The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • We’ve good reason to thank God for our successes – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday declared that the country had every reason to thank God for the successes achieved by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in its three years in office.

    He stated this in his remark at the 2018 Democracy Day dinner/gala night held at the Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    At the event, the Vice President also received the Team Nigeria to the 21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast 2018, Australia which clinched ninth position out of 53 countries that participated in the games.

    “We have every reason to be grateful and thankful to God for the very wonderful way that He has worked with our government and ensured that we have recorded in the past three years such great success.

    “I was reminding someone, just about two months ago that we are not even three years old yet and we are being compared, some of our friends who are here who had been in government for 16 years compare themselves to us even when we are two years old.
    “It shows we must be doing very well indeed.’’

    The Vice President thanked all those who came to celebrate with the administration and wished them happy democracy day.

    He said it was an honour for him to host the guests at the occasion of the gala night in celebration of democracy day and the 3rd anniversary of the Buhari administration.

    According to Osinbajo, for those of them in government it is an opportunity for them to thank God for the extraordinary grace that has brought them in office.

    He said that for him, if anyone had told him five years ago that he would be the Vice President at all let alone celebrate three years in office he would have doubted that they were right.

    Osinbajo said that one of the reasons he never thought that he was cut out for politics was because he always thought that he had had enough baggage already.

    He advised politicians to be careful about their calling because people always thought that all politicians were stealing the people’s resources.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, had described the event as a very auspicious occasion saying that Nigerians deserved applause for sustaining democracy for 19 uninterrupted years.

    He expressed optimism that the country would witness better things as the administration moved into its fourth year of service.

    According to him, the public lecture organized to mark the administration’s third anniversary is enlightening and if the lessons are applied the country will move forward.

    Mr Solomon Dalong, the Minister of Sports, while presenting the 90 Commonwealth athletes hinted that five of them won laurels while the country finished 9th out of 53 commonwealth countries and second in Africa after South Africa at the games. (NAN)

  • Not-Too-Young-To-Run: NANS lauds Buhari’s acceptance to sign bill

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for agreeing to deepen democracy by signing the `Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ Bill.

    “By this action, President Buhari has demonstrated that he is a listening President and father who seek for the betterment of the youths at heart.

    “Nigerian students will continue to support Mr President’s programmes meant to better the lots of Nigerians,’’ NANS’ National President, Mr Kadiri Aruna, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu.

    According to him, the assertion of Mr President was a welcomed developed.

    Buhari in his Democracy Day Speech on Tuesday, assured Nigerians that he will be joined by “few promising youths to sign the `Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ Bill soon’’.

    Read Also: NANS decries petroleum varsity’s neglect

    Kadiri noted that NANS and other pro-young people’s group had long waited for Mr President’s positive stance on the bill.

    “This bill will deepen democracy and give all especially youths that constitute the bulk of population of the country as sense of belonging.

    “It will also make the political space more inclusive and dynamic as more young people will bring in their innovations,’’ he said.

    The students’ leader, however, urged political parties in the country to implement the provisions of the bill when signed into law to create a space for young people to contribute to nation’s growth and progress.

  • Democracy Day: Buhari’s address hollow, full of false claims, says PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has described the Democracy Day address by President Muhammadu Buhari as uninspiring, hollow, full of self-praise and false performance claims.

    The President also failed to address issues agitating the minds of Nigerians, a statement yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said.

    According to the main opposition party, the address was the worst since President Buhari took office in 2015, adding that it was garnished with a list of phantom projects and executive regurgitation, inherently designed by his handlers to sway Nigerians and divert attention from the many failures of the administration.

    The statement said, “The few Nigerians who bordered to listen to the address were miffed that, in the most insensitive manner, Mr. President failed to show the littlest empathy to millions of citizens groaning under the worst form of poverty, starvation and economic hardship occasioned by his misrule”

    The party also observed that the President’s aloofness to the plight of Nigerians was manifest in all the lines of the speech.

    Read Also: Court to Buhari: Order EFCC, others to release report on budget padding

    “In fact, no line in the supposed Democracy Day address had any inclination towards justice for victims of abuse of human rights, reported executive high-handedness, illegal arrests and detentions, extra-judicial executions as well as victims of killings and daily bloodletting in Benue, Taraba, Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Kogi, Yobe and other parts of the country, by insurgents and marauders.

    “Mr. President, on Democracy Day, had no words of assurance on the unrelenting violation of our constitution; assault on the National Assembly and erosion of personal freedom of citizens.

    “The President said nothing on the humonguous corruption going on under his administration, where APC leaders and cabal at the Presidency have stolen over N10 trillion, mainly from a sector under his direct supervision”.

    The PDP similarly faulted the president address for failing to make any commitment towards the conduct of free, fair and credible general elections in 2019. It added that he was apparently overwhelmed by the avalanche of his public rejection ahead of the polls.

    “Incredibly, Mr. President’s handlers chose to subject him to a fantasy trip, making false performance claims with phantom projects, muddling up economic statistics and ended up worsening his already diminished public perception.

    “This is exactly why the PDP had earlier advised President Buhari not to border to address Nigerians on Democracy Day.

    “The PDP notes that Nigerians have reached a consensus that the 2018 Democracy Day celebration is the last for the Buhari Presidency and the APC. Our citizens have endured under the misrule of the APC, keeping their hopes in the 2019 elections to get back our democracy on the platform of the repositioned PDP.

    “In solidarity with Nigerians, the National Working Committee of the PDP has already held a meeting where it reviewed the circumstances and will formally address Nigerians on the issues of misrule of our nation in the last three years”, the statement added.

  • Court to Buhari: Order EFCC, others to release report on budget padding

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered President Muhammadu Buhari to order security and anti-corruption agencies to forward to him reports of their investigations into allegations of padding and stealing of about N481 billion from the 2016 budget by some principal officers of the National Assembly (NASS).”

    Justice Mohammed Idris who gave the order also instructed the President Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to without delay commence prosecution of indicted lawmakers.

    Justice Idris issued the order in a judgment  delivered on Monday in a mandamus suit no: FHC/L/CS/1821/2017filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the government.

    The defendants in the suit are the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN).

    The suit was filed last year by SERAP through its counsel, Mrs Joke Fekumo, after the organization  received “credible information from multiple sources that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have completed investigations into the allegations of padding of the 2016 budget, completed their reports, and indicted some principal officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and that the accounts of some of the principal officers containing allegedly illicit funds have been frozen, and that the case files for the prosecution of those indicted were ready.

    The suit read in part: “Unless the principal officers indicted in the alleged padding of the 2016 budget are prosecuted and any stolen public funds recovered, the Federal Government will not be able to stop padding of future budgets. Alleged corruption in the budget process will not just melt away or simply evaporate without addressing the fundamental issue of impunity of perpetrators.

    “Addressing alleged corruption in the budget process by pursuing prosecution of indicted principal officers of the National Assembly will provide an important opportunity for the Federal Government to reignite the fight against corruption and fulfill a cardinal campaign promise, to show that the Federal Government works on behalf of the many, and not the few, as well as jumpstart economic activities and break the back of the recession.

    “Publishing the report of the investigation of the alleged padding of the 2016 budget, and prosecuting suspected perpetrators are absolutely important to avoid another padding, which the Federal Government can ill afford.

    Read Also: N400m fraud: EFCC asks court to try Metuh in absentia

    Justice Idris, in his judgment,  ordered the President to “direct the publication of the report of investigations by security and anti-corruption bodies into the alleged padding of the 2016 budget.

    He held that President Buhari in the exercise of his executive powers has a duty to ensure compliance with the provisions of Article 22 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and that the President is “expected to use his executive powers for the public good of Nigeria.”

    Article 22 of the African Charter provides that, “All peoples shall have the right to their economic, social and cultural development with due regard to their freedom,” and that “States shall have the duty, individually or collectively, to ensure the exercise of the right to development.”

    Justice Idris also granted an order directing the President to “urgently halt alleged attempt by some principal officers of the NASS to steal N40 billion of the N100 billion allocated by his government as ‘zonal intervention’ in the 2017 budget.”

    The court also ordered the President “to closely monitor and scrutinize the spending of N131 billion (accrued from increased oil bench mark) allocated for additional non-constituency projects expenditure, to remove the possibility of corruption.”

    It was the contention of the court that “SERAP, being a human rights non-governmental organization has sufficient interest in the way and manner public funds are being utilized in this country.”

    Reacting to the judgment of the court, SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale said: “This judgment confirms the pervasive corruption in the budget process and the prevailing culture of impunity of our lawmakers as well as the failure of the authorities to uphold transparency and accountability in the entire budget process and implementation.

    “The judgement is an important step towards reversing a culture of corruption in the budget process that has meant that many of our lawmakers see the budget more as a ‘meal ticket’ to look after themselves than a social contract to meet people’s needs and advance equity and development across the country.”

    “This is a crucial precedent that vindicates the right to a transparent and accountable budget process and affirms the budget as government’s most important economic policy document, which is central to the realization of all human rights including the rights to health, water, and education. We are now in the process of obtaining a certified copy of the judgment. SERAP will do everything within its power to secure the full and effective enforcement of this important judgment.”

  • IPAC Chairman lauds Buhari’s achievements, speech

    The National Chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Muhammed Nalado, has commended the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari led-All Progressives Congress (APC) administration as read in his democracy day speech.

    Nalado, in an interview with Our Reporter  in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the achievements listed in Buhari’s speech were verifiable and that Nigerians could judge them.

    He said that the fight against corruption by the Buhari-led administration had helped to correct a lot of wrong practices in the country, adding that it had brought the country back on track.

    “In the area of security, even though we still have insecurity challenge, this administration has been able to reduce it, though government can still do more to protect Nigerians.

    “The insecurity in the North east has reduced and the numbers of road blocks across the country have reduced.

    “Our foreign reserve has also increased. Many children are now benefiting from the Home Grown School Feeding Programme. I believe in what Buhari said he has done.’’

    He said that government policy on diversification had also helped many Nigerians to go back to farming unlike before that the country’s economy relied solely on oil revenue.

    Nalado also said that Nigerians have course to celebrate democracy day, saying the sustained long years of democracy was an evidence that politicians and democratic governments were back on track, in spite of contrary opinions.

    “If you look back at the level of development, you will see we have achieved dividends of democracy than under military regime.

    “Our education sector under the democratic government has improved and road construction across the country is increasing.

    “The most important dividend we are enjoining now is the freedom; freedom of speech and association, which we couldn’t enjoy under the military era.

    The IPAC Chairman advised Nigerians to engage the government in positive criticism that would further strengthen the country’s democracy, security of lives and economic growth.

    “I believe citizens need to support the government and criticize objectively.

    “I also want to advise Nigerians to use this democracy day to reflect on ways to do things in positive and united ways to improve the situation of the country.’’

  • Democracy Day: Group lauds Buhari for creating employment for youths

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), based in Gombe, Dandalin-Matasa Initiative for Rapid Development, has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari administration for creating employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerian youths.

    The NGO said in Gombe on Tuesday that it was committed to building young people towards better society through capacity building and other areas.

    Speaking with our reporters, Executive Director, Mr Bachama Yusuf, said in the last three years of Buhari’s stewardship, youth in the country were given priority through various programmes that were introduced.

    “In the area of youth empowerment, we have seen conscious effort by the government in bringing youths to a new level in terms of their lives and development.

    “Youth were empowered and given opportunity to be self-reliant, particularly through the N-power where thousands are benefiting.

    “Now young people have more confidence in the political and governance system in Nigeria.

    “Before it was like all hopes were lost; because everything has to do with whom you know.

    Read Also: Democracy Day: Lawmaker lauds Buhari

    “However, President Buhari-led administration saw that as long as you have a genuine cause, citizen can decide and bring whoever they want to bring on board.

    He further said in spite the achievements there were areas that need improvement, adding that youths were not adequately represented in the present administration.

    “Looking at the cabinet, how many young people are in government, for instance the Minister for Youth is not a young person.

    “From the initial stage, we thought Minister for Youth will be a young person at least not less than 40 years that knows the plight of the youth.

    “I am appealing to the government to look at the possibility of involving more youths.

    “Please, Mr President, we want to be seeing the faces of youth at the helm of affairs at various levels,” he pleaded.

    Yusuf, therefore, called on the government to introduce additional initiative to augment the N-Power.

    NAN

  • Democracy Day: Lawmaker lauds Buhari

    Rep. Umar Bago, (APC Niger), on Tuesday, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for restoring political stability to the country.

    Bago, who spoke with the News Men in Minna, said that in spite of the daunting challenges, the president had performed well in enhancing peaceful coexistence among Nigerians.

    “The president has restored the hope of an ordinary Nigerian as our cooperate existence was being threatened before the coming of his administration”.

    “I appeal to Nigerians to set aside tribal, ethnic and political differences and support the Buhari administration for good democratic governance,” he said.

    He explained that four years was definitely not enough to tackle the country’s economic problem, insecurity, and infrastructure decay, which had accumulated over the years.

    “Buhari has shown more political commitment and exemplary leadership in addressing most of these challenges and he needs our support, trust, and patience for the common good of our country,” he said.

    Read Also: Operators in power sector must live up to expectations – Buhari

    The lawmaker explained that the nation is faced with several challenges that required rare leadership qualities to confront.

    “Buhari is a true and committed patriot and selfless leader, endowed with huge qualities needed to take Nigeria to greater heights”.

    Bago, who represents Chanchaga Federal Constituency, said the present administration had demonstrated commitment to repositioning and strengthening of critical areas in the country.

    He listed such areas as the fight against corruption, promotion of agriculture and massive road constructions among others.

    The lawmaker called on Nigerians irrespective of religious and political differences to support the government in its efforts at providing security and putting the nation on the path of prosperity.

    “We should resist any attempt to tamper with our hard earned unity, hence the need for all to remain vigilant to enhance peace, progress and political stability,” he concluded.

    NAN

     

  • Aviation Sector: Buhari has performed well’ – Stakeholders

    Stakeholders in the Aviation Industry on Tuesday said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had performed well in the last three years it assumed office.

    The stakeholders in the aviation sector made the assertion while speaking with the news men in Lagos.

    Those who spoke with the news men were the President, Aviation RoundTable Iniative (ARTI), Mr Gbenga Olowo, the immediate past president of the group, Capt. Dele Ore (rtd) and another aviation expert, Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd).

    Olowo said that the process of bringing in reforms was always cumbersome, adding that the government had been making positive impacts in that regard.

    “From the angle of aviation, on the average I think they have done well because we had an emergency with the Abuja International Airport, they gave their words and they delivered. Kudos to them,” he said.

    Olowo told the news men, other plans of the administration, particularly the establishment of a new national carrier, the aircraft leasing company and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, would transform the industry.

    Olowo added that ‘Transaction Advisers’ had been appointed to midwife the processes, stressing that the government had also given a target that the national carrier should be in operation by December.

    Also, Ojikutu noted that safety of the Nigerian airspace had improved under the administration.

    He maintained that safety was a critical aspect of aviation, which was often not given the desired priority by past governments.

    He said: “In terms of safety, I think the government is doing a good job. It is not visible to people but it is visible to some of us.

    “You can look at the amount of safety recommendations that have come out from Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and compared it with three years ago.

    “You can look at what they have done at the Abuja airport. We have been managing that airport runway since 2010 and many foreign aircraft have lost their tyres and their undercarriage.

    Read Also: Skyways Aviation MD seeks airlines, firms merger

    “I am looking at that and we have been talking about it since 2010. They made an attempt in 2010 and another attempt in 2014 but it didn’t work but this administration resolved the issue within six weeks in 2017.”

    According to him, the government also went ahead to rehabilitate the runways of the Enugu and Port Harcourt airports.

    Ojikutu said when Dana Air had two successive incidents a few months back, the president immediately directed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to audit the airline, which clearly showed his commitment to safety.

    He added that the government had also procured more navigational aids for airports while the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had intensified their calibration.

    On his part, Ore said the government had given the NCAA more freedom to perform its functions unlike what was obtained in the past administrations.

    He said the Civil Aviation Act 2006 provides that the NCAA should be allowed an unfettered opportunity to oversight the industry without undue interference from any quarters.

    According to him, previous administrations did not to allow the Director-General of NCAA to perform.

    “I think I can more or less praise the government for allowing the people who know how to do the job to go ahead and do it but in the past the National Assembly will want to interfere.

    “They should allow the agencies to do their jobs and if they should allow this to continue, they are creating an atmosphere where there will be no accident and that is the objective of civil aviation.”

    He also commended the government for the successful rehabilitation of the Abuja Airport runway which according to him had been a huge threat to safety due to neglect by past administrations.

    Ore urged the government to consolidate on its promise by establishing more Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in at least five or six states, across the country to create jobs for Nigerians.

    NAN

  • GIABA faults NFIU bill in letter to Buhari

    The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) has faulted some sections of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Bill which the National Assembly passed into law.

    It also said the current administrative arrangement of the NFIU as structured in the bill may still be a challenge if not well managed.

    The group faulted some sections of the NFIU which the National Assembly included in the bill, saying there were no measures put in the bill to check abuse by either the unit’s director or the minister of Justice & Attorney-General of the Federation.

    GIABA’s observations were contained in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari as part of the ongoing review of the NFIU bill.

    The National Assembly on March 6 finally excised NFIU from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and domiciled it in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The removal of the NFIU from the EFCC drew criticisms locally and internationally because it was allegedly designed to whittle down the powers of EFCC.

    But the bill, which was transmitted to President Buhari on March 14, was yet to be signed into law because the presidency was seeking the input of some stakeholders like GIABA and a few international bodies.

    In its letter to the President, GIABA cautioned on Section 2(3) and Sections 7(3) and 28(1) of the bill.

    While Section 2(3) states that the FIU will be domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria, sections 7(3) and 28(1) show that the NFIU is administratively under the supervision of the minister of Justice.

    GIABA, however, said that based on the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) a FIU can be part of an existing authority.

    It said: “The FATF recommendations state that an FIU may be established as part of an existing authority.

    “When a FIU is located within the existing structure of another authority, the FIU’s core functions should be distinct from those of the other authority .The FIU has some supervisory functions which it intends to carry out jointly with the central bank.

    “However, there is the need to ensure that the Central Bank does not interfere with the operations of the FIU.

    “In the same vein, it is important for the Nigerian authorities to note that, there is no separation between the function of the attorney-general who is responsible for prosecutions and that of the Minister of Justice.

    “Thus, it is crucial for the country to ensure that the Minister of Justice who is also in charge of prosecutions will not interfere in the operations of the NFIU, particularly the dissemination of financial intelligence.

    “The current administrative arrangement may still be a challenge if not well managed. It is therefore important that Nigeria takes account of its own peculiarities and ascertains that this model is sustainable and can provide the requisite operational independence and autonomy for the FIU in line with the requirements of Recommendation 29 of the FATF standards, especially criterion 29.7 of the FATF Methodology (2013) and the report (FATF/PLEN/RD) (2018)6 of FATF Plenary in February 2018 in Paris, France.”

    GIABA faulted sections 2 (4), 7(2), 8(2), 19 and 28(2) of the bill and lack of measures to prevent abuse by either the Director of the NFIU or the minister of Justice.

    The letter added: “The decision of the GIABA Ministerial Committee in 2010 is not correctly reflected in the provision of the Sec 2 (4) of the Bill. However, that decision did not direct any FIU to co-ordinate the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) in their respective country.

    “Thus, there is no need to include GIABA in section 2. The correct rendition of the GIABA Plenary decision may be included in the explanatory notes but not within the provisions of the law.

    “Furthermore, there is no executive instrument, legislation or regulation establishing the IMC. We suggest that Nigeria could consider enacting a law or issuing a regulation or an executive instrument or introduce a mechanism that establishes the IMC to coordinate AML/CFT policies in the country.

    “The legal instrument should state the composition, functions and so on of the IMC and also designate the NFIU as its Secretariat.

    “However, the determination of who coordinates the IMC should be the joint decision of the three line ministers (Finance, Justice and Interior) working on AML/CFT issues. This is a high-level policy issue that cannot reside in the NFIU.

    “Section 19 of the Bill mandates the NFIU to conduct inspections to ensure compliance with the NFIU Act, the ML (Prohibition) Act and Terrorism (Prevention) Act. Based on this provision, the scope of FIU supervision will include all the preventive measures and will result in duplication of efforts. The Bill should mention the specific provisions of the ML and TF laws that relate to the FIU.

    “Sections 8(2) and 28 (2) of the Bill mention a Board, however the Bill does not establish a Board in its opening sections or in any of its sections. There is the need to clarify this.

    “To avoid abuse of power by either the Director of the NFIU or the Minister, there should be a committee of about 7 persons (Permanent Secretaries of the three line ministries; a deputy governor of CBN; a police officer not below rank of commissioner representing 1GP who is involved in the prevention of Financial Crimes; Commission Secretaries of EFCC and ICPC) to provide oversight functions on administrative issues only and without power to interfere with the core functions of the Unit. “

  • 2019: Buhari remains best option for Nigeria – Nasarawa speaker

    The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, said President Muhammadu Buhari still remains the best presidential material for Nigeria in 2019 as the country’s future is assured in his hands as well as considering his laudable achievements in the country.

    Balarabe-Abdullahi made this known on Monday while answering questions from newsmen in Lafia.

    The speaker lauded President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Tanko Al-Makura over their giant developmental strides which impacted positively on the lives of Nigerians in their three and seven years in office respectively.

    According to him, President Buhari deserves second term with the feat so far recorded by him especially in the area of fight against corruption, insurgency, and provision of employment opportunities, agriculture, and diversification among others.

    He said that the opposition cannot get any candidate for now that can beat President Buhari in Nigeria, noting that APC will win with a landslide victory during the 2019 general election.

    Read Also: Nasarawa shuts down 10 private schools

    “Nigeria’s future is assured with President Buhari at the helm of affairs and APC under him is unbeatable,” he said. He emphasized that if President Buhari came for the second term, it would move Nigeria to a greater height and would also provide succour to the entire nation as most of the challenges would be tackled.

    He said the government had impacted positively on the lives of the people of Nasarawa state, hence the need for him to accept calls going by well-meaning citizens to contest for the Senate seat of the southern zone of the state.

    “Gov. Al-Makura had done creditably well and is still doing his best in improving on the lives of the people of the state and his developmental strides which cut across all sectors of the economy especially in the area of
    health, education and agriculture among others”.