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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Fed Govt trains 5000 in Anambra

    The Federal Government under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is training and empowering 5000 unemployed youths and women in Anambra State.

    Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige said under the scheme, the trainees could get loans through the NDE at the Central Bank ranging from N1 million to N10.

    He said the cosmetology training was designed to equip the trainees with skills to produce household products like soap, car wash and disinfectants, among others.

    Addressing the trainees at the Awka South Local Government Area, the Minister said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was laying a foundation for a new Nigeria.

    Ngige said the federal government was prepared to scale down unemployment in the country as soon as possible, adding that the current government does not indulge in noisemaking.”

    The Director General of NDE, Nasiru Mohammed Ladan, said the success of the government’s economy was not determined by the number of skyscrapers people see in the cities, but in the robustness of the rural economy

    This according to him, “when the rural economy thrives, the economy at the center would also be healthy with the prices of goods and services, reducing inflation decreasing and ultimately the negative effects of unemployment and social vices would reduce

    Anambra state Coordinator of NDE, Mr Eke Joseph Iruegbu, said currently, 3000 were being trained, while 1500 had already benefitted

    He said the training was going on simultaneously in seven local government areas in Anambra Central senatorial zone of Awka North, Awka South, Idemili North, Idemili South, Dunukofia Anaocha, among others.

    Ladan and Iruegbu, commended Ngige for sponsoring the programme, which, according to them, has helped in alleviating poverty in the state.

  • 2019 budget hopeless, says Saraki

    The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has described as hopeless the 2019 budget proposal presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

    “We all heard the 2019 budget. That is a budget that has no hope for anybody because when you look at the statistics and the figures, there is poverty. If you look at the figures based on revenues that are coming in, there is nothing left, so where is the future?” Saraki said.

    According to him, the budget proposal, as presented by President Buhari, failed to indicate how it will be funded.

    The President of the Senate handed down the damning verdict in Abuja on Thursday where the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was billed to address some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

    Saraki, who spoke in his capacity as the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, also said Nigerians lived in a safer environment in 2015 than what obtained at present.

    Addressing the gathering of the CSOs, Saraki continued, “There must be an alternative and that is what we hope that by this evening, speaking to our candidate and vice presidential candidate, is not based on sentiments. We are not voting on sentiments we are voting on what is in it for you.

    “How is your life going to be better? Which party offers you a better future because we see you as those who are patriotic and committed? It’s not about what you will get today. It is about this great country. A lot of you have been making sacrifices over the years”.

    Saraki predicted that President Muhammadu Buhari will not attend the presidential debate billed to hold on January 19, 2019, saying however that any President seeking to lead the country should be able to come forward and tell the people what he wants to do for them.

    Speaking further, Saraki said, “This is an interactive session. I am not sure whether the other political parties will give you an opportunity like this to ask them questions.

    “I am told that one has debated and you already know the answer to that debate. On the second one, I am very sure he is not going to debate. So how do you assess somebody who is not ready to tell you what he is going to do?

    “Those days are gone, my good people. The future of this country, a country that leads the continent that is not the example we want to set for this continent.

    “The whole world is going in a direction, if you are seeking a position, you must come and tell people what you want to do, you must sit down and they will ask you questions and that is why we are here.

    “Today is your day, we will sit down and take questions. I hope at the end of this exercise, you will stand up and say yes, this is the team that will secure Nigeria; this is the team that will unite Nigeria; this is the team that will fight the poverty in town and bring a bright future”.

    Also speaking at the event, the vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi, similarly faulted the 2019 budget proposal, saying, “When you look at the revenue, we will spend 60 percent to service debts. So what is left? And they will borrow more.

    “What they borrowed in 2016 and 2017 is the same PDP borrowed in 16 years. When you ask them they say they used it for capital projects”.

    Obi said the federal government under the All Progressives Congress (APC) has incurred more debts in three and half years that what the previous PDP administrations incurred in 16 years.

    He bemoaned the level of poverty in the country and queried  President Buhari for asking Nigerians to tighten their belts. According to him, the Nigerian people have no belts again to tighten, adding, “We now wake up everyday with a sense of helplessness”

    Obi blamed present administration for spurning warnings over the alarming rate of job losses and unemployment in the country, saying that the situation could only get worse because the government is not doing the right thing.

    Stating that the unemployment rate had jumped from 18.8 percent to 23 percent, the PDP vice presidential candidate said the country is on the negative side of most world indices on development indices.

    Obi promised that if the PDP gets elected in 2019, the party would be updating Nigerians with statistics on employment periodically.

     

  • Budget 2019: where is parliamentary decorum?

    The hallowed chamber of the National Assembly was a House of Babel yesterday. Decorum was sacrificed on the altar of partisanship. President Muhammadu Buhari and the nation were embarrassed. The parliament became a laughing stock. The legislative/executive feud assumed a new dimension. Hope of cordial relations dimmed. Nigerians were taken aback. Many observers asked in bewilderment: is the Senate and House of Representatives worthy of national pride?

    The president and the lawmakers had turned up for a strict constitutional duty. The nation was full of eagerness. President Buhari was exercising his constitutional right of presenting the budget, which the legislators also have the constitutional right to vet. But, at what stage? Should the legislature not listen to the president and allow him to place the document before it before kicking off its debate on it? Should the president be prevented, as it were, from performing the ritual of budget speech?

    The parliament has often admonished the executive to consider early presentation of budget to prevent the delay in passing the document. President Muhammadu Buhari has managed to meet the “deadline.” What was the reason for the uproar over a budget that was being presented? Why the attempt at hindering budget presentation? Is the parliament now becoming a platform for frustrating budget estimates?

    Since 2015, the Presidency and the National Assembly appear to be working at cross-purpose. The cat-and-mouse relationship, to say the least, has been counter-productive. It has not been in the national interest. The country has been the loser. Yet, there is no end in sight to mistrust and suspicion. The parliamentary hostility has manifested in budgetary passage delay, rejection of president’s appointees, mutual antagonism and uncanny media war. The gulf deepened, following the defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The acrimony, analysts predict, may heighten as the country warms up for next year’s elections.

    Yesterday’s hullabaloo represented a new pillar on the foundation of executive/legislative discord. The division, as usual, was sharp on the floor. The joint session was rowdy. Anti-Buhari lawmakers were on the prowl. Those supporting the president were on the defensive. To observers, the show of shame underscored the fragility of the core democratic institution and the demonstration of immaturity by aggrieved legislators. When will politicians draw a line between personal agenda and national interest?

    President Buhari may have approached the parliament with a budget of promise, hope and consolidation. To divert attention from the content and its likely improvement over past budgets, he was booed and jeered at as he stepped into the chambers. Indeed, many senators and House of Representatives members have scores to settle with the Commander-in-Chief. He stood before them in honour and dignity of an anti-corruption crusader, a reformist and ‘no-to-business-as usual’ leader. He was kingly as he towered above his tormentors and noisemakers, not only in height, but also in responsibility. It was a wide departure from when President Buhari was military Head of State who brooked no nonsense.

    His message was ignored, not because it lacked potency. The budget speech fell on deaf ears of many legislators, who may be acting a script. The President’s remarks were interrupted. Some lawmakers were shouting on top of their voices, to the consternation of constituents who viewed the unruly behaviour on television. As President Buhari reeled out his achievements across the sectors, shouts of “no, no no” and “lie, lie lie” filled the air.

    For the President, it was a test of emotional stability. President Buhari kept his cool. But, as the irritation persisted, he urged calm. As a statesman, he patiently cautioned the unrepentant legislators. “May I appeal to the honourable members that the world is watching us…we are supposed to be above this.” When they would not listen, he added: “You are only messing up yourselves.” The incorrigible lawmakers intensified the disruptions.

    Tension enveloped the chamber. It was a day of drama.  Some APC lawmakers joined their PDP colleagues in the confusion. The PDP lawmakers saw an opportunity to play politics. They knew why they should make a political capital out of the scenario. The nation is in critical electioneering. At stake is the presidency, which will be hotly contested. To them, the virulent opposition to the president who was visiting the parliament fell into the framework of the resistance to his second term ambition.

    Read also: We’ve made progress on all fronts, Buhari tells Nigerians

    But, does the acrimony and hostility reflect the general perception of the president across the six geo-political zones? Will it alter geo-political calculus during the contest on February 23, next year? Does the budget presentation translate into a popularity test for the president before Nigerians?

    But, why should APC lawmakers join the bandwagon? Where is the place of party discipline? Observers have suggested that some members of the APC caucus are aggrieved because they lost out at the primary. Is the inability of a lawmaker to get a return ticket the end of life? Is a politician not expected to have a second address? Is politics, which is widely perceived as a vocation, now a lucrative career that cannot be forgone? Why are they joining the opposition to throw stones into their own house? Where will the desperation lead them?

    Historians will record the period between 2015 and 2019 as the height of legislative/executive rancour in Nigeria. It may be a consistent tragedy Nigerians will endure till May 29, next year.

  • Update: Applause, boos as Buhari presents 2019 budget

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s presentation of the 2019 Appropriation Bill to the Joint Sitting of the National Assembly began on a rancorous note on Wednesday.

    When he stated the presentation will be his last for the term at the commencement of his speech, some lawmakers shouted amen.

    However, on being interjected at every mention of the modest achievement by his administration in all sectors of the economy, the President was interrupted by claps from those believed to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But opposition lawmakers reacted with boos.

    When he informed the economy recovered from recession, which drew the same response from the floor, the President had to take it again.

    At this point, the President took a short break from his address to advise the lawmakers to be cautious and mindful of the importance of the day.

    “The world is watching us, we are supposed to be above this,” he said.

    Earlier, on resumption of the joint sitting from the over 40- minute closed session, the lawmakers with the two presiding officers seated, broke into freedom song.

    Read Also: Bindow mourns kinsman, ex-defence chief Badeh

    With some on their feet, they sang ‘Freedom come, by struggle, by struggle, freedom come‘.

    Some members were seen collecting and tearing placards carried by their colleagues.

    Fight almost broke out when Bashir Babale (APC, Kano) was dragged away from Diri Douye (PDP, Bayelsa) after he attempted to collect a placard from him.

    When Vice President Osinbajo was quietly led into the chamber by the Presidential Liason Officer (Senate) Eta Enang, the song abated but picked up again until Senate President Saraki asked his colleagues to take their seats

    “Thank you for your understanding. Thank you so much,” he said.

    Saraki’s pleas were followed by some Senators throwing words at themselves across the seats, forcing the song to break out again.

    Buhari was ushered into the chamber with chants of ‘Sai Baba’ and ‘Freedom come’ renting the air.

  • Caught in the crossfire

    Electoral Act falls victim of executive/ legislature tango.

    After all the motion with respect to amending the extant Electoral Act, there was no movement at the end. The heat generated failed, at last, to generate light. President Muhammadu Buhari, who had given the impression that he agreed with the plan to improve on the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, elected to veto the Bill after so much man-hours and funds had been committed by the legislators, officials of the presidency, the National Assembly, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). At four different times,  Buhari had different reasons to withhold his assent. When it was not about the legislature’s reordering of the election time table, it was about typographical errors. On the third attempt to give the country a new electoral act, the president complained it did not accommodate the technological advancement made in 2015 which saw introduction of the voter card reader machines.

    The fourth time legislators worked on the Bill, officials of the National Assembly, Presidency and INEC were reported to have agreed on the provision before it was passed. The president’s dithering and eventual veto of the Bill came, therefore, as a shock, not only to the lawmakers, but lawyers and civil society groups that worked on giving effect to his observations with a view to getting the Act ready before the 2019 elections.

    The Act was another casualty of the frosty relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government. Mutual mistrust made the two branches attach more importance to perceived motives than benefits to the public. While Buhari’s excuse for withholding his assent at the very end was a protocol by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that no member state should alter the electoral act later than 90 days before an election, it is unfortunate that he partook greatly in the delay.

    A lot rests on the 2019 elections as it’s an opportunity to build on the little gains recorded in 2015. Nigerians look forward to joining the league of nations where integrity of the poll system could be taken for granted. The defeat suffered by the ruling party and government in the last elections had been recorded as indication that Nigeria was tired of the impunity that had always reigned during elections in the country, with the expectation that there will be great improvement before 2019.

    It is disheartening that one of the grounds of dispute is believed to be the use of technology; while the executive has denied this we consider it abhorrent that, in this age and time, anyone could even be suspected of nursing opposition to the use of technology to advance conduct of elections. We recall that many of the card reader machines failed to function in 2015 and the subsequent bye elections conducted, and we were looking forward to experiencing seamless accreditation, voting and transmission of results as the electoral commission has promised. The failure to pass the Bill that would have provided legal backing to INEC’s plan is a major setback. Both the executive and legislative arms of government failed Nigerians. There was no reason to have left the amendment to the election year when the air had become poisoned by partisan considerations and relationships further worsened by defections, counter-defections and intra party disputes. There was enough time between 2015 and 2019 to amend the law and make necessary budgetary provision for procurement of needed machines. Going forward, in the ninth National Assembly, we expect the lawmakers to dust up the work already done and ensure that the Bill is presented for presidential assent in 2019. This would allow enough time for all stakeholders to be familiar with it. Civil society organisations and the media should get involved immediately after the election in the national interest.

    Two decades after return to civil rule, with several interventions by the judiciary, we ought to have developed electoral culture showing Nigeria is a matured democracy.

  • Muhammadu Buhari at 76

    In the true tradition of noble service to man and community, President Muhammadu Buhari is a dedicated family man, vigorous defender of the poor and a teetotaller with a puritanistic social life and a clinical political attitude. He has never obtained any contract from anybody, whether in the public or private sector, throughout his professional career as a soldier not even now as a politician. He has never accepted bribes from anybody either.

    He is one individual who does not double-speak. He is as constant as the northern star and openly expresses and canvases his views, without fears. He is not somebody who patronises people or who says what people want to hear.

    I have learnt invaluable lessons from the few fortunate periods I had to work with him. He has the power to persuade and inspire others to the heights they might have thought unattainable. There is honesty in all he does.

    Considering where the nation has found itself today, it will not be out of place to say that perhaps Nigeria’s biggest challenge is good leadership at all levels. Juxtaposed with the human and material resources the nation is endowed with, the issue of good leadership has no doubt been a scarce commodity in the polity.

    Nothing could be farther from the truth when one considers the false steps the Nigerian nation recorded shortly after independence.

    That is why we still hear the great virtues of great men like Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and many others who were a study in good leadership.

    Unfortunately, after these great Nigerians left the stage, hardly can the nation boast of having leaders who came close to them in terms of leadership.

    It was therefore unsurprising that Nigeria which the world saw as a potential star suddenly lost her place despite displaying impressive potential in a few years of infancy.

    Chief among the root causes, were corruption, maladministration, nepotism and lack of vision, such that when Nigeria had all the money, it was either stolen or misapplied.

    However, the coming of the Buhari/Idiagbon regime in 1983 changed the narrative as it was a clear departure from our recent history.

    Though the regime was blamed for truncating the elected government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, and ruled through obnoxious decrees, history will no doubt record that administration as having the best of intentions for so doing.

    That the profile of Buhari and his erstwhile deputy, the late Major Gen. Tunde Idiagbon, rose tremendously much later is a major credit to whatever gaps their regime had.

    Even the press which was a major casualty under the Buhari/Idiagbon regime later became the megaphone that spoke highly of both in later years.

    This no doubt aided Buhari politically when he made a foray into the political arena as presidential aspirant.

    Curiously, he did not achieve this with stolen money, but the fame foisted on him by integrity, accountability and pedigree as a defender of the poor.

    This no doubt was a major campaign issue because he was considered the most popular candidate, ever when he ran against an incumbent twice. It is also instructive that despite his conviction that he was robbed of victory at different times, he relied on the courts for justice each time he lost instead of rocking the boat.

    Now under Buhari, critical infrastructures are being fixed across the country. Even in the South-east where the president recorded the least votes, the narrative is fast changing with no fewer than seventy verifiable on-going and completed projects, funded with tax payers money, including the much criticised sukuk bond.

    Even the Lagos-Ibadan expressway over which Afenifere leaders cried to former President Goodluck Jonathan for years is been fixed by his administration and will soon be completed.

    The beauty of it is that he is focused and his impact is been felt across all critical sectors of our economy.

    So as his family, relations, friends, political associates, groups and organisations locally and overseas celebrate his 76th birthday, I will remain fervent in my prayer him that may the benevolent winds of providence continue to swell the sails of his health and happiness beyond the centennial years.

     

    • By Emmanuel Umohinyang

    Lagos.

  • A dozen reasons for Buhari’s re-election

    On Monday December 17, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari who is seeking re-election for a second term of office will be marking his 76th birthday and, in his own words, “still going strong.”

    His age is no longer an issue in this campaign because by the will of God, not by any design, his main challenger is equally in the same age bracket. This election in February next year then comes down to what each candidate will offer.

    There are many reasons why President Buhari deserves to be re-elected. I shall speak to a dozen of them here:

    He is the best ever President we got so far and here are my reasons: In his character, President Buhari is a well-behaved man.  He is globally recognised as an honest leader, working very hard to cure a wounded nation by righting past wrongs.  He leads from the front,  that is, leading by example.  He is self-confident and has a calm demeanour.  In carrying out his duties, he is never impulsive; he does his duty with self-assurance and confidence.

    A typical example was his handling of the theft of 105 girls from a school boarding house by the Boko Haram terrorists in Dapchi, Yobe state.  Amidst sobbing, lamentation and sorrow, he stood there before the principal, distraught parents and students to give assurances, in a sharp and unbroken voice that “your girls will be brought back” (and so were they, with the exception of Leah Sharibu who, God willing will equally return).

    He likes to attack problems from their roots.  Few of our leaders are endowed with as much patience. He doesn’t lose his calm and composure and knows when to fight and when not to fight.  When there broke a huge uproar over the assertion before the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Her Majesty the Queen of England by the former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, that Nigeria was “fantastically corrupt”, President Buhari’s calm demeanour was on display.  When an apology was offered, all he said was “I want no apologies.  What would I do with apology? Return our stolen money.” With that, he grabbed, not only the moral high ground but the international news headlines as well.

    When the President is confronted with a rankling criticism as had happened many times, he never loses his calm.  He delivered a joke in response that blighted what would have been frightening episodes.  One great asset he has, is his good sense of humour especially while tackling criticism or attack on his person.  Many have derisively called him “Baba Go-slow”, in a clear misunderstanding of his calm demeanour, which is not a sign of inactivity but an underlying ability to think hard without losing one’s cool.

    Unlike one or two of our past leaders, he has no aura of being a messiah or a saviour.  President Buhari would never be seen in public breaking the code of dignity by, either slapping someone or seizing a horsewhip from a policeman to flog an audience member.

    On the many occasions I have reflected on how hard my job is, I try to think of the President. One needs to put oneself into his shoes, carrying the responsibility of more than 200 million people on his shoulders, yet he is a man who maintains a steady, level headed approach towards solving problems; he remains calm and focused on his goals.

    With Muhammadu Buhari as President, Nigeria is in very safe hands; he knows what is good for the country and its people.

    When he won in 2015, one of his main pledges was fighting terrorism, criminality and banditry. He met the tragic situation of perpetual fighting between farmers and herders in the Middle-Belt, spreading southwards, up to the coastal states.  He sought the help of state governors for a solution but they offered very little, if any.  They were and are still divided over the issue.  He pushed the police, the army and other security agencies very hard for the solution.  Today, and notwithstanding the visible hands of politicians in it, he has brought the entire situation in the Middle Belt under control.  He has ended the fighting which would have brought Nigeria to destruction.

    A further reason for the President’s re-election is the success he has recorded fighting terrorism.  If numbers count, bombings and killings have drastically been reduced under the Buhari administration.  Specifically in the North-East, the Nigerian Armed Forces have scaled up their act pushing the Boko Haram terrorists to the very fringes of the Lake Chad and with the on-going revitalisation of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, the ability of the terrorists to launch attacks and retreat into neighbouring territories is being addressed.

    Arising from the successes achieved, the El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club has returned to their home base in Maiduguri.  Emirs of Askira, Uba and other towns have returned to their palaces.  Public secondary schools have resumed in 2016, two years after closure.  All roads leading to and out of Maiduguri have been reopened.  Sambisa forest has been retaken; Arik Air and other airlines now operate scheduled flights to Maiduguri.  The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said 2017 marked the most peaceful Christmas. Of the many who were taken against their will by Boko Haram, about 20,000 terrorists have been released, including 106 Chibok girls, 105 of the Dapchi school girls, Police women and University lecturers.

    Under the Buhari administration, three Air bus helicopters and another three Dauphin helicopters were provided for the Air Force; 18 new aircraft acquired and 13 previously unserviceable planes reactivated.  In addition, 12 Super Tucano aircraft are also on order from the United States.

    The administration has set up a Naval outpost in the Lake Chad and established the 8 Task Force Division in Monguno to further strengthen the 7 Division and the Operation Lafiya Dole in the North East.

    Another reason for his re-election in his undeterred commitment to rid Nigeria of systemic corruption. Grand Corruption, by which leaders will ask the Central Bank to bring out money to be shared across the table has by now been abolished.

    The new whistle-blowing policy has so far yielded N13.8 billion from tax evaders and N7.8b, USD378 million, £27,800 recovered from public officials.

    The increased oversight of ministries, departments and agencies has been addressing the issue of poor remittance by the MDAs; the Presidential Initiative on continuous Audit has flushed out 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries with savings of N200 billion.

    The administration has expanded the coverage of the Treasury Single Account, TSA which implementation now stands at 92 per cent.  By this, the administration has a comprehensive overview of cash flows across the entire government. It has ensured the deployment of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) system to verify the basis of payments to beneficiaries and vendors and has created the Assets Tracking Managing Project to allocate, identity, assess and evaluate all the measurable and un-measurable assets on real time basis.  A central Asset Register to keep a record of all government assets is now in one place, the Ministry of Finance.

    In 2016, the President enlisted Nigeria into Open Government Partnership and a National Plan of Action (2017 -19) is already in place.  This aims to deepen and mainstream transparency mechanisms and citizen’s engagement in the management of public resources.

    In addition, the creation of Efficiency Unit to spearhead the efficient use of government resources and ensure reduction in recurrent expenditure has brought about savings of about N34 billion from travel and transport in 2016, and N10 billion in 2017.

    In the oil and gas sectors, NNPC has been publishing its performance chart  monthly and the administration made a saving of USD 1.7 billion by negotiating down accumulated cash call arrears in its joint ventures.

    Without any controversy, President Buhari is deservedly christened as the champion of infrastructure.  This administration has demonstrated a single-minded commitment to upgrading Nigeria’s transport, power, housing and health infrastructure.

    Two major rail projects have been completed and commissioned: Abuja metro light rail and the Abuja-Kaduna rail. Lagos-Ibadan is due early next year.  Lagos-Kano has been signed and Lagos-Calabar and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri are being negotiated.  About 500 roads are being constructed and hundreds of kilometres of roads are being rehabilitated. The second Niger Bridge is under construction, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano expressway is being constructed while Lagos-Ibadan as well as the East-West road, Lagos-Port Harcourt expressways are being expedited.  Federal spending on works has grown from N18.1 billion in 2015 to N394 billion in 2018.  The Abuja Airport runway was reconstructed within a six week period.  Several water projects long abandoned have been completed and more than 70 ecological fund projects have been awarded and completed.

    Power sector has witnessed a phenomenal growth within this period.  Generation capacity has increased to 7,000MW; transmission capacity is now up 8,000MW and distribution 5,222MW from 2,690MW.

    Under President Buhari, 30 per cent of the budget allocation is for capital spending, an unprecedented allocation of N2.7 trillion was made for infrastructure in 2016 and 2017 fiscal year.

    Obviously, there is so much the nation can gain from the President’s long term thinking when it comes to the diversification of the economy.  He has promoted agriculture, solid minerals and manufacturing to the point that the economy is increasing its resilience even as it grows and consolidates.

    His policies have brought down inflation by about half of what it used to be three years back; external reserves have grown and exports in 2017 were about 70 per cent more than what they were in 2016.  Agriculture grew by 180 per cent last year; raw materials export by over 100 per cent and there was 27 per cent growth in manufactured goods. Six million new tax payers were added to the tax base. Ease of doing business report has moved Nigeria up by 14 places; tax revenue in 2018 is projected at N2.529 trillion, that is 42 per cent increase over the 2017 figure.

    Under the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, 16 moribund and under-performing blending plants have been revitalised, producing 12.7 million bags of NPK Fertilizer in 2017.

    Landmark initiatives in the promotion of the economy include the stabilisation of the currency, the Naira making for a predictable exchange rate; the merger of the official and unofficial rates in the markets, helping in the stabilisation of the microeconomic environment; the achievement of agriculture and national food security and driving industrialisation through the Small and Medium Enterprises in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP. This administration invented and is implementing the biggest ever social investment programme on the continent, feeding 10 million children in school and engaging 500,000 graduates, now going up to one million, in nation building.

    As a compassionate leader and administrator, President Buhari approved N54 billion for the payment of 33 per cent of outstanding pensions arrears and claims, with some of these going back to 2010 when the minimum wage was increased to N18,000.  Under this scheme, 3,542 pensioners in the liquidated Delta Steel Company have been placed on pension; 9,216 of NITEL pensioners are now pay rolled; Retired Biafran Police officers dismissed by the Federal Government in 1971 have been paid; those of the New Nigerian Newspapers and many others have received gratuities and are now placed on pension.

    The compassionate side of the President has equally given so much to state governments in distress.  This was to enable them meet salary and pensions obligations.  Most, if not all have received Budget Support Facility, Paris Club refunds, Infrastructure Loans, Loan Restructuring Facilities with the Central Bank and other commercial banks, and a reduction in their monthly debt service burden.

    In just under four years, President Buhari has shown clearly that he can steer Nigeria above politics, religion and ethnicity. He has delivered on all promises: security, economy, corruption and infrastructure. We have a strong leader with a mass appeal who is seeking a renewal of his mandate in accordance with the Constitution.  He is one of the most influential leaders in today’s world, considering how he brought OPEC and non OPEC Oil producers to cut their losses and bring up fallen oil prices.  He is leading the continent in the war against corruption. President Buhari is a gift, not only to Nigeria but to Africa and the world.  He deserves a second term to consolidate on-going achievement.

     

    • Shehu, is Senior Special Assistant to

    President (Media & Publicity)

  • Imperatives of a Buhari second term

    In 2015, Nigerians, in a bid to avail their ailing nation a lease of fresh air and arrest the growing decay in governance, called President Muhammadu Buhari to national duty as their President. Since then, the nation has experienced a rush of positive changes not known in her history. Before the electorate took that landmark action, the nation was in the grip of a governance rot in which its leadership appeared to have lost touch the realities of the basic needs and requirements of the people they led. The business of leadership appeared to be self-aggrandizement and unbridled influence merchandising in which political leaders carved out territories for themselves and decided who became what from the comfort of their bedrooms.

    The nation was under the guns of terrorists who had successfully seized part of Nigerian territory and ran it under their own laws including collecting taxes. The corruption that reigned in the past regime apparently even affected the morale of the nation’s armed forces such that the mighty Nigerian military, known to have won several laurels on international duties appeared to be unable to defend itself against common criminals that constituted the Boko Haram army. Events in the early part of the Buhari administration later revealed that the military, also receiving the butt of the reign of corruption, was not properly funded and that appropriation for weapons and equipment mostly ended up in private pockets.

    With the threat of suffocating from the rot and corruption that ruled the country, it was no surprise that the electorate seized the opportunity of the 2015 election to vote for a saving intervention for their sinking nation, Then candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari offered a tested pedigree and reputation for nationalism and integrity. Three years on, events have proved that it was a correct choice and decision as President Buhari has frontally tackled every monster in their 16 year nightmare.

    The first challenge that President Buhari faced was to guide the nation out of an economic depression that became the burden of the administration straight from inception, a consequence of the mindless misgovernance of the past.  This economic war had to be fought along with the challenge of the Boko H ram insurgency in the North Est of the country.  The incessant threat of suicide bombers blowing themselves up along with innocent citizens made life a nightmare in Nigeria. Countries round the world were warning their citizens to stay away from Nigeria. The entire north east had shut down and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced into refugee camps. This disaster in the north east put further pressure on an economy already in a depression.

    Measured prudent actions of government ensured that the critical sectors of the economy, particularly agriculture and solid minerals, continued to grow even in the recession. Current statistics show how the administration has brought hope of prosperity in place of dismay and disenchantment that formally gulfed the nation. The economy recorded a 1.95 percent growth in the first quarter of 2018. Although modest, the result was very encouraging coming immediately after a recession. Inflation has fallen for 15 months consecutively from 18.7 per cent in January of 2017 to 12.5 per cent in April of 2018 while external reserves standing at 47.6billion United Sates dollars is the highest recorded in the past five years and double the size of reserves in 2016. A sectorial review shows that results of the administration’s efforts are beginning to come through. IN 2017, solid mineral export grew 565 per cent, export of manufactured products grew by 26.8 per cent, export of agricultural products by 180 per cent and raw material export by154.2 per cent. It tells of great potential that by statistics, the Nigerian Stock Exchange ended 2017 as one of the best performing in the world with returns in excess of 40 per cent. These returns eloquently speak to the administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan which the government launched in April 2017 as its mid-term economic plan. The plan has restoration of economic growth, investment in Nigerians and building a globally competitive economy as its vision. The figures show that President Buhari is on target to realise these dreams to the benefit of the nation.

    While these economic achievements and emerging results are laudable, many believe that that the real value of the President Buhari administration is in the ongoing re- engineering of the Nigerian societal values. Due to the free reign of corruption which unfortunately was championed by the leadership of past administrations in the country, the nation had become one in which impunity was the order. Feculence, sleaze and corruption overthrew   commonly held value and respect for integrity, hard work and trust both in Nigerian public and private lives. No leader was willing to stand up for integrity and become a role model for the public as each struggled to ensure a fatter private pocket from the plunder of publicly owned resources..

    The exemplary conduct of President Muhammadu Buhari, his personal discipline and integrity set a high standard for the nation. Although many who had become used to living off the sweat of the ordinary Nigerians by looting the nation’s commonly owned heritage may not appreciate these attributes, President Buhari is leading Nigerians return to the belief that only those who work hard during the day deserve their supper. People now know that they will be held accountable for their actions and are indeed being so held.

    All the statistics indicate that Nigeria is on the rise again but it is still only fruiting season for the massive effort of the Buhari administration to turn the once dwindling fortunes of Nigeria around. It is critical that the seeds of economic and social recovery already painstakingly sown are also carefully nurtured to fruition to the benefit of all. Continuity fo4r President Buhari will ensure that the several recovery schemes already running and showing so much potential to succeed remain in the competent hands currently managing them and are completed. It will indeed be disastrous to allow the country to slip back into the corruption and impunity that nearly ruined it.

  • Stop blame game, focus on development, Osinbajo tells governors 

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday urged state governors and other stakeholders in the country to stop the blame game and focus on human capital development in their respective areas.

    He made the call during the launching of Human Capital Development Programme: Healthy, Educated and Productive Nigerians for a Globally Competitive Nation by 2030 at the extended National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Advising them to resist playing politics with issues, he said that it was time to get the job done.

    The Vision 2030 focuses on the Human Capital Development and is hinged on three main thematic areas; namely health and nutrition, education and labour force participation.

    Osinbajo said: “As a government, we are fully aware of the issues and we are committed to transforming them. There is no denying that debilitating levels of poverty existed in spite of huge earnings in the past. We are doing exactly what countries like India and Brazil did in a similar situation, for instance kick-starting the Social Investment Programme (SIP).

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    “The Federal Government must together with states collaborate on the issue of human capital development; it should not be a platform for blame games. Concerted collaboration is required now so we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Constant communication with the people is equally important because the resources belong to them,” he stated.

    He stressed the need to promote transparency, accountability and improving existing data.

    In his remarks, Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, said governors had been working very hard to make Nigeria’s economy work in a more transparent manner and remain accountable to the people, adding “we have tried to make sure that every cent is spent.”

    Yari, who is the governor of Zamfara State, stated that the concern raised on human capital development can only be addressed with availability of funds.

    He said: “I can assure you that the governors are committed, but we have to work harder in the area of revenue generation to address all these competing demands.”

    He queried the fact that the VAT has remained stagnant at 5 per cent for the past 25 years, insisting that a political decision has to be taken to increase it in the new year.

    The World Bank Nigeria Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud, said for the world to do well on human capital development, Nigeria has to do well because the world relies on Nigeria’s human capital.

    He stressed that the quality of education improves young person’s opportunity to earn a living and help the economy, urging the government to work on improving human capital development.

    The Country Director, DFID, Debbie Palmer, said Nigeria is ranked near the bottom of the World Bank’s Human Capital Index (152 out of 157 countries globally), describing it as a rude wake-up call for everyone in Nigeria and for everyone who cares about Nigeria.

    USAID Country Director said the US government will continue to honour the partnership in the areas of education and health as well as with the private sector.

    Ms. Zouera Youssoufou, Managing Director and CEO of the Dangote Foundation, commended the government for its commitment to see to the improvement in human capital development.

    The National President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Alhaji Shehu Ladan, in his presentation, listed quality education, special agencies for skills, entrepreneurial support, vocational training, improved infrastructure and improved health care sector  as factors that will improve the country’s human capital development.

  • Oil communities must benefit from 13% derivation fund – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will do everything within the ambit of the law to ensure that oil and gas resources producing communities receive the 13 per cent derivation fund.

    The president made the pledge when he received the Board of Trustees of the Host Communities of Nigeria producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) led by its Chairman, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.

    Buhari said that his administration would ensure that the 13 per cent derivation fund being enjoyed by the states in the Niger Delta Region was judiciously utilized.

    According to him, the derivation fund is constitutionally enshrined and hence all affected oil communities must partake in it.

    “The relevant constitutional laws regarding the 13 per cent derivation fund must be duly observed by the affected state governments in the Niger Delta region,’’ he said.

    The president however, urged leaders in the region to continue to educate the youths in their respective domains on the need to shun any act capable of disrupting peace and stability in the area.

    Earlier in his remarks, Diete-Spiff, who is also the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, announced that HOSCON was negotiating with foreign investors/partners on mechanized agriculture, modular refineries, fertilizer plant and gas utility plant/electricity generating project.

    Diete-Spiff, who was also the first military governor of old Rivers State, presented HOSCON’s top priority demands to the federal government.

    The demands included the release of accrued gas flare penalty money amounting to N98 billion to the host communities.

    “Agitation for the payment of gas flare penalty fund to HOSCON is ongoing and has secured the listening ears of the Vice President and hopefully that of Mr President himself.

    “We wish to state unequivocally with full assurance that if these requests of the host communities are granted, HOSCON will ensure that the funds are judiciously utilized,’’ he said.

    The HOSCON leader said the gesture would economically uplift and empower the Niger Delta people, stop crude theft, youth militancy, pipeline vandalism and illegal refineries. (NAN)