President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met with Ghanian President, His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo at the State House, Abuja.
This was disclosed in a Tweet by Bashir Ahmad, the personal assistant to the president (Buhari) on media.
He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari this afternoon received in a courtesy call Ghanian President, His Excellency, Nana Akufo-Addo at the State House, Abuja.”
Presidential source last night said more than three independent groups have gone to the field across the country to confirm the progress made under the President Muhammadu Buhari’s National Social Investment Programmes (NSIP).
The NSIP includes the N-Power programme, the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), which consists of MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni schemes.
The President’s wife, Mrs Aisha Buhari, a fortnight ago, raised the alarm that the SIP had not made meaningful impact on Nigerians in the North, especially Kano and Adamawa states.
But the source, who spoke in confidence, said details were emerging from independent verification on the government’s SIP.
He said: “No less than three independent groups have gone to the field, besides other independent media reports, to check the claims of the government on the impact of the current four SIP schemes.”
According to him, the independent economic groups include Africa Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Action Aid and the National Economic Summit Group.
“Each of them has handled an on-the-ground, unfettered appraisal of the SIPs and has confirmed independently the claims of the Federal Government.
“This was important to the President and the Vice-President to ensure that the administration is not just dependent on reports that come in from bureaucrats and those entrusted with the implementation.
“This is besides other official means of verification, including when the beneficiaries themselves came out in their thousands on Monday in Kano to offer their gratitude and prayers for the President’s second term.”
In separate reports made available to the Presidency, the source said the three groups hailed the NSIP for meeting the urgent needs of Nigerians in different areas, such as providing employment, supporting small businesses and poverty alleviation.
“Some of the reports are also in the public place as the groups have conducted press conferences and public presentations,” he said.
On Action Aid report, the source said: “According to its 2018 Third-Party Monitoring Report, Action Aid focused on three out of four programmes, namely: Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), N-Power and the GEEP schemes across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“The report noted that the SIP, despite the challenges encountered, are effective and relevant in the states because their expected outcomes have been achieved.
“The programmes are also relevant because they have met the urgent needs of the beneficiaries. The NSIP also are, no doubt, aligned with the international and national expectations of social protection interventions and have contributed towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The report described the school feeding programme as effective as ‘most expected outcomes have been achieved: feeding of pupils in primary one to three reportedly resulted in increased enrolment in schools’.
“Similarly, it noted that through the GEEP, small business owners in Nigeria have ‘gained access to micro-credit finance to expand their businesses’. Graduates were trained and linked to paid employment while non-graduates were equipped with skills to be self-employable through the N-Power programmes.
“The N-Power job scheme provides jobs for 500,000 young Nigerian graduates and 20,000 non-graduates in different areas of public services. Known as N-Power volunteers, they are deployed in all the 774 local government areas of the 36 states.
“The Home-Grown School Feeding programme is now feeding over 9.5 million children in public schools in 31 states nationwide, while the GEEP loans, comprising MarketMoni, FarmerMoni and TraderMoni, is providing micro-credit loans to over 2 million Nigerian petty traders, artisans and businessmen nationwide.”
On the ANEEJ and the independent oversight on Abacha loot, the Presidency source said: “In the same vein, findings from Independent Civil Society Organisations Monitoring the use of returned $322.5 million Abacha Loot on Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) to Poorest of Poor Nigerians show that the money is largely going to poor Nigerians.
“The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor, at a media briefing in Abuja in May to present the findings of civil society organisations (CSOs), said: “The monitoring exercise conducted spot checks on the Funds disbursed in the August to September payment round to 30,778 beneficiaries in 11 States across five geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
“ANEEJ further states that, in spite of some few challenges associated with the exercise, the monitoring carried out in December 2018 shows that the returned Abacha loot disbursed for August-September 2018 payment round was received by target beneficiaries as confirmed by 78.8% per cent of households visited by the monitoring team.
“The field monitoring of the use of the returned Abacha loot is being carried out by Civil Society Organisations led by the (ANEEJ) under the Transparency and Accountability in the Recovery and Management of looted Assets (MANTRA) project being supported by UKAID under the Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) programme.
“The exercise spanned two weeks and was conducted across reporting levels of the National Cash Transfer Office, their State and Local Government structures as well as the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office with their States officials. Data were reviewed end-to-end from the Central Bank of Nigeria, World Bank, Conditional Cash Transfer programme, and the National Beneficiary register.” Ugolor said.”
“Our findings show that a total of 974,478,000 million naira was released from the Abacha loot to the beneficiaries for payment in the August September Payment round as at the time of the monitoring exercise. The funds disbursed from the Abacha loot comprise 80% of the funds paid at the August September payment cycle. Data retrieved from the NCTO report that 33 million dollars (N3,786,063,783 billion) was released for 6 months from the Abacha loot and converted at an exchange rate of 305.45 Naira to a dollar. Bank charges of 28,560 naira was deducted…”
He said that the CSOs, among other recommendations, called for a review of the payment option for beneficiaries to include electronic transfers.
On the DFID report, he said that Sonia Warner, Senior Adviser, Department for International Development (DFID)-UK, said ANEEJ played a pivotal role in the Monitoring of Recovered Assets in Nigeria with Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) Project to monitor US$322.5 million returned to Nigeria from Switzerland.
Warner said she “feels a strong sense of achievement being part of an intervention which has demonstrated that it is possible to retrieve stolen money and use it to support the victims of corruption in Nigeria.”
“During the pilot phase, MANTRA mobilised a network of civil society organisations to monitor end-to-end, the use of the US$322.5 million which the government committed to cash transfer payments for the poorest Nigerians under its National Social Investment Fund Programme. This means MANTRA’s monitoring all movements in the Central Bank Account where this money sits, down to 30,778 beneficiary households to ensure the US$22 million so far disbursed is protected from re-looting.
“This is the first time such an initiative has been piloted in Nigeria and the mobilisation of local organisations and citizens will support local ownership and sustainability,” she said, adding that the political backing from the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, which launched MANTRA on African Anti-Corruption Day in July 2018, helped MANTRA to leverage acceptance and recognition by high-level Government stakeholders.
According to the Presidency source, the most recent findings is from the impact evaluation report of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), which also corroborated the findings of the CSOs and Action Aid.
He said: “The report noted that the Social investment Programmes of the Buhari administration would help reduce the number of Nigerians who live in extreme poverty if Federal Government can partner more with State Governments to scale up the programmes in the states. The NESG added that this was necessary as millions of Nigerians have benefitted from the SIPs, but that state government partnership is a challenge that should be resolved.”
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday attended the Eid el-Fitr Prayers at the Mabilla Barracks, in Abuja.
In February, suspended Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen filed four appeals challenging the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to hear the charges of non-declaration of assets brought against him, the grant of an ex-parte order for his suspension, the CCT’s refusal to be bound by court orders halting its proceedings and the warrant of arrest issued by the Tribunal in January 2019. The Convener of a rights group, Access to Justice, Mr Joseph Otteh and its Programme Officer Daniel Aloaye Igiekhumhe examine the appeals’ outcome.
On May 10, the Court of Appeal struck out appeals against the ex-parte orders of the Code of Conduct Tribunal suspending (former) Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen from office.
President Muhammadu Buhari had, on the strength of the order of the Tribunal suspended Justice Onnoghen from office as Chief Justice of Nigeria and appointed Hon. Justice Tanko Mohammed as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal (Coram: Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Tinuade Akinmolade-Wilson and Justice Peter Ige), the Court dismissed three of the four appeals of Justice Onnoghen on the grounds that the substantive matters from which they arose had been concluded as the Code of Conduct Tribunal had convicted Justice Walter Onnoghen of the allegations against him already on April 18th 2019.
The fourth appeal was struck out for lack of competence.
The Court of Appeal, however, found that the ex parte order granted by the Tribunal on 23rd January 2019 had breached Justice Onnoghen’s right to fair hearing because the order was obtained in a manner “shrouded in secrecy and clandestine maneuvre”.
The verdict of the Court of Appeal comes three months after the panel reserved judgment on the appeals filed by Justice Walter Onnoghen in connection with his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Had the decision of the Court of Appeal been delivered sooner, at a time when it could have mattered, it would have represented a timely intervention required, at that time, to meet the exigencies of the situation in the Tribunal.
It could have halted the travesty and charade that was being played out by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, under the guise of a trial.
Today, the judgment of the Court of Appeal faulting the obnoxious ex-parte order suspending Justice Onnoghen, as well as denouncing the Tribunal’s disregard of the Orders issued against it by other courts halting its proceedings, has little else to it besides academic value.
The judgments are, therefore, not much other than hollow rites of passage. The Court of Appeal’s moralisations on the conduct of the Code of Conduct Tribunal at this time, therefore, are of too little value because they were too late.
Though the Court of Appeal has reasoned that the appeal by Justice Onnoghen has been rendered moot given the conclusion of proceedings against him by the Tribunal, it was not as much the appeal as it was the Appellate Court that had rendered itself moot, out of reckoning, out of service and out of reach.
The decision of the Court of Appeal to reserve its judgments for such length of time that saw the proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal wind up is unfortunate.
Whatever the Court of Appeal’s views were on the conduct of Justice Walter Onnoghen, what was at stake was well beyond the scope of Justice Onnoghen’s circumstance.
What is at stake is the ideology of the court’s role in preserving constitutional democracy and the rights of citizens. That role is clearly much broader, and deeper than the complexion of a single case.
It implicates the rights of ordinary citizens who have to seek the court’s intervention in preventing some irreparable harm to them.
The courts have often said that they are the last bastions of hope for citizens, the guardians of the Constitution, the wedge that stands between oppression and liberty.
The example set by the Court of Appeal in Justice Onnoghen’s case is diametrically different to the role and duty courts have, and the expectations citizens have of the courts.
As things stand today, the judiciary is laboring under serious threats to its independence, coming mostly from the executive arm of government, both at the centre and in the states, witnessed by what has been going on in the Kogi State Judiciary in the case of the latter.
This ought to be a time when courts would rise up, and defend Nigeria’s hard-won constitutional democracy with valour and defiance.
But our courts are drawing a blank and making citizens fear for their ability and readiness to protect them and the rule of law in a country beset by so many problems of governance.
If tyranny persists in Nigeria, it is because courts are, in the main, failing the Nigerian people.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved the establishment of state and local government police.
He also approved the dismissal of 37 police officers as recommended by the National Human Rights Commission Presidential Special Panel on SARS Reforms.
This was contained in the speech by the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission and Chairman Presidential Panel on SARS Reform, Anthony Ojukwu, during the submission of report of the Presidential Panel on the reform of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), of the Nigeria Police, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Panel according to Ojukwu received 113 complaints on alleged human rights violations from across the country and 22 memoranda on suggestions on how to reform and restructure SARS and the Nigeria Police in general.
He said, “The Panel was accordingly constituted and comprises representatives of the
following institutions including members of the civil society namely:
“Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, Esq. – Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission as Chairman; Tijani Mohammed, Esq. —Police Service Commission —Member; David I. Shagba, Esq. —Public Complaints Commission -Member; Hashimu Argungu — Deputy Inspector General of Police (Rtd) -Member; Professor Etanibi Alemika —University of Jos —Member; Chino Obiagwu, SAN —Chairman, Human Rights Agenda Network -Member; Ms Iyabode Ogunseye —Nigerian Bar Association —Member; and Abdulrahman Ayinde Yakubu— National Human Rights Commission/Secretary of the Panel.”
He went on “The Panel called for and received 113 complaints on alleged human rights violations from across the country and 22 memoranda on suggestions on how to reform and restructure SARS and the Nigeria Police in general. It sat in the six geopolitical zones of the country to afford complainants and the Police the opportunity to present and defend the allegations.
“At the end of its public hearing and having listened to complaints as well as defendants and their counsel, the Panel recommended thirty seven (37) Police officers for dismissal from the force. Twenty four (24) were recommended for prosecution. The panel also directed the Inspector General of Police to unravel the identity of twenty two (22) officers involved in the violation of the human rights of innocent Citizens. The police was directed to pay compensation of various sums in forty—five (45) complaints and tender public apologies in five (5) complaints and directed to obey court orders in five (5) matters. The Police was directed to immediately arrest and prosecute two (2) retired senior Police officers found to have violated the rights of citizens (one for extra-judicial killing and the other for illegal takeover of Property of a suspect). The Panel also recovered two vehicles illegally auctioned by SARS Officers and returned them to their owners
“Some of the other key recommendations of the Panel include: a. Significant improvement in the funding, kitting and facilities of the Nigeria Police Force; b. Strengthening Information and Communication Technology of the Force; c. Establishment of State and local government Police;”
“d. Institutionalizing a Special Investigation Panel to annually hear and determine complaints on alleged human rights violations against operations of the Nigeria Police Force;
“e. Strengthening the Police Rapid Response Complaints Unit of the Nigeria Police and other internal complaints mechanisms of the Force to make them more responsive;
“f. Renaming the Special Anti—Robbery Squad (SARS) to Anti-Robbery Section (ARS) which was its original name and to make the section operate under the intelligence arm of the Police from the divisional, area command, state command, zonal command up to the Force Headquarters level. This will also remove the stigma presently associated with the name SARS;”
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President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Organisation of Islamic Conference was battling terrorism and violent extremism.
He passed a vote of confidence on the intervention programmes of the various institutions under the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the impact they are making on Nigeria and other African countries.
He gave the commendation while reading the collective statement of African countries at the 14th Summit of the OIC in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President commended the robust interventions of the Islamic Development Bank, IDB, in key sectors such as agriculture, trade and investment.
In the statement read in the early hours of yesterday, President Buhari said: “The robust interventions of the various OIC Institutions and principally the Islamic Development Bank Group, have been effective in such key sectors as trade and investment, agriculture, rural development and food security, science, technology and innovation, poverty alleviation as well as women and youth empowerment.”
In the specific case of Nigeria, the President acknowledged the support of OIC Member States in countering the menace of terrorism and armed criminality in West Africa, the Lake Chad area and the Sahel countries.
“In particular, Nigeria acknowledges the support of OIC Member States in countering the menace of terrorism and armed criminality in West Africa, the Lake Chad area and the Sahel Countries. We appreciate their contributions in the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis arising from the insurgency but urge them to do more.
“We appreciate their contributions in the alleviation of the humanitarian crisis arising from the insurgency but urge them to do more,” said the President.”
The President also commended OIC institutions for supporting development projects aimed at achieving rapid socio-economic development in Nigeria.
He highlighted the Inter-Water Basic transfer, aimed at recharging the Lake Chad, the National Food Security Programme, the Second Niger Bridge, various roads and school rehabilitation projects as some projects in Nigeria that have attracted the support of OIC institutions.
On issues of concurrent global significance, President Buhari said the African members of the OIC were pleased with renewed efforts by the organization for the restoration of the national rights of the Palestinians and other long-standing unresolved conflicts.
The President, however, noted that many OIC member states were grappling with serious security problems, including terrorism, violent extremism and armed criminality.
The Nigerian leader said some of these challenges have assumed grave dimensions in recent times and required serious and coordinated approach for lasting solutions.
”In addition to the core issue of the restoration of the national rights of the Palestinians and other long-standing unresolved conflicts, we now grapple with serious security problems, represented by the destructive activities of terrorists, violent extremists and armed criminals in many of OIC Member States.
”This situation has also been compounded by a series of political crises, which continue to affect a number of our countries.
”In this regard, we support the actions of the OIC in seeking an early resolution to the lingering Palestinian question and the rights of the Palestinian people to an independent homeland.
”We equally subscribe to the various actions of the OIC in resolving the crises in Syria, Yemen and Libya.
”We commend OIC engagement with other international actors in addressing the various political conflicts in the OIC region and the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar,” he said.
President Buhari also used the occasion to express confidence that the on-going political transition in Sudan and Algeria would be concluded smoothly and peacefully.
He thanked King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud for hosting and chairing the 14th OIC Summit and the Turkish President, Recep Erdogan, whose tenure just ended for “his commitment to the ideals of our Organization and his efforts in ensuring that the OIC achieves its set goals and objectives, throughout his tenure as Chairman.”
President Muhammadu Buhari will host leaders of Lake Chad Basin Commission in an informal summit on the side lines of Democracy Day and second term inauguration celebrations on June 12, 2019, in Abuja.
The meeting, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, will focus on bringing up new strategies to end the menace of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.
Speaking at a bilateral meeting with President Idris Deby Itno of Chad Republic in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, where both leaders are attending the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, Buhari said it was time for “a new way forward that completely removes the threat of terrorism from Lake Chad sub-region.”
The President said since elections were over, he would have more time to pursue the threat of terrorism with “full force’’.
The Nigerian and Chadian leaders agreed on the need for sub-regional leaders to sit down and agree on changing the strategy “for a more sustained operation, which will continue until the threat is brought to a permanent end.’’
President Buhari and President Deby Itno also discussed the challenge posed by rainy season to military operations against terrorism, agreeing to urgently review strategies that will bolster onslaught against insurgents.
The two leaders talked about how the meeting in Abuja will respond to infiltration of displaced elements of the Daesh, an acronym for ISIL’s Arabic name, al-Dawlah al-Islamîyah fî l-»Irâq wa-sh-Shâm, through Libya into the Lake Chad area.
Abia State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lauded the impact of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Southeast Geo-political zone in the last four years.
This is even as the party said they are expecting that President Buhari would ensure that the Southeast receives better attention in the last four years of his administration.
The Abia APC chapter which stated that President Buhari has performed marvelously better than all his predecessors as long as keeping campaign promises through visible projects in the Southeast is concerned.
Abia APC speaking through its spokesman, Comrade Benedict Godson said that the second swearing-in of President Buhari is a manifestation of his good did and urged the president to do more for the South East and Abia.
“Those of us in Abia have benefited directly from this wonderful leader called Buhari. The Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway, Umuahia/Ikot-Ekpene Highway, Aba-Azumini Road, Onitsha-Enugu Highway, Second Niger Bridge and even the continuation of works at Owerri-Onitsha Highway are all there for eyes to see not mere stories.
“In Abia alone, the promotion he has given to the made in Aba products has transformed our brand in the state. Aba products have been there for ages, but through the contracts given to them like the one of military boots, it gained national acceptability which has impacted greatly.
“He went on to show his love and magnanimity more through the Ariaria Independent Power Plant which is currently giving 24 hours electricity to West Africa’s largest SME centre.
“The School Feeding Programme of Federal Government is running smoothly in Abia. We know it very well that next four years will be better for us under Buhari because he is a promise keeper.”
Godson further said that the Abia people have already demonstrated their love for APC by voting in Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu as Senator as well as Hon. Nkiru Onyejeocha and Barr. Benjamin Kalu for House of Representatives respectively.
He pleaded with the president to complement the love shown by the people of the state by appointing a true party man who understands both his job and what is required in the party as a minister in Abia.
“Our people love APC and they’ve demonstrated it through the ballots. Inasmuch as some of our mandates were stolen which we know we shall regain, the ones we got at hand can testify that Abia is for APC.
“In the last election in Abia, we gave the president very good number of votes and we even defeated a serving deputy speaker in Abia State House of Assembly who is of the opposition.
“All we want is for the efforts of all those who worked to make this success possible to be complemented by appointing a minister that knows both his job and the party so that we can have more voice in the state.
“With Dr. Orji Uzor-Kalu, Hon. Onyejeocha, Barrister Kalu, a party man as a minister and several others who will regain their stolen mandates through the tribunal, Abia APC under the leadership of Hon. Donatus Nwankpa will do greater things.
“We say congratulations to Mr. President as he pilots the affairs of our great nation in the next four years. To God be the glory.”
Initiative for Leadership Development and Change (ILDC), an NGO, says it foresees a greater Nigeria with Muhammadu Buhari as president of the country.
President of the group Chief Ugochukwu Nnam expressed the hope in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.
Nnam, therefore, urged Nigerians to support President Buhari in his quest to make Nigeria greater.
The president of group, who described Buhari as a prudent manager of resources, further praised the Nigerian leader for not being extravagant in the organisation of the presidential inauguration of May 29.
“Contrary to what people are saying, Buhari showed prudence on that inauguration with just few vehicles in his convoy.
“The vehicle the President came with that day is a vehicle he inherited from the previous administration,” he said.
Nnam said that Buhari needed prudence people to work with him assiduously to strengthen the country’s economy and ensure security of lives and property.
According to him, Buhari is truly a man who loves Nigeria, who is not selfish, but committed to a better Nigeria.
Nnam added that with Buhari as President, he was hopeful of a greater and more prosperous Nigeria. (NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday afternoon observed Juma’at prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah with other Heads of State and Government.
Buhari and other heads of government were in the Holy City for the Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, OIC,
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the 14th session of the Summit Conference of the OIC hosted by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, will commence at midnight.
Shortly on his arrival in Makkah on Thursday evening, President Buhari, accompanied by the Governors of Osun, Niger and Jigawa, performed the Umrah.
The President and the accompanying delegation circumambulated the Ka’aba before visiting the area between the al-Marwah and al-Safa hills, itself a distance of between three and four kilometres in the Grand Mosque, which is part of the Umrah process.
The Umrah is a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of the year, unlike the Hajj which has a fixed time.
It is called the lesser pilgrimage, whereas the Hajj is the “major” pilgrimage which is compulsory for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. The Umrah is optional but recommended.