₦airaland Forum

The federal government has presented a plan to permanently solve the farmers-herders conflicts in Nigeria which has claimed the lives of thousands over the years.

Hundreds of people have been killed in 2018 alone in violence involving nomadic herdsmen in states like Benue, Plateau, and Kaduna.

Aside the loss of lives, the federal government has said that Nigeria loses about $14 billion (₦5.04 trillion) annually to the conflicts.

The presentation of the plan was made by the technical adviser to the National Economic Council (NEC), Andrew Kwasari, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The presentation event was attended by several public officials including the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; and the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Mr Kwasari’s presentation showed that the plan stemmed from meetings and recommendations by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and the National Economic Council in 2017.

The economic council is headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and includes all state governors as well as some ministers as members.

The government’s new plan is tagged ‘The National Livestock Transformation Plan.’ It is built on six key pillars: economic investment, conflict resolution, law and order, humanitarian relief, information education and strategic communication; and cross-cutting issues.

According to the plan, the economic investment pillar would support and strengthen the development of market-driven ranches in seven pilot states for improved livestock productivity through breed (genetic) improvement and pasture production, in addition to efficient land and water productivity.

The government also said it would rebuild social capital at the community level to promote mutual trust, confidence building and consolidate the peace process, with regards to the conflict resolution pillar.

The plan also showed that the law and order pillar would support the strengthening of legal frameworks for improving livestock production, peace and harmony.

The fourth pillar, humanitarian relief will focus on rebuilding and reconstructing of common facilities – worship places, markets and individual homes that have been destroyed.

The fifth pillar would aid information, education and strategic communication on the development of grazing reserves in the frontline states, and mitigate the consequences of these conflicts such as wanton loss of lives, destruction of properties, including schools and facilities.

The ‘cross-cutting’ issues pillar identifies various cross-cutting issues necessary to realise the objectives of the programme, which include monitoring and evaluation; and research to contribute evidence base in programme implementation; as well as gender mainstreaming, the plan showed.

Ten key states were identified as the frontline states to receive pilot interventions in line with the recommendations of the FMARD and NEC livestock conference.

The states include: Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

The plan would include creation of large ranches in each of these states.

“A Ranch Design Plan has also been proposed in models of various sizes clustered in 94 locations in the 10 pilot states. The government intends to transition pastoralism to ranching in order to reduce the struggle for common resources,” Mr Kwasari stated in his presentation of the plan.

In terms of size, the proposed ranch size models are:

“Cluster 30, 60, 150 and 300 cows ranch models in a location within the donated gazetted grazing reserves; and “a minimum 1000 cows breeder ranch in 7 of the 10 pilot states.”

The well equipped ranches will, however, not come cheap.

“Total spending over the 10 year period is slightly in excess of N179 billion,” the expert said.

“FGN-States funding is meant for the first 3yrs in the pilot phase, totaling about N70billion.”

Some of the benefits of the plan include “Expected milk output to be in excess of 200million litres by the 2nd year of the project (but the first year of productivity.”

“Expected milk output of 700m ltrs of milk by the 4th year of the project.”

Speaking on the plan, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh said: “we want to bring this crisis to an end. We will begin action in a matter of days.”

He said nomadic herding was not sustainable and Nigeria must adopt ranching.

He added that there has been a “strong partnership” between the federal and state governments; a view also espoused by Mr Ortom whose Benue State has witnessed some of the most violent crisis involving nomadic herdsmen.

Mr Ortom, however, argued that apart from implementing the new plan, the federal government must ensure that perpetrators of previous killings in the state are arrested and prosecuted.

Protesters have gathered at the national office of the All Progressives Congress demanding the removal of the John Odigie-Oyegun-led national working committee of the ruling party.


The protesters carried placards praising a leading contender for the national chairmanship of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.


One placard read “Oshiomhole is our winner”, another said “Oyegun and co leave our party secretariat now”.


The tenure of the present national working committee, NWC, is due to end this month and new officials will be elected at the party’s convention scheduled for Saturday.


An earlier proposal to extend the tenure of the Oyegun-led NWC was rejected by party leaders including President Muhammadu Buhari.


Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state, has the backing of President Buhari and other key party leaders for the top position.


Mr Odigie-Oyegun has said he will not seek re-election.
A member of the publicity sub-committee of the National Convention Organising Committee, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said 20 positions had been returned unopposed while 42 posts are being contested.


Some of those officials who seek re-election are; National Secretar; Mai Mala Bun, Deputy National Chairman (North); Lawan Shuaibu, National Vice-Chairmen; Hilard Etta (South-south, Emma Eneukwu; (South-east, National Organising Secretary; Osita Izunaso and National Auditor, George Muoghalu.

She also said there will be no “unity list”, referring to an list of candidates the party recommends to delegates to vote for on saturday.

Nigeria may be losing the gains of increases in the international oil prices as the Federal Government subsidy on fuel has risen to N2.4 billion daily in May, from N774 million in March, 2018, also as a result of the high price of crude oil in the international market.

Unlike in March, this year, when the price of crude oil hovered at $66 per barrel, it had hovered between $75 and $80 per barrel since last month, thus pushing up landing cost of the refined product in the domestic markets for finished product importers like Nigeria.

In a report obtained by Vanguard, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, stated that without the government subsidy, the price of petrol could have been as high as N205 per litre in the domestic market.

According to PPPRA, the price of the commodity appreciated by 8.47 per cent from N189 per litre recorded in April 25, 2018 to N205 per litre as at May 16, 2018.

The PPPRA report disclosed that during the week under reference, between May 11 and May 16, 2018, oil prices continued to soar, stating that the average price for Brent Dated was $77.92 per barrel; Nigeria’s Bonny Light was $78.08 while West Texas Intermediate, WTI, was $60.27 per barrel.

Price of petrol is still fixed at a maximum of N145 per litre, meaning that the NNPC is currently paying N60 as under recovery for a litre of the commodity.

Speaking with Vanguard on this issue, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu said: “The explanation is simple. The higher the price of crude oil the higher the price of petroleum products in the international market. It should also be noted that this has also impacted on the landing cost, and by extension our under recovery.”

In a related development findings by Vanguard in Ogun state and other border communities showed that the situation is worsened by smuggling, as NNPC is now forced to subsidize the product for neighboring countries.

Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru who led top management team of the corporation to visit Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd), recently, had blamed the increase in fuel consumption on massive smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.

Baru had also raised an alarm on the proliferation of fuel stations in communities with international land and coastal borders across the country, insisting that the development had energized unprecedented cross-border smuggling of petrol to neighbouring countries, making it difficult to sanitise the fuel supply and distribution matrix in the country.

He had revealed that detailed study conducted by the NNPC indicated strong correlation between the presence of the frontier stations and the activities of fuel smuggling syndicates.

Providing a detailed presentation of the findings, the NNPC boss had noted that 16 states, having among them 61 local government areas with border communities, account for 2,201 registered fuel stations.

He had said: “NNPC is concerned that continued cross-border smuggling of petrol will deny Nigerians the benefit of the Federal Government’s benevolence of keeping a fix retail price of N145 per litre, despite the increase in PMS open market price above N171 per litre.” Responding, Customs’ Comptroller-General had said the service would work with the NNPC to stem the tide of cross-border smuggling of petroleum products, noting that all hands must be on deck to ensure the economic survival of the country.

Ahead of the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) holding on Saturday, the governors on the platform of the party are billed to meet Wednesday evening in Abuja to decide on a consensus list of aspirants for its National Working Committee (NWC) positions up for grabs.

The party, however, insisted Monday that there would be no unity list, saying the playing field would be level for all the aspirants.

A member of the Publicity Sub-committee of the National Convention Organising Committee, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told reporters in Abuja that there would be no unity list as was being speculated, confirming, however, that the governors would meet Wednesday.

Dabiri, who spoke after a brief meeting between the governors and the sub-committee at the convention secretariat, said there was room for affirmation and consensus.

“There is no unity list but there is room for affirmation and consensus, no unity list you can say is APC list. Anywhere you see any such list, it is fake,” she said, adding that 20 positions had been returned unopposed while 42 posts are being contested.

THISDAY gathered that the screening committee headed by Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha had completed its assignment and would submit its report Tuesday to the convention committee.

The planned meeting by governors is coming just as information emerged Monday that some other members of the outgoing NWC are facing allegations ranging from financial misappropriation to violation of party’s rules.

In addition, there were petitions challenging the propriety of allowing them to recontest for their offices without resigning their positions.

Among the members of the NWC seeking re-election are the National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni; Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawan Shuaibu; National Vice-Chairmen, Hilard Etta (South-south), Emma Eneukwu (South-east); National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso; and National Auditor, George Muoghalu.

A top party source, who confirmed Wednesday’s meeting of the APC governors, said the meeting would be hosted by the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Okorocha, at the Imo State Government Lodge, Asokoro in Abuja.

It was learnt that the ruling party had reached an understanding that the governors would be given the chance to propose nominees that were zoned to their states.

However, in order to take care of the wider interests of the party and to ensure that those aspirants from non-APC states were given a fair chance, the governors had accepted to hold an enlarged meeting with the national leadership of the party to agree on what would be APC’s version of “unity list”.

According to another party source, the essence of the unity list was to minimise possible conflict at the convention.

But another source raised concerns over looming crisis in the party due to the desire of most of the governors to get even with their perceived political adversaries.

“These governors have resolved to make sure that those NWC members that have fallen apart with them did not get re-elected at the convention and they are going to use their influence on the unity list as a weapon to edge out the unwanted elements,” he said.

THISDAY gathered that the governor’s meeting became necessary following the discovery that some members of the party were working on different agenda, which might lead to either a walkout by the aggrieved members or total parallel National Convention.

Those pushing for the unity list are doing it to route for the chairmanship candidature of former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole.

Among those that had visited his campaign headquarters to express their endorsement are former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu; his Osun State counterpart, Bisi Akande; Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), and Special Adviser to the President (Political), Hon. S.A. Samani.

Meanwhile, Okorocha who is heading the Screening Appeal Committee said 19 aspirants who were dropped by the screening committee were to appear before his committee as well as others who had petitions against them.

A party source said: “As it is now, the National Organising Secretary, Senator Izunaso, has seven petitions against him from his home state, Imo. Some of these petitions were said to have been sponsored by the agents of the Imo State Governor, Okorocha, as part of the bid to stop Izunaso from seeking re-election.”

The governor had earlier accused the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and Izunaso of being behind the plot to deny his favoured candidates victory during the congresses in the state.

When contacted by THISDAY on telephone Monday, Izunaso confirmed that there was a petition against him alleging misappropriation of party funds but said he was able to defend himself before the committee and to prove the accusers wrong.

“Yes, the issue was part of the petitions against me, which I was able to clear during my appearance before the Screening Appeal committee on Monday,” he said.

frowland:
I could not upload all pictures at once as the max is 4MB. But a closer look at the male Italian mastiff .

The female Neapolitan is 8 weeks pregnant and should deliver in two weeks time!

frowland:
Female Cobra

vincentjk:
03-06-018
Happy Sunday everyone, today is Sunday I'm free so just felt like spending sometime with my boys.

Murphy in the first picture looks sad, yea, and that's because i gave gustaf a chicken leg to eat though he tried collecting it as the alpha male but i instructed him to stop. That made him so moody that he didn't even wanted smiling at all

In the second picture, I tried doing anything possible just to see Murphy smile so i carried him up the truck, teased him a little then asked him to pose for the camera... Boom he's already smiling

AgamaProf:
Goal keepers like Degea,karius be making ronaldo look great.Ever wondered why Ronaldo celebrates every goal, even penalty goal like he won a medal?.

neutralview:
.Abi oo!. May be na lucozade nylon he put for him black and white tv

BecaciaBarbie:
Hahaha no be small sef

BecaciaBarbie:
You are too hilarious please she turned me into an amateur in football watching... I was disappointed at myself for thinking Messi is from Argentina and not Spain...so I had to do a quick Google.

BecaciaBarbie:
Hahaha she played me small ooh

OG1BABY:
That was my thought too my brother

BecaciaBarbie:
You know I had to go Google Messi's nationality because of her comment.

Antipob777:
This Spain coach is foolish, how can bench Messi in a tough match like this.

God bless Ronaldo

The Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, should submit himself for investigations by the Muhammadu Buhari government, instead of acting as if he was being persecuted by the federal government.

Mr Fayose spoke on Saturday in reaction to the Mr Obasanjo’s claims that the government was planning to arrest and detain him following his anti-government statements.

Mr Obasanjo had also claimed that the government had placed him on its watch list, raising the alarm that his life was no longer safe.

But Mr Fayose said the former president should “take his current travails in his strides.”

The governor also said Mr Obasanjo could not make his predicament a Yoruba issue, adding that it was good that he was being served the “goodies” of the Buhari administration, since he promoted his candidature in the 2015 elections.

“To me, former President Obasanjo should submit himself for probe and trial,” said Mr Fayose.

“He gave us the impression that he is a brave man who is not afraid of anything. He is a retired general in the army who has seen a lot and should not be raising alarms now.

“Obasanjo said Buhari was the best for Nigeria while promoting him for the 2015 general elections.

“In his book ‘Under My Watch’, Obasanjo said he prefers to be jailed by Buhari rather than former President Goodluck Jonathan being re-elected into office. Now prison is beckoning on him and he wants to dodge.

“He set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and among others.

“Obasanjo even used those bodies to hound and lock up many people including state governors, why is he now afraid of being probed. Let him tell Nigerians how he made his money.

“People can recollect the level he was before he became president and how he left office. If Buhari is now telling the whole world that Obasanjo stole money, it is incumbent on Obasanjo to prove his innocence.

“Moreover, Obasanjo should stop giving the impression that he is the leader of the Yoruba people. He is not. We have more eminent people who qualify to be our leaders.

“And he should also not try and sell any dummy that his travails are that of Yoruba people. I have been tried a number of times by the EFCC and faced the challenges as a man. He should also do so.

“In fact, I am laughing at the whole scenario. That Obasanjo could cry out. I didn’t know he can act like a woman. It is amazing that he is behaving this way. If he has anything to clarify, let him do that.”

Mr Fayose also described Messrs Obasanjo and Buhari as analogue leaders, who should step aside and allow the younger generation to take over the stage.

He argued that his criticisms of Mr Buhari were done in good faith, adding that some people failed to heed his admonition that “whoever brings and rides a tiger may end up in its belly.”

Mr Fayose’s battle with the former president has refused to end with the governor seizing every opportunity to hit back at Mr Obasanjo.

Mr Fayose was impeached in 2006 for alleged corruption, an ouster believed to have been orchestrated by the Obasanjo federal government.

He later got his impeachment quashed by the Supreme Court.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

BankeSmalls:
While our cone headed brothers are still busy on top bucket

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, May 3, said the federal government is committed to creating an atmosphere conducive for small businesses, market women and artisans to do businesses successfully.

In a press release exclusively sent to NAIJ.com, the vice president also said unlike previous administrations, this government is spending Nigeria's money on the people and nto stealing it.

Osinbajo made this statement in Akure at the inauguration of National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) clinics, Ondo State edition.

He said: "If you look at our budget, we provided N500 billion for the whole country and we have not been able to fund to the tune of N500 billion because we don’t have that much money, in fact what we have been able to spend is about N80 billion in all.

"But as our income increases we intend to improve and continue to expand. That is why so far, across the country, we have been able to do about 200,000 N-Power volunteers and we still intend to do 300,000 more and we are watching out for that.

"It is very important to bear in mind that this government is earning 60% less than previous Federal Governments earned despite that, we are spending and investing more in the people. For the first time in the history of this country, we are putting 1.3 trillion on infrastructure.

"I was reading a comment today, about how well the government has done, or how well it hasn’t done. And I said one thing that you must understand about this government, is that it is a government that want to be honest with the people. If a government wants to be honest with the people, look at the money you have. If you have 1 billion, spend that 1 billion on the people, don’t steal it. The difference between us and any previous government is that we are not going to steal the money. We spend the money on the people, that’s the difference."

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the commission has perfected arrangements for the deployment of ballot papers printed in Braille to ensure that visually impaired persons vote unaided in the 2019 general elections.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure, on Thursday, during a sensitisation outreach at the University of Abuja Campus on the ongoing civic registration exercise.

The Commission’s boss further noted that the exercise is part of the commission’s effort to make the democratisation exercise all inclusive for the People Living with Disabilities in the country.

He noted that the commission had during the Anambra governorship election started with the provision of magnifying glasses for the albinos, promising that wheel chairs will also be provided for the cripples.

“For the visually impaired, we can provided ballot papers printed in Braille. For the albinos, we have started the use of magnifying glasses in Anambra, and the other phisically challenged people, we will be deploying wheelchairs,” Yakubu said.

The INEC boss assured the university community that registration centres have been opened on the campus and urged them to avail themselves of the opportunity to participate in the exercise.

Confirming that those who registered in 2017 have begun to collect their cards in the first quarter of 2018 ahead of the 2019 general elections, he disclosed that the four million registered in 2017 and another two million registered in 2018, will all collect their PVCs, promising that the 11 million Nigerians that will be registered before 2019 will all collect their pvcs.

“We have opened registration centre at the campus and I want you urge the university community to utilize the opportunity provided to them. Let me reassure that those who registered in 2017 have started collecting their cards in the first quarter of 2018 ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“The four million registered in 2017 and another two million registered in 2018, will all collect their PVCs. The 11 million Nigerians that will be registered before 2019 will all collect their PVCs,” he said.

While fielding questions from the students the INEC chairman told one of the students who claimed he first voted at the age of 12 that the voting age from 18 years and anything less than 18 will be unlawful.

He also told the university community that for now the law only made provision for transfer if one intends to vote elsewhere other than the originally registered, adding that what the person required is to apply to the INEC office in the local government of his new residence.

Celebrities that graced the event which included musicians Tuface Innocent Idibia, Helen Paul and Cobhams Asuquo urged the students to avail themselves of the CVR exercise and ensure that they participate in the 2019 by casting their votes.

A visually impaired and Music Producer, Mr Cobham’s Asuquo had earlier urged INEC to assist people living with disabilities to exercise their franchise in accordance with the secret ballot principle so that he would vote unaided, urging INEC; “to stop underaged voting stressing that the phenomenon is a reality.”

Head of European Union delegation to Nigeria, Mr Ketil Karlson noted that 60 per cent of influence in the Democratic process is determined by the young people but noted that there is a lull in youth participation across the world.

“I appeal for greater participation considering the greater percentage of the youths, both in elective offices and in the election processes in general. I wonder why fewer youth participate. Biggest pockets don’t necessarily win elections but biggest ideas.”

According to Kalson, the EU is in Africa to promote democracy and strengthen democratic institutions.

Blackfire:
Is this man a pastor from RCCG?.

Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the federal government will continue to make more arrest of suspected looters of the national treasury and put them on trial despite the difficulty in putting them behind bars.

He also said corruption was fighting back as represented in the desperation by some “corrupt politicians” to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari was pushed out of power.

Mr Osinbajo spoke in Akure on Thursday while launching the National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) in the state.

“We will continue to put them on trial even if they are not thrown into jail yet,” the vice president said.

“We shall continue to arrest those who stole the nation’s money. They said we have not been able to convict anybody, we are not bothered, we shall continue to arrest and prosecute them. Let the case remain in court.

“The corruption is desperately fighting back so that they can come back to into power. God will make it impossible.”
He said those clamouring for clamouring for the exit of the present government were those who want to continue to perpetrate corruption in the country.

According to the vice president, the country should have no difficulty moving forward. He said the government of the All Progressive Congress would continue to do all within its powers to reposition the country.

He said the present government had many developmental projects to point to as part of its achievements, saying the APC had outperformed the previous government of the Peoples Democratic Party which spent 16 years in power.

According to him, the present federal government has earned less than 60 per cent of what the previous government earned, but his party had executed many developmental projects within the last three years.

“We have access to lesser money than the previous administration but what we have been able to do are far more than what they did,” said Mr Osinbajo.

“We are able to achieve this because we are spending what we have for the people. We have spent over N1.3 trillion on infrastructure to better the lives of Nigerians.

“They promised Lagos- Kano rail line, they did not do it. We earned lesser than they had, we are doing it. Look at Lagos Ibadan rail line, they had much money, they did not do it, we are doing it. Look at Lagos -Ibadan Expressway, we are doing it.

“We will continue to spend and invest on people, the difference between us and the previous administration is that we are not interested in stealing public funds and we hold ourselves responsible to account for every money spent in order to move the country forward because we believe this country should not experience any difficulty to move forward.”

Mr Osinbajo pointed out that the federal government had earmarked about N500 billion for the MSMEs across the country but said only N8 billion had been expended on the programme despite the paucity of funds.

He said more than 200,000 volunteers had been absorbed into the N-Power programme and additional 300,000 would soon be employed by the federal government.

In his remarks, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, said the MSMEs initiative underscored the determination of the present government in the country to drive the economy towards self reliance.

Mr Akeredolu noted that the MSME clinic had been used as a veritable platform and delivery tool for development.

“Today’s programme further underscores the determination of the Federal Government to drive the country’s economy towards self-reliance, using this platform, as a delivery tool for development,” he said.

“There can be no better demonstration of serious commitment on the part of the Government than this direct involvement at the highest level of authority.”

The governor said the platform was designed for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to thrive by providing opportunity for them to interact with relevant federal agencies and in the process, obtain practical and on-the-spot solutions to their business challenges.

“This programme anticipates lifting the generality of our people from the shackles of poverty and underdevelopment,” Mr Akeredolu said.

He, however, pledged that the people of the state would reciprocate the gesture of the federal government by ensuring and creating the right environment to support the programme to achieve the set objectives.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has on Thursday berated the US visit of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that he left Nigeria to US for an unofficial visit to Donald Trump, US president, without following the constitutional procedure of consulting the national assembly.

In a statement dully signed and sent by the party’s publicity secretary, Ologbondiyan said that Mr President had an embarrassing and fruitless outing and rather returning home, he detoured to the UK for another private visit without regard to full disclosure requirements of our constitution and laws.

Read the full statement below:

“President Buhari left the United States 48 hours ago and embarked on an unofficial visit to United Kingdom for undisclosed reasons without transmitting a letter to the national assembly. This is impunity and another constitutional breach,” the statement read.

“President Buhari on Tuesday left the United States, where he had an embarrassing and fruitless outing and instead of returning to the country, detoured to the UK for another private visit without regard to full disclosure requirements of our constitution and laws.

“Indeed, Nigerians are worried about the signal being sent out by this penchant for secret itinerary, particularly, given the poor reputation and governance transparency issues confronting our nation under the Buhari administration.

“The presidency must understand that president Buhari is not a private citizen and as long as his upkeep and itineary is sourced from our hard-earned resources, there must be full disclosure, as citizens deserve to know the purpose of the visit and the cost to our nation.”

“Instead, the President has continued to de-market our nation in the international arena. The just concluded the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, where he cast aspersion at our enterprising youths and failed to return with any dividend readily comes to mind,

“Furthermore, president Buhari’s admission at the Voice of America (VOA) that he was unable to reach any agreement with President Donald Trump on any matter of interest to Nigeria, during his US visit and that he has no future development agenda to validate his 2019 re-election bid, confirm our position that the Buhari administration has nothing to offer Nigerians.

“The PDP therefore urges president Buhari’s handlers to adequately prepare him before international outings as well as ensure full disclosure on all his visits outside the country, since he embodies the image and integrity of our nation, until May 29, 2019.”

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, to name the three persons he claimed allegedly stole $3 billion during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it expects Professor Osinbajo to report those involved to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), if they truly exist.

The party said it is improper for the occupant of the exalted office of the vice president to engage in smear campaign, making unsubstantiated statements to score cheap political points.

“Vice president, Osinbajo, is a professor of Law and ought to know that patriotism demands that he should not make unsubstantiated claims but to place the names of such Nigerians in public.

“We, therefore, urge vice president, Osinbajo, not to join President Muhammadu Buhari in de-marketing our dear nation, in a bid to score cheap political points and divert public attention from their failure in governance.

“Indeed, we had expected the vice president to show leadership by naming those he claimed stole $3 billion and making moves to ensure that the amount is recovered, instead of bandying figures at public events,” the opposition party stated.

Besides, the PDP said Nigerians want Osinbajo to address the issue of alleged colossal corruption in Buhari’s administration, especially in the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which he oversees, that is currently being investigated by the House of Representatives, in connection “to the handling of N18 billion emergency intervention fund.”

Meanwhile, the party has also condemned the killing of 60 worshippers in twin blasts at a mosque and market in Mubi, Adamawa state, on Tuesday, by insurgents.

The party equally expressed shock over the murder of a Special Adviser to Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, Mr. Ebikimi Okoringa by gunmen, on Monday.
The PDP said Nigerians are worried by the endless killings of Nigerians under the the All Progressives Congress(APC)-led Federal Government.

“It is painful that while president Buhari and the APC federal government are busy misleading Nigerians and the world with false claims of having decimated insurgents, the same insurgents are having a field day pillaging our citizens in various parts of the country.

“We hold that if the incompetent APC administration had not continued to issue false security assurances, these compatriots would not have believed a lie and dropped their guards when they would have adopted more precautionary measures; only to be slaughtered as soft targets by insurgents.

“The PDP, therefore, charges our security agencies to insulate themselves from the APC propaganda and take urgent steps to tackle the security situation in the country. Nigerians look up to them now, more than ever before, to deploy their patriotism and professional skills to ensure the safety of lives in our country,” the PDP stated.

The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) and Head of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Project Monitoring Team for South-East, Mr. Osita Okechukwu has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari has kept faith with the major promises he made to the people of the South-East geo-political zone of Nigeria.

Okechukwu spoke when he led a team of APC officials in the zone on project monitoring of Second Niger Bridge Onitsha, Anambra State.

The VON DG said with such commitment on the part of Buhari, Ndigbo should give him maximum support in 2019 to enable him complete all the on-going projects in the area.

He was emphatic that the President Buhari’s “Roads, Rails, Agriculture and Power (RRAP)” programmes, as well as Foreign Direct Investment and other critical infrastructural projects flowing with the RRAP are on course.

Okechukwu said that a practical evidence of such promise being kept was the on-going construction work at the Second Bridge across the River Niger at Onitsha, as well as the reconstruction of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

According to him, “Second Niger Bridge is a promise fulfilled because he has a social contract with the Nigerian people. When we came to Onitsha in January 2015 for the campaign, he made a promise that he is going to take off the second Niger Bridge and we are happy that he has taken off.

“We have what we called RRAP programme, which is rail, roads, agriculture and power. The federal government is doing 5000 kilometre roads across the country and 5000 kilometre standard gauge rail line also.

“Mr. President believes in sufficiency in food production because he said that Nigerians must eat what they produce. That is his slogan. And then power because without electricity the private sector cannot thrive and manufacturers won’t thrive.

“That is why he is doing the Manbella Hydro-electric power plant. It’s going to generate over 3000 megawatts of electricity. And he is about to embark on Enugu coal that will generate 1000 megawatts of electricity plus other renewable energy sources like solar, wind sources that he will make up the 5000 he wants to add to the existing 7000 megawatts that Nigeria has.

“So you now have 5000 kilometres of federal roads, 5000 kilometres standard gauge rail line, self sufficiency in agriculture and additional 5000 megawatts of power.”

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Anambra State, Engr. Innocent Alumona, who conducted the team around both Onitsha and Asaba ends of the Second Niger Bridge disclosed that President Buhari cancelled the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement entered with the previous administration and awarded the contract for preliminary works at the cost of more than N14 billion to Julius Begger Nigeria PLC.

Alumona said that preliminary works was at fourth and final stage noting, “As I’m talking to you now the Early Work 4, has been executed to 46 percent and by July this year we would have been through with the content of Early Work 4.

“And between now and July, I promise there won’t be any interruption between Early Works 4 and the main contract for the second Niger Bridge.”