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Tag: Garba Shehu

  • Buhari extols Osinbajo’s virtues at 62

    On the occasion of 62nd birthday anniversary of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President Muhammadu Buhari has described his relationship with his vice as one of a special bond.

    The President, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday, said he joined Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, her children and other Nigerians across the country as well as friends around the world to celebrate Prof. Osinbajo.

    “I join the world in celebrating this erudite scholar, Minister of the Gospel and a very dependable deputy with whom I share a very special bond,’’ Buhari said.

    Read Also: Osinbajo to meet Aba traders today

    Buhari expressed gratitude to God for preserving the life of Osinbajo.

    He added that in the past four years, Osinbajo has diligently championed the values of setting the foundation for the peace, progress and stability of the country, working very hard to build a resilient economy, while promoting transparency and accountability.

    The President also extended special appreciation to the Vice President, wishing him many more years of robust health, happiness and fulfillment in his service to God, the nation and humanity.

    According to the President, he looks forward to sharing many special moments of celebration with Osinbajo as they take the country to the ‘Next Level’ in the years ahead.

    NAN

  • I’ll do more, Buhari reassures Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday renewed his pledge to work harder and consolidate on the gains on security, economy, jobs creation, anti-graft corruption and infrastructure upgrade.

    Speaking while hosting the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the State House in Abuja, the President promised not to let Nigerians down.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, the President was quoted as saying: “This is my last lap. I will try and work even harder than I have done. I assure you that I will not let you down. I pray that my best will be good enough.”

    The President, who thanked members of the ACF for their consistent and dogged support, said he remained appreciative of their goodwill.

    He said: “I’m very appreciative of this visit, especially when I have seen some of my seniors, some of my colleagues and a couple of my juniors, among the team. This reminds me of the good old days when we were in the military.

    “Actually, nobody dropped from the sky. For Arewa Consultative Forum to identify with me, having come from this geo-political zone, I’m very much appreciative of this.

    “I’m very pleased with the address of the chairman who reminded me of the undertaken we made, basically on the three important things my party campaigned on and succeeded.

    Speaking on behalf of the ACF, the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Mallam Adamu Fika, said the organisation had visited to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election.

    Fika lauded the Federal Government for completing some strategic projects undertaken by previous administrations in the North but abandoned.

    He listed some of the abandoned projects as the Baro Dry Port and the Mambilla Hydro Power station.

    Mallam Fika said: “It is pleasing to note that since then, the Baro Dry Port has been commissioned, while some other projects have been reactivated and are now being implemented.

    “We pray that those organs of government charged with the responsibility for the implementation will double their efforts to ensure that these projects are executed fully to their logical conclusion within reasonable time.”

  • I will do more in second term, Buhari vows

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday pledged to work harder to consolidate on providing security, improving the economy, creating jobs, fighting corruption and upgrading infrastructure in the country.

    He spoke at the State House, Abuja while receiving the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), on a courtesy visit.

    The President also promised not to let Nigerians down.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “This is my last lap. I will try and work even harder than I have done. I assure you that I will not let you down. I pray that my best will be good enough.”

    The President, who thanked members of the ACF for their consistent and dogged support, said he remained appreciative of their goodwill.

    He said “I’m very appreciative of this visit, especially when I have seen some of my seniors, some of my colleagues and a couple of my juniors, among the team. This reminds me of the good old days when we were in the military.

    “Actually, nobody drop from the sky. For Arewa Consultative Forum to identify with me, having come from this geo-political zone, I’m very much appreciative of this.

    “I’m very please with the address of the chairman who reminded me of the undertaken we made basically on the three important things my party campaigned on and succeeded.

    Read Also: LCCI advises Buhari on economy, others

    Speaking on behalf of the ACF, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mallam Adamu Fika, said the organisation had visited to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election.

    Recalling some strategic projects important to the North and the country as a whole abandoned up until 2015 such as the Baro Dry Port and Mambilla Hydro Power station, Mallam Fika said “It is pleasing to note that since then, the Baro Dry Port has been commissioned, while some other projects have been reactivated and are now being implemented.

    “We pray that those organs of government charged with the responsibility for the implementation will double their efforts to ensure that these projects are executed fully to their logical conclusion within reasonable time,” he said.

  • Buhari condemns attacks in Sokoto, Kaduna

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the families of the victims of the latest bandits’ attacks in Sokoto and the inter-communal conflict in Kaduna State.

    He warned that mass murder of innocent people by criminals would be met with full force.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “The death of one innocent Nigerian is no less important than the death of a hundred.

    “It is a matter of time before these murderous gangs of criminals meet their Waterloo.”

    Read Also: Okorocha congratulates Buhari, berates Ohaneze

    He added: “The criminals cannot be lucky always because the law will ultimately catch up with them and deliver justice ruthlessly.”

    “Let no group of outlaws doubt the will and resolve of my administration to confront criminals who have no iota of regard for the sanctity of life.”

    He also reassured Nigerians that their security remained a top priority of his government.

    The President said: “Our security personnel are being trained, retrained, motivated and provided with essential equipment in order to improve their capacity to respond to our security challenges.”

    He prayed that God Almighty would grant rest to the souls of the unfortunate victims of the killings in Sokoto and Kaduna States.

     

  • PDP jittery over Buhari’s directive on ballot box snatching- Presidency

    The Presidency on Tuesday said the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is jittery over the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with anybody that attempts to snatch ballot box during the rescheduled elections.

    Reiterating that anyone who dares to snatch ballot box during the elections will be doing it for the last time, the Presidency said that it should be seen as a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections in the country.

    Speaking with State House correspondents, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, recalled some elections during which innocent voters lost their lives while ballot boxes were snatched by armed thugs.

    He said the President had the safety and security of Nigerians uppermost in mind when he made the comment and should be praised rather than criticized for issuing this stern warning to potential ballot box snatchers.

    He said: “This sounds like members of the opposition, specifically the People’s Democratic Party, PDP who have perfected plans to rig the elections and to snatch ballot boxes.

    Read Also: PDP urges people to vote

    “They can tell that President Buhari is not prepared to tolerate their antics this time around, and they are afraid. They have shown their intent.” he said

    Shehu noted that no one had anything to fear from the President’s comments if their conscience and intentions were clear.

    He said: “Let’s just have free and fair elections and no one need worry about anything.

    “Snatching ballot boxes often entails putting the lives of innocent Nigerians at risk. About 10 years ago, evidence was brought before an election tribunal from one of the states in North Central of the gruesome killing of 26 prospective voters by ballot box snatchers.

    “Their modus operandi is well known. They storm election venues in commando style, overwhelm the law-enforcement agents and seize ballot boxes leaving a trail of death and injury.”

    He added: “Anyone who dares to put the lives of innocent citizens at risk in their desperation to rig elections must be prepared for the possibility of losing their own lives because our security agents will certainly not stand by, clap for them and watch them kill and maim.”

  • Buhari condemns killings in Kajuru, Kaduna State

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday night said that he was “pained beyond words” by the news of the new wave of killings on election eve in Kaduna State.

    Reacting to the reports of violent killings in Kajuru local government, Kaduna State, President Buhari described it as an “act of cowardice.”

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President assured that security forces will investigate and apprehend all those involved.

    Read also: Election: FRSC sets up Situation Room

    “The perpetrators of this mayhem will not go unpunished,” said the President.

    He said that the action will not distract the nation from the elections starting tomorrow (today).

    His government, he said, is determined to foil the designs of those who want to disrupt the exercise.

  • Buhari assures polls’ll be free, fair

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday visited Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he assured that he is all out for free, fair and credible elections starting on Saturday.

    He spoke at a meeting with traditional rulers at the secretariat complexes of the Councils of Traditional Rulers of the two states.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said: “I assure you that I’m all out for free, fair and credible elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC knows my stand on this.

    “Nigerians are assured of free and fair elections. Under this leadership, nobody will be allowed to intimidate other citizens. Nobody will be allowed to snatch ballot boxes and run with them. I will make sure that the votes count.” he said

    President Buhari commended the introduction of the Permanent Voters Card, PVC and Card Reader, and urged the nation to embrace the technology, arguing that without it, the sixteen years of misrule by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP would not have been brought to an end.

    “In 16 years, the PDP thought nobody could remove them from office. The introduction of the PVC and Card Reader made sure that our votes counted in 2015 and the votes of Nigerians will count in 2019,” he stressed.

    Read Also: Buhari sure of victory, says Ashafa

    On the issue of security, the President repeated his commitment to ensure the protection of lives, property and the territorial integrity of the nation, while urging the traditional rulers to play their part as expected of them.

    “The question of security begins with you,” the President told the royal fathers, even as he commended them for calming down the restive situation in the Niger Delta.

    “Through you, we have been able to persuade the militants to change their attitudes. I congratulate you on the roles you played that stabilized the security and the economy of the country,” he said.

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, at the reception commended President Buhari for his statesmanship and love for the country.

    On his part, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State called for a peaceful conduct of the elections.

    The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty Alfred Diette-Spiff, who commended the President for the appointment of citizens of Bayelsa into key positions and the infrastructure projects being put in place, added that the state deserved more.

    His counterpart in Rivers State, Dr. Dandeson Douglas Jaja, King Jaja of Opobo, while calling for free and fair elections, also appealed to the President to ensure that security agents remained non-partisan throughout the exercise.

  • Buhari to traditional rulers: do more to end banditry

    President Muhammadu Buhari has charged traditional rulers do more in curbing banditry and kidnapping in their communities.

    According to him, he felt disappointed that people close to some of them were found to have a hand in such criminality.

    The President spoke at a meeting with the royal fathers in the Government House on Sunday, as part of the ongoing campaigns.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President expressed the determination of his administration to defend the country from criminals and insurgents.

    “We are determined to defend the nation and its people. We are disappointed with some of the things going on. You are responsible for the security of your neighbourhood. Being close to your people, you know them. You are still relevant. I am sorry this has extended to some of your families,” he said.

    Read Also: “Why Nigerian women’ll vote Buhari”

    Referring to the deployment of a large number of security personnel to the state, President Buhari said that security is also the business of the traditional rulers, not that of the police and other security agencies alone.

    “More security is not good news, but we must do something to secure our environment,” he noted.

    The President commended the gallantry of the security agencies in battling kidnapping and banditry, saying “you know what we have achieved. You had one who styled himself as Buharin Daji, the Buhari of the forests, claiming to be in charge and not I at the centre. He is no more, and by my surviving him, you now know who is stronger.”

    He said he was contesting this election as his fifth and the last, because as he noted, “a second term is what the constitution allows, and I will not abuse the constitution.”

    He thanked the royal fathers for the support he enjoyed so far and appealed to them to back his re-election.

    The Chairman of the council of traditional rulers and Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed and the Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, praised the efforts of the President in changing the unwanted security situation in the state.

    According to the governor, “From the presence of an ammunition depot manned by just 30 men when you took office in 2015, Zamfara State today boasts of the presence of 4,700 combined security personnel who are assisted by 8,500 State Joint Task Force, SJTF members. We also have the 223 Battalion, the 607 Quick Response Battalion and the 1 Brigade in Gusau.”

    The council of traditional rulers also endorsed President Buhari’s bid for a second term

  • Buhari mourns loss of lives at APC rally in Jalingo

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed profound sadness over of loss of lives at the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Jalingo, Taraba State on Thursday.

    Reacting to reports of the tragic death of some APC supporters due to the overwhelming crowd at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, the President said: “I always feel very sad and distressed when ordinary Nigerians who love me and our party because of what we stand for and have done, make personal sacrifices by taking the pains to show their support, end their lives tragically.”

    Read Also: Presidential poll will be walkover for Buhari, says El-Rufai

    While appreciating the massive support he is receiving all over the country, President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, also called for restraint on the part of his supporters to avoid such tragic incidences and improved crowd management at rally grounds.

    “I want them to stay alive and witness the dividends of purposeful governance that the APC administration will unfold when they renew our mandate,” he said.

    Commiserating with the families of the victims and the APC family, the President prayed Almighty God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and speedy recovery to the injured.

  • Buhari greets Ohinoyi of Ebiraland at 90

    President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji (Dr) Ado Ibrahim on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration.

    President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, joined family members, the good people of Ebiraland in Kogi State and other well-wishers in thanking the Almighty God for preserving the life of the eminent traditional ruler with good health, courage and passion to lead his subjects and community since he ascended the throne of his ancestors in 1997.

    Read Also: Buhari, Osinbajo under divine protection, says APC

    On the auspicious occasion, the President extolled the nonagenarian’s numerous contributions to national peace and stability, wise counsels to political office holders and constant show of concern and love to the less privileged in the society.

    He prayed Almighty God to preserve the life of his good friend and royal father to continue serving his community, the nation and humanity.