The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Senate suspends confirmation of 27 RECs

    Senate suspends confirmation of 27 RECs

    …vow to defend selves against attacks

    A showdown between the Presidency and the Senate appears to be in the offing.

    The Senate Tuesday declared its readiness to defend its integrity against attacks by unnamed persons.

    The declaration is coming as the upper chamber unanimously resolved to suspend the consideration and confirmation of 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki who announced the resolve of the Senate to defend its integrity after about two hours behind the door meeting said that the upper would not succumb to blackmail and intimidation in carrying out its constitutional duty.

    Saraki did not give details nor revealed the identity of the external forces he said were attacking the institution of the Senate.

    He said: “The Senate in a closed session discussed the various attacks on the National Assembly, especially on the Senate, for performing its constitutional duties.

    “The Senate resolved to defend the integrity of the Senate against such attacks and will not be intimidated from carrying out our constitutional duties at all times.”

    Sources said that Saraki’s position may not be unconnected to its recent face-off with some members of the executive, including the Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (retd) and the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. David Babachir Lawal and the rejection of the nomination of Mr. Ibrahim Magu for appointment as Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    One of the sources noted that “the Senate is not happy that despite its rejection of Magu, the President still left him on acting capacity.

    The resolution to suspend the consideration of the nomination of the Resident Electoral Commissioners followed a motion by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.

    The names of the RECs should have been read the second time and referred to the Senate Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but for the motion.

    Nwaoboshi prayed the Senate to suspend action of the nominees for two weeks to allow Saraki to convey the feelings of the Senate to President Buhari over alleged disregard of Senate resolutions.

    Nwaoboshi said, “Mr. President, taking a leave from America which started this presidential election. Recently the National Security Adviser was sent to the Senate of America and because of his believe in Russia he was disqualified. What am I saying, issues like this have to transcend the issue of political parties or where you have lived for the interest of Nigerians and also to protect our constitution and protect our democracy.

    “Recently in this Senate, we have dealt with the issue of confirmation and where we are today, the chairman of the Presidential Committee on anti-corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay went to the press and said that the Senate merely confirms. This is not expected of somebody who had lectured constitutional law in the university, a professor of law, a senior advocate of Nigeria and of course a chairman of such a big body to say that the legislature merely confirms, that is the legislature has no power.

    “Here are we again today, now been given a list to confirm and we merely confirms. Look at the list here, we have eight of them here out of 27, eight of them are for reappointment which means they are acting already, they are already working and they are still in position.

    “Prof. Sagay will start again section 171 subsection (d) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria even if we don’t confirm them he will say continue to work.

    “You can imagine this kind of advice that these kinds of persons are giving to Mr. President. They are telling Mr. President to disregard and disrespect the institution the legislature.

    “Mr. President, lets us not take such a precedence, we cannot destroy our democracy because certain persons, certain individuals feel that it is only their believe or what they want is what will happen in this country. This country does not belong to them; this country belongs to the Nigerian people. The Nigerian people have elected us; they have given us the power to look into those names sent to us for confirmation to look into their credentials.

    “But when you denigrate such an institution that have the power to confirm and used the word merely, we could not ignore it coming from somebody of that status. My position on this matter is that since our confirmation is merely; let us suspend it until we know whether we have the power as given to us by the constitution to look into confirmation matters or any other status.”

    Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South) in his contribution said, “In addition to what Nwaoboshi said which is the constitutional requirement that this Senate has to confirm nominations sent by the executive arm of government, the act establishing this agencies of government have specified clearly that this officers of these agencies whose appointments will be made by Mr. President have to be confirmed by the Senate.

    “We are only performing our statutory role and if by chance, Mr. President sends a name to the Senate for confirmation and they are not confirmed. What happens is that the President is at liberty to send another name but it must be that the senate too must be properly informed of what has happened to the confirmation either the one that has been upheld or the one that has been turned down by the senate. We deserve the right to know.

    “We cannot keep confirming names or turning down names of nominees of Mr. President only for them to be put in basket particularly the one that happened recently we don’t know what has happened. These persons cannot keep acting even when we have turned them down because as it is now they are acting and their names have been sent in for confirmation and we don’t know what has happened in the case of the EFCC.

    “Specifically speaking, is he acting today? If the President knew that he was not going to honour our refusal or rejection of his nominee they shouldn’t have sent him in the first place which would have meant an outright violation of the law establishing EFCC and of course the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.”

    Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) opposed.

    Aliero said, ‘I rise to oppose what my two colleagues have just said for the reason that there is already an impression that is created particularly by the media that the INEC is not ready for the conduct of 2019 election. The 2019 election is very crucial to us and the preparation and the conduct of the 2019 election is the submission of resident electoral commissioners to the senate for screening and approval. Without that INEC will never be ready for the 2019 elections even though what they said is true. I want to ask that we consider the screening of this list and if there is any observation on any nominee it should be done at the screening stage. I will want to respectfully say that some of the nominees that are set to be on reappointment they have already left the office and they have served their term for four years.”

    The Senate Deputy Whip, Senator Francis Alimekhana (Edo North) was more vocal in his support that the confirmation of the RECs should be kept in view.

    He said, “I beg to differ from the suggestion of my colleague, Senator Aliero. It is better to do something and do it well. All these nominees reappointed, new appointment what if we refuse one of them what will happen? That is the question that the distinguished senators are asking the executive. There is no need to disapprove one and he (President) goes back to say you can continue to act. The EFCC chairman that we disqualified in this hall is he acting? Among the report that are agog in the papers he is behind it. Magu is terrorising us because we disqualified him and we cannot hide it. We disqualified Magu and he is terrorising our people because we disqualified him and he is still acting and they are still bringing in nominees for us to confirm. If they know they can do it alone let them do it.”

    Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah asked for caution.

    He said, “This is a defining moment in our journey to nationhood. Having had the privilege of being a leader in this senate I have always prided myself with the fact that this senate is imbued with men of intelligence, courage and character with determination to play a fundamental role in our journey towards nationhood. I have always said that it consists of former governors, former ministers, former captains of industries what that means is that at each point that we are being called upon to decide on an issue that affects this nation. We must show that we have superiority of thinking and we have more commitment than those anti-democratic forces that survive outside the chambers of the national assembly. I think this is one situation where that call is relevant and important.

    “I share the sentiments of my colleagues on this issue. I am in great difficulty to disagree with more convincing reasons as to why I think the senate will thread cautiously on the request by my colleagues for us to stand down this. I think this matter is going to be referred to the committee, we still have enough time.”

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu noted that some of the positions of the RECs have been vacant for more than one year.

    He said any delayed should not be laid on the Senate but on the Executive that failed to submit the nominees on time.

    Ekweremadu said that Saraki should be allowed to convey the sentiment and feelings of senators to President Buhari on his appointments.

    He noted that it was necessary to allow Saraki to convey the feelings of the Senate to President Buhari.

    He proposed that the consideration of the nominees should be stood down for one week.

    Before a vote could be taken on Ekweremadu’s motion, Nwaoboshi moved that the matter should be suspended for two weeks.

    Senator Clifford Odia (Edo Central) seconded.

    When Saraki put the question, it was unanimously carried.

     

  • Governors lack moral right to accuse Buhari of non-performance, says Sen. Sani

    Sen. Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna Central), on Tuesday said state governors lacked the moral right to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari for non-perfomance.

    Sani, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, made the remark in a chat with newsmen after a meeting with community leaders in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

    “I will say it well; no governor in Nigeria has any moral right to call President Muhammadu Buhari a failure.

    “You collect Federal allocation and local government allocation every month, so you cannot call President Buhari a failure.

    “ You collect Ecology fund, Paris Club fund and Bail-Out fund so you cannot call Mr President a failure,“ Sani said.

    According to him, Buhari has achieved a lot in government better than most state governors.

    “If you don’t want Buhari to have a cabal, you should dissolve the cabal in your own houses; and if you want Buhari to have listening ears of Nigerians, you must perform.

    “I want to call on the President, as we gear up towards 2019, he should never recommend anybody for election again to the public; he should allow people to decide who they want to vote-in and who they want to vote-out.

    “President Buhari should forget the culture of raising the hands of people; we are supporting him to contest 2019, but he should stop the culture of raising Mr A or Mr B’s hand; most of the time he is raising the hands of people who betrayed him and Nigeria.’’

    Earlier during the meeting, the Senator said he was in the area to aggregate the opinion of the statekeholders on the Kaduna Eastern by-pass proad project.

    He criticised recent hike in the cost of the contract to N42 billion without consulting the stakeholders.

    “I am here to listen to your request over the Eastern by-pass contract, which the Federal Government has now jacked up to over N40 billion.

    “I must be very clear to you that none of the federal legislators, especially those from Kaduna Central, was consulted when the issue was to be discussed.

    “I knew very well that in 2016-2017 budget, I insisted that Kaduna Eastern by-pass must be included in the budget, but I read in the pages of newspapers like any one of you that the contract was jacked up to N42 billion.

    “I don’t know how the Federal Ministry of Works arrived at such amount of money, but I believe for a project like this, there could have been the need to consult the communities where this road passed through and also the elected representatives of the people,’’ he said.

    NAN recalls that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the resuscitation and completion of the 50 kilometre dual carriage highway.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had said that the road has nine bridges over rivers and rail crossings.

    It was first awarded in 2002 at the cost of N12 billion, to be completed within three years.

    The minister explained that already the government had paid N11 billion to the contractor since the project was initiated, adding that N32 billion was approved to complete the road.

    However, Sani said he would present a request on behalf of the community and the people of his senatorial zone to the Senate Committee Chairman on Works, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, for details of the contract review.

    “I am going to demand from the minister of works to brief the senate on how such a project arrived at over N40 billion, in this era of anti corruption and transparency, since it is the tax payers money that is involved.”

    The senator, however, commended the government for the efforts to complete the road.

  • UNILORIN VC debunks allegations of corrupt practices

    Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin has debunked allegations of corrupt practices levelled against the university administration, saying many people were not aware of the universities procedures.

     

    Ambali stated his position in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

     

    The vice-chancellor said that the university followed laid down guidelines in appointments of staff, payment of entitlements to principal officers and reappointment of principal officers.

     

    The don, however, expressed concern that many people in the university community were not familiar with these laid down guidelines and felt cheated for one reason or the other.

     

    “ In respect of appointments, all appointments are based on rules and regulations governing the appointment.

     

    “ Any request for engagement within the university are sent to the Heads of Department, who comment based on their own rules and regulations within the department; they either approve or disapprove.

     

    “We send a letter of apology to the applicant but if they approve we continue the process of the engagement; first at temporary level before the appointment is ratified along the way.

     

    “ Unfortunately, people are not very conversant with the rules and regulations governing all these things,” he said.

     

    The vice-chancellor also explained that for the entitlement of vice-chancellors and former vice-chancellors the management followed what the rules and regulations governing the campus stipulated.

     

    According to him, sitting principal officers who are serving, when their tenure ends and they want to return to the university, they will have to revert to their former status before their appointment for example vice-chancellor.

     

    Ambali added that such a person would also be paid the salary of the new position which off course would not be up to what they earned in their previous position.

     

    He explained that all contracts awarded by the institution followed due processes.

     

    NAN reports that some officers of the South-West Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had accused the University of pension fund fraud running into N2.5 billion and called on the anti-graft agency to institute a probe into the matter.

     

    The allegations listed in the petition included pension fraud, unremitted deductions, extortion from students, contract inflation and kick-backs; as well as unlawful payments to ex-principal officers of the university.

     

    However, Mr Kunle Akogun, the institution’s Head of Corporate Affairs, also described the allegation as “largely empty merely rehashed to make it look real.

     

    Akogun described those behind the petition as “ enemies of progress,’’ who are aghast at the pace of progress and continual giant strides being daily recorded by the university where transparency, honesty, accountability and due process were the key elements of administration.

     

    According to him, there is nothing new in the allegations contained in the petition.

     

    “The same fellows made the same allegations in August last year while shamefacedly kicking against the nationally acknowledged well-merited appointment of Prof. Oloyede as the Registrar of JAMB.

     

    “And of course, no one took them seriously, as even President Muhammadu Buhari, who is well-known for his zero tolerance for corruption, is not unaware of the due diligence credentials of the successive administrations of the University of Ilorin,” he said.

  • Ngige wants synergy among FG agencies on vocational training

    Ngige wants synergy among FG agencies on vocational training

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige has called for synergy among Federal Government agencies in charge of skill acquisition and vocational training to ensure the full realization of the government objective on job creation.

    Senator Ngige said vocational training was the key to unlocking the potentials of Nigerian youths and stemming the tide of unemployment in the country.

    The Minister spoke at the graduation ceremony of Ganduje Auto-Mechanic Training and Empowerment Scheme as well as the training of Kano Zonal Staff and Management of parastatals under the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in Kano.

    He said; “Training of youths in vocational trade is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari led administration’s cardinal objective on youth entrepreneurship and job creation. We have relentlessly been pursuing this in order to fully tap into the elastic opportunities provided by investments in blue collar jobs.

    He challenged Nigerian youths to key into the various vocational training programmes of the Federal Government such as the N-Power initiative as well as other artisan and craftsmen training of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment offered by the Specialized Skills Upgrading and Vocational Training Centres.

    According to him, the “Federal Government N-Power Build is an initiative under the N-power job creation scheme planned to develop workforce for a wide range of artisanal jobs in the Construction and housing industry.

    “This would impact on other economic sectors by building the capacity of a critical mass of young Nigerians interested in the construction and housing industry leading to efficient service delivery and increase the number of available job opportunities, reduce unemployment, improve incomes level, poverty reduction and economic vulnerability of unemployed Nigerians.”

    Inspecting an under-utilized facilities at the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in Kano, Sen. Ngige described the situation as antithetical to the change Agenda of the present administration and urged the Kano State Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Iliyasu Ahmed to urgently exploit the training capacity at the centre for the benefits of the teaming Kano youths

    “The essence of inter-agency collaboration especially when they are offering the same service is utmost in achieving the purpose for which government created such agencies.  

    “The NDE office in Kano is poorly equipped, though we are planning to do something urgent about this, but here we are amidst expansive facilities at the ITF. A situation where the NDE in the same city cannot take a full advantage of this is not excusable.

    “All the skills acquisition centres across the Federation owned by the states and Federal government must work in mutual collaboration so as to be on the same page in terms of quality of skills, certificates awarded, as well as enable them share in the benefits of inter-agency cooperation. I therefore, expect that in the next few months, I would have gotten a full report on the number of trainees the NDE has brought for different training programmes here.” 

    At the zonal office of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Kano, the Minister frowned at the contributions from the zone comprising Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, saying it was grossly below its potential.

     He urged the management and staff to be alive to their responsibilities. 

    Placed fourth out of the six zones in the country and with a contribution of about 160 million in 2016, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the development, insisting the zone could do much better.

    The Minister charged the agency to reach out to the public, enroll more agencies and companies so as to enable workers benefit from the provisions of the Compensation Act while pledging the commitment of the Federal Government to the welfare of Nigerian workers.  

  • Private refinery to begin operation in Bayelsa in 2018

    The Azikel Group of Companies, (AGC), owned by an industrialist from Bayelsa State, Monday, said its refinery would begin operation in Bayelsa State in 2018.

    The President of AGC, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, who spoke in Yenagoa, hailed the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for giving oil refining and prospecting licences to private oil firms.

    Eruani, said his company was one of the beneficiaries of the government’s initiative, adding that company intended to begin local petroleum production in 2018.

    The billionaire businessman, noted that the oil and gas component of his conglomerate would support the Federal Government to improve capacity and increase production and supply of petroleum products in the country.

    Describing Bayelsa as the epicentre of oil and gas in the country, he said it was worrisome that many Bayelsans could not establish themselves as key players in the sector of the nation’s economy.

    Eruani said the private refinery initiative by the Federal Government would positively turn around the oil and gas sector.

    He insisted that the granting of oil refining licences from the beginning of Buhari’s administration was a strategic success for his government.

    He explained that building any type of refinery required enough time adding that work at the Azikel Refinery site had gone above 60 per cent.

    Eruani said: ”Azikel Group is racing against time to be the first to commence production of petroleum products in 2018.

    ”Sequel to the increase in the end users of refined petroleum products, demand and the insufficiency, with the nation’s refineries producing at less than 15 per cent installed capacity, the Federal Government’s sagacity is germane to improve production.

    ”The 23 firms granted licences have the capacity to shore up production by over 700, 000 barrel per day to bridge the insufficiency gap.”

    According to him the government’s plan to replace illegal refineries with modular refineries was a welcome development.

    He said that the development would outlaw incessant destruction of national assets, damage to the ecosystem and robbing the nation of foreign reserve.

    He alłuded that the issuance of refinery and oil prospecting licences by President Buhari was to integrate the people of the Niger Delta in the sector, pointing out that it was part of the ways of allowing the people to control their resources.

    On the location of the Azikel Refinery at Obunagh Gbarain in Yenagoa area of Bayelsa, Eruani said it was based on economics of location of industry close to source of raw materials.

  • Buhari commends Britain for support in degrading Boko Haram

    Buhari commends Britain for support in degrading Boko Haram

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed appreciation to the British Government for what he described as ‘the effective materials and logistical support’ to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.

    In spite of isolated attacks against soft targets, he said that the British assistance helped in flushing Boko Haram out of their hide-out base and severely degraded their capacity to mount a serious attack on Nigerian assets.

    According to a statement by the Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s appreciation was contained in a formal letter he wrote to the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on behalf of the people of Nigeria to express “my heartfelt condolences to the injured and families of the dead” in Wednesday’s terrorist attack in London.

    He said the horrid incident “underscores the threat we all live under,” adding that, “terrorism has no borders and no season.”

     

  • IGP briefs Buhari on Zaki Biam, Ile-Ife, other crises

    IGP briefs Buhari on Zaki Biam, Ile-Ife, other crises

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris on Friday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on security crises in the country.

    This included the Zaki Biam crisis in Benue State and Ile-Ife crisis in Osun State which resulted in the death of many Nigerians.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, he said “I came to see the President to update him on the deployment of the police in our effort to ensure that we have security all over the country.

    “Obviously it’s to share with him our deployment strategies on ground our deployment to some of these flash points all over the country, especially Benue which is the current one, deployment to Kaduna state which started some few weeks back and deployment to the Ile-Ife crisis where recently we have a lot of police officers both special squads and investigation team on ground to conduct investigation on the matter.

    On allegation that policemen only arrested people from one section of the country during the Ile-Ife crisis, he said “You know we are police officers, crime has no tribe if you are a criminal you are a criminal. Crime has no face; we don’t look at crime in the identity of where you are coming from. As far as you are a criminal and the police find you wanting we apply the law.

    Speaking on the crisis in Benue State, he said “We deployed mobile police unit on 16th of this month and of recent that incident that happened at Zaki Biam there are allegations on that Gana, one of the wanted man, this man has been in the police wanted list I now decided to deploy some special unit both investigative to go after him and get him by all means, like I said earlier definitely that man we are going to get him.”

    He also ruled out the possibility of Fulani herdsmen being responsible for the Zaki Biam crisis.

    He said “No I don’t think it’s Fulani herdsmen, it was an activity of a criminal who is using some of his criminal gangs in the state to harass people that I have assured the governor when I met with him few days ago.”

    On the alleged dissatisfaction of the President over resurgence of crimes in the country while he was away in the United Kingdom, he said “I think we are all in this country, the crisis in Kogi axis is not kidnapping, it’s a case of militants wanting to disrupt the peace in that state and we are out to get them.

    Asked to speak on the specific directives given to him by the President, he said “Obviously there should be a specific directive to ensure that all of us use all the facilities at our disposal to make sure that some of these incidents we are talking about are brought under control as soon as possible.

    “I gave the President my assurance that we are going to do that. Like I said earlier we have deplored a special squad to Benue and we are surely going to get that Gana  within a short time.” he said

    On the claim that the police has no strategy for fighting crimes in the country, he said “You know some of these crisis, we have to look at the origin of these crisis and the immediate cause for you to make a proper classification of these crimes,

    “If you follow some of these crimes, they are just crimes that happened without any warning, if you look at that Ife crisis, if you see how it started its just a disagreement between two people selling food along the road, so you have to look at the dynamics of the country itself.

    “Obviously when you have such situation we have to react to it. We had to move in to ensure we provide some security to the people,” he added.

  • Senate approves $500m Eurobond to fund 2017 budget deficit

    Senate approves $500m Eurobond to fund 2017 budget deficit

    The Senate on Wednesday approved 500 million dollars eurobond to enable President Muhammadu Buhari adequately fund the 2017 budget deficit.

    The approval was given after a closed door session.

    Details later.

  • Security Chiefs brief Buhari in Aso Rock                                                

    Security Chiefs brief Buhari in Aso Rock                                                

    Two security chiefs on Tuesday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the security situations in the country.

    The security chiefs included the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Air Staff, Sadiq Abubakar.

    The closed-door meeting was held in the President’s office.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Buratai said: “I visited the commander in chief to update him on the security situation that the army is involved and defending the territorial integrity of the country, the welfare of the troops, the state of our general administration, basically that is why I came.

    “The president is happy with the Nigerian army and the military. We will continue to do our work to defend the constitution of this country and we assured him of our absolute loyalty and ensure we discharge our constitutional responsibility,” he said.

    On his part, the Chief of Air Staff, also said that the service was doing everything possible to ensure peaceful environment necessary for development of the country.

    He said “It’s just a routine meeting. I came to brief the president on what is happening in the airforce. He is the commander in chief and he has the right to meet with his service chiefs.

    “For us in the airforce and for all the service really, we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure that our society is secure and our communities are stable, so that people can go about pursuing their legitimate aspirations without any fear, that is the purpose for which the airforce is established.

    “That is why we are working to ensure that we do everything humanly possible to create such  an enabling environment because without security you cannot think of development, you are very familiar with that the relationship between security and development and we are working round the clock to ensure that we provide the  enabling environment for development,” he said.

     

  • Islamic group urges Muslims to embrace farming, shun begging for alms

    Sheikh Abdullahi Balaau, National Chairman, Jama’atu Izalatu Bidi’a Wa’iqamati Sunna (JIBWIS), on Monday called on Muslims to embrace farming to earn a living and shun begging for alms.

    Bala-lau made in Gombe when spoke to journalists about his visit to Gombe State.

    He said that the executive officers of the group were touring the state, as part of their efforts to sensitise Muslims to the need to be self-reliant by engaging in farming, as advocated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He said that his advice to the Muslim faithful would aid efforts to boost their income and living standards in particular as well as the country’s food security in general.

    Bala-lau said that if the people took to the proposition, it would also reduce the rate of beggars in the society.

    He said that visit would also enable JIBWIS leaders to interact with members of the group across the country.

    He, however, said that the organisation had instituted a committee to look into ways of empowering members with start-up capital to enable them to set up farming businesses.

    Bala-lau urged the citizens to continue to pray for peace in the country and good health for Buhari to enable him to succeed in his nation-building efforts.