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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

Rice importation exit: No hiding for smugglers – Customs

When President Muhammadu Buhari gives the go-ahead for the implementation of total stoppage of rice importation this year, the smugglers will no longer have any hiding or guise for trading on the prohibited item.

His administration had last year stopped the importation of rice through land borders. Besides, in his 2018 New Year broadcast, he dropped the hint that there will be the total stoppage of rice import this year.

But speaking with The Nation on phone on Sunday, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, noted that the fight against rice smuggling will be easier when the policy implementation begins.

He said that unlike now that the criminals hide under the guise of the seaport to smuggle rice into Nigeria, upon the enforcement of the policy, any rice that is not Nigerian, will be seized as a smuggled item.

He said that “We have been fighting rice smuggling and if there is a total stoppage in seaport, land borders and all that, I think criminals will no longer have a hiding place. “The difficulty of knowing whether this rice came from the seaport or land border will be totally out of the picture. As long as it is not locally produced rice, it is a smuggled rice. So, they cannot hide under any guise.”

Asked how prepared the service is to implement the policy, the spokesman noted that with the support of the Federal Government, the organization looks forward to possessing more vehicles and equipment in 2018.

According to him, the NCS is prepared and will be better equipped to combat smugglers.

“He said that We are prepared. With the support of the government any moment from now we will be taking over vehicles and other working equipment. So, we are going to be better equipped this year and that will also boost our activities to deal with not only rice smuggling but also to deal with smuggling of any prohibited items.”

Attah, however, noted that the challenge he envisages in the implementation of the policy is that of the unpatriotic Nigerians who still harbour smugglers.

He appealed to the citizenry to appreciate smuggling as a criminal act, and support the service to fight them by exposing their act.

The PRO said that “There will be no other new challenges rather than the challenges we have been facing. I will rather say that we will appeal for support from Nigerians.

“People should look at smugglers as enemies of the state. And the act of smuggling itself is a crime and this means no good for Nigeria and Nigerians. The more we continue to expose them to customs the better we do.

“But in a situation where a fellow Nigerian will provide shelter to smugglers to hide could be a challenge. We appeal to all to support and understand that fighting smugglers is a collective responsibility.

“They should do their own by providing the solution to us by exposing smugglers so that they don’t have any hiding place.”

January 8, 2018
Onyeama receives 491 Nigerian returnees from Libya

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, has reassured Federal Government’s commitment to return all stranded Nigerians from Libya.

Onyeama gave the assurance when he received 491 Nigerian returnees from Libya at Port Harcourt International Airport, alongside Rivers Government officials.

The minister said there were stories of exploitation and suffering by stranded Nigerians in Libya, which compelled Federal Government to act decisively.

He added that “we made it clear to the Libyan Government that we want to see all Nigerians there. We insisted that we should see all of them, instead of hearing from them.

“We made it clear that they ( Libyans ) are signatories to international conventions and we expected them to have control of those who guard our children.

“They cooperated with us because of respect for Mr President, there were people who were making money from these children and did not want them to return home.

“We carried out rigorous outreach to ensure that we have everybody back.”

The minister noted that the programme was a continuous process that would return all stranded Nigerians from Libya.

The minister explained that “the Libyan Government got the message that as far as they are Nigerians, we have zero tolerance for molestation.”

The Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Sir Kenneth Kobani, who led the state delegation, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for making efforts in returning the stranded Nigerians.

He said “as a state government, we had no choice really, let me say that the Rivers State Governor made it clear to me that we should do everything possible to make sure that this exercise was handled smoothly.

“The Rivers State Government would do everything in its power to assist federal agencies handling this programme, because above everything else, we are all Nigerians and this programme is a clear indication that when we work together, we can achieve anything.

“What you are seeing here today clearly shows that our governor and indeed the President feel same about this issue.

“On behalf of the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, I will like to thank President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and his team who worked tirelessly to make the return of our brothers and sisters successful.”

Reports say that all the returnees were profiled at designated booths at the airport.

The minister was accompanied by officials from the Nigerian Immigration Service, NEMA NAPTIP and military personnel.

NAN

January 8, 2018
Security beefed up as Abia sets to hosts Buhari, others

Security have reportedly been beefed up in Umuahia, Abia state capital and its environs as the state gets set to host President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, John Odigie Oyegun and other stakeholders of the party on Tuesday January 9.

President Buhari who would be in the state for the first time after being elected President of the country for a mega rally organized by the party at the Umuahia Township stadium would also used the opportunity to present to the people of the state, some political bigwigs in the state who had joined the party from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties.

Though information about the president’s visit was still sketchy until the time of filing the report, it was gathered that Presidential advance team were already in the state while security have been beefed up at flashpoints and other sensitive areas in the state especially in Umuahia as steps to ensure a peaceful visit of the president.

The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state in a chat with our reporter described the coming of the President as landmark, stressing that Buhari’s visit would further boost the preparation of the party towards unseating the PDP led administration in the state in 2019.

Godson disclosed that the coming of President Buhari would attract leaders of the party from the southeast including the chairman of Governors’ forum and Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, former senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, former Governor of Old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, ministers from the southeast, immediate past governor of Enugu State, Barr. Sullivan Chime, immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, Martin Elechi among other APC stalwarts in the country in general.

He also added that members of other political parties that defected into the party like former Executive Governor of the state from 1999-2007, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, PDP 2015 Governorship aspirant, Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah, former Managing Director of defunct Hallmark Bank, Chief Sir. Marc Wabara, Barr. Emeka Wogu; former labour minister, senator Bob Nwanunu, General Ogbonnaya Okoro rtd, DIG Udah rtd, Hon. Chinenye Ike, former House of Rep member, former Speaker Abia State House of Assembly who was few months ago impeached by his colleagues, Rt. Hon. Martin Azubuike and others would be formally presented to the public during the president’s visit.

On zoning of guber candidates, he said “we don’t have candidates and we can’t have an anointed candidate; our guber candidate can emerge from any part of the state. We believe that there are some persons with guber ambitions and they have not made it open to us.

“We are not zoning the governorship slot. It is open. We want a credible person to emerge. We need change in the state. We need a credible and reliable person who can change the life of Abians and develop Abia, it doesn’t matter the part of Abia the person is coming from. APC is desirous of change and ensuring that Abia is developed. We want Abians to feel governance”.

He used the opportunity to reaffirm the support of the party members to Hon. Donatus Nwankpa’s led Executive in the state Ben Godson, the APC Publicity Secretary Abia State chapter and thanked President Buhari for including the names of the party members from the state in the list of recent appointment into boards and agencies by the federal government.

January 7, 2018
Benue lawmaker to FG: treat violent herdsmen as terrorists

A member representing Logo State Constituency in Benue House of Assembly, Hon. Terna-Kester Kyenge, on Saturday urged the Federal Government to declare violent Fulani herdsmen as terrorists and also treat them as such.

His appeal was contained in a statement that he issued to The Nation in Abuja, demanding the State and Federal Government to declare a two-day of national mourning of the victims that the Fulani herdsmen allegedly massacred in the state.

He asked the President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy sufficient security personnel in the effected areas to forestall any re-occurrence of the onslaught and make the perpetrators to face the law.

His words: “We are in deed in a State of Emergency and I demand that the Benue State and Federal governments declare 2 days of national mourning and move decisively and with utmost dispatch as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy sufficient security personnel in the effected areas to forestall any repeat of these attacks and for once arrest and bring perpetrators to justice.

“We also demand that the Federal Government declare Fulani herdsmen perpetrating violence against farmers across the country as terrorists and treat them as such.”

Kyenge titled his dirge and tears invoking statement : “May the blood and tears of victims of suspected herdsmen attack in Benue not flow in vain.”

According to him, like the killers, his massacred people and all humans have the right to live.

Calling on the global community to help guarantee the lives of his people, the lawmaker pointed out that their right to live is guaranteed under the Nigerian law and universal charter of human rights.

He insisted that “We will from this day not hold our peace and die in silence any longer, but will tell to the whole world our agony and the terror visited on us by a force propelled solely towards our destruction.

“Reason and justice may not appeal to the herdsmen hacking our people to death with such wanton abandon, but we will cry out to the world and show our wounds for all to see. Then, perhaps, then will the blood of our fallen loved ones and our tears not flow in vain.”

He said that as a representative of his people he appreciates that every single death diminishes them collectively.

He added that “I am impoverished and have never felt this damned and unsettled as continuously hapless constituents are hounded, villages razed and ancestral farm lands sacked while government gropes endlessly for solutions.”

The statement reads in part: “From Tse Akenawe, to Tse Verinumbe, to Tse Orveren, to Jootar, to Tyogbenda Anyiin communities in Gambe-Tiev, Logo to Tomatar near Tse Abi, Nongov in Guma Local Government Areas, it has been sustained attacks and killings as the statistics swell with daily harvest of tons of corpses from surrounding environs.

“These settlements have been reduced to ghost habitations with huge numbers of displaced old, women and children trekking aimlessly with neither food, water nor shelter.

“This is in deed one invasion too many, and the deafening silence hovering over it from the top must be broken now and for good.

“Once again, as I commiserate with HE Samuel Ortom and the government and peace loving people of Benue State and particularly helpless Logo State Constituents in our season of collective grief and great loss, I pledge on my oath that I will not relent in my resolve to fight to get justice for my constituents. I will continue to collaborate with agencies and actors of government to bring lasting peace and succor to my people.”

January 6, 2018
Benue Killings: Buhari summons I-G, charges him to tighten security

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris over reported killings in Benue and other communal conflicts in the country and enjoined him to tighten security across the nation.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the closed door meeting with the President, Idris said he updated the president on the efforts of the police towards ensuring law and order in various communities in the country.

According to him, it is duty bound on him to regularly brief the president on security developments in the country, saying “currently Nigeria is well secured.’’

On the recent killings in Benue, the IGP revealed that the police would make additional deployments to the troubled areas to forestall further attacks and restore confidence of the people.

“You know I deployed my (Deputy Inspector-General) DIG there yesterday and you know we have different stages of police, you have the AIG in Benue, Commissioner of Police in Benue and all of them are putting their heads together to see how we can address this issue of communal problems in Benue,’’ he said.

He dismissed the assertion that the Nigeria Police was overwhelmed by the current security challenges in the country.

The police chief said that new measures had been put in place to safeguard lives and property of law abiding citizens.

Read Also: Three persons killed in attack on Benue village

Idris, however, stated that Nigerians must learn how to co-habit peacefully to make the work of the police much easier.

Armed gunmen had on Jan. 2, unleashed violence and mayhem on some rural communities in Benue where about 20 persons were killed.

President Buhari had on Wednesday condemned the killings, and wanton destruction of property in the affected communities in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of the state.

He commiserated with the government and people of Benue over the reported killings.

The president had also expressed outrage at reports of killings of innocent persons in Omoku, Rivers, and the traditional ruler of Numana, Kaduna State, the Etum Numana, Dr Gambo Makama, and his wife.

The traditional ruler and his wife were killed in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State in the New Year.

NAN

January 6, 2018
Petrol price remains N145 per litre – Kachikwu

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, on Friday in Abuja said petrol price remains N145 per litre, pleading that the issue should not be politicised.

Kachikwu, who said this at a news conference, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s stand on the issue was clear, hence, the ministry was working hard to resolve future occurrence of fuel shortages.

According to him, the essence of the ongoing meetings with stakeholders, which began few days ago, is to find mechanisms to ensure that fuel queues do not come back.

“There are social media commentaries implying that when we met with the committee set up by the Senate President to review the causative factors of the fuel scarcity and find solutions, there was a statement credited to me that the price might be increased to N180.

“No such statement was made; no such plan is intended. I needed to clarify this because sometimes some of these rumour mongering add to the difficulties NNPC had in terms of being able to control price speculation.

“The president mandate on this issue is very specific: we are not increasing price from N145,’’ Kachikwu said.

Read also: DPR seals 80 petrol stations in Delta

He said issues being looked at include a “wetting’’ of all stations so that product is available at every time for Nigerians and how to deal with the problem of private marketers that pulled out from participation.

“This is so that they can participate effectively in the supply of petroleum products in the country, all within the parameters of N145 per litre pump price.

“I thought we should make this very clear. This is not a matter for speculation; anybody who does speculation on it is not being helpful to Nigerians.

“They have already gone through a very difficult Christmas period. We are working night and day to try and find solutions. It is not a political issue; people should step out of that goal post.

“We want to provide succour to Nigerians, we want to provide product at N145, that is the presidential mandate; that is the Federal Executive Council mandate; nobody is having a deliberation on that.

“We are actually looking at steps for those who have breached these processes, what we can do to penalise them and also set very stiff penalties for those who go to sell above N145.

“Going forward, after the recommendations, there will be very massive enforcement; very firm position on this issue; very firm tracking of product in this country.

“Nobody deserves this sort of up and down in terms of product supply in this country.

“I want to make that very clear, there is no discussed intended price increase issue; price is N145 per litre at the pump price; it remains that; nothing has changed; there is no mandate to increase that,’’ he stressed.

Responding to another insinuation that marketers were free to fix petrol prices, he said there was no authorisation to modulate outside the N135 – N145 bracket.

`This is not a multiple price-fixing environment where people can work outside the umbrella of what has been fixed. What we have approved was a modulation between N135 and N145 per litre.

“I am aware that some stations, even as of this morning, sold at N143. The majority sold at N145. Some recalcitrant individuals sold above that and that is why the law needs to go after them.

“Nobody is free to set price above that,’’ he said.

On the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency ( PPPRA ) template that helps monitor importation into the country, Kachikwu said “the template has always been an issue.

“This is because as prices change in the international market, some of this template become questionable.

“As part of this committee’s work, we are also reviewing that template to see whether there are things we need to do to help us ensure that we can accommodate sales at the N145 per litre window.

“That is also going to be looked at. PPPRA is working on that and it is heading a special committee on it’’.

NAN

January 5, 2018
Lawmaker seeks more support for Buhari, Al-Makura

Alhaji Hashimu Jibrin-Gurku, representing Karu/Gitata constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has appealed to people of the state to continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Tanko Al-Makura to succeed.

Jibrin-Gurku made the call on Friday while speaking in Karu Local Government Area of the state.

He stressed the need for the support to enable them succeed in the delivery more dividends of democracy to the citizens.

According to him, sustained prayers by adherents of the two major religions in the country will definitely assist the President, Al-Makura, other elected and appointed leaders to achieve growth and speedy development of the country.

“Praying and supporting our leaders will bring more good things and will also bring peace, unity and national development.

“President Buhari and Al-Makura have done a lot by initiating policies and projects that had impacted positively on the lives of the people of the state and the country as a whole,’’ he said.

Read also: Ekere hails Buhari for refineries, board appointments

Jibrin-Gurku also lauded Buhari and Al-Makura for doing well in the areas of infrastructure development, youth empowerment, security, fight against corruption, peace promotion among others.

The lawmaker also promised his constituency of a robust and quality representation, and solicited for their support and cooperation to enable him succeed.

“Everybody in my constituency can testify to what I have done towards improving the standard of living of the people and the state at large.

“I will continue in that direction as it is good to always show love, affection and to extend hand of friendship to the needy and other people in the society so as to better their standard of living,” he said.

The lawmaker advised Nigerians to be law abiding, respect constituted authorities, shun negative tendencies and to live in peace with one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

NAN

January 5, 2018
Oyo-Ita tasks federal civil servants on higher productivity in 2018

Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, on Tuesday urged civil servants to consolidate the achievements recorded in 2017 by redoubling their efforts toward performing duties.

Oyo-Ita, who made the call in Abuja while addressing some civil servants in her office after the New Year holiday, commended the civil servants for their commitment and perseverance in 2017.

She said the Federal Government expected its civil servants to show more commitment and ensure higher productivity in 2018.

“I am happy to come around this morning to see that quite a number of you are already in the office and this is what we want to see this year.

“We want to see more commitment and dedication to work.

“I must congratulate you civil servants that you stood with this administration through thick and thin even in the face of the fuel crisis that ended before the New Year,” she said.

Read also: Kyari, Oyo-Ita reconcile

Oyo-Ita said 2018 would be a good year for civil servants, adding that there were a lot of positive signs from the performance of civil servants in 2017.

She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping his promise of paying salaries and promotion arrears despite the challenges faced by the country in the previous year.

“Also we were able to achieve the final resolution on the case involving some deputy directors who sat for promotion examination in 2014.

“The matter has been favorably withdrawn from the court and the injunction has been lifted for deputy directors due for promotion.

“The affected civil servants for 2015, 2016 and 2017 are to seat for their examinations in the next two weeks,” she added.

About 400 Deputy Directors had in February petitioned the presidency over their stagnation in service.

Some of the aggrieved workers went further to challenge their stagnation before the National Industrial Court, seeking redress.

NAN

January 2, 2018
Nigeria must regain its pride in food exportation – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja reiterated Federal Government’s determination to continually review and strengthen ongoing reforms in the agriculture sector “until Nigeria regains its pride of place as food exporting country.”

The president said this when he received a delegation of All Progressives Congress ( APC ) from Kebbi, led by the state Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu in the Presidential Villa.

He added that the country’s rice import bill had dropped significantly, noting, however, that “beyond self-sufficiency, Nigeria must strive to become net exporter of food commodities.

“We are not doing badly in the agriculture sector: Nigerians and indeed the world, are beginning to appreciate our efforts. We will work harder until we start exporting food.

“We are happy that rice and beans importation into the country have gone down by over 90 per cent, and everyone can see how productive states like Kebbi turned out to be and states like Lagos, Ogun and Ebonyi are following the example.”

The President said Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto states had already reported remarkable turn-around in the agriculture sector, with more youths taking interest in entrepreneurship.

Buhari, who disagreed with the astronomical food import bill presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) from the inception of the administration, pointed out that it was later discovered to be “fraudulent practices’’ by some elite to deplete the foreign reserves.

He said “when I was told that the CBN had no savings after the windfall of selling oil for more than 100 dollars per barrel for many years and production was 2.1 billion barrels per day, I did not believe them.

“I did not believe them because majority of Nigerians cannot afford imported food; they rely on what is locally grown. It turned out that 50 per cent of the export bills were fraudulent, courtesy of the Nigerian elite.

“Unfortunately, we will not know all that happened because the elite worked in collusion with institutions in developed countries like insurance firms, shipping companies and other financial outfits, to perpetuate the fraud.”

On security, President Buhari said the return of farmers to their farm lands in the North East, with glaring results of high yields, was a testimony to the relative peace that had been achieved.

He assured that more would be done to check the mayhem of suicide attacks.

The President said his administration would put in more effort to reposition the education and health sectors to compete with other global institutions.

While introducing the delegation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, commended government’s policies toward reviving the agriculture sector.

The Kebbi Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said “the state government and the APC family was pleased with the performance of Federal Government in securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.”

Bagudu and members of the delegation, which included former Governor of the state, Alhaji Usman Dakingari and other former PDP stalwarts, prayed for the quick recovery of the President’s son, Yusuf Buhari who was involved in a bike accident.

NAN

December 29, 2017
NDDC crisis: Group seeks Buhari ’s intervention

A group, the Centre For Justice And Fairness In Niger Delta (CFJFIND), Ondo State, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari not to extend the tenure of the current board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

Its Chairman, Mr Alex Kalajaye, made the call at a press briefing in Akure on Friday.

The tenure of the current board members of NDDC is to end this December.

Kalajaye said that it was the turn of another state, not Akwa Ibom, to produce the next NDDC Managing Director after the expiration of the tenure of the current board on Dec. 8.

“No state should be denied its rights to occupy the offices assigned to it by the NDDC Act. Those making such dangerous moves should be wary of their actions,” he said.

According to him, the commission comprises of nine member states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Imo, Abia, Cross-River and Rivers, while the management positions is rotational among member states.

“It is on record that since the establishment of the commission over 17 years ago, only four states have rotated the top three management positions among themselves – they are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States.

“There is nothing in the NDDC Act, 2000 that provides special attention for the four big states.The phrase four big states is the invention of some cabals in the NDDC to oppress the other five states.

“The Federal Government should not give in to this surreptitious manipulation or modification of the NNDC Act.

“None of the states in the NDDC is inferior to the other states.

“While some states may have higher production quantum, this does not in any way imply that the right due to the other states must be trampled up on.”

He said that there should be equality of states in the sharing of the three top management positions in the commission.

“As at now, it is the turn of Ondo State to produce the next managing director of the NDDC.

“This is so because Ondo State is the 5th highest oil producing state in NDDC.

“Since all the states that have higher production of oil than Ondo State have produced the managing director at one time or the other, it follows that the provision of Section 12(1) supra, Ondo State must of necessity produce the managing director for the next board to be constituted.

“This is the way it should go if the inequity in the NDDC is to be corrected,” he said.

December 29, 2017