Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari
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Photos: Buhari in Osun as state clocks 25
L-R: President Muhammadu Buhari; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; member, House of Representatives, Kosofe federal Constituency, Hon. Rotimi Agunloye and Deputy Governor, Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo during the Arrival of the President at the Ibadan Airport enroute Osogbo, Osun State, on Thursday. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); with his Borno and Oyo States counterparts, Governors Ibrahim Shettima (right); Abiola Ajimobi (left); former Interim National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande (2nd left) and member, House of Representatives, Kosofe federal Constituency, Hon. Rotimi Agunloye (3rd right) during the Arrival of the President Muhammadu Buhari at the Ibadan Airport enroute Osogbo, Osun State, on Thursday. R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; his Borno State counterpart, Governor Ibrahim Shettima; former Interim National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande; Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo State counterpart, Governor Abiola Ajimobi during the Arrival of the President Muhammadu Buhari at the Ibadan Airport enroute Osogbo, Osun State Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left), discussing with President Muhammadu Buhari during the Commissioning of Government High School, Osogbo, in commemoration of Osun State 25th Anniversary, Osogbo Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left), discussing with President Muhammadu Buhari (middle) during the Commissioning of Government High School, Osogbo, in commemoration of Osun State 25th Anniversary, on Thursday, September 1, 2016. With them is Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (extreme right). R-L: President Muhammadu Buhari; Lagos, Oyo and Borno States Governors, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Sen. Abiola Ajimobi and Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima during the Commissioning of Government High School, Osogbo in commemoration of Osun State 25th Anniversary. President Muhammadu Buhari (middle), with Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right), his Borno State counterpart, Governor Ibrahim Shettima (right); Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) and his Wife, Sherifat (left) during the Commissioning of Government High School, Osogbo in commemoration of Osun State 25th Anniversary -
Buhari appoints new MD for NDPHC
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of a substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and two Executive Directors for the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC).
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director (Press) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi.
The new appointees, the statement said, include Joseph Chiedu Ugbo – Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, who has been serving in acting capacity.
Mallam Babayo Shehu is the new Executive Director (Finance and Administration), and Engineer Ife Oyedele is Executive Director (Engineering and. Technical Services).
Mr. Ugbo is a legal practitioner and infrastructure regulations specialist with extensive experience in electricity industry reform and privatization.
He has Bachelor and Master of Law Degrees from the University of Lagos and was admitted to practice Law in Nigeria in 1991.
For over 15 years, he provided legal advisory services to public sector power entities including legal support to erstwhile National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) and to the Bureau of Public Enterprises during the privatization of the twenty successor companies of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Mallam Babayo Shehu has a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
Mallam Babayo Shehu began his working career with Bauchi State Development Board in 1981.
He was in banking from 1987 to 2003 and thereafter joined the federal public service in 2003 and was in the service from 2003 to 2014.
Engineer Oyedele graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Electrical Engineering from the University of Lagos in 1982.
He is a member, Nigerian Society of Engineers and Institute of Directors.
Between 1982 and 1992, Engineer Oyedele worked in both the public and private sectors.
He established his own company, Messrs Matcom Limited in 1992 and was the Managing Director of the company until his new appointment.
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Osun welcomes Buhari, demand ‘Omoluabi’ ethos of indigene
The State Government of Osun has urged the people of the state to demonstrate the Omoluabi (virtuous) ethos they have been known for, as President Muhammad Buhari arrives the state on Thursday on a day working visit.This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.According to the statement, the President will commission the newly built 3,000 students capacity Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo during the visit.It reads in part: “President Buhari’s visit to Osun will be a testimony to the landmark achievements in the almost six years of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as well as the good working relationship between Osun and the Federal Government.“From our own corner of this great country, we are poised to set examples on how to solve many of the national social economic and political complications confronting us.“The magnificent Osogbo Government High School President Muhammadu Buhari will be commissioning on Thursday is illustrative of the magnitude of our ideas and interventions in the education sector. We remain unrelenting as we continue our assault on delayed infrastructure in our education sector and all other sectors.“We urge the good people of the state to maintain the peace that the state is noted for during and after the President’s visit. We ask them to give a rousing welcome to our amiable President.“We call on our people particularly the people of Osogbo and it’s environs, to come out in their great numbers and give our President a befitting welcome during his visit to our state.“Mr. President’s visit is historic because it marks the first official Presidential visit to the state since we assumed office as the Governor of this great state.” -
I’m not aware NFF engaged foreign coach- Dalung
*Faults NFF’s treatment to Siasia
*Dalung: Nigeria still need Siasia
The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Tuesday declared that he was not officially aware of the appointment of a new foreign coach for the Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).Despite Dalung’s preference for a local coach, the NFF had few weeks back selected a German, Gernot Rohr, to manage the Super Eagles.
Speaking with State House correspondents after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the nation’s outing at the just concluded Olympics in Rio, Brazil, Dalung said that he wished the new coach the best of luck even though NFF has not informed him of Rohr’s appointment.
According to him, he begged the President to host the Nigerian contingent to the Olympics Games in Rio, Brazil, despite winning only one bronze medal in football and coming 78th on the medals table.
He said that Coach Samson Siasia that handled the football team that won the bronze medal at the Olympics, has not resigned as been speculated in the media even though his contract with the NFF had lapsed.
The Minister also faulted the treatment by NFF to Siasia, which withdrew his official car in Abuja while struggling to secure a medal for the country in Rio.
Nigeria, he said, still needed Siasia for football development, as he pushed for his engagement on personal capacity if the NFF would not re-engage him.
He said that it would be sad to have someone like Siasia leave Nigeria to go and represent another country out of frustration, just like many athletes did at the Rio Olympics.
Dalung also exonerated Siasia and his team over the $390, 000 donation by a Japanese surgeon.
After meeting the donor in Rio, the Minister said that he was convinced there were no strings attached to the donation like match-fixing.
He however attributed the abysmal outing of the Nigerian Olympic contingent to late release of funds and inability to develop home-grown talents, noting that many athletes in the continent that performed relatively better were home-trained.
He pointed out that it was time to revisit the basic architecture of sports in the country, stressing that “we need to go back to grassroots” and groom talents for future competitions.
Replying his critics, he said, that he was not the problem of Nigerian sports as abysmal performance predates his appointment.
According to him, the National Sports Commission (NSC) was necessary but was unfortunately scrapped by a government committee that recommended merger of ministries.
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Ondo guber poll: Buhari has no preferred candidate – SGF
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal on Monday told the twenty four All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants gunning for the party’s ticket to run for the Ondo State governorship election and that President Muhammadu Buhari has no preferred candidate among them.
The APC Governorship primaries will hold in the state on Saturday.
Speaking at the end of the meeting with the aspirants in Abuja, Lawal said that level playing ground will be given to all the aspirants.
He warned that the security agencies have been properly brief to ensure there is protection of lives and properties during the primary election in the state.
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Police shielding killers of my son- deceased father
Daniel Kokorifa, the father of Innocent, the 17-year-old boy allegedly killed by policemen in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Monday, accused the police of trying to shield the police team that killed his son.
He cried that since his son was gunned down by the police on August 18, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, had yet to visit his family and commiserate with them.
The aggrieved father said in an era of change under President Muhammadu Buhari, the police had demonstrated the same impunity which the current administration said it had come to change, in the case of his son’s alleged extra-judicial killing.
Kokorifa was shot dead in mysterious circumstances by the Anti-Vice/Anti-Kidnapping team of the Bayelsa police command along the Air force Road.
The son was said to be running an errand for his mother, Pere, when he was killed in mysterious circumstances by the policemen who deposited his remains at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.
The father of the deceased, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) insisted that his first child out of five children was murdered in cold blood.
He said the victim who was to turn 18 on 9th of September was a peacemaker, a non-smoker who had no records of criminality.
“We are talking about my first son that I invested so much on and was preparing him to live his dream of becoming a lawyer. The police snatched him away from me in an unprofessional manner. Yet, there is no sympathy from the police. They are not handling the matter very well. It seems they want to deny me and my dead son justice.
“I heard that the particular persons who shot my son was arrested and taken to Zone 5 in Benin. I have not confirmed because there is no official channel communicating to me. The police must show transparency in the handling of this case so that the law will take its full course”, the father said.
He said in the spirits of transparency, the identities of members of the police team that shot and killed his son should be made public.
“We have been mourning since this incident happened. We can’t stop mourning Innocent because we love him so much. My wife has been a shadow of herself and my other children are still thinking that one day their big brother will come home. What we demand is justice”, he said.
The murder of Kokorifa has attracted deluge of criticisms against the police from members of the public.
Hundreds of youths, women and activists at the weekend trooped to the streets of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to protest the alleged extra-judicial killing of a 17-year-old Ijaw youth, Master Innocent Kokorifa.
But the police in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Butswat Asinim, said the victim died in a gun battle between a three-man notorious armed robbery gang and the police squad.
Aggrieved youths and activists took off from the NUJ Secretariat, Azikoro Road and marched towards police command headquarters but were stopped by the police at the Onopa axis of the Mbiama-Yenagoa road.
They displayed placards and banners with inscriptions, “police are to protect lives and properties, not to kill innocent citizens”, not every Bayelsa youth is a criminal”, police, please stop the killings”, “we say no to police brutality and many others.
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CAN faults Kerry’s visit
The Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) yesterday berated the United States (US) Secretary of States, Mr. John Kerry over his visit to the country. It alleged that the visit was discriminatory, personal and divisive.
CAN alleged that the visit was targeted to sustain the persecution of Christians.
Kerry’s two-day visit has attracted condemnation from Christian leaders who question his sincerity.
During the visit, Kerry visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, met with the 19 northern governors, three of whom are Christians. At the Presidential Villa, where he was hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari, Kerry met with select northern governors, which also irked critics on the selection process of his hosts.
CAN President Rev. Supo Ayokunle told reporters that Kerry’s action meant lack of respect to the heterogeneous nature of the country. He accused the American official of favouring a section of the country and Muslims to the detriment of the Christian community.
According to Ayokunle, the attitude and disposition of the U.S. Secretary of State and the discrimination he adopted during the visit supports accusations that the President Barack Obama’s administration, alongside Kerry and other strategic U.S. politicians in the Obama’s government openly supported the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general elections, which produced the Buhari presidency.
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Buhari sympathizes with Italy over earthquake
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed deep grief and sympathy with Italy over the deadly earthquake that has claimed more than two hundred lives in the central parts of the country.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari said: “My heart and prayers go out to the people of Italy at this time of national mourning, caused by the devastating earthquake.”
Buhari told the Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Matteo Renzi, that his family, the government and the people of Nigeria shared the grief of Italian citizens over the deadly natural disaster.
The President prayed to God to comfort the families of the victims and grant them the fortitude to overcome their grief at this emotionally challenging time.
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Politicians express mixed feelings over WAI
Some Politicians in Lagos on Thursday expressed mixed feelings over the reintroduction of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) by the Federal Government.
The politicians spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Garba Abari, had said in Abuja that the reintroduction of WAI would enhance an orderly and secure society.
Abari said that the WAI policy should be in line with the Change mantra of the present administration.
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kano Chapter, Alhaji Musa Umar told NAN that some Nigerian need to be forced to be disciplined.
“If Nigerians believe there are no sacred cows in the society, everyone will be discipline.
“We want to see those big men and women who had short-changed the people brought to justice.
“Nigerians do not respect and obey authority; that is why I support the re-introduction of WAI by the inventor of the WAI concept, President Muhammadu Buhari.
“So for the Federal Government to make it more effective, he needs to create a WAI Brigade and start the correction from the top,’’ Umar said.
The 2015 Presidential Candidate of KOWA Party, Prof. Oluremi Sonaiya, said the war should be directed at highly-placed people.
“We have seen the troubles into which their indiscipline has plunged the nation.
“Honestly, I am not sure that is the most urgent need we have at this time but it would be good if the Federal Government meets us and convince us that WAI is needed now.
“The mode of operation should also be made clear. Of course, we do not expect to have soldiers whipping citizens,’’ Sonaiya said.
Mr Denis Aghanya, the Executive Secretary, Global, Action Against Corruption and Bad Leadership (GAAC-BLI), advised the Federal
Government to collaborate with anti-corruption Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) for greater success.“It is a welcome development but government must reposition every institution of its information dissemination like NOA and also ensure that it collaborates with Anti-corruption NGO’s and keep them informed on its programmes.
“That will impact on the society for a National Reorientation which is what we need now,’’ Aghanya said.
He advised government to be mindful of the fundamental human rights of the people and not infringe on them when the exercise begun fully.
Chief Ola Apena, the Deputy Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), urged government to honour the social contract it had with the people, to address indiscipline.
“If you do not honour the social contract to the people, nobody will respect you.
“To wage the war against indiscipline, which to me corruption is part of, we should try to live by example,’’ Apena said.
He urged the states and local governments to join in the exercise by exhibiting some level of discipline in their approach to work and the social contract between them and the people.
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Buhari greets David-West at 80
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated eminent academic and former federal minister, Prof. Tamunoemi Sokari David-West as he turns 80 years on Friday August 26th, 2016.
President Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, recalled his long term relationship with the elder statesman, when he served as Minister of Petroleum, 1984-1985.
He commended Prof. David-West’s steadfastness and forthrightness on issues of good governance, democracy, human rights and the unity of Nigeria, especially when some seem to easily give up on the project of building one great nation.
President Buhari assured the octogenarian that his place in Nigeria’s history is guaranteed for the statesmanship, fearlessness, intellectual depth, resourcefulness and versatility that he brought into public discourse.
The President prayed that the almighty God will continue to grant the former minister good health and more fruitful years of service to his fatherland.