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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • 2019: Bindow insists Buhari will win election

    Gov. Mohammed Bindow of Adamawa on Friday said that President Muhammadu Buhari stood a good chance to win the 2019 Presidential Election.

    Bindow expressed his opinion after casting his vote in the APC Presidential Primary election at Kolere Ward in Mubi North Local Government area of Adamawa.

    He said that the developmental strides of his administration were clear indications of Buhari’s qualification for re-election.

    Bindow also said the peaceful atmosphere being enjoyed in the North east was as one of the fundamental achievements of Buhari’s administration.

    Read Also: 2019: My re-election will end ‘politics of godfatherism’ – Bindow

    He expressed satisfaction with the mass turn out of APC members at the election as well as the peaceful and orderliness at the venue.

    The governor, while expressing confidence that the forthcoming primaries would be peaceful, urged party supporters to maintain the tempo.

    News Agency of Nigeria reports that the governor voted exactly at noon.

    News Agency of Nigeria also reports that the total number of voters was 1,000, made up by 700 and 300 women.

    The governor also monitored some voting centres within Mubi North and South Local Government areas.

  • Nigerians in Diaspora seek Buhari’s intervention on voting right

    Nigerians in the Diaspora have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to look into the possibility of including them to vote during elections in the country.

    Mr Obed Monago, the continental Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO) , stated this at an interactive session between the president and the Nigerians in Diaspora in America, on the sideline of the ongoing 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.

    The meeting was convened by the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

    Monago also called on the Independent Electoral Commission and the National Assembly to facilitate the amendment of the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to accommodate people living outside the country in the electoral process.

    He said that Nigerians in Diaspora should be given opportunity to exercise their franchise wherever they lived for a number of reasons.

    He said that Nigerians living outside the country should have the right to vote because they were citizens of Nigeria interested in the affairs of their own country.

    He said: “The Diaspora should be allowed to vote because they make considerable contribution to the economy through huge financial inflow.’

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari assures Nigerians in diaspora

    According to him, there is a sizable amount of Nigerian citizens living outside the country; and Diaspora voting is consistent with global best practices.

    In an interview with newsmen, the Chairman, NIDOA U.S., Mrs Patience Key, urged all Nigerians in the U.S. to join efforts to improve Nigeria’s economy.

    We have seen it all in America so we can replicate such development in our homeland, Nigeria,” she said..
    She stated that many Nigerians in the U.S. were successful individually but not collectively.

    Key advised that working collectively was vital for nation building, development and transformation
    She noted that individual successes were good but collective effort could not be undermined as it produced more outstanding results.

  • Buhari welcomes OIC’s support in fight against insurgency

    President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the pledge by Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to help Nigeria tackle Boko Haram insurgency through sound education, among others.

    The president made his position known during a bilateral meeting on Thursday, with OIC Secretary-General, Youssef Ahmed Al-Othaimeen.

    The president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said the meeting was held on the margins of the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.

    Buhari underscored the importance of education in purging the mind of indoctrination, particularly on religion.
    He noted that the problem in Nigeria was aggravated by climate change and population explosion.

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari assures Nigerians in diaspora

    The Nigerian leader emphasised the need for the recharge of Lake Chad through inter-basin water transfer, “to take care of about 45 million people who depend on the lake for agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, and many others”.

    The OIC scribe had told the Nigerian president that the organisation had passed a resolution committing member states to support Nigeria in combating extremism.

    He said that the body was ready to use its facilities and institutions to correct the wrong narrative that the Boko Haram insurgency was about Islam.

    Al-Othaimeen, who noted that development was essential to addressing extremism, also pledged assistance for Nigeria in that respect.

  • Buhari, Obaseki, others meet on continental fight against corruption

    …as Nigeria champions session

    President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and presidents of other African Union member states, have held a high-levelled meeting in New York on strategies to rid the continent of corruption.

    The session with the theme: “African Union High-levelled Meeting on Winning the Fight Against Corruption: Leveraging International Cooperation to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Africa” was led by President Buhari, as the champion of the fight against corruption, who presented the key note address.

    The event which was organised by the African Union Commission with Rwanda, as country of the AU Chairperson, followed an earlier Bilateral meeting by the president, in company of Governor Obaseki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and officials of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States, with the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.

    Recall that president Buhari had advocated for a global effort to fight corruption, considering the negative impact it is having on countries such as illegal migration and poverty, in his address at the United Nations General Assembly, much earlier.

    Read Also: Obaseki to PDP: You are ignorant of international investment

    The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations.

    The Nigerian president told the large audience that: “Corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries.

    “Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.

    “The fight against corruption, therefore, involves us all. It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.”

     

  • Labour strike will deny workers their salaries, warns AGF

    The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris has warned that continued labour unrest in the country would deny workers their salaries.

    According to a statement issued last night and signed by Ifeanyi Okereke, Head of Press and Public Relations (OAGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris said that “The payment of salaries cannot be achieved in an atmosphere where the critical stakeholders are not allowed access to their offices.”

    The AGF noted that “Salary payment involves a number of processes that do not begin and end with the OAGF. There are other critical stakeholders like the Cash Management Department in Ministry of Finance and others who are supposed to do their beat before we can finalize.”

    “We have a standing order from Mr. President to pay workers’ salaries from the 25th of every month, which we have striven hard to fulfill to Nigerian workers  and this month will not be an exception” maintained the AGF.

    Ahmed Idris stated that, “On coming to the office this morning (Thursday) we met the gates of the office locked and wondered how we can keep this promise if we are being locked out of the office.  After speaking with the local arm of the Labour in the office on the need to pay salaries, they conceded to allow me and some of my staff in but the Gates are still locked. I therefore appeal to labour to open our gates so that we can have unhindered access to meet their needs”.

    Read Also: Labour strike: There is total compliance – NLC

    The AGF further appealed to the National Leadership of Labour to reconsider their stand on the on-going strike saying that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari more than ever has demonstrated high commitment towards meeting the welfare of the Nigerian Workers.

    Mr Idris therefore urged Labour to trust President Muhammadu Buhari “and return to the path of discussion, and negotiation, as the President has demonstrated enough commitment by setting up the tripartite committee.  The  committee which is headed by Ms Amal Pepple is saddled with the responsibility of consulting widely with stakeholders with a view to coming up with a realistic and acceptable minimum wage.”

    He further cautioned that “we are all working for the same system and we should do nothing  that could threaten the economy and lead to the collapse of the same system”

    It will be recalled that the AGF had at the end of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting (FAAC), on Wednesday 26th September, promised that salaries of Federal Government Workers  will be paid.

  • Buhari faults slow pace of nuclear disarmament

    President Muhammadu Buhari has faulted the slow pace of progress by nuclear-weapon states towards achieving the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.

    Buhari spoke in New York at an occasion to commemorate and promote the international day for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

    The President also reminded the world of its shared responsibility and collective resolve in the pursuit of peace, justice, prosperity and equal opportunities for all humanity.

    Urging for complete denuclearization in accordance with legal obligations and undertakings under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Buhari said: “In this regard, we stress that the universalization of the Non-Proliferation Treaty is dependent upon strict compliance with its three pillars: disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.”

    Buhari, who was represented by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, observed that over seven decades have passed since the world witnessed the first ever devastating and catastrophic impact of the use of nuclear weapons.

    He said “Yet today, the pains afflicted by that singular act continue to be borne by not only the direct victims of that attack, but also by many all around the world.”

    He also noted that the continued existence of nuclear weapons remains an existential threat to all humankind.

    “The cost of maintenance and modernization of these weapons are both outrageous and inexcusable when compared to resources allocated by States for more useful and productive ventures that could further the growth and peaceful development of societies.

    “My delegation reiterates the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that could result from either a deliberate use and/or unintentional explosion of nuclear weapons.

    “It is in this light that Nigeria calls on all States, particularly nuclear weapons States, to take into consideration, the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of these weapons on human health, the environment and vital economic resources among others, and to take necessary measures aimed at the dismantling and renunciation of these weapons.

    “Nuclear weapons remain the ultimate agents of mass destruction, and their total elimination should be the final objective of all disarmament processes within the broad spectrum of goals being pursued by the United Nations.

    Read Also: FG will win war against corruption – Buhari

    “To this end, my delegation heartily recalls the adoption of the landmark Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which opened for signature on 20 September 2017.

    “My delegation remains proud to have participated actively in the processes leading to its adoption, as well as being one of the first countries to sign it.

    “Our commitment was guided by Nigeria’s principled position on the denuclearization of the world.

    “In Africa, we have long acknowledged the existential threat posed to human existence by nuclear tests. It was to this end that African countries collectively adopted the Pelindaba Treaty renouncing the acquisition of nuclear weapons for military purposes, as well as declaring Africa as a nuclear-weapons-free zone to serve as a shield for the African territory, by, inter-alia, preventing the stationing of nuclear explosive devices on the continent and prohibiting the testing of those weapons in the entire space that constitutes the African continent.” he said

    The President commended the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its role in monitoring and inspecting nuclear facilities.

    He urged states to ensure compliance with IAEA safeguards and standards at all times

    “While there are no easy solutions when we confront the gravest existential threat to our survival as a human race, we must remain undeterred and committed to a world of safety and security, one without the dangers posed by Nuclear Weapons,” he stated.

  • Nigeria’s self-styled Macron wants to win power by ending corruption

    First there were the Brics. After coining that acronym in 2001, Jim O’Neill, then chief economist at Goldman Sachs, came up with the “Next Eleven” two years later, identifying 11 economies capable of joining the Brics as the world’s fastest-growing. Fidelity Investments developed this further when, in 2011, it identified the Mint economies, which it said could prove as rewarding for investors over the next decade as the Brics had been in the previous decade.

    The Mints — Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey — have not kept that promise. Indonesia probably has been the most reliable, its economy growing at just under 5 per cent or more in every year since 2011. Turkey and Mexico have delivered variable growth. The worst of the four and the biggest disappointment by far has been Nigeria, which slid into recession in 2016, going on to achieve GDP growth of only 0.8 per cent last year.

    Yet Nigeria boasts vast resources and huge potential. It is the world’s seventh most populous nation and by the middle of the century the United Nations expects it to be the third largest, with its population doubling from the present 200 million. Moreover, that population is urbanising rapidly, with Lagos projected to become the world’s biggest city by population by 2100.

    As well as one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations, Nigeria enjoys vast natural resources, most obviously oil and gas. It owns 2.2 per cent of proven global oil reserves, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy, while accounting for 1.3 per cent of global natural gas production. It also boasts generous gold, lead, zinc, coal and uranium reserves.

    Why, then, does Nigeria’s economy underperform so dramatically? The most obvious answer is corruption. Nigeria is ranked 148th out of 180 in the latest corruption perceptions index published by Transparency International. Corruption and poverty go hand-in-hand, poverty is still rising and so is the jobless rate, because GDP growth is not keeping pace with population growth.

    All this will be keenly debated in Nigeria’s presidential election, due in February next year, in which the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari, will be standing. So, too, will be Atiku Abubakar, one of the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, the party of former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom Mr Abubakar served as vice president.

    The most intriguing candidate is Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and candidate of the Young Progressive Party. A lawyer who worked for the United Nations for 17 years and who was educated in Nigeria, the United States and Britain (he has a PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics), Mr Moghalu presents himself as a thoroughly modern presidential candidate in the mould of Emmanuel Macron.

    Last week, while on a visit to the UK, he said: “One of the major things I am going to do is move away from dependence on oil and move the economy towards innovation. We will have to look very seriously at the philosophical foundations that drive successful capitalist economies, make sure that there’s property rights, make sure that there’s innovation, make sure that there is capital. I shall be introducing a major venture capital fund that is going to fund small businesses and stimulate the economy.”

    Mr Moghalu’s policy prescription also includes more infrastructure investment. He accepts that while Nigeria has benefited from the process of “leapfrogging”, where a lack of landlines has encouraged rapid take-up of mobile technology and a lack of established electricity grids has enabled the rapid adoption of off-grid solar power, that can go only so far: “Nigeria, in particular, has a very high level of mobile phone technology and that’s a good thing, but I don’t think you can apply leapfrogging to every aspect of development. I still think Nigeria needs an industrial base. You can’t go into a post-industrial society, as some people recommend, without having been an industrial society.”

    The would-be president also has controversial views on Chinese investment in Africa. He says that many African nations have not benefited as they should have done, arguing that a lot of the continent’s leaders have lacked the “intellectual soundness” to drive a harder bargain with the Chinese. He argues it has exacerbated debt traps around Africa and increased dependency on foreign loans. Two thirds of taxes raised in Nigeria go on servicing its debts.

    Another key policy of Mr Moghalu is greater equality for women. He argues that Nigeria’s education and legal systems prevent too many women from reaching their potential and is promising a 50-50 gender balance in his ministerial appointments.

    But is Nigeria ready for a technocratic president? Mr Moghalu, who points to his work nation-building in Rwanda, Angola and the former Yugoslavia during his time at the UN, insists that it is. Pointing out that the country has become poorer since it became a democracy in 1999, he argued: “The people of Nigeria are tired of the old, recycled and corrupt political class, which President Buhari’s government represents.”

    Many will wish him luck. If this is to be the African century, the continent’s biggest country must fulfil its economic potential. If it does not and poverty continues to grow, the chances are that an increasing proportion of Nigeria’s growing population will head elsewhere, adding to the global migration crisis.

    .Ian King is the business presenter for Sky News.

  • Buhari to launch unity photo exhibition

    *As Osinbajo’s aide seeks national unity through pictures

     

    Towards overcoming conflicts and other factors tearing the country apart, President Muhammadu Buhari next Monday is scheduled to launch unity photo exhibition in Abuja.

    The coordinator of the exhibition under the platform of ANISZA, Novo Isioro, who is the Personal Photographer to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, briefed journalists in Abuja.

    She is also the Special Assistant to the President on Visual Communication.

    She said “These differences that we have should be celebrated and not become a problem. Why do I have to favour a Yoruba man over Igbo man? Why do I have to favour Hausa man over Yoruba man? Because we have a country before independence when it didn’t matter where you come from.

    “Then, even a northerner can contest and win elections in the west without any bias. Then, we all saw ourselves as one Nigeria, where we came together to achieve more. But nowadays, its so sad that when you want to rent just an apartment, the landlord will ask you if you are from Benue State or Kogi State or other parts of the country.

    “This is a personal experience and I have constantly been wondering why do I have to be from a particular region to get a house. It is that bad.

    “So, I just thought that this disunity has eaten us so deep and we should just do something about it. I personally thought that as a visual artist and photographer, I understand how image tells a lot more than just talking to a group of Nigerians.

    “So, I thought we should use pictures to tell the stories. I went into the archives before Nigeria’s independence.” she added

    According to her, the plan to launch the project has been on since October 1st last year.

    She also said that it has been very difficult to get the images that speaks of oneness of the people as Nigerians.

    She said “It is to show to Nigerians that there is really no difference among us, humans are humans, whether black or white or from the north, south, west or east.

    “So, we should stop the drama, the agitations and the hate speeches and let’s work together.
    It is actually focused on young people because people of my generation, that is 40 years downward, do not really understand the depth of our history. History was taken away from our curriculum, I think it is now optional, in a nation where our youths know nothing about our heritage.

    “So, those were the things that were bothering me and we want to do something on, otherwise the young generation and the unborn ones will gradually come to a country where history is zero or dead.

    “It is a mobile gallery. The idea of unity exhibition has never been done in this country before. So the plan is to take the containerised structure to other states after FCT. We will focus on schools. We are inviting at least one secondary school from each state in Nigeria. We plan to host them for three days. The first day for exhibition, second day for workshop and third day a small excursion as they travel back to their states. President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the exhibition open next Monday, October 1.

    “Then we will now take it to other states, where we will be in a state for up to one month because we want all the young persons in the state to partake in the event.
    We are presently collaborating with the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Youths and Sports, and we hope to collaborate with more ministries and state governments.

    “Apart from this project majorly focusing on teaching our youths about our fast lost history, in terms of peace and unity that we used to have in the country, it also drawing attention to how we should pay handle our national archives and other related issues.

    “We are also drawing attention to the fact that just like English and Mathematics, we cannot take History subject away from our curriculum even up to tertiary institutions. This is the major reason why ANISZA came to life.” she added

    ANISZA, she said, is formed from three Indeginous languages in Nigeria.

    “We got Anukonu from Igbo, Ishokan from Yoruba and Zamantare from Hausa. So the first two letters from the three formed ANISZA. We are proposing that it is our new unity word showing that we are together.” she said

    The Managing Editor of Daily Times of Nigeria, Bonaventure Melah said that Daily Times is partnering with the project because it has existed for 92 years and has records and archives of events that have happened in the country.

    He said “There are certain things they want that are not in the national archives but in our archive. There were some stories published and relevant to what they are doing that could only be found in the oldest newspaper, Daily Times.” he said

    A Museum and Heritage Consultant, Mayo Adediran, pointed out that monuments are reminders of past history.

    He said “The day we will realize the cultural content packaged into this country, everybody will go to bed with the two eyes closed.

    “The cultural resources that is locked up in this country is amazing. When you go into the antiquity of Nigeria, there are so many similarities in our differences dating back culturally to the landmarks of Nigeria before 500 AD.

    “So where is that love of our first existence? We should begin to ask how do we get back there. We should trace our steps back to where we missed it.” he said

    Sadiq Bello, who is providing Technical Support for ANISZA, said “I believe you have seen what we are doing on our site. Hopefully, it’s going to be nationwide.

    “We are trying to put up a little structure that can be moved from one location to the other, creating awareness wherever we go and bringing back the whole idea of unity.

    “There will be art exhibition on October 1st, 2018 in Abuja. Pictures in containers will take you on a journey from pre-independence to date. The whole concept is to spark all those senses of unity and see that we are actually a great nation.” he stated

  • Buhari congratulates Pa Fasanmi at 93

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated elder statesman and political stalwart, Pa Ayorinde Fasanmi, as he turns 93 years on September 27, 2018.

    The President joined family members, friends and political associates of the nationalist in sharing in the joy of the moment, which has been heralded by the grace of good old age, the blessings of wisdom and unusual strength and interest in serving the nation.

    At 93, the President affirmed that Pa Fasanmi demonstrates uncommon strength and wisdom enjoyed only by a few people of his age.

    In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President noted that his knowledge, experience and regular counsels to governments have been a major pillar for the stability of the country.

    Read Also: Buhari greets Awolowo at 55

    He believed the elder statesman’s legacy of always seeking the good of the country and all Nigerians through sacrifice of personal interest, forthrightness, diligence and broad mindedness are benchmarks for upcoming political leaders.

    The President prayed that the almighty God will continue to bless Pa Fasanmi with longer life, good health and strength to keep serving the country he loves so much.

  • Independence Day: Group to tell Nigeria’s unity in photos

    A group under the aegis of a project tagged: ‘ANISZA 2018,’ has concluded arrangements toward showcasing the untold stories of Nigeria’s unity since independence in 1960 with pictures.

    The Project Visionary, Miss Novo Isioro, who briefed newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the exhibition would be part of activities marking Nigeria’s 58th Independence Day celebration.

    She said that the virtual art project aimed at promoting unity amongst Nigerians would be formally inaugurated at SARIUS PALMETUM botanical garden, Maitama, on Oct. 1 being Nigeria’s Independence Day.

    According to Isioro, who is the Special Assistant on Visual Communication and Personal Photographer to the Vice President, ANISZA 2018 will be the first ever international photo exhibition of the Nigerian unity story.

    She said that the tag `ANISZA’ was derived from the first two letters of three indigenous Nigerian languages–Anoko Onu – Igbo word for togetherness; Isokan – Yoruba word for unity; and Zaman Tare – Hausa words for one tribe.

    “We have seen contentions among adherents of the various religious and ethnic groups in the country.

    “There have been tensions that have been generated because of our differences; I think that this diversity should be celebrated and not be a problem.

    “So, I just thought about this tendency towards disunity, and as a visual artist, I understand how image tells the story more than words. So i thought that we should use pictures to tell the stories of our strength in diversity.

    “The idea is to use pictures to speak to the people to stop the agitations, the drama, the hate speeches, division and instead work together. This is practically focused on young people.

    Read Also:Independence Day: Our resolve to remain united tested – Osinbajo

    “ I realized that most people, especially the young ones, really don’t understand our history,’’ she said.

    On sustainability of the initiative, Isioro said that a mobile gallery would be used so that the project could be taken to the 36 states with focus on schools.

    She said that group was collaborating with states and federal ministries to take the gallery to schools in their domain in order to get as many children as possible to benefit from the project.

    According to her, students from schools across the country are invited for the exhibition.

    On his part, the Managing Editor of Daily Times, Mr Bonaventure Melah, said the issue of unity in Nigeria was important and needed to be strengthened.

    Melah said that Nigeria needed patriotic citizens more than oil because the problem of unity had to come first of all from lack of patriotism.

    “No country can achieve greatness when the citizens do not love the country.

    “It is only when we bring our various unique differences to the center that we can form a greater and prosperous nation,” he said.

    Dr Mayo Adediran, a former top Federal Government official on Museums and Archives, now a Consultant, said preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage was as important as promoting the country’s economic potentials.

    Adeniran said that sometimes human memory might fail us but when we put concentrated information in a monument, it became a historical fact that jolted the memory each time we walked past.

    Mr Sarumi Sadiq, one of the technical managers in the group, said that the project intended to `excite and spark’ all the senses of unity to see that Nigeria indeed became a great nation.

    In his remark, the Project Manager, Murphy Imamezi, said that love was what drove true patriotism and a sense of unity among any people.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the exhibition open on Oct. 1