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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Nigeria spearheads recharge of Lake Chad with Water Congo River – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said Nigeria is currently spearheading the recharge of Lake Chad with 3 other African countries through the construction of 2, 500 kilometres of navigible channels from River Ubangi in the Congo Basin.

    According to the President, the planned recharge of the Lake Chad Basin would address environmental problems created by the loss of over 95 percent freshwater from the lake, leading to massive social and economic loss for millions of families who depend on the water for their survival.

    Although the President did not give details of the financial implications of the project, he however said the efforts to recharge the water would require “unprecedented levels of political cooperation of member states of the Community of Sahel Saharan States, and technical collaboration and financial partnership from international partners: governments, development institutions and investors”.

    President Buhari made the remarks while declaring open the 7th Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of Members States of the Community of Sahel Saharan States (CEN-SAD) holding at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja.

    Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President Buhari said: ” In the CEN-SAD Community, the Sahara Desert is advancing southwards at an alarming rate of approximately 600 meters annually. A typical example is the shrinking of Lake Chad due to climate change and human overuse.

    “From about 25,000 square kilometers in 1963, Lake Chad, one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes, has shrunk by 95 percent to a current size of about 1,300 square kilometers. There are alarming predictions that the lake may indeed, dry up completely in 20 years.

    Read Also: Buhari: my concern about Budget 2018

    “The Lake Chad Basin which straddles 4 nations in the Community previously supported more than 30 million inhabitants in its vicinity. The shrinking Lake Chad provides a graphic  example of the notorious nexus between the environment and human conflict.

    “There are strong indications that much of the violent conflicts in the Community can be linked to the passive and active resource conflicts associated with the shrinking Lake. People whose ancestors made a comfortable living off the land and water, as farmers and fishermen, are now confronted with displacement and vastly diminished opportunities.

    “In acknowledgement of this nexus, the Nigerian Government is spearheading a collective plan to recharge Lake Chad with water from the Congo Basin by constructing a 2,500 kilometers navigable channel from River Ubangi.

    “This project requires unprecedented levels of political cooperation of member states of the Community, and technical collaboration and financial partnership from international partners: governments, development institutions and investors”.

    President Buhari argued that the efforts to defeat violent extremism and criminal activities of the Boko Haram insurgent group and other terrorist elements in the Saharan region, should not be restricted to military and security campaigns alone, especially among countries most affected by the crisis.

    He said countries within the sub-region should pay attention to other factors that are pushing people into such crimes, while a holistic strategy should be adopted to tackle the security challenges headlong.

    Said He : “Indeed, the military aspect of the fight against terrorism is the short-term one;   enduring victory will only come from swiftly and diligently building on military  victory by implementing, over the long term, policies that comprehensively tackle the poverty, illiteracy and frustration that predispose individuals and communities to imbibing extremist beliefs and ideologies.

    “But the narrative is worsened by the fact that violent extremism and terrorism do not walk alone, they  are usually to be found interlinked with human trafficking, drug trafficking, illicit trade in drugs and arms, and various other forms of transnational organized crimes”.
    President Buhari however expressed joy that the Boko Haram terrorists group has being substantially degraded through the Multi-National Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin and the laudable efforts of the Nigeria military.

    He said this development should be built upon by countries in the community especially through intelligence sharing and other collaborative initiatives, describing the theme of the 7th Meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the Community as very apt.

    The President said : “Let me specially welcome the representatives of the United Kingdom, China, Saudi Arabia, all Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council,  the representative of ECOWAS, as well as other nations and organizations with Observer Status; and commend you for your continuing support  for  the CEN-SAD. We count on this cooperation and support well into the future.

    “The theme of the Meeting, Consolidating the Achievement of the Fight against Terrorism through Development Actions, is especially apt, as it focuses attention on the role of non-military components of the fight against terrorism and extremism.

    “If there is one thing we have learned from our experience fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria, it is that the battle is as much social and economic as it is a military one. It was Mr. Ban ki-Moon former UN Secretary General who said famously, that “bullets may stop terrorists, but only development, good governance and respect for human rights can prevent terrorism.”

    “Indeed, the military aspect of the fight against terrorism is the short-term one;   enduring victory will only come from swiftly and diligently building on military  victory by implementing, over the long term, policies that comprehensively tackle the poverty, illiteracy and frustration that predispose individuals and communities to imbibing extremist beliefs and ideologies.

    “But the narrative is worsened by the fact that violent extremism and terrorism do not walk alone, they  are usually to be found interlinked with human trafficking, drug trafficking, illicit trade in drugs and arms, and various other forms of transnational organized crimes.

    “Within the Community, the security challenge has assumed new dimensions since the Arab Spring, with the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in Libya proving to be a watershed  moment. Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria have since then experienced an escalation of the twin global threats of violent extremism and terrorism, among others. This escalation of threats and vulnerabilities in the region has became an immediate and urgent security threat to the Community.

    “But it is also encouraging to note that significant progress has been made to contain the terrorist challenges through the individual and collective actions of our respective States and through our respective regional economic communities.

    The successes of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in combating the Boko Haram menace in the sub-region has significantly resulted in the degrading of the group, in terms of membership, and of recruitment and combat capabilities. Similarly, the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with the support of the United Nations and other strategic partners has made impressive progress in the fight against Al-Shabab terrorists in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

    “In this ongoing fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the importance of intelligence sharing by member states of the Community has come strongly to the fore, considering the achievements recorded by the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) of the MNJTF in the joint fight against the Boko Haram, as well as the gains made through the Sahel Fusion Liaison Units, which have arisen from the NOA-SHOT-(Nouakchott) Process and the Djibouti Process.

    “Also the countries of the Horn of Africa and East Africa have recently launched  the East African Fusion Liaison Unit (EA-FLU) in Kampala, Uganda.

    “Besides, there have also been the Sharm-El-Sheik decalration of 2016 by the community of Defence Ministers of CEN-SAD reinforcing the cooperation of member states in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism and the Cocody declaration whioch addressed inter-alia the control and regulation of the movement of small arms and light weapons through the borders of member states”.

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali who welcomes delegates to the conference said there is need for concerted efforts by member states of the community to consolidate on the success already recorded in the past few years.

  • El-Zakzaky: Shi’ite Members Protest at NHRC Headquarters over Police brutality

    Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shi’ite, on Thursday, met with the the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) to intercede on what they described as unlawful prosecution of their leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

    The group who staged a peaceful protest in Maitama District, Abuja, prevented vehicular movements in the axis, while some youth were seen chanting songs with placards.

    Speaking with the NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, at the NHRC Headquarters, the protesters accused Police of injuring 23 members of the IMN in Kaduna with live ammunitions among which 10 were arrested.

    Representative of the group, Abdullahi Musa blamed the Police officials for using live ammunitions on protesters also at the district in Abuja.

    He told Ojukwu that, “The Police has continued to violate our right for peaceful gathering. Yesterday, they opened fire on us with live ammunition in Kaduna, 23 people were confirmed injured. They arrested 10 of the injured people and we have only 13 of them with us receiving treatment.”

    Read Also: Police to prosecute Shi’ites

    “These are some of the ammunitions the police used,” he added sharing pictures of the gun wounds and ammunition shells with the NHRC executive secretary.

    According to him, as at the time of filing official complaint to the ES, members of the islamic sect are being shot by the Police along Ahmadu Bello way in Kaduna.

    “They have shot a lot of people right now as i’m talking to you and the carnage continues,” he added.

    He accused the Federal Government of prosecuting leader of the group for murder case in Kaduna State High Court.

    Musa tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to free their leader, Sheik Ibrahim, who had been in detention since December, 2015.

    In his remarks, Ojukwu emphasised on the right of every Nigerian to embark on peaceful demonstration.

    He described it as a constitutional right which the NHRC is ready to protect the aggrieved group as long as the demonstration is peaceful.

    “We will stand with you as long as you are peaceful. Nobody has any right to use live ammunition on anybody carrying out a peaceful demonstration. We want to urge you to continue to be peaceful because the truth must come to light one day,” Ojukwu said.

    However, he urged the protesters to remain peaceful no matter the level of provocation with promises to engage the right authority on their petition.

    He said since El-Zakzaky had been charged to court, his members should await the court judgement stressing that no citizen is above the law.

    “It is good that somebody is taken to court than to be perpetually kept in detention because in court, unless you prove a case beyond every reasonable doubt, nothing can be done. All you need is to put evidences together, get a good lawyer and put across your case,” Ojukwu added.

    The protesters later dispersed upon Ojukwu’s advise.

  • Budget 2018: Quick release of funds will ensure optimum performance

    Financial experts on Thursday advised the Federal Government to avoid bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure quick release of funds for optimal performance of the 2018 budget.

    The experts gave the advice in separate interviews with the News men in Lagos, while reacting to the 2018 budget signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

    Prof. Sheriffdeen Tella of the Department of Economics, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun, said the government should embark on damage control by ensuring quick release of budgetary allocations.

    He said the availability of funds would go a long way in achieving some credible performance of the budget by the first quarter of 2019.

    The economist said the economy would continue on an upward trend if there was no external macroeconomic shock.

    He said the government should ensure that domestic prices were not significantly affected by spending on political activities.

    “The budget of N9.12 trillion might look quite unrealistic, but we have to look at the current revenue in terms of current price of oil as against when the budget was presented.

    “What were the exchange rate then and now, and the inflationary rate going down? The economy actually requires reflation to get us out of the depression fast.

    “So, there is the need for higher budget than what was presented and if the value of oil does not go down drastically, and the oil output increases, the economy can meet up without external borrowing,” Tella said.

    Read Also: Buhari signs Budget 2018 despite N578b injection

    He, however, tasked the executive and the legislature to address budget delays, noting that it was not good for the economy.

    “Given that the budget was signed in the sixth month, eight months after presentation, it is apparent that the legislature needs to show more commitment to developing the economy,” he said.

    Tella said the Nigerian economy was public-driven, not private-driven like developed capitalist economies, and that the legislature must recognise this in dealing with budget consideration and approval.

    Also speaking, Mr Ambrose Omordion, the Chief Operating Officer, InvestData Ltd., said the President’s speech signaled lack of unity and different goals between the executive and the legislature.

    Omordion said the development, if not checked, would make budget implementation difficult.

    According to him, the budget would be realistic if only the government could do the needful by reducing its borrowing and use the surplus above the oil price benchmark to finance projects.

    He said the government should channel the funds to projects that will have direct impact on the economy and the people.

    He also called for change in style, in the disbursement of funds for projects, and that the funds should be disbursed on time, for effective implementation.

    On budget delays, Omordion said the development had affected monitoring of project execution, thereby creating economic uncertainties.

    “Budget delay in Nigeria is as old as the government; and it has contributed to the slow development and economic growth of Nigeria,” Omordion said.

    The news men reports that President Buhari, on June 20, signed the appropriation bill of N9.12 trillion into law, after seven months of delay.

    The President, however, raised concern over the National Assembly’s injection of strange projects and sundry irregularities into the 2018 budget.

    Buhari said the legislators, “made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration, and introduced 6,403 projects of their own, amounting to N578 billion.”

    NAN

     

  • Greed, bane of Progressive Politics in Nigeria – Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has said that the growing incidence of greed and desperation to amass wealth by political players is alien to the progressives’ politics of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo era.

    The governor said this during a condolence visit to the family of a late leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo Central Senatorial District, Pa Samuel Ogundiran, in Jobele, Afijio Local Government Area.

    Ahead of the 2019 general election, he called on political parties to conduct proper scrutiny and integrity check for aspirants jostling for their tickets, while also challenging those that have what it takes to lead to throw their hats into the ring.

    Ajimobi described the deceased politician as “one of the last men standing” among the disciples of Awolowo, who embraced progressives politics till death.

    He said, “Chief Awolowo maintained his stand in politics, despite pressures from the center and his followers, like Pa Ogundiran, would remain resolute on their ideology.

    “Progressives politics is today riddled with greed. It is no more the same progressives we used to know. It is all about money. If you give them money yesterday and you have none to give them today, you will be called names.

    Read Also: Osinbajo, Ajimobi in close door meeting in Ibadan

    “Baba died when his wisdom on progressive politics is still needed. He was a core progressive politician. I urge his children and youths in general to emulate the good deeds of Baba.

    “I also want to say that politicians aspiring for political offices must be thoroughly screened from home to know them better before they can event get the ticket. Most aspirants do not have the discipline and decorum to lead others.”

    Ajimobi, who also described himself as a progressive politics, said his own brand of politics places emphasis on winning elections, just as the leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said this was slightly different from the politics of the Awolowo era that focused more on participation than winning elections.

    The governor advised the children of the late politician to emulate the good deeds of their father, bearing in mind that they could someday also assume positions of leadership.

    The governor prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased, adding that the void created by his departure would be too difficult to fill.

  • Dealers waiting for Presidential amnesty for vehicles

    Vehicle dealers under the auspice of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), on Tuesday said that they are looking forward to securing amnesty for their already imported cars from President Muhammadu Buhari.

    According to its President, Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, who spoke with The Nation on phone, the association about three months ago met with the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, who promised to take the message to Buhari.

    The dealers are insisting on their demand that the Presidency grants them amnesty to its already imported vehicles.

    Adedoyin said that “as at the last count we have been asking for something like amnesty from the federal government for all the cars. This is because we realize that most of the cars we are still using a lot of them are still without duties. 

    Read Also: Niger Delta leaders warn against attack on Amnesty boss

    “In order to bring them to the street and start from a clean slate even if you are going to do anything it will be like amnesty. 

    “The other one is for the reduction of duty. We are still trying to see how we can push it in as much as Customs has not be forthcoming on it because they have always thrown us back to the presidency that their own is just to implement whatever the federal government tells them to do. 

    “We are trying to see how we can lay our cards on the table for the federal government to see reason why it needs to give us and to bring down the cost of duty. 

    We met with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha and he said that he will take our message to Mr. President. That was about two three months ago.”

  • Minister seeks support for Buhari to end killings

     Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibrin on Monday solicited the support of well-meaning Nigerians to enable the Federal Government restore peace across the country.

    The minister, who made the appeal while speaking with newsmen in Nasarawa, stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari is working hard to end the killings not only in Nasarawa State but also across the country.

    Jibrin particularly urged Agatu farmers and herdsmen in the state to co-exist peacefully and sheath their swords in the interest of development.

    He cautioned Nigerians against unguarded utterances that would further escalate the crisis.

    “So, we call on the people in Nasarawa state and the entire country to be mindful of the language we use so that we don’t inflame what is already a bad situation.

    Read Also: How Buhari is changing Nigeria, by minister

    “The issue of insecurity is not a one man show, it is something that is collective whether you are a political, religious or community leader, we have to come together to address this issue.

    “Lets continue to provide intelligence to the security agencies as no security agent can succeed without intelligence.

    “I assure you that the federal government is determined, the President is determined to make sure that farmers/herdsmen clashes is stopped,” he said.

    The minister, therefore, urged Nigerians to be law abiding, respect constituted authorities, live in peace and be their brother’s keepers in the interest of development.

     

    NAN

  • Mikel under pressure to fulfill promise to Buhari

    Super Eagles’ captain Mikel Obi has been put under intense pressure to lead the team to a resounding victory against Iceland on Friday, as well as fulfill his promise to President Muhammad Buhari that he (Mikel) is a man of his words.

    NationSport confirmed that President Buhari spoke with Captain of the three-time African Champions few hours before Nigeria tackled Croatia in their first World Cup fixture in Russia, where Mikel reassured the President that the team would not disappoint.

    Presidential delegation led by Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung as well as CBN Governor; Godwin Emefiele with the Nigerian Ambassador to Russia Steve Ugbah facilitated the phone conversation.

    “If you can see that after the defeat, Mikel was down and withdrew more than his teammates, to the extent that he could not explain the defeat in a post-match interview. He knew the weight of disappointment.

    “I can tell you for free that Mr President spoke with him(Mikel) on behalf of the team before the Croatia match.

    “President Buhari reassured him(Mikel) of the full support of the nation. You can remember that team visited the President at Aso-rock before their departure for the England friendly where he had gave his assurance,” source in the know who asked to remain anonymous told NationSport.

    Odediran Ogunsanya, a sport psychologist/analyst who shared views on the development said: “Super Eagles would have ordinarily won the match because the Croats were not at their best, but they could not because of the pressure they shouldered.

    “The president’s call few hours to the kick off of the Croatia match should have been done days earlier. The timing for the call apparently pull up weight on the team.

    “Was there any need for that? For me, I do not think so. The team psychologist should not have allowed these big shots from the Presidency to have access to the team. The team did not get the right inspiration from them. Their presence was a direct pressure which should not have happened.

    “See, this is psychology, I can tell you that Eagles would beat Iceland with less pressure from government and from the team officials. Nigeria fans should please let the boys enjoy the game and with ease they will score and secure the much needed victory against Iceland.”

    Mikel’s promise to President Buhari even though it fell flat in the face of the 0-2 loss inflicted by Croatia on Saturday, still hold hope as the Nigerian captain is now ready to make Nigerians smile in the next game against Iceland on Friday.

  • Ex-Militants urge Dokubo to review slots allocation

    Some ex-militants in the Niger Delta region have urged Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Amnesty programme, Prof Charles Dokubo to review what they termed fraudulent allocation of over 500 slots to one Julius Joseph of the 3rd phase amnesty beneficiaries.

    They appealed to Prof Dokubo to collect data of all genuine ex-militants who surrendered their arms to embrace the amnesty programme.

    The ex-militants who spoke to newsmen after a meeting in Benin City said those who were at the meeting with Prof. Dokubo were not true representatives of the beneficiaries of the 3rd phase amnesty programme.

    Read Also: Dokubo: New dawn for Amnesty Programme

    They alleged that the self-acclaimed leader used fake personalities and cronies to rob them of various job slots allocated to them.

    Speaking on behalf of the ex-militants, General Godstime Ogidigba urged Prof.  Dokubo not to have any dealings with any group in the name of the 3rd phase beneficiaries.

    According to him, “This group has been in office for the past six years. Whenever they release slots and there is a meeting in Abuja they will brainstorm and they will collect all our slots without informing us.

    “They will connive and collect all these slots Last week Friday, we went to Abuja for a meeting but most of us were marginalized. Some were in the meeting while others were outside. We saw these things as an injustice.

  • NASS to Buhari: We pray you’ll continue to tolerate us as your `children’

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday got a loyalty and commitment pledge from an unlikely source: the National Assembly.

    Besides the pledge, Senators and members of the House of Representatives  prayed that God might bless Buhari with additional tolerance for him to continue to tolerate them  as his `children’.

    Deputy Senate leader, Alhaji  Bala ibn Na’Allah, representing  Senate President Bukola Saraki made the pledge when representatives of residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) paid Sallah homage to the President at the Presidential Villa.

    Na’Allah  said the National Assembly would keep supporting the vision of the Buhari administration for a greater Nigeria and claimed that  no administration since 1999 has received more cooperation from the legislature like President Buhari.

    He said: “Mr. President, I have the authority of each and every member of the Senate and the House of representatives to wish you a blessed Eid-el-Fitr in 2018 which we are celebrating today.

    Read Also: Buhari is hero of Nigerian democracy – Group

    “And I have the authority of each and every one of us to equally pledge our loyalty and commitment to work with you for the betterment of this country and to wish you more strength; to wish you more health and most importantly Mr. President to add additional degree of tolerance for you so that you tolerate us as your children.

    ““Let me seize this opportunity to say, for the record, that from 1999, when we started our democratic experience, to date  no president and I repeat, `no president and I say for the third term `no president has received the amount of cooperation from the National Assembly like you contrary to what is outside there.”

    The senator also thanked the president, on behalf of the National Assembly, over his decision to revisit and address the issue of June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was won by late MKO Abiola.

    President Buhari had, on June 6, in a statement declared that henceforth, June 12, be observed as Democracy Day in Nigeria and that some heroes of democracy be given national honours.

    The president fulfilled this promise on Tuesday when he conferred on late MKO Abiola the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (Posthumous),  Alhaji Baba Gana Kingibe and late Gani Fawehinmi were also conferred with Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger.

    Continuing, Na’Allah  said: “May I, on behalf of the Senate and the House of Representatives, again thank you for that bold steps you have taken in addressing the unresolved issue of the June 12.

    “You might have underestimated the effects of that singular act. But I will tell you, sir, you have achieved more than 75 per cent of what South Africa did with the Truth and Reconciliation Committee with this singular act.

    “You may not understand sir, but I’m sure in near future you will understand the value of that singular act.

    “Along that line, may I on behalf of the National Assembly implore our religious leaders to begin to think along the line of uniting this country.

    “God has brought together, we do not have any alternative, as far as we are concern we should continue to live as brothers and sisters.”

    Responding, President Buhari called on all Nigerians to work towards salvaging the nation from the shackles of past wrongs by sharing in the collective vision for a greater Nigeria and contributing individually to realize the goal.

    He urged all citizens to embrace the reality that Nigeria must exist and continue as one nation, noting that the country needed all its human and material resources to succeed.

    “We have no other country than Nigeria. We may as well stay and salvage it together,’’ he said.

    President Buhari told the gathering of religious leaders, traditional rulers, security chiefs and top government officials to start expanding the frontiers for development by sensitizing their “constituencies’’ to work harder for the collective good of the country.

    President Buhari also received women groups led by his wife, Aisha, President of the National Council of Women Societies, Dr. Laraba Shoda, and former Deputy Governor of Plateau, Pauline Tallen.

  • Not Buhari’s job to change Nigerians, says Kukah

    Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, on Friday urged Nigerians to give up unrealistic expectations of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s change agenda.

    Kukah said it was not the President’s responsibility to change people’s ethics or attitudes, rather Nigerians would have to do that by themselves.

    He delivered the keynote lecture at the launch of the New Narrative for Good Governance newspaper yesterday in Lagos.

    The New Narrative, with its headquarters in Lagos, is published by Kalu Okoronkwo, who is also its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), while Mike Nzeagwu is its Editor-in-Chief.

    Guests at the event included, former Akwa Ibom Governor and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, founder/CEO, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, Chairman Swiss Spirit Danag, Port Harcourt, Daniel Chimezie Okeke (Omereoha) among others.

    Kukah said: “In the paper I’m going to present tomorrow, because I’ll be speaking to a Catholic audience. I’m going to ask them the question ‘Are you not ashamed of yourself? That were expecting Buhari to change Nigeria, that we think that Buhari has not changed Nigeria?’

    Read Also: Buhari to Nigerians: stop glorifying thieves

    “The question is: How does Buhari change Nigeria? By going into the kitchen and changing our menus? By going into our towns, our communities and changing the way we do business? By going into the banking hall and forcing us to do business in a different way?

    “This tendency of outsourcing our responsibilities either to God or to other external agents, what it does to us is that it saves us from the difficulty of thinking about our own complicity.

    “I am saying to my Christian audience tomorrow, I should be ashamed of myself if it is to a politician that I am looking for change, because the very essence of my life as a Christian is to – when Jesus tells me I am the light of the world, I am the salt of the earth – so, if this country is in need of redemption, Nigerians say they want a messiah, but I say you cannot have a messiah in Nigeria because the Nigerian messiah has to be recognised. The Muslim will not recognise the Christian messiah and the Christian will not recognise the Muslim messiah.”

    He urged Nigerians to not be carried away by the euphoria surrounding June 12 without finding a solution to the underlying problem of nation-building.

    Kukah said: “Now we are in the excitement of June 12. Suddenly we are now for Abiola or against Abiola, for June 12 or against June 12.

    “Meanwhile the deeper issues remain unresolved and they concern the content, structure of the system that we are running. We are refusing to deal with the question: How are nations formed? How do nations grow?

    He described Nigeria’s ethnic diversity as “a great asset, not a problem”, adding, “Contrary to what our people say and contrary to what has become popular, diversity is an asset. The critical question is, how do we manage the diversity?”

    Akpabio, the chairman of the occasion, who was represented by Dr Kachi Onanuju, said the launch was “very apt. We are at a place in our country where we have never been before in 104 years.

    “New Narrative will be an instrument that will aid our country.”

    He urged Nigerians to “put your hands together in building a new country. God has put us all in this country. We must find a way to go on this journey together.”