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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

IYC seeks sack of Malami, Dambazau

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau and Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami who have been linked with the reinstatement of former Pensions task Force chief Abdulrasheed Maina into the federal civil service.

The IYC statement by factional President Eric Omare lamented the development had cast a doubt on the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

“In the view of the IYC, this incident clearly shows that the much-touted anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration is mere rhetoric as far as key officers of the administration are concerned. As the saying goes,’’ show me your friend and I will tell you who you are’’.

“If key officers of the Buhari administration, such as Malami and Abdulraham Dambazau, could be involved in such a despicable conduct, then it is safe to say that the Buhari administration pays lip service to anti-corruption war.

“It is on record that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other law enforcement agencies had declared Mr. Maina wanted before now. It is therefore surprising that such as person could find himself back in service under the Buhari administration that professes to be fighting corruption.”

October 26, 2017
Igbo group push for Buhari’s re-election in 2019

The Ndigbo may have begun to change its hard stance against President Muhammadu Buhari as it has started pushing for his re-election in 2019.

A group of Igbo notables, under the auspices of “Ndigbo for PMB 2019” is working for the re-election of the President in the 2019 general election.

The group’s National Coordinator and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja on its modalities.

Ikonne said the time had come for Southeast indigenes to re-launch themselves into the nation’s mainstream politics.

The national coordinator noted that the President’s re-election will reciprocate his love for the Igbo.

According to him, the Southeast had a political miscalculation in the last general election in 2015 and had decided to correct the wrongs of the past.

He said: “Some of our Southeast brothers and sisters did not do too well in the last general election, especially in the presidential election. So, in 2019, the Igbo must be properly positioned and physically seen to be supporting the President of Nigeria in the person of Muhammadu Buhari.

“So, our mission is very simple: to bring the Igbo together from wherever they are for them to throw their support for the re-election of President Buhari. That’s what we will be championing.

“As you can see, there is no other group calling on Mr. President to run for a second term. But this group, Ndi Igbo for PMB, will kick-start that project, the second term project of Mr. President, so that the Igbo will regain their rightful position in Nigerian politics. It is our responsibility.

“So, this first meeting we are holding is to have our state coordinators and national officers to map out our action plan, having in mind that our principal responsibility is to mobilise the Igbo to vote for the President in 2019.

“We will first of all ask him to run; and in asking him to re-contest, we’ll assure him that the Igbo will vote for him massively. This is because if you look at him very well, the President believes in the Igbo more than any other zone in this country, considering his political calculation in previous year.

“The first time he ever ran for President, he used an Igbo man as his running mate. The second and the third time; same thing. There is no other way one can show love than showing that he trusts you.

“But it was very unfortunate that some of our people didn’t see it coming. But thank God, we have a second chance to prove that we believe in this administration of Mr. President. One thing is clear: it is not a party affair but an Igbo affair…”

October 26, 2017
Buhari assents to North-East Development Commission Bill

President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the North East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2017.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters(Senate), Sen Ita Enang, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, the Act, establishes the North-East Development Commission.

He noted that the commission had the mandate to receive and manage funds allocated by the Federal Government and international donor agencies for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of insurgency.

He added that the Act would also help in tackling the menace of poverty and environmental challenges in the North –East.

“It provides for offices of Chairman, Managing Director, Executive Director (Administration and Finance), Executive Director (Humanitarian Affairs), Executive Director (Operations) and members representing the North East Zone to be rotated amongst member states of the commission.

“The commission will among other things coordinate projects and programmes within the Master Plan for the rehabilitation, resettlement, reconciliation, reconstruction and sustainable development of the North-East Zone.

“This will be done in the field of infrastructure, human and social services, including health and nutrition, education and water supply, agriculture, wealth creation and employment opportunities, urban and rural development and poverty alleviation.

“The commission will also liaise with federal ministries, departments, agencies, states and development partners on implementation of all measures approved in the Master Plan for stabilization and development of the North-East by the Federal Government.

“It will equally assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the North-East by any federal ministry, department and agency or company that has an agreement with the Federal Government, and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilised.

“The commission will equally liaise with other stakeholders on tackling of humanitarian, ecological and environmental problems and degradation that arise from natural causes, insurgency and industrial activities in the North-East Zone,’’ he said.

Enang further said the commission would seek humanitarian, human, material, technical and financial support from development partners, local or international, and Non-Governmental Organisations, with a view to developing the North-East region.

He pointed out that the commission was saddled with the responsibility of co-coordinating civil-military confidence building, stabilization measures and activities that lie within the civil-military interface especially before, during and after military and security operations.

He stressed that one other key role of the commission was to act as the focal point to coordinate and harmonise all other interventions programmes and initiatives that the federal government was involved with in the North-East.

The Senior Special Assistant said that the Act as assented to, had been communicated to appropriate authorities.(NAN)

October 25, 2017
Maina: PDP lacks moral authority to attack Buhari, says Presidency

The Presidency on Wednesday insisted that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has no moral right to level any accusations against the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over Abdulrasheed Maina, the embattled former head of the presidential team on pension reforms.

In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity (SSA Media), described Maina as one of the monsters created by the former PDP government, and which are still rearing their ugly heads long after the Party was soundly defeated in the 2015 elections.

“Over and over again, the President Buhari government has pointed out that the administration’s greatest problem is the mess left behind by the previous government. Maina is just one more example,” he said.

Referring to document records from the investigations that led to the disgrace of the former pension boss and his being declared wanted by the EFCC, Malam Shehu noted that Maina was not the only top member of the former government involved in the multibillion naira pensions scandal, but a man warmly ensconced in the bosom of power.

“Top officials in the PDP government, from sectoral heads, to those charged with responsibility for law and order received some of these billions of naira from Maina,” the SSA Media said.

“We have all the transaction records and these are matters that the EFCC has been pursuing to ensure that they all have their day in court.”

Malam Shehu hinted that some influential officials loyal to the previous government may have been the invisible hand in the latest scandal that saw the return of Maina to the public service, despite being on the EFCC’s wanted list.

He, however, assured Nigerians that President Buhari was determined to get to the bottom of the matter of the impunity that led to Maina’s reinstatement.

“Everything will be uncovered in due course,” he said.

“This just goes to show us the scale of corruption that this government is fighting. And, as we can all see, corruption keeps fighting back viciously,” he said.

October 25, 2017
Saraki commends Buhari for signing NEDC Bill into law

Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Wednesday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Bill.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu described the Presidential Assent as a “major development in the efforts by the present administration to restore peace and normalcy in the North East and making the harrowing experience of the people as a result of the insurgency a thing of the past”.

He said, “I applaud President Buhari for signing the North East DevelopmentCommission Bill into law. Now, that the NEDC Act has the full force and effect of the law, it is my hope that we can collectively work towards the rehabilitation, reconstruction and rebuilding of the North East.

“I believe the NEDC Act will help alleviate the suffering of the millions of Nigerians whose lives have been affected by the insurgency in the zone”, the Senate President stated.

“You will recall that when I visited Maiduguri, I promised that the National Assembly will work and pass law to alleviate the suffering of the people. I thank God, Mr. President, my colleagues and members of the House of Representatives for making the promise a reality.”

October 25, 2017
Buhari signs North-East Development Commission Bill

President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the North East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2017.

This is contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters – (Senate) Senator Ita Enang.

The Act establishes the North-East Development Commission with the mandate to receive and manage funds allocated by the Federal Government and international donor agencies for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of insurgency as well as tackling the menace of poverty and environmental challenges of the area.

It provides for the offices of the chairman, Managing Director, Executive Director (Administration and Finance), Executive Director (Humanitarian Affairs), Executive Director (Operations) and members representing the North East Zone to be rotated amongst member states of the commission.

The commission will among other things: Coordinate projects and programmes within the Master Plan for the rehabilitation, resettlement, reconciliation, reconstruction and sustainable development of the North-East Zone in the fields of infrastructure, human and social services, including health and nutrition, education and water supply, agriculture, wealth creation and employment opportunities, urban and rural development and poverty alleviation.

It will also liaise with Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, States and Development Partners on the implementation of all measures approved in the Master Plan for the stabilization and development of the North-East by the Federal Government.

. Assess and report on any project being funded or carried out in the North-East by any Federal Ministry, Department and Agency or company that has an agreement with the Federal Government, and ensure that funds released for such projects are properly utilized.

. Liaise with other stakeholders on the tackling of humanitarian, ecological and environmental problems and degradation that arise from natural causes, insurgency and industrial activities in the North-East Zone.

. Seek humanitarian, human, material, technical and financial support from Development partners (local or international) and Non-governmental organisations with a view to developing the North-East Zone.

. Co-ordinate civil-military confidence building and stabilization measures and also activities that lie within the civil-military interface especially before, during and after military and security operations; and Act as the focal point to coordinate and harmonise all other interventions programmes and initiatives that the Federal Government is involved with in the North-East Zone.

The statement said that the Act as Assented to has been communicated to appropriate Authorities.

October 25, 2017
Now that Buhari is ‘found to be corrupt’

President Buhari is probably fighting a lone war against corruption in high places, as a large number of those working with or around him are not just corrupt but very corrupt, making things just too difficult for him.

And you do not expect him to employ the fire brigade approach and get consumed, too.

If you truly understand how bad, rotten and corrupt the system has been over the decades, you probably wouldn’t be expecting President Buhari to perform the kind of miracle we all expect him to, as expunging corruption from Nigeria’s system cannot be a day’s job.

As we should know, corruption is a terrible and rugged fighter that will fight with the last drop of its blood, especially when you employ the top-down approach of fighting it. It will always fight back, firing on all cylinders.

Their strategy now is to paint President Buhari ‘corrupt’ too, so we can say “they are all the same,” and then naturally desire to go back to the old order; and they have almost succeeded, with the events playing out recently.

Remember also President Buhari had lamented how corruption is fighting back over and over since he started the fight, but we seem not to pay adequate attention to really understand him.

While assuring that Nigeria is determined to emerge victorious in the war against corruption, Buhari told the world that corrupt Nigerians had built a formidable arsenal of illicit wealth, which they had deployed against the fight on diverse fronts.

Consequently, I enjoin us not to be ignorant of the vices of corruption, even as I urge President Buhari to up his game, and redraft his anti-corruption strategy so that his efforts may not be wasted.

VP Osinbajo once said that if President Buhari lost the war on corruption the consequences would be bad for Nigeria

“The effect of corruption on Nigeria is, of course, unquantifiable. Aside from soiling Nigeria’s corporate image in the international community, all the social, economic and political structures in the country have been ruined by corruption. Social services and infrastructure are in a shambles.

“The people are pauperized as the ordinary people are always the victims. While the people wallow in abject poverty and want, members of the political class and their business class associates bask in stupendous stolen wealth.” – The Guardian.

In summary, let us be on the lookout for their strategies and see things from a different perspective while contributing our individual quota to the fight against corruption.

By Philip Obin,
APC Chairmanship Candidate, Biase LGA, Cross River State,
@PhilipObin, www.philipobin.com

October 25, 2017
Maina family rises in defence of son

Barely 24 hours after his properties were sealed by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kaduna, family members of the embattled former chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina have cried out that their son is being persecuted by corrupt elements in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

They said, the ongoing ‘persecutions’ of Abdulrasheed Maina, was the handiwork of a cabal in government, which is witch-hunting him because he did not allow them steal pension fund.

The Maina family however threatened that, Abdulrasheed will soon open the can of worm, as regard facts in his possession which they said are capable of nailing the cabals in his pursuit.

The Abdullahi Maina family said that their son is not a fraudster but someone who worked diligently to save pensioners from thieves, adding that his recent sack by President Muhammadu Buhari was because Mr President was misinformed. The family lamented that the ongoing persecution by a government that preaches the rule of law is bad, but noted that Abdulrasheed is in possession of documents and facts that would vindicate him and show the true intention of his persecutors.

Addressing the media Wednesday in Kaduna, spokesman of the Maina family, Malam Aliyu Maina, who was flanked by Salihu Maina and Ladan Abdullahi, said that the marking of the houses they inherited from their father in Kaduna by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is wrong, but they are ready to take legal recourse to protect their fundamental rights.

They said that Abdulrasheed left Nigeria following threats to his life, only for President Muhammadu Buhari to invite him to come and help his administration. “You must have noticed the recent attempt by some cabal to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Maina family in the media. Were our brother, Abdulrasheed Maina has been blackmailed as a fraudster.

“The cabals have gone to the extent of marking our house in red paints with an inscription of E.F.C.C under investigation. The EFCC is wrong in their action because Abdulrasheed inherited so many properties from his late father in Kaduna and Abuja, some of them were built before he was born so how could he have acquired them fraudulently.

“The entire family of Abdullahi Maina is categorically stating that our son is not in any way a fraudster, rather he is a messiah who brought reforms into Nigerian Pension Scheme, whose effort saw the disappearance of pensioners roaming the streets of Abuja and other state capital in Nigeria.

“It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina’s reform put to a stop the fraudulent withdrawals of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board, the Nigerian Police Pension Board etc. Perhaps it is this noble effort that made him enviable to the present administration when they came into power to convince him to come back and assist in its “Change” agenda.”

According to the family, the recent actions may have been targeted at not Maina but high above, “we are aware that all this act of calumny is not targeted against Abdulrasheed Maina alone but against the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and the office of the Attorney General. We have contacted our lawyers Messr Mamma Nasir & Co and instructed them to act appropriately.

“We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of many facts that is against the cabal and interesting to the Nigerian populace, which he will disclose very soon,” the family noted.

October 25, 2017
Maina’s reinstatement embarrassing to FG – APC

The All Progressives Congress says reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, into the Federal Civil Service was an embarrassment to the Federal Government.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the development was unacceptable and also embarrassing to the party.

Maina was said to have been dismissed from the Federal Civil Service for abandoning his duty post and evading arrest for his involvement in the looting of pension funds to the tune of N100 billion.

“We are all shocked like any other person. It is almost unbelievable that such a thing can happen.

“However, we are all delighted that President Muhammadu Buhari has taken very decisive punitive action against those that are involved.

“We are also delighted that he has ordered full scale investigation into the circumstances that led to this individual to be reinstated into the public office,’’ he said.

Abudullahi said that the APC believed that those that were part or found to be part of the development would face appropriate consequences.

He, however, debunked insinuations that the president was shielding the suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal and the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr Ayo Oke, over corruption investigation.

The APC spokesman expressed confidence that the president would do what was necessary and right under the situations in the best interest of the nation.

“Action will definitely be taken on them. I think we should just be kind and wait for the president to take action on that before we come to the conclusion that he has not acted,’’ he said. (NAN)

October 24, 2017
Maina has case to answer with ex-HoS Oronsaye, two others – EFCC

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday directed that controversial civil servant Abdulrasheed Maina be fired.

Maina, former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Task Team was restored and made director after being on the run for an alleged N2b scam, among others.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami directed the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to reinstate Maina, The Nation learnt.

It was also learnt that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, did not make any input into Maina’s reinstatement. In fact, sources said, Mrs. Oyo-Ita advised against Maina’s recall, but she was overruled.

Instead of allowing Mrs. Oyo-Ita to determine Maina’s fate, some top officials of the Ministry of Interior were made members of a committee which recommended his reinstatement.

The officials were members of the Senior Staff Committee (SSC) of the Ministry of Interior.

Also yesterday, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives stormed Maina’s Abuja home ahead of the legal battle for the interim forfeiture of the $2million house.

The agency said Maina still had a case to answer with a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye and two others.

The details of who authorised Maina’s return were contained in a letter of reinstatement sent to the wanted officer by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

Those in Maina’s camp allegedly released the letter to prove that the Federal Government followed “due process” in recalling him to duty.

The September 18 letter was also sent to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

Related: Maina: Senate seeks sack of Malami, Danbazau, others

The letter, signed by Mustapha L. Sulaiman for the FCSC chairman, indicated that the AGF advised the FCSC that Maina should be reinstated.

The letter said: “Kindly refer to the Attorney-General of the Federation/ Honourable Minister of Justice letter Ref. No. HAGF/FCSC/2017/ VOL. 1/3 dated 27th April 2017 requesting Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to give consequential effect to the judgment that voided the warrant of arrest issued against A.A. Maina which formed the basis for the query and his eventual dismissal.

“Further to the aforementioned letter, the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) at its meeting held on 14th June, 2017 deliberated on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF’s) letter and requested the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) vide letter FC.4029/82/VOL.III/160 of 21st June 2017 to advise the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior to consider the AGF’s letter, the Officer’s case and make appropriate recommendation to the Commission.

“The OHCSF accordingly advised the Ministry of Interior to consider the matter. The Ministry of Interior at its Senior Staff Committee (SSC)’s meeting held on 22nd June, 2017 considered the disciplinary case against the Officer and the letter by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice seeking the reinstatement of the Officer as a Director (Administration), SGL. 17 in the Federal Civil Service.

“The Ministry of Interior’s Senior Staff Committee (SSC) deliberated on the case and recommended that Mr. Maina be reinstated into the service as Deputy Director. SGL. 16. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) vide letter Ref. No. HCSF/LU/ COR/ FCSC/749/III/ 135 dated 14th August 2017 forwarded the recommendations of the Senior Staff Committee (SSC) of the Ministry of Interior to the FCSC for further necessary action.

“The FCSC at its meeting held on Wednesday, 16th August, 2017 considered the letter from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the recommendations of the Senior Staff Committee (SSC) of the Ministry of Interior on the disciplinary case against Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, Deputy Director (Administration), Salary Grade Level 16.

“The FCSC, thereafter, approved the reinstatement of the Officer into the Service with effect from 21st February, 2013(being the date he was earlier dismissed from Service).

“The FCSC also approved for the Officer to sit for the next promotion examination to the Post of Director (Administration), SGL. 17.”

Trending: Revealed: AGF Malami ordered Maina’s recall

In the letter, which was sent also to Mrs Oyo-Ita, the FCSC only added a clause as follows: “You are kindly requested to deliver the attached original letter to the Officer, please.”

Giving insights into how Maina was reinstated, some top government sources said the “deal” was executed by the AGF, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and the officials of the Ministry of Interior.

One of the government officials said: “The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation insisted that the reinstatement of Maina was absurd and illegal. She did not play any role in the entire process which led to the recall of the dismissed officer.

“In fact, she refused to add a sentence or a line to a memo routed through her office to the so-called Senior Staff Committee (SSC) of the Ministry of Interior. It is not within the mandate of the SSC to determine a grievous disciplinary case involving Maina.”

Another official said: “When some forces were determined to bring Maina back, the Head of the Civil Service took precautionary measures and warned that the process will fail.

“Instead, what the FCSC did was to compel the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to forward the recommendations of the Senior Staff Committee (SSC) of the Ministry of Interior to it for further necessary action.

“All the documents are intact and they will be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari. I am sure more heads will roll. All the SSC members have no business being in office again.”

As at press time, detectives from the EFCC have stormed the residence of Maina ahead of the legal proceeding for the interim forfeiture of the $2million house.

“We have deployed our detectives to Maina’s posh $2million residence at 10 Amisi Musa Street, Jabi Lake Area to effect his arrest and mark the mansion afresh as still under investigation. We had marked the residence but he had the audacity to clean up the marks.

“Although the suspect has gone underground, we will fish him out at all costs.”

The agency stressed that Maina and Oronsaye had a case to answer before the Federal High Court Abuja on alleged N2billion Pension funds allegedly mismanaged for biometric contracts.

The EFCC source added the case “Maina and three others tagged FHC/ABJ/ CR/97/ 2015 dated July 10, 2015 is still ongoing”. The others are Oronsaye, Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited.

“The suspects are facing a 24-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence. Neither Maina nor Oronsaye has been discharged.

“Oronsaye and two others pleaded not guilty to the charge, Maina has been on the run.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “Steve Oronsaye was only discharged by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on a separate N190 million corruption charges levelled against him. The alleged fraud was committed when Oronsaye was the chairman, Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan

“Following a no-case submission, the trial judge ruled that the prosecution failed to establish its case against him.”

October 24, 2017