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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

‘Buhari’s action shows there are no untouchables’

Senior lawyers on Wednesday hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for suspending Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, over contract fraud allegations.

They said it was better late than never, and that the President’s action shows the fight against corruption is no fluke. To them, the president’s action is an indication there were no “untouchables” in his administration.

The lawyers also hailed the suspension of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General Ambassador Ayo Oke over the large amounts of foreign and local currencies found in an Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos apartment, which the agency claims.

Those who spoke include Mallam Yusuf Alli (SAN), Prof Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), constitutional lawyer Ike Ofuokwu, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) First Vice President, Mr Monday Ubani and NBA Lagos Branch chairman, Martin Ogunleye.

On the SGF’s suspension, Ali said: “All discerning Nigerians saw it coming. With the indictment of the SGF by the Senate Committee on IDPs, not only was the allegation that he was still running a company as SGF made, it was also alleged that he collected so much money on behalf of the company for grass cutting in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

“Given the sensitive nature of the IDPs’ situation, it raised a lot if moral issues. Many Nigerians had been expecting this to happen longer than now. But it doesn’t matter. At least the president listened to the voice of Nigerians. I think it’s salutary.

“At long last, the president has done what I think is right in the circumstances since the man didn’t think it fit to have bowed out by himself.”

Prof Akinseye-George said it is proper that government officials step aside while allegations of corruption against them are being investigated.

“There have been too many complaints about the SGF in particular, and he has become more of a liability to the administration.

“So, if the President in his wisdom decides to confirm his commitment to the anti-corruption fight by asking him to step aside while he is being investigated, I think it’s a proper thing to do, so that investigation can go on without undue interference from him.

“If he’s in office and he has so much power, it’ll be difficult for the panel to do their work with a free mind. So, I think it’s a step in the right direction. Let him step aside; Nigeria is bigger than any individual,” the professor of law said.

Akinseye-George said the NIA DG’s suspension was also in order, adding that people whose credibility is called into question should not wait to be suspended.

“In fact, people shouldn’t wait to be suspended. People should resign when their credibility is called into question.

“It’s only in Nigeria that we hold on tenaciously to offices when our credibility is in doubt or is questioned. So, I think it’s a breath of fresh air that powerful officials are being asked to step aside so that investigations can be conducted,” he said.

Ofuokwu said with the suspensions, the president has proved that he is in charge and that no official is untouchable.

His words: “To have done otherwise is to carry a moral burden which puts a big question mark on the integrity of the President and on his fight against corruption. Though they are yet to be proven guilty by any court or judicial body of competent jurisdiction, their suspension is a perfect step in the right direction.

“The moment a credibility issue arises as with the case of these two gentlemen, the only reasonable thing expected of them is to step down from their exalted position until they are thoroughly cleared of any wrongdoing.

“We expect the President to go beyond this two and beam his searchlight on every member of the executive who carries a moral burden and/or a credibility issue and take out the same measure on them.

This will serve as a deterrent to all and a warning that it is no longer business as usual.”

Ubani, former NBA Ikeja Branch chairman, said Buhari’s courage and sincerity of purpose stand him out.

“These are the qualities that endeared some of us to Buhari: being decisive, being firm, very bold and strong, and being unpredictable. These are attributes of a good leader. It’s a virtue, not a vice.

“If there are people that are around you as a President, and tongues are wagging as to some level of malfeasance or indiscretion on their part, what a good leader will do is to take those people off their posts for a short time in order to investigate those allegations.

“President Buhari came with a strong reputation for integrity and with the people’s confidence. So, anything that has any iota of staining his reputation should be avoided at all times. He acted a bit late, but it’s better late than never.

“To me, it’s kudos to the president. Let those guys clear their names. If they’re found clean they can come back, if not, they should go from there,” Ubani said.

For Ogunleye, there is the need to imbibe a culture of transparency in governance, even in matters that concerns the President’s close associates.

He said the ideal scenario would have been for the officials to offer to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The NBA chairman said the NIA DG should be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) especially with allegations that the money was found in an apartment under his wife’s control.

“We remember the example of the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC). When he was invited by the EFCC, he offered to step aside. That is the kind of culture we should enthrone. People should not continue to sit tight in the face of such allegations.

“In the case of the NIA DG, apart from suspending him from office, I think he should be handed over to the EFCC for proper investigation because from what we’ve heard, the apartment where the money was found allegedly belongs to a company under the control of his wife.

“Even if the money was for genuine NIA operations, it is highly unprofessional that the money will be in an apartment allegedly under the control of his wife, who does not work for NIA. So, the suspension is a very welcome development,” Ogunleye said.

April 19, 2017
Buhari suspends SGF, DG NIA

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into the allegations of violations of law and due process made against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr David Babachir Lawal, in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).

The President has also directed the suspension of the SGF from office pending the outcome of the investigations.

This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina.

According to the statement, the President has also ordered a full scale investigation into the discovery of large amounts of foreign and local currencies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a residential apartment at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, over which the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has made a claim.

It reads “The investigation is also to enquire into the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.”

The President has also directed the suspension of the Director General of the NIA, Ambassador Ayo Oke, pending the outcome of the investigation.

A three-man Committee comprising the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the National Security Adviser, headed by the Vice President, is to conduct both investigations.

The Committee is to submit its report to the President within 14 days.

“The most senior Permanent Secretary in the SGF’s office, and the most senior officer in the NIA, are to act, respectively, during the period of investigation,” it stated

April 19, 2017
FEC meeting fails to hold Wednesday

The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting failed to hold on Wednesday due to inability of the Secretariat to circulate relevant meeting documents as a result of the Easter holiday.

The government had declared last Friday and Monday as public holiday to allow Christians mark the anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Presidency on Wednesday also denied speculations that the cancellation could be because of President Muhammadu Buhari’s health.

Similar speculations had trailed the absence of President Buhari last Wednesday when the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting.

Speaking on the matter on Wednesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that it was canceled because the FRC secretariat staff had no opportunity to circulate relevant documents for the meeting because of the Easter holiday.

He said “I think it is because of the Easter holiday. The secretariat had no time to circulate the necessary documents,

“The staff on the Council secretariat resumed on Tuesday after the Easter. There was no time to prepare and circulate memos to ministers.

“By practice, the ministers receive council memos two or three days ahead of meetings because they must read them and sometimes undertake research.

“It is not a rubber stamp council so everyone must prepare themselves well for debates,” he added.

On why the documents were not circulated before the holiday since the secretariat knew before hand that there would be a holiday, he explained that as human beings, they also needed the break.

He denied the suggestion that the cancellation was related to the president’s state of health.

Stressing that it would be wrong to make such assumption, he said “That will not be fair.”

Explaining the President’s absence at FEC last week, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had said that Buhari did not attend FEC meeting because he was attending to other issues.

He said: “Clearly when we came in this morning, Mr President was not in the chambers but the Vice President did preside over the council meeting.

“Understandably, that has sparked a lot of controversies and imputations in the mind of people.

“I just want to make this clear, Mr President is in town. Mr. President is attending to other issues. Mr president looked at the agenda, it was a very light agenda and decided that the Vice President should preside.

“It’s not unusual for the kind of interest that is shown especially given the fact that Mr. President was away for a while on medical treatment and is not. We are not surprised that people will be wondering is he ill again?

“He is not ill, he is not sick. Am sure that later in the day or tomorrow morning he will be back in the office. I just want to clear that misconception.

“Is not unusual even if Mr. President is hail and hearty and everything is going on well for the VP to come and preside over meetings of the federal executive council.

“The fact that Mr. President is not in the office does not mean that he is not working.

“I have just been told now that the Secretary to the Government is already with with him in the residence working.

“So, the fact that you did not see him in the office does not mean that he is not working at all,” he stated

April 19, 2017
Buhari hails Turkey over successful referendum

President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with the people and government of Turkey on the successful conclusion of the country’s referendum on Monday.

Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, congratulated Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for the foresight and maturity of leading his people to the polls to decide on the future of leadership for the country that will further deepen peace and stability.

He believed the referendum showcased the democratic credentials of the country and reflected a willingness of the Turkish people to live together and jointly pursue a better future.

April 18, 2017
Obaseki grateful for Tribunal victory

Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of Edo State has expressed gratitude to the people of his state for his recent victory over the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu at the Edo Election Petition Tribunal, which sat at the Edo State High Court in Benin City, the State capital.

While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Godwin Obaseki the winner of the September 28, 2016 gubernatorial elections in Edo State, the PDP and Ize-Iyamu had written a petition challenging the result of the election and praying to be declared winner.

The Tribunal, which sat to heart the petition however concluded proceedings on Friday, upholding the declaration of Governor Obaseki as winner of the elections.

In a statement from the office of the governor, Obaseki said: “This victory at the tribunal would have been impossible without the support of the multitude of well-wishers, soldiers and champions of democracy, who stood firmly with me and the good people of our state as we fought in defence of a mandate freely given, which we consider to be divine”.

In addition, the governor appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for what he described as “his fatherly counsel and unwavering commitment to democracy and good governance” and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for “his wisdom, encouragement, and relentless support”.

Continuing, Governor Obaseki also praised Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Chairman of APC for remaining a strong pillar and the judiciary for being an impartial arbiter and helping to defend democracy.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged the impact of the media, saluting them for stirring rigorous debate, even as he lauded the support of the party faithful and the security forces who helped to maintain law and order.

Also on the governor’s list of appreciation was his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who he said helped to liberate the state from the home of political irresponsibility, praying that history would be kind to the former governor.

He, however, urged opposition parties to join him in building a progressive and prosperous state, noting that although their opposition helped his administration stay focused, he would refrain from gloating in victory and that the season of contestation was over.

He said: “To all my dear citizens of Edo State at home and abroad, let me state again that our victory at the tribunal is a challenge to work hard on our promise to move Edo forward. Finally, all appreciation and honour goes to God Almighty for being our guide and guard. May His blessings be upon us all”.

April 18, 2017
‘Buhari has met Nigerians’ expectations’

The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) on Monday said President Muhammadu Buhari had met the expectations of Nigerians in the past two years.

It said that Buhari’s administration inherited a country “at the edge of the cliff’’ where the preceding government had pushed it but that his administration had steered it away from fatal fall to a condition of sure-footing.

The group stated this in a statement by its Secretary, Mr Cassidy Madueke, in Abuja on Monday.

It described the statement credited to National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, that the party handed a healthy country to APC in 2015 as “ridiculous sham that leaves no room for true conscience.”
Recalling the 2015 polls, the group said “the epochal defeat of the PDP in the 2015 election remains a verdict of no-confidence on the PDP.

“Such was the level of desecration of public trust by the PDP and its officials that every burst case of corruption in the country must come with the emblem of the party.

“No farce as the PDP might want to weave together can obliterate the memory of the abyss the party took the country while it reigned.”

The group said that but for the “swashbuckling military campaign launched by the Buhari administration”, Nigeria under the PDP government had lurched towards a failed state, competing side-by-side with terrorists.

“It is, therefore, confounding that the same PDP is today making wild, shameful claim of ‘successfully dislodging the terrorist sect before the 2015 general elections.’

“It sounds as though the Goodluck Jonathan government inherited an incomplete country, to make it look like competing with terrorists for territorial claims is a worthy achievement,” it said.

On anti-corruption fight, the group said that the strategy deployed by the Buhari government had gained global applause, and with remarkable results.

“It is, therefore, a mockery of true conscience that PDP – the same PDP that has corruption as its emblem – will put up a bold face to denigrate the tremendous feat the Buhari administration has recorded on the fight against corruption.”
On the economy, it said that the seeming early inertia was a consequence of the plundering of the economy by the PDP.

It, however, said the good news was that Buhari had successfully plugged all leakages in the economy, putting Nigeria at the threshold of economic policy that would work for every Nigerian irrespective of social class.

It said that the economic framework was predicated on the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) recently launched by the president.

According to the group, this, of course, is a sharp departure from the Goodluck Jonathan’s economic plan that saw the economy adrift and exposed to buccaneers in government.

April 17, 2017
APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Bola Ahmed Tinubu a.k.a. Asiwaju or Jagaban (born 29 March 1952) was elected Senator for the Lagos West constituency in Lagos State, Nigeria in 1993, just before a military take-over in December 1993. After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.

He is an influential member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party; he also holds both the chieftaincies of the Asiwaju of Lagos and the Jagaban of the Borgu Kingdom in Niger State, Nigeria. He is the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) party with President Muhammadu Buhari.

His political career began in 1992, on the platform of the Social Democratic Party in the faction of the Peoples Front led by Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and other politicians in the faction such as Dapo Sarumi and Yomi Edu when he was elected to the Nigerian Senate representing the Lagos West constituency in the short-lived Nigerian Third Republic.

After the results of the 12 June, 1993 presidential elections were annulled, Tinubu became a founding member of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which mobilised support for the restoration of democracy and recognition of the 12 June results. He went into exile in 1994 and returned to the country in 1998 after the death of military dictator Sani Abacha, which ushered in a transition to civilian rule.

In April 2007, after the elections but before the new governor had taken over, the Federal Government brought Asiwaju Bola Tinubu before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for trial over alleged illegal operation of 16 separate foreign accounts. In January 2009 the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cleared Bola Tinubu of charges of conspiracy, money laundering, abuse of office and official corruption in relation to a sale of V-mobile network shares in 2004.

Tinubu is married to Oluremi Tinubu, the current Senator representing Lagos central. His mother, Abibatu Mogaji died on June 15, 2014, at the age of 96.

April 15, 2017
Buhari creating enabling environment for youth engagement – Ngige

Minister of Labour and Employment Sen. Chris Ngige has that the present Buhari administration will continue to create enabling environment for Nigerian Youths in the informal sector to realize their potentials.

Speaking when the National Association of Barbers and Salon Employers of Nigeria (NABEN) visited him, the Minister said the determination of the government is one of the cardinal programmes of the Federal Government to formalize the informal sector with emphasis on youth empowerment, re-orientation and creation of job opportunities.

The Minister said “Government cannot provide job for everybody, as job creation is a multifaceted endeavor which runs across Organizations, Ministries, Departments, Agencies of Government and Private Sector’’ As a matter of fact, job creation is the responsibility of the private sector. What Government does is to create the enabling environment.

He stressed the need to encourage the youths in the informal sector who have shown commitment to their Profession, adding that “a lot of you would have gone to join the Boko-Haram or any other societal vices but you decided to engage yourselves meaningfully, and so in the spirit of what International Labour Organization (ILO) preaches it is our responsibility to encourage you to unionize and form for yourselves association of like minds”

Ngige said that the decision to form the (NABEN) Union was a step in the right direction and applauded them for taking the bull by the horn. He re-assured the Association of his support to do something positive to grant them autonomy.

‘’The Idea of forming your Own Union called National Association of Barbers and salon Employers of Nigeria (NABEN) is a welcome development. The Ministry will expedite action to ensure that your dreams are realizable’’

“We have no right to force you to remain with the National Union of Hotels services, but we appeal to you that appropriate steps and procedures be followed to obtain application for registration of your Union.”

Earlier in his address, the leader of the delegation comrade Barile Ngbobu appealed to the Minister to assist in registering their Union, which will enable them contribute their quota in the National development.

He assured that if the National Association of Barbers and Salon Employers of Nigeria is duly registered, they will remain a credible organization that would make positive impact in the lives of Nigerians.

Comrade Barile said ‘’ in order to measure up with the world standard of barbing profession the Association needs to be registered so that we could regulate our activities and sanitize the industry to avoid infection and diseases.

April 14, 2017
No apologies for calling for transparency of National Assembly – El-Rufai

…Buhari implementing issues in my memo, says el-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai on Friday said that he has no apology for any National Assembly member offended by his call for transparency.

According to him, he has the right as a Nigerian to call for such transparency.

Speaking with State House correspondents after observing the Jumaat prayer with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said that it would be in the interest of the lawmakers to make public their earnings in the face of the bogus salaries allegations.

He said “There is nothing like falling out with the National Assembly, first of all I am a state governor and do not have any direct relationship with the national assembly. They don’t legislate for me specifically. I don’t have any relationship that is negative or positive with the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly is the legislature of the federation and we have very good relations with the legislators. There are senators from my state and there are representatives and I meet regularly with those of them that are ready to meet with me. Here, beside me are Senators Abu Ibrahim and Marafa.

“If I have problem with the National Assembly they will not be standing beside me. So there is no problem. The issue is what I did last Friday was to ask the leadership of the national Assembly to fulfil the promise that they made themselves to publish the details of their budget and asking for that is my duty as a citizen. Every Nigerian is entitled to ask that question,” he said.

He went on “It is in the National Assembly’s interest to actually publish it because there are rumours of bogus amounts of money that they are getting which I do not believe is true. I think that the best way to kill that rumour is to publish the details of their budget but some people took exception to that call for transparency and I have no apologies because as citizens we have the right to demand for transparency for how resources are being spent.

“This one hundred billion or so budget of the National Assembly is money belonging to the people of Nigeria and every Nigerian has the right to ask and I am exercising that right as a citizen not even as a governor.”

He explained that he had no problem with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

“I have no problem with the Speaker. He is my kid brother, he respects me and I respect him, I have no problem with the Senate President, we worked together in the past and I am confident that we will work together in the future in the interest of Nigeria.

“But demand for accountability is not a problem and should not be construed to be undermining or any such thing. It is only someone who has something to hide that will do things like that and I don’t believe that the National Assembly has things to hide,” he added

The Governor also maintained that there is no rift between him and President Buhari.

He said “There is no strain in my ties with the President. The villa is a bigger place. Within the villa there are people that like me and there are those who don’t and it is normal. My relationship with the President has never been strained in anyway.

“I met with him last night, I did not talk about things like that but our relationship with him is like that of father and son and it is privilege for me. I told him I will come today for the Jumaat and I did.”

On how he was received by the President, he said “As usual with great warmth and graciousness and I am grateful for that.

Asked why he wrote such a letter to the President, he said that it was a well-meaning memo aimed at ensuring development of the country.

Even though he faulted those who leaked the private memo to the public, he said that most issues raised in it are already been implemented by the government.

He said “It was a private memo and it is not a letter. If you want to ask any question about it you ask those who leaked the memo because I wrote it seven months ago. I have written similar memos to the President in the past and none of them got leaked. He knows that he can count on me to give him my views of what is out there that he may not hear and to give him sound advice without any interest on my part.

“If anyone reads that memo he will see that there is nothing in the memo that has anything to do other than the success of Mr. President and progress of the country. That is my goal, my motive and I am driven by that. I stand behind the President to the very end.

On whether his views in the letter have changed since he wrote it, he said “Yes, I believe that since September last year when I wrote the letter, there have been significant improvement in the delivery of services at the federal level as I said some of our federal programmes have started
in earnest.

“Social protection for instance, the N-Power, budget releases has been accelerated, this is an unprecedented move, the minister of finance has released up to about a trillion naira of capital budget. In September last year, little or nothing had been released and that was part of my concern, since then the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan has been done and published.

“At the time I wrote the memo there was no five year plan for the country, since then the government has moved ahead to change some of the appointees of President Jonathan in parastatals. This is something that we were worried about, many of us in APC felt that we were in office but not in power because the people that Jonathan appointed were still running most of our key agencies.

“From September till date even up until yesterday there has been significant improvement. So there is improvement and I believe that part of what I recommended to the President is being implemented, whether because of my memo or not, it is being implemented and the country is moving forward and I am grateful to God for it.” he said

On how he felt about the leakage of the letter in contrast with secrecy oath of office, he said “I am disappointed that a private communication to the highest office in the land can be leaked and it was leaked from the Villa, I am told by those that published it, but this is a fact of life. We live in an
age where anything you write or say can be leaked. It is ok, my intentions are clear, I have no ill motive but I wanted to communicate with the President what many Nigerians are talking about and what steps can be taken to improve governance of the country and move the country forward.

“That was my motive and if tomorrow like I said I see anything that the President needs to know I will discuss with him and I will articulate and put it into writing and on the record for him to
have a reminder document to work on. I have no regrets and I have no apologies.”

Against the belief that he was stopped for some months from coming to the Villa, he said that he was not stopped and that nobody can stop him.

He said “No, no one ever stopped me from coming to the villa and no one can stop me from coming to villa. As a governor I come here, I have blank cheques, no one checks me at the gate but I believe what the President needs is for those that love him to keep away from him and allow him to rest.

“The President needs quality time to rest because it is meeting too many people that strains leadership. I am a governor and I know that when I meet 10 people in a day I get really tired, it is not the paperwork, it is not really the memos approving them or asking questions that strain a leader, it is the stream of visitors.

“I do not want to contribute to the President’s problem by coming here every day. I am in touch with him, I know everything going on and I do not think I should add to his burden. Most of the time I come to visit the President I do not come to the office, I go to see him at home.

“I think and I appeal to all of us that love the President to please allow him some space so that he will recover. We need him and the country needs him, it is in our interest for the stability of the
country, we should just let him be. It is absolutely necessary lets us leave him to do his work in the privacy of his room or his office without strings of visitors. Visitors stress leaders,” he said.

April 14, 2017
Easter: Kano CAN Chairman supports FG’s economic road map

The chairman, Kano chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Ransom Bello has urged the Federal Government not to relent in its effort to revamp the economic even in the face of activities of economic saboteurs who are hell-bent on frustrating the good intention of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Bishop Bello who disclosed this during his Easter message to Nigerians also frowned at the activities of economic saboteurs, describing it as detrimental to the national development.

He prayed for the success of the current economic team put together by the Buhari’s administration and hoped that at the end, their decisions and policy formulation will bring the economy back on the right track for the interest of all Nigerians, particularly, the masses.

According to him, “though Nigeria is going through trying period, things will change for the better. There is no room for despair. There is no reason for suicide. We should not kill ourselves because of hardship. I hope things are going to change in this country, but how it is going to happen, I don’t know.

“For a man that believes in Christ, there is always hope for tomorrow. I am sure when Jesus Christ was crucified and buried, it is like the disciples lost hope and when he rose from the grave, and their hope came alive again.

“Darkness is not supreme to light. The light will always overcome darkness. Nigeria will witness the light of God economically and politically. I always believe that there will be a better tomorrow. As I give credit to the present administration for what they are doing, I believe that a better government will evolve.

“Now, here is the irony, Jesus raise the dead from the grave, and the same Jesus eventually entered the grave for the sake of man; but he rose again—he conquered the power of death. So, Nigerians should not be worried about the level of hardship and depression we are passing through because very soon, things will be better.”

Bishop Bello who is also the General Overseer of Calvary Life Assembly, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to “wake up to its responsibilities and ensure that the common man has food on the table. The government should ensure that we have employment for the young people. The government has to ensure that Naira is well stabilised, and the dollar should continue to depreciate.”

He, however, urged economic saboteurs to desist from their evil way or face the wrath of God.

April 13, 2017