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Tag: Malam Garba Shehu

  • Presidency cautions opinion leaders on public utterances

    Presidency cautions opinion leaders on public utterances

    The Presidency on Wednesday advised Nigerian opinion leaders to exercise restraint in their choice of words to avoid heating up the polity and causing acrimony across the country.

    While defending the President’s speech on Monday on his return from a medical vacation, the Presidency said it is a matter of great satisfaction that a majority of the citizens welcomed the broadcast.

    To critique the president for not responding to restructuring on the country, the Presidency said is completely off the mark.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President Malam Garba Shehu, the President has no power to impose restructuring on the country by military diktat, adding that the National Assembly members are the elected representatives of the people who can handle agitations for restructuring and other constitutional changes.

    He explained that the President is constitutionally bound to work with the National Assembly to deal with such complex issues, reminding critics that the President would not exercise arbitrary powers or bypass the legislature in taking such fundamental decisions.

    He said “Changes don’t happen on a whim in a democracy. The ‘immediate effect’ military mentality cannot work under a democratic order. Since the President has sworn to defend the constitution, he would remain faithful to that oath by working with the legislature in taking major decisions on the future of Nigeria’s federal system.

    Malam Garba Shehu however, noted that, while Nigerians are free to express themselves, they should exercise such liberty with restraint and a sense of responsibility.

    He said calling President Buhari an enemy of Nigeria is in extreme bad taste, adding that nothing in Buhari’s service record would justify such scurrilous language.

    “The country’s parliament is ready and willing to discuss all issues but the pundits are more interested in TV and newspaper headlines. Threats don’t work in a democracy. Democracy requires planning and proper process. Issues are resolved through established processes, not by abuses, insults or irresponsible statements,” he stated.

  • Garba Shehu decries Constitutional crisis hype 

    Garba Shehu decries Constitutional crisis hype 

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, has dismissed an article by a Nigerian historian,  Max Siollun, entitled “The Gentleman’s Agreement that Could Break Apart Nigeria,” published in the  United States-based Foreign Policy magazine.

    The piece speculated that Nigeria faces imminent political and constitutional crisis on account of President Buhari’s absence to attend to his health in London.

    Reacting to what he called “needlessly sensational and exaggerated speculations by conspiracy theorists”, the Presidential aide explained that it is misleading to compare President Buhari’s case to that of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, adding that the circumstances are completely different.

    According to Shehu, unlike President Yar’Adua, President Buhari has duly complied with the constitutional requirements by formally notifying the National Assembly of his intention to go for medical treatment and handing over to Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President.

    In a statement by Deputy Director (Information) State House, Abuja, Attah Esa, Shehu said “While Yar’Adua was too severely ill to transmit a letter formally to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Buhari is not in such medical state, and therefore, the country is not currently facing any complications on account of his absence.”

    The media aide noted that under President Yar’Adua, there was uncertainty about the role of the Vice President because the late President was not in a position to formally transfer power to his deputy, which necessitated the resort to the doctrine of necessity to enable Dr. Goodluck Jonathan act in his absence.

    Malam Shehu explained that, currently, none of these circumstances prevail in Nigeria on account of President Buhari’s absence for medical treatment.

    According to him, having transferred power formally to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, President Muhammadu Buhari did not leave Nigeria with any power vacuum, adding, therefore, that any suggestions of uncertainty or constitutional crisis are imaginary and exaggerated.

    He explained that with the Acting President Professor Osinbajo already running the affairs of the country in the absence of President Buhari, people should stop creating artificial fears of crisis or uncertainty, noting that governance has not ground to a halt because President Buhari has duly complied with the constitution.

    Malam Shehu appealed to conspiracy theorists not to pollute the polity by needlessly seeking to create an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and suspicions in the country.

    The Media aide said that the President publicly admitted he was sick and taking treatment and that he never pretended about his health condition with that open admission.

     

     

  • Presidency orders recall of expelled Punch Reporter

    Presidency orders recall of expelled Punch Reporter

    The Presidency has ordered the recall of the Correspondent of Punch Newspapers, Olalekan Adetayo, attached to the State House, Abuja, barely 10 hours after his expulsion from the beat.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, confirmed this development in a message addressed to the Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Malam Ubale Musa.

    The presidential spokesman revealed that the recall of Adetayo followed the intervention of the Director-General of the Department for State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura.

    According to him, his office and that of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity will resolve the issue on Tuesday.

    “”We just got a clearance from Malam Lawal Daura, the DG SSS, to recall Lekan to the Villa. Please come along with him tomorrow.

    “”The Special Adviser on Media, Femi Adesina and I will resolve the issues,” he said.

    It would be recalled Adetayo was interrogated on Monday afternoon by the office of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the president over a story the presidency considered offensive.

    The correspondent, who spent about 45 minutes with his interrogators, was later escorted out of the Presidential Villa by security operatives after picking his belongings from the Press Gallery of the Council Chamber.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, however, posted on his twitter handle on Monday evening that his office was not consulted before Adetayo was expelled from the Villa by the CSO.

    According to him, an amicable solution to the matter is being worked out by relevant offices in the Villa, adding that President Buhari does not intend to muzzle the media in any way.

     

  • I did not snub South-East Summit – Buhari

    I did not snub South-East Summit – Buhari

    The presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari did not snub organisers of the recent South-East Economic and Security Summit held in Enugu.

    In a statement, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said in Abuja on Friday that the President did not, and he absolutely had no reason to snub anyone.

    Garba said the President was presented with a request to attend the Economic and Security Summit by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.

    “The President happily accepted. The visit to Enugu was scheduled for Dec. 22 as can be found in the weekly programme.

    “After this was done, some other stakeholders from the South-East came and advised him not go in view of the closeness of the date to Christmas:

    “That given the sensitivity of the period to the people, a presidential visit may come with overexertion and possibly be disruptive of Christmas.

    “In view of this, President Buhari requested that the event is pushed forward to January 2017. Given his nature, he did not insist.

    “He said if the change of date was not possible, then the event could go on without him. That was what the organisers chose to do.

    “The President did not, and he absolutely has no reason to snub anyone.’’

  • Nigeria may face famine in January, Presidency warns

    Nigeria may face famine in January, Presidency warns

    •’Grain shortage looms as exporters move surplus harvest abroad’

    The Presidency has warned that Nigeria may face famine in January, if drastic steps are not taken.

    Nigeria, which is Africa’s largest producer of cereals and grains, risks food shortage from early next year as huge demands in the global market are targeting the country’s surplus production.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, quoted him as making the grim forecast in a radio interview in Kano yesterday.

    Shehu told Pyramid Radio  that the “huge demand for our grains in the global market is creating an excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian grains across our borders”.

    “And unless this is curtailed, Nigerian markets will be bereft of food by January next year,” he said.

    He said the Ministry of Agriculture has advised the President on the need to draw the attention of all Nigerians to the issue which, if not addressed promptly, could lead to a shortage of grains in Nigeria by January.

    He said: “Over the past year, providence has blessed Nigeria with a bountiful harvest of grains, more than enough to feed the country and to export to other countries. At present, there is a high demand for grains from Nigeria, from African countries as distant as Libya and Algeria, and from places as far away as Brazil.

    He explained that Nigeria at present enjoys a free market situation.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari is not in any way opposed to or intent on tampering with that. On the other hand, exporters also have a moral obligation to make their produce available to Nigerians, who live within our country’s borders, to ensure that our citizens have access to food,” Shehu said.

    The Presidential aide informed the radio station that the Ministry of Agriculture estimated that no fewer than 500 trucks laden with grain leave Nigerian markets every week, headed for countries outside Nigeria’s borders.

    “The major markets involved in this exportation are: the Dawanau market in Kano, Naigatari in Jigawa, Bama in Borno, and Ilela in Sokoto, as well as three other main markets in Kebbi State,” he said.

    He explained that the President has on various occasions reiterated his plan for Nigeria to become a food-producing giant, self-sufficient to the point of depending very little on imported food.

    On what the government was doing to avert the situation, the presidential spokesman said the President has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to present a quick plan for the purchase of surplus grains to be stored in warehouses across the country to save for the rainy day.

    He noted that there was a need for moral pressure on exporters by traditional and religious authorities to curtail the depletion of the home market.

  • Nigeria may face famine in January, Presidency warns

    Nigeria may face famine in January, Presidency warns

    The Presidency on Monday warned that Nigeria could face famine in January if drastic steps are not taken now.

    Nigeria, which is currently Africa’s largest producer of cereals and grains risks famine from early next year as a huge demand in the global market is targeting Nigeria’s surplus production.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu made the grim forecast in a radio interview in Kano on Monday.

    Shehu told Pyramid radio that the “huge demand for our grains in the global market is creating an excellent environment for the mindless export of Nigerian grains across our borders and unless this is curtailed, Nigerian markets will be bereft of food by January next year.”

    He said the Ministry of Agriculture has advised the President on the need to draw the attention of all Nigerians to the issue which, if not addressed promptly, could lead to a shortage of grains in Nigeria by January.

    He said: “Over the past year, Providence has blessed Nigeria with a bountiful harvest of grains, more than enough to feed the country and to export to other countries. At present, there is a high demand for grains from Nigeria, from African countries as distant as Libya and Algeria, and from places as far away as Brazil.

    “However, the ministry of agriculture has raised concerns about a massive rate of exportation, which could lead to a shortage of grains in Nigeria by January,” Malam Garba said.

    He explained that Nigeria currently enjoys a free market situation.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari is not in any way opposed to or intent on tampering with that. On the other hand, exporters also have a moral obligation to make their produce available to Nigerians who live within our country’s borders, to ensure that our citizens have access to food,” he added.

    The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity informed the radio station that the ministry of agriculture estimated that no fewer than 500 trucks laden with grain leave Nigerian markets every week, headed for countries outside Nigerian borders.

    “The major markets involved in this exportation are: the Dawanau market in Kano, Naigatari in Jigawa, Bama in Borno, and Ilela in Sokoto, as well as three other main markets in Kebbi State,” he said.

    He further explained that President Buhari has on various occasions reiterated his plan for Nigeria to become a food-producing giant, self-sufficient to the point of depending very little on imported food.

    “This noble plan could easily be defeated by the pull of the foreign market if food continues to leave our shores to feed people elsewhere. If care is not taken, Nigeria could face a famine by January,” he stressed.

    “Building our country into the edifice we envision it to be will require sacrifice and strategy from every single Nigerian. Let us remember that charity begins at home,” said in the program.

    Asked a question on what the government is doing to avert the frightening situation, the Presidential Spokesman said that President Buhari has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to present a quick plan for the purchase of surplus grains to be stored in warehouses across the country to save for the rainy day but opined that there was a need for moral pressure on exporters by traditional and religious authorities to curtail the depletion of the home market.