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Tag: Garba Shehu

  • Ex-Sultan, Dasuki was a voice for peace – Buhari

    Ex-Sultan, Dasuki was a voice for peace – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has extended condolences to the Dasuki family, the government and people of Sokoto State on the death of the 18th Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari also commiserated with the Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs over the demise of the remarkable traditional ruler that devoted his life, tenure of office to the promotion of peaceful coexistence and tolerance among diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria.

    The President joined them in mourning the passing of one of Nigeria’s most powerful voices for peace and unity in diversity, who diligently kept faith with the virtues of the Sardauna whom he had served as a public servant.

    Apart from modernising the traditional institution to bring it in tune with changing times, President Buhari believed that the late Ibrahim Dasuki, who died on Monday at the age of 93, will be long remembered for his role in the creation of the present local government system in the country.

    He paid tribute to his contribution to national peace and development, particularly his significant role in producing the report that gave birth to the current local government councils.

    President Buhari also prayed that Almighty Allah will comfort the family of his Eminence, grant the deceased eternal rest and reward his good virtues with Paradise.

  • Don’t link Buhari to Judges’ arrest-Presidency

    The Presidency at the weekend advised journalists and other Nigerians to stop linking President Muhammadu Buhari to the legal travails of some recently arrested Judges in the country.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, President Buhari would be the last person to authorize anybody to induce a Judge to pervert the course of justice.

    He pointed out that the President had never used his personal familiarity with some court Judges to seek favours from them in 2003, 2007 and 2011 when he was challenging the fairness of the presidential election results, through the lowest to the highest courts in the land.

    The Senior Special Assistant also explained that, as a politician, Buhari had never once ever suggested to his lawyers to approach any Judge for assistance to win his cases.

    According to him, the President is living by this principle and has never deviated from it.

    On the fate of the Judges facing corruption allegations, he said the President doesn’t tell Courts how to do their jobs and that anybody accused of corruption is protected by law to defend their innocence.

    The purpose of the law, he said, is to punish the guilty and acquit the innocent, noting that the law projects the rights everyone.

    Malam Garba Shehu said the President doesn’t have any powers to force any court to convict anybody who is innocent, arguing that in a democratic society, that cannot happen without resistance by the people.

  • Chibok community goes agog as FG confirms release of girls

    Chibok community goes agog as FG confirms release of girls

    Reports from Chibok Community says, the entire community is in celebration mood as news of the release of some of their abducted girls by Boko Haram has been confirmed by the Federal Government of Nigeria, a source from Chibok has said.

    Though some of the parents are still not sure  whether their children are among the batch of the released girls notwithstanding they could not stop in joining in the celebration of the news.
    Investigation reveals that Other communities like Ymir Ali, Njoma, Gwandan Rimirgu, Mikabu as well as Chanchan bulguma in Askira Uba axis of  southern Borno went on wild jubilation on hearing the cheering news of the release.
    The Senior Special Advise to President Mohammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu confirmed the release of the girls on Thursday morning through a social media post.
    “The names of the released girls follow shortly,” Shehu said.
  • Rio Olympics: President Buhari commends dream team

    Rio Olympics: President Buhari commends dream team

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the performance of Nigeria’s under-23 male football team against their Japanese opponents at the ongoing 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    The president made the commendation in a message to the Team Nigeria contingent on Friday from Abuja, signed by his Senior Special Assistant on (SSA) Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

    It said Buhari expressed the hope that the football team’s victory would serve as “an inspiration to the entire contingent of the grand show Nigerians expect from our athletes’’.

    In the message, President Buhari also expressed optimism that the country’s team would put up an impressive showing to delight fellow countrymen.

    “On behalf of the government and people of our great country, I wish to express my support to our athletes who have arrived in Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games.

    “I am particularly delighted by the outcome of the football match early this morning, in which our football team defeated their Japanese counterparts.

    “The sweetness of the victory comes from the fact that it came against all odds.

    “Our team overcame several challenges to put up a sterling performance. This is a good beginning,’’ he said in the message.

    President Buhari also praised the resilience, hard work and patriotism the athletes had put into their preparations.

    He stated that he was aware of the personal sacrifices they made while preparing for the Games.

    “I am already aware that you have made personal sacrifices in your journey to the Olympic Games.

    “The motivation comes from strong discipline and the love of the nation.”

    “As you embark on the search for honours for the nation, I seize this opportunity to assure our Olympians that you have my support and those of all Nigerians.

    “Go! Win and return with laurels, I wish you the best,” the President added.

  • Buhari committed to open, transparent government, says Presidency

    Buhari committed to open, transparent government, says Presidency

    The Presidency has given assurances that the Buhari administration will live up to its promises and commitments concerning its  anti-corruption and good governance drive.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu made the remark while speaking on the decision of the government to submit the budget proposals of MDAs to the National Assembly for their consideration, which is the first under this democracy.

    According to him, sending the MDAs budget to the National Assembly was in line with the President’s wish to offer a more accountable and transparent administration.

    He said: “The laying of budgets for the MDAs, particularly those regarding the Central Bank and the NNPC behemoth in clearly unprecedented. The President is determined to make the budgeting more transparent and more participative.

    “It is all part of the re-engineering of the entire processes of government for the benefit of the welfare of ordinary citizens,” he stated.

    Malam Garba Shehu quoted the President as saying that good governance is key to the nation’s progress and that transparency is the cornerstone of any government that has the welfare of ordinary citizens as its mantra.

    He said: “By responding positively to the demand of the National Assembly that MDA budgets be laid before it for scrutiny, a demand mostly ignored by past administrations, President Buhari has given a clear indication of his commitment to an open, transparent and people-oriented government for Nigerians.

    “He has shown that  he is not hiding any secrets. It is equally a mark of respect for the institution of parliament. Our hope and expectation is that the National Assembly, acting in the best interest of the nation will allow the immediate operationalization of the budgets, so that the momentum of growth of the economy which has begun to build up will be sustained,” he added.

    He further assured that President Muhammadu Buhari will not let Nigerians down on key promises made by the government.

  • Buhari committed to open, transparent government – Presidency

    Buhari committed to open, transparent government – Presidency

    The Presidency on Monday assured that the Muhammadu Buhari administration will fulfill its promise of providing open and transparent leadership for the country.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made the remark while speaking on the decision of the government to submit the budget proposals for Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to the National Assembly for consideration.

    He said the decision to send the MDAs budget to the National Assembly was in line with the President’s desire to offer a more accountable and transparent leadership for the country.

    He said: “The laying of budgets for the MDAs, particularly those regarding the Central Bank and the NNPC behemoth is clearly unprecedented. The President is determined to make the budgeting more transparent and more participative.

    “It is all part of the re-engineering of the entire processes of government for the benefit of the ordinary citizens.”

    Shehu quoted the President as saying that good governance is key to the nation’s progress and transparency is the cornerstone of any government that has the welfare of ordinary citizens as its mantra.

    He added: “By responding positively to the demand of the National Assembly that MDA budgets be laid before it for scrutiny, a demand mostly ignored by past administrations, President Buhari has given a clear indication of his commitment to an open, transparent and people-oriented government for Nigerians.

    “He has shown that he is not hiding any secrets. It is equally a mark of respect for the institution of parliament. Our hope and expectation is that the National Assembly, acting in the best interest of the nation will allow the immediate operationalization of the budgets, so that the momentum of growth of the economy which has begun to build up will be sustained.”

    He further assured that President Buhari will not let Nigerians down on key promises made by the government.

  • Buhari mourns Walin Sokoto, Ambassador Hamzat

    Buhari mourns Walin Sokoto, Ambassador Hamzat

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the Sultanate, the Government and people of Sokoto State on the passing away of the Walin Sokoto, Ambassador Hamzat Ahmad over the weekends.

    President Buhari in a condolence letter to the Sokoto State Government, described the late Walin Sokoto as a reputable public servant and a highly distinguished diplomat, who spent most of his life in the service of his country.
    According to the President in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, the demise of the former Nigerian Ambassador, who served in London and Washington DC, is a great loss to his community and the entire Nigeria.

    ‘‘I have learnt with deep shock and grief of the passing away of Alhaji Hamzat Ahmad (Walin Sokoto). His death is a great loss to Sokoto State, the diplomatic and business communities and to the Nigerian public service.

    ‘‘Alhaji Hamzat served meritoriously as a senior civil servant in the old Northern Nigeria Government and with the Federal Civil Service.

    In Lagos, he held the post of Principal Secretary to the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, whom he served with diligence and loyalty.

    ‘‘Please convey my sincere condolences to His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Sokoto, his family and the good people of Sokoto State on the demise of their illustrious son,” the President wrote.

    President Buhari prayed that the Almighty God will grant the soul of the late Walin Sokoto a peaceful rest, and grant his family the strength to bear the loss.

  • Buhari spending sleepless nights on how to make life better for Nigerians- Shehu

    Buhari spending sleepless nights on how to make life better for Nigerians- Shehu

    To check food price increases and exploitation of common people by traders, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered for the release of 10,000 tons of grains from the national strategic grains reserves for national distribution.

    This decision was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

    Buhari has also directed the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh to ensure that all the able-bodied men and women in IDP camps be assisted to return to farming immediately.

    The directives were in reaction to calls for government measures to ease hardship associated with food inflation.

    The Presidency however asserted that the devastation of the economy was caused by the Boko Haram insurgency, corruption and the lack of planning by the past administrations and one that should not be blamed on the Change Agenda of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    The Presidency also rejected the insinuations that poverty and lack are products of the Change mantra.

    The statement reads: “This should be dismissed as an erroneous and misplaced opposition criticism. The President understands the pain and the cries of the citizens of this country and he is spending sleepless nights over how he can make life better for everyone.

    “Contrary to assertions by a faction of the opposition Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), the President’s energy and focus are on changing the life of Nigerians, with a view to making it better than he met it.

    “Change is a process. Change does not happen overnight. Change can be inconvenient. Change sometimes comes with pain. Over the past year, the government has been working night and day to deliver on its promise of change to Nigerians, and the painful process is still ongoing.

    “This is work in progress. As life gradually returns to normal in much of the country and the northeast in particular, agriculture will resume and traders from neighbouring African countries will once again feel safe to do business with us, yet another boost for our economy.”

    The Presidency maintained that it is only when Nigerians appreciate where they are coming from that they will grasp the full meaning and essence of what the ongoing journey entails.

  • Diversification of Nigeria’s economy requires urgency, says Buhari

    Diversification of Nigeria’s economy requires urgency, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Guangzhou, China, said that his administration will take urgent steps to restructure Nigeria’s economy by encouraging new investments in mining, agriculture and manufacturing.

    Speaking at a reception in his honour by the Communist Party of China, President Buhari said that Nigeria will welcome the support of the Chinese government, foreign investors and local businesses for efforts to diversify the nation’s economy.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that the diversification of the Nigerian economy was long overdue as continued reliance on crude oil exports had always made the economy vulnerable to shocks.

    ‘‘This time we will be more deliberate. The government and businesses will be involved,” President Buhari said.

    In his remarks, the Secretary of the Communist Party, who is also the Governor of the Guangdong Province, Mr. Hu Chinhua, pledged that the region will support the implementation of all the bilateral agreements reached with the Chinese government during President Buhari’s visit.

    President Buhari also visited the Sino-Singapore Knowledge City  in Guangzhou, which showcases advancements by China in medical, science and technological inventions.

  • Buhari’s govt not insensitive to plight of Nigerians- Shehu

    The Presidency has dismissed the allegations by former Gov. Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State that the Buhari administration is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

    Reacting to the allegation in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, enjoined Shekarau to stop insulting the intelligence of Nigerians with his false and misleading allegations.

    He noted that the “audacity of Shekarau to preach about sensitivity is incredibly amazing, considering the large-scale stealing of public funds by the unseated PDP government at the expense of the welfare of the people.

    “The greatest insensitivity to the welfare of the people is epic corruption for which the PDP had a notorious and unrivalled record in our recent democratic history of bad governance.’’

    The Presidential aide explained that “the greed of PDP leaders respects no boundaries of decency and rationality, so much that they could illegally steal any funds within their grip or reach, including monies meant for the security of Nigerians and the welfare of soldiers fighting terrorism in the Northeast.’’

    According to Shehu, Shekarau’s colleagues in the PDP government that he served have been coughing out monies that they illegally stole while in office, adding that “bringing misery to your fellow countrymen and women on account of your greed and thievery is the worst example of insensitivity.”

    He said that the wellbeing of the citizens was at the heart of the President and for this reason, “the administration is seeking permanent solutions, not temporary ones to the county’s economic woes by first securing it, developing infrastructure and diversifying its economy.’’

    Shehu reassured that the several measures put in place by the Buhari administration would bear fruition in a matter of time.

    On the current fuel scarcity, Shehu said the Buhari administration had saved one trillion naira on account of removing subsidy which was fraudulently making some cabals richer at the expense of the welfare of the people who were being short-changed.

    He explained that the Buhari administration had significantly reduced the rate of corruption and frustrated people with corrupt and fraudulent tendencies.

    According to him, those that benefitted from subsidy fraud are using their illegal gains to finance smear campaigns against the Buhari administration on the social media and other forums.

    Addressing the issue of insecurity, Shehu said the Boko Haram terrorist group had been so “thoroughly militarily weakened that they no longer have the capabilities and staying power to confront our troops, or occupy any part of Nigerian territory without being decisively expelled.’’

    He recalled that markets and bus stations that were closed three years ago in the Northeast “are now being reopened, thanks to the decisive restoration of relative peace in the area by our now motivated and reinvigorated troops.

    “The Buhari administration is also proud to say that poor Nigerians that were once displaced by terrorist attacks are now returning to their liberated towns and villages, and this government won’t relent until it rids the country of the vestiges of terrorism.’’

    According to the presidential aide, the commitment of the Buhari administration to fighting corruption is firm and irrevocable, and that “every stolen kobo would be recovered and channeled into improving the welfare of Nigerians.’’(NAN)