₦airaland Forum

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that he he would perform better if given another opportunity in 2019.

Buhari also said he had warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure that every vote counts in 2019.

He said he instructed them that all Nigerians must be allowed to vote whoever they want without harassment.

NAN reports that’s Buhari spoke on Thursday during an interactive session with a select group of Nigerian professionals based in the United States and Canada.

Buhari said he recognised that Nigerians in the diaspora were talented people and called on them to come to the support of the country, particularly, in education.

The president also said that he was not slow as some people had assumed, saying he was trying to follow the law, especially as democracy is different from military rule.

He recalled that he put people in Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos when he was a military head of state and then ensured they remained in custody until they were able to prove themselves innocent.

Buhari, however, said his administration was making progress but had to go by the law assuring that “if I win the next election and I survive the next four years, I will do better”.

He also recounted his experience in politics saying that he suffered electoral corruption from 2013 when he started contesting for the presidency and had at each point, pursued the case up to the Supreme Court but lost.

“I’m always conscious of the ordinary people because they are the ones that always vote for me. A lot of big men have no time to go and queue on the line for hours.

“There were even pregnant women who were on the line for hours and they delivered. They are my constituencies; they always vote for me,” Buhari said.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

OneSentence:
will this stop Buhari from travelling out? or will it stop his son of going for check up after his accident? abegiii

The Federal Government has put up 52 hospitals belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for commercial use in a new template to curtail loss to medical tourism in the country.

The NNPC, which confirmed this yesterday, added that the move was part of a major national healthcare intervention project, designed to halt medical tourism to foreign destinations through the provision of state-of-the-art hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country.

The corporation, in a medical venture plans, has set a five-year gestation period for the project to achieve substantial impact in Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.

The healthcare project is in three parts. The first is Occupational Health designed to specifically service NNPC staff, their dependents and retirees. All current NNPC clinics fall under this scheme and are presently being upgraded to reflect the new realities.

The second scheme involves some key NNPC hospitals like the erstwhile Abuja International Diagnostic Centre (AIDC) and the Benoni Hospital in Benin City, which are being equipped to service both NNPC staff and outsiders because of their projected excess capacity.

The third leg of the medical project, which has been designated as ‘new business’, involves locations where state-of-the-art hospitals and diagnostic centres will be constructed on NNPC’s unutilized lands in Kaduna, Mosimi and Port Harcourt for commercial purposes.

NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said he was delighted by the development being spearheaded by the NNPC Medicals, saying the project would impact on the bottom line of the corporation in the long run.

Baru affirmed that apart from the financial benefits the project promises, it also underlined the progress being made in the transformation efforts to reposition NNPC as a fully integrated company of the future.

The state-owned oil firm further informed that the icing on the cake is the erstwhile Abuja International Diagnostic Centre, which is being reconfigured to assume the status of a national flagship medical mall.

Upon completion, the centre will warehouse top class health care providers in cardiovascular, oncology, renal dialysis, radiology and lab services.

The dream is essentially to make AIDC a hub for other clinics through telemedicine.

This process allows the remote delivery of healthcare services, such as health assessments or consultations with the support of telecommunications and information technology infrastructure. It will enable the healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients without the need for an in-person visit.

Dr. Babatunde Adeniran, Chief Operating Officer, NNPC Ventures, said the new-found medical vision was modelled as well as inspired in part by successes recorded in other jurisdictions like Saudi Arabia, where the state oil company, Saudi Aramco, partners John Hopkins to provide best medical care for its staff and residents of other Middle East countries.

"NNPC has 52 clinics/hospitals, the largest network of healthcare facilities in Nigeria which is enough capacity for us to build on, upgrade the facilities and achieve our commercialization dream. The aim is to reduce to zero, medical tourism and the accompanied capital flight with a view to retaining the money in Nigeria while also improving NNPC’s revenue,” he said.

Musa Shaibu, veteran Occupational Health Physician and Managing Director of NNPC Medical Services Limited (NMSL), said that the corporation was harnessing its strong brand name and market place identity to achieve remarkable results in the pursuit of medical excellence.

“The NNPC name is huge, it is a golden name and as we are going into healthcare delivery in the name of NNPC, it is going to be a huge advantage. Don’t forget that, over the years, because we have been in the practice, we have interfaced with the best in healthcare delivery across the world. We know what to do and how to achieve result,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Africans in the Diaspora to come up with suggestions on how to curtail the menace of corruption on the continent.

Speaking in New York on Wednesday at the High Level Media Launch on “Illicit Financial Flows and the Fight against Corruption: Curbing the Existence of Safe Havens – the Role of Africans in the Fight against Corruption,” organised by the NEPAD/APRM Nigeria on the margins of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, he also enjoined them to support measures against “Safe Havens” for illicit financial outflows from Africa.

Describing corruption as a “cancer” which required global efforts to contain, President Buhari recalled that the negative impact of corruption on the continent informed the “resolve of African Heads of State and Government to remain committed to the fight against corruption,” and the declaration of 2018, as the African year of combating corruption with the overriding theme: Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.

The president expressed appreciation to his fellow African leaders for the honour bestowed on him as the African Union Anti – Corruption Champion to lead the continental War Against Corruption in 2018 and beyond, noting that the change agenda of his administration “has overhauled, revitalised as well as institutionalized the machinery for an out and out fight against corruption and its agents, with a particular focus on illicit financial flows.”

While acknowledging that the social and economic costs of corruption and illicit financial flows are massive, and have continued to stunt the development of Africa, President Buhari cited a 2015 study by an African Union Panel led by Thabo Mbeki which estimated US$50 Billion illicit financial flows out of the continent every year.

He said: “According to the report, about US$2.5billion of the US$50billion of Illicit Financial Flows was in respect of commercial activities. It is obvious that the continent still battles with grand corruption at the highest level, with Safe Havens, opaque systems in many recipient countries and the outright willingness of some advanced countries to harbour stolen funds from Africa.”

He listed some of the negative impact of illicit financial flows out of the continent to include draining of foreign exchange reserves, reduction of tax/revenue collection, poor investment inflows and escalation of poverty, pointing out that these “nefarious practices are being perpetrated by some of the 60 international tax havens and secret jurisdictions with thousands of disguised corporations, shell companies, anonymous trust accounts, fake charitable foundations, money laundering and transfer pricing mechanisms.”

While observing that efforts are now being made by African leaders to checkmate these ills and ensure greater transparency and accountability in government business, the Nigerian President added: “One of the measures necessary, if we are to make any headway, is to bring in laws, regulations and policies that encourage transparent financial transactions, as well as implementing measures that would mitigate the incentives that facilitate illegal outflows from the continent.”

He recalled that during the January 2018 AU Summit, he pledged to “organise African Youth Congresses against Corruption, in order to sensitise and engage our youth in the fight against corruption; mobilise African Union Member States to implement African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption; and advocate for the strengthening of the criminal justice system across Africa through exchange of information and sharing best practices in the enforcement of anti-corruption laws.”

On the measures taken at the domestic level to curb corruption in Nigeria, President Buhari said, a mechanism had been put in place “for budget implementation and monitoring as well as assessing the impact on the lives of the citizens.”

Others measures include: “The Federal Government had successfully commenced implementation of a whistleblowing programme and so far tens of millions of Dollars have been recovered; as part of the global initiative, Nigeria has joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) having been committed in 14 areas which are categorized into four thematic areas as follows; Promoting fiscal transparency; Access to information under FOI Acts; Anti-Corruption and Asset disclosure and Citizens’ Engagement and Empowerment.”

According to the President, “the above measures have not only assisted in alleviating fears of foreign investors but have also attracted billions of Dollars in Portfolio investments since April 2017.”

He also noted that the “enforcement of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) has helped in no small measure to identify and curb the deep-rooted corrupt practices by looters of government revenue with multiple accounts.”

The President said that he had “enlisted the support of multilateral institutions like the World Bank, IMF, Security Agencies, and friendly nations to locate and recover and help repatriate stolen assets.”

He also recalled that “In the first quarter of 2016, I embarked on trips to the Middle East to sensitize their governments on the need to return stolen assets and hand over the looters for trial in Nigeria. In January 2017, Nigeria and UAE signed judicial agreements on extradition, transfer of sentenced persons, and mutual legal assistance on criminal matters.”

President Buhari noted further that, “In March 2016, the Federal Government and the Swiss Government signed a letter of intent on the restitution of illegally acquired assets forfeited in Switzerland,” adding that under the agreement, the “Swiss government would repatriate $321 million USD illicitly acquired.”

The President affirmed that “machinery has also been set in motion for monitoring, assessing and reporting on the UN 2030 Goals on Sustainable Development.”

The Coalition of United Political Parties has (CUPP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies of working for the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the Pain governorship rerun election.

Its spokeamn, Imo Ugochinyere, in a statement on Thursday, said the crisis that occured in 1983 over election manipulation will be a child’s play in 2019 if the Osun scenario replays itself.

He said the same INEC that claimed to have cancelled results of some Polling Units due to disruption watched with collaborative silence as security forces comprising the Police, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Army comfortably turned themselves into joint militant wing of the vote-stealing APC.

CUPP said: “For the very first time in Nigeria electoral history, accredited journalists and observers were man handled, stopped from accessing voting areas. Security forces watched while helplessly while APC thugs molested and intimidated voters, dispossessed them of their permanent voters card and abducted accredited agents of the opposition.

“INEC has finally confirmed the speculation that it was indeed a conspirator in the denial of the mandate of Osun people freely given to Senator Ademola Adeleke. Nobody is in doubt anymore that the shenanigans of INEC during the collation and declaration of result was for a purpose.

“The deduction of votes from Senator Adeleke, the fictitious adding of votes for Alhaji Oyetola and suspicious declaration of an election adjudged by all INEC accredited observers as the freest and fairest in recent times as inconclusive due to disruptions is akin to INEC discrediting its own process just to please the APC.

“The whole world has watched the show of shame in Osun. The whole world has seen Prof Mahmood Yakubu dance shamelessly naked in the market square for personal aggrandizement, all his pontification as a revolutionary and crusader of free and fair election have been washed down the drain. His character was tested, he failed woefully.

“We had expected the INEC Chairman to rise above this madness, alas, he has only shown he is unashamedly one of them.

“We hereby join the call by patriotic Nigerians to demand the immediate resignation of Prof Mahmood Yakubu from office as the INEC Chairman while calling on all international agencies investing their money and other resources to see to a credible election to know that Prof. Mahmood is the singular greatest threat to credible elections in Nigeria. Any investments in INEC while he seats as Chairman is a waste and should be discontinued immediately till he leaves office.

“We also remind our fellow countrymen that freedom cometh by struggle. Osun is the bridge of our tolerance to this quantum of brigandage by state institutions saddled with the responsibility to ensure credible elections.

“Beyond this bridge, we shall not tolerate, accept or condone the acts of stealing of the mandate of the people. Osun is the last, it will not happen again.

“Finally, we call on the good people of Osun to remain peaceful as their mandate will be restored by the judiciary.

“INEC should cancel this sham, this charade, this contraption it conducted in Osun today if they ever want the Nigerian electorate to take them serious.”

izzou:
He will manufacture it from the same factory where Fayemi will use to pay the people of Ekiti

Hope this answers your intelligent question?

madridguy:

There is palpable tension in Osun ahead of the rerun election slated for Thursday, as hundreds of military personnel replace police to provide security during the exercise.

Our reporter on Wednesday morning observed heavy deployment of military men in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, and Ifon, in Orolu local government, while several other military vehicles were moving towards Ile-Ife.

A reliable security source told our reporter that the decision to change the security architecture of the state against the Thursday’s rerun election was mandated from the “top” to give some level of leverage to the ruling party.

DAILY POST reports that the rerun which was necessitated by the inconclusive gubernatorial election of Saturday was billed to take place in seven polling units at Osogbo, Orolu, Ife South, and Ife North local governments.

Meanwhile, there have been accusations and counter-accusations between the two leading parties in the contest, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

While the APC accused PDP of embarking on voters’ inducement by buying PVCs, the latter alleged that the ruling party was not only buying PVCs but criminally cloning it to manipulate electoral process to its advantage.

PDP also accused the APC government of victimising and threatening lives of some of its leaders, including a former ally of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who recently defected to PDP, Alhaji Fatai Diekola.

However, DAILY POST has gathered that both APC and PDP are in desperate scramble to lure over three thousand voters in the seven polling units with money, ranging from N50,000 to N100,000.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged the Federal Government to faithfully commence implementation of the 2018 budget to avert danger of the economy sliding back to recession, even as it kept its main interest rate at 14 per cent yesterday.
This came just as CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, said he was optimistic the apex bank would resolve a dispute linked to allegations that South African telecommunications firm, MTN, moved funds out of the country illegally.
The CBN policy think tank, whose split decision reflected the bank’s need to contend with both sluggish growth and accelerating inflation, said three of the 10 members of the MPC who met voted to tighten by 25 basis points.
The rate has been at a record high 14 per cent since July 2016.
Nigeria emerged from its first recession in 25 years in 2017, but continues to suffer from sluggish growth and high inflation.
Emefiele said the MPC left Cash Reserves Ratio (CRR) at 22.5 per cent; liquidity at 30 per cent and Asymmetric corridor at +200 and -500 basis points around the MPR.
“There is need to maintain the current monetary policy stance and await a clearer understanding of the quantum and timing of liquidity injections into the economy before deciding on possible adjustments,” Emefiele said.
Commenting on underpinning developments that informed its decision, he said: “The committee appraised the macro-economic environment and noted that at its July meeting, modest stability has been achieved in key indicators, including inflation, exchange rate and reserves.

“In particular, relative stability has returned to the foreign exchange market, going by a robust level of external reserves with inflation trending downward for the 18th consecutive month.”
However, the governor said these gains so far achieved appear to be under threat of reversal following the new data, which provides evidence of weakening fundamentals.

The governor said MPC listed measures, which include implementing capital component of 2018 budget, implementing provisions contained in Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) that government could take to sustain economic growth.
“In this regard, the committee urged government to take advantage of the current rising trend in the oil prices to rebuild fiscal buffers, strengthen government finances in the medium term and reverse the current trend of decline in output growth.
“MPC also called on the fiscal authority to intensify the implementation of ERGP to stimulate economic activities, bridge the output gap and create employment,” he said.

Emefiele said the committee expressed concern on rising inflation, which he said could rise in the wake of electioneering spending, coupled with distribution from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

He said: “The MPC expressed concern over the potential impact of liquidity injection from the election related spending, and increase in FAAC distribution which is rising in tandem with increase in oil receipt.”

Other areas of committee’s concern include rising level of non-performing loans in the banking system, which he said was stressed mainly by exposure to the oil sector, urging the banks to closely monitor and address the situation.
Meanwhile, Emefiele said he was optimistic that CBN would resolve a dispute linked to allegations that MTN moved funds out of the country illegally.

The banking watchdog, last month, ordered MTN and its lenders to bring $8.134 billion back into Nigeria, which CBN alleged the company had sent abroad in breach of foreign exchange regulations.
MTN’s lenders, Standard Chartered, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Citibank and Diamond Bank were also fined in connection to the money transfer.
He confirmed that MTN and the four banks have written to CBN and provided documents on the matter.

“We understand that there was some interpretation in some quarters that, aside from the naira penalty, there was some conclusion that those dollars attributed to have been remitted by these banks on behalf of MTN were indeed the liabilities of the bank,” he said.
“That is why we provided a clarification to the banks when they called us that the liability is that of MTN and not theirs and that CBN was not in any position or in any way going to debit the bank for the dollar because it was not their liability. It’s important to note that this was an investigation that started about two years ago.”

Meanwhile, Emefiele explained the wisdom behind the adoption of a new name – Polaris – for Skyebank, which it handed over to Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).
He also affirmed that strategic health of Nigerian banking system remains strong and sound, dispelling insinuation of distress.

At a question and answer session at Tuesday’s MPC meeting in Abuja, Emefiele said: “Let me repeat that the strategic health of the Nigerian banking system remains sound. In every chain, there will always be strong point and weak points, but what we will continue to do is to make sure that that chain remains strong in all aspects of it.

“Notwithstanding, as we see areas where there are weaknesses, we will do everything possible to make sure that we keep the chain linked together and that is what we did with Skye Bank.”
He said Polaris Bank was duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), adding that the new name was part of requirement for a company going through such peculiar situation experienced by the bank.
“The name had to be changed for legal reasons, having got to the point where CBN has invested close to N800 billion in this bank, at some point, it must be seen to be owned by CBN until we find investors that can pay a fair price for the bank. That is the reason why the name had to change from Skye Bank to Polaris Bank,” he said.

edidiongmichael:
After this match, ⅔ of Manchester United fans all over the world will be shouting....... "MOURIHNO OUT!!!"

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday vowed to return the South West states to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if elected president in the forthcoming general elections in 2019.

Atiku, a presidential aspirant of the PDP, made this promise when he visited members and delegates of Oyo state ahead of the forthcoming presidential primary election of the party.

The former Vice President was welcomed to the Oke-Ado PDP state secretariat by the two gubernatorial aspirants of the party, Mr. Seyi Makinde and Senator Ayo Adeseun, a former Deputy governor, Alhaji Azeem Gbolarumi, Elder Wole Oyelese, Alhaja Bose Adedibu, Senator Kamoru Adedibu and Dr. Saka Balogun.

Other bigwigs that welcomed Atiku were Chief Robert Koleoso, Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola, Chief Jacob Adetoro, Taiwo Oluyemi, Muraina Ajibola and the State Secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Adeleke.

Recalling how he worked with others as the Vice President in 2003 to take over all the South West states with the exception of Lagos from the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Atiku assured the zone of greater participation in the PDP government at the centre.

He then urged members of the party to put their differences aside and forge ahead in unity for the party to win Oyo state in the next general election.

Atiku who was accompanied by his Director General of his campaign, Otunba Gbenga Daniel further urged members of the party to work for the interest of the party at all times for them to reclaim the state and the federal government.

Atiku while speaking further described Oyo state as the political headquarters of the South West region which should not be toyed with.

He said, “Oyo is the political headquarters of South West. The people of Oyo state, so let us work together. Let us work for the unity of the party; by the grace of God, we will have PDP in government in 2019 in Oyo state and Nigeria.”

cimag:
What did you mean by that statement?Apart from governorship post,there are senate,house of reps and house of assembly seats.Won't there be primaries for these posts?

BayDeeyhur:
@BeeBeeOôh please i want to have a conversation with you.

Kindly send me a mail adeoluamosun@gmail.com.

Thanks.

A leader of the PDP in Adamawa told Daily Sun that it is in the interest of the opposition party not to field any candidate with any encumbrances in 2019.

There are indications that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would bar some of its presidential aspirants, who have graft cases from participating in the primary scheduled for October 5-6.

Daily Sun gathered yesterday that some top shots in the PDP are strongly canvassing that anyone with graft case or any criminal charge should not be allowed to fly the PDP presidential flag in 2019.

A former member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, reiterated the party is desirous of fielding a candidate without blemish in 2019.

“There are some of these aspirants who have cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and other anti-corruption agencies.

“Some cases bordering on graft, embezzlement, money laundering and all of that. We want a presidential candidate from the PDP that will be as white as snow, so that the issue of blackmail and all of that will not arise.

“So, we should be looking at someone who has credibility, integrity and the rest of that because the APC government is out to run down anybody that has skeleton in its cupboards. We must try to avoid those pitfalls.”

Similarly, another leader of the PDP in Adamawa State, who also declined to be named, told Daily Sun that it is in the interest of the opposition party not to field any candidate with any encumbrances in 2019.

“The PDP should stop anybody who has a charge against him. Either corruption or any criminal matter. PDP should not field him for two reasons. One, because of image. The image the public has of the PDP today is that it is a corrupt party. If we field people who are standing trial for corruption, then, we are going ahead to admit or indicate to the Nigerian people that our party that we are not ready to change.

“Yes, the Constitution says until you are found guilty, you are innocent. We understand. But, the fact that you have a corruption case, and you have been charged in a court of law, and you pleaded not guilty; there is a possibility that you can be convicted.

“There is a moral burden on the party to prove that it is not what people think it is. We, therefore, said we must make sure that it does not field anybody with corruption charge. PDP must secure its participation in the election. If you field somebody standing trial in court, you finish nomination in October, finish substitution in November; you still have November, December, January and February before the presidential election.

“Supposing he is convicted within these three months, that means the PDP will not contest the election. There is no point going into a election if you cannot guarantee your participation. And, the fact that you are fielding a person with exuberance, there is a possibility of him being convicted. So, we must, under no circumstances, field anybody that is standing criminal charges.”

When contacted for his reaction, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party will not choose its candidate on the basis of whether or not they have graft cases.

Ologbondiyan also said no member can canvass for the opposition party to drop aspirants with corruption cases, and that the party would be guided by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as its rules in screening presidential aspirants.

He said the Supreme Court had ruled in the past that anyone who has not been convicted in the court cannot be barred from participating in an election.

“Please, don’t bring that to us, it is not in our party. Nobody in our party told you that. Once you are a member of our party and you have satisfied the provisions of the constitution, and you have complied with the provisions of our own constitution, as well as our guidelines, you are free to contest (the presidential primary),” Ologbondiyan noted.

This was against the backdrop of commencement of screening of presidential aspirants.

The PDP Presidential Screening Committee has screened some aspirants who obtained the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms for the presidential primary.

Among those who appeared before the screening panel, headed by former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, yesterday, were former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, David Mark and former national chairman of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Others were former Sokoto governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; former minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki; former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang and founder of Baze University, Abuja, senator Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Supporters of former Kano governor, senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and those of former Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido were seen around the Legacy House, Abuja, venue of the exercise.

Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, and Stanley Osifo, who also obtained the PDP presidential nomination forms were not at the screening venue, yesterday.

Most of the aspirants described the screening process as transparent, and noted that they would work together, irrespective of who clinches the PDP presidential ticket.

Jang insisted “the process was beautiful. Absolutely I stand a chance to win the ticket. I am optimistic because I believe in God and I believe that God is going to give it to me. I am also impressed that there is no bitterness in the ongoing campaign by the presidential aspirants.”

On his part, Turaki reiterated that “we must work together. There must be synergy to ensure that PDP saves Nigeria from imminent collapse. Only one person can be president at a given time and whosoever gets it, by the special grace of God, we have agreed to support that person.

Yambee:
Ambode is yesterday's news.

His case has been decided already. Same people that picked you up from nowhere,and made you the Governor,are still the same people that are telling you to take a sabbatical from the Governor's office.

It is a lose/lose situation for you. Lagos state is so dirty now,Aba is starting to look like Germany when compared to lagos.

No Ambode, you have to go.