obligation is to make sure that we return this country to normalcy; that is our pledge. And as civil society groups, you know that you are the conscience of the nation and we urge you not to rest on your oars.

    “We know we have been hit by you before; when we do what is not right, you hit us; that it is expected. And when we do what is right, you commend us and we want to thank you for being a check and balance.

    “We can guarantee you that there is no amount of distraction that can stop us from having a secured Nigeria”.

    The President of the group, Comrade Etuk Williams, said they were on the visit for solidarity and to appreciate the good work of the military in the fight against terrorism.

    Williams said the group, after critical and painstaking analysis of the report of the Amnesty International, discovered that the report was “devoid of truth”.

     

  • Criticisms won’t affect my actions, says Abe

    Criticisms won’t affect my actions, says Abe

    •300 indigent students get support

    The lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has said criticisms would not affect his actions, particularly the empowerment initiatives in the senatorial district.

    He presented bank draft to 300 beneficiaries of his annual school fee support scheme.

    Nine hundred indigent final year students in institutions of higher learning drawn from the seven local governments of the Rivers Southeast, which include Andoni, Eleme, Gokana, Khana, Opobo/Nkoro,Oyigbo and Tai have benefitted from the exercise, which started in 2012.

    Abe, who spoke while presenting the support to the students at his constituency office, Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government, said the empowerment initiatives he introduced, some of which were designed to provide employment and build capacity in the senatorial district were not part of his constituency project.

    “What I do is between me and my God. I don’t effect actions to expect praise, whatever I do is based on my conviction; it is about my relationship with my people and not about what people will say or not,” the Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (Downstream) said.

    He said the scholarship scheme among others was initiated in line with his commitment to invest in the people, encourage educational excellence and competition, adding that a society without competition produces people who know everybody, but know nothing.

    “Among us here are people from different background and political belief. What qualifies you for this exercise is merit. The reason we insist on merit is that any society that does not base its values on merit will be full of people who know everybody but know nothing. We want to build a society full of people who know something even if they don’t know anybody.

    “There are people whose stock-in-trade is to condemn others; their attitude cannot stop us from doing what we think is right or God’s intention for us. If we buy wrappers for the women of the district as part of our appreciation strategy outside the constituency projects; what is wrong with that,” the senator opined.

    The facilitator of the scheme, Kadilo Kabari, President, National Union of Oyigbo Students, Nwankwo Chijioke; that of Andoni, Timi Mbaba, and their Opobo/Nkoro counterpart, Solomon Tamunotonye, vowed that students from the senatorial district would continue to support Abe in whatever he aspired for politically.

     

  • Ujah accepts fans’ criticisms

    Ujah accepts fans’ criticisms

    NIGERIA’S Anthony Ujah believes he performed below expectations in Monday’s 6-1 bashing of Tahiti at the ongoing FIFA Confederations Cup at Belo Herizonte, Brazil.

    The former Warri Wolves ace, who spent last season with FC Cologne in Bundesliga 2 on loan from Mainz 05, told SportingLife that he totally accepts any condemnation of his performance during the encounter.

    “I’m very glad that we emerged victorious. I must admit that this is not my best performance and truly deserves all the criticism from the fans at the stands.

    “However, I will not fail to congratulate Oduamadi for emerging the Man of the Match,” noted Ujah who was replaced by Brown Ideye in the second half of the match.

     

  • Wada berates Kogi PDP elders over allegations, criticisms

    The Kogi State Government yesterday berated elders of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for writing a petition against Governor Idris Wada.

    The government expressed gratitude to another group, led by Gen. Salihu Ibrahim, for allegedly renouncing the party’s elders and backing the Wada administration.

    In a statement yesterday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Richard Elesho, the government said: “We are glad that the real Elders’ Forum of the PDP, led by respected Gen. Salihu Ibrahim, has come out, not only to deny the group but to also expressed confidence in Governor Wada and his team.

    “It is doubtful if this disenchanted group is not just weeping emotional sentiment on the altar of cheap political cleavage.

    “The Wada administration is not going to look back on its avowed mission of transforming Kogi and bringing the good life to the people.

    “The government will not stop its free health services to both urban and rural dwellers. It will not suspend the construction of roads it initiated.”