The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Buhari lauds Adesina for tackling ‘mischief makers’

    Buhari lauds Adesina for tackling ‘mischief makers’

    Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, on Saturday, said he spoke with President Muhammadu Buhari who is currently on medical vacation in London.

    Adesina confirmed this development on his twitter handle on Saturday in Abuja.

    The presidential spokesman said Buhari acknowledged his (Adesina) efforts“ for holding out against mischief makers”.

    Adesina said on his twitter handle: “Spoke with President Muhammadu Buhari a short while ago. Glad to hear his voice. Told me he was resting, but no cause for worry. Said I should greet my family.

    “Thanks for holding out against mischief makers’, PMB tells me during a phone call today. Said he would call again soon. Gave him best wishes.’’

    NAN reports that Adesina is the latest person the President spoke to from his London abode in the last few days.

    The President had similar phone conversations with governors of Kano and Katsina states, Abdullahi Ganduje and Aminu Masari respectively, this week.

    Many Nigerians have also embarked on prayer sessions in mosques and churches for the quick recovery of the president, who is on bed rest in London.

    The President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle in a statement, urged Nigerians, especially Christians not to cease praying for the president, acting president and the country “until he (President Buhari) returns in good health and sound mind.’’

    President Buhari had earlier in a statement issued by Adesina thanked millions of Nigerians who had been sending good wishes to him.

    He revealed that the results of the test conducted on him indicated that he needed a longer period of rest, necessitating his staying longer than originally planned.(NAN)

  • Buhari: Senator donates Qur’an for for prayers

    Buhari: Senator donates Qur’an for for prayers

    Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC- Katsina) on Saturday in Musawa, his home town, organised marathon prayer sessions for President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on medical vacation in London.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the prayers, which were offered in batches, were led by reputable Islamic scholars from 11 local government areas in the senatorial district with thousands of residents in attendance.

    Ibrahim, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Police Affairs, said President Buhari needed prayers not only for good health, but for divine guidance and protection as well.

    He said as far as the President’s health was concerned, there was no cause for alarm.

    He said based on available information, “the President is in high spirits’’.

    Ibrahim requested preachers, scholars, school teachers, women and community-based groups to continued to pray for the President.

    The senator said he decided to join others to organise the prayers for the President based on his realisation of the need for citizens to continually pray for their leaders.

    According to him, the nation is undergoing positive change under Buhari’s leadership.

    He said as such, Buhari “needs our encouragement, support and prayers for him to succeed in building a better Nigeria”.

    Ibrahim announced a donation of 100 copies of the Holy Qur’an to each of the 11 local government areas in zone to facilitate constant prayers for the President and offered scholarship to 30 children from each local government area in zone.

    He also said that he had begun the drilling of 750 wash bores to facilitate irrigation, adding that 750 water pumping machines would be distributed to selected farmers across the 11 local government areas.

    The senator said he had provided 82 motorcycles to be distributed to supporters and sewing machines to be distributed to female Islamic school tutors to enhance their capacities.

    He added that three persons would be selected from each of the wards in the district to go for skill acquisition training after which they would each be given N20, 000 marching grants.

    Ibrahim also inaugurated the treatment of 2,000 persons with eye-related illnesses.

    He said 500 of them would get recommended glasses while 300 persons would undergo glaucoma surgery.

    According to him, a committee chaired by the Zonal Chairman of APC, Alhaji Bala Abu, would be responsible for equitable distribution of the items donated.

    In his remarks, the state governor, Aminu Masari, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alh. Bello Mandia, applauded the senator for his courage.

    He said the state government planned to organise similar prayer sessions for the President in Katsina. (NAN)

  • Why my husband became President – Aisha

    Why my husband became President – Aisha

    Wife of Nigerian President, Mrs Aisha Buhari on Tuesday urged Nigerians to emulate her husband’s doggedness by never giving up on their cherished aspirations.

    Mrs Buhari said after several failed attempts, her husband became the nation’s president following his persistence and compassion for the masses.

    The First Lady spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, during the launch of a book titled, “Buhari vs Yar’Adua: Facing the future,” written by Mr Opeyemi Soyombo, a Special Assistant on Media to Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

    Mrs Buhari who was represented by Amosun’s wife, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, lauded the author for documenting the legal struggles of Muhammadu Buhari regarding his election petition challenging the victory of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007.

    She said record keeping or documentation is vital to the life a people or nation, adding that without it history stands the risk being be distorted.

    The President’s wife noted that there are lots of lessons to learn from the life of her husband who contested presidential election for four consecutive times before he eventually won in 2015.

    Aisha said, “there are lots of lessons to learn from the life of President Muhammadu Buhari, most especially his doggedness and compassion for the masses. President Buhari contested presidential election consecutively four times before he eventually won in 2015.

    “His victory has paid off considering his passion to helping the masses and most importantly, the successes recorded in the anti-corruption war of his government.

    “I commend the efforts of the writer for documenting the  Presidential Election suit between the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and President Umaru Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007.

    “This shows that the author has been following with keen interest elections held in the country and the petitions arising from them. In most recent shared views and writings on human and societal development, the investment made on other people gives tremendous yields; thus the facts and authenticity of the book are invaluable.”

    Also speaking at the book launch,  a retired judge of the state high court, Justice Ademola Bakre, expressed worry over Nigeria’s future.

    Bakre lamented the rot in the Nigerian judiciary and warned against interference and undue pressure in the affairs of judges in the country.

    He said the citizens should work out a better Nigeria of their dream, stressing that they must change and desist from demanding a bribe.

    Also, the author who spoke with reporters later said he was motivated to write the 179-page book to cast light on the issues of election rigging with a view to pricking the nation’s conscience to forestall rigging in the future.

    According to Soyombo, Buhari was short-changed in the 2007 presidential election and that the book canvassed measures “ensure that we have credible, free and fair elections and to ensure that the judiciary, either by design or default, would endorse electoral robbery.”

    The book was earlier reviewed by Mr Kayode Oyede of the Department of Public Private Law, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.

  • Daura Emirate Council holds prayer for Buhari

    Daura Emirate Council holds prayer for Buhari

    The Daura Emirate Council in Katsina State on Friday conducted a marathon prayer session invoking Allah’s protection and good health for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk led the prayers at his palace in Daura, attended by thousands of residents.

    The President who hails from Daura is currently in London on medical vacation.

    The emir said that Buhari needs prayers not only for his health, but also divine guidance to lead Nigeria to greatness.

    “Mr. President is our son and he deserves much more than this,” the emir added.

    Farouk told the residents that there was no cause for alarm regarding the President’s health, assuring that “going by available contacts we have on daily basis, the President is in high spirit.”

    The emir stressed that leaders need constant prayers from their subjects, hence the decision by the emirate to organise the prayer session.

    He observed that the nation was undergoing positive reforms under the Buhari leadership, as such “needs our encouragement, support and prayers for him to succeed and build a better Nigeria.”

    Chief Imams of major Juma’at mosques in Daura, Mai’adua, Zango, Sandamu and Baure Local Government Areas under the emirate conducted the prayers, which included recitation of the complete Qur’an eleven times.

  • Buhari is home sick – Presidency

    Buhari is home sick – Presidency

    The Presidency has alerted Nigerians on the possible return of President Muhammadu Buhari from London any moment from  Tuesday as he is no longer “enjoying his stay outside the country.”

    The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu,  made this known in Abuja on Tuesday.

     Buhari, who proceeded on vacation to United Kingdom on January 19 for a routine medical check as indicated in a letter to the Senate, transmitted another letter to the Senate, on February 5, requesting extension of time to complete the medical check-up.

    However, the presidential aide said the President would be returning to Nigeria soonest as he was no longer “comfortable” with the extended vacation in London.

    “As a matter of fact, we should be getting ready to see the President in fresh and that will be soon as possible.

    “The President (himself) is looking to being home to be with his people.

    “I don’t think he is enjoying any longer with an extended vacation outside the country.’’

    On the President’s telephone conversation with United States President, Donald Trump, Shehu described as “undiplomatic’’ the request being made in some quarters for the release of the audio containing the conversation.

    According to him, releasing an audio containing telephone conversation between two presidents is highly unethical and against modern day civilization.

    “No, I don’t think so; I don’t think it is permitted in international diplomacy. I think if we had recorded Mr. Trump in this conversation it would have offended our diplomatic relations.

    “I think the Americans themselves would not have recorded this conversation of president to president,’’ he said.

    On the President’s test results being expected from his doctors, Shehu said he had no information on whether the President had collected the results or not.

    He said: “No, we have no information on that (test results). If he had received them, he would have been on the plane back home.’’

    NAN

  • Makarfi calls for strong institutional reforms

    Makarfi calls for strong institutional reforms

    Sen. Ahmed Makarfi, the Chairman of National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says Nigeria needs institutional reforms to serve the interest of the public.

    According to him, this would empower public officers resist undue interference from “selfish politicians”.

    He said that the fight against corruption would succeed when anti-graft institutions are strong, adding that extraneous influences are incapacitating the institutions saddled with the statutory responsibility to prosecute corrupt public officers.

     “I think the bane of our problem in Nigeria is that public institutions generally are serving public leaders; whether you call it the police, the army, the State Security Service (SSS), Customs or Immigration, whatever you may call it.

    “It is not just under this democracy. You can go back to the first republic.

    “Except we reform; the real change we need is to make public institutions serve the people and the country.  What we need really is to protect them and their families.

    “Of course, they owe a larger duty to protect every citizen. Aside from that, they are not to be at the beck and call of the leaders; ‘investigate that person, arrest that person, release that person, do this, do that’. No!

    “If they are independent bodies anything they need to do, they will do it without a call to public officers”.

    On the issue of budgeting, Makarfi said lack of budget implementation continue to affect development in all sectors of the economy.

    He said that it also affected laudable programmes and policies designed by government for the benefit of the ordinary Nigerians.

    Makarfi, who was a former Chairman Senate Committee on Finance, said ‘’budget by itself is nothing if not implemented. You do not just make a bogus budget.

    “It is not the size of the budget that is important, but making a realistic budget and implementing it.”

    He debunked the allegations that corruption perpetrated by the 16 years rule of the PDP was responsible for the current economic crisis in Nigeria.

    “Look at the North, all the northern governors except about three of them; all the rest are from PDP. Go to the national Assembly, more than half of APC members were from PDP and some of the ministers are (of) PDP extraction.

    “It is the same set of people that are in power now. It is only when you are out of power that people can really know whether you are corrupt of not.

    “I assure you, let them also leave power; it will not take a month, you will be shocked about what will be emanating to indicate the level of corruption at states and national level.’’

    Makarfi advised President Muhammadu Buhari to make changes that would reflect his strong character and anti-corruption stance that made people voted him to power.

     

  • APC women plan national prayer summit for Buhari

    APC women plan national prayer summit for Buhari

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) women will hold a national prayer summit for quick recovery of the President Muhammadu Buhari.

    APC Deputy National Women leader Tina Ekwueme-Adike, who disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri on Friday, said they were worried by speculation over the heath of President Buhari.

    She said that the Prayer Summit would be organised by the office of the APC deputy national women leader at Enugu and to be attended by mainly APC women from the entire Southern zone.

    She said that the prayer which would be non-denominational cuts across all political parties.

    “The prayer is specifically meant to implore God to re-enact  back those  values which Africans  and Nigerians  in particular  are noted for, especially respecting human values and praying for our leaders,’’ she said.

    Ekwueme-Adike condemned what she described as the unwarranted and unnecessary death wishes circulating in the social media on the health of the president.

    The APC deputy national women leader reminded Nigerians that to die was never for the elderly only but also for the young and infants  alike.

    “Those speculating the death of someone, his or her business are rather putting their own life and business at risk because the law of nature will befall them,’’ she said.

    She urged Nigerian women to demonstrate a sense of commitment, patriotism, and selflessness in their daily life, noting that it would surely be well for the nation in the near future.

    She explained that the proposed prayer summit for the nation and its leadership was also for all Nigerians irrespective of their political parties, religion and tribal afflictions. 

     

  • Borno: Muslim clerics begin 10-day prayer, fasting for Buhari’s health

    Borno: Muslim clerics begin 10-day prayer, fasting for Buhari’s health

     

    Some Muslims clerics in Maiduguri, Borno, on Friday said they had commenced a 10-day prayer and fasting for the health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Malam Uma Bolori, who spoke on behalf of the clerics said, “Our prayer is what President Buhari needs from Nigerians rather than rumours.

    “President Buhari deserves prayers from the people of North-East, for not allowing Borno to go on extinction when almost all the territories in the state were taken over by Boko Haram.

    ” We are going to fast, supplicate and recite Holy Qur’an 50 times for improved health condition of our President.

    “Nigerians must rally round their leaders and pray for them, to enable them succeed in steering the affairs of this country.

    ” No citizen should wish his or her president death, he or she should rather wish him wisdom, sound health and political will to enable him fulfill his campaign promises to the people.”

    Umar Bolori said that since the coming of the president to power, Boko Haram insurgency had reduced to the barest minimum in the North-East.

     

  • I speak with Buhari daily, says sister Hajiya Rakiya

    I speak with Buhari daily, says sister Hajiya Rakiya

    Hajiya Rakiya, the only surviving elder sister of President Muhammad Buhari, has appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for the well being of the President, instead of spreading rumours about his health.
    In an interview with a correspondent of the News agency of Nigeria in Daura, Katsina state, the 84-year-old said the president needed the prayers of every Nigerian for him to succeed in the task of addressing the problems facing the nation.
    She said President Buhari being a mortal is bound to fall ill or even die “at any time his Creator wishes’’.
    She said she speaks with the president everyday since his departure to London on his annual leave and he is in high spirit.
    “I just returned from the lesser Hajj and even while in Saudi Arabia I was communicating with him everyday,” Rakiya popularly called Amadodo told NAN. She said while in Saudi Arabia, she communicated with him every ten hours”
    “We were 28 from our mother late Hajiya Zulaihatu who died in 1992,but Buhari was her last born” she said.

  • Bishop prays for Buhari’s safe return

    The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Awka, Most Rev. Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor, has prayed for the safe and healthy return of President Muhammadu Buhari who is abroad on medical grounds.
    Ezeokafor made thus known when he addressed journalist at the annual meeting with the Laity council in the diocese at St.Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, on Sunday.
    He said it was normal that people asked question about the current state of health of the president as he was not a private citizen.
    “We pray that he comes back in good health, those asking about his state of health have right to know where their president is and how he is doing.
    “It is normal to be sick because he is a human being like any other person.
    “As the president of this country, Mohammadu Buhari is not a private person; so, it is normal that people ask question.
    “The interest on Buhari’s state of health now is like the way people over the world are worried when late Pope John Paul 11 and Nelson Mandela are sick in hospital
    “It is high time he said something so that the suspicion and guessing will die down,” he said.
    Ezeokafor explained that the laity where those who were not ordained priests, but continued to help in the advancement of the message of salvation.
    In his message, the Vicar of the diocese, Fr. James-Micheal Okpalaonwuka, thanked the bishop for his support.
    Okpalaonwuka prayed for God’s mercy on the world and an end to the spate of violence which had riddled the country.
    He pledged the continued support of the laity for the diocese and their determination to bring men and women to God’s throne of grace. (NAN)