The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SGF

  • ‘Buhari engages critical stakeholders for solutions to nation’s challenges’

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday night met with members of Parliamentary Support Group as part of efforts to build synergy, consensus on national issues to find solutions to socio-economic and security challenges facing the country.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents after the closed door meeting between the president and members of the group at Aso Rock, Abuja.

    Mustapha, who described the meeting as an encouraging interface between the legislature and the executive, said the meeting was for the betterment of the nation.

    “Well it’s a very encouraging interface between the legislature and the executive.

    “Don’t forget that the national Assembly had an Open Week, throughout the course of this week, this is a continuation of that engagement and I belief that after this kind of interaction with different arms of government, we will be able to build synergy, build consensus on issues and find resolutions to it.

    “Politics is a game of negotiations, it’s a game of dialogue, and understanding and it is for the betterment of our country. We are the party in government; the legislature is part of government; if the executive does not succeed, it will also rub off on the legislature.

    “So it is just a continuation of this dialogue that can afford us the chance to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people,’’ he said.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Sen Ita Enang, who also spoke on the outcome of the meeting, appreciated members of the group for promoting President Buhari’s vision on the floor of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly as a whole.

    He stated that during the meeting, President Buhari invited the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiohmole to address all the concerns of the group, and assured them that matters of the party would be properly addressed.

    He further assured that none of them should have fear because “the party is for every person.’’

    “Let me very sincerely appreciate these honorable members of the parliamentary support group and they have come as persons who have come together to support the president’s vision on the floor of the House of Representatives and the national Assembly as a whole.

    “And I use this opportunity to express to them the concerns of all the members and Mr President has responded in a manner that is very satisfactory to them.

    “This is one of the back channels that is being arranged and is granted by Mr President and officers of the executive from time to time to enable the legislators interact personally, with personal questions and personal concerns on the state, the party, projects and programmes of government and that has been fully addressed and of course.

    “Mr President invited the National Chairman of the party and addressed all their concerns assuring them that matters of the party will be properly addressed and that none of them should have fear because the party is for every person.

    “And has told them how the nominations will go and has given them confidence and this confidence will be transmitted to all other members of the house and Senate who are not here.

    “And next time, we are going to arrange for Senators in the next few days as part of confidence building and bridging the gap between the executive and legislature,’’ he added.

    The Chairman of the group, Musa Sarkin Adar, told the correspondents that the group embarked on the solidarity visit to the presidential villa as a mark support to the Buhari administration.

    He, however, stated that the group used the opportunity to alert the President on issues and concerns raised by members of APC across the country.

    He said: “We looked at the concerns within the country and the various political parties because election is approaching and we members of APC in the National Assembly felt that it is necessary to come and interface with Mr president and the national chairman of the party to address issues and concerns raised by members across the federation.

    “In each state of the federation, there are certain concerns and misgivings when the congresses were held from wards, to local government to state level, there were so many discrepancies and issues that came up and people made a lot of complaints and they were not listened to as a result of that some people thought that they will move out of the party and join another party.

    “Others, even before that have made up their minds they are going somewhere and we feel it is necessary to come and inform the president that we are committed to remain party members, but issues should be looked into and addressed properly, so that all aggrieved members can be persuaded to remain together so that we can ensure victory for our party in the 2019 general elections.’’

    He expressed the hope that the interaction of members of the group with the president would also encourage the relationship between the executive and the national Assembly to be cordial.

    “We know who causes all those frictions and we are trying as much as possible to make sure that such things does not happen again for the betterment of this country.

    “We should not be partisan in everything we do, especially on our conduct on the floor of the House.

    “From the previous experiences of the previous Assembly which we were opportune to be members then, we know what happened and we know what it caused the country.

    “So it is now a clarion call for us to rally behind the president and the need for us to also be listened to so that the issues of development of this country can be addressed,’’ he said.

    Sarkin Adar, who described the respond of the president to the group’s demands as “very fantastic’’, said they explained to the president “the idea of zonal intervention or what is called constituency projects.’’

    He said: “It is not money given to us, but projects worth millions of naira that we should only site where it should be sited in our various constituencies and it is one of the most unifying factor of this country.

    Read Also: Fed Govt to increase budget allocation to health sector, says Buhari

    “Because it one of the ways in which you can have a reflective performance of the government in certain areas.

    “For example if you go to rural areas and you don’t have provision of water borehole, primary school or primary health care, before you take certain projects to them, it will be difficult.

    “But these constituency projects that are allocated to us on the basis of where you come from and you select 1 2 3 4 or whatever the money allocated to the project is given then that is what your people will benefit from and as such, there is equitable distribution of infrastructure across the nation.’

  • SGF denies composition of Buhari 2019 presidential support committee

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has denied media reports claiming that the presidency has composed Buhari 2019 presidential support committee.

    A statement purportedly issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Gideon Sammani, on Friday had named former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, as the Director General of the committee.

    The statement had also listed other members of the committee.

    But a statement yesterday by the Director Press

    Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Lawrence Ojabo, denied the earlier report.

    It reads “The attention of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been drawn to documents in circulation in print and social media purportedly issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters in the Presidency as public notice, announcing the names of certain individuals and appointing them into different roles under the BUHARI 2019 PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT COMMITTEE, as well as soliciting for support.

    “It has become imperative to clarify to all Nigerians and in particular to APC members that the said documents are unauthorised, misleading and should therefore be totally disregarded.

    “Appropriate administrative measures are being put in place to ensure that such lapse does not recur in future.” it stated .

     

  • SGF seeks traditional rulers’ support to end killings, drug abuse

    SECRETARY to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha has sought for the cooperation of traditional rulers to stop killings of innocent Nigerians.

    Mustapha noted that the traditional rulers and royal fathers have key roles to play for the success or failure of security administration.

    He spoke during his meeting with the traditional rulers at the SGF conference room, Abuja.

    He said: “I am highly delighted and honoured to have our royal fathers with us today. This meeting could not have come at a better time than now and I heartily welcome you.

    “As traditional rulers and royal fathers, it is generally believed that you hold the key to the success or failure of security administration in the country because you operate at the grassroots of the society and interact closely with people in their daily activities. You remain in the frontline of stakeholders in the business of peace-building in every community.

    “Peace-building promotes development, which in turn attracts investment to the country. As you are aware, the situation of peace and security in the country today deserves collective approach by the government, the traditional institutions, faith-based organisations and the communities.”

    According to him, the government would continue to support their efforts to deescalate communal conflicts that continue to inflict severe losses of lives and destruction of property.

    “It is critical that we continue to cultivate peaceful coexistence across the country for us to achieve our objectives of building a nation,” he said.

    Hailing them for the summit held last year in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, he said it would have addressed some of the issues facing the country.

    The SGF added: “We would be glad to see more of such noble initiatives at bonding the fragile unity caused by recent violent activities.”

    He drew the attention of the traditional rulers to the growing youth population in the country and the attendant rise in drug abuse/ criminal activities.

    Mustapha added: “I urge you as royal fathers to use your good offices to complement the efforts of government to stem the rising tide and save the future of our nation. There is no better place to begin than the grass roots.”

    The six-man delegation, representing the six geopolitical zones, was led by the Chairman Coordinating Committee and Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr. Yahaya Abubakar.

     

     

     

     

  • FG to deploy ICT-based tracking system for policy, project implementation

    The Federal Government says it will soon deploy an ICT-based electronic monitoring and evaluation system to track programmes, policies and projects approved by the Executive Council.

    Mr Chuks Nwagu, the Assistant Director of Press in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

    Nwagu quoted Mr William Alo, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, in the office of the SGF, as saying the system was aimed at “immutable efficiency and high effectiveness’’ in monitoring implementation of government’s decisions.

    The permanent secretary spoke at a training programme for staff of Policy and Monitoring of Government Decisions Department (PIMGD) of the proposed system in Abuja.

    Represented by Mr John Idakwo, a deputy director in his office, Alo reportedly noted that over the years, the PIMGD had been carrying out its mandate manually.

    Data generated, he said, were stored in hard and soft copies making their preservation and retrieval difficult and cumbersome.

    He urged the staff engaged in the training to make the most effective use of the knowledge gained to enhance their productivity.

    NAN

  • SGF to Board chairmen: Government won’t condone corrupt practices

    SGF to Board chairmen: Government won’t condone corrupt practices

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation ( SGF ), Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday warned new board chairmen and members of government agencies against corrupt practices.

    He gave the warning during the inauguration of chairmen and members of board of agencies in the office of the SGF.

    The present administration, he said, has zero tolerance for corruption.

    He recalled that on the last working day of 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of chairman and members of the boards.

    According to him, the list had received several comments from the public.

    The SGF also said further work was carried out to ensure that equity and justice guided the composition.

    Read Also: 2018 budget implementation may be tough – SGF

    Mustapha said he issued a circular that all ministries must conclude their board inauguration on or before March 9.

    He said: “As you are all aware, the present administration has zero tolerance for any form of corruption and this stance must not be compromised in anyway.

    “Government will frown at and punish corrupt practices perpetrated by any board member as well as the management team of these agencies.”

    The SGF also warned the chairmen against meddling in the day to day running of the agencies.

     

     

  • Buhari, SGF and coflicting re-election signals

    Buhari, SGF and coflicting re-election signals

    THE continuing uncertainty over whether President Muhammadu Buhari will seek re-election in 2019 is not about to end soon. Even though the uncertainty is largely abstract, especially since many commentators believe that the president will almost certainly seek a second term, no conclusion can be drawn as long as the president remains silent on the matter. On February 15, at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, all but indicated to the Democratic Youth Congress, a group of Buhari supporters, that the president would be asking for a second term. Newspapers celebrated the news, probably to end speculations about the president’s second term intentions.

    In the opinion of Mr Mustapha, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Honourable Gideon Sammani, “We do not have an alternative to President Muhammadu Buhari for now. I am glad you have named some of the aspirants who are interested in leading this nation. If you give them the ticket they will do nothing with it. They have nothing to offer to this nation. You and I are here because we believe in President Muhammadu Buhari and we know he has the capability to lead this nation. Buhari is a man with several qualities of leadership, God sent; his coming is divine, so that he will rescue this nation from the total collapse due to the destruction that has been done to the economy by the past administration. We all know that Buhari is transparent and honest…”

    However, barely one week later, the story changed somewhat minutely. This time, the story came from the president himself, according to Imo State governor Rochas Okorocha who has turned himself into the imperial mouthpiece of the president. Mr Okorocha had met with the president in company with other All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the presidential villa last Thursday. Said Mr Okorocha after the meeting: “We discussed so many issues that affect the nation, our party and Mr. President’s ambition to run for the 2019 presidential election. It is the desire of the governors that Mr. President should run for this exalted office given his performance in the last two years.  We believe that if he continues, Nigeria will be better for it. Anyhow, Mr. President, in his usual manner, has requested that we give him time and that he will address the nation and the caucus of the party very soon. So, we should be full of expectations that Mr. President will make officially known to Nigerians his intentions but we hope that his response will be in line with what the governors are thinking.” Did Mr Okorcha think any governor at that meeting would advise the president to perish his ambition?

    There may be conflicting signals from the presidency, but the president’s intention to seek a second term has never been clearer. If there is any hedging at all on the part of the president and his crowd of eager supporters, it is simply to allow for the acid fog generated by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo to be substantially dissipated by massive favourable public pressure and clement political weather. Dr Obasanjo had issued a public statement he described as special, blaming the president for being generally incompetent, polarising, sectional and nepotistic. The former president ended his public censure of President Buhari by suggesting to him the inadvisability of seeking re-election, obviously because more years in office would not in any way make him give what he has not shown himself to possess now. That counsel cum censure is unlikely to be heeded. For though the president has sensibly refrained from joining issues with Dr Obasano, apparently learning from Goodluck Jonathan’s 2014 mistakes, he and his men have done everything possible to engineer and seed a favourable political cloud.

    The undeniable fact today is that President Buhari has the intention to seek a second term. If he had no such intention, it would have been obvious before now. He will press on with his ambition if he can guarantee that his wobbling party will not implode. That party, for now, is fit for the knacker’s yard. To get it rejuvenated, an impossible task the party’s national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has just been saddled with, will require a gargantuan and superhuman effort. That effort, it is reported, is already being complicated by the party’s scheming grey hairs. Worse, the president himself has neither responded to Dr Obasanjo’s criticisms nor taken any step to remedy the grave damage he himself has done to both governance and party unity. Somehow, President Buhari and his men are hoping to circumvent the critical issues surrounding Poll 2019 by resting their ambition on the electorate’s emotional and abstract appeal. They will find it tough going as they inch towards the momentous day.

  • Tributes as Law School Class of ‘80 honours SGF

    Tributes as Law School Class of ‘80 honours SGF

    For members of the Nigerian Law School (NLS) class of 1980, their reunion last week at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) Abuja was exceptional, memorable and could count as one of the best in recent times.

    Apart from the usual fanfare and opportunity for former classmates to meet, socialise and felicitate with one another, this reunion set the stage for the class to honour one of its own who was  appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Gida Mustapha.

    The gathering included several senior lawyers, including former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Mr. Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) and the wife of Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, Mrs. Ann Ishaku.

    The class singled out the SGF for special praise and paid tributes to his achievements in law, politics, and administration before conferring him with an award.

    It described Mustapha as “a distinguished statesman, astute politician, consummate administrator, quintessential boardroom guru, seasoned solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, opinion molder, role model and leading light of the Nigerian Bar Association, a devout Christian, an accomplished and incorruptible Nigerian for the Award of Excellence by his peers and classmates of the Nigerian Law School Class of 1980.”

    “Yours is a strange destiny. A consummate practitioner, you transformed into a leading administrator. A specialist in Corporate Law, you have changed into a politician of repute and public policy analyst of distinction. It would seem that your temperament, your quiet passion, your peaceful force of will was required to bring about such a profound transformation.

    “Excellence endures, and your excellence has endured the longest amongst your peers.  You are a man of remarkable depth and breadth of interest, an accomplished politician and a distinguished public servant who stimulates debates and leads the pack by sheer charisma and examples.

    “The class of 1980 of the Nigerian Law School salutes you today for your numerous achievements and sagacity.  The honour we are today conferring on you is unique because it is inspired not merely by the manifestation of excellence but more importantly by a sublime attribute which has ennobled your undertakings. The Class of ‘80 is really proud of you and honoured to call you our friend, colleague and classmate.”

    Daudu urged Mustapha to keep the flag flying.

    Azinge congratulated Mustapha on bringing “great honour and pride to the class”.

    Mrs. Ishaku prayed for God to propel the SGF to greater heights.

    Mr Babatunde A. M. Fashanu (SAN) prayed God to protect Boss as he discharges the onerous task.

    Sir Adebonajo Badejo (SAN) congratulated the SGF and wished him success as he takes on “the great responsibility bestowed”.

    Other SANs at the event included Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe, and Mr. Offiong Offiong (SAN).

  • EFCC releases ex-SGF, Babachir Lawal

    EFCC releases ex-SGF, Babachir Lawal

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released detained former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal.

    A source in the commission told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Lawal was released on administrative bail on Friday evening.

    The source, however, did not give further details.

    Lawal was detained by the EFCC on Wednesday morning after he honoured an invitation to the commission’s head office in Abuja.

    When NAN contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Commission,  Mr Samin Amaddin on the issue, he said he was not aware.

    The development followed Lawal’s sack by President Muhammadu Buhari on Oct. 30.

    Buhari’s action was based on the recommendation of a presidential panel that probed misuse of funds meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East.

    The former SGF is accused of using his company Rholavision Engineering Ltd to corner a N200 million contract for the clearing of “evasive plant species’’ in Yobe. (NAN)

  • NASS to support local government autonomy

    NASS to support local government autonomy

    Speaker House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday in Abuja said the National Assembly was committed to ensuring that local government administration in the country got autonomy.

    He made this known at the Retreat of the Secretary to Government of the Federation ( SGF ) and Secretaries to State Governments ( SSGs ).

    Represented Chief Whip of the House, Mr Ado Doguwa, he spoke on “Local Government Autonomy: Imperative for Sustainable Grassroots Development’’, said autonomy was the right for local governments to operate independently.

    He said that autonomy for the councils was essential for development to get to the grassroots.

    “As long as we want development to get to the door-step of our people, the autonomy is necessary.

    “This is the institutional position of the national assembly in line with the provisions of the law.

    “The national assembly will continue to remain resolute to ensure that local government autonomy is achieved in Nigeria.

    “We will continue to take advantage of the legislative right given to us to ensure that local government autonomy is realised.

    “The local government chairmen are in bondage inflicted on them by the governors and this bondage must be released to ensure development at the grassroots level,’’ he said.

    According to the speaker, the state governments abuse the Constitution in relation to the Joint Account, which they are meant to be mere trustees and not beneficiaries.

    Read also: How local government can get autonomy, by Oyo Speaker

    He explained that state governments took over the joint account meant for the state and the local government.

    “The state government which are believed to be mature must be seen to be doing exactly what the Constitution has stipulated in relation to the joint account.

    “If this is not done, the right thing will not be achieved.’’

    Dogara commended the SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, for resuscitating the retreat.

    Earlier, Mr Ibrahim Khaleed, President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ), had said that rural-urban migration would greatly be addressed through the actualisation of local government autonomy.

    Khaleed added that local government was a critical tier in government, and that some constitutional reforms must be made to bridge the gap between the government and the people.

    According to him, the local government system in Nigeria has been destroyed and the essence of local government establishment is not achieved.

    “Local government was established to bring development to the citizens at the local area, but the system has completely been bastardised and the essence of its establishment has not been achieved.

    “We are advocating for autonomy not because of increase in wages or welfare for staff but to make sure we contribute our quota in national development.

    “The local government system in the United States of America is one of the best and it is independent,’’ Khaleed said.

    NAN

  • Yuletide: FG warns security agencies against traffic law violations

    Yuletide: FG warns security agencies against traffic law violations

    The Federal Government on Tuesday says it will not tolerate traffic law violations by convoy drivers, military personnel and law enforcement agents during and after the Yuletides.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the warning at a capacity building workshop in Abuja.

    The workshop was on the United Nations Road Safety Legal Instruments on Traffic Signs and Regulations.

    Mustapha said as government played its role to ensure safety of lives and property, all road users must obey traffic rules and regulations regardless of their status.

    “Let me further warn that while the Federal Road Safety Corps will continue to act in line with the rule of law, government will not tolerate any one running officials of the Corps down in the exercise of their duties.

    “Government drivers, especially those that drive us around, convoy drivers, must not disrupt flow of traffic or act in contra-distinction to traffic officers’ directives.

    “Let me also admonish the military and all law enforcement agencies to cooperate with the FRSC throughout the end-of-year operations and beyond.

    “The safety of and security of this great nation rests on your collective shoulders, hence the failure of one would be seen as failure of all.’’

    Mustapha said the federal government would continue to empower the FRSC in the discharge of its duties, especially in the area of apprehending and sanctioning recalcitrant offenders.

    The SGF, whose office supervises the FRSC, assured the international community and Nigerians of government’s commitment to road safety issues through increased investment and political will.

    The keynote speaker and Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, disagreed with the popular notion that the nation’s roads are dead traps.

    Fashola said that though bad roads contributed to road accidents, the leading cause remained speed violation resulting from bad attitude of motorists.

    “I have heard people describe our roads as death traps, but what I say to people is that my team and I, about 50 of us travelled those roads early this year.

    “We drove everyday from 8 a.m. to at least 8 p.m. One day we drove for 18 hours. We traversed 34 states, but the instructive thing is that we drove at a maximum speed of 100 km per hour, we drove at night, and we did not have an accident.

    “We were not trapped and we did not die on the dead traps. All of us will just do well to understand that there are speed limits on our highways, there are breaking distances in driving.

    “Even if the road conditions are good, if you do not observe the speed limits, you endanger yourselves.

    “I agree that bad roads contribute to accidents, but I disagree on the evidence that we have that bad roads are the cause of the accidents.’’

    Read also: FRSC arraigns 187 traffic offenders in Bayelsa

    Fashola cited the FRSC monthly road traffic statistics, which show that bad roads contribute only between 0.5 and 1 per cent of accidents in the country.

    Speed violation remains the leading cause, contributing over 55 per cent of the road traffic accidents recorded by the Corps on monthly basis across the country.

    The minister, therefore, urged FRSC to intensify its enforcement of driver’s license, speed limiter installation and other traffic rules and regulations to reduce carnage on the Nation’s highways.

    He also called for more empowerment of the FRSC through increased funding and provision of facilities like rescue helicopters to boost their post-crash operations.

    The Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, assured all stakeholders that the Corps remained committed to driving the campaign for safer roads within Nigeria and in the West African sub-region.

    “FRSC will continue to embrace support that would assist not only its personnel, but also our stakeholders from time to time.

    “It is only though continuous education and enlightenment that we all can become better professionals of honour,’’ Oyeyemi said.

    The workshop was organised by the office of the SGF in conjunction with the FRSC and the Sustainable Transport Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

    It aims at building the capacity of federal and state traffic management authorities on implementation of the United Nations road safety conventions to which Nigeria is signatory.

    FRSC personnel, federal controllers of highways, state directors of highways and traffic management agencies and development partners are participating in the two-day workshop.

    NAN