President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met behind closed doors with two All Progressives Congress (APC) governors.
The governors included Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo).
The arrived together to the Presidential Villa around 3.15p.m.
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
Details later…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said that Nigeria is prepared to help South Sudan stabilize politically and economically.
He gave the assurance while receiving Mr Ezekiel Gatkuoth, Special Envoy of the South Sudanese President at State House, Abuja.
Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, noted that the two countries have a lot in common in the area of developmental aspirations.
He said: “It has not been smooth sailing for us all the way, too. But since South Sudan wants to share from our experience, we will support where we can, and pray hard for your stability.”
The President advised the leaders of South Sudan to keep making sacrifices “till the environment is completely stabilized,” stressing that stability should always be number one priority.
“You can’t manage a country efficiently till you have first stabilized it. Then, the economy must follow. You must provide jobs for the people, particularly the youths. Also, you need to check corruption. Guide your national resources jealously. We will do our best to support,” the President said.
Mr. Gatkuoth, who is also his country’s Petroleum Minister, said President Buhari was widely admired across the continent for his role in fighting corruption, noting that it was the reason the African Union made him a champion of the anti-corruption crusade in Africa.
He said South Sudan was putting its house in order, but needed assistance from Nigeria in the areas of security transformation, constitutional reforms, and infrastructural development.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Independence Day Anniversary Speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari was a litany of false claims, empty assertions and bogus promises.
In a statement Monday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP described as fiction, the President’s claim that the economy had made progress under his administration.
The main opposition party also faulted claims by President Buhari that the administration has provided enabling environment for local and foreign investments.
The PDP said, on the contrary, hard economic realities have shown that not only has the nation become more economically disadvantaged under Buhari, but is presently ranked as one of the world’s poorest.
The statement said, “Perhaps Mr. President needs to be reminded that his new minister of Finance Zainab Ahmed had last month alerted that the nation was facing serious revenue challenges under him, while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) expressed fears that our country is sliding further into recession due to his poor implementation of 2018 budget.
“In his false economic assertions, President Buhari deliberately failed to mention that his administration has returned our beloved country to a debtor nation by accumulating over N22.4 trillion debt through which he had mortgaged the future of our country.
“Mr. President also failed to respond to the fact that his harsh economic policies and demarketing tendencies, have caused a dearth in local and foreign direct investments, leading to over 30 million job losses as detailed by independent surveys including those by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
“Similarly, Mr. President failed to state that due to his incompetence, the naira has fallen from the N165/1USD he met in 2015 to N360 to 1USD. He had no words for the increase in the price of fuel from N87 in 2015 to N145 as well as the hike in the prices of staple foods and essential commodities in Nigeria under his misrule.
“Furthermore, President Buhari claimed that under his administration, corruption, including brazen theft of billions of naira and shady oil deals have become a thing of the past.
“Perhaps, Mr. President forgot that the latest corruption perception index released by Transparency International (TI), which saw our nation moving 12 places down the red line, shows that corruption has increased under him.
“What the Buhari Presidency should note is that Nigerians are no longer swayed by the false performance claims of his administration. They have the facts and nobody can beguile them as was the case in 2015”.
…Calls for global support
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in New York restated Nigeria’s commitment towards the eradication of tuberculosis in the near future.
Addressing a High Level meeting on the theme, “United Against Tuberculosis: Global Action Against Global Threat” on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the President expressed delight that the landmark event was taking place “at a period when the pain of the disease, and its dire consequences on the health and socio-economic development of many developing countries, is on the rise.”
In a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President welcomed the adoption of what he termed “the all-important Political Declaration on: “United to End Tuberculosis: An Urgent Global Response to a Global Epidemic,”
He said that this was the first global forum with dedicated focus on worldwide tuberculosis pandemic.
Acknowledging that “TB has become a global challenge that requires consistent and an all-inclusive global strategy based on research and discovery of new drugs,” the Nigerian President stressed that “such efforts must also include mobilization of funds and global partnership of relevant stakeholders working together to frontally address the scourge.”
He noted that the task before world leaders “is to initiate a global response towards eradicating the disease especially in developing countries, where counter-measures are sometimes beyond the capacity of such nations.”
He also emphasized the “need to develop new strategies that connect national responses with international finance and technical partnership to stop the ravaging disease.”
He said “Nigeria welcomes the adoption of this Political Declaration, especially its relevant provisions which commit to provide diagnosis and treatment to 40 million people, including 3.5 million children between 2018 and 2022.
“The Declaration should also serve as a template for preventing TB for those most-at-risk, through rapid scale up of access to testing the infection, especially for the high-burdened countries,” he said.
The Nigerian leader expressed confidence “that other commitments made under this important document, including those on development of new vaccines, drugs and community-based health services, will further guarantee success in our collective fight against the disease.”
Nigeria’s national TB eradication strategy, he noted, had long been structured to provide tailored quality services in terms of diagnosis, treatment and prevention, adding that “since assuming office in May 2015, we consistently increased budget appropriation for the health sector.”
The budgetary increment, he stressed, was with “a view to ensuring that we promote the well-being of our people through access to qualitative health care services,” adding that, “we are investing in research and development in our various public and specialized institutions.”
The President said the national Action Plan on TB Eradication 2015-2020, which is being pursued with renewed vigour, is structured on five priorities namely: detection of TB in adults and children; improving treatment in specific geographic areas that are under-performing; integrating TB and HIV services; building capacity for diagnosing and treating drug resistant TB; and creating strong and sustainable systems to support these achievements.
Stressing that private sector engagement for TB is also being stridently pursued as a robust Public-Private Mix (PPM), President Buhari, said that the national “strategic plan is geared towards meeting the overall aims of providing Nigerians with universal access to high quality, patient-centred prevention, as well as diagnosis and treatment services for Tuberculosis, TB/HIV and drug-resistance TB by 2020.”
Furthermore, the Nigerian government, he said, is “exploring the possibility of establishing a financial institution dedicated to providing financial lifelines for free, comprehensive and qualitative medical treatments,” aimed at mitigating the “financial burden on victims and to also ensure that we continue to save lives and create favourable conditions for economic and social development.”
Pledging his country’s resolve to address “institutional and societal challenges through the enhancement of strong multi-sectoral mechanisms,” the Nigerian President called on the global community to demonstrate renewed commitment to the Political Declaration on the eradication of TB.
President Muhammadu Buhari has sent warm greetings to Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Segun Awolowo Jnr, on his 55th birthday anniversary September 27, 2018.
Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, joined the Awolowo family, friends and professional colleagues of the Chief Obafemi Awolowo scion in celebrating years of diligence, commitment and vision, which have culminated into exceptional leadership as he serves the country.
The President also congratulated the NEPC Executive Director for the strides taken, and his efforts in repositioning the institution to drive down the philosophy of exploring non-oil markets outside the country, while encouraging inward growth of industries.
As he turns 55, President Buhari prayed that God will grant Awolowo more years of good health, wisdom and strength to continue serving the country.
The Council chamber of the Presidential Villa was scanty on Wednesday when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
Only fourteen ministers were in the Council chamber when Osinbajo kick stated the meeting with the rendition of the National anthem at 11 a.m.
Six ministers, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, had travelled with President Muhammadu Buhari to the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Those present during the opening national anthem rendition on Wednesday included Minister of Agriculture, Minister of State for Agriculture, Minister of Defence.
Others are Minister of Communication, Minister of FCT, Minister of State for Health, Minister of Labour and Minister of State for Labour.
Also in the Council Chamber were Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Minister of State forr Mines and Steel, Minister of Transportation, and Minister of Water Resources.
Opening Muslim prayer was said by the Minister of FCT, Mohammed Bello, while the Christian opening prayer was offered by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has again shifted its presidential primary to Friday, September 28 to avoid a clash with the rerun election in Osun State.
The party had on Sunday night announced a shift of the primary earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 25, 2018 to Thursday, September 27, 2018 apparently to pave the way for President Muhammadu Buhari to be part of the primaries which will be conducted through direct primary.
The President who is the sole presidential aspirant of the party is expected to address the General Assembly of the United Nations on September 25.
In a two-paragraph statement, the Acting National Publicity Secretary said the shift is to allow all registered members across the country to participate in the primary.
“In view of the Osun State Governorship rerun election which has been scheduled for Thursday, September 27th, 2018, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) has now rescheduled the presidential primary election to Friday, September 28th, 2018.
“This is to avoid a clash in dates with the Osun State Governorship rerun election and enable all registered Party members in all thirty-six states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participate in the exercise”
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of N42.68 billion for workers in the aviation and education sectors.
N22.68 billion is for the settlement of outstanding retirement benefits due to the ex-workers of the Nigeria airways while the balance N20 billion is for the immediate release to public universities for their revitalization schemes.
Addressing a press conference on these developments in Abuja Monday, minister of finance Hajia Zainab Ahmed noted that the initial submission regarding the retirement benefits of ex-workers of Nigeria Airways limited in liquidation was N78 billion.
This amount she said “was verified by the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) and other relevant stakeholders in line with the conditions of service of Nigeria Airways and other extant rules and regulations.”
Ahmed noted that “at the end of the verification, the sum of N45 billion was agreed as the total retirement benefits of the affected staff.”
The ex-workers of Nigeria Airways were not paid their retirement benefits for the past 15 years despite the liquidation which brought about myriad of inconveniences for the ex-workers. This unfortunate situation she said “cannot be allowed to continue under a responsible administration.”
It is on this basis that President Buhari approved the immediate release of N22.68 billion being 50% of N45.3 billion total entitlements of the ex-workers of Nigeria Airways limited in liquidation.
To ensure that the President’s directives are duly implemented in line with extant financial rules, the finance minister constituted a Committee to be headed by the Secretary of PICA.
With other members including representatives of the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Aviation, the federal ministry of finance, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), the Union of ex-workers of Nigeria Airways limited in liquidation and Budget Office of the Federation.
The Committee is expected to physically verify the claims of the Pension and relevant Next-of-Kin before the release of the funds to the approved beneficiaries.
Regarding funding measures for the revitalization of public universities, Zainab Ahmed stated that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government of Nigeria in 2013 to improve funding for staff welfare and the provision of critical infrastructure in public universities but some challenges had dogged the implementation of the bilateral agreement due to revenue shortages and other reasons.
To revitalize public universities and ensure smooth running of the tertiary education in the country, it was decided that N20 billion be immediately released for the public universities through the revitalization scheme.
These funds Ahmed said will be released to the beneficiary universities in line with the established criteria used by the Nigerian Universities Commission.
The Government, the finance minister said, will monitor the progress of the implementation with a view to resolving emerging issues and keeping the promises to the relevant stakeholders.
ASUU Vice President, Mr. Emmanuel Osodeke, while responding, wondered why government was releasing only N20 billion, which was to have been a palliative since September 2017.
According to him, “what we expect to be discussing now is how to properly fund public universities sustainably without recourse to national budgets.”
The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, says that the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari does not segregate in its responsibilities to states irrespective of religion or party affiliation.
Osinbajo said that it was the oath the president took on the day they were sworn-in.
According to him, “The president said this country belongs to all of us and for that reason no State will be segregated against as been done in the past. There will be no discrimination as a result of party or religion. This gave rise to the formation of the economic advisory committee that I chair. Every State is being treated equal as of today.”
The vice-president also said that the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport is the first of its kind in the country, adding that the federal government had given approval for the International Cargo Airport, while it was built by the Imo State Government.
Osinbajo spoke while on a courtesy call at the Eze Imo Palace after he had inspected the International Cargo Airport on arrival for a two – day working visit to the State, at the weekend, explaining that the Cargo Airport is an important infrastructural development because of its commercial importance.
He said “facilities at the International Cargo Airport are world class. We have looked at how to cooperate even further and certainly we are going to look at how to involve the private sector and bring in other agencies of the federal government in the running of the cargo airport.
“I am equally here to take another step in our social investment program. The government of President Buhari is poised to give a helping hand to the down trodden and petty traders in our society. Men and women who are involved in various crafts are given a fair chance to succeed. I am here to inaugurate the trader money scheme. This scheme is a loan that we give to the petty traders across the country. We will be giving a minimum of thirty thousand naira each to petty traders in Imo State. The scheme is for the smallest traders. This is a federal government effort to eradicate poverty by putting resources in the hands of the poor with a view to helping to than develop their little businesses.”
On the 200 bed ultra modern hospital donated to the Nigeria Air Force, the vice – president noted, “this is a commendable effort from the side of the Imo State government, giving a 200 bed well equipped hospital to the Nigerian Air Force for the Imo people. The Nigerian Air Force has the man and materials to manage the hospital effectively for the betterment of the Imo people.
“The choice of Nigeria Air Force is good. I want to commend you for the spirit of partnership with the Federal Government. This is the right way to go. As for your request of regard from the federal government, I have taken note and will convey it to the Presidency.”
Governor Rochas Okorocha, in his speech, appealed to the federal government to refund to Imo State the money used in building the cargo airport, stressing that the realisation of the International Cargo Airport of that class is one of the laudable achievements of the Rescue Mission Government in the state.
He said, “in the spirit of the partnership between the state government and the federal government, I plead with the federal government to refund to Imo State some of the monies used in establishing federal institutions and projects across the state, notably Imo International Cargo Airport and the hospitals donated to military and para-military agencies.”
The governor added that, “I am very happy that you are here despite your tight schedule especially now that you have the big task of going around the Country visiting states and communities ravaged by flood.”
Mr Idris can be a little more professional
President Muhammadu Buhari must have stunned not a few persons when, on Wednesday, he restrained the police from inviting Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Osun State governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in yesterday’s election. Trust the Nigeria Police, it does not cost them anything to multiply charges whenever they have an axe to grind with anyone. They had slammed allegations bordering on examination malpractice, criminal conspiracy, impersonation and breach of duty on the senator and four others.
Two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Wahab Adekunle Raheem and Mr. Adam Omosalewa Habeeb, had dragged Adeleke, who also represents Osun West Senatorial District at the National Assembly before an Abuja High Court over alleged certificate forgery. But the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) confirmed that the PDP governorship candidate sat for the May/June examination of the council in 1981 at Ede Muslim School in Ede, Osun State. No sooner had the council cleared Adeleke than the police summoned him for alleged examination malpractice and criminal conspiracy.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said the PDP governorship candidate and Sikiru, his brother, sat for the National Examinations Council Examination (NECO) as internal candidates in 2017, “impersonating” students of Ojo/Aro Community Grammar School, Egbedore LGA, Osun State. Why Adeleke would sit for NECO after sitting for WASCE remains a puzzle because he does not appear to need it. Even if he scored ‘F9’ parallel, that is if he failed all the subjects he sat for in school cert, what is important (to my mind) is that he sat for the examination at all. I stand to be corrected. Anyway, if he claimed to have NECO certificate in his records, and if it is impossible to sit for NECO as an external candidate, it is possible for the senator to have a case to answer.
Perhaps that explained the police invitation to Senator Adeleke and four others: Mr. Sikiru Adeleke, Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School), Mr. Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (school staff responsible for the registration of candidates for the NECO), Mr. Dare Olutope (school teacher who allegedly facilitated the commission of the crime), to report to the Special Investigation Panel, Force Headquarters, Abuja, immediately for arraignment in court.
Adeleke, lest we forget, was one of the top five contenders for the Osun governorship race. Mercifully, President Buhari has asked the police to defer the invitation till after the election. Buhari’s intervention, though suggesting that the police as an institution is not as strong as it should be, is still a soothing and welcome relief in that, the opposition PDP had alleged severally that the ruling APC had planned to rig the election, in collusion with the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This is not strange in the country, though. Even the APC had to address a press conference on Tuesday, to alert of an alleged planned manipulation of the card reader by the PDP. It is immaterial whether the allegations were neither here nor there. What is instructive is that such allegations are not strange at election times in the country. Indeed, they are part of what makes elections tick in our part of the world. Maybe the fact that they are an expected phenomenon is the reason why nobody, including the security agencies, bothers about investigating many of such allegations. This pattern is predictable even as we can also reasonably predict that the outcome of the election is going to be fiercely contested by political parties that lose at the poll. Yet, in any contest, there must be a winner as there must be losers.
This is where the president’s intervention in the Adeleke matter becomes meaningful. Even if Adeleke is guilty as alleged, that is yet to be proved in a court of law. So, for now, whatever charges the police have against him are what they are- – mere charges. Therefore, he is still deemed innocent until otherwise pronounced by a competent court. But, beyond the legalism is the moral poser that such an invitation to the senator and subsequent arraignment raises; especially coming barely four days to an election as crucial as the Osun governorship poll. There is no way the police action, if allowed, would not have led to a backlash which may even end up counter-productive for the ruling party. Even if the APC was not privy to the police invitation to Adeleke and his subsequent arraignment, it would require all the angels in heaven swearing that the police were not acting its script.
The president, in more developed democracies where institutions are strong, would have had no say in the matter. But our democracy has remained nascent, perhaps stunted, because it does not appear to be deepening. Could it be so because that is the way the political elite want it? I have a feeling it pays them for it to be so because that is part of what sustain their permissiveness.
Be that as it may, as I usually say when writing on issues of this nature, it is the person that knows what is done with spittle that spits on the ground and quickly rubs it with his foot. The PDP had to quickly cry foul over every singular move of the ruling party in the state and even the ruling party at the centre because it knows what it (PDP) did in collusion with security agents in the elections in Ekiti and Osun states in the past. We remember what hooded State Security Service (SSS) operatives, soldiers and other security agents did in those places during those elections; how they hounded the opposition and arrested many of them on the eve of the election. So, they have every cause to begin to suspect every move by security agencies as sinister. But for the fact that one million wrongs cannot make a right, and the deeper need to deepen democracy in the country, one would have said the PDP should be left to stew in their own juice.
But then, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, should be careful. The invitation to Adeleke would appear to be his third major gaffe in very recent times. Earlier in the year in the wake of the massacre in Benue State, he ignored President Buhari’s directive to him to relocate to the state so as to be able to fully take charge of affairs. On September 4, policemen from his office invaded the Abuja residence of Chief Edwin Clark, the Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) at about 11am in search of arms and ammunition. Although the police have since apologised and dealt with those involved, the harm has been done.
The point is; much as it is expected that security officers must respect constituted authorities, their allegiance is first and foremost to the country. But they carry on as if it is to the incumbent president. This did not start with Mr Idris; but there is nothing wrong if it stops with him.