The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Kaduna killings: coalition protests in Abuja

    Hundreds of indigenes of Kaduna State gathered in Abuja last week for a peaceful procession to bring to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the international community what they called the horrendous attacks by herdsmen militia on many Adara communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

    Convener, Coalition Against Kajuru Killings, Rev. Fr Williams Abba said, “The latest death toll of this mindless carnage has already surpassed 130, with several communities reduced to rubbles, and setting the stage for a major humanitarian crisis that has so far displaced no fewer than 10,000 persons now living in four camps.”

    Dressed in black and displaying various inscriptions like “stop the Kajuru massacre now,” “why kill children?”, “Southern Kaduna needs freedom”, “end the bloodshed”, “Sanga lives matter”, “where is your humanity?” and “enough of the killings in southern Kaduna”.

    Addressing the crowd Rev. Fr Williams Abba said: “This peaceful procession today reveals our commitment to the restoration of peace in not only Adara communities, but other areas of Southern Kaduna and indeed Birnin Gwari now under siege by these criminal elements. We call on fellow Nigerians and the international community to mount pressure on the Nigerian government to come to our aid by ending the genocide that is rippling across Adara communities and other areas of Southern Kaduna where there is a resurgence of violence, such as Gerti and Sanga where no fewer than 12 persons have been killed by these rampaging herdsmen. Most disturbingly is the fact that while Adara Nation mourns, Governor El-Rufai rounded up and put in jail Adara leaders and elder statesmen, including the Waziri Adara who’s next in the line of seniority in Adara chiefdom on phantom charges.”

    He expressed sadness that the governor’s allegations over killings of Fulani is still an allegation that is yet to be proven, as he has neither shown the world the pictures of recovered Fulani corpses nor commenced investigation to prove his allegation.

    Abba said: “The Kaduna State Police commissioner recently debunked the death toll as announced by the governor, insisting that investigation into Fulani killings is still at “embryonic stage.”

    “The allegation by El-Rufai over killings of our brothers of Fulani extraction set the stage for reprisal killings and weaved the labyrinth of insecurity over the besieged Adara communities such as we are currently witnessing. Within the space of one month, we have been horror-stricken at the barbaric attacks carried out by these merchants of death against children, men, women, including the aged. Communities have been reduced to rubbles and insecurity now stalks these towns and villages unchallenged.

    Read also: Lamentations as stakeholders proffer solutions to KADUNA KILLINGS

    “The present spate of killings started on Sunday February 10, 2019 when herdsmen militia, without any form of provocation, attacked Ungwar Barde in Maro ward of Kajuru LGA. In that blistering attack, 10 persons, including a pregnant woman, were killed. To our shock and consternation, not a single word over the killing was issued by the Kaduna State Government. Five days after the attack, exactly on February 15, 2019, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, on National Television disclosed that security agencies had recovered bodies of 66 Fulani killed by Adara natives. He was later to increase the death toll to 130.

    “We cannot remain silent in the face of these gruesome killings and deliberate agenda to annihilate Adara people whose only crime is being natives. The bourgeoning human carnage has the propensity of spreading to other areas of the state if not effectively checkmated. If we must save our shared humanity and salvage what is left of humankind, we need to close ranks and insist on relevant organs of government to perform their obligations without fear or favour.”

    The gathering prayed that Government should, as a matter of urgency, deploy more security forces into these hinterlands, including consistent aerial surveillance to track down the terrorists and consequently end the carnage.

    They said government at both Federal and state levels must muster courage and the political will to halt the incursion of these non-state actors adding that: “It is our firm belief that powerful retrogressive forces are funding and supporting these well-coordinated militia who come in and strike at our sleepy and peaceful communities and retreat without consequences.

  • Atiku’s suit lacks merit, bound to fail- BMO

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) says Abubakar Atiku’s suit challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari would fail because it lacks merit.

    The group said this in a statement signed by its chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke on Monday in Abuja, adding that the suit is a waste of time.

    The group said that Atiku knew that he had no chance of victory even before the elections and is only attempting this suit to hoodwink Nigerians and ultimately waste the time of the country’s judiciary.

    “Atiku Abubakar has yet to wake up from his hallucination that he can steal a chance to defeat Buhari in an election.

    “If the Presidential elections were to hold ten times, Atiku will lose ten times to Buhari.

    “Atiku knew it, even before the elections were held, that he never stood a chance at beating Buhari at the poll,’’ the group said.

    Read also: Alleged hack into INEC server: You are jittery, PDP tells APC, Buhari

    BMO noted that Atiku’s loss at the 2019 Presidential Poll was evidence of Nigerians rejecting the former Vice President.

    The group said that the majority of Nigerians have rejected Atiku and he must come to terms with that.

    The group also said it is not against Atiku exercising his constitutional right to seek justice in a court of law.

    It therefore insisted that Nigerians are aware that his claim to seeking a mandate in the court is only a pipe-dream as the entirety of his observations lack merit, false and only a waste of time.

    The group noted that what the courts would eventually do would be to stamp the authority of victory on Buhari at the end of the day.

    The group reiterated that Atiku’s loss started at his polling unit where Buhari beat him.

    “The signs were very clear before the elections, during the elections, and with the eventual victory of Buhari been the popular appeal across the country.

    “Atiku’s rejection by Nigerians started with his own household,’’ he said.(NAN)

  • Alleged hack into INEC server: You are jittery, PDP tells APC, Buhari

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop their unnecessary fabrications, smear campaign and prepare to face the opposition’s legal team at the presidential election tribunal.

    Responding to a petition by the spokesman for the President’s campaign, Mr. Festus Keyamo, the PDP said President Buhari is overweighed by the burden of “illegitimacy”, following overwhelming evidence before the tribunal that he “stole” the presidential mandate.

    In an email exchange with our correspondent Monday night, stage spokesman for the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan the allegation was a lame one.

    Ologbondiyan described it as an attempt at blackmailing the tribunal by engaging in clear acts of subjudice.

    The party spokesman further stated that the facts and issues touching on the INEC server, were already within the public domain and Nigerians are already at home with them.

    Read also: Kano rerun: Prosecute electoral offenders, observers tell INEC

    Ologbondiyan continued, “By resorting to shadow-boxing outside the tribunal, President Buhari and the APC have shown that they have no defence to present to the court against PDP’s submission that they stole our mandate.

    “It is even more appalling that Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a member of Buhari’s legal team, who should know better, would engage in this act of subjudice designed to distort facts already known to Nigerians, that our Presidential Candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, clearly won the February 23 Presidential election.

    “Since it has become clear that President Buhari has no defence to present to the court, we counsel him to save the nation further stress by surrendering our mandate, which was freely given by majority of Nigerians to Atiku Abubakar”.

  • FG to revisit national carrier project, says Sirika

    Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of State for Aviation on Monday said that plans were underway by the Federal Government to revisit the national carrier project.

    The minister made this known while defending the ministry’s budget before the Senate Committee on Aviation in Abuja.

    He said that the ministry only suspended the project to put adequate measures in place, promising that the project would be delivered soon.

    He said the project, which was President Muhammadu Buhari’s brainchild would not be allowed to die.

    He expressed concern that despite being a huge aviation market, Nigeria could not boast of a national carrier.

    He said; “We have to suspend the earlier plans for the national carrier for strategic reasons. The move was not killed.

    ”Provisions have to be made to continue to fund activities of advisers and so on, to ensure that it is delivered.

    ”The carrier will be delivered within the life of this administration, this I can assure you.

    ”It is not forgotten by government. It will continue and we are doing everything we can to deliver it,” he said.

    The minister, however, stated that the carrier would not be funded solely by government.

    ”It is Public Private Partnership (PPP). The private sector will lead and deliver while the government will play its role.

    “Viability funding is also being addressed. After that, then the full business case which is the implementation stage. It is at that point that it will be advertised for people to come in and participate,” he said.

    He said that the process would be transparently done through local and international fora and media.

    He added that anybody who was interested in getting in information on funds spent and other processes was free to do so, stressing that the ministry would be willing to respond.

    The minister lamented that besides the huge revenue loss due to absence of a national carrier, Nigerians still pay exorbitantly to use air carriers belonging to other countries.

    According to him, one of the major ways to save Nigerians of exorbitant airfares is to have a national carrier.

    ”When I was in the House of Representatives in 2006, we did invite British Airways to discus and the answer we got was that they charge exorbitantly because Nigerians can afford it.

    “They charge these fees without corresponding challenge. It is very difficult for the ministry to tell entrepreneurs what they should charge.

    “This is the whole importance of having a national carrier. It is about competition. Nigerians are highly mobile people with very huge businesses. You find out that the first class and business class is always full,’’ he said.

    Read also: Sirika, 400 delegates for NUATE conference

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Sen. Adamu Aliero, commended the minister for his efforts at repositioning the aviation sector.

    He, however, said that the sector was capable of generating huge revenue for the country if well positioned.

    He advised the minister to engage more often with critical stakeholders including the National Assembly for advice in carrying out his mandate.

    He further advised agencies under the ministry to be up and doing in securing the lives of Nigerians, who often use air transport as well as ensuring that they complied with international best practices.

  • 71 percent of TB patients are affected by catastrophic cost, says FG

    A survey conducted by the federal government in collaboration with her partners in 2017 showed that 71 percent of TB patients and their households are affected negatively by the catastrophic cost due to tuberculosis (TB).

    This was revealed by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, during a press briefing to commemorate the World Tuberculosis Day and the official launch of the report of the catastrophic cost survey yesterday in Abuja.

    The Minister of Health, who was represented by Dr. Felix Ogenyi, Director of General Services of the Federal Ministry of Health, said that: “A worrisome trend is that of funding. The catastrophic cost survey conducted in 2017 showed that 71% of TB patients and their household are affected negatively by the catastrophic cost due to TB.”

    The report defines catastrophic cost as the total costs (indirect and direct combined) exceeding a given threshold (e.g. 20%) of the household’s annual income, and also as ‘dissaving’ (such as loans taken, property or livestock sale) incurred by patients to face health costs associated with the TB disease (Working definition adopted by the WHO Task force, March, 2015).

    “Our National TB treatment coverage for 2018 was 25%. This implies that out at the estimated 418,000 new TB cases, only 106,533 TB cases were notified in 2018 leaving over 300,000 cases undiagnosed.

    “Similarly, the current proportion of health facilities in the country with TB services is barely 26%.

    “Let me add that the access to TB diagnostic services is also a challenge. The current LGA coverage of Gene Xpert (which is the first-line test for diagnosis of TB) is 41%,” he said.

    He further added that: “To address these challenges, our President, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, participated in the first-ever United Nations high level meeting (UNHLM) on TB that was held in New York, United States in September 2018.

    “The President, along with other leaders, made a firm commitment towards eradicating TB in the world.

    “To further demonstrate government’s determination to END TB, we have developed an action plan for translating the UNHLM commitments on TB into action.

    “The Government of Nigeria is therefore committed to enhancing available services alongside expansion of TB diagnostics and treatment services to improve access in line with our Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda.”

    “Our plan going forward is to: Rapidly expand TB treatment and diagnostic services in both public and private health facilities; ensure capacity development of health care workers on diagnosis and management of TB;

    “Strengthen intra-facility linkage for TB services by ensuring every OPDs attendees are screened for TB in all health facilities; Create an increased demand for TB services through awareness campaigns on TB in health facilities, schools and communities; Ensure improved social protection packages for TB patients and families and ensure a more robust engagement of professional associations and Civil Society Organizations,” he said.

    Dr. Adebola Lawanson, the National Coordinator for the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), said that: “TB is no more a disease that should be confined to the health care facilities alone. We see that social exclusion is one of the greatest problems we have for those who have TB.

    Read also: 1.6 million people die of Tuberculosis, says Fed Govt

    “Stigmatization against people with TB is one major risk factor that we have found out that is also leading to the spread of the disease.

    “A lot of people with the disease shy away from coming out to access the health care facilities. It is a social disease that must be tackled head-on to make sure that people with it are no more stigmatized.

    “The federal government wants Nigerians to be healthy.

    “With the support of our partners, these drugs and facilities are made available to ensure that people access them, and don’t expend a lot of their resources, in fact, they don’t expend any of their resources in taking care of themselves because service have been provided free of charge.”

    TB is curable; Diagnosis and TB treatment are available free of charge in oil DOTS centres notion-wide; Persistent cough for two or more weeks could be TB; Toll-free help-line for TB is 08002255282.

  • Buhari appoints Jauro as NESREA DG

    President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Prof. Aliyu Jauro as the new Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, (NESREA).

    NESREA’s Deputy Director (Information), Oyofo Sule, confirmed his appointment in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

    The statement said that Jauro takes over from Dr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam whose tenure expired on the 17th of February 2019.

    According to the statement, Jauro, before the appointment, was Deputy Director at the National Centre for Petroleum Research and Development, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, (A.T.B.U) Bauchi.

    He holds a Bachelor of Tech. Degree in Industrial Chemistry from A.T.B.U Bauchi and MSc and PhD Degrees in Industrial Chemistry from the same University.

    He joined the university as a Graduate Assistant in 1997 and rose through the ranks to become a Prof in Industrial Chemistry in 2014.

    Read also: Buhari mourns Literary Icon, Gabriel Okara

    Addressing the Management and Staff on assumption of office, the new Director General declared, “I am here to move the Agency to the next level.

    “I expect high standard of professionalism, integrity and dedication to duty.”

    He promised to operate an open-door policy, stressing that he will bring his wealth of experience to bear in ensuring that NESREA lives up to its mandate.

    He commended the acting Director General, Mrs. Miranda Amachree for the achievements recorded in her short period in that capacity.

    Prof. Jauro won the German Academic Exchange Scholarship (DAAD) and the European Association of Organic Geochemists (EAOG) Travel Grant in 2005.

    He is a fellow of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), as well as a member of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, (MICCON) and of Polymer Institute of Nigeria (MPIN).

  • Ganduje thanks supporters for re-electing him

    Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has thanked the people of the state for re-electing him for a second term.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Ganduje, winner of the Kano State governorship supplementary election held Saturday.

    In the supplementary election held in 28 out of the 44 local government areas in the state, Ganduje  won by scoring 45,876 votes to  the PDP Abba Yusuf’s 10,239.

    State Returning Officer Prof. Bello Shehu,  announced that Ganduje scored a total vote of 1,033,695 while Mr Yusuf polled 1,024,713.
    ‎
    Ganduje , who made the promise in his re-election speech on Sunday night in Kano, called on all to join hands with him to build the state.‎

    He also said that ‎he would run an all inclusive government that will carry everyone along in the administration of the state.

    ‎‎The governor thanked the people for their believing in his capacity to lead them and for the peaceful conduct of the March 23 re-run election.

    The governor also promised not to fail the electorate.

    He also pledged to consolidate on his achievement and also embark on people oriented project.

    ” We going to complete all projects and initiate new ones and we are also open to new ideas and new vision,” he said.

    ‎The governor who thank God for the resounding victory urged the people of the state irrespective of their political inclination to join hands to move Kano forward.

    “I thank all who voted me, those that did not vote me and and those who did not vote at all.

    “Girl child education, agriculture, women and youth empowerment, healthcare delivery, peace and security will be my focus in the next four years.

    “I thank you for the fresh mandate and I promise to serve you better because the victory is not for me or my deputy, the victory is for the good people of Kano.‎

    “As we get ready to start our second term, I urge you to continue to maintain the peace we have so far enjoyed,” he said.

    ‎He commended INEC  for their professionalism and also thanked the electorate in the state for re-electing President Muhammadu Buhari.(NAN)

  • What we expect Buhari to do, by Yoruba elders

    THE Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure true federalism and national unity.

    Its Secretary-General, Dr. Kunle Olajide, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the President needed to return the nation to the era of revenue generation and not sharing of allocation.

    Olajide, who is also a retired medical practitioner and a traditional title holder in Ibadan land, said: “I have written a congratulatory letter to the President on his re-election and assured him of YCE’s support for his administration towards achieving a greater Nigeria.

    “In the letter, I told him that his victory carries enormous responsibilities among which were the need to ensure national unity and a revisit of the El-Rufai’s committee report on restructuring.

    “The President has replied the letter, appreciating it and the in-depth suggestions. He assured me that the suggestions will be given adequate cognizance.”

    The YCE leader said the nation could achieve rapid growth with true federalism, which allowed devolution of powers.

    He stressed that the decisions of the Governor Nasir El-Rufai led committee on restructuring set up by Buhari’s administration in 2017 was far-reaching, calling on the President to revisit the report.

    “We have to gradually move back to the period of generating revenue and not sharing revenue. Each federating unit should be allowed to exploit and explore its resources.

    “They should then pay an agreed percentage to maintain few essential services in the centre such as Defence, Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Custom services,” he said.

    Olajide said there were only 14 items on the exclusive list in the First Republic and the rest were residual for the states.

    According to him, “today, there are 66 items on the exclusive list. The intervention of the military in 1966 truncated the march to true federalism.

    “So, in the next four years, Buhari should be able to finish the process, foundation and implementation of the El-Rufai’s committee recommendations. I think it is very essential that the report is implemented as a first step to entrench a true federal system of government.”

    He also called on the President to make national unity a priority, urging him to ensure that all parts of the country were given sense of belonging through appointments and projects.

    “The President should ensure that his appointments reflect the diversity of Nigeria and in line with the Federal Character Principle enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. We must ensure that people think of Nigeria before anything else, irrespective of tribe and religious affiliation. The President must ensure that he bequeaths a legacy of a united Nigeria.

    “He must ensure that the people remained the centre of all their decisions, including security of lives and properties.”

    On the 2019 general election, he said the nation had made some progress, adding that the conduct was still better than those witnessed in the past.

    Olajide suggested that INEC should be unbundled from its overloaded responsibilities.

    He said the electoral umpire should only be responsible for registering of political parties and conduction of elections.

    He called for the constitution of Election Offence Tribunal to handle cases of electoral malpractice.

    The YCE leader said civil security agencies and not military, should play roles in elections, suggesting recruitment of more personnel for the police as well as NSCDC to meet up with required number.

    “Let me confess. I am very proud of the Yoruba race. The outcome of the election gladdens my heart considerably because the political temperature was very high during the campaign season. Everybody was anxious and worried that there might be widespread violence. Yes, there were violence and skirmishes here and there, but not to the extent envisaged.

    “Looking at the conduct of the election by itself, I think we have made progress. We are not yet there, but we are far better than where we were before in Yorubaland,” he said.

  • Breaking: Onnoghen likely to face fresh criminal charges

    The suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, may face two fresh trials on alleged huge deposits on his accounts.

    There were indications that Onnoghen might be tried for alleged several breaches of the criminal and anti-corruption laws, including money laundering, bribery and tax evasion.

    The latest cases also border on alleged strange deposits in his accounts and cash gifts from some Senior Advocates of Nigeria( SANs).

    It was learnt that the Federal Government has delayed the arraignment of the CJN in deference to the constitutional provisions on the National Judicial Council (NJC).

    The constitution stipulates that such allegations against a judicial officer should first be presented to the NJC.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has submitted a petition and a comprehensive report on Onnoghen’s accounts to the NJC.

    A top government official, who spoke in confidence with select newsmen, said there are three dimensions to the allegations against Onnoghen.

    He said apart from the trial of Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), there might be two other cases against him.

    The source said the suspended CJN might be arraigned before a High Court of Justice very soon.

    The source said: “When President Muhammadu Buhari decided to suspend Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen on the 25th of January, 2019, it was in response to serious allegations of irregularities, illegalities and criminal conduct contained in petitions submitted against the top judicial officer, and indeed some findings of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which not only substantiated those petitions but threw up even more damning facts.

    “Since then, there have been several public revelations and judicial proceedings which are sometimes confusing to members of the general public.”

     “For clarity, there are two different cases currently ongoing before constituted panels and a separate ethical issue in the public domain,

    “The first point of focus has been the failure of the Chief Judge to declare his assets immediately after taking office and every four years thereafter, as required by the 1999 Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, and the Code of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

    “This particular illegality has been admitted in writing by the Chief Justice himself and is a matter for criminal prosecution now before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    “But we must note that because of its specialised nature, CCT has a narrow jurisdiction and the case before it is confined to the issues of asset declaration, failure to declare assets as required by law and false declaration of assets.

    “That is what the CCT had been hearing since charges were first filed against the CJN on the 10th of January, 2019.

    “The prosecution recently closed its case and lawyers to the suspended CJN are now to open the defence or make a no case submission. Just for clarity, it is worth emphasizing that the CCT will only treat issues relating assets declaration.”

    Read also: Onnoghen: No allegations of $3m, 55 houses before tribunal – Prosecutor

    The source gave insights into the new cases against the suspended CJN.

    He added: “The more interesting aspect of the suspended CJN’s dilemma involves allegations of several breaches of the criminal and anti-corruption laws, including money laundering, bribery and tax evasion.

    “It is alleged, for instance, that the suspended CJN is the owner of some domiciliary accounts primarily funded through US dollar cash deposits made by himself.

    “More disturbing is the pattern of deposits which, according to EFCC, were made in a manner inconsistent with financial transparency and the code of conduct for public officials.

    “These include instances of repeated cash deposits of 10,000 US dollars each, totaling close to two million dollars.

    “These serious allegations would ordinarily have gone to the High Court for prosecution, but for a case precedent which stipulates that such allegations against a judicial officer should first be presented to the National Judicial Council, more or less an internal disciplinary panel for erring judicial officers, before being prosecuted in a criminal court.

    “The allegations of unexplained wealth, huge cash deposits being made into the suspended CJ’s Naira, dollar and pound sterling accounts directly from the court and well beyond his estacode and other allowances; unexplained payments into the suspended CJN’s account by lawyers who at the same time were appearing before him for adjudication, etc, are currently being handled by the NJC and would be filed in court after the NJC has made its decision on them.”

    Responding to a question, the top source said: “We must not miss the point that EFCC is also a petitioner against the suspended CJN.

    “After carrying out an extensive investigation, some of the findings submitted by the Commission are truly shocking.

    “For instance, there are findings to the effect that the CJN allegedly received a Mercedes Benz car and dollar cash deposits from Joe Agi, appearing, who is a Senior Advocate.

    “Worse still, the CJN is shown to have received cash gifts directly into his bank accounts from several other senior advocates.

    “These implicating cash transactions were going on, in dollar and Naira, even up to 2017 and 2018.

    “Even as the world eagerly awaits the decision of NJC on these matters, it is pertinent to emphasize that the conclusion of the cases before the CCT and NJC is not likely to be the end of the matter. Criminal charges are still to be filed in court.”

  • My govt is committed to making education affordable to Nigerians – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said the Federal Government is committed to making education affordable to youth of the country through the open and distance learning system (ODL).

    He said this at the 8th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria, yesterday, in Abuja.

    The president also said his government would continue to deploy the necessary resources and facilities through direct budgetary funding and the tertiary education trust fund (TETFund) interventions in order to ensure that provision of quality tertiary education is guaranteed to the youth.

    Buhari, who is the visitor to the university, was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Victor Onuoha, at the occasion.

    He attributed the root cause of crisis recorded in the past in the country to ignorance, saying that his government hopes to put an end to it through functional education.

    The President said: “It is of common knowledge that the root cause of most of the recorded crisis of nationhood that we recorded in Nigeria are as a result of ignorance which we hope can be abated through functional education.

    “This is why the federal government of Nigeria is more than ever before, committed to making education affordable through the open and distance learning system. In this connection, therefore, the national policy on education have provided for lifelong learning that transcends all barriers through open and distance learning.

    “As a government, we reiterate our commitment to continue to deplore, the necessary resources and facilities through direct budgetary funding, TETFund interventions and the NEEDS assessment funding to ensure that provision of quality tertiary education is guaranteed to our teeming youth.”

    The president commended NOUN for expending access to higher education for Nigerians.

    Buhari added that the government would strengthen the ODL system of NOUN in order to meet its target of expanding access to tertiary education.

    “It is gratifying to note that NOUN continues to record successes at the national level by expanding access to higher education as well as making it affordable. In this regard, the national open university of Nigeria has carved a niche for itself both nationally and internationally.

    “The open and distance learning institution (ODL) will therefore be strengthened to take the lead in this desired direction’” the president said.

    In his remarks, NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, said that 20, 799 graduated from the university.

    He explained that the massive increase in the number of graduates of the university was as a result of the confidence Nigerians have placed on the efficacy of the ODL system.

    According to him, the university awarded 103 First Class degree to the graduating students.

    Bala Salhu Magaji of the department of Islamic Studies emerged the overall best graduating student at the occasion.