₦airaland Forum

http://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/11/2019-atiku-will-win-polls-saraki.html

The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki has said that the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will win the 2019 presidential election.
Saraki, who is also the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, assured that, given the mounting support by Nigerians, Atiku will win in the February 2019 presidential election.

Saraki stated this while inspecting the Legacy House headquarters of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Tuesday. A statement by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan said Saraki made the assertion while being conducted round various offices at the party’s campaign headquarters by the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.The President of the Senate was quoted to have promised to effectively harness and coordinate all efforts and lead the party and its candidate to victory in the elections.

“Since the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as PDP Presidential candidate, there has been renewed hope among Nigerians towards actualizing their collective quest to rescue our nation from the misrule of the incompetent, divisive and deceptive President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

“Already, Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy has reunited Nigerians across board and reawakened our collective consciousness towards the restoration of purposeful leadership and national productivity, irrespective of ethnicity, religion and political affiliations.
“The PDP therefore urges Nigerians to continue in mobilizing for the election and be ready for an issue-based campaign that offers solutions to the myriad of security, economic and social problems the Buhari administration has plunged our nation into”, the statement added.

http://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/11/minimum-wage-atiku-reinstates-his.html

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has described the recent agreement of an increase in minimum wage to N30,000 as a welcome development.In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe in Abuja, Atiku Abubakar urged the federal government to faithfully implement the new proposed minimum wage. He said he is committed to a living wage and one of the pillars of his soon to be launched policy document is – making workers welfare a priority.

“The Nigerian worker is the goose that lays the golden egg and is worthy of the best pay that Nigeria can afford,” the statement highlighted,
“The former vice president commends the patriotism displayed by the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress and its affiliates in calling off the planned nationwide strike.”

Atiku Abubakar, who had earlier appealed to labour not to embark on its planned strike, called on the national assembly to speedily pass a legislation that makes the new minimum wage a statutory requirement. He further called on the Buhari administration to keep to its word and abide by the new minimum wage agreement. He said no sacrifice is too great to ‘Get Nigeria Working Again’ as that is what his campaign is about.“Atiku means JOBS, jobs that would pay the minimum wage and above because Nigeria should benefit the masses and not those who are in top government positions,” the statement noted.

The tripartite committee on the review of the national minimum wage on Tuesday evening submitted its report to the president, Muhammadu Buhari.

http://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/11/fuel-subsidy-inefficient-shrouded-in.html


The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, said the fuel subsidy regime as being administered by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is inefficient.
In a statement by the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation, Atiku Abubakar made this submission while reacting to a PREMIUM TIMES report detailing how the federal government illegally diverted $1.05 billion (N378 billion at N360 to a dollar) sourced from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) dividend funds to secretly fund subsidy payment on petroleum products.
The report also showed that the diversion was done without the required consultation with states and the mandatory appropriation by the National Assembly.
“This revelation has once again brought to the fore the need to review the administration and management of the subsidy regime by the Federal Government. We believe that the subsidy regime as it is currently being administered is inefficient and shrouded in secrecy.
“We are committed to the elimination of this process that is undertaken without any recourse to transparency and due process. Moreover, the retention of revenue by revenue earning agencies of the government for their operation is hardly done judiciously and responsibly.”
Atiku Abubakar, through his campaign outfit, added that he will “commit to a review of that policy such that all revenue earning agency is brought into the federal budget in accordance with international best practice.”

https://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/11/it-is-sad-that-two-global-banking.html

Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar on Saturday said he was very sad that two global banking giants were leaving Nigeria as a result of bad economy.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had announced on Friday that Global banking giant, HSBC and UBS, a Swiss private bank, had closed their representative offices in Nigeria.Reacting to the development on his twitter page, @atiku, the former vice president said it was always a sad day for the country when such entities packed up.

He said Foreign Direct Investment, FDI was key component to economic growth, saying that his administration would attract more FDI if elected by making the CBN stronger and independent.Atiku stated that he would banish multiple exchange rates and promote market-led economy.
In his words: “Always a sad day for our country when such entities pack up. FDI is a key component to economic growth.

My administration will attract more FDI by making the CBN stronger and independent, banish multiple exchange rates and promote market-led economy.”The CBN had announced that the banks had closed shops on Friday, revealing that FDI in Nigeria fell to N379.84 billion in the first six months of 2018, compared to N532.63 billion recorded in 2017.In July, HSBC predicted that a victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 would have a negative effect on the economy.

In its response, the presidency asked the bank to return stolen assets allegedly hidden in its coffers.
However, in its projections for the second half of the year, higher oil prices and production would serve as gains but rising foreign debt and uncertainty surrounding the 2019 general election would be a drawback.

The CBN also said three lenders — which were not named — failed to meet their minimum liquidity ratio of 30 percent.
It added that non-performing loans dropped from 15 percent in 2017 to 12.4 percent as of June 2018, adding that this was still a long way above its five percent threshold.

https://presidentatikuabubakar..com/2018/10/coalition-endorses-atiku-for-president.html


The South-South Community Association of Nigeria (SOSCAN) has agreed to float a common campaign strategy to assist the PDP presidential candidate win the 2019 presidential election. SOSCAN is the umbrella body for all the groups in the South South working for the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the country’s president, come next year. Reverend David Vama Idabor, the National Coordinator of SOSCAN, said the coalition was set up to synergise for the common goal of supporting Atiku.

”Atiku Abubakar as president will give hope to the ordinary Nigerians. He will revamp the economy and make Nigeria working again,” Idabor stated.The group has been directed to put up Atiku support structures nationwide while states and regional coordinators for the national campaign will be inaugurated in Lagos in the next two weeks.

Some of the groups that floated this common platform include: South-South Community Association of Nigeria (SOSCAN), The Mandators Forum of Nigeria, Youths for Atiku Presidency and Women Society for Good Governance.
The merger groups with structures in 25 states of the federation and the FCT, have directed members to commence work.

https://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/10/atiku-to-reno-joblessness-is-disease-we.html


Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has said that joblessness is a disease his government must cure if elected in 2019.

The former Vice President also said that the symptoms of joblessness are crimes and so, must be tamed by the creation of millions of jobs for the teaming jobless Nigerians.

Abubakar gave the statement during a chat with the number one bestselling author and former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri. The chat was revealed in a tweet by Pastor Omokri.

According to Atiku, only through job creation can his government be adjudged as haven done its job. He said, if they failed to create jobs, then they would have failed at doing their jobs. According to him, “Reno, we must create jobs. Joblessness is a disease and the symptoms are crime and terrorism. The best way to fight the outcomes is by curing the disease. If we do not create jobs, then we have failed at doing our jobs.”

Meanwhile, Pastor Omokri has urged the All Progressives Congress, APC, party to list the jobs that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government has created since inception of office.

Pastor Omokri who listed the Jobs the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, created to include,”from just American University of Nigeria, Faro, Rica Gardo & Standard Microfinance. Atiku created 50k jobs, to mention a few” however challenged the APC to, “list Buhari’s jobs!”

According to him, “@OfficialAPCNg is silly to say @Atiku must list jobs he created. Their focus should be jobs @MBuhari created. Let me humor them. From just American University of Nigeria, Faro, Rica Gardo & Standard Microfinance. Atiku created 50k jobs, to mention a few. APC, list Buhari’s jobs!”

“Cluelessness is when President @MBuhari accuses past administrations of not building infrastructure only for his finance minister to announce the next day that govt is so broke that they are selling national assets built by past governments to fund their 2019 budget #RenosDarts.”

Also taking a swipe at Buhari for criticising the past government of Jonathan, Pastor Omokri tweeted, “@MBuhari is an ingrate for saying Jonathan did nothing for infrastructure. Who built the only federal university in Buhari’s state? Who built the $1.4 billion Abuja-Kaduna railway? Who revived the railways? Who built the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON)? #RenosDarts.”

https://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/11/2019-be-ready-to-accept-defeat-pdp.html


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told President Muhammadu Buhari to abide by his undertaking to accept the outcome of the 2019 Presidential election which, by all indices, will be overwhelmingly won by its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The party invites all Nigerians and the international community to note this undertaking given by the Director-General of Buhari’s Campaign Organisation and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to a delegation from the European Union (EU), ostensibly having seen that the tide is flowing against their candidate.

The Buhari Campaign Organisation has seen the handwriting on the wall; that Nigerians across board have reached an irreversible consensus to end the Buhari administration and vote in our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as their next President and that no amount of smear campaigns, intimidation and threats can shake their will or cow them from firmly defending their resolution after the elections.

The Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are aware that they have failed Nigerians in every way. They know that Nigerians have seen through their unending lies, deception, propaganda and interminable penchant for beguilement, and that there is no way they can resist the resolve of the people for a new beginning.

This is a government that has gone down in history as irredeemably incompetent, blatantly corrupt, overtly insensitive, and incurably vengeful and under which Nigerians are facing the worst form of economic hardship, hunger, starvation, social instability and unabated bloodletting, to the extent compatriots are resorting to slavery and suicide missions as options.

The PDP, therefore charges the Buhari Campaign organization and the APC not to, in anyway, engage in any activity that is capable of derailing the electoral process, before, during or after the elections, as such will be firmly resisted by Nigerians.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

https://letsgetnigeriaworkingagain..com/2018/11/2019-be-ready-to-accept-defeat-pdp.html


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told President Muhammadu Buhari to abide by his undertaking to accept the outcome of the 2019 Presidential election which, by all indices, will be overwhelmingly won by its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The party invites all Nigerians and the international community to note this undertaking given by the Director-General of Buhari’s Campaign Organisation and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, to a delegation from the European Union (EU), ostensibly having seen that the tide is flowing against their candidate.

The Buhari Campaign Organisation has seen the handwriting on the wall; that Nigerians across board have reached an irreversible consensus to end the Buhari administration and vote in our candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as their next President and that no amount of smear campaigns, intimidation and threats can shake their will or cow them from firmly defending their resolution after the elections.

The Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are aware that they have failed Nigerians in every way. They know that Nigerians have seen through their unending lies, deception, propaganda and interminable penchant for beguilement, and that there is no way they can resist the resolve of the people for a new beginning.

This is a government that has gone down in history as irredeemably incompetent, blatantly corrupt, overtly insensitive, and incurably vengeful and under which Nigerians are facing the worst form of economic hardship, hunger, starvation, social instability and unabated bloodletting, to the extent compatriots are resorting to slavery and suicide missions as options.

The PDP, therefore charges the Buhari Campaign organization and the APC not to, in anyway, engage in any activity that is capable of derailing the electoral process, before, during or after the elections, as such will be firmly resisted by Nigerians.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

El-Zakzaky, the leader of the Iranian-backed Islamic Movement in Nigeria, was arrested over the course of a few fateful days in Zaria when hundreds of his followers were killed in clashes with the Nigerian military. To the military, Zakzaky is a dangerous preacher and a threat to the integrity and unity of Nigeria. To his followers, he is a spiritual and political leader to whom they swear allegiance above all others.

With roots in what has in recent times been regarded as the holy Shi’ite town of Zaria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky is the fifth born of his father. At the age of fifteen, he joined Fata Provincial Arabic School, Zaria, established by the then native authority (N.A.) for primary training of Arabic teachers. Due to his exceptional talent, he is recorded as having finished in two years instead of the usual four. He then proceeded to the School of Arabic Studies (AAS) in Kano, from 1971 – 1976 and obtained the ‘Grade II’ Certificate.

Following the completion of his school studies, he attended the GCE A-Level Private from where he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He studied B.Sc. Economics and graduated with a first class degree in 1979. The degree was denied to him by the university authorities due to his Islamic activities.

On the side of his Islamic education, he furthered his studies from various local ulamas (scholars) who included Mallam Sani Abdulkadir, Mallam Isa Madaka, Mallam Sani (Deputy Imam of Zaria Central Mosque) and Mallam Ibrahim Kakaki. While he was in Kano, he studied at the hawza (religious seminary) of Sheikh Nasir Kapara. He is also a hafiz of Quran and until the time of his recent arrest, he has been in full time research studies in various aspects of Islam.
Presently, he has spent almost 18 years in dawah, calling for a total establishment of Islam. His followers say that for this reason, he has encountered atrocities by every regime in Nigeria, both civilian and military.



El-Zakyzaky began propagating Shi’ite Islam around 1979, at the time of the Iranian revolution, which saw Iran’s monarchy overthrown and replaced with an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. Zakzaky believed that the establishment of a republic along similar religious lines in Nigeria would be feasible. He has been detained several times due to accusations of civil disobedience under military regimes in Nigeria during the 1980s and 1990s. He has been to various prisons across the country which include Sokoto, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and presently in Kaduna.

El-Zakzaky lived in Kwarbai quarters in Zaria City before his recent arrest. He is married to Zeenah and has six children. He is the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria and insists in this interview with WDNews that he has never advocated violence in any form, despite the violence suffered by himself and his estimated 3 million supporters.

WDNews: Is the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) otherwise known as Shi’ites, a sect, a violent group…?
Sheikh El-Zakyzaky: (cuts in) No, we are none of these things you have mentioned, the goal of the Islamic movement is to enlighten the Muslims as to their duties as individuals and as a community. A violent group cannot own more than The movement owns more than five hundred primary/secondary schools located in different parts of the country. You need to attend our Fudiyyah Schools and then judge for yourselves. This is in addition to many Islamic centers and other institutions that go as far as teaching what you may term as Western Education. We also own the nation’s most widely circulated newspaper, Al Mizan, in the Hausa language.

I must say this, I believe that all the names you presume us to be, are from persons that are just afraid of us for no reason. We will never, and not and will never engage in any form of crime to meet any of our aims.

Even when my sons were killed by the authorities, and the genocide committed against my people we remained a peaceful Movement, with enlightened and responsible people as members In almost forty years, we have not had course to resort to violence.

WDNews: The Sultan has subtly warned that there is a tendency for radicalization of your group members?
Sheikh El-Zakyzaky: In all that we do, the crux of the matter is we have conducted ourselves in the most civilized manner and cannot in any way derail from that track record and engage in any form of crime or violence. I think that in itself creates fear. The fear should be that those in power have remained careless about the welfare of their citizens, and crime has become a reoccurring decimal in the country and the IMN condemns all forms of crimes and preaches against them as a religious body.



WDNews: Your clashes with the military and authorities have been widely reported, you lost your sons in one of such clashes.
Sheikh El-Zakyzaky: I had said before my arrest that no matter the government there will be no change, they will only continue to threaten – you will do this, you will do that. And I have never been frightened or been afraid, I am not the problem of Nigeria, or the army, the problem is the lack of welfare by the Nigerian state.

WDNews: In Zaria, you are feared and many accuse you of running a state within a state…?

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PDP: LEADERSHIP FOR SURVIVAL
By Kachi Samuels
As a contemporary political party established in 1998, PDP has consistently produced leaders in the highest political offices of the country for a period of sixteen years. However, the Party itself has never really had an experienced, educated and liberal outward looking man/woman to pilot its affairs. The present National Chairman the Party has, by some happenstance spewed out in the last month, and appears to fit the bill.
Casual observers and political history students will all agree that the major political ruling Party in Nigeria has been somewhat unfortunate in its choices of internal Party leaders over the years. The present hostilities within the Party, uncertain Party affixations of card carrying members, the betrayals, backstabbing and general decay within this crumbling political giant can all be directly attributed to the internal leadership of the Party.
Yes, it is a political Party, but it’s also an organisation and should position itself as such, in this present age. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff has the capacity to pull the crumbling giant together and mould tit into a semblance of what it once was, he is uniquely qualified to make the Party greater than originally created.
Senator Sheriff has already demonstrated his remarkable ability by bring various founding fathers to the table and he has united some bickering factors, through his inert ability to disarm and to direct without appearing dictatorial pushy or overbearing, a tick he must have acquired as a student of Insurance Banking and Finance in London Business School.
By virtue of family background, one would expect the Honourable Senator and former Governor to be stuffy, arrogant and unapproachable; the reverse is the case in this particular instance. I have watched the distinguished Senator relate with ordinary Nigerian as equals and I have seen him take personal interest in lives. This trait is sure to bring millions of Nigerians to the big umbrella.
Senator Sheriff is well versed in politics and political administration, as two time Governor and a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has more than enough experience and political wherewithal to provide the leadership PDP needs. He is not cowed by the political intimidations of the present administration, as he responds directly to President Buhari`s caterwauling. Ali Modu Sheriff is political astute, connected and motivated to bring-in the needed results for PDP.
The various organs of PDP should endeavour to pull their heads out of their nether-regions and rally around Ali Modu Sheriff, they should grow-up and put the common good of the Party first for once!!.How be it that every political elite in PDP is shimmering with short sighted political selfishness? When did it become normal and acceptable to pick, use and discard people? What calibre of humans cooked up the idea of a three months National Chairman whose job is to clear up old Party debts, refurbish dilapidated Party offices and pay back -logged staff salaries from personal accounts, organise a hitch-free National Convention for the Party and then fade-off into the sunset, like a good little boy. Where is the heralded PDP fairness?
The recent selection of leadership of various commit tasked with the Organisation of the National Convention, is further indication of Sen Sheriff`s ability to handle the affairs of PDP, why not give him a chance? Why listen to a section of the media bought and paid for to speculate and engender disunity within the PDP fold. As of today if an election is to be conducted between APC and PDP, PDP will still lose because they are fighting at cross purposes and as such, they do not constitute a competition to the present ruling Party. This fact is well known to the incumbent ruling Party, which is why they keep fighting tooth and nail to make certain PDP continues to chase its own tail.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff should be given a chance to stabilize the Party and it must necessarily require a little over a three month time frame, his work thus far; attests to a strong ability to reconstruct and reunite the Party. So, what if he wants to contest for the presidential ticket in 2019, good I say, let him via for the ticket with others of like mind; the more the merrier.
Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is what PDP needs to resuscitate itself because if the People’s Democratic Party fails in 2019, they would have failed the Nigerians for the last time and they might not survive to try again.