The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Buhari delivers unit to APC Candidates

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday delivered his polling unit 003, Kofar Baru III (A and B) Daura, Katsina State, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the state, Aminu Masari, with 370 votes.

    The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Lado Danmarke, scored 33 votes to come second at the polling unit.

    The result of the State House Assembly at the unit indicated that the APC candidate for the Daura constituency, Nasir Yahaya, got 336 as against 40 votes scored by Lawal Husseini, the PDP candidate.

    NAN reports that the governorship and state house of assembly elections recorded low turn-out of voters when compared to the presidential and national assembly elections held on Feb. 23.

    President Buhari scored 523 votes while his main challenger, Atiku Abubakar of PDP, got three votes and Accord Party scored four votes at the same polling unit 003 during the presidential election on Feb. 23.(NAN)

  • Buhari not against card reader – Omo Agege

    Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is not against having the Card Readers embedded in law.

    Omo-Agege made the remark on Saturday while speaking with newsmen in Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta.

    The senator who represents Delta Central at the National Assembly said lawmakers would addressed the card readers issue in the 9th Assembly.

    “The challenge the president had at that time was the ECOWAS Protocol, it came very late.

    “You cannot make fundamental change in your electoral law six months to the election, otherwise Mr president was not against the spirit of the letters in that amendment,” he said.

    Omo-Agege who just won his returned ticket to the senate alleged electoral malpractices in the Saturday’s Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Delta.

    According to him, there are feelers of ballot box and results sheet snatching in Bomadi, Patani, Warri South-West and some parts Udu LGA.

    He, however, expressed hope that relevant authorities would do justice on that.

    “It will be difficult to give a comprehensive evaluation of the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Delta.

    “The information I am getting from other LGAs is not very good. It is all about ballot box and results sheet snatching.

    ” I do not think that it is good for our democracy.

    “I expect the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do the right thing at the collation level.

    “INEC made it clear that Card Readers must be used in every polling units not withstanding that the court says card reader is not part of the law.

    “Since INEC insist Card Readers must be used, it will be unfair for some to use it and others not to use it.I am hopeful that Great Ogboru will win and some APC candidates in the state House of Assembly,” he said.

    The senator commended security agencies for doing a good job noting that the election was purely a grassroots thing.

    Meanwhile, collation of results are still ongoing in most polling units in Warri South and some other parts of the state.(NAN)

  • PDP to Buhari: Atiku ‘ll soon reclaim his mandate

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop gloating and showboating on Nigerians with the “stolen” 2019 presidential mandate, saying that its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would soon retrieve the mandate at the tribunal.

    The party described President Buhari’s renewed attack on the PDP’s 16 years administrations as a lame attempt to divert public attention from the overwhelming evidence that he rigged the elections.

    A statement yesterday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, also said the President’s statement that the PDP has questions to answer on its 16-year stewardship was part of the plots to obstruct the clear winner, Atiku Abubakar, from going to the tribunal to reclaim the mandate freely given to him by Nigerians.

    The statement said: “It indeed speaks volumes that President Buhari, in his claimed integrity and anti-corruption stance, is grandstanding over the violent rigging of the elections and his attempt to foist himself into a second term in office on the pedestal of stolen votes.

    “President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) should know that the PDP and Nigerians are focused and will not be distracted by any sort of blackmail in the pursuit of the mandate and we are confident that our justices will never allow an illegitimate government to sit over the affairs of our dear nation.

    “Moreover, if anybody has a question to answer on the administration of the nation’s resources, it is President Buhari, who has not been able to offer any explanation on the looting of over N14 trillion from revenue generating agencies in a space of three years under his direct supervision.

    “We ask: was it the PDP that siphoned over N9 trillion, through underhand contracts, as detailed in the leaked NNPC memo, in the same sector President Buhari directly supervises as Minister of Petroleum Resources?

    “Was it the PDP that stole the over N1.1 trillion worth of crude illegally lifted and diverted with 18 unregistered companies in 2017; the over N1.4 trillion in fraudulent oil subsidy regime and many more scams, including funds meant for the welfare of victims of insurgency in the North East under the Buhari administration?”

    The main opposition party insisted that its past administrations created wealth and applied national resources on massive infrastructural development in all critical sectors.

    It also claimed credit for paying off the nation’s huge foreign and domestic debts and grew the economy to be one of the fastest growing in the world.

    The party observed that President Buhari on the other hand, ran the economy into recession within a space of three years without being able to point to any development project his administration initiated and completed despite the huge opportunities at his disposal.

    “President Buhari must note that Nigerians are no longer interested in his incompetence and blame game and this is the very reason they voted massively against him on February 23.

    “He should therefore end his diversionary tactics and get ready to meet the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in court,” the statement added.

  • Buhari extols Osinbajo’s virtues as VP clocks 62

    On the occasion of 62nd birthday anniversary of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,  President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday described his relationship with his deputy  as one of a special bond.

    The President, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja   said he joined Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, her children and other Nigerians across the country as well as friends around the world to celebrate Prof. Osinbajo.

    “I join the world in celebrating this erudite scholar, Minister of the Gospel and a very dependable deputy with whom I share a very special bond,’’ Buhari said.

    Buhari, expressed gratitude to God for preserving the life of Osinbajo.

    He added that in the past four years, Osinbajo has diligently championed the values of setting the foundation for the peace, progress and stability of the country, by working very hard to build a resilient economy, while promoting transparency and accountability.

    The President also extended special appreciation to the Vice President, wishing him many more years of robust health, happiness and fulfilment in his service to God, the nation and humanity.

    According to the president, he looks forward to sharing many special moments of celebration with Osinbajo as they take the country to the ‘Next Level’ in the years ahead.

    In his own birthday message to the Vice President,the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG),Pastor Enoch Adeboye prayed God to strengthen Osinbajo.

    Adeboye in the message posted on his verified  Twitter handle @PastorEAAdeboye said:

  • If only Buhari would listen

    By now, the euphoric celebration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the poll two weeks ago should be over. And so, the time for the President to gird his loins, roll up his sleeves and really put his hands to the plough has come. Unlike he did some four years back when he pegged his redemptive mission on how well his team could manage the collateral damage inflicted on the socio-economic life of the nation by a fleecing gang from the Peoples Democratic Party, Buhari no longer enjoys such luxuries. History, I must say, would deliver a harsh verdict on him should he bungle this fresh opportunity that Providence has placed on his laps to make meaningful and memorable impacts in the lives of all Nigerians. After four years of assessing the damage (real and imagined), it should be taken as given that this government must be adequately equipped to steer the ship of state off the cliff of self-destruct without whining on and on again about missed opportunities and deferred hope. If there was ever going to be a moment to exhale for Nigerians; that time is now. This government cannot afford to clasp its hands in surrender and watch things degenerate beyond the way it is presently. And, most importantly, Buhari ought to know that the buck stops at his table and he cannot throw his nose in the sky, rebuffing genuine advice and informed criticisms from well-meaning and not so well-meaning Nigerians.

    To be clear, no one is saying that Mr. Buhari should not continue with his fight against corruption. But, in doing that, the vicious circle of media and selective trials must stop. The shadow boxing must end. Nigerians are tired of the hilarity. They want to see some real fight. Institutions must be strengthened such that corruptive practices can be nipped in the bud before they grow into monumental monstrosities. For, if the truth must be told, institutional corruption is at the root of the Nigerian narrative of movement without motion. Before our eyes, it became a lucrative venture for everyone who has the privilege of being in charge of government property because culprits hardly get punished in the real sense of the word. With all the song and dance this administration made of the fight, it is yet to be seen if any ‘big fish’ would end up in the prison after conviction at the court. Here, we are not talking about those fast-fingered Internet criminals that the anti-graft agencies parade daily. What amazes most Nigerians is the rate at which people who allegedly raped the national treasury of billions of dollars and ripped its belly open ended up walking away with slaps on the wrists as the ‘full wrath’ of our laws. Unfortunately, the charade still persists in this government such that Nigerians believe that the fight is all noise and hollow fury signifying sheer vacuity. Nothing, they said, has changed as key government officials continue to romance with the so-called treasury looters in the name of political expediency while the President pretends to be unaware of the rot going on around him. Pity.

    The other day, Buhari promised an all-inclusive government and people wondered if he actually knew what that meant. And, in a prognosis that defies logic, he equally said the next four years would be tough. Now, that beggars belief. Sir, you are not a slave driver but the President of a country. Sometimes, I wonder if this man weighs words before unleashing them. If anything, the last four years had been anything but pleasant. Most citizens roughed through the hardships with the hope that another four years of Buhari would either set Nigeria on the path of economic glory or an unexpected gloom. In fact, the opposition PDP latched on the missteps to forecast an inglorious end to Buhari’s reign, bandying figures of job losses and socio-economic traumas of disenchanted Nigerians. It was nothing short of a mystery that, amid the misery, Buhari was picked at the poll ahead of his sweet-talking arch rival, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Having done that, I doubt if any of those that stayed true to the Buhari course is prepared for another season of belt tightening. Ha! When they are not on a suicide mission! Most homes have been stretched to the limits and what they need in the next four years is a breather—something that would compensate them for the sacrifices of the past years. Nothing more.

    For Buhari to succeed, he needs to listen to the pulse of the people and work towards realising their dreams and aspirations. He must understand that he is not an emperor but an elected leader who is simply a first among equals. Unlike his days as a military ruler that was foisted into power through the barrel of the gun in a coup, he is answerable to the people and that includes those who voted against him regardless of which geo-political zone they come from. He doesn’t have to like them or their faces but he must accord them all that is due to them at every point in time. In acting presidential, he should eschew bitterness and embrace the entire country as one. The first weight that he would have to shed off his thinking faculty, to my mind, would be the petty proclamation he once made about first attending to the needs of the 95 per cent that voted for him in some geo-political zones while ignoring the rights and privileges due to the 5 per cent that voted otherwise. The Constitution doesn’t empower him to be selective in the distribution of favours. That is not how democracy works. It should not be subjected to such infantile politics of hatred and pure bigotry. I just hope the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria understands this simple fact.

    In his speech at a ceremony organised to celebrate his 82nd birthday in Abeokuta on Tuesday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said something that should be instructive to Buhari’s desires to succeed. Despite his rabid attacks against the policies, actions and some actions of Buhari, the former military head of state made it clear that he has nothing personal against the President who was a junior officer to him in the Nigerian Army. Yes, he did gloat about the fact he remains the longest serving Nigerian leader dead or alive having spent close to 12 years in office both as military dictator and elected president, Obasanjo said his desire was to engender a focused and committed leadership that would berth a democratic practice of good governance, development and sustainable economic policies. He said the onus is on the Buhari government to show how well it is doing in those areas instead of calling him names for daring to expose ‘the other side’ of the government’s policies which is permissible in a democracy.

    If I were Buhari, I would take time to have a deep introspection into what Obasanjo said. Good enough, he has not spoken against the choice of Nigerians to return Buhari back to power despite his obvious shortcomings. This is not the time to unleash his rabid dogs after him or dismiss his submissions as borne out of pure jealousy. There is a lot of wisdom in separating the wheat from the chaff and the message from the messenger. Buhari, I dare say, stands to gain a lot if he takes another look at Obasanjo’s letter which was released to the public sometimes in January last year. That ‘so long a letter’ contains some bitter truth about the incredulous lethargy that the Buhari leadership style inflicted on the psyche of the nation and which helped to wake a sleeping, if not almost dead, opposition party.

     

     

     

    Those in the corridors of power may not like it. But the contents of that letter set rolling the political tremors that Nigerians were to witness later. With the stroke of the pen, the old wily fox unveiled some discomfiting truth about the government.

    Now, what exactly did he say and how important would those lapses, if left unattended to, affect the Buhari legacy post 2023? Obasanjo, in his usual hit on the nail writing style, expressed deep concerns about the Buhari administration’s loud silence and manifest incompetence in dealing with the killings in the North Central region by blood thirsty herdsmen. He said, aside Buhari’s poor understanding of the economy and vacillating attitude to governance, the President’s clannish disposition and nepotistic proclivities are alien to the principles of democracy. He didn’t make vague allegations but substantiated them with facts and figures which are difficult to dismiss with a wave of the hand. He also noted that Nigerians, who voted massively for Buhari in 2015, were no longer economically-secured as they were under the previous government while the fight against corruption was compromised by the fact that the basest form of corruption and financial crime were being perpetrated with ‘allegations of round tripping against some inner caucus of the Presidency.” These are weighty allegations which the administration is yet to address one year after.

    Yes, Buhari is back to power and that, to my mind, indicates that a large number of the electorates do have the belief that he has the capacity to do things differently and move the nation forward. He surely cannot achieve this if he throws out the baby with the bath water. If you ask me, the Obasanjo letter should be an ever present item on Mr. Buhari’s office tray for those pages bleed with crying facts that could have turned the table against him in the elections. Though the elections are over, Nigerians are still bleeding from the pains of the past and the utter negligence displayed by those whose responsibility it is to keep them safe and secured. The revelry on display at the seat of power when the killings were going on at that time still hurts. Having been given the opportunity to change the narrative, it would be a double jeopardy for the Buhari Presidency to round up in its last years as a monumental mistake in the annals of the Nigerian history just because of a president’s fixations to some anti-democratic norms. Is that what Buhari wants? And by the way, can we have an inspiring list of new Ministers and other appointees by May 29, this time?

  • ‘PDP must explain what happened to our wealth’

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must explain to Nigerians how it managed the huge resources that accrued to the country from oil sales between 1999 and 2014.

    To Labour leaders who came to congratulate him on his electoral victory at the State House, Abuja, the President recounted how his administration inherited a dilapidated infrastructure in 2015, calling to question what the party that held the forte for 16 years did with oil revenue, which peaked under its watch.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said: “PDP has not successfully explained to the country what they did with the money.

    “There were no roads, no rail, no power; they said they spent $16 billion on power, but where is the power?

    “The irresponsible expenditure of that period has not been explained, and Nigerians deserve an answer on that terrible mismanagement of the country.”

    For Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, President Buhari said that Nigeria cannot afford to go back to the era of violence and mayhem.

    He called on Nigerians to avoid anything that could disrupt the election.

    Recalling the negotiations that led to the approval of the N30, 000 minimum wage, the President said he had to ask Labour Minister Chris Ngige to remind the workers what his administration met and what it had achieved with minimal resources.

    He said: “During your negotiation with the minister of labour and when he briefed us in council on N30, 000 minimum wage. I gave an analogy of a mad woman, who went to fetch firewood but then she realised it was to heavy for her to carry, instead of reducing it, she added more.

    “I said, we are struggling to survive as a nation. You (workers) knew what this country was earnings between 2009 and 2015, you knew the state of infrastructure when we came in, God gave them 16 years of unprecedented earnings. Multiply 2.1 million by $100 by 16 years.

    “I don’t think the PDP has been been able to successfully explain to Nigerians what they did with that money. Because some of the roads especially the main ones, from here to Onitsha, from here to Port Harcourt since PTF days not to talk of new ones…monies  they earned from petroleum in 16 years.

    “You know the rail was virtually gone. And power, I asked where is the power? They spent $16 billion on power and Nigerians are asking, where is the power? It was unprecedented, irresponsible expenditure. Most of you are unanswerable to Nigerians, I appealed to you through our mutual friend, the minister of Labour to tell you where we found the country, where we are, and what we have been able to do with the resources available to us.

    “Oil Production from 2.1 million barrels per day went down to half a million. The militants were unleashed on this administration, and yet as confirmed by your leader, we had to ensure pensioners who were dying to collect their entitlements. So really, there were terrible management of this country in last 16 years and we are just trying to make up.

    “We cannot succeed without your cooperation. I appreciate the pressure you are under from your respective constituencies, most especially if you have to submit yourself for elections, you have to prove to your members that you are with them rather than with the government and we understand.”

    Buhari thanked organised Labour “for the support and patriotism you have shown during the presidential election, especially after the unexpected postponement.

    “You and your members stepped in to support willing Nigerians to exercise their civic and patriotic rights to vote. You intervened as patriots, and not for political, religious or tribal purposes. You simply did the right thing during a difficult period for many of us.

    “As a result of what you did, many citizens were able to travel and vote. I am also aware that many of your members were very active in voters education and promotion of peaceful elections in your various communities, thankfully, the presidential elections were conducted peacefully in most parts of the country.

    “As we go to the polls this weekend, my prayer is that we also conduct elections in a non-violent manner.”

    Buhari also thanked Nigerians for giving him another four years adding: “We will remain focused on our promises which remains security, economy and fighting corruption. I want to assure you that the next four years will be peaceful, prosperous and corruption free. I therefore look forward to receiving your proposals so that together we can achieve these goals.”

    On what Nigerians can look forward to in the next lap of the journey, President Buhari promised to trudge ahead with his party’s Change Agenda.

    “We’ll remain focused on our core pillars of security, economy, and fight against corruption.”

    He urged organised Labour to partner with the government to make the country peaceful, prosperous, and corruption free.

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Comrade Ayuba Wabba lauded the President for being worker-friendly, as exemplified in the granting of bailout funds to state governments to pay backlog of salaries and pensions.

    He said: “We all remember the special bailout and budget support you introduced to support state governments during the recession. Your directive during this intervention was that state governments must offset accumulated arrears of salaries and pension liabilities.

    “I remember you publicly asked state governors, ‘how do you manage to sleep at night when the salaries of workers in your state are not paid?’

    “For us, that was one of the finest moments we have had with any President in this country…I can stand here today and say your intervention was the difference between life and death for many workers,” he added.

    “We urge that in this your second term in office, you should continue to make the Nigerian people especially the Nigerian poor the centerpiece of your policy initiatives and actions.”

    Wabba urged the National Assembly to pass the National Minimum Wage Act in earnest, while also asking the President to thereafter sign it into law within the shortest possible time.

     

  • APC chieftain wants state of emergency declared in Rivers ahead of election

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Ibrahim Emokpaire has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in Rivers ahead of the elections.

    The Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections have been scheduled for March 9.

    Emokpaire made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    The APC chieftain said the call had become necessary following the insecurity and killings that characterised the Feb. 23, Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

    Emokpaire, a former APC National Chairmanship aspirant, particularly condemned the killing of soldiers in the state.

    He noted that this was not the first time soldiers and other security agents would be killed in Rivers.

    According to him, there wi no justifiable reason for soldiers and even ordinary citizens to be killed no matter the provocation.

    “There is no country in the whole world where military personnel will be mowed down and the Commande-In-Chief will take it lightly with perpetrators of such heinous crime,’’ Emokpaire said.

    He said that irrespective of the immunity of Rivers State Governor Nysome Wike, the Federal Government should declare a state of emergency in the state.

    This, he said was critical to deter others who think they could kill soldiers and other citizens and get away with it or without consequences.

    “The men in uniform that are protecting the country cannot just be mowed down without consequences. These are people that have committed their lives to protecting Nigerians.

    “Nobody, however, highly placed either with immunity or no immunity from any part of the country has the right to kill soldiers without consequences,’’ he said.

    He, therefore, tasked relevant agencies to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of such killings.

    Emokpaire said that such action must have consequences, saying “we cannot take anything for granted, we cannot turn everything upside down in the name of democracy.’’

    He noted that even in the United States of America, with the largest democratic process in the world, would not tolerate one of its soldiers being killed by anybody.

    “Even when a soldier was attacked and killed by a terrorist on a street in London, the perpetrator was apprehended immediately.

    “Everybody connected with the crime and the perpetrator was apprehended and locked up for interrogation, the house of the terrorist was shut down completely,’’ Emokpaire recalled.

    NAN reports that Rivers had become the most volatile state in Nigeria since after the Feb. 23, Presidential and National Assembly elections as residents of some communities in the state are beginning to leave their original aboard to seek safety elsewhere. (NAN)

  • Polls: Buhari arrives Daura

    President Muhammadu Buhari arrived his home town of Daura on Thursday ahead of the Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday,  March 9.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Buhari landed at the Daura Helipad in a Presidential Chopper marked NAF-541 at 6:50 p.m. in company with his aides and close family members.

    The President was received by the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar, his kinsmen, and hundreds of well-wishers.

    NAN further reports that the President’s wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, is to host a thanksgiving dinner for women and youth organisations in Daura.

  • Buhari drums up support for APC candidates

    President Muhammadu Buhari, drumming up support for the candidates of his All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday urged Nigerians to vote for APC flagbearers on Saturday.

    According to him, security agencies will ensure a peaceful exercise.

    In his message to Nigerians on the rescheduled election, the President described Saturday as important as February 23, when the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held.

    He cautioned youths against yielding themselves as willing tools for violence and ballot box snatching.

    The President said: “The second and final phase of the 2019 general elections comes up on Saturday, March 9, with Nigerians voting for governors and members of Houses of Assembly in the states.

    “Let me once again extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives or sustained injuries as a result of accidents or criminal violence during the elections.

    “The onus is once again on qualified people to turn out in large numbers to exercise their civic rights. With the presidential poll behind us, let us not become complacent, and fail to vote in the gubernatorial poll. The forthcoming elections are as important for good governance as that of the presidency and the National Assembly.

    “Indeed, governance at the state level is closer to us, and should touch our lives more directly. That is why it is vital for us to participate in the choice of who governs us at the state levels.

    “I, therefore, urge you to troop out massively on Saturday to elect your governors and state lawmakers.

    “As a member of the APC, I recommend those standing on the platform of the party to you, as we are guided by progressive ideals, and we will not disappoint you.

    “Equally, I urge you to comport yourself properly, as you turn out for the election. Avoid all deviant behaviours like ballot stuffing, ballot snatching, and any other action that does not conform to best electoral practices.

    “I assure you that the security agencies will be on hand to protect voters, and ensure that the process is not undermined in anyway.”

    The President went on: “Let’s make the gubernatorial polls much better than the presidential, which the local and international observers have adjudged to be free and fair.”

  • I’ll do more, Buhari reassures Nigerians

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday renewed his pledge to work harder and consolidate on the gains on security, economy, jobs creation, anti-graft corruption and infrastructure upgrade.

    Speaking while hosting the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the State House in Abuja, the President promised not to let Nigerians down.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, the President was quoted as saying: “This is my last lap. I will try and work even harder than I have done. I assure you that I will not let you down. I pray that my best will be good enough.”

    The President, who thanked members of the ACF for their consistent and dogged support, said he remained appreciative of their goodwill.

    He said: “I’m very appreciative of this visit, especially when I have seen some of my seniors, some of my colleagues and a couple of my juniors, among the team. This reminds me of the good old days when we were in the military.

    “Actually, nobody dropped from the sky. For Arewa Consultative Forum to identify with me, having come from this geo-political zone, I’m very much appreciative of this.

    “I’m very pleased with the address of the chairman who reminded me of the undertaken we made, basically on the three important things my party campaigned on and succeeded.

    Speaking on behalf of the ACF, the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Mallam Adamu Fika, said the organisation had visited to congratulate President Buhari on his re-election.

    Fika lauded the Federal Government for completing some strategic projects undertaken by previous administrations in the North but abandoned.

    He listed some of the abandoned projects as the Baro Dry Port and the Mambilla Hydro Power station.

    Mallam Fika said: “It is pleasing to note that since then, the Baro Dry Port has been commissioned, while some other projects have been reactivated and are now being implemented.

    “We pray that those organs of government charged with the responsibility for the implementation will double their efforts to ensure that these projects are executed fully to their logical conclusion within reasonable time.”