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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

  • Senate probes non – reinstatement of NDPHC GM

    Senate probes non – reinstatement of NDPHC GM

    The Senate has asked its committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate the non-reinstatement of Mrs. Maryam Danna Mohammed as the General Manager (Audit & Compliance) of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), despite directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The mandate followed a petition by the sacked General Manager which was presented to the senate by Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai (APC, Borno).

    Garbai while presenting the petition told the Senate that the petitioner who is one of his constituents in Borno central was wrongly sacked when the board of the company was dissolved in 2016.

    The lawmaker noted out of the 13 General Managers of the company, only the petitioner was relived of her appointment, “despite her meritorious service to the nation spanning 24 years in the power sector”

    He said that the petitioner started from National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA), to Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and NDPHC.

    Garbai said the petitioner did not seek for judicial redress in any court of law,rather she wrote President Buhari, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and now the Senate.

    He said, “Because she is not reinstated, despite the president’s directive, she is seeking the intervention of the senate in this matter. She is a law abiding citizen with unblemished and outstanding record of service to the nation.”

    Garbai laid the petition together with copies of  letters written to the President, the Vice president and the approval for her reinstatement by the President as conveyed in a letter by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

    Mohammed was sack on June 10, 2016 following the dissolution of the executive management of the NDPHC via a letter by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal.

    Out of the 13 General Managers of the company, only Mohammed was relived of her appointment as the dissolution only affected executive management members. Mohammed is not one of them.

    The sacked GM wrote to  President Buhari on June 28, 2016 complaining against what she tagged as  her, ” wrongful disengagement ”  Mohammed told the President that she was disengaged without committing any offence.

    “There are 12 other General Managers of the same status as me that were allowed to remain in their positions, obviously because they are staff of the company and not members of the dissolved Executive Management. This obviously makes the decision to disengage  me without committing any offence discriminatory and unfair, ” she said.

    In December, she wrote a reminder to the President, appealing that, ” given your globally acclaimed leadership qualities of strong principles, honesty, proven integrity, trustworthiness, good moral character and above all fear of Allah, I’m very happy that you will act on my plea.”

    Similarly, she wrote the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo who is the chairman of NDPHC, seeking redress, saying “there was no disciplinary reason or committee to which I have been subjected and found guilty before dismissal from the office.”

    Acting on the prayer of the sacked GM, the President mandated the Attorney- General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to investigate the issue.

    Malami in a letter dated October 25, 2016 to the Chief of Staff; Abba Kyari said President Buhari had during a meeting with him approved the reinstatement of Mrs Mohammed.

    “Please refer to your letter reference No SH/DSD/COS/03/1/A/15 dated 1st July 2016 and our response Ref. No. MJ/DSD/ SH/ 22/ Vol 1/38 dated 7th September, 2016 on the above subject matter.

    “In this connection, I wish to convey to you, Mr. President’s approval vide a meeting with me on the 12th October, 2016 for the reinstatement of the staff (petitioner), Mrs. Maryam Danna Mohammed,” the letter personally signed by Malami reads.

    Over a year after the directive, Mohammed is yet to be reinstated. In the petition, Mohammed said she served the country’s power sector meritoriously for 24 years from NEPA to PHCN and NDPHC.

    “It is also instructive to point out that throughout my twenty-four (24) years of service to the country, I have never been found wanting in the discharge of my duties or was involved in any form of misconduct. Records are readily available to authenticate these facts,” she said.

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki referred the petition to the senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions chaired by Senator Sam Anayanwu (PDP, Imo).

    The committee was given two weeks to investigate the matter and report back to the senate.

     

  • Buhari re-assures on protection of women, girls rights

    Buhari re-assures on protection of women, girls rights

    President Muhammadu Buhari, has re-assured Nigerians that the rights of women and girls will be protected, adding that there will be adequate female representation in governance.

    President Buhari gave the assurance in Abuja while addressing the 2017 Women and Girls Summit organised by the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) with the theme: “Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision 2030.”

    The President, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbe, said to achieve the desired change, resources must be mobilised through reduction of wasteful expenditure and zero tolerance for corruption.

    He reiterated that his administration would continue to accelerate the revamping of the economy with agriculture, manufacturing, mining and others sharing centre stage.

    “As a matter of deliberate policy, my administration will ensure that the rights of women and the girl-child, as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution, are fully protected.

    “I want to restate that women will be adequately represented in government under my administration.

    “ We will also provide greater opportunities for education of women, job creation and economic empowerment.

    “We have also put in place facilities that will make women farmers access credit at one digit rate, because women have the best record of loan repayment of 90 per cent compared to men at 60 per cent.

    “We know rural women suffer terribly and arrangements have been made to make it possible for rural women to have access to life against the challenges that hamper their rights to life,’’ he said.

    The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osibanjo, emphasised the need for additional hands in the campaign towards inclusive governance.

    She called on stakeholders to come up with strategies and programmes to propel the notion of the girl-child in the country as well as the elimination of gender-based violence.

    Earlier, the Director-General of NCWD, Mrs Mary Ekpere-Eta, said the summit was expected to draw attention of policy makers to the critical issues affecting women and girls, for high level discourse and strategic intervention.

    “The day is aimed at calling for more opportunities for girls and to raise awareness on different forms of discrimination faced by the girl-child based on their gender,” she said.

    Read Also: Buhari orders audit of recovered assets within one month

  • Fixing education’s woes

    Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari gathered his ministers, aides, heads of parastatals and others to Aso Rock to discuss the education sector.

    At that meeting, the Education Minister, Mallam Adamu Adamu lamented the poor funding of the sector over the years, saying budgetary allocations were nowhere near what even smaller countries spent on education.

    Between 2012 and 2017, the highest amount Nigeria has allocated to the education was 10.53 per cent of the 2014 budget, which came toN493 billion. The average has been six per cent. In 2018, the government plans to spend seven per cent on education.

    Adamu is asking for up to N1 trillion yearly which would bring Nigeria closer to spending double digits percentage on education.

    Former Education Minister, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili is also supportive of increased investment in education. She said countries like Singapore, China, Malaysia and India have moved from the backwaters of under development to the superhighway of development because they invested in human capital development. She gave China as an example of one country that lifted 700 million of its people out of poverty in 30 years.

    She is positive that commitment to human capital development like these countries, will change the lives of over 100 million Nigerians currently living below the poverty line.

    I applaud President Buhari for setting time aside to discuss how to move our education sector forward. I also praise the Education Minister for being honest enough to lay the poor state of the sector bare to the President, warning him he would not fulfil his party’s campaign promises if he failed to commit more funds to the sector.

    My concern, however, is with the judicious use of whatever funds are allocated to education. I expect that with what he learnt from the retreat, President Buhari would go back to shake the national purse, checking what the nation could do away with so education could get more money. It is therefore of utmost importance that the money be expended well. It must achieve the purpose for which it was voted. It is not enough to budget more money; it would come to no avil if at the end of the day we have nothing to show for it. Before even voting more money, we must decide what direction we want to go with our education. What do we want to achieve? Where is the world going? What opportunities are there for us to take advantage of? What can we give that the world needs? How can we take advantage of our young population? To do these, the President and his team cannot work without data. Nigeria is notorious for not have trusted data to work with. We like to politicise everything – manipulating population figures, achievements, results, learning outcomes just to score political points. We don’t need that any more. We need the truth and data gathered the proper way will tell us the truth we need to take the right decisions for our future. So, dear President, do not vote more money without knowing what the data says about enrolment, retention in schools, number of teachers, number of schools, infrastructure, assessment of learning outcomes, and the like. And, please, let this data be gathered by our own people – not development partners.

    After budgeting on the basis of available data, the next challenge would be for the President to ensure that the budget performs. The funds have to be released in time – and – the funds have to be judiciously utilised. We don’t want to hear things like a classroom block that should have cost N20 million was built for 60 and yet requires major repairs within a year of use. We should follow the money. When what is budgeted can be accounted for, then we can say we have invested in education and our future.

     

  • Buhari orders military crackdown on banditry in Zamfara 

    Buhari orders military crackdown on banditry in Zamfara 

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered a military crackdown on bandits operating in rural communities in Zamfara State, following fresh attacks on some communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas.

    To enable the army carry out this new mandate, the President has approved the request of the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (rtd) for the stationing of a full battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State, and the operationalization of the newly-established 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto in the new Order of Battle (OBAT).

    The President, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, has also approved the movement of the 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army from Sokoto to Gusau upon the take-off of the 8 Division.

    To tackle the desperate actions of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east, through the use of mostly female, underage girls as suicide bombers, President Buhari has equally approved the setting up of an intelligence fusion centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the purpose of gathering and sharing intelligence among the security agencies in the country.

    “This phase of the war will be intelligence-driven and the new centre is expected to intensify the harvesting and sharing of intelligence so as to bring to an early closure, the desperate last-minute activities of the terrorists,” it stated.

  • Buhari approves new measures to check terrorism

    Buhari approves new measures to check terrorism

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday ordered a military crackdown on bandits operating in rural communities in Zamfara State, following fresh attacks on some communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas.

    The President in a statement signed by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President, has approved the request of the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (rtd) for the stationing of a full battalion of Special Forces in Zamfara State to enable the army to carry out the new mandate, and the operationalization of the newly-established 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto in the new Order of Battle (OBAT).

    President Buhari has also approved the movement of the 1 Brigade of the Nigerian Army from Sokoto to Gusau upon the take-off of the 8 Division.

    “To tackle the desperate actions of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east, through the use of mostly female, underage girls as suicide bombers, President Buhari has equally approved the setting up of an intelligence fusion centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for the purpose of gathering and sharing intelligence among the security agencies in the country.

    “This phase of the war will be intelligence-driven and the new centre is expected to intensify the harvesting and sharing of intelligence so as to bring to an early closure, the desperate last-minute activities of the terrorists,” the statement reads.

  • Buhari vows to check recovered assets’ diversion 

    Buhari vows to check recovered assets’ diversion 

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday vowed to put in place measures to check embezzlement and diversion of recovered assets to private pockets.

    He gave the assurance while inaugurating the Audit Committee on the Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets within and outside Nigeria at the First Lady Conference room in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Stressing that all recovered assets must be accounted for, he directed all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies and corporate bodies to give the committee all the necessary support.

    The committee, which has three members including Mr. Olufemi Lijadu, Mrs. Gloria Chinyere Bibigha and Mr. Mohammed Nami, was given four weeks to carry out the assignment.

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting started, immediately after the inauguration ended, with one-minute silence observed for the late former Vice President, Alex Elwueme.

    Inaugurating the committee, Buhari said:  “Members of the committee may recall that pursuant to the resolve of this administration since its inception to pursue a strong and effective anti-corruption regime, and in view of the multiple cases of mis-managed and  misappropriated national assets identified by this administration upon our assumption of office, the Federal Government embarked on tracing and recovery of all such stolen assets within and outside Nigeria using all legal and diplomatic resources at our disposal.

    “The gains of our initiatives over the past two and a half years have been very obvious to all Nigerians. This is clear from the level of investigation, prosecution and forfeitures involving both public and private sector officials in the country.

    “The message has therefore been passed loud and clear that never again as a nation are we going to allow the wanton diversion and embezzlement of public funds to private pockets.

    “Nigerians will further recall that pursuant to requisite directives, recovered assets are progressively being returned to designated accounts by the anti-graft agencies and other agencies of Government involved with the process.

    “In the course of implementing this exercise and given the number of agencies who are concurrently pursuing specialized initiatives and making recoveries for Government, it has become obvious that fundamental gaps still exist in ensuring that the recovered assets are accounted for, and managed in an accurate, transparent and logical manner.” he said

    The President added: “It was in realization of this and due to our determination to ensure that in pursuing the anti-graft war, we do not create new room for dishonorable conduct by any individual or agency that I directed, earlier in the year, that all agencies should send in detailed reports of all their recovered assets as at March, 2017.

    “The decision to inaugurate this Audit Committee on the Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets within and outside Nigeria today is therefore the next step in ensuring that all returns filed by the various agencies are accurate and consistent with actual recoveries made,” he said.

    He said that the Committee is expected to judiciously undertake an audit of all recovery accounts established by government agencies from the date of opening such accounts up to 10th April, 2017.

    “The details of the Committee’s functions are as set out in your Terms of Reference. I congratulate all Members of the Committee on your appointment which is another opportunity for you all to serve your country. I therefore urge you to perform your duties diligently in the best interests of Nigeria,” he said.

    He directed all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Banks, and Companies to give the Committee full cooperation as the assignment was not only crucial to the harvesting of needed resources for national development but towards setting out a fresh template of public accountability.

    He said “Where it becomes necessary, the Committee will of course rely on existing laws to compel the production of information and will also have the benefit of necessary interventions by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in obtaining such information through legal processes, where so required.

    “The Committee is hereby given a time frame of four weeks to finish this assignment and submit its Report to my office. I look forward to receiving your report and recommendations in due course and I wish you the best of luck in this assignment,” he said.

     

    Read Also:  Buhari to bring in more ministers in FEC shake-up

  • FG Largess spur D’Tigress  to perform better

    FG Largess spur D’Tigress  to perform better

    Captain of the D’Tigress, the 2017 Women FIBA Africa cup of nations’ title team, Aisha Mohammed says the latest gesture by the Federal Government to pay them 17.5million naira as earlier promised by President Muhammadu Buhari will spur the team to do better in future.
    Speaking on her team mates’ behalf after receiving the transaction alert of 1m which is her own share of the presidential reward, the captain said the move was timely as they head into 2018 which is the FIBA women’s world cup year.
    “I can confirm that we have received our money as promised when we went to present the trophy we won in Mali to Mr President. On behalf of the team, I will like to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung for making this a reality.
    “We must also not forget sports loving Nigerians who were supporting us while we were battling to bring glory to our motherland.”
    Aisha said the recent action by his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari is a bold statement of intent ahead of their preparation for the world cup.
    “We believe that his Excellency will make funds available through the Ministry of Sports for adequate preparation. Like we have continued to maintain, we don’t intend to participate at the 2018 FIBA world cup just to make up the numbers, we want to show the world that we can compete favourably with the best in the world.”
    In the same vein, the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and Dallas Wings’ player, Evelyn Akhator is optimistic that the recent gesture will help in swaying Nigerians making waves in leagues across Europe and America to come back home and represent their fatherland.
    The WNBA star who is currently contracted to Dynamo Novosibirsk in the Russian league said the presidential largesse did not just boost the morale of the team, but will also send a message to others that “Nigeria will never ignore any of its own.
    “I know that the NBBF is trying to talk to many Nigerian girls in the WNBA and also top leagues in Europe to beef up the team for the world cup.
    The recent act by the government will in no small way play a role in convincing them to pledge their international future to Nigeria.”
    Players were paid 1million naira each while the 5 Technical crew each got 500,0000 naira.

  • Mubi mosque suicide attack cruel – Buhari

    Mubi mosque suicide attack cruel – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has described the early Tuesday morning suicide bomb blast in a mosque in Mubi, Adamawa State as “very cruel and dastardly.”

    Buhari, while commiserating with families of the several victims, government and people of the state, assured that government would do everything required to secure the state from the deadly menace of Boko Haram.

    The President, in a statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, enjoined the people in the entire North-east to be more vigilant and report suspicious persons to security agencies in order to avert further attacks on soft targets by the terrorist group.

    He has also directed the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to deploy more police personnel to prevent further attacks by armed bandits in Zamfara State.

    Noting the current moves by the IGP to review police personnel and strategy in the state, the President directed him to visit the state and report back his findings of the deadly attacks.

    The directives followed recent killings and wanton destruction carried out by unknown gunmen in communities in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas of the state.

    President Buhari prayed that God would console the bereaved families in the Adamawa and Zamfara incidents, heal the injured, and grant rest to the souls of the departed.

  • Buhari turns down two bills

    Buhari turns down two bills

    President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to sign two bills passed by the National Assembly.

    The President withheld assent on The Chartered Institute of Treasury Management (Establishment, etc) Bill 2017 and The Federal University of Wukari (establishment, etc) Bill 2017.

    In a letter dated November 8, 2017 addressed to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, President Buhari noted that in pursuant to Section 58(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) “I hereby convey to the Senate, my decision, on 25th October, 2017 to withhold assent to the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management (establishment, etc) Bill 2017.”

    He noted that the rationale for withholding assent are regarding the scope of, and phrase utilized in the Bill.

    He noted for instance that the phrase “treasury management’ is not defined in the Bill.

    The President said that greater clarity may be required regarding the impact of the Bill on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s regulation of treasury managers in the banks, and the relationship between the proposed Institute and other existing professional institutes that regulate treasury managers in Nigeria.

    On the refusal to assent to the Federal University of Wukari, the president said the ‘Statute” should replace “regulation” throughout the bill for consistency.

    He said that paragraph 9(1) of the 1st Schedule should refer to “the President” and not “the Visitor while paragraph 5 of the 3rd Schedule should refer to sub-paragraph (2) and not sub-paragraph (3).

    Apart from withholding of assent on the two bills, President Buhari sent three other bills to the Senate for consideration and passage into law,

    The new bills are Federal Institute for Industrial research Bill 2017, Nigeria natural medicine development agency (establishment) bill 2017 and the raw materials research and development council (repeal and re-enactment) bill 2017.

  • Buhari vows to improve aviation infrastructure

    Buhari vows to improve aviation infrastructure

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday emphasized the determination of his administration to speed up the improvement of aviation infrastructure in the country for the benefit of the country’s economic development.

    Speaking while receiving the President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Muyiwa Aliu, at the State House, Abuja on Monday, President Buhari declared his total support and commitment to work with regulatory agencies in the aviation sector to make air travel safer throughout the country.

    The President, who received three awards recently won by Nigeria from ICAO, expressed delight with the high ranking accorded Nigeria in safety and security at the airports, following measures put in place to address gaps in airport security.

    On the setting up of a national airline, President Buhari said he was under tremendous pressure from many patriotic Nigerians desirous of establishing one.

    Buhari, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “I equally support a national airline for both patriotic and economic reasons. We have enough trained citizens including pilots and engineers. But Nigerians need to know how we lost the one we had before,” referring to the defunct Nigeria Airways.

    The Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who led the ICAO delegation, informed President Buhari that Nigeria was hosting the meeting of International World Aviation Forum in Abuja starting on Tuesday, the first time such conference will hold anywhere outside Montreal, Canada.

    He said over 40 aviation ministers and representatives from 70 countries, the World Bank, African Development Bank, manufacturers of planes and aviation equipment will attend this year’s conference focusing on “Financing Development of Aviation Infrastructure.”

    The President of ICAO, who is a Nigerian, commended President Buhari for fast-tracking policy initiatives that changed the fortunes of air travel in Nigeria, describing the reconstruction of the runway at the Abuja airport as a rare feat.

    On behalf of the ICAO, Mr Aliu presented a certificate of recognition of the School of Aviation, Zaria as a regional center of excellence; the certification of both Abuja and Lagos airports which have attained ICAO standards for the first time in history, and another certificate marking the attainment of the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001, 2015 by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.