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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Ganduje empowers 1850 youths, sends 200 prospective auto-mechanics to PAN

    No fewer than 1850 youths benefited from another round of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s empowerment programme, just as 150 automobile mechanics sponsored by Kano state government graduated from Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN) Training School, Kaduna.

    Ganduje also vowed to ensure that over one million youths are empowered by his administration before the end of his first tenure.

    He spoke during the graduation ceremony, inauguration and empowerment of over 1850 youths in Kano Government House.

    According to him, the empowerment programme was part of his administration’s determination to fight poverty, youth restiveness and growing unemployment in the country.

    He further stated that Kano state Government under his administration has made huge investment in youth empowerment, skills acquisition and training in various aspects of artisanship, technology, automobile mechanics, as well as different trades that can make them self-reliant and carter for themselves, their families, and also become employers of labour.

    The Nation reports that 150 youths, including 100 males and 50 females, who underwent one-year training at the Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN), Kaduna, under the auspices of Ganduje Auto-mechanic Engineering Training (GAMET), were handed over modern mechanic tools and N50,000 cash each as take-off capital, during the occasion.

    This is just as another 200, including 150 male and 50 female, of the GAMET third batch were given admission letters for another round of one year training at PAN Learning Center, Kaduna.

    Ganduje also distributed empowerment kits and N10, 000 each to 540 trained vulcanizers, as well as 440 tricycle mechanics who were empowered through the State Committee on Empowerment.

    Mores so, Governor Ganduje handed over working tools and N30, 000 each cash donation to 300 youths trained in different skills by Kano state Government in collaboration with the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).

    He charged the graduands to make good use of the opportunity afforded to them, hinted that already, the first batch of 72 youths trained by PAN under GAMET, are already gainfully employed, employing other youths in their various workshops located within their localities.

    He further stated that over N420 million has been set aside for the one year programme of the third batch of 200 youths who are billed to be trained by PAN Training Centre, for their feeding, accommodation and other logistics.

    According to him, “Being fully aware of the status of Kano as the most populous state in the country, my administration has decided to engage in continuous economic empowerment of youths for a better tomorrow.

    Read Also: Ganduje distributes 100 transformers to communities

    “We have continuously engaged our youths in self-reliant programmes in the field of agriculture, information technology, education, among other areas that can make them responsible and good ambassadors of Kano state.”

    He added that already, his administration has built 10 units of workshops in each of the three senatorial zones to accommodate the graduating automobile mechanics from PAN.

    In his speech during the occasion, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chief Chris Ngige, who was represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Jibiya, commended Ganduje for his giant strides in youth development and empowerment.

    According to him, “His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is a youth-friendly governor. It is only in Kano that President Muhammadu Buhari’s empowerment policies have been fully achieved. I commend Governor Ganduje for involving both men and women in his empowerment programmes. Also, I commend PAN for partnering with Kano state government to make this a reality.”

    Also speaking, Speaker of Kano state House of Assembly, Kabiru Alhasan Rurum commended Governor Ganduje for his efforts in empowering the youths, promising that the House will speedily pass the 2019 appropriation bill before 29 December, to enable Ganduje continue with the good work he is doing in Kano state.

    The Managing Director of PAN, Malam Ibrahim Boyi, said PAN was proud to collaborate with Kano state government to ensure empowerment of youths.

    According to him, “On behalf of PAN, I congratulate Governor Ganduje for the successful graduation of the second batch of this GAMET youth empowerment progarmme.

    “Ganduje is the champion of youth empowerment in Nigeria. Little wonder his youth empowerment programmes has earned him covetous awards, not only in Nigeria but globally. I seize this opportunity to appeal to other state Governors to emulate what Ganduje is doing in Kano.”

    The chairman of Kano State Empowerment Committee who doubles as the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba said, “The GAMET empowerment project is one of the most important empowerment programmes of the state government. It is a one year programme of both practical and   academic training. I am also happy to announce that these graduands at the end of the day would be issued with London City and Guilds Certificate.”

  • Obasanjo is confused, says Presidency

    The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed the recent utterances by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, as a sign of confusion not worthy of attention.

    Obasanjo has been against the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari for second term.

    Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said that whoever Obasanjo chooses to support at the 2019 elections is irrelevant, as the former president had publicly changed his mind on the matter so many times over the past few months alone.

    “Former president Obasanjo denounces one person today and supports that same person the next day.

    Read Also: Your candidate will lose, FG tells Obasanjo

    “When it pleases him, he brings God into the matter and uses that as his excuse for whatever position he has chosen,” he said.

    Shehu added that he was not surprised that newspapers reported Obasanjo expressing neutrality at a weekend forum, only for the former president to express a completely different stance after a day or two.

    “We have learnt not to take his utterances seriously anymore.

    “We know that the slightest wind can make him change his mind again. After all, this is the same man who publicly tore his party registration card barely four years ago, and he now claims to be backing the same party,” Shehu said.

  • Banditry/Kidnappings: Group backs Buratai for exposing those behind killings in Nigeria

    The Coalition of Human Rights Groups has backed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai for exposing those behind the unrest in the country.
    Lt. Gen. Buratai had on Wednesday said embittered politicians, who were bent on destabilising the country were responsible for the rising activities of bandits.
    He gave this assertion while hosting members of the 10-man Committee on Army of the House of Representatives, who were in Maiduguri on a two-day oversight function.
    He said, “There are myriads of security challenges we are facing right now in the North-West, North-Central and other parts of the country. I want to believe, and rightly so, that with the fallout of the just-concluded general elections, there are politicians who saw their defeat as a means of revenge, sponsoring these criminal activities and even banditry and clashes between the farmers and herders.”
    Speaking on the revelation, the human rights group warned those behind the serial acts of banditry, kidnapping and killings must desist from these evil acts and change their ways.
    Maxwel Gowon (Esq), Executive Director of the group in a statement obtained by our reporter on Thursday, appealed to defeated political players in the last election to use proceedings in expressing dissatisfaction with election outcomes without resorting to bloodletting.
    The statement reads below.
    Permit us to say that we are not in any way surprised by the revelations made by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai while speaking before a committee of the House of Representatives this week. In summary, General Buratai asserted that politicians are behind the new wave of attacks against Nigerians by Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and other killer groups.
     He also said some politicians who were defeated during the General Elections sponsor criminal as their own way of revenge for their rejection by Nigerians.
    The Coalition of Human Rights Groups in Nigeria want to categorically state that what General Buratai have disclosed is not really new. Political support for Boko Haram is something that our coalition expressed concerns about shortly before the elections.
     Our concerns at that time were validated when the Federal Government raised the alarm about how the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar were procuring the services of these terrorists and foreign mercenaries to make the country unsafe. We had also, after the elections, revealed that the opposition, following their election losses, had given a fresh mandate to the terrorists to make the country ungovernable.
    The favor General Buratai has done for Nigerians is to confirm that the threat from politicians that lost election is real. The Chief of Army Staff, by virtue of his position has access to the best intelligence about the dynamics of the politically motivated acts of terror being committed against Nigerians by those that want to take over the government at all cost. The affirmation by General Buratai that the Boko Haram threat is real is therefore a well-founded fear and informed position as he neither known for being flippant nor alarmist but has always been sounded patriotic in his intervention.
    On the heels of what the Chief of Army Staff has said, we are drawing the attention of Nigerians to five critical points:
    The opposition backed terrorist groups and foreign mercenaries to cause insecurity in several parts of the country prior to the elections in the hope that the resulting chaos will either allow them rig the polls or deplete potential votes for President Muhammadu Buhari in his strongholds.
    The attacks by Boko Haram, bandits and other criminal elements are centered on areas where the opposition had predicted they would win but were roundly defeated, which could mean that Nigerians in these affected places are being punished by the opposition for voting their choice.
    The opposition, especially Atiku Abubakar, categorically told the world that they will ensure that killings continue across the country because President Buhari was re-elected. The killings are fitting this predicted pattern.
    Captured terrorists, victims and security agencies have repeatedly identified political players as drivers of the acts of terrorism that have been recorded.
    The opposition had never hidden their glee each time there was an attack anywhere. They are quick to exploit the attacks for launching verbal and media attack on the government. This insecurity is what they are now leveraging on to plot a coup against the government as have been exposed by the Nigerian Army.
    We are calling on the politicians that lost elections to have a rethink and immediately desist from sponsoring killings and supporting Boko Haram or any terror group to unleash deaths on Nigerians. There are legal proceedings to expressing dissatisfaction with election outcomes without resorting to bloodletting.
    Not only is the Coalition of Human Rights Groups in Nigeria asking these politicians to withdraw support for the killers they have commissioned, they must also, because they engaged these terrorists to carry out the killings, come up with modalities for decommissioning and demobilizing the killer gangs while handing over inventories of weapons they issued to these killers so that law enforcement agencies can properly mop up the illegal firearms that are being used to carry out the killings.
    Those that have been contracted to take the life of others must know that they face reckoning. Time has practically run out for them to repudiate the bloody contracts assigned to them by disgruntled politicians. They should immediately turn themselves in and name the politicians that gave them dirty jobs to do while also surrendering weapons in their possession. They must know that the military in Nigeria is capable of dealing them mortal blows once the era of persuasion is over. This will lead to certain death for the killers while their political masters are able to slink into the shadows to enjoy the proceeds of their corrupt past.
    In conclusion, we are calling on the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, notably the Nigerian Army, to consider that the period of grace is over for those that have decided that Nigerians cannot or will not know peace. The battle should be taken beyond the theatre of operation; the identities of Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and killer mercenaries gunned down in battles should henceforth be investigated and confirmed so that those they are linked to can be tracked down. The military should co-operate with the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Services (DSS) in this regard so that politicians or anyone found to be connected with these killers.
    We want to urge the Nigerian Army and other branches of the Armed Forces not to relent in the commendable efforts they have made in saving the country from the killers unleashed on the rest of us by the failed politicians. It is apparent that the situation would have been far worse if Nigeria does not have committed leaders in the military.
    Our appeal to the Federal Government is to repeat an earlier stated position that the situation at hand has gone past the one for political consideration. People that are devious enough to send killers after the electorate as punishment for not being voted do not require pampering; what they need is the activation of the full powers of the Nigerian state against them and the military and security agencies should be allowed to deploy this. They should get the backing to go after anyone found to be sponsoring these killers irrespective of whether there will be cries of clamp down on the opposition or not.
    Thank you for listening.

     

  • Buhari hails Swiss Govt for returning stolen funds

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja said Nigerian government remains deeply grateful to the government and people of Switzerland for their support in resuscitating the economy, especially the return of illegally stolen funds.

    He made the remark while receiving Letters of Credence from the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Mr George Steiner, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. 

    President Buhari, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity  Garba Shehu, said the return of stolen funds and interventions in the crisis in the North East further indicate the Swiss government’s commitment to the development of Nigeria.

    “We are grateful to the Swiss government for allowing illegally stolen funds to be brought back to Nigeria,’’ he said.

    The President noted that the facilitating roles the Swiss government had been playing in the North East, particularly in reaching out to Internally Displaced Persons, had been most helpful, adding that bilateral relations between both countries will continue to be strengthened.

    Responding, the Swiss Ambassador said his government will always be disposed to supporting Nigeria in ensuring peace in the country, especially in the North East.

    Read Also: Buhari to INEC: put Nigeria first in 2019

    “We have strong and solid relations with Nigeria. It’s an honour and privilege for us to contribute to issues of importance in the country,’’ he added.

    Steiner told President Buhari that the Swiss government looks forward to having stronger relations on economic issues with Nigeria that will be mutually beneficial, pointing out that the ongoing reforms in the country already send right signals to investors.

    President Buhari, who also received Letters of Credence from the Ambassador of Belgium, Dr Daniel Dargent, said feasibility studies to revamp the Lake Chad Basin will require a diversion of River Ubangi in the Congo Basin.

    The President said the diversion of  River Ubangi will improve the livelihood of more than 40 million people who survive on Lake Chad Basin, urging the Belgian government to support the negotiation.

    In his remarks, the Ambassador of Belgium said his government will support an initiative that will improve the livelihood of people.

    “We are in a global world and we need to start evolving more on issues that directly touch lives, especially in supporting Nigeria which will one day become a Permanent member of the Security Council’’ he said.

    While receiving his Letters of Credence, President Buhari congratulated the Ambassador of Hungary, Dr Sandor Gyorgy Beer, on his posting to Nigeria, urging him to sustain the healthy relations that had existed between both countries for many years.

    The Hungarian Ambassador said relations between both countries had been strong over many years, noting that he will work towards improving it, especially on economic issues and sports.

    Dr Beer said Nigeria and Hungary already had a strong pedigree in sports, especially in football, that can be improved, assuring the President that he will work towards more exchanges between both countries by setting up a football academy in Nigeria that will promote matches, trainings and skills development.

    “Nigeria is a great country and it’s an honour to be here,’’ he said.

  • Buhari will win Taraba in 2019, says former acting governor

    A former acting governor of Taraba state and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abubakar Sani Danladi, on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari will win Taraba State with a large margin in next year’s general election.
    Buhari lost to Goodluck Jonathan in Taraba State in 2015 presidential poll.
    Danladi, who briefed reporters in Jalingo, said he was the one who worked against Buhari in 2015 when he was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    He added that he was reconciling aggrieved members of the APC who could not win the primaries so that they will form a formidable political force that will effectively deliver Buhari and all the APC candidates in Taraba State come 2019.
    “In 2015, I was the acting governor of Taraba State in PDP’s platform. I led the campaign that brought Darius Ishaku on board as governor. I also made sure our PDP presidential candidate, former president Goodluck Jonathan, won in Taraba.

    Read Also: Taraba governor’s wife honoured

    “Today, I am the governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba. I want to tell Nigerians in confidence that President Buhari will win Taraba in 2019.
    “I was the architect and head boy of the team that delivered Jonathan in Taraba state in 2015. Now, I have been promoted as the headmaster in Taraba APC, so Buhari will win without hitches. Those who will not join me will lose out in Taraba in 2015 general election,” he said.
    The Taraba APC flag bearer thanked President Buhari for awarding the Mambilla hydro power project in Sardauna local government area of the state, saying the contract alone is speaking for the president.
    Danladi criticised the Darius Ishaku administration on youth empowerment, saying not much has been done by Ishaku to empower the youth and take them off the streets.
    “God knows what I have for the youth in Taraba state -a programme to empower them in many ways. I will do that to reposition the State on the path of development,” Danladi said.

  • House keeps mum over Buhari’s rejection of Electoral Act Amendment Bill

    The House of Representatives refused to debate the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign into law for the fourth time the Electoral Act, 2010 Amendment Bill.

    Before the floor could degenerate into a rowdy session on Tuesday, following the reading of the President’s letter conveying his rejection of the Bill, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said in line with House rules, the letter would not be considered on the day it was read but slated for another legislative day.

    President Buhari, in the letter dated 6th December, 2018 said he declined assent to the Bill as a result of the likely confusion the new law would create for the process of the 2019 general election.

    While pointing out some other errors in the document, the President included a provison if he must sign the bill into law that the clause that the law becomes operational after the 2019 election be inserted.

    As the Speaker concluded reading the letter, Ali Madaki, (PDP, Kano) raised a point order saying  there was an urgent need for the House to debate the President’s communication because of its importance to the future of the country.

    “Mr. Speaker, you have just read a very important letter. What we want is free, fair and credible election. Mr. President refusing to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill shows clearly what he wants to do.

    “The whole world is watching. Everybody is watching…,” he said before being shut down by a counter point of order from the House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Read Also: Buhari on climate change

    Gbajabiamila said no House rule supports Madaki’s suggestion that the matter be debated immediately because of it’s importance.

    “We have never, by precedence; by custom and tradition, we have never debated a letter, which is by way of information.

    “If there is the need to debate the president’s letter, we will table on the order paper for debate. Several letters have been written by several presidents before.

    “It never happened. If you want to debate the letter, place it on the order paper. We are fully ready to debate it,” Gbajabiamila said.

    At this point, the Speaker ruled and stepped down the matter for another legislative day.

    He said, no matter how urgent, House rules dictate that such matters are scheduled for another legislative day for consideration.

    “We have a provision in our rules that guides this kind of communication and I will advise that we follow the rules.

    “So, I think this matter should be laid to rest,” he said.

     

  • 2019: Buhari, Atiku, others to sign Peace Accord

    President Muhammadu Buhari and other presidential candidates, including Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are to sign Peace Accord to ensure smooth conduct of 2019 general elections.

    The event, slated for International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Tuesday at 3.0 p.m is being organised by the National Peace Committee.

    The committee is headed by former Military Head of State, retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

    The Peace Accord is an undertaking by all the presidential candidates to ensure peaceful and rancor free campaigns before, during and after the 2019 general elections.

    Read Also: Buhari: why I defeated Jonathan in 2015

    The candidates are also expected to avoid hate speech, fake news or any act capable of causing socio-political unrest in the country.

    The leadership of the affected political parties as well as the Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) are also expected to grace the event.

    Other presidential candidates expected to sign the peace agreement include: Mr Donald Duke-Social Democratic Party (SDP); Mr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim- Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Mr Omoyele Sowore-African Action Congress (AAC) and Mrs Obi Ezekwesili- Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).

    Others are Dr Obadiah Mailafia-African Democratic Congress (ADC); Prof. Kingsley Moghalu – Young Progressive Party (YPP); Pastor Chris Okotie – Fresh Democratic Party (FDP) retired Major Hamza Al-Mustapha-Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

    Habib Gajo-Young Democratic Party (YDP); retired Maj- Gen. John Gbor – All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Ali Soyode-YES Party and Dr Davidson Akhimien-Grassroots Development Party of Nigeria (GDPN) are also expected to sign the Peace Accord.

  • ‘No amount of blackmail can stop my support for Buhari’

    The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu, has restated that no amount of cheap blackmail will dissuade him and his followers from supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection.

    Nwosu who left the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the controversial governorship primaries, stated that the circumstance that forced him to dump the APC has nothing to do with President Buhari.

    He said that his support for the President is beyond personal considerations or party and religious inclinations.

    Nwosu argued further that those fighting to get the attention of the President by blackmailing him cannot deliver him in their booths because “they are not popular”.

    According to him, “Whether they blackmail us or not, the truth is that we have made up our minds to support President Buhari. If I will not be supporting President Buhari, I won’t be putting his pictures on my billboards and campaign posters, otherwise who am I deceiving. We have together with the governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, made up our mind to support President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and nothing can change that.

    Read Also: Imo APC ticket: I won’t succumb to threat – Nwosu

    “In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari won with a wide margin in my Eziama-Obire Ward and in the 2019 election, despite being the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance, I will deliver President Buhari in my Ward but those running to Abuja to blackmail me cannot convince a single person to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “All those carrying the blackmail should come out and show us their supporters that will vote for President Buhari all they are interested in is to use the President’s name and compromise the election because they know that they don’t stand a chance in a free and fair election but that will not work in Imo State”.

    He added that those relying on rigging the 2019 governorship election will be disappointed as the people of the state will resist any such attempt.

    In his words, “We have implicit trust in the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Marmood Yakubu to deliver a credible election. So those relying on rigging and other malpractices will fail. Imolites will resist any attempt to steal their mandate, the people’s vote must count.

    “In fact anybody thinking of rigging the 2019 election is making a big mistake because we will resist it, the youths of Imo state will resist it, the women and the leaders of the state will resist, if you are not popular, you are not popular and INEC knows that it is not possible to write result in Imo state. People should know that the era of sitting at home and writing results is gone

  • Vote buying a threat to Nigeria’s democracy – Saraki, Dogara

    President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, on Monday said vote buying is a threat to the nation’s democracy.

    Speaking at a public hearing in Abuja, they called for urgent action by stakeholders, especially security agencies to check the menace before the 2019 general election.

    The hearing was conducted by the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

    In a keynote address, Saraki said the country was in a delicate situation as the entire world was looking forward to what would happen in the coming general election.

    This, he said, is understandable considering that President Muhammadu Buhari is the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

    “Moreover, the Chairman of INEC is the head of Electoral Commissions in West Africa.

    “With these positions, it is clear that we cannot afford to conduct an election that will not be credible, peaceful, free and fair.

    “It is noteworthy that in 2015, we set an enviable standard that encouraged more countries in Africa to democratize.

    “In 2019, we cannot lower the standard. We must up the ante, because whatever we do will have impact on the continent and serve as a representation of Africa on the global stage,” he said.

    Read Also: Saraki’s aide’s alleged N3.5bn fraud trial stalled

    Saraki noted that the country could not afford to send wrong signals with its actions or inactions in the build-up to the election.

    He said that Nigeria must tell the world in action that it was ready to improve its electoral process by making it more transparent and commendable.

    “At this point, it does seem to me that the onus is on INEC to demonstrate its independence. It should be pro-active and take bold decisions.

    “And this is necessary because the responsibility to conduct a credible poll is solely that of the Commission. This is elemental to retaining the confidence of the electorate,” he said.

    He expressed worry over alleged collusion by security agents with political actors to disenfranchise voters, citing reports of voter intimidation in the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun.

    “We cannot under any circumstances militarize election, because that defeats the purpose of free, fair and credible poll.

    “In an election, access to the polling units for the purpose of casting one’s vote is the bare minimum.

    “INEC must set the rules for their engagement during elections, which they are to follow.

    “The Commission should further seek the co-operation of respective security agencies to ensure strict compliance,” he said.

    On his part, Dogara described vote buying as the highest form of corruption.

    He said although “undue influence of voters” was a global phenomenon, the recent “direct pricing and buying of votes as if in a market square is very disturbing”.

    Dogara said, “It is disheartening that this absurd phenomenon has assumed alarming proportions in recent times.

    “As citizens, we must not surrender to this criminality as we cannot do so and still expect honour.

    “When political office holders defy the law and corruptly assume office, they will always operate as if they are above the law.

    “Vote buying and other sundry criminal manipulation of the electoral process in Nigeria has left our citizens in a state of unmitigated disaster,’’ he said.

    He added that the nation’s democracy had stagnated and would sadly remain so until Nigerians eliminate all sham election that produces their worst as leaders over their best.

    Chairman of the committee, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, blamed vote buying on poverty, unemployment, lack of stringent punitive measures, lawlessness, laxity of law enforcement agencies, insufficient voter education, and ignorance, among others.

    Nazif said the public hearing was, therefore, held to seek suggestions from stakeholders on how to find lasting solutions to the problem.

  • Osinbajo in Germany, says grand corruption Nigeria’s greatest problem

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the problem with Nigeria is not about resources or planning, but the poor management of resources in the past.

    This was contained in a statement by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, on Monday in Abuja.

    Fielding questions from a cross section of Nigerians in Germany on Sunday night, Osinbajo said that those who made away with the nation’s resources should be made to account for it.

    He said that to move forward, such massive corruption should not be allowed again.

    “The greatest problem Nigeria has is one of grand corruption; that is the biggest problem we have; not the problem of planning or plans; and grand corruption is the reason why we are not moving as fast as we should in our country.

    “There is no country in the world that can survive if its resources are stolen the way Nigeria’s resources are stolen.’’

    The Vice President said that most of the issues raised by the Nigerians in Diaspora at the meeting over lack of energy, infrastructure, quality and extensive health care services, education and security were traceable to the management of resources.

    He called on Nigerians to hold leaders accountable for the nation’s wealth.

    The vice president responded to over 30 questions at the town hall meeting in Berlin, described by many of the attendees as the first of its kind since 1999, when civil rule was restored in Nigeria.

    Read Also: Osinbajo flags off door-to-door campaign in Lagos

    Osinbajo stated that one of the key issues the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was dealing with in partnership with European leaders was the repatriation of the country’s stolen assets stashed abroad.

    He said that the Federal Government was equally having conversations with European countries on the subject of migration of Nigerians to Europe.

    The vice president told the gathering that government was concerned about migration issue and had started negotiating with European countries.

    He added that European countries could partner with Nigeria by investing in the country thereby discouraging the prevalent migration of young people.

    Osinbajo expressed optimism that the challenge could be effectively addressed through Nigeria’s collaboration with its European partners.

    Explaining Federal Government’s efforts at addressing unemployment challenges, the vice president observed that a young population of about 60 per cent created a yearly addition of about 1.4 million graduates to the unemployment market.

    He, however, revealed that the Buhari-led administration was addressing the matter as the Federal Government had employed 500,000 graduates under the N-Power scheme, as well as through other social investment programmes like MarketMoni and TraderMoni.

    On health care delivery services to majority of Nigerians, Osinbajo agreed on the need to extend good health care to all Nigerians, but pointed out that it could only be achieved through compulsory health insurance policy.

    Underscoring the urgent need to develop a functional educational system, the vice president announced that the Buhari-led administration was developing a robust education policy, saying “education is the basis of all we’re doing.”

    On the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the vice President said negotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU was continuing and expressed hope that an agreement could be reached soon.

    The Ambassadors of Nigeria to Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium were all part of the audience.

    The vice president will headline the Nigerian-German Business Dialogue in Berlin on Monday.

    NAN