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Tag: Muhammadu Buhari

  • Oyo govt, ALGON trade words over dissolution of councils

    Chairmen of Oyo State local councils, sacked last week by Governor Seyi Makinde, have taken their case to President Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention.

    The sacked chairmen who are operating under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), dispatched a petition to the president on Thursday, accusing the state government of brigandage in bid to get rid of them.

    But the government claimed the sacked chairmen got into office through an illegal election and have no reason to parade themselves as elected officials.

    Governor Makinde’s  Chief of Staff (CoS), Bisi Ilaka,who announced the dissolution of the LGs, soon after the governor’s inauguration, asked the council bosses  to hand over to the Head of Local Government (HLA) in each council or the most senior director at the council.

    But the chairmen described their sack as an act of illegality, arguing that  they were elected on May 12, last year.

    They added, that, a May 6 High Court judgment had also restrained the state government and its representatives or agencies from dissolving the councils or freezing the bank accounts of the councils, among others.

    The court held, that, dissolution of elected council chairmen and other officers by the state government or the House of Assembly is contrary to Section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

    In their June 3, 2019, Save our Soul (SOS) letter to the President, the sacked LG chairmen  urged Buhari to call Makinde to order and prevail on him to respect the decision of the court.

    In the letter signed by its Chairman, Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, and the Secretary, Olayinka Jesutoye, ALGON also insisted that just as Makinde cannot be removed by any executive fiat, they cannot be sacked without recourse to the constitution.

    The chairmen said, appealing the judgment is the only legal means of resolving the crisis, which Makinde has created by his decision.

    ALGON also accused the state government on Thursday of planning to forcefully take over local government secretariats by deploying hoodlums, an act it described as a sad return to the years of brigandage, which ended at the emergence of the former governor, Abiola Ajimobi, eight years ago.

    Read Also: 20 inmates rescued as Oyo police raid shrine

    “The insidious plan of government’s hatchet men to forcefully overrun secretariats of local government councils in Oyo State is their next act of illegality spiced with hooliganism.

    “The general public is hereby alerted to this government sponsorship of political brigandage. This is a sad return to their old days of governance though violent intimidation of opposition and the general public with no regard to law,” they said.

    They added: “After eight years of civil peaceful governance in Oyo State, we should not allow and will not condone the old ways of the power vipers to return and push the state to reckless governance.

    “There is an existing High Court judgement, government should go to court instead of resorting to self- help.”

    “The subsisting Supreme Court Judgement on Ekiti State has removed such fanciful act of executive indulgence in using the House to perpetrate illegality and dissolve elected local government on the whims and caprice of a state government.

    The group’s chairman, Abass-Aleshinloye, has also alleged threat to his life. He pleaded with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to offer him security, stressing that, after  he addressed a press conference on May 30, on ALGON’s position,

    strange people suspected to be supporters of the governor and his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), went  to attack him in his office.

    He said the men also trailed him on two different occasions after speaking on radio.

    Reacting to Abass-Aleshinloye’s claims, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Taiwo Adisa, dismissed them, stating that their election was illegal, and that the state government’s decision was in defence of the constitution.

    He said: “The government of the Oyo State committed no illegality in dissolving the councils. Rather, the government took the step in defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The laws say that you cannot create local governments by whatever name called, without recourse to constitutional procedures.

    “The immediate past state government went ahead to create LCDAs in total disregard for the constitution. They also jointly conducted elections into the recognised councils and the LCDAs the same day.

    “By that singular act, they have tainted the elections conducted into the 33 local governments with illegality. Also, remember that the council chairmen were guilty of what lawyers call ‘forum shopping’ in trying to vacate the injunction that was issued to stop the conduct of the elections by rushing to a different court to get an order.

  • ‘God will pull down Nigeria’s Jericho’

    General Overseer of The Saints Gospel of Church Christ, also known as Hand of Fire, Pastor Jacob Shodeinde, has said Nigeria’s wall of Jericho will be flattened with prayers.

    He spoke during the Church’s annual special jubilee celebrations to signify the fall of the physical wall built to enclose the church against growth.

    The cleric assured the people that as the Church’s Jericho at Igando fell, so also God would do same for Nigeria. He urged everyone to return to God for a perfection of Nigeria’s peace.

    Speaking on the theme of this year’s jubilee – “The Glory of Perfection”, taken from Psalm 138:8, Shodeinde said: “Today’s celebration is biblical, for the God who walked with the Israelites is still the same God today. He is the one who works with the hand of fire which was manifested in the pulling down of the wall of Jericho.

    “The Jericho of our time is symbolised today by insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, etc, but God still answers prayers; we will not be here today if God no longer answer prayers.”

    Shodeinde urged Nigerians to come closer to God, and pray more for the leaders and vices confronting the country will be a thing of the past.

    Read Also: Oil theft: Nigeria loses N995.2 billion annually -NNRC

    He added: “We must understand that the standard of God is not the same with ours, don’t accept defeat, keep moving forward, Nigeria’s victory is around the corner.

    “It is our responsibility to pray for the country, we are doing that, and our conscience is clear. My expectation is that everybody should go back to God because his coming is imminent. God still answers prayers if not we will not be here today.

    “We pray God to direct our leaders, especially President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. We will support them in prayers to do right for the masses.

    “Prayer is the solution and answer to everything. Everybody should go back to God. We are not serving God enough. Whether ruling or serving class, everyone should go back to God.

    We will be praying for Nigeria and Nigerians will enjoy our own Jubilee by the grace of God.”

  • ‘Buhari’s re-election best for Nigeria’

    An American trained scholar and President of Merit Group, a construction consortium based in the USA, Dr. Nathaniel Uba, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election as a blessing to Nigeria and the best thing to happen to the country.

    According to the technocrat, an independent economy like ours, where ingredients that propel fast economic growth are lacking, needs a patient and prudent manager like Buhari, who is allergic to stealing or amassing needless wealth.

    Uba said without serious corruption war, the economic amelioration of the country will be a fiction due to the type of economy Nigeria runs.

    Read Also: Photos: Buhari meets Lawan, Goje in Aso Rock

    He said: “No country can strive with such level of corruption manipulations as found in Nigeria. I praise the Nigeria masses for making the best choice by re-electing president Buhari at this critical time where the seed of corruption is still biting hard on the economy.”

    Uba further praised President Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign for its fruitfulness. Hope hoped in the president’s ability to fulfill his electoral promises, and assured Nigerians of the president’s capacity to deal with the challenges.

    He also urged Nigerians not to be deceived by the unnecessary criticisms of the opposition party, but they instead should instead rally round the president and support him to succeed.

  • Youths, ex-militants clash over threats to NDDC

    Youths of the Niger Delta and ex-militants have clashed over threats by the former agitators seeking removal of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambaifa.

    The ex-militants, who have accused the NDDC boss of corruption and nepotism, protested on the streets of Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, demanding for his sack.

    They specifically alleged that Brambaifa has diverted NDDC funds for private use.

    However, youths from the nine states of the region rose from an emergency meeting in Uyo yesterday to warn the ex-combatants against “threatening’ Brambaifa.

    The youths, under the aegis of the Consolidated Youths of Niger Delta (CYND), described the ex-militants’ action as “borne out of evil intention”. They explained that “the board led is too young to be dragged into unnecessary blackmail”.

    Read Also: Reps pass N346. 5bn NDDC 2019 Budget

    The coordinator, Comrade Frank Naday, who described the action as “politically-motivated”, advised them to follow due process in their quest for personal welfare, instead of overheating the polity.

    He said: “This is the first time we are having a NDDC Board that is led by a technocrat who has no political interest to use the NDDC’s platform as a spring board to attain such ambition.

    “We advise our brothers to give the board a chance to implement its policies and programmes in line with the core mandate of addressing the development challenges confronting the region.

    “With the prevalence of security issues facing the country, it is quite unthinkable for our brothers to want to add the Niger Delta to the list of regions currently facing security problems.”

    The Brambaifa–led NDDC board, according to the youths, has shown tremendous commitment towards fixing the problem of the Niger Delta. They added that these laudable gestures can only be implemented under a very peaceful and secured environment.

    The group praised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government for “appointing a non-politician to oversee the commission’s activities”, noting that “the current era will witness a new dawn in the drive to reposition the region”.

  • ‘MTN blackmailed NCC to reduce $5.2b fine’

    The former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, on Thursday said MTN practically blackmailed the Federal Government to reduce the $5.2 billion fine imposed on it by the National Communication Commission (NCC) over subscriber identity module (SIM) card registration infraction.

    He said the telco told President Muhammadu Buhari that if they were made to pay the fine, they may have to shut down operation and sack all their workers. This, MTN said  may have negative impact on the banking sectors as they will have to also withdraw their deposit with which the banks with which it was doing business.

    The telco said its major shareholder, South Africa’s Public Investment Corp (PIC) was not looking for changes to the board, adding that report suggeting that was an unsubstantiated rumours and inaccuracies.

    Bloomberg had reported that PIC, which owns 26 per cent of MTN, wanted change following regulatory, legal and political disputes which have impacted the company’s operations, particularly in Nigeria.

    Among its requests was the replacement of chairman Phuthuma Nhleko and a reorganisation of the board.

    However, MTN said “contrary to what the story alleges”, PIC requested it extended Nhleko’s term longer than originally intended, until December15, to ensure an orderly hand-over to designated successor Mcebisi Jonas.

    Also under debate was the role of MTN’s International Advisory Board (IAB), which Bloomberg described as a “council of wise old men, who can directly contact lawmakers and decision makers in the countries where MTN operates”.

    MTN in a statement said the primary purpose of the group is “to provide general global and/or sector specific perspectives that may enrich the perspectives of the operating company’s board as it strives to contribute to certain areas of development in the countries in which it operates”.

    The group was “conceptualised” before PIC increased its shareholding in MTN, it stated.

    MTN previously said the IAB “is a non-statutory entity comprised of selected members” which doesn’t perform any “fiduciary duties nor does it assume any accountability for the publicly quoted entity”.

    “IAB will not opine on any matters that have to do with the operations of the business.”

    Read Also: NCC: MTN’s listing’ll spur other telcos

    It is headed by Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa.

    Adebayo denied report that he took bribe from the telco to influence the reduction of the fine.

    He also explained to reporters that Buhari acted in the national interest in authorising the reduction of the fine, adding that it would have been wrong to create an impression that there was no ease of doing business in Nigeria

    He said: “A lot of blackmailers have been blackmailing me that I took money. Even if I wanted to take money, the opportunity never arose because the file on the MTN crisis never got to my office and I never had a role to play. If you know the working of the Ministry and its agencies, you will realize that each of its agencies has their separate laws.

    “Remember that the NCC laws predates the establishment of the Ministry of Communication. The NCC laws took care of any supervisory role the Ministry would have played which is the role of policy formulation and not operational engagement. NCC has a board which takes care of implementation.

    “I did not have a role to play in the implementation, but what happened was that MTN, as an international company cried out to the president to say that if they had to pay the amount of fine imposed that at that time, they are likely to close shop and there will be consequences.

    “The consequences included that all Nigerian staff of MTN will lose their job, all the banks they operate with will have serious upheaval in term of the fact that they will have to withdraw their money from Nigeria an some banks will be in a state of near collapse if that happens.”

    Thirdly, recall that Nigeria invited them to come and invest in Nigeria. If we give the impression that there is no ease of doing business in Nigeria or that government will rush to “kill” foreign companies in Nigeria, other foreign companies we are inviting to come and invest  will not come.

    “So, because of the intervention of the international community, the president had to wade in to reduce the cost and he did that in consonance with what happen in the court system. What the President did was to play the role of an appeal platform in reducing that cost.

    “Even in reducing that cost, conscious of the fact that in MTN itself, heads had to roll because it was an act of negligence that more than 5 million subscribers were not captured. But for Nigeria, I would say that the N330 billion is a money we have not really worked for.

    “It is unfortunate that MTN violated the laws and we are not saying they should continue to violate the laws. When they did, sanction was imposed on them and I didn’t think Nigeria should regret the reduction of the fine”.

     

  • Buhari greets Pastor Kumuyi at 78

    President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with Pastor William Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church as he turns 78 years.

    Buhari in a congratulatory message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Thursday, recalled his meeting with the respected cleric.

    The president said that he met Kumuyi at the State House, Abuja, last October, during which the latter shared deep insights about the country.

    Read Also:  Buhari meets Lawan, Goje in Aso Rock

    He also recalled that the cleric had used the opportunity to pray with him and for the entire country, particularly in respect of the then forthcoming general elections.

    He remarked that Kumuyi exuded divine wisdom and temperate nature at all times.

    The president prayed God to give Kumuyi long life and greater grace to serve God and humanity.

  • Address security, NUPENG urges Buhari

    oil workers have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address  rising insecurity, saying the security architecture is in dire straight.

    Acting under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the workers  decried the scourge of kidnapping, armed banditry, communal clashes, insurgency, advance-fee scam, cyber fraud, Boko Haram, armed robbery, ritual killings, herder-farmer conflicts, cattle rustling and youth restiveness, among others.

    NUPENG President Williams Akporeha said insecurity has given rise to a drastic cut in supply chain of both cash and food crops from the rural communities, leading to rural-urban migration. The situation, he said, has snowballed into population explosion and avoidable overstretching of infrastructure by people looking for safety and protection of their lives.

    He said: “Besides, this menace has drastically reduced investment profile of Nigeria because both local and foreign investors are scared of the hostile and insecure operating environment which serves as a risk to them over fear of potential monetary loss. As a result of this, many employable Nigerians are faced with difficult times.

    “We call on President Buhari, having secured a fresh mandate to speedily nip the security challenges of the country in the bud. This will serve as springboard to open windows of opportunities for socio-economic growth and advancement.

    “In the overall interest of Nigerians, we appeal to the government to rejig its economic team and also those saddled with national security and create space for more technocrats.”

    Comrade Apkporeha said it would also be a plus for the government to do away with people who have outlived their usefulness and others who have lost touch with the grassroots, because, in his view, the task ahead is enormous.

    “We however call on all Nigerians across the six geo-political zones to unite and support Buhari to lead the country in the next four years to the greatness that we all desire and deserve,” he said.

  • How Jonathan ‘surrendered’ in 2015, by Adoke

    A former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has spoken about the roles played by allies of former President Goodluck Jonathan in making him concede defeat in the 2015 election.

    In an interview with Premium Times, Adoke said Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, the ex-President’s former Special Adviser (SA) on Domestic Affairs, took the lead role in convincing him to accept the outcome of the election.

    Jonathan, who lost to Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had called to congratulate his opponent before the final results were announced.

    Adoke said while some close aides of Dr Jonathan advised him to concede defeat, some others kicked against it.

    The former AGF said it was while some of them were contemplating how to meet the ex-President to urge him to concede defeat that Dafuda took the lead.

    “The (former) President was visibly agitated, like any other person would be. No President wants to be defeated because that is a referendum on his tenure.

    “So, it was at that point, when the ex-President was still agitated that a fine young man, the Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Dudafa, shouted from the back and said: ‘Daddy, we are leaving here (Aso Rock) on May 29’.

    “That gave us the impetus to now approach the ex-President: myself, Osita (Chidoka) and Dudafa. We stooped before him and started counselling him; we said: ‘Mr President, what do you want to be remembered for?’ So, he stood up crisply, went to his study and placed the call to President Buhari to make the concession,” Adoke said.

    The former AGF also spoke of how Mrs Patience Jonathan, wife of the former President, abused him when her husband’s defeat was imminent.

    Adoke said he remained loyal to Dr Jonathan, even when some of those in the administration then “were contributing money” for Buhari’s campaign.

    “It is true that I was abused by the President’s wife. This happened on March 30, a day before the concession,” he said.

    “I don’t blame the ex-President’s wife. I respect her as a person and I appreciate the fact that she voiced out her frustration and anger at me.

    “That was better than those who pretend to be friends but would go to the (then) President to say: ‘Your Attorney General is not with you; your Attorney General is an APC member; he has sympathy for President Buhari. He is a Buhari boy’.

    “In any case, most of those who were talking were the same people who contributed money for Buhari’s campaign. I, Mohammed Bello Adoke, never contributed money to Buhari’s campaign,” he added.

    The former minister made some revelations about the trial of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    He said a lawyer close to Asiwaju Tinubu played a huge role in the trial.

    Adoke said: “Let me clarify this issue very well. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s trial took place, it was his case with Code of Conduct Tribunal. It was a very unfortunate thing. But what most people don’t know is that a lot of people who claimed to be close to Asiwaju Tinubu, a particular human rights lawyer, was the one that engineered that trial.”

     

  • Peterside: Buhari committed to Nigeria’s growth

    The Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to the development and growth of Nigeri through multifaceted policies, programmes and projects.

    He also hailed Nigerians for their continued support for Buhari, even as he felicitated with Muslims on the celebration of Eid-El-Mubarak.

    Peterside, in a statement on Wednesday by his media team, called urged Muslims to reflect on the significance of Ramadan and continue to pray for the unity, peace, and progress of Nigeria.

    He called on Islamic adherents to use the eid to rededicate themselves to the ideals of brotherliness, sacrifice and compassion.

    The statement reads: “I enjoin our Muslim brothers and sisters to continue to pray for our country. The Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, is doing all it can to make Nigeria better. He needs your prayers and indeed that of all Nigerians.

    Read Also: Buhari calls residents of FCT ‘necessary evil’

    “The relative peace enjoyed before, during and after the Sallah has been due to efforts by our security agencies and personnel. We must continue to pray for them too, as some of them have paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

    The NIMASA chief also called on Nigerians to promote religious tolerance, stressing that such virtue would ensure peace across the country and enhance national development.

    He hailed Nigerians for their continued support for President Buhari.

  • Buhari, Saraki condole with ThisDay MD over wife’s death

    President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki have commiserated with the Managing Director of ThisDay, Mr Eniola Bello (fondly called Eni B), on the death of his wife, Helen, on Tuesday in London.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, the President joined family, friends and professional colleagues of the columnist in mourning Helen, whose motherly love and kindness will be sorely missed by everyone.

    President Buhari urged family and loved ones to find solace in God and the seeds of goodness and charity sown in many lives by Bello’s wife, believing she lived and stood for virtues that will continue to resonate.

    The President prayed that the Almighty God will grant Helen’s soul eternal rest, and comfort her family.

    Read Also: Students set agenda for Buhari

    In a statement in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President described the untimely passage of Mrs. Eniola-Bello as a very painful loss.

    He said: “Mrs. Eniola-Bello was a dutiful mother and a pillar of support to her husband. Her humility and selflessness endeared her to all. I am deeply saddened that we lost her to illness so soon. We shall all miss her.”

    Saraki condoled with Eni B, his immediate family, the ThisDay Group and the Nigerian media over the irreparable loss.

    He urged Eni B to take solace in the fact that God has a reason for everything, this unexplainable circumstance, notwithstanding.