The Nation Newspaper

Tag: General Muhammadu Buhari

  • Matters arising from 2019 elections (2)

    After the 2011 elections, former President Goodluck Jonathan brought the attention of the country to what he considered one of the most important matters arising from the 2011 elections which he won against General Muhammadu Buhari. He asked the nation to opt for a maximum of one term in office for the president and the governors.  He argued that such constitutional amendment would save the country billions of naira that could be better spent on delivering the common good to the citizenry.

    Jonathan’s idea was loudly underplayed by many politicians, particularly those who had their eyes on the presidency and the governorship for second term. The matter was quickly crowded out by the voices of politicians hoping for at least two terms in office. From experiences garnered by public affairs observers in the 2015 and now 2019 elections, it is not just the cost of money spent on elections that calls for a constitutional amendment; it is the hardly noticed emotional and psychological cost of presidential and gubernatorial elections every four years in a country that is not sufficiently structured along clear ideological lines on the way to political and economic modernity.

    Even though President Buhari called for a low-budget for electioneering, there is no way of knowing how much was committed by the various political parties, especially the two major ones on preparations for and mobilisation of voters for the elections of the last three weeks. With media reports about over 40 deaths and several cases of maiming of supporters of opposing parties by hoodlums organised by forces of personality cults across the country, there is no exaggeration in saying that the casualties for 2011 elections that startled Jonathan are nothing compared to the figures of the 2019 elections. Not even the election of 2015 had the traumatic impact on citizens that families of the dead and wounded from the 2019 elections have experienced, not to talk about how much money—private and public—that must have come into play in an election that the ascetic Buhari had wished to be as low-profile as possible.

    Apart from politicians that may prefer to turn Nigeria into a plutocracy, there are many that also enjoy the festivals and rituals of personal attention that has characterised the politics of personality cults in the country. There are also many optimists who believe that with time, Nigeria will grow up politically to the extent of appreciating the culture of democracy, such as is evident in many democracies across the globe. But there are many patriots who believe that using the constitution to tame the excesses of politicians and their hero worshippers is a more effective way to streamline the country’s electoral process. Just as in 2011, this writer sees more wisdom in pushing for constitutional amendments that can limit or reduce the trauma of elections in the country. There is so much that can be achieved through restructuring in this respect, such as bringing more powers to the regions or states to reduce the attention on the central government. But with a president who has not campaigned on the manifesto of devolution of powers (unlike the platform on which General Buhari contested the election against Jonathan in 2015 in which re-federalising the country was manifest on the party’s manifesto), it may be more effective to use the constitutional approach to change many things that the 1999 Constitution had imposed on the country. Constituents who are for restoring federalism have the right to pressure their lawmakers to present such bills.

    It is conceivable that if Nigerians had been asked to participate in negotiating a post-military constitution, they could have asked for a system of one term of five or six years that obviates the problems of incumbency or a system in which the incumbent governor would feel that his reputation is on the line if he does not do everything to come back. More importantly, a one-term presidency would take a lot of attention away from incumbency factor and give presidents more opportunities to act like statesmen than partisan politicians. Those who are likely to benefit from sycophancy to the incumbent president or governor would not have the need to over exert themselves as we had witnessed in the recent elections at national and subnational levels.

    The argument by those who want two or more terms for president and governors is based on the reasoning the UK and the US, often cited as reference points by Nigerian politicians, have systems that allow their heads of state to stay on for eight or more years. The same set of politicians have no difficulty cutting tenure of vice chancellors to one term of five years on the ground that heads of tertiary institutions would have exhausted themselves at the end of a five-year term. Not allowing incumbents to run for a second term would prevent the situation where sitting governors get emotionally involved in winning to the extent of committing public funds directly or indirectly to such elections, as it often happens in the country. That many advanced democracies have multiple terms for their executives does not justify Nigeria to do so, as there are so many choices that such countries make which those who get to positions of leadership in our country do not strive to imitate.

    A related area that may benefit from constitutional reform is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Too much noise has been made about INEC this election season in respect of poor preparation, overloading caused by centralization of the powers and functions of the commission, and even charges of inadequate impartiality (independence). Without doubt, INEC can be more independent than it is, even in terms of process of appointment. In a system in which the powers of the president are extensive, just the appearance of sycophancy on the part of electoral officers is enough to give the impression of partisanship. Presidents can be saved from unnecessary charges of influence on the electoral process if they do not have a second term to contest. With a single-term tenure, presidents can be allowed to nominate INEC officers for an election he or she is not contesting. Confirmation for INEC officers can be subjected to two-thirds vote of approval. Leaving nomination and approval of commissioners in the hands of the legislature after a two-thirds vote of consent to such nomination will certainly make the INEC visibly independent and the search for independent individuals more rigorous than it has been since the exit of military rule.

    Since President Buhari has identified his four areas of concern during his second term: Boko Haram and other security threats to the stability of the country; improvement of the economy; ridding the country of political and bureaucratic corruption; and oiling the wheel of the country’s unity, bringing pressure to lawmakers on constitutional amendments to make the 1999 Constitution reflective of the wishes of the citizenry is a task that must be continued at the level of party policy discussions and through sponsored or private bills from legislators who believe Nigeria and Nigerians deserve a more democratic and federal constitution than the current constitution. It is never too late to demand for constitutional changes in any democracy. Fortunately for party leaders, further sensitising legislators about the danger of saddling the country with a constitutional document never approved by citizens is not antithetical to the stated agenda of President Buhari for the next four years.

  • We must vote out this anti-democratic government, says Atiku

    The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has called on Nigerians to vote out “this anti-democratic” government and restore Nigeria to the path of true democracy.

    This, according to him, is the surest way to ensure progress and prosperity for Nigerians.

    Atiku, who spoke at the Yar ‘Adua Centre, Abuja, said the country is passing through a difficult moment and that how Nigerians react to this challenge in the following days will determine the fate of the nation’s democracy.

    He described the crisis as needless, but which portends great peril to the system.

    Read Also:Ohanaeze goofs by endorsing Atiku, says Kalu

    Atiku blamed the government for unwilling to subject its conducts to the requirements of the constitution.

    He said, “Meanwhile, I commend all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria who have expressed outrage over the unlawful removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, an action, which constitutes a flagrant breach of our constitution and a frontal assault on our democracy.

    “I want to note the universal condemnation of this unlawful act by all Nigerians, as well as the international community. I need to state that this latest action by General Muhammadu Buhari falls squarely within the pattern of executive lawlessness that has now been firmly turned into statecraft by the APC government.

    “The serial disregard of court orders and consequent violation of constitutionally guaranteed human rights of our citizens confirms beyond all doubt that General Buhari and his government would rather obey their own whims and operate by separate rules outside the well-established constitutional order and the rule of law.

    “It scarcely requires emphasis that this behaviour is alien to democratic rule and more in line with that of a military dictator.”

    While admitting that the fight against corruption is crucial to good governance, and progress the country, stressing however that the issue of corruption as it relates to the institution of the judiciary is even more crucial.

    Continuing, Atiku said, “As the last refuge of the common man, our judiciary must not only be above suspicion but must also be seen to be manifestly above board.

    “The issue at stake is not whether the Chief Justice is guilty or not, but whether his removal from office has been done in accordance with the process specified in our constitution.

    “As a democrat, I must say, without equivocation, that no mission or goal, no matter how noble or well-intended, should be used as a pretext for the subversion of our democracy and our democratic institutions.

    “To create a condition that allows the constitution and the rule of law to become secondary to any other agenda is to pave the way for tyranny.

    “History is replete with odious dictators whose path to dictatorship started with statements of good intentions. We must therefore remain vigilant in defence of our democracy.

    “We are all witnesses to how this government has serially assaulted the National Assembly, a separate arm of government that represents the bastion of our democracy.

    “However, with this attack on the judiciary, General Buhari has set a new precedent in our democracy that has no equivalence in our history, not even in the darkest days of military dictatorship. This cannot be allowed to stand”.

    He warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to desist from taking actions that may push the country further down the slippery slope towards a major constitutional crisis that could derail the electoral process.

    He reminded President Buhari of being a beneficiary of a free and fair election, saying that it’s a matter of honour for him to allow a political environment and process that gives confidence to everyone.

    “All my life, I have been a democrat and a defender of democracy. Like all men of good conscience and patriots, I believe this present challenge has imposed on us yet again, the duty to rise in peaceful defence of democracy, for which so many have laid down their lives.

    “I also know that the surest weapon against tyranny is the democratic will of the people. Nigerians have consistently demonstrated their preference for democracy, and I am, and will always remain, on the side of the people of Nigeria.

    “I conclude by expressing, once again, my gratitude to the international community for standing by our country in this challenging time.

    “However, the primary responsibility to resist tyranny and protect democracy in Nigeria ultimately lies with Nigerians. It is on this note that I call on all Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the coming general elections to vote in defence of democracy and the rule of law.

    “We must vote out this anti-democratic government and restore our country to the path of true democracy, which is the surest way to ensure progress and prosperity for our people”.

  • It’s abominable to wish Buhari dead, says Alaafin

    It’s abominable to wish Buhari dead, says Alaafin

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Thursday urged Nigerians to pray for the speedy recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it was abominable to wish him dead.

    The Alaafin, who said he had been following the debate over president’s health, noted that it was against African culture to “speculate the death of the sick.”

    In a statement Thursday, he encouraged Nigerians to support the “unity and cohesion” between the President and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, adding that it was not Yoruba practice or tradition to benefit from other’s misfortune.

    He said: “I have been following with great interest though mixed feeling comments that have been generated on both social and conventional media on the state of health of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Let me state very clearly and unambiguously that in African culture, it is not proper to speculate the death of the sick. In Yoruba culture in particular, it is abomination not only to speculate but to wish a fellow mortal dead. Neither is it proper to mock the sick because only God determines the future of everybody.

    “In the custom, belief and tradition of the Yoruba, death is not age determinant. That is why in Yoruba tradition, we always pray for the recovery of the sick, no matter his age.”

    He noted that although President Buhari, like any mortal, may be physically sick, “that sickness is not in any way transferred to the style and level of governance in the country. In other words, the President might have been delegating some responsibilities to the Vice President; he is still much in charge of the government.”

    “That is why recent insinuations and interpretations including some political hypothesis on the state of the President’s health is not only uncalled for but unwarranted.

    “It is both uncharitable and untenable for the state of the health of President to be given any ethnic insinuation of any form. Let me state with every sense of clarity and candour that it is not the practice and tradition of the Yoruba to benefit from the misfortune of others.”

    The Alaafin warned that nothing should be done “by any form of political insinuation to break the wall of unity and cohesion in the Presidency especially between the President and his very loyal Vice, Yemi Osinbajo SAN.

    “It is on this note that I am appealing to all Nigerians irrespective of religious or ethnic differences to remain focused and united in their prayer for the quick recovery of Mr. President.

    “The President has remained faithful to the Nigerian cause. He deserves reciprocity from all Nigerians by being faithful to him too in a united prayer for his quick recovery.”

     

  • Obasanjo to Buhari: How to move Nigeria forward

    Obasanjo to Buhari: How to move Nigeria forward

    A think tank established by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to study critical areas of the economy and make recommendations to guide the incoming government on a smooth take off Thursday submitted its report to President elect, General Muhammadu Buhari at his private office along Lobito crescent in the Wuse 2 area of Abuja.

    The Committee which was established four months ago by former President Obasanjo under the Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library studied five key areas of education, power, the economy, security and infrastructure.

    Head of Buhari’s Media team, Mallam Garba Shehu told newsmen that Vice Chairman of the Committee and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu presented volumes of the report of the committee to Gen. Buhari during a brief ceremony held behind closed doors.

    He also said that former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria, Dr. Christopher Kolade who was head of the power committee, gave various stages of the proposed power sector development plan to include, short term, medium term, long term solutions.

    Shehu said under the short term solution, the plan seeks to raise the country’s power generation to 10,000 MW within a short period of time, adding that “the whole idea was that Obasanjo set up his own think- tank with the aim of carrying out a study on challenges facing the country in five key areas of Education, Power sector, Economy, Security and Infrastructure. The study was commissioned four months ago so that the outcome will be made available to the incoming administration after the election.”

    He quoted Buhari as appreciating Obasanjo and his team for their effort, describing their intervention as a great impetus for the incoming government.

    Buhari, he said regretted that the out-going government that is supposed to give him tips on how to take-off has done nothing so far and thanked Obasanjo and his team for their gesture, assuring them that his incoming administration will be needing their advice as time goes on.

    Speaking with Journalists after the meeting with the President elect, Chairman of the Governing Board of Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Professor Akin Mabogunje said the centre has been working on some critical areas of the economy which they hope will be of help to the incoming government.

    He said the “Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library has being working on a number of critical issues for the development of this country and they have now sent a delegation of those who’ve been involve with the preparation of those policy documents to talk to the president-elect and get him to appreciate what is being done to help his administration. That’s why we are here.”

    Prof. Mabogunje said they looked into such sectors like education, security, economy, power and Infrastructure, saying these “are the areas we’ve made recommendations and which we hope the new administration will be able to work on.”
    Asked how the President elect received the report, the Professor of Geography said “he was very happy that we’ve been thinking about how to help him hit the ground running and he expressed his appreciation for what we’ve been doing.”

    However, Chairman of the APC Transition a Committee, Ahmed Joda who was also present at the ceremony refused to comment on the work on the committee saying “I am here not in the capacity of the chairman of the transition committee. I am here because I am Chairman of one of the committees of the centre that considered security issues at the Obasanjo centre for human security”.

  • War against indiscipline (?): Some areas to interrogate (2)

    War against indiscipline (?): Some areas to interrogate (2)

    If you discover someone on phone lying about his location: shout change #

    It his first coming as head of state in ‘84, with his stern-faced deputy, General Tunde Idiagbon, standing ramrod by his unsmiling self, General Muhammadu Buhari launched what one now hopes would be only the first phase of his War Against Indiscipline (WAI1). If  WAI was in 1984 conceived  as a crusade,  essentially against general indiscipline, and targeted, essentially, at the problem of  idleness in the  work place by public servants and to address  some social laxity amongst the citizenry at large; which then resulted in Nigerians queuing up at bus stops,  a Second Phase War Against Indiscipline, in the year of our Lord  2015, when Nigeria has turned  full scale, a Sodom and Gomorrah –no thanks to PDP’s  congenital profligacy spanning 16 years – must be much deeper, more encompassing and  must interrogate far more areas than it did in its first coming. It must enlist all, and every Nigerian, and have no go areas even if it appeared to dovetail into the functions of some other agencies of government.

    In the article: ‘Nigerians Talking About The Change We Need’ (Sunday 12 April, 2015), I showcased those things that could be regarded as WAI’s underpinning fundaments and they can very well be repeated here; though there are much more as we shall see shortly:

    CHANGE STARTS WITH US:

    When somebody in the car ahead of you throws wastes on the road, drive next to him, roll down your window and shout, “change!” ,#ChangeNigeria.

    When you are on a queue and someone tries to force his/her way in front of you, scream “change!!”. #ChangeNigeria.

    At the point of entry, either at an air or sea port, or at a border with our neighbours, a custom or immigration official shows up asking for bribe, shout Change. # Change Nigeria.

    If you see display of fake products in a supermarket or drug store or spare parts shop: shout Change. #Change Nigeria.

    To any lecturer that is hell bent on collecting bribe, in cash or in kind:  harass him with Change. # Change Nigeria.

    To any public/private servant stealing from our national heritage, shout Change! # Change Nigeria#

    When a police officer stops your car and says “Oga, anything for the boys?” tell him, “change!” #ChangeNigeria

    When you walk past any Nigerian who throws paper or banana peel on the floor, stop him and tell him, “change!” #ChangeNigeria.

    If the church opposite your house is using a loud speaker to disturb the neighbourhood, visit the pastor & say, “change sir!” #ChangeNigeria

    If you are in a bus and the driver is driving like mad, shout “change!” #ChangeNigeria.

    If the mosque opposite your house is using a loud speaker to disturb the neighbourhood, visit the Imam & say, “change sir!” #ChangeNigeria.

    When somebody is trying to jump a queue either at the bank, fuel station or at an ATM stand: shout Change. #Change Nigeria #

    When an electricity official cuts your light unjustly, trying to extract a bribe: shout Change. # Change Nigeria#.

    If you discover someone on phone lying about his location: shout change #

    If you discover a man or a woman cheating on the spouse: whisper CHANGE!

    When a fuel attendant wants to under dispense fuel into your vehicle, remind him about “Change” #Change Nigeria#

     Nigerians, in all spheres of life, must be ready to talk, even shout, when we observe any acts of indiscipline and, in particular, when agencies of government, are seen to be under-performing or their chief executives are committing serial acts of illegality as I have personally done in the past concerning some agencies and would also do in this piece about another high profile agency.

    In the article:  ‘Defending  Bigotry  And  Cant  At  INEC  And FCC’ ,  (September 16, 2012 ), I took  the  two commissions  to task over  a series  of  issues relating to membership of committees in INEC.  Though it must be stated early that Professor Atahiru  Jega reacted  very quickly to the issues raised  by immediately re-jigging the committees, the culpability of the latter commission remains  till date because, as I shall show  below, other agencies of government are still neck deep in nepotism – which was, of course, not the problem with INEC. In the article under reference, I had written as follows: ‘ … INEC and the Federal Character Commission have to do more to convince Nigerians that they have no ulterior motives. Nothing can be more indicative of the synergy between the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Character Commission in their determined bid to protect inequity at INEC than the fact that while Prof Jega had caused Kayode Idowu, his Chief Press Secretary, to do a lengthy defence of INEC’s indefensible management composition, Prof Oba has, himself, resorted to granting newspaper interviews to achieve the same result. But only the unwary can be deceived by either of these two professors who head very vital, indeed strategic, national institutions’.

    I expect  that when I cite another public agency, allegedly  committing, and has committed, massive irregularities in its employment  system, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission would have a different explanation from what he said in the INEC case. Said Professor Abdulraheem Oba then: “the Federal Character Commission is essentially focused on the public service recruitment at the entry point only. That is when we ensure equity of opportunity of all persons to be able to enter into an establishment by drawing the benchmark for merit.” Speaking further, he said: “at the management level, we encourage all establishments that when it comes to management positions, there must be a practice of equity of distribution of offices among the various interest groups in Nigeria. Our circulars say that that for all establishments, all management positions must be advertised and made public.”

    If the above position is true, then he must be ready to explain to Nigerians something about the veracity, or otherwise, of the following information which has gone viral on the internet as it concerns the National Communications Commission (NCC). Readers should please not rush to the conclusion that I am affirming what, as at now, is only an allegation. And, if of a fact, the named Chief Executives committed those out rightly illegal acts, they will, in my view, not be more guilty than those in charge of the Federal Character Commission for permitting such impunity as none was known to have been reprimanded or punished during their tenure. It should therefore be appreciated if the named, former and serving NCC Chief Executives, and the Federal Character Commission, would respect Nigerians, and take time out of  whatever it is they now do, to  react to the following  allegations contained in an e-mail captioned:  ‘The Shocking  Roll Call Of  Nigeria Communications  Commission’s  (NCC) Executive  Vice Chairman’s/CEO’s’.

    1. Engr. C. IROMANTU(1993 to 1999)-6 yrs from S/EAST..he employed 168 new staffers..149 from S/EAST

    2. Engr Emmanuel NNMA(1999 to 2000) 6months; from S/EAST..he employed 79…66 from S/EAST.

    3. Engr Earnest NDIKWE(2000 to 2010)10 yrs; from S/EAST..he employed 310 …288 from S/EAST

    4. Dr. Eugene JUWA (2010 to date)5 yrs; from S/SOUTH..he employed 188..110 from S/SOUTH, 60 frm S/EAST!

    5. From 1993 to date ALL major Contractors, Consultants, Contracts & Interventional Capital Projects are 90% tilted in favour of S/EAST & S/SOUTH

    Let me quickly say that whoever knows where Chief Executives from other parts of the country have done, or are doing the same thing, he/she should kindly, very quickly, inform the columnist so we could also advertise their iniquitous and  shameless behaviour. It is also my sincere hope that this unfair treatment meted out to Nigerians from other parts, and perpetrated by individuals from sections of the country at the helm of affairs in not less than 70 percent of regulatory agencies in President Jonathan’s  Nigeria, is not symptomatic of what is happening in  the other agencies.

    It is also hoped that in the new spirit of CHANGE, this write-up will not be subjected to the usual scurrility which the likes of Sam Omatseye, Chairman, Editorial Board of this newspaper, and, lately Ambassador Bade Afuye (Retd), and Remi Oyeyemi were subjected to by Igbo readers for doing no more than express their opinions on matters that concern us all.

  • 20 Things Buhari Must Do

    20 Things Buhari Must Do


  • Equities gain N224b as market chiefs set agenda for new govt

    Equities gain N224b as market chiefs set agenda for new govt

    The bullish rally at the Nigerian stock market gathered momentum yesterday as the market responded positively to definitive figures showing that All Progressives Congress (APC’s) General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) would form the next government at the centre.

    The upswing that started late last week as it became certain that Nigeria’s presidential and national assembly elections would hold as scheduled on March 28 rallied further on Monday as the market opened to news of early lead by the opposition candidate.

    The market opened yesterday with a comfortable lead by Gen Buhari, a disciplinarian that has promised to reshape the national economy.

    With 41 advancers to nine decliners, all indicators at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) showed positive outlook. Aggregate market value of all quoted companies at the NSE rose by N224 billion to close at N10.718 trillion as against its opening value of N10.494 trillion. The market had opened this week at N10.319 trillion.

    The All Share Index (ASI), a value-based composite index that tracks prices of all quoted companies, rose by 2.13 per cent to 31,744.82 points compared with its opening index of 31,082.48 points. Investors staked about N5.05 billion on 379.45 million shares in 4,142 deals.

    Meanwhile,  capital market groups yesterday set agenda for a new economy by the incoming government.

    The market groups including the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON) and Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN) outlined strategic issues that the Federal Government must put in place as a matter of urgency to reposition the market for enhanced liquidity and capital mobilisation.

    President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Albert Okumagba said there were several opportunities for long term capital in the capital market, adding that  certain things must be put in place to harness the opportunities.

    According to him, the capital market can finance the entire infrastructural gaps if the government can deploy fiscal incentives to deepen the market by encouraging the companies in the telecoms, power, aviation, and oil and gas sectors of the economy to get listed on the securities market.

    He said the core capital market operators are prepared to work with the government to ensure full utilisation of the capital market.

    He also advocated for the development of commodity market to increase the number of tradable securities including futures and options derivative instruments on the underlying assets in the commodity market.

    Chairman, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Mr Emeka Madubuike said incentives should be given to listed companies and prospective companies to be listed so as to have some advantage over unlisted companies.

    He said: “We propose some tax incentives for listed companies and those that are in the process of getting listed. Policies that would promote marketability of agricultural products should be enunciated and implemented to boost operations of the commodities exchanges.

    “Governments at the highest level must continue to make positive statements and assurances that will engender investors’ confidence.”

    Chairman, Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN), Mr Victor Ogiemwonyi urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strive towards reduction of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to stimulate activities in the bond market.

    According to him, government borrowing rate in the capital market should drop to avoid crowding out of funds and to make the market attractive for private sector to raise funds.

    He said the government should revisit privatisation in order to allow for listing of government enterprises that are operating sub-optimally.

    “The government needs to set up a capital market committee to work with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to drive the process,” Ogiemwonyi said.

    He promised the readiness of capital market operators  to support the Federal Government in advisory capacity on how the capital market can be fully utilised to drive economic growth and development.

    They group also called for regulatory support for the two existing over-the-counter (OTC) markets – National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and FMDQ platform to enhance expansion of their operations in the financial market.

     

     

    They urged government to institute a national savings progamme through a comprehensive review of the rules and regulations guiding the Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) and amendment of all clauses that are affecting the operations of the National Pension Commission.

    They called on the government to reform the operations of the mortgage institutions in order to fully integrate them into the capital market activities.

     

  • South West, North favour APC’s Buhari

    South West, North favour APC’s Buhari

    •South South, South East go for Jonathan •Massive turnout nationwide

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari seems to have found favour with most of the voters in four of the nation’s six geo-political zones in yesterday’s election.

    General Buhari, according to indications from across the country, got the nod of most voters in the Northwest, Northcentral, Northeast and Southwest, in what observers, local and foreign, described as the nation’s most crucial polls ever.

    His performance matches substantially The Nation’s projections on the elections.

    Nigerians defied all odds -erratic performance of the card readers, late arrival of electoral materials, rain, thuggery, manipulation  and terrorism mainly in the Northeast -to troop out possibly as never before   to vote for the next president, senators and members of the House of Representatives.

    In Sokoto, Makurdi, Akure, Jos, Minna, Abeokuta, Abuja, Lagos, Benin, the story was the same of enthusiastic Nigerians determined to take their destiny in their hands.

    General Buhari, accompanied by his wife, Aisha, voted in his Daura, Katsina home town after accreditation with the aid of the card reader which took no more than two minutes each.

    But accreditation was a tough nut for President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady, Patience , at the president’s Otuoke hometown.

    Four times they tried to use the card reader to verify their finger prints, four times they failed.

    The President’s mother, Madam Eunice, passed the card reader’s test easily.

    Jonathan’s   verification and his wife’s were eventually done manually, the same method adopted in other places where the card reader failed.

    INEC extends voting; website hacked into, restored

    Following complaints from other parts of the country about the inability of the card readers to identify voters’ finger prints, and to avoid disenfranchising voters, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) granted extension  of voting till today at polling stations where accreditation could not be completed on time yesterday.

    As it battled with complaints of malfunctioning card readers, a group calling itself Nigerian Cyber Army/Team NCA hacked into the commission’s website

    However, INEC’s computer engineers went to work as soon as the hacking was detected and were able to re-host it.

    The hackers posted the following on the website: “StruCk By Nigerian Cyber Army | TeaM NCA”

    “Sorry xD Your Site has been STAMPED by TeaM Nigerian Cyber Army FEEL SOME SHAME ADMIN!!”

    “Security is just an illusion, Remember US :DGREETINGS OF PEACE TO CITIZEN OF NIGERIA FROM TEAM NCA NIGERIANS No Body Can Give You Freedom No Body Can Give You Equality Or Justice If You Are A Man/Woman YOU TAKE IT”

    The Commission directed all Resident Electoral Commissioners in the country to conduct election on  Sunday in areas where there were hitches.

    The list of the affected areas and states was still being kept under wraps as at the time of filing this report.

    INEC however said it could not still exactly say what went wrong in Otuoke, Bayelsa State which led to the delay in the accreditation of President Jonathan and his wife.

    The Chairman of the Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee of INEC, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, at a press conference in Abuja admitted that INEC encountered some challenges in the use of Card Readers.

    He said the guidelines for the 2015 General Elections had been amended to empower Presiding Officers to “manually accredit voters by marking the register of voters, upon being satisfied that the person presenting a Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) is the legitimate holder of the card.”

    Flanked by other National Commissioners including Dr. Ishmael Igbani; Alh. Muhammadu Wali; Nuru Yakubu; and Gladys Nwafor, Iyimoga said INEC will “thoroughly investigate what happened in some parts of the country where hitches were recorded.”

    His words: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been monitoring field reports on the accreditation process since the commencement of the poll this morning.

    “Whereas the process has gone well in several places, in some others it has encountered some challenges, especially with the use of the Card Readers. Consequently, accreditation has been slow in many places and has not commenced at all in some others.

    “Even though the Guidelines for the Conduct of the 2015 General Elections provide that where Card Readers fail to work and cannot be replaced, elections in such Polling Units will be postponed to the following day, the scale of challenge we have observed today has necessitated a reconsideration of this provision of the Guidelines.

    “The Commission, has, therefore, decided as part of the Guidelines for the conduct of the 2015 General Elections that in Polling Units where Card Readers have so far failed to work, the Presiding Officer shall manually accredit voters by marking the register of voters, upon being satisfied that the person presenting a Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) is the legitimate holder of the card.

    “The above notwithstanding, in Polling Units where accreditation was suspended to the following day in accordance with the existing guidelines, arrangements will be made for voters to vote tomorrow, subject to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010( as amended).

    “The Commission reassures the voting public that it will thoroughly investigate what happened, while it remains committed to the delivery of free, fair and credible elections in spite of the challenges.”

    Iyimoga, who responded to questions from newsmen with his fellow National Commissioners, said all the 37  Resident Electoral Commissioners(RECs) had been directed to conduct poll on Sunday where there were hitches.

    He added: “We cannot say at the word go now but  each REC of the Federation has been informed. The problems are not in all the states of the country but in a few states of the country and each of the RECs has  been informed. We can only get the details at the end of the day.

    He said generally the commencement time was quite  good across all borders.

    He said:  “Generally we commenced accreditation at a very good time, in FCT for instance we had a problem with the Union of Transport workers but that was sorted out.

    “I want to assure we have made progress,. In fact I had to vsit the office of Resident Electoral Commissioner of the FCT and while there two observer teams, including that of the US Ambassador, were on ground to see us. They had  gone round a number of Polling Units and at about 12 noon, about 85-90 per cent where he visited he was very impressed. And this cuts across. This does not mean we don’t have challenges in other states.

    “In a few other states of course there were still some challenges but generally the commencement time was quite  good across all borders.

    “Like we said and we will keep saying, we can only do our best but there are still other parameters that take us through what we can call an excellent election.

    “The process of election has to do with many people. Remember that for our adhoc staff to move out, for instance, we decided to decentralize the process. Sensitive materials were kept in the CBN vault and  in one of the day or so they were taken to INEC offices in the states.

    “By Thursday they were distributed to Local Government Areas, and then took them down toward level and at the Registration Area Centres (RACS) the items were kept. The belief therefore was that as early as 5.30 to 6am, movement to the various Polling Units would have commenced but INEC does not move alone, before you move there must be security backup.

    “So there are numbers of issues and processes that go through making the entire thing play well. Generally it has been quite impressive apart from these few challenges I just talked about right now.

    On the delay in accrediting President Goodluck Jonathan and First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, a National Commissioner, Dr. Ishmael Igbani, said INEC could not say what went wrong.

    Igbani said: “No one can really say what went wrong. The machine, the Card Reader did not pick the finger print of Mr President and Wife but those who were attended to earlier on their finger prints were picked.

    “But part of the process in using the Card Reader is that when such a situation occurs, we will use the incident report and that is what the President and the wife were accredited to vote.”

    Regarding the hacking of INEC website, Engr. Nuru Yakubu said all the contents on the website had been relocated to another site.

    He said: “Our ICT experts reported that our website was hacked and that it was down, and they worked very hard and were able to rectify the problem by simple lifting all the contents on our site and relocating it to another location.

    “So the INEC website as I speak with you now is up and running.”

    I hope to win, says Jonathan after voting

    President Jonathan, after his accreditation, later returned to polling Unit 39, Ward 13 to cast his vote.

    Asked by reporters about his chances in the election, he said “You can see that it’s peaceful everywhere. I believe and I’m convinced that the elections will be free and fair and extreme credible.”

    He said the gunfire in Gombe was not related to election, adding that the shooting was between soldiers and insurgents attempting to escape from the Sambisa forest.

    The president refused to blame the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the hitches encountered in some areas, saying everyone could still vote with the alternative arrangements.

    “We appreciate the patience of those who are yet to vote. They should sympathise with INEC. It wants to use the card readers to make sure that our electoral process is credible and acceptable by international observers.

    “This is the first time we are voting with the card readers. There have been some issues in some units, but we should bear with them. I believe that at the end of the day we all will be happy,” Jonathan said.

    Asked about his assessment of the election based on information available to him, he said: “I have information but it is not everything that I can say. INEC has the responsibility to talk about their functions. There are complaints about PVCs and card readers not working.

    “At the same time INEC has directed that in polling units where the card readers are not working, they should take the manual option, so I believe all Nigerians who want to vote will definitely vote, and that is the good news.

    “The only thing is that some people probably must have stayed there longer than necessary. But I still plead with them that even if they spend 24 hours for the sake of this country, please they should bear with us, they should do it,” he said.

    On INEC, Jonathan said the government is one, and the commission cannot be held solely responsible for the hitches.

    He said: “I don’t blame anyone. But as a nation, we have different departments of government that handle responsibilities. The issue of election is INEC’s exclusive responsibility, and nobody will speak for them.”

    Few hiccups can’t undermine these election, says Buhari

    Gen. Buhari, speaking to reporters in Daura after voting at Sarkin Yara A, Kofa Barau 3 polling unit in Liman ward  said  the hiccups in  a few places should not be allowed to undermine the integrity of the election.

    The General who was wore a white babanriga , a stipend cap and black shoes to match arrived the polling unit at about 4.47 to a rousing reception and shouts  of  Sai Baba by voters  who were practically falling over each other to catch a glimpse of him.

    He said: ” I like the integrity of the system. I am very pleased about it. That means that if people are allowed to vote, rigging will be virtually impossible. I think that INEC has done very well and I have said it to your colleagues elsewhere that from their presentations to the National Council of States which I happened to be a member, this time around, INEC has done extremely well”.

    He however admitted that the card reader  failed to work in some areas, put expressed satisfaction with the decision of INEC to allow election to hold on Sunday in places where elections could not hold on Saturday.

    “I must admit that again, I am happy with the decision take by INEC that in places where election has not taken place, it will take place tomorrow. From the information we are getting which has not been confirmed, there is failure of some of the card readers.

    “For example, it took me less than five minutes for accreditation. When I came back home, I was watching on television and it took the President about 30 minutes to be accredited. But it took his wife and mother about two minutes each to do it. There is discrepancy in the performance of those gadgets. For INEC to give the notice that because of failure in some of the equipment, elections will continue tomorrow where elections did not happen today”.

    On whether he would  accept the outcome of the election if the results did not go his own way, he said “My way is Nigeria’s way . Even before the first Abuja peace accord,I had told my supporters not to be rude or take up weapon against any Nigerian.

    “After that, we signed the first Abuja accord presided over by Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations which we all signed as Presidential candidates and the recent one signed three days ago between me and Jonathan presided over by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Bishop Kukah and Bishop Onaiyekon and two others.

    Speaking on the alleged intimidation of APC supporters in Rivers State, Buhari said he spoke with Governor Rotimi  Amaechi  ” and I think that what has been happening in Rivers state is a continuation of the hostility between the ruling party the APC. It is so real and the governor has been fighting and today, it got out of hand. ”

    Sambo reverts to old polling booth

    Vice-President Namadi Sambo and his wife, Amina   relocated from their old polling unit, Camp Road to Swimming Pool Road in Kabala Ward in Kaduna to vote yesterday .

    The development might not be  unconnected with the outright defeat the VP faced in all the polls in the 2011 general elections.

    But, Sambo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Umar Sani, said, the VP only reverted  to his original polling unit and commended INEC for bringing back Sambo and his wife to their original polling unit.

    Sambo  himself who spoke to newsmen shortly after casting his votes, described the exercise as smooth and peaceful.

    ?Meanwhile, ?a man suspected to have fixed a network jammer in his car to disrupt the card readers escaped being lynched by irritate youths who queued to be accredited at Kasuwan Barchi area of Tudun Wada in Kaduna metropolis.

     

    ?

    According to an eyewitness, the suspect jammed card readers at a polling unit in Tudun Wada from his car packed close to the polling unit.

    His manipulation was said to have succeeded in stopping the card readers from working for some times.

    Card Reader dysfunction not severe – PDP chair, Mu’azu

    Reacting  yesterday to complaints about the card readers,the  PDP National Chairman, Malam Adamu Mu’azu,  said the situation was not as bad as being portrayed.

    The percentage of the technical hitches encountered with  the card readers during the accreditation was not beyond tolerance, he said in his Boto, Bauchi State hometown.

    He rejected calls for the cancellation of the use of Card Reader machines for the accreditation of voters.

    “I cannot arbitrarily call for the cancellation of the usage of the Card Readers and the Permanent Voter Cards. I know professor Jega to be a successful and courageous intellectual and so far he has done very well,” Premium Times quoted him as saying.

     

  • Buhari, other APC candidates lead in Ogun

    Buhari, other APC candidates lead in Ogun

    EARLY results emerging from the presidential and national assembly  elections conducted in Ogun State yesterday showed that the All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of the party were leading, particularly Ogun Central and Ogun West.

    They were closely being followed by the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Part y(PDP) and others on the tickets of PDP. Tagging from behind are candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) where former governor Olusegun Osoba is the state party leader.

    The Peoples Democratic Party lost Obasanjo’s ward 11 polling unit 22 at Oke – Sokori near his Ita – Eko home in Abeokuta North Local Government to the APC candidates.

    But, open bribe of voters were prevalent in Ogun East as voters were reportedly bribed with money ranging from N2000 and above. Except for few reported cases of malfunctioning of the Card Reader, the presidential and national assembly elections were peaceful and recorded high turnout of voters in most parts of Ogun State.

    Officials and ad hoc workers of the Independent National Electoral Commisssion (INEC) came out early and voters’ accreditations started on time.

    In most of the polling units visited in Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Obafemi Owode, Imeko Afon, Egbado South and Ipokia local government areas, voters waited patiently for accreditations despite slow functioning of the Card Readers in some places.

    In most of the units visited, bags of “pure water” and soap were provided for voters to watch their hands to ease authentication of fingerprints. Those whose fingerprints could not be authenticated after several trials were given incident forms to fill in place of accreditation.

    Though while the volume of those accredited in most polling units visited were low towards the end of accreditation, voting started early in others. But, despite long queues, voting started at most of the wards in Abeokuta South and others.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Valentine Ntomchukwu, praised the conduct of voters and security operatives posted for the election. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chief Timothy Ibitoye, said: “There is peace everywhere as a result of adequate preparation by INEC.”

    Soldiers were restricted to entry points of the state capital while men of police, immigratios, civil dence and customs manned polling areas.

    But, Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka yesterday expressed concern over alleged “shoddy preparation of the INEC for the elections.

    Isiaka was particularly dissatisfied with the failure of the card readers in some polling units that forced the INEC staffs to employ manual accreditation.

    He noted that he had initially raised his concerns about the effectiveness of the card readers which later proved him and other Nigerians right.

    He, however, urged the INEC to perfect all the anomalies before the governorship election which is usually more contentious.

    But state INEC had face serious challenge over supply and distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Few hours to the presidential and national assembly elections, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ogun State struggled till evening on Friday to distribute thousands of new consignment of PVCs received from the commission’s Abuja headquarters to the state’s voters.

    The Nation learnt that the PVCs were received for nine local government areas on Wednesday. While the total figure could not be verified as at the time of going to the press, Abeokuta North Local Government Area had the highest PVCs with five cartoons and one packet, followed by Odeda with two cartoons and one packet. Egbado South had 11 packets; Egbado North got two packets, while Abeokuta South, Ewekoro, Ijebu North, Odogbolu and Ogun Waterside received one packet each.

  • Most searched for Presidential candidate

    Most searched for Presidential candidate

    Based on searches conducted on google.com.ng from January 1 2015 to March 27, 2015
    Based on searches conducted on google.com.ng from January 1 2015 to March 27, 2015