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Tag: Femi Adesina

  • I won’t disappoint, Buhari assures

    President Muhammadu Buhari has appreciated the confidence reposed in him by Nigerians from different walks of life, vowing; “I won’t disappoint.”

    The President spoke Thursday at State House, Abuja, as he was decorated Grand Patron of the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) by the Board of Trustees of the prime media awards organization in the country.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, described the investiture as “a timely honour,”

    According to him, he had known a good number of the members of the NMMA board, “since the time I didn’t even know I would be here.”

    Read Also: ‘Buhari will lead Nigeria beyond 2019’

    Former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Engr. Vincent Maduka, who led the delegation, said President Buhari was qualified to be grand patron, “because you respect the rights of the media to practice, without any hindrance.”

    It was noted that under President Buhari, no media house has been shut, and the first ever campus television license was awarded to the University of Lagos, under the chairmanship of veteran Mass Communication teacher, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye.

    Engineer Maduka said the NMMA was established in 1990, to promote excellence in Nigerian media, and has hosted 26 grand award presentations, with the latest holding just a week ago.

    Part of the goals of NMMA, he added, was the promotion of patriotism, and unity of the country.

  • ‘We are on mission to rescue Nigeria from greedy few’

    President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is on a mission to rescue the nation’s resources from being appropriated by “a privileged few in their never ending quest to satisfy their greed”.

    The President stated in his New Year message to Nigerians which was issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Monday.

    To this end, the president said the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government had resolved to build a country in which the resources were utilised for the benefit of citizens, irrespective of their socio-political affiliations.

    He said: “That is the journey we have embarked on since we came on board in 2015, and we are not distracted as we move on.

    “We are resolved to build a country in which the resources are utilized for the benefit of the largest number, and not appropriated by a privileged few in their never ending quest to satisfy their greed.

    “We are on this mission together, and I assure you of a firm commitment to the ideals of a safe, secure, fair, just and prosperous country.’’

    According to him, Nigerians desire peace, security, prosperity, inclusiveness and infrastructure development, a nation they can be proud of, a country that can hold its own among the nations.

    He, however, stated that those who continued to trumpet falsehood and negativity were on their own, fighting a losing battle.

    He noted that “the greater number of Nigerians are trusting and believing that we shall deliver on our promises for a level playing field at the polls, and that is what we shall do’’.

    He, therefore, reiterated his promises and declarations that the general elections would be free, fair and credible.

    “Elections need not be do or die affair, and we should not approach that eventuality in a democracy with trepidation and mortal fear.

    “Happily, a large number of presidential candidates have committed to peace, and peace we shall have,’’ he added.

    President Buhari acknowledged that the country had its challenges; ranging from security, economic, political to social, but the government had resolved to combat and overcome them all.

    He, therefore, expressed the hope that Nigerians would renew the mandate they overwhelmingly gave the APC in 2015, for another term.

    “I appreciate your support and collaboration in previous years, and look forward to same in 2019, and beyond, as I hope you will renew the mandate you overwhelmingly gave us in 2015, for another term.

    “We are motivated by nothing other than service to motherland, and service without selfishness or personal interest.

    “I can assure you all that we are making steady and sustainable progress in all areas of national life. Those who are unbiased can see and appreciate the progress the country has made since 2015.

    “A New Year provides opportunity for renewal of commitment, and I invite you to rededicate yourselves to the vision of a Nigeria that works for all.

    “We are moving from potentials to actualisation, and it’s a task to be accomplished by us all; man, woman, young, old, military, civilian, all Nigerians.Please come along, as we journey to the land of our dreams. Happy 2019,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • 2019 Budget: ‘Atiku’s criticism high on rhetoric, low on real solutions’

    The Presidency on Thursday declared that former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of 2019 Budget proposal was high on rhetoric and low on real solutions.

    Atiku Abubakar had last weekend issued a statement in which he described President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 budget proposal as fundamentally flawed and failing to address current realities.

    A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, pointed out that the “current realities” identified by Atiku were issues already highlighted in President Buhari’s budget speech and further amplified in the detailed presentation by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma.

    According to him, Atiku Abubakar regrettably didn’t offer substantive and workable solution to the identified “realities”.

    He said “Atiku describes the underlying assumptions of the budget as generous, wild and untenable but does not propose alternative assumptions that would have been more appropriate.

    “He argues that the economy is yet to recover from the 2016/2017 recession. Unfortunately, he cannot create his own definition of an economic recession, which is a technical term with a universally applicable meaning. When an economy experiences two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, it is said to be in recession and whenever it returns to positive GDP growth of whatever rate, it is said to have exited recession. It is doubtful if he understands the simple meaning of recession.

    “Atiku attributes the sustained accretion to foreign reserves to “increases in international prices of Brent Crude and foreign borrowing”. But he conveniently forgets that under the immediate past federal administration oil prices were at an all-time high with substantial growth in foreign borrowings, and yet foreign reserves nose-dived from a peak of $62billion to as low as $24 billion.

    “His repeated reference to the price of Brent Crude throughout his statement may be indicative of his lack of knowledge that Nigeria’s Bonny Light Crude trades at a premium of at least $2 per barrel over the price of Brent; just as his reference to Nigeria’s OPEC quota may also suggest that he does not know that Condensates do not count in measuring compliance with the quota.

    “The PDP Presidential candidate faults the provision of N305 billion for NNPC’s cost under-recovery on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) but does not say exactly what he would do about PMS pricing.

    “If however we are to go by an earlier statement from his campaign organisation, which promised to reduce the price of petrol to N87, then we can expect a much higher subsidy provision from an Atiku government; because he is not going to perform magic to get the refineries working at peak capacity immediately.

    “He describes the 2019 budget as being very small, but does not offer any implementable options for improving domestic resource mobilization, which is the only sustainable means to achieving larger budgets. It does seem that he does not understand or is just feigning ignorance about the critical role of revenue in budget preparation.

    “A careful look at Atiku’s statement would show that there is nothing original about his identified “realities.” These are areas President Buhari had already identified in his speech. For instance, the President recognised that the revenue performance of the Federal Government up till September 2018 has been less than spectacular.

    “Leaving aside for a moment the fact that there has been a remarkable increase in Federal Account receipts in the last three months, a look at the budget speech will show that the President specified a number of actions to tackle revenue weakness including strengthening on-going efforts at tax collection, liquidation of recovered assets, immediate recovery of past due oil royalties charges and deployment of the National Trade Window to improve customs collections.

    “His most laughable criticism perhaps was his claim that “there is little evidence to show that increased investment in agriculture has yielded positive results”. Even the worst adversary of the Buhari administration would acknowledge that significant progress has been made in the agriculture sector.” he added

    He said that in Atiku’s often desperate attempt to rubbish the 2019 budget, he confused foreign direct investment with capital inflows.

    This, he said, is wrong as capital inflows covers foreign direct investment, foreign portfolio investments, international borrowing and short-term deposits in money market instruments.

    He went on “He complains about movements in foreign portfolio investment which are often volatile and reflect monetary policy normalization in the United States, meanwhile he is silent on the positive trade surplus mentioned in the budget speech which truly reflects living within our means as a nation.

    Read Also: Atiku to Buhari: Don’t blame the system for your failure

    “Atiku also calculates the budget deficit as a percentage of current revenue rather than as a ratio of gross domestic product which is the preferred standard for inter-temporal measures of the deficit. Using this more appropriate measure the national fiscal deficit is 1.3% of GDP which is well below the 3% specified in the Fiscal Responsibility Act and well within the best global norms. So much for those who claim they have the magic wand to grow the economy.

    “A most glaring weakness in the statement by Atiku is that he does not take a stance on issues of public interest in the budget, which is utterly regrettable from someone who aspires to lead Nigeria.

    “As President Buhari explained, the subsidy/under-recovery has been retained to reduce the burden on ordinary Nigerians at a time of weak purchasing power in a manner that avoids the abuses of the past. The truth is that contrary to the belief of people like Atiku that low fuel prices only benefit the rich, a large number of ordinary Nigerians rely on PMS to operate ‘keke’, ‘okada’, taxi, and ‘danfo’.

    “A lot of the generators used by small businesses also use PMS.  Indeed, it is amazing that a man who has promised N87 per litre of PMS can criticize a process of under-recovery/subsidy that is not being abused as it was in the past.

    “To further show Atiku’s lack of knowledge about basic issues in the petroleum market, he contradicts himself in his quest to make a non-existent point. He complains about the benchmark price of $60 per barrel used for crude oil exports in the budget and tries hard to show understanding of the dynamics of the global oil market by referring to US shale oil production and pressures on the Saudi regime. Yet Atiku expects that OPEC quotas will come into force, in which case the price of crude oil may rise in international markets. What is obvious is the fact that low oil prices impact negatively on shale oil production.

    “For instance, recent reports from a Permian producer show that with West Texas Intermediate at near $45 per barrel, they have already cut back on rig count and use of completion crews.  There is more over the demand side which remains extremely strong in the United States, while large economies like China and India will continue to grow at over 6% and 7% respectively in 2019, which will also impact on crude oil prices.

    “Finally, Atiku moans about the capital budget without acknowledging the historically high capital expenditure over the past two budget cycles continuing into the current 2018 budget cycle.

    “Apart from the fact that the Federal Government has kept to its promise to keep capital expenditure at 30% of the budget, the PDP Presidential candidate is quiet about his plans to raise capital expenditure and reduce recurrent spending. The reality is that it can only be done by retrenching public sector workers and by not increasing the minimum wage to which this government is fully committed.”

    He said that it was obvious that Atiku’s statement on the budget was a poor attempt at playing to the gallery.

    “Without a doubt, the country faces significant fiscal challenges. The administration of President Buhari understands these challenges, as well as workable solutions thereto.

    “The implementation of some of the solutions however needs to be paced and well-timed to avoid dislocating the growth trajectory of the economy. Atiku’s criticism of the 2019 budget proposal can best be described as high on populist rhetoric but low on any real solutions to the identified challenges.” he stated

  • Buhari mourns slain ex-CDS Alex Badeh

    Orders security agencies to fish out killers

    President Muhammadu Buhari has described the killing of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) as “very sad and unfortunate.”

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, commiserated with the family of the late four-star general, his friends and professional colleagues in the military and the people and government of Adamawa State.

    Read Also: APC youths back Buhari

    Noting the late Badeh, who was also a former Chief of Air Staff attained professional fulfilment in his over three decades military career, Buhari regretted  that he fell victim to incidence of violent and fatal attacks on the nation’s highways.

    He directed security agencies to find the killers of the 15th Chief of Defence Staff and bring them to face the full force of the law.

    He ensured greater security and safety for all users of the country’s roads.

    The President prayed that God Almighty comforts all those who mourn Air Chief Marshal Badeh and grant his soul peaceful rest.

  • Birthday Special: Why we love Buhari – Femi Adesina

    “That’s him, that’s him,” the two old women, wrinkled and bent with age, exclaimed. You could see wonderment and fulfillment in their eyes. And as if on cue, they both began to cry.

    It was in Bauchi earlier this year. President Muhammadu Buhari was visiting to commiserate with the people on the ravages of windstorm, which had destroyed many homes and other property. As he waved at the tumultuous crowd, the two women saw him, perhaps for the first time in their lives. And so great was their satisfaction, their pure joy, that they began to cry.

    That is the kind of emotion that courses through millions and millions of Nigerians when they behold their President, the honest man (mai gaskiya), the man of integrity, man of accountability, one whose word you can take to the bank. The man who loves them, and they love and trust in return.

    Don’t misunderstand me. Not all estimated 196 million Nigerians share this sentiment. Not possible. There are those who are passionately opposed to the President. They are a very vocal minority, who abhor his integrity, hate his sense of accountability, and even want him dead. But we are not talking about those who Fela Anikulapo-Kuti called “opposite people.” On this day of his 76th birthday, we are talking of the teeming masses who love Buhari, and who can go to the ends of the earth for him.

    Why do they love Buhari? Or better still, why do we love Buhari? The old, the young, men, women, boy, girl, the strong, the infirm. Why do we love the tall man from Daura? For many reasons.

    I have said it before, and say it again. It will take a while before Nigeria will see another political leader with such ability to pull an unsolicited and uninduced crowd like Muhammadu Buhari. Anywhere he goes, he doesn’t have to procure the crowd. They turn out in their numbers to see and hear him. They will trek from Africa to China, walk from Cape Town to Cairo, all to see, hear and cheer the man they love.

    Why?

    Many reasons. He is an honest man. My father, that stern educationist, who ran the home and the schools he administered with an iron hand, used to tell us: “Honesty is the best policy.” That was true over 50 years ago when he drummed it into our ears, and it is still true today. And will remain true tomorrow, and forever. That is why we love Buhari. He is an honest man, who will tell the truth to his own hurt.

    At a recent meeting with governors, while discussing the seemingly knotty issue of minimum wage, the President told them to level with him. He said he knew that general elections were by the corner, “but I don’t like to lie to anybody. I will still like to tell Nigerians the truth, and nothing but the truth, as to what we can truly afford to pay.” Consultations are still ongoing.

    Some people will give you fibs, just because they want to hoodwink you, and get your votes. They will announce that they’ve increased the salaries of fictitious workers, even when truly they are owing many of their employees. But not President Buhari. Nothing for him is a matter of life and death. Truth is the best thing in a man’s keeping. Make yourself an honest man, and there is one rascal less in the world. That is why we love the man.

    Accountability. I will never forget a promise Buhari made to the crowd at a campaign rally in Lagos in 2011, when he ran with Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly. Two honest men. “Every kobo that comes into the treasury will be used for the good of Nigerians.” That’s the accountable man, who would not dip his hands into the treasury for private gains, who will not line his pocket at the expense of the people. That is why we love him.

    Just over a week ago, I met a man who was an accountant at the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), when the then Gen. Buhari was chairman. Executive Chairman, who could do anything he wanted, since the place was awash with billions of petrol money.

    “I told him his salary would be N200,000 monthly,” the man recounted.

    “He said it was too much, since he still drew pension from public coffers as a retired General and former head of state. I don’t know how he calculated it, but he said he would rather be paid N84,000 monthly. And that was what he earned.”

    Yet some people say don’t follow this honest man. Till he has one tooth left in his mouth, and is bent double over his walking stick, we will, no matter what they say. Honesty is still the best policy. Today, tomorrow, and forever.

    See all the positions he has held in this country. Governor of North-east, then made up of what is now six states. Minister of Petroleum for over three years. Head of State for 20 months. Chairman of PTF for many years. Yet he remains a man of modest means. That is why we love him.

    In the early days of this administration, when oil prices had crashed to as low as 39 dollars per barrel (from as high as 115 in preceding years, stabilizing at over $100 for a long time, yet we had no savings, no reserves), it was usually a spectacle to see the President and the then Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, seated and apportioning funds for the week. Depending on what was in the coffers, they prioritized spending, just like traders with low capital base.

    Nigeria had been run into a hole. No reserve for the rainy day, and we were being badly beaten by the rain. Yet salaries must be paid as at when due. At least 27 states could not meet their obligations, till President Buhari gave them a lifeline. And then, one day, a counsel was given at a meeting: “This is the time to ideally cut the strength of the federal civil service by at least half, as we may not be able to carry the load for long.” It made a lot of fiscal sense. But to the President, it was nonsense. “If it lies within my powers, I will ensure that no single person loses his or her job. Yes, it may be the right thing to do, looking at the state of our finances, but I won’t do it,” President Buhari said.

    And you say we shouldn’t love this President? We will love him till Africa and China meet.

    A confederacy has arrayed itself against the honest man. A crooked confederacy. Anybody that is anybody in the pantheon of questionable character is there. Are Nigerians fools? After their eyes have been opened, will they willfully afflict themselves with blindness again? Not on their lives! The country will never go back to the slave market. Not after we have known prudence, experienced accountability, and we are are inching out of the morass in which we were soused and marooned.

    For more than five decades, mere lip service was paid to diversification of the economy. But we remained a mono-product country. Oil. So, whenever the price of oil crashed in the international market, we simply crashed with it. Now gradually, and inexorably, we are on the road to a diversified economy. Wonders are being done in agriculture. Mining is flexing muscles. Manufacturing is showing prospects. All in less than four years.

    What of infrastructure? The sum of N2.7 trillion spent in two years. The roads are roaring to life. The rail is snaking in. Power is powering back. Wonders are being unfolded in different parts of the country. And we shouldn’t love this President? We will, no matter what the naysayers say.

    Hear pensioners rejoice: This is the best administration we’ve had since the advent of Contributory Pension Scheme 14 years ago.

    Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State spoke at a meeting of governors with the President last Friday. He said since the creation of the state, this was the first time pensioners were being paid, adding that pension liabilities have been cleared by about 40%. Just because there is a President that cares.

    Former Nigeria Airways workers. Railway workers. Former Biafran policemen. And many others, have had their pensions paid. And we shouldn’t love the ‘birthday man?’ They should tell it to the marines.

    When you have a heart for men, it is God himself that keeps you alive. We have seen a practical demonstration in President Buhari.

    From the brink of death early 2017, there is now an unmistakable glow in him, evidence of good health from the inside. It is God at work. No wonder wicked people came with the idiocy of Jubril of Sudan. Otiose. Hollow. Products of addled minds. That was why we ignored them, till the President himself responded to a question from Nigerians in Poland two weeks ago.

    And you know what? Our love for this President is at no cost. No charge. Whether we work for him, and for him, or we don’t, the real cost of our love is no charge.

    Do you know that classic song, No Charge, made popular by Shirley Caesar and Sonia Spence? It told the story of a small boy who decided to charge his mum for all that he considered favours he had done her.

    “For mowing the yard, five dollars
    And for making my own room this week, one dollar

    For going to the store, 50 cents

    And playing with little brother while you went shopping, 25 cents

    Taking out the trash, one dollar

    And for getting a good report card, five dollars

    For raking the yard, two dollars

    Total owed, fourteen seventy-five.”

    The woman looked at her son, standing there expectantly. Then she collected the paper from him, and wrote on it:

    “For the nine months I carried you,
    Growing inside me, no charge

    For the nights I sat up with you
    Doctored you, prayed for you, no charge

    For the time and tears, and the cost through the years, no charge

    When you add it all up, the full cost of my love is no charge.”

    For millions upon millions of Nigerians who love this President, it is an unconditional love. The full cost of our love is no charge. Happy birthday, Mr President.

    Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity.

  • Buhari congratulates Ribadu over global anti-corruption award

    President Muhammadu Buhari has heartily congratulated the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu on his winning the Anti-Corruption Lifetime Achievement Award.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, rejoiced with the pioneer chairman of the EFCC.

    He noted that being one of eight recipients from five continents of various categories of the Award organised by the prestigious Sheikh Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE) Award 2018, during its Third annual ceremony in Malaysia on Friday, “is a rare privilege and acknowledgment of his fearless fight against corruption in his country.”

    According to President Buhari, “The award to Ribadu affirms our commitment to the campaign against corruption, which is one of the three focal areas of our administration.

    Read Also: 2019: Ribadu steps down for Dankwambo

    “This also means that the world appreciates our determination to stem the negative effects of corruption on the country’s development.” he said

    He urged the current leadership of the anti-corruption organisations in the country not to be deterred in the face of “corruption fighting back in different forms and shapes.”

    President Buhari also enjoined all Nigerians in leadership positions to emulate Malam Ribadu and see public office “as a public trust.”

  • Buhari mourns OPC founder, Fasehun

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the Yoruba nation over the passing of the founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun.

    The President, in a condolence message by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Saturday, also condoled with the family of the medical practitioner and the government and people of Ondo State.

    President Buhari recalled the prominent role Fasehun played as a member of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which campaigned against military rule in the country.

    The President prayed that almighty God would comfort all those who mourned the octogenarian and grant peace to his soul.

    Fasehun, aged 83, died at about 1a.m, Saturday at the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Ikeja (LASUTH).

    Late Fasehun, who was born in Ondo on September 25, 1938 in Ondo, Ondo State, was an active member of NADECO.

    Read Also: OPC founder Fasheun is dead

    He began his education late, entering primary school at the age of 13 at Saint Matthews Roman Catholic School, Ondo.

    He later moved to Saint Peter’s Teacher’s Training College, Akure, also in Ondo state. But he was expelled from school, because of his non-conformity with Catholicism.

    Fasehun was then admitted to Ondo Boys High School, where he completed his secondary education in less than three years, with a Grade One distinction.

    His brother offered him a scholarship to study science at Blackburn College in the UK.  He furthered his education at Aberdeen University College of Medicine.

    He also studied at the Liverpool Postgraduate School after which he had a Fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons.

    In 1976, he studied acupuncture in China under a joint World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Development Scholarship Programme.

    On his return in 1977, he set up an Acupuncture Unit at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

    He resigned in 1978 and immediately set up the Best Hope Hospital and Acupuncture Centre in Lagos.

    His Acupuncture Centre once earned a reputation as Africa’s first for the Chinese medical practice.

    NAN

  • Buhari congratulates Olu Agunloye at 70

    President Muhammadu Buhari, has felicitated with the former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, and former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr Olu Agunloye, on his  70th birthday.

    The felicitation by the president was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Friday.

    Buhari, in the statement, joined members of Agunloye family, his friends, professional colleagues and political associates in congratulating the former minister.

    The president noted that Agunloye had over the years, contributed to national development with his knowledge and experience in science.

    Read Also: Buhari seeks renewed support against terror

    He extolled Agunloye’s visionary and purposeful style of leadership, and his advocacy for good governance, derived from participatory democracy and development, as the way forward for a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

    The president also saluted Agunloye’s courage and patriotism in serving the country in various capacities, including Minister of State for Defence (Navy), and his decision to join the governorship race in Ondo State in 2016.

    Buhari prayed that the almighty God would continue to protect and guide Agunloye and his family, and grant him longer life to keep serving the country.

    NAN

  • Buhari to attend climate change conference in Poland

    President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to leave Abuja on Saturday for Katowice, Poland, to attend the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP24) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

     

    The conference is holding from 2nf to 5th of December, 2018.

     

    The COP24 Summit, which will be held at the International Conference Centre (MCK) and the adjacent Spodek Arena in Katowice, is being convened under the Presidency of Poland.

     

    According to the organisers, the conference is expected to finalize the rules for implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) – the rule book for implementation.

     

    During the Leaders’ Summit at COP24, a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said that President Buhari will deliver a national statement highlighting Nigeria’s commitment to addressing climate change by implementing the goals set out in its National Determined Contributions.

     

    He will also use the occasion to accentuate Nigeria’s willingness to work with international partners to reverse the negative effects of climate change in Africa and the world over, while expecting that developed nations scale up their emission reduction activities in order to limit the increase in average global temperatures to well below 2 degrees centigrade between now and 2020.

     

    The Leaders’ Summit is expected to adopt a ‘‘Declaration on Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia,’’ – named after the region of Poland where this year’s climate conference is taking place.

    Read Also: Buhari seeks renewed support against terror

    As a member of the Committee of the African Heads of State on Climate Change – a group of 10 African countries that meets and takes positions concerning issues of climate change on behalf of the continent – Nigeria has been at the forefront of advancing policies and initiatives aimed at addressing significant challenges occasioned by climate change such as reviving the Lake Chad, halting and reversing desertification, flooding, ocean surge and oil spillage.

     

    “President Buhari will continue to champion these pressing issues at COP24 in Katowice, among others, as well as reiterate Nigeria’s position on the need for African countries to access financial resources, especially the Green Climate Fund to draw up climate change adaptation policies and actions for implementation.

     

    “The Nigerian delegation will also showcase the policy measures and actions of the Federal Government at ensuring environmental sustainability and effectively combating climate change through several side events within the Nigerian pavilion.”

     

    While in Poland, President Buhari will hold an interactive session with the Nigerian community in that country.

     

    He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the President of Poland Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

     

    The President will be accompanied by Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Yahaya Bello and Abubakar Sani Bello of Enugu, Kogi and Niger States, respectively.

     

    Others on his entourage include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, and the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin.

  • Buhari seeks renewed support against terror

     Leaders resolve to change modus operandi against Boko Haram, others 

    Towards checking insurgency in Nigeria and the neighboring countries, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday called for renewed commitment by the Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).
    He made the call during a one-day consultation with Heads of State and Governments of the  LCBC in N’djamena, capital of the Republic of Chad.
    A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the meeting was called to address the recent upsurge in terrorist activities in the region.
    According to him, Buhari rallied his colleagues from Chad, Niger Republic, and Republic of Cameroon to a fresh onslaught against insurgents, particularly the Boko Haram group.
    Buhari said “Times as these call for quick interventions and measures.
    “As you are aware and have witnessed in recent times, there are new developments of security concern in our sub-region. The region in the recent past has witnessed increasing attacks, particularly on military formations by elements of the Boko Haram terrorists as well as the renewed kidnapping of people.
    “These activities are aimed at weakening our collective resolve to eradicate them from the region.
    “We must not cave in. The group’s renewed strategy of increasingly mining the general area as well as its recent deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance activities have proved to be critical factors in the resurgence of attacks in the region.” he said.

    Read Also: Buhari orders troops to wipe out Boko Haram

    Commending what he called the “untiring efforts” of the leadership of the LCBC, and officers and men of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), President Buhari noted that the efforts of those who strive to bring peace and stability to the region would never be forgotten.
    “We are committed to ensuring that the ideals of restoring peace, stability and viability of the Lake Chad Region to its glorious state, for which some of you have paid the ultimate price is attained,” he vowed.
    He added “We must not relent and allow the enemies of the region to succeed in their quest to destabilize the area. We must reinvigorate our collective will and commitment towards eradicating terrorism from our region.
    “We must remain focused and true to ensuring sustainable development. To this end, I have requested that bilateral and multilateral platforms of engagements by member countries affected by the conflict be revamped to ensure collective actions towards stamping out the remnants of the terrorists from the region.
    “There is no gainsaying that also fueling the crisis are the twin menaces of poverty and the continued shrinkage of the Lake Chad, which have rendered the people of the region vulnerable to terrorist activities.
    “Attention is drawn to the Lake and its resources, which have always been the source of livelihood for the millions of people that live within and around the basin.”
    He charged the Presidents and Heads of Governments in attendance to make concerted efforts to ensure the actualization of efforts to recharge the Lake, through Inter-Basin Water Transfer, from the Congo Basin.
    President Buhari stressed that if meticulously pursued, the project “has the capacity to unlock the economic potentials and provide solutions to the myriad of interrelated challenges confronting the region.”
    As Chairman of the Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, President Buhari assured of his commitment to providing the required leadership and direction for the actualization of peace and security in the area.
    He reiterated an earlier promise he had made to troops fighting terrorism: “We are committed to ensuring you have the requisite and enabling equipment to optimally function. Your welfare is, and would continue to remain our priority. Together, we shall restore the Lake Chad Region to its glorious days.”
    In attendance at the consultation, apart from the Nigerian President, were, President Idris Deby Itno of Chad, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic, and Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philemon Yang, who represented President Paul Biya.
    In a joint communique, the Heads of State and Governments, resolved to change modus operandi, collaborate more, and renew assault on all forms of terrorism and criminal acts, till wholesome peace was restored to the region.