The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President Muhammad Buhari

  • Group challenges FG on rebuilding people’s confidence

    Group challenges FG on rebuilding people’s confidence

    A Christian organisation in the Anglican Church, Anglican Christian Fellowship (ACF) has called on the President Muhammad Buhari led Federal Government to as a matter of urgency seek ways to rebuilding confidence in the people by proffering solutions to the myriads of the socio-economic problems facing the average Nigerian on the street.

    The group spoke through her National President, Mr. Henshaw Adetoye at fifth annual convention of the association at Lead City University, Ibadan. The four days event is themed: “Arise and Build”, drawn from the book of Ezra Chapter five and verse two.

    Speaking on the state of the nation in his address at the event, Mr. Adetoye who lamented that Nigeria could be said to be in wilderness now, adding that the pains in the land are becoming cancerous and that every day, there is different story from corruption to kidnapping, Boko haram suicide bombings, Fulani herdsmen killings, food scarcity resulting in hyperinflation, to agitation and counter agitations and recently, to the latest call for regional independence and restructuring.

    While noting that corruption is still a damning monster which is actually getting brazenly bold, he challenged the countries leaders to visit the social media and find out how many people have lost faith in the government’s anti-corruption fight.

    He said the country must go back to the drawing board and re-strategies urging the President to read the Chatherm House  report where a holistic approach involving grassroots behavioural change is recommended as a great tool for tackling corruption.

    Speaking on the flawed federal structure the country is running, Adetoye recalled that the country’s founding fathers agreed on federal system at the time because of their believe in it that it would guarantee regional cohesion but that what was inherited has been flawed by over concentration of powers at the central at the expense of the states.

    He warned that the rising agitation and tension in the country is very worrisome and the situation could not be controlled by force alone but through adherence to principles of true federalism.

     

  • Buhari commissions $150m poultry, feed mill in Kaduna

    Buhari commissions $150m poultry, feed mill in Kaduna

    ….says, Nigeria must feed itself

     

    President Muhammad Buhari has said that, Nigeria must be able to feed itself on what local farmers grow, just as the country must also grow what Nigerians eat.

    The President stated this, while commissioning the 150 million dollars Olam poultry and feed mill in Kaduna on Tuesday.

    He said, the massive edifice put in place by Olam is one of the largest agricultural firms in the country. “I am told that this is one of the biggest investments in poultry industry in Nigeria.

    “We are particularly pleased to participate in this event because it is clear evidence that in spite of all odds, economic growth is taking place especially in the agricultural sector.

    “This was our promise at the inception of our administration when we came in to deal with challenges in the economy which was almost appearing insurmountable.

    “It is our article of faith and our Ernest believes that agriculture offers the most viable and all-encompassing options in our attempt to diversify our national economy.

    “It is in this connection that we must first be able to say to ourselves that we must be able to feed ourselves on what we grow and grow what we eat before we can comfortably turn our attention to many of the other key concerns of our daily lives.

    “The commissioning of this massive facility is a living testimony to our claim that growth, serious and lasting growth is taking place in our economy and that growth can only last if it begins at the grassroots.

    “About six months ago, we announced to the world that we are in a recession. We announced the recession ourselves. We were bold enough to admit it and we were honest about it.

    He also said, “When the national Bureau of Statistics presented a green picture of this state of affairs, we accepted the reality and confronted it headlong with courage and perseverance.

    “Now a few months down the road, the Bureau of statistic has released the cheering news that we are getting out of the fit of recession.

    “Even though the statistics are still fragile and we have no illusion that we need to even work harder to get to that economic level that is satisfactory, we are happy to note and we believe that the majority of Nigerians are also happy that we are getting out of possibly the worse economic scenario in our country’s history.

    “Giving this positive development and with the gradual recovery of our economy, we think the great signs of growth and prosperity for this country are at hand.

    “We are also aware that the pessimistic ones  in our midst may be reluctant to admit that positive development is occurring in economic space for obvious reasons, evidently, the undeniable reality is that we are getting out of the wood”, he said.

    Earlier in his address, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai told the visiting president that the state government has given Olam free land in which they built the plant,adding that ‘we spent over N500m as compensation to the land owners.

    According to him, the commissioning of the project was not by chance as it was based on a careful investment study and interaction with the leadership of the company.

    This was a company that had invested in Nigeria in the early 80’s and had to migrate to Singapore. Your Excellency may wish to recall that when you invited me to be part of your delegation around 2015 for the United Nations General Assembly and I told you that I have an investment trip, you gave me the full support and approval to go.

    “This was the outcome of the trip as on 8th April, 2016 the ground breaking foundation laying ceremony was held and after seventeen months it has become a reality.

    “The plant will be producing 1.6m chicks weekly while, it has so far created about 50,000 jobs

  • Gov. Ayade frees 34 prisoners to commemorate C’River at 50

    Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has granted a state pardon to 34 inmates serving various jail terms in Calabar Prison to mark the 50th Anniversary of the state.

    Ayade said this on Saturday in Calabar in his anniversary speech to the people of the state.

    He said that Cross River had every reason to celebrate 50 years of its existence as a state, considering its monumental achievements during the period.

    The governor said the pardon was in the spirit of the celebration and based on the provision of section 212 of the 1999 Constitution.

    He said, “in the spirit of the celebration and the powers vested on me by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, I hereby grant clemency to the following category of people serving various jail terms in the state.

    “They are five people on death row; 16 prisoners serving life sentences; four prisoners who are above 60 years of age; nine convicted criminals who are terminally ill and may likely die any moment if not granted pardon.’’

    Ayade stressed the need for the people to always remember past leaders of the state who had made considerable efforts in moving the state to greater heights.

    He said that in spite of the great challenges that have bedeviled the state, there was the need for the people to have hope for a greater future.

    According to him, the state has excelled in many fields of endeavors including tourism, agriculture and forest preservation.

    He added that the annual Calabar Carnival has become the greatest street party in Africa.

    “I therefore call on you to stick together as we look forward to a greater tomorrow, ‘’ he said.

    Ayade had earlier performed the public signing into law of eight bills passed by the State House of Assembly, as part of the celebration.

    The laws include Administration of Criminal Justice in Cross River; Citizen Right, Cross River Inland Water-ways, Cross River Scrap Regulatory Agency, Cross River Lottery ; Hawkers Right;  Emergency Management Agency, and House of Assembly Commission.

    The governor also used the occasion of the celebration to call on the people of the state to pray for the quick recovery of President Muhammad Buhari.

    It would be recalled that Cross River was created on May 27, 1967 from the former Eastern Region as South Eastern State by the then Gen. Yakubu Gowon regime.

    The state was renamed to  Cross River State in 1976 by late Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed.

  • APC to PDP: Nigerians have not forgotten your misrule

    APC to PDP: Nigerians have not forgotten your misrule

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) reminded the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that even though Nigerians have forgiven the years of misrule and mismanagement of the nation’s resources, they have not forgotten how they party left the country in ruin, leaving the people in a state of insecurity.

    Reacting to a statement credited to spokesman of the party saying Nigerians have been worse off in the last two years under the APC led government, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said Nigerians have not forgotten how corruption was practically legalized under the PDP government.

    Abdullahi said the APC decided not to dwell on the plethora of PDP sins, but to pick up the pieces and build a country that every Nigerians will be proud of, pointing out that while Nigerians are always ready to forgive the PDP for what they did to the nation, they will never forget.

    Abdullahi said: “All Progressives Congress (APC) finds Wednesday’s statement attributed to Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, the purported spokesperson of a rump of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) quite regrettable.

    “As a Party that was formerly in the opposition, the APC is aware of the role a thriving opposition can play in sustaining democracy. However, it appears that the marginal group that Adeyeye belongs believes that it is only by attacking the APC that it can find its relevance or gains the upper hand in the PDP’s internecine war.

    “We need to remind Adeyeye’s group however that although Nigerians may have forgiven the PDP, two years after the Party left the country in ruins, but we have not forgotten.

    “Nigerians have not forgotten that it was under the PDP-led administration that the terrorist group, Boko Haram seized a sizable portion of Nigeria’s territory, created a Caliphate and hoisted its own flags.

    “It took the APC-led government of President Muhammadu Buhari to reclaim our territory and pride. Today, Boko Haram insurgents are virtually defeated and are on the run, and no millimetre of Nigerian territory is currently held by the insurgents. We have forgiven, but we have not forgotten.

    “Under the PDP, a Party that does not consider corruption to be stealing, corruption enjoyed an unprecedented prosperity. Nigeria recorded some of the most unimaginable, shocking and astounding cases of corruption ever experienced in our history, or in the history of any country.

    “Funds meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition required to fight the Boko Haram insurgency were stolen by agents of government and shared among themselves. It was a classic case of kleptocracy.

    “The PDP-led administration was sending soldiers to battle without weapons and sharing the money. Worse still, when soldiers protested the lack of weaponry, the PDP-led administration added wickedness to weakness and court-martialed them, sentencing some of them to death, and others to long terms of imprisonment.

    “If Nigerians have gracious enough to forgive the PDP for the wanton corruption, we will not forget.

    “Nigerians also remember that it was under the nose and watchful eyes of the PDP that over 250 Nigerian girls were abducted.  It took the Party more than a month to even make a statement. PDP went about bandying conspiracy theories while innocent Nigerian girls were being held in captivity.

    “Again, it took the APC-led administration to rescue some of the girls, while efforts are ongoing to free the rest. Yet, PDP had the audacity to counter the globally acclaimed hashtag, #BringBackOurGirls with their terribly insensitive #BringBackJonathan. We are willing to forgive even this; but we cannot forget.

    “Nigerians will not forget that under the PDP, over 20 Nigerian youths died and thousands were seriously injured while looking for jobs. the PDP-led administration organised a fraudulent Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise and lured young people desperate for jobs to various stadiums across the country after extorting them.

    “In the end, the exercise ended in tears, sorrows and blood. None of those who survived got the job and, worse still; the officials responsible for the calamity were protected by the PDP. We cannot forget.

    “Nigerians remember that under the PDP, whistle-blowing was a crime.  When a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor exposed the stealing of $20 billion from the national treasury, he was suspended and hounded out of the government. We have not forgotten.

    “If we have not been talking about this plethora of PDP iniquities, it is not because we have forgotten. Instead, we have chosen to pick up the pieces of the PDP wreckage and move the country forward. This, we have endeavoured to do in the last two years since Nigerians unanimously rejected the PDP for their wanton profligacy and misrule.

    “Nigerians are a forgiving people, and that is why a self-appointed spokesman of what is left of the PDP could have the effrontery to make the kind of statements attributed to Adeyeye. But Nigerians will not forget in a hurry, the years of the locust.”

  • Moroccan king happy with Buhari’s health improvement

    Moroccan king happy with Buhari’s health improvement

    King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Wednesday had a telephone conversation with President Muhammad Buhari in London, where the Nigerian president is on vacation.

    A statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said the king initiated the call.

    Adesina stated that the king asked after the president’ s health and expressed satisfaction at his rate of improvement.

    According to him, the two leaders also discussed the current stage of the Morocco-Nigeria Atlantic crude oil pipeline project.

    He noted that the king thanked Buhari for Nigeria’s support in returning Morocco to the African Union and notified him of Morocco’s request to join the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS).

    “The Moroccan king also expressed intention to make the Rabat-Abuja strategic partnership a framework for regular consultation and cooperation on African issues of mutual interest to both countries.”

    He said Buhari thanked the Moroccan King for the phone call, saying he looked forward to deepening relations between both countries.

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  • Digitisation: Nigeria needs 30m set up boxes for switch over

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says about 30 million set up boxes are required for the complete switch over from analogue to digital transmission in Nigeria.

    Mallam Moddibo Kawu, the Director-General of NBC, told newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday that the setup boxes would cost billions of Naira to procure.

    The NBC chief said that the country had already procured 850,000 set up boxes costing $ 26 million to commence the switch over process.

    He also said that the commission was able to switch over 30 local, national and regional channels to digital in Abuja.

    Kawu said that the technical process would be carried out in all the geopolitical zones of the country.

    The NBC  boss, however,  described funding as one of the challenges delaying the switch over process.

    He said that President Muhammad Buhari had consciously put resources into the process.

    Kawu harped on the need for the African continent to begin to create a genuine digital evolution that would create jobs for young people.

    According to him, the switch over process in Nigeria is unique in West Africa as the entire technical process is being handled by Nigerian experts.

    The director-general said the switch over process was part of the national strategic vision to provide job opportunities and create media content that would reflect the reality of Nigeria.

    Kawu, however, expressed the determination of the Buhari-led administration to completing the process.

  • Senate position on $29.9bn loan sacrosanct, says Saraki

    Senate position on $29.9bn loan sacrosanct, says Saraki

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Thursday said that the position of the Senate not to approve the $29.960 billion loan request made by President Muhammad Buhari, remained sacrosanct.

    Saraki said that the National Assembly which he heads as Senate President has taken a position on the issue as required of it by the laws of the land and legislative conventions.

    The Senate President advised politicians and the media to “stop peddling empty speculations about his recent visits to the Presidential Villa and linking such visits to the request by the Buhari administration for approval of the National Assembly to get $29.9bn loan from foreign sources.”

    Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu, noted that in all his recent meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the issue of the proposed loan did not come up for discussion.

    He described as “unfortunate” the comments by some politicians on the loan issue without any factual basis.

    “Like I once told the media, these politically-motivated commentaries are trivialising a serious national issue and presenting it as if it is a personal matter that can be decided at meetings between  Saraki and President Muhammadu Buhari,” Saraki said.

    He added, “The National Assembly which I head as Senate President has taken a position on the issue as required of it by the laws of the land and legislative conventions.

    “At every point, the present National Assembly will make decisions based on national interest and we have vowed that we will always act in the interest of our people. That is why despite the fact that members belong to different parties, when national issues come to the floor we forget about party affiliations and act as Nigerians elected to protect the interest of Nigeria.

    “A visit to the Presidency by the Senate President is a normal thing because we need to consult, discuss, exchange ideas and make suggestions to each other from time to time. More importantly, at this time, when the nation is facing economic crisis, there is need for frequent engagements by the Presidency and the National Assembly.

    “It is in fact very unfortunate that these empty speculations by the media are now forming the basis for commentaries by some politicians who are in a position to be better informed. Politicians should stop playing to the gallery or drawing political capital from all issues.

    “When serious national issues are on ground, we should refrain from making statements based on mere sentiments. Similarly, the media should exercise restraint in their reportage and commentaries in order to properly serve our people.

    “At a time when we are about to prepare a budget which is aimed at responding to the current recession and our plan is to ensure all issues concerning the budget are ironed out before the budget comes to the floor so that we will have a less tedious process than that of last year, the media should be ready to witness more of these engagements between the Presidency and the National Assembly.”

  • Chibok Girls release: Party leaders react in Anambra

    The release of 21 Chibok girls on Thursday by the Boko-Haram sect, has elicited reactions both in positive and negative ways from party leaders in the country including Anambra state.

    For the leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), the President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration, has lifted the confidence of the people of Nigeria.

    But for the Chairman of Conference of Political Parties (CNPP) and chairman of Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) in Anambra state, Lolo Oby Okafor, the release of the Chibok girls is political.

    However, Chief Joe Ifediobi, one of the founders of PDP in the country and Nze Modestus Umenzekwe, (APC) leader in Anambra, the present administration had shown commitment in making sure that happiness returns to the families.

    Umenzekwe, while speaking with The Nation on Friday, said that the situation showed that the present government is focused and determined to fulfill its campaign promises during the electioneering campaigns.

    According to him, “it is a big breakthrough and we commend the president Mohammadu Buhari and his APC leadership”

    “They should move in for the release of the other remaining Chibok girls who have been in captivity for two years, but from what we have seen already, this (APC) government means well for Nigeria” Umenzekwe said.

    For Chief Joe Ifediobi of the (PDP), the present government should be appreciated even though, they were being released in bits.

    He said, “I congratulate the president and his team but the government should equally look into the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps”

    “This release of the Chibok girls will help in dousing tension in the country over the arrests of judges by the Department of Security Service (DSS) recently”

    However, Ifediobi did not fail to congratulate the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group, human rights groups and others for their persistent pressure on government that had kept them on their
    toes.

    Though according to him, he may not know the circumstances under which the girls were released, adding that the government had claimed that there was no swap deal.

    But the ACD chairman Okafor, faulted the negotiation that led to the release of the Chibok girls, saying that the negotiation should have embraced all and not only the 21 persons.

  • Monarch to Nigerians: Stop blaming Buhari for economic challenges

    Monarch to Nigerians: Stop blaming Buhari for economic challenges

    The traditional ruler of Nri in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra, Eze Obidiegwu Onyesoh, has urged Nigerians to stop blaming President Muhammad Buhari for the challenges facing the country.

    Onyesoh made the call on Friday while addressing newsmen ahead of Saturday’s celebration of 2016 new yam festival in the kingdom.

    He stated that all Nigerians, especially the past leaders, contributed to the country’s problem.

    “Buhari is not our headache; corruption and looting of national assets were there before he came in.

    “Corruption was institutionalised in the country and everybody acted with impunity.

    “There was no discipline anywhere. So, we should stop blaming Buhari; rather, we should blame ourselves and do some self-examination,” he said.

    Onyesoh urged the people to allow Buhari to reconstruct the country which was already in shambles before his election.

    On the festival, the monarch explained that Nri was regarded as the ancestral home of the Igbos, and that there were myths surrounding new yam festivals.

    “Igbo mythology has it that when Nri became hungry and needed something to eat, he found yam sprouting from his son’s grave and when he uprooted it, cooked it and ate it, it tasted good.

    “This is why yam is venerated among the Igbos and anyone who deliberately damage yam crops is treated as a murderer,” the monarch said.

    According to him, new yam festivals followed an injunction by God to the people of Israel to offer their first crop on the seventh month of the lunar calendar. 

  • Fuel subsidy removal, a gift to Nigerians, says group

    Fuel subsidy removal, a gift to Nigerians, says group

    The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to remove the controversial subsidy on fuel.

    The centre described the decision as a gift to Nigerians, adding that the president’s decision to remove the controversial fuel ‎subsidy had the approval of all.

    In a statement issued by CESJET’s Executive Secretary, Comrade Ikpa Isaac, in Abuja, on Thursday, the centre said that the removal of the subsidy would put a lasting end to the incessant fuel crisis which had put the nation and innocent citizens at the mercy of certain cabals.

    The statement reads: “Different revelations have emerged of massive fraud in the fuel subsidy process, trillions of naira are alleged to have been fraudulently stolen from the government purse in the name of fuel subsidy payments.

    “It is heart wrenching to discover that the country is being bleed on the side despite its already anemic financial status.

    Ikpa, said that the deregulation of the downstream sector would open up the sector to private investors who hitherto developed cold feet to investing in the sector due to heavy government interference.

    According to him, the removal of subsidy wouldn’t only break the cabal but also encourage  those who have had refining licenses approved several years ago to go ahead to build their refineries.

    On the benefits of subsidy removal, Ikpa added that this would tackle the incessant scarcity of petrol due to importation and also the spring up of petrochemical industries alongside local refining to create jobs.

    The move, he said, would save the economy the unnecessary pressure put on the naira due to the heavy demand for forex to fund the importation of petroleum products, adding: “rather we will be exporting refined petroleum products thereby earning foreign currencies to shore up our reserves.”

    He however likened the subsidy removal to the telecom revolution which according to him had freed the sector of unwarranted setbacks.

    “It is time we do the next big thing after the great telecoms revolution that came with the liberalization of the sector in the early 2000s. We predict that the boom economy will experience with the deregulation of the downstream oil sector will make the telecoms experience a child’s play,” he said.