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Yari denies comment on meningitis as Emir, others kick

Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari has denied saying that God is punishing Nigerians with Meningitis outbreak.

The governor was on Tuesday quoted as saying the outbreak of Type C Cerebrospinal Meningitis in some parts of the country was God’s way of showing his anger against Nigerians for turning their back on Him.

He reportedly made the remark while speaking with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammdu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Though Yari yesterday explained that he did not say “God is punishing Nigerians with the outbreak”, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi described the governor as part of conservative northern leaders, who discouraged attitudes and activities that would have developed the region.

The Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also criticised the governor.

Minister of State for Health Osagie Ehanire disagreed with the claims that those who died and the living patients of meningitis are sinners.

But Yari, who made clarifications on the comment through his Special Adviser on Media and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, said he never said Meningitis was a divine punishment from God for fornication.

He said he only lamented the paucity of appropriate vaccines to confront the outbreak of meningitis in his state.

The governor said he merely asked Nigerians to move closer to God and plead for His mercy to avert further infectious diseases and other health crisis in the state and Nigeria.

The statement said: “No doubt, as a God-fearing man and a Muslim, the governor believes in the powers of Allah to inflict whatever punishment He decides on the human race. However, the governor who spoke in Hausa had a particular audience in mind when he spoke to the BBC Hausa reporter.

“The governor added, for example, that fornication “should not spread so much in society, that it becomes common place and if that happens, Allah promises to inflict, on its perpetrators (people) a sickness that would have no cure.”

“Let it be known too that the governor still insists that all diseases come from Allah and that at no point in his interaction with the reporters did he insinuate that Allah was punishing Nigerians, but instead drew from the teachings of great Islamic traditions to buttress the point he was trying to convey.”

The emir, who spoke while delivering a keynote speech at KADINVEST 2.0, an event organised by the Kaduna Sate to encourage investments, said: “Don’t give these kinds of explanation. That is not an Islamically correct statement to make.

“(If) you don’t have vaccines, you don’t have vaccines; Go and get vaccines.”

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting, Ehanire said the outbreak of the disease was not a punishment from God.

He said: “The Federal Government does not have views of that nature and I am not sure the state government can really continue to make that statement. When things happen, yes you can begin to look this way and that way for the cause of it, but like I said, nature played us unfortunate stroke. But that is not to say we committed sin or anything. It does happen that things occur out of the blues.”

A statement issued by the spokesman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, described the governor’s statement as shameful and unfortunate.

The statement said: “Governor Yari should not blame God for his failures but that of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to avoid incurring God’s anger on their crass ineptitude in governance.

“However, we wish to advise him to resign immediately for making such statement as a state Governor and the chairman of Governors’ Forum who is supposed to bring hope to the people and not despair.”

April 6, 2017
China offers Nigeria $4.5b loan for farm machinery, says Yari

•‘We’ve no issues with EFCC over Paris Club refund’

Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari said yesterday that China has offered to give a loan of $4.5 billion to Nigeria for farm machinery and others.
He said the loan will also tackle lack of agric infrastructure, including rural earth dams and irrigation.
The governor added that the credit facility has a 20-year repayment term with five years moratorium.
Yari spoke with State House correspondents at the end of a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari with Minister of Agriculture Audu Ogbeh.
He said he was in the Villa with the minister to brief the President on the support coming from the Chinese government.
The governor said: “Following the visit of Mr. President sometime last year, we engaged the Chinese government and they showed some willingness to support Nigeria in this discussion.
“Chinese Government Organisation Company in cooperation with the People’s Bank of China and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture under the leadership of the honourable minister, they are giving us a credit line of $4.5 billion, which will cover the machinery and infrastructure, that is rural earth dams, irrigation and the loan has a 20-year repayment term with five years moratorium.
“Initially, we started negotiations to drop a counterpart funding of 25 per cent. But understanding the economy of Nigeria, we negotiated to give a counterpart funding of 10 per cent, which we believe Nigeria can do and we are targeting the natural resources fund from the counterpart funding.”
He said there is ongoing discussion among the Chinese group, the governors, the technical committee that was set up by the minister and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
He insisted that the forum has no issues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the Paris Club refund.
According to him, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has explained the aspect for consultancy.
He said the refund has gone a long way to ease the problems of state governments.
Yari said: “There is no issue with the refund. The issue is with consultancy, which I think the Minister of Finance made clear.
“Some wrote a petition that they have not been paid and mind you, we have not even started paying fully because we have to ascertain who worked for who. As I am talking to you, we have a lot of litigations. Someone says he worked for so and so years for this state and that state. We are taking a decision on that.”
The minister said: “We came to brief the President on developments following our visit to China in April last year and our negotiations on a number of issues to deal with machinery for agricultural development.
“We signed an agreement, which engages all the states, including the FCT for the procurement of strategic machinery for rural development and agriculture, tractors, bulldozers, graders, irrigation pumps, tarsiers and so on from China.
“The Chinese were willing to supply us these things for a long term basis, 20 years credit at an interest rate of one per cent per annum.”

April 5, 2017
Zamfara Assembly withdraws impeachment notice against Yari

The Zamfara State House of Assembly has withdrawn the impeachment notice against Governor Abdulaziz Yari, conditionally.

Speaker Sanusi Rikiji spoke in Gusau yesterday after a stakeholders meeting, including the 24 lawmakers and traditional rulers.

The monarchs were led by the Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad.

Rikiji told reporters at the end of the meeting that the lawmakers gave Yari conditions before they agreed to suspend the impeachment threat, adding that the intervention of traditional rulers and the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) helped in addressing the issues.

Yari described the cause of the face-off as “the handiwork of the devil”.

“The cause of the misunderstanding was addressed at the meeting and we have agreed to put aside our differences, and work together for the advancement of our state,” he said.

The legislators had threatened to impeach the governor for alleged abuse of budget implementation, misappropriation of bailout funds, deductions in workers’ salaries and his failure to pay the salaries of the 1,400 youths employed by the government two years ago.

August 1, 2016
‘I have no link with Buhari’s daughter’

Zamfara State Governor Abdulazieez Yari has denied reports that he is romantically involved with a daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Zarah.

He faulted media reports that he gave the President’s daughter $200 million as gift and that he divorced one of his wives, Hadiza Umaru Shinkafi, to marry Zarah.

The governor said the reports published in two weekly publications – City People and The Polity – were false.

Yari’s position is contained in his letters to the publishers of the publications, accusing them of casting him in bad light and requesting them to retract the defamatory publications.

The letters, dated January 18 and 19, were written by Yari’s lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN).

Yari threatened to sue the publications for defamation, saying he will demand N100 billion (in the case of The Polity) and N10 billion (against City People), should they fail to retract the reports and tender an apology within seven days.

January 21, 2016
Buhari, Yari enter commitment on disease

President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governors’ Forum Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, yesterday signed an updated Abuja commitment against polio.

It is to ensure the country is certified polio-free next year.

The ceremony took place in the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, in the presence of the President of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote and other stakeholders.

The commitment, which has four indicators, is to ensure Nigeria remains polio-free for the next two years to get the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) certification.

It will ensure that governors and local government chairmen commit to rapid, emergency response in the event of polio outbreak; advance quarterly release of state and local government area counterpart funds for the polio campaigns, and quarterly meetings with monarchs, council chairmen and for state immunisation task force to keep polio on the front burner.

Buhari urged governors, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Federal Ministry of Health to sustain the momentum of zero polio case status.

He advised friends and partners of Nigeria, locally and abroad, to support the country to make it polio-free.

The President hailed Gates, Dangote, National Primary Health Care Development Agency of the Federal Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF and other partners for their commitment.

The Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ado Mohammed, decried the non-commitment by states last year because of the general election.

He said while five states achieved the four key indicators, six could not implement a single-state level Abuja commitment in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“Four of the five states that kept to the commitment were high risk states; Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano and Kaduna as well as Ondo, which is a non-high risk state.”

Noting that 2009 was a turning point in the fight against polio, Gates said: “Nigeria cannot afford to lose focus now.”

January 21, 2016
Zamfara APC explains Yari’s absence at council elections

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara has explained why Gov. Abdulaziz Yari and other key party figures did not participate in Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

Speaking with reporters in Talata-Mafara yesterday, Alhaji Sani Mono, the party’s scribe in the state, said it was a deliberate move to ascertain the capacity of upcoming party chieftains to handle such critical election matter.

“They did not participate in the election because they wanted to see if they have successfully nurtured the party’s upcoming leaders in the state.”

The News agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor and all national assembly members from the state were absent during the polls.

The election was, however, boycotted by the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to the party in a statement by its state chairman, Hassan Nasiha, the PDP would not participate in an election organised by a government it was challenging its credibility at the Supreme Court.

The APC state secretary, however, chided the PDP, saying that its boycott of the local councils polls was because the PDP was “afraid of defeat.

January 4, 2016
Buhari not to blame for Nigeria’s woes, says Yari

•Governor: NGF faring better under President

Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s (NGF) Chairman and Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari has emphasised that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot be blamed for the nation’s economic woes.

The governor, who spoke with reporters in Abuja at the weekend, noted that what Nigeria was going through was a reflection of the global economy, which adversely affected international crude oil prices.

He added that despite the drop in oil prices, Buhari had done well in managing the economy in the last five months.

The NGF’s chairman said only Nigerians, who were aggrieved by ministerial nominations and other appointments, could be unhappy with Buhari.

“They should understand how Buhari emerged as President and the situation he met on ground on the issue of the economy, which is a global issue,” he pleaded.

Yari noted that the present global economic recession was tougher than that of 2008, stressing that China, Brazil, Argentina and other developed economies were experiencing drop in their Gross Domestic Products (GDPs).

“The only countries that are doing well are America and India. So, there is significant drop in GDP globally, except America and India. So, it is not about Buhari,” he added.

The NGF chairman noted that before, the country was selling oil at “$102/$110” with $38 as production cost and $70 remaining for sharing as revenue.

He added that today, “we are selling at $46 and the Joint Venture partners are still taking $38 as their cost of production, thereby leaving us with less than $20”.

“So, how are we going to survive?” he queried.

“But we are still moving and thinking of how we are going to show that Nigeria has piloted change. So, the people of northern Nigeria or the entire Nigeria should look at this scenario because those in the global business know what the situation is and there is no magic. So, therefore, I believe the President is doing well and he started very well,” Yari said.

The economy, he said, would experience a significant improvement as all the leakages were being blocked through the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

“So, we are trying to manage with the little that is coming to us for the betterment of Nigerians,” he added.

Stressing that Buhari came on board with an agenda, he said Nigerians should give him time and chance to work.

Yari said: “Definitely, he will deliver the campaign promises and at the same time the issue of security, energy, productivity and discipline in the service. What he has achieved within the five months is remarkable.

“I have no idea that they are not happy because, if anyone can say that, it should not be the North alone; it should be all Nigerians.

“And I am surprised anyone will say he or she is not happy. But maybe they are not happy because he did not consult them in the selection of who his ministers will be. But in general terms, he has done well.”

He maintained that the NGF, which was crisis-ridden before his tenure, was now faring well under his leadership.

His words: “Glory be to the Almighty, who gave me the opportunity to be a chairman by the support of my colleagues. Now, we are having one forum and it is a rallying-point to all governors and a rallying-point to the Federal Government.”

October 19, 2015
First time governors unlucky over harsh economy, says Yari

Nigerian Governors’ Forum’s (NGF) Chairman Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari has lamented that first term governors, who assumed office in their states in May are unlucky in view of the harsh economic realities the nation is facing.

Yari, who is Zamfara State governor, spoke in Enugu at the weekend in company of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal when they visited Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

The governors, who attended a burial ceremony in the state, said they decided to visit Ugwuanyi in the spirit of their cordial relationships during their tenures as members of the House of Representatives.

The three former National Assembly lawmakers were elected governors during the last general elections in their states.

The NGF Chairman noted that there was hope in efforts to revitalise the economy.

“Each and every nation has its own problems, especially on the issue of the economy.

“We were discussing with our brother here (Ugwuanyi). We came in as governors and we can say we are not lucky, but in reality, we are lucky because we won our elections. We came in at a time when the economy is down, but we are managing.

“You can see we have hope for Nigeria. When we have security settled and we have the economy gradually working to ensure that all the leakages are blocked, we can enhance the revenue generation to the betterment of our nation.

“So far, I can say, it’s so good. We are making progress, more especially on the issue of security,” Yari said after Tambuwal preferred that he address reporters in his capacity as the chairman of the NGF.

On their mission at the Government House, Enugu, he explained that it was because they had good working relationship with the Enugu governor during his days at the National Assembly and that they had come to see the Government House, wish him a successful tenure as well as see the good works he has started in the Coal City state.

October 12, 2015
It’s illegal to touch Local Govt funds, says Yari

The Chairman of Nigeria Governor Forum (NGF) and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari on Friday said it was illegal for state governments to withhold Local Government Council funds.

Stressing that no such unconstitutional breach was in practice in his state, he said that local governments could work together with the state and contribute towards a particular project.

Yari spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: “This is a constitutional matter, section 7 has given power to the Assembly to manage finances of the state. And if you could remember, so many attempts have been made to the National Assembly to amend the section but it failed.

“But the essence of joint account to my understanding as governor is not to hold the money. As the money is coming, as the constitution spells out, the House of Assembly has to oversee the administration and finances of the state so therefore, that is the meaning of joint account. If it is done properly, no body should hold any local government money.

“I doubt if there is any state that is holding any local government funds. But I think what used to happen in my own case is may be if we are having a development project, we vote together on percentage basis, maybe 60-40.

“This is the only thing that could make a state touch the monies of local government other wise all the monies to go the local government. So, no one as a governor has the right to touch local government money.

“Although there are speculations that some states are holding local government money, maybe because there are no election in those local government. It’ is administrators, but constitutionally, it is the right of local government which must be exercised.” He added

According to him, efforts by state ‎governments in the Northwest, particularly Kaduna and Zamfara to curb criminal activities and communal clashes between cattle herders and farmers were yielding good results.

He gave as example recent arrest by security agents of cattle rustlers and recovery of stolen cattle in the area as the result of improvement in coordinated response to security threats in the region.

He said: “We have been making serious intervention through the security agencies. Lastly, five front lines states Niger, kastina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara met with the GOC and other security agencies under the leadership of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai which we have made serious progress.

“The collaboration is on even with the military, other paramilitary agencies even the Nigerian Customs and Immigration. A lot of recovery is being made, in my state over 3.000 herds were recovered and 5,000 camels. Even those that are in the acts are trying to surrender their arms.

On whether there have been any arrest, he said: “So far, there are arrest but security agencies are in the position to give details of the arrests.”

August 8, 2015
Osinbajo, Yari discuss workers pay bailout ahead of NEC meeting

NIGERIAN Governors’ Forum (NGF) Chairman and Nasarawa State Governor Abdulazeez Yari was yesterday at the Presidential Villa, where he held a closed-door parley with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Their talk, it was learnt, centred on the modalities of the relief package approved for states by the Federal Government early in the month. The vice president and the NGF chair were believed to have discussed the modalities of the ‘bailouts’ which President Muhammadu Buhari approved about two weeks ago.

Yari’s meeting with the vice president was ahead of tomorrow’s National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

It was learnt that governors may likely ask for more bailout at the meeting as some of the states have not cleared the arrears of their workers’ salaries despite the relief packaged for them by the Federal Government.

The measures approved by the President include: the sharing of the $2.1 billion 2014 Income Tax/Education Tax remitted to the Federation Account by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLGN) Ltd; a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-packaged low-interest rate loans, ranging from N250 billion to N300 billion and the rescheduling of existing loans.

Speaking with State House reporters after meeting with the vice president, the NGF chair said he came to find out the update on the agreement for the “bailout” to be facilitated by the CBN.

According to him, he wanted to know how far the Presidency had gone with the CBN in sourcing the funds ahead of tomorrow’s NEC meeting.

He said: “Anyway, we discussed the special intervention funds. In our last meeting with the President, we agreed in the NEC that there will be a special intervention from the federal for the states that cannot foot their salary arrears to their workers.

“So, I followed up with the chairman of the NEC to know how far they have gone with the CBN. We have gotten…. and also the share of the money that is going to be shared to the three tiers of government.

“Because this issue of unpaid salaries is not only for the states, even the federal government is suffering the same thing.

“So, therefore, we follow-up to know how far they have gone with the CBN Governor and now we have gotten the brief but the CBN governor is out in Washington and immediately he comes back, we are going to take up the matter to see the end of issue of unpaid salaries to the workers.”

On Boko Haram attacks, Yari said that the government was doing everything possible to counter the insurgents, prevent their bombs and dislodge their suicide bombers.

He said: “You see, the issue of insurgency is something that is a problem of all. Now, Boko Haram members cannot be found in any forest, or in any local government among the occupied local governments in Borno, Yobe or Adamawa states. You cannot find them.

“So, what we are now suffering is a kind of guerrilla war, checking the bombs, dislodging the suicide bombings and what have you. But to see a group of 100, 200 as Boko Haram members to confront with our military, they cannot be found.

“The government and the security agencies are doing their best to ensure that peace is restored.

“Therefore, we are working and now it is the responsibility of our government to ensure security of lives and property of the people. And the issue of Boko Haram is number one that Mr. President is discussing with the President of the United States and the support he is going to give Nigeria to ensure that the insurgency comes to an end.”

On the lead poisoning in his state, Yari said it was aggravated by unemployment. The government, according to him, has organised miners into smaller groups to sharpen their skills in modern techniques to avoid reoccurrence of the disaster

He said: “You see, the issue of lead poisoning in the past is about education. Our youths are unemployed and they are looking inwards to the resources at their backyards; how they are going to get employed. So, they are doing the mining without directive.

“Since this happened in 2010, many international groups, friends and donors have been giving them supports like DFID, World Bank, World Youths Organisation, among others.

“If these guys cannot stop the mining, we should find a way of providing a better mining technique, as safety mining techniques so that this lead poisoning will not happen again.

“And we have been working tirelessly with these foreign supporters and lead poisoning has come to an end. “But, you cannot tell them don’t do it without giving them something to do. So, we put them in a kind of group and teach them the safe way of doing it and how to do it without being affected. So, the issue of lead poisoning is minimal or no more in the state.”

July 22, 2015