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Tag: Femi Adeshina

  • I earned next to nothing as Buhari’s spokesman-Adesina

    I earned next to nothing as Buhari’s spokesman-Adesina

    Femi Adeshina, Former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has said he earned less as an appointee compared to his previous job.

    The ex-Presidential aide spoke at NUJ Press Centre Osogbo, Osun State on Wednesday at the Media dialogue programme organised by Association of Veteran Journalists.

    He added it was easy for him to manage Buhari because his principal was only interested in telling Nigerians the truth.

    Adesina, while answering questions, challenged any Nigerian to come forward to prove anywhere he lied in the eight years of the Buhari’s administration.

    According to him: of Bulll coloured anything, lllllstatements I issued. Buhari is as straight as an arrow, he doesn’t lie, that made it very easy to sell him.

    “A lot of people will say Lai Mohammed was lying to Nigerians, I challenge them that they should give me one lie that he has told, and they will look like fools. Mention one lie he has told.

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    “I went to work in government, I was paid one-third of the salary I was earning as the Managing Director of The Sun Newspaper when I served under Buhari for 8 years.

    “One day the publisher of The Sun called me and asked about my salary as the appointee of the President. I told him, he almost fell down from where he sat. I told him that I went there to serve, he told me that he has instructed them in The Sun to pay me N1 million per month to support my earnings at the presidency.

    ” I thought about it with my wife and I decided not to accept it. I rejected it. I was earning next to nothing as salary as I served Buhari for 8 years.”

    Adesina also added that Buhari curbed corruption.

    According to him: “Buhari will not shield anybody that is corrupt. Look at the number of convictions we have between 2011 to 2015 compared with 2015 to 2023, it is almost times five.”

  • Buhari’s 17 achievements in 2017 – Presidency

    Buhari’s 17 achievements in 2017 – Presidency

    The Presidency on Friday listed Nigeria’s exit from recession, bumper food harvests  and the emergence of the stock market as one of the best-performing in the world, as  some of the major achievements of the Buhari administration in the outgoing year.

    17 such achievements were listed in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr.Femi Adesina.

    The statement reads:

    • Nigeria exited its worst recession in decades. After five quarters of negative growth, the economy bounced back into positive territory. Agriculture was one of the stars of 2017, posting consistent growth levels even throughout the recession. Also, inflation fell for 10 consecutive months during 2017 (February to November).

     

    • The Naira stabilized against the dollar, after the Central Bank introduced a new forex window for Investors and Exporters. The stability has attracted billions of dollars in portfolio investments since April 2017.

     

    • On the back of a stable Naira and increased investment inflows, Nigeria’s stock market emerged as one of the best-performing in the world, delivering returns in excess of 40 percent.

     

    • Nigeria saw bumper food harvests, especially in rice, whose local production continues to rise significantly (States like Ebonyi, Kebbi, Kano leading the pack, with Ogun joining at the end of 2017). The price of a 50kg bag of rice – a staple in the country – has fallen by about 30 percent since the beginning of 2017, as local production has gone up.

     

    • The Federal Government launched a N701 billion Intervention Fund (“Payment Assurance Programme”) aimed at supporting power generation companies to meet their payment obligations to gas and equipment suppliers, banks and other partners. The impact is being felt, the amount of power being distributed is now currently steady at around 4,000MW – higher than previously recorded.

     

    • The Federal Government began paying pensions to police officers who were granted Presidential pardon in 2000 after serving in the former Biafran Police during the Nigerian Civil War. These officers, and their next of kin, have waited for their pensions for 17 years since the Presidential pardon.

     

    • Nigeria rose 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings, and earned a place on the List of Top 10 Reformers in the world.

     

    • Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves grew by $12 billion, reaching the highest level since 2014. Nigeria also added, this year, an additional $250m to its Sovereign Wealth Fund. Also, Nigeria’s trade balance crossed over into surplus territory, from a deficit in 2016.

     

    • Nigeria successfully issued two Eurobonds (US$4.5bn), a Sukuk Bond (100 billion Naira), a Diaspora Bond (US$300m), and the first Sovereign Climate Bond in Africa, raising billions of dollars for infrastructure spending.

     

    • The Federal Government launched a Tax Amnesty scheme expected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenues when it closes in March 2018.

     

    • The Federal Government successfully commenced implementation of a Whistleblowing Programme that has so far seen recoveries of tens of millions of dollars.

     

    • The Social Investment Programme – Nigeria’s most ambitious social welfare programme ever – rolled out across dozens of states. (Currently, 5.2 million primary school children in 28,249 schools in 19 states are being fed daily; 200,000 unemployed graduated enlisted into the Npower Job Scheme, and a quarter of a million loans already distributed to artisans, traders, and farmers).

     

    • The number of Nigerians facing food insecurity in the northeast dropped by half, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

     

    • The Nigeria Customs Service recorded its highest-ever revenue collection, crossing the One Trillion Naira (N1,000,000,000) mark. [The target for 2017 was 770 billion Naira (N770,573,730,490); 2016 Collection was just under 900 billion (N898,673,857,431.07)]

     

    • The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), under the new management appointed by President Buhari in 2016, remitted N7.8 billion to the coffers of the Federal Government. The total amount remitted by JAMB between 2010 and 2016 was N51 million

     

    • 2017 was also the Year of Nigeria’s Agriculture Revolution, embodied by the successes of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) and the Anchor Borrowers Programme. More than a dozen moribund fertilizer blending plants were revived under the PFI this year.

     

    • Finally, 2017 will be the Year that laid the foundation for a 2018 that will be Nigeria’s Year of Infrastructure. A number of important infrastructure projects, in power, rail and road, are scheduled to come on-stream or inch close to completion next year.
  • Buhari Congratulates Super Eagles for W/Cup Qualification

    Buhari Congratulates Super Eagles for W/Cup Qualification

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Super Eagles on their victory over the Chipolopolo of Zambia, describing it as “very sweet, soothing and a 57th Independence Anniversary gift to the nation.”

    The Super Eagles, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, on Saturday defeated the Zambian national football team by 1 – 0 through a goal by Alex Iwobi.

    The President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, applauded the Super Eagles for the feat of making Nigeria the first African country to qualify for Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament, with a match left to play.

    He, therefore, joined millions of football-loving Nigerians in rejoicing with the players and their coaching crew

    President Buhari called on all Nigerians to apply the values of perseverance, resilience, discipline, hard work and team-spirit, which propelled the players to excel since the beginning of the qualifying matches, to all sectors of national life.

    The President promised that the Federal Government would continue to support the team within available resources so that the nation will maximise the unifying potentials of sports in general and football in particular.

    He enjoined the entire team and Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) officials to “remain steadfast and focused when they begin preparations for the global football fiesta in order to make Nigeria proud’’.

    President Buhari urged public, private organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to continue to assist the Super Eagles as the team heads for a sixth appearance in the summit of football competition.

    The President also thanked the government of Akwa Ibom State for the invaluable support it had been rendering to the football team, describing it as worthy of emulation.

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria, with an away-match left to play against the Algerian national team, has already qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia with an unassailable 6-point lead after 5 matches in Group B.

  • Archbishop of Canterbury visits Buhari, glad at level of recovery

    Archbishop of Canterbury visits Buhari, glad at level of recovery

    Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Friday, paid a personal visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at Abuja House, London.

    Special adviser on media and publicity to the President, Femi Adesina revealed this on his Facebook page.

    According to Adesina, Archbishop Welby and President Buhari are friends, who share deep respect for each other.

    He said Archbishop Welby was delighted to see the rapid recovery President Buhari has made from his health challenges, noting that it was a testimony to the healing powers of God, and answer to prayers of millions of people round the world, adding that, “The cleric pledged to continue praying for both President Buhari and Nigeria.”

    Adesina said Buhari responded by thanking Archbishop Welby, whom he noted had always stood by him at critical times, and wished him God’s continued grace in his spiritual duty of leading the Anglican Communion worldwide.

    It will be recalled that when former British Prime Minister, David Cameron described Nigeria as a “fantastically corrupt” country ahead of an anti-corruption summit in London in 2016, Archbishop Welby had retorted: “But this particular President (Buhari) is actually not corrupt.”

    The Archbishop later personally received the Nigerian President at Lambeth Palace, London, and had also paid a goodwill visit to President Buhari in March this year, during his medical vacation.

     

  • Buhari to launch economic recovery plan Wednesday

    Buhari to launch economic recovery plan Wednesday

    President Mohammadu Buhari will on Wednesday April 5, launch the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adeshina said the launch of ERGP is in furtherance of the current Administration’s drive to sustain and build on the successes so far recorded in tackling corruption, improving security and re-revamping the economy.

    Adeshina who said the event will take place in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, at 11 am added that, “The Medium-Term ERGP, which had earlier been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), has amongst its broad strategic objectives, restoring sustainable, accelerated inclusive growth and development; investing in the people; and building a globally competitive economy.”

     

  • Buhari: APC diaspora condemns death rumour

    Buhari: APC diaspora condemns death rumour

    • Charges presidential media team on information management

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Scandinavia chapter, Ayoola Lawal, has called on villain individuals to stop peddling and spreading ill rumours of the death of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on vacation in the United Kingdom contrary to death rumour.

    According to him, apart from the President’s age and the demand for his office, a routine check-up and break from work is an ideal habit to allow for refuelling of the body and soul.

    The APC Chief spoke with journalists in Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos, Nigeria after his courtesy visit to the newly elected Federal House of Representative member representing Ifako Ijaiye/ Ojokoro constituency, Hon. Akinwunmi Nurudeen.

    Recall that Hon Nurudeen was elected after the untimely death of late Hon. Adewale Elijah Oluwatayo.

    Further speaking about the rumour of Buhari’s death, Lawal observed that the President needs all the supports and prayers for his administration to deliver on the electoral promises rather than wishing him death.

    “It is naturally absurd to me reading the rumour about the death of an individual. I tend to think that those selling that news never thought of the families and the loved ones of those they are spreading their fake death news.

    “Sometimes, reading about our own obituary could serve as a wake-up call, in terms of our story in other people’s life, though, and late Alfred Nobel was a typical example.

    “However, I implore all and sundry to get the fact right before spreading information especially in this new age of social media. President Buhari and his team need and deserve our supports and prayers for his tenure to make meaning to Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

    The APC chief further advised the Presidential media team on effective information management, especially as concerning the President, on who is everyone’s attention.

    Lawal observed: “To be candid, President Buhari is the first leader in Nigeria to officially embrace the New Media as a crucial part of the media team. It is, therefore, uncalled for if both the digital media specialists and the conventional publicity and media advisers fail to adequately manage the information about the President to the point where rumour was almost causing chaos in the country.

    “Malam Garba Shehu, Mr Femi Adesina, Tolu Ogunlesi and everyone on the media team may need to wake up to the challenges and avoid such information mismanagement in the future. There are ways to keep the enemy of progress mute, but if the bearer of truth keeps quiet then falsehood may be accepted for truth instead. I cannot teach them their jobs because I believe the President chose them wisely.

    “May God grant Mr President a speedy recovery and long life in great health. Long live Nigeria. Long live President Buhari. Long live APC.”