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Tag: Presidential villa

  • Shiites, Police clash: IG justifies Kano killings

    Shiites, Police clash: IG justifies Kano killings

    The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris on Tuesday justified the clash between the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) (aka Shi’ites) and the police in Kano State on Monday.

    Eight members of the Shi’ites and one policeman were reportedly killed during the clash.

    Kano State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Yusuf had told reporters on Monday that four policemen and many Shi’ites members were also injured during the clash on Kano-Zaria road.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after the launching of the 2017 Armed Forces Emblem Fund at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Idris said that the police has the responsibility to maintain law and order in every part of the country.

    He said: “Obviously from time to time, we have been experiencing upheavals from this set of people. As police officers, we have responsibility to ensure there is law and order and when you have people taking over the whole country, dominating streets and buildings, we have to come in to maintain sanity in those areas.

    “As of early yesterday, we got information that they were trying to block Kano to Zaria road. They later assembled in large numbers and our officers were deployed to the place to ensure freedom of movement of ordinary Nigerians.

    “They attacked our officers, killed one of our officers one has sustained an arrow wound on his head and obviously in such a situation, police have the responsilitity to ensure free movement of people on the road. And that was what our officers did,” he said.

    On the fear that if the trend is not checked, the group will become like Boko Haram, he said: “Obviously, it is. Whether now or whenever, as police officers we have a responsibility to ensure there is law and order in any part of this country and to ensure that no organization or individual should constitute themselves into a government, block passages and buildings.

    Asked if it was not wrong to unnecessarily kill any Nigerian in the process of quelling riot, he said: “I agree with what you said, but when you have Nigerians armed to the teeth, killing police officers, I don’t think it happens anywhere. I think as Nigerians, we have to appreciate, when you appreciate a dangerous situation, and to be sympathetic with the police that are being killed by some of these miscreants.

    According to him, it was wrong to worship on the highway or block the road under any guise.

    He said: “What happens is that there is nothing like freedom there. When you worship, you go to mosques or churches. Blocking highways and passages doesn’t constitute part of worship.

    “My message to Nigerians is that all of us would be our brother’s keepers. We should appreciate the feeling of others that where your right ends, another person’s right begins.

    “Every Nigerian has a right that must be protected. We should ensure we protect the rights of every individuals: right of freedom, right of association and right of movement.” He stated

  • Osinbajo, Saraki, governors meet in Aso Rock

    Osinbajo, Saraki, governors meet in Aso Rock

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday met with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and some state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara was also part of the meeting.

    The governors at the closed-door meeting included Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello and Adamawa State Governor, Jubrilla Bindow.

    President Muhammadu Buhari left Abuja on Monday for Morocco to attend the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as COP-22, in Marrakech.

    Before Buhari’s trip out of the country, Saraki had met with him three different times within one week over his request for approval to get $29.9 billion loan.

    The Senate had recently rejected Buhari’s approval request for the loan.

    It also described the 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) forwarded by President Buhari for approval as “empty.”

    The MTEF is yet to be approved by the Senate.

    At the end of the meeting with Osinbajo on Monday, Saraki simply told State House correspondents: “Am sure the VP will issue a statement. But nothing of great alarm. It’s all for good governance, inclusion and collaboration with all arms. The states are here, national assembly executives just came up with ideas on how to make things work even better, that’s all.”

    No official statement on the meeting has been issued at the time of filing this report.

  • Buhari, Saraki meet third time in Aso Rock

    Buhari, Saraki meet third time in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met for the third time within one week with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    They met first last week Friday while the second meeting was on Wednesday after the President met with members of the South East Caucus in the Senate led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Eyinnaya Abaribe.

    The third meeting on Friday was held after the Jumaat prayer in the President’s office.

    Just like Wednesday’s meeting, this Friday’s meeting was termed private as State House correspondents were not allowed to cover the meeting.

    The Senate had recently rejected Buhari’s approval request for $29.9 billion loan.

    It also described the 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) forwarded by President Buhari for approval as “empty.”

    The MTEF is yet to be approved by the Senate.

    The Senate President, at the end of last week Friday’s meeting, had told State House correspondents that the issue of the $29.9 billion loan was work in progress.

    Bukola during the encounter also warned Nigerians not to politicise the issue of the loan request.

  • Buhari, Saraki meet over $29.9 billion loan in Aso Rock

    Buhari, Saraki meet over $29.9 billion loan in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met for the second time within one week with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    They met first last Friday after the Senate on Tuesday rejected Buhari’s approval request for $29.9 billion loan.

    The Senate, the following Thursday also rejected Buhari’s request for approval for the 2017 to 2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

    It described the MTEF as “empty.”

    Saraki arrived Aso Rock Villa for the meeting on Wednesday few minutes past 3pm when the President was meeting with members of the South East Caucus in the Senate led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Eyinnaya Abaribe.

    Saraki, unlike Friday, was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang.

    After Ekweremadu and his delegation left, Saraki joined Buhari to pray in the Villa mosque before returning together to the office for their meeting, just like it happened last Friday.

    The meeting was termed private as State House correspondents were not allowed to cover the meeting on Wednesday.

    The Senate President, at the end of Friday meeting, had told State House correspondents that the issue of the $29.9 billion loan was work in progress.

    Bukola during the encounter also warned Nigerians not to politicise the issue of the loan request.

  • Buhari, Obasanjo meet in Aso Rock

    Buhari, Obasanjo meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed-doors with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The meeting, which was held at the President’s office in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, started around 2:20 p.m.

    It was still in progress at the time of this report.

  • Nigeria, India sign MoU on trade, investment

    Nigeria, India sign MoU on trade, investment

    The Federal Government and India on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen trade and investments and exchanged letters of intent on bilateral relations.

    The event, which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a bilateral meeting, was witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his Indian counterpart, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

    Osinbajo in a remark called for urgent establishment of a joint technical commission to facilitate the partnership between Nigeria and India.

    He recalled that ties between Nigeria and India over the years had been very stable and called for strengthening of the relationships in regional and international affairs.

    According to him, Nigeria looks up to India in various ways as it has shown leadership in technology, agriculture and information technology.

    He described the meeting with the Indian delegation as very useful and expressed the hope that both countries would derive mutual benefits from the MoU.

    Earlier, Ansari had said he was impressed by Nigeria’s vision for bilateral relationship, feeling for India and its expectations for the partnership.

    According to the Indian VP, the friendship and faith of both countries is a source of great pride and strength for the partnership.

    He said that “listening to you has strengthened my conviction that our partnership is natural because our destinies are so inter-linked and our aspirations and challenges are similar.

    “I am confident that our deliberation today will make our partnership more effective.”

    Ansari added that India and Nigeria were strategic partners.

    He said it was important that both countries continued to engage in new ideas and concrete proposals to elevate them to the next high level.

    Ansari, who would be visiting the commercial city of Lagos during his tour, said he looked forward to the visit, where he would have the opportunity to address the students of University of Lagos.

    The visiting vice president expressed appreciation to the Federal Government “for the excellent preparations made for the visit of the Indian delegation.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that discussions at the bilateral meeting focused on economic relations, peace and security, consular matters, as well as regional and international issues.

    The MoU was signed by Nigeria’s Minster of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Aisha Abubakar, and her Indian counterpart, Mr Gangaram Meghwal.

    The letter of intent was exchanged between the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria.

  • Buhari, Jonathan, others attend Council of State meeting

    Buhari, Jonathan, others attend Council of State meeting

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting was the second one under the current dispensation while the first meeting was held on the 21st of October 2015.

    Some former Presidents and Head of State who were at the meeting when it started around 11:07 a.m. included Goodluck Jonathan, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Ernest Shonekan.

    Jonathan was attending the meeting for the first time since leaving office in May 2015.

    Former leaders who were conspicuously absent at the meeting included Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Shehu Shagari, Yakubu Gowon.

    The Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara were not at the meeting when it started.

    Among the state governors at the meeting included Rivers, Borno, Niger, Imo, Cross River, Taraba, Yobe, Benue, Bauchi, Enugu, Kwara, Adamawa.

    Others are Abia, Sokoto, Kaduna, Lagos, Kogi, Plateau, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina.

    Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) at the meeting included Lawal Uwais, Mariam Muktar, Idris Kutigi, Alfa Belgore.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Kerry’s visit: State House reporters restricted

    Kerry’s visit: State House reporters restricted

    Indications emerged on Monday that reporters covering the State House have been restricted from covering the visit of the United States (US) Secretary of State, John Kerry, to the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

    President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to receive Kerry by 3p.m.

    According to sources, only photographers and videographers will cover his visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The photographers and videographers that will be allowed to establish arrival of Kerry by 2.55 pm, according to sources, are expected to set-up by 2.15 p.m.

    Also only the official photographers and videographer will be allowed to establish the bilateral meeting at the President’s office.

    The Secretary of State will not grant any press interview at the end of the meeting with the President.

    After meeting Buhari, Kerry is expected to meet with select Governors from the Northern part of Nigeria at the State House Press Waiting Room.

    Again seven media personnel comprising of photographers and videographers will be allowed to establish the event.

    At the end of the meeting with the governors, Kerry again will not grant any press interview.

    Reporters, according to the sources, won’t be allowed near the visiting Secretary of State.

    It is recalled that State House correspondents including reporters have been covering the visits of Presidents and other leaders from other countries to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

  • Commission of inquiry in Plateau not witch-hunt – Lalong

    Commission of inquiry in Plateau not witch-hunt – Lalong

    Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong on Friday restated that commission of inquiry on the state’s finances was not to witch hunt but to put the records its debt profile straight.

    He stated this while addressing State House correspondents after visiting Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The governor said that he inherited a debt of N220 billion, unpaid salaries and poor infrastructure, which the former administration denied.

    “There was no way that we could come and see what we saw on the plateau and still leave them without clarification.

    “The first one was that when I said that I inherited a debt of N220 billion, the former governor said `no’, that what I got was only N18 billion.

    “I also spoke about projects and salaries that I inherited and he said `no’.

    “But, what I did was first of all to concentrate on doing my best so that I will not lose focus; now we are able to pay our salaries in the state,” he said.

    Lalong said that he cleared the salary arrears in order to make the citizens happy and to focus on development of the state.

    “Now that the people are happy, I initiated the commission of enquiry because what I got from the transition committee was really alarming.

    “For me to say that I will ignore it is going to be at the peril of my people,’’ he stated.

    He said that the enquiry was to put the record straight so that the debt would not hunt his administration after office.

    The governor said that the judicial commission would compare what was inherited and what the past administration claimed it left and make clarifications.

    According to him, after the clarification, the administration will send the report to the appropriate authority for prosecution.

    He also denied that his state was confused about whether to have grazing reserve or ranches for cattle breeders.

    He said that he was in support of ranching whereas there was a gazette from his predecessor on grazing reserve and route.

    He said the gazette was only there to create confusion.

    “I knew the advantage of ranching policy so I took my people on sensitization right from the youth to traditional rulers to religious leaders and we concluded with National Assembly members.

    “And, all accepted that we should adopt the ranching policy.

    “As far as Plateau state is concerned, we are into the ranching policy; if you see anybody talking about grazing reserve, it is not in my state,’’ he stated.

     

  • Buhari, Soyinka meet in Aso Rock

    Buhari, Soyinka meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met behind closed doors with the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Soyinka, who was accompanied by Yemi Ogunbiyi, spent about one hour at the State House.

    He declined to speak in details on the purpose of his visit to the President.

    He dismissed the newsmen that laid ambush for him as he made his way out of the President’s office with the explanation that he discussed general and international issues with the President.

    But he promised to address a press conference later.