₦airaland Forum

President Muhammadu Buhari swept to power in 2015, promising to fight corruption, tackle insecurity and boost Nigeria’s economy.

Three years later, the President has defended his performance and listed achievements of his administration.

In summary, the President believes he has stayed the course and is delivering the promised ‘Change’ to Nigerians.

“This administration came at a time that Nigerians needed Change, the Change we promised and the Change we continue to deliver,” the President said in his Democracy Day broadcast to Nigerians on Tuesday.

Here are areas the President believes his administration has recorded achievements and his quotes about them:

SECURITY
1. Tackling Boko Haram, Rescuing Captives

“Public safety and security remain the primary duty of this Government. Before this Administration came into being three years ago, Boko Haram held large areas of land spanning several Local Governments in the North East.

“Today, the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily, 106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram.”

2. Resettling IDPs

“In order to minimise the impact of the [Boko Haram] insurgency on Internally Displaced Persons, Government has established secure IDP Camps and has improved the mechanism for the distribution of basic aid, foods and essential commodities using various strategies in collaboration with local and international Organisations.

“Efforts are in process for resettlement of IDPs in their home communities by providing schools, hospitals, clinics, water and sanitation to facilitate a quick return to economic activities. Government is similarly implementing de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programmes to facilitate sustainable peace and development.”

3. Ensuring Peace In The Niger Delta

“The Niger Delta Region has enjoyed relative peace through social inclusiveness and cooperation of the Elders and the good people of the region. Government is committed to implementing the comprehensive peace, security and development plan for the region.

“The environmental clean-up of the region which commenced with the launch in Bodo, Ogoni in June, 2016 is progressing satisfactorily. Furthermore farming assets are being revived and investors in cocoa and palm oil plantations are showing serious interest.”

CORRUPTION
“The second primary object of this Administration is to fight corruption headlong. Like I have always said, if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will destroy the country. Three years into this Administration, Nigerians and the international community have begun to applaud our policies and determination to fight corruption.”

4. Implementing TSA

“The Treasury Single Account (TSA) has realized Billions of Naira being saved from maintenance fee payable to banks. N200 Billion has also been saved from elimination of ghost workers in public service.”

5. Utilising A Whistle-Blower Policy

“The Whistle-Blowing Policy has helped to recover over N500 Billion.”

6. Eliminating Ghost Workers

“The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit set up with a mandate to validate controls, assess risks, prune personnel costs, ensure compliance with Public Financial Management reforms has helped to identify and remove over 52,000 ghost workers from the Federal Government MDAs Payroll.”

7. Creation Of The Voluntary Assets And Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)

“The Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) aimed at expanding tax education and awareness has offered the opportunity for tax defaulters to regularise their status in order to enjoy the amnesty of forgiveness on overdue interest, penalties and the assurance of non-prosecution or subject to tax investigations.”

8. Fighting Financial Crimes

“The fight against corruption through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has resulted in recoveries of billions of naira, as well as forfeiture of various forms of assets. This alongside other efforts has improved Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation.

“We have retained the services of one of the world’s leading assets tracing firms to investigate and trace assets globally. This is in addition to the exploitation of provisions of existing Treaties, Conventions as well as Bilateral Agreements with Multilateral bodies and Nations. Nigeria has also signed Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements to ensure that there is no hiding place for fugitives.”

ECONOMY
9. Implementing The Economic Recovery And Growth Plan (ERGP), Increasing Capital Expenditure

“This Administration has therefore focused on revamping the ailing economy it inherited in 2015. In 2016, Government executed an expansionary budget and developed the Strategic Implementation Plan. For the first time, 30% of the budget was earmarked for capital expenditure which represents an upward review when compared with the 2015 budget. The SIP was followed by the development of a comprehensive medium-term plan – the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017 – 2020.

“The broad strategic objectives of the ERGP were to; Restore and sustain economic growth; Build a globally competitive economy; and Invest in our people. The implementation of the ERGP has started yielding results. The National Bureau of Statistics reports that the economy grew by 1.95% in 1st quarter 2018, which is a good performance when viewed against -0.91 in 1st quarter 2017 and -0.67% in 1st quarter 2016 respectively.”

10. Growing Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund

“The Sovereign Wealth Fund project portfolio has been expanded with an injection of US$650 million so as to strengthen its investment in local infrastructure, power, health, re-construction of Abuja-Kano road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, East-West Road (Section V) and the Mambilla Hydro-electric Power project as well as the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.”

11. Boosting The Country’s Foreign Reserves

“Our foreign reserve has improved significantly to 47.5 billion USD as of May 2018 as against 29.6 billion USD in 2015. The inflationary rate has consistently declined every month since January 2017.”

12. Attracting Investment, Creating Jobs

“Recently, Government conducted Focus Labs in three key sectors of the Economy namely, Agriculture & Transport, Manufacturing and Processing as well as Power and Gas. These have yielded significant prospects for investments and Job creation to the tune of US$ 22.5 billion with a potential for creating more than 500,000 jobs by 2020. These investment generation initiatives are expected to increase capital inflows in the form of foreign direct investment. There is a high prospect that the cumulative investments from this first phase of the Labs will hit US$39.2 billion by 2025.”

13. Cutting Down Rice Imports

“Under agriculture, Nigeria continues to pursue a strategic food security programme built around self-sufficiency and minimization of import dependency. As a result, rice importation from other countries has been cut down by 90% which has a direct impact on foreign reserves.”

14. Eliminating Poverty Through The Social Investment Programmes (SIP)

“The major strategic objective is to restore livelihood, economic opportunities and sustenance for the poor across the country. The SIP programmes and projects include:

“a. Home Grown School Feeding Programme – About 8.2 million pupils are currently being fed from 24 States of the Federation with over 75,000 Catering Staff engaged under the programme.

“b. The Conditional Cash Transfer has so far recorded over 297,000 caregivers and being trained by 2,495 Community Facilitators in 21 states. Less privileged Nigerians are now being paid N5,000 monthly stipend in 9 pilot States of Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Osun and Oyo. Eventually, the scheme will cover all the 36 states of the federation including the FCT.

“c. Under the Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme – About 264,269 loans had been disbursed to 4,822 societies in the 36 States and FCT, while another 370,635 are awaiting the release of funds.

“d. N-Power Job creation Scheme – is targeted at providing jobs for unemployed young graduates and has so far recruited 200,000 youths while the next batch of 300,000 has been selected, verified and would soon be deployed across the 36 States and the FCT. Furthermore, 20,000 non-graduate volunteers have also been selected to kick off the N-Build programme in collaboration with the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria.”

15. Boosting power generation capacity to over ‘7,500 MW’

“The country achieved 5, 222.3 MW representing the highest peak of power generated onto the national grid and delivered to customers in December 2017. With new facilities, repairs and rehabilitation by Government and private investors, generation capability now exceeds 7,500 MW.”

16. Transport Sector Reforms

“The Transportation Sector continues to undergo a series of reforms in order to sustain the international best practices and ensure safety and security. The nation’s major airports have witnessed reconstruction of runways, installation of navigational equipment and new international terminals due for commissioning in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu. Bilateral Air Services Agreements between Nigeria and the Governments of other countries will significantly open up new flight route.

“As a result of strict regulatory and compliance policies, Nigeria retained her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category 1 status, after a routine international audit. Recently, a new Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility with capacity for aircraft C-checks, and other comprehensive levels of maintenance was established in Lagos. This would save the country an estimated $90m annually.

“Giant strides have been recorded over the past three years to improve road transport infrastructure in all geopolitical zones of the country.”

17. Implementing New Education Initiatives, Approving Licences For New Higher Institutions

“The Education Sector, especially at tertiary level, has continued to witness expansion in order to improve access to higher education by millions of youths in Nigeria. Over the last three years, Government has approved the establishment of 1 new Federal Polytechnic, granted licenses for the establishment of 4 State and 14 private-owned Universities as well as 12 private Polytechnics.

“Government has also continued to support the implementation of various initiatives aimed at improving the quality of Basic Education delivery. Thus, it has ensured proper funding at the Basic Education level with the disbursement of N42.2 billion UBE Matching Grant to 26 States and the FCT, N851.5 million Special Education Grant disbursed to 23 States and private providers of Special Education and N2.2 billion Teachers Professional Development Fund to 33 States and the FCT.

18. Granting Bailouts To States

“The Federal Government has continued to support fiscal sustainability at the sub-national governments through the implementation of the Budget Support Facility which was accompanied by the 22- point Fiscal Sustainability Plan. Thus, bailouts funds were made available to States to ease their fiscal challenges and other obligations including payment of salaries.”

19. Executing Scores Of Ecological Fund Projects

“A total of 73 Ecological Fund projects for the control of gully erosion in different communities across all geopolitical zones have been completed in the last three years and are undergoing commissioning while 53 other projects are ongoing. The execution of these projects has generated 357 skilled jobs and 1,350 unskilled jobs during this period.”

https://www.channelstv.com/2018/05/29/democracy-day-19-achievements-president-buhari-listed-in-his-address/

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday faulted the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for not inviting a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsay Orubebe, to the 2018 Democracy Day Lecture.

Orubebe had during the release of the result of the 2015 presidential election attempted to disrupt the process.

Buhari said organisers should have invited him to come and listen to the lecture delivered by the then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Details later…

http://punchng.com/buhari-chides-sgf-for-not-inviting-orubebe-to-democracy-lecture/

The Buhari administration on Sunday stepped up its attacks against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of masterminding illegal ouster of at least five governors in the 2000s.

Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesperson, said in a Sunday evening essay to PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Obasanjo’s tenure, 1999-2007, represented the dark days of Nigeria’s democracy due to a slew of assaults on the constitution.

He argued that President Muhammadu Buhari has painstaking followed the Nigerian constitution since he assumed office in 2015.

Mr Shehu accused the former president of deploying federal machinery to remove ex-governors Joshua Dariye, Rashidi Ladoja, Peter Obi, Chris Ngige and Ayo Fayose from office. The politicians were governors of Plateau, Oyo, Anambra, Anambra and Ekiti, respectively.


“When they ran the government at the centre, the opposition PDP showed aptitude in only one thing: the toppling of elected state governments using the police and secret service under their control,” Mr Shehu said.

He gave account of how Mr Obasanjo allegedly perpetrated the alleged constitutional infractions.

“A five-man legislature met at 6:00 am and “impeached” Governor Dariye in Plateau; 18 members out of 32 removed Governor Ladoja of Oyo from office; in Anambra, APGA’s Governor Obi was equally impeached at 5:00 a.m. by members who did not meet the two-thirds required by the constitution.

“His offence was that he refused to inflate the state’s budget. The lawmakers had reportedly met with representatives of the President in Asaba , Delta State and then accompanied to Awka by heavy security provided by the police Mobile Unit. The PDP President at that time had reportedly told Obi to forget re-election in 2007 if he did not join the PDP because he (the President) would not support a non-PDP member.

“In Ekiti, Governor Fayose in his first term faced allegations of financial corruption and murder. Following the failure to heed the instruction of the presidency to impeach only Fayose and spare the deputy, Madam Olujimi, now a senator, the PDP President declared that there was a breakdown of law and order in the state and declared a state of emergency.

“He appointed Brig-Gen. Adetunji Olurin (rtd) as the sole administrator of the state on October 19, 2006. In an earlier incident in Anambra, it took an insider collaboration to thwart the unseating of Governor Ngige by a powerful thug sponsored by the PDP administration.


“The parliament at the centre seized the law-making powers of the Rivers State House of Assembly as a way to save Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the then chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum from impeachment by the PDP presidency. Thank God for Buhari, none of these absurdities has happened under his watch but the PDP is indicating their boredom with his meticulous observance of the constitution by calling for a return to the old order,” the spokesperson said.

Mr Shehu condemned the PDP, despite its own history, for having the effrontery to write to the UN with allegations of constitutional breaches against Mr Buhari.

“I not for “dry eyes,” as said in our common parlance, what is it that would push this party to write a letter to the United Nations, laying false claims to constitutionality and alleging that democracy is presently under threat?” Mr Shehu said.

Mr Shehu’s statement marks the latest attack in the escalating political feud between his principal and Mr Obasanjo. Last week, Mr Buhari accused Mr Obasanjo of squandering $16 billion earmarked for power projects without noticeable impact.


Mr Obasanjo fired back at the president, describing him as “ignorant” for accusing him over a matter for which he had been repeatedly cleared by several investigative panels.

The face-off stemmed from an open letter written by Mr Obasanjo in January, warning Mr Buhari not to run for re-election in 2019 or risk being disgraced out of office.

The president has rejected all calls for him to stand down in 2019 largely due to his failing health, including those from former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida. He had spent more than 172 days receiving medical treatment abroad, a record for any Nigerian president in history, according to the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR.


A spokesperson for Mr Obasanjo did not immediately return PREMIUM TIMES’ requests for comments.

The PDP dismissed Mr Shehu’s statement as a distraction that will end up working against his principal’s interest.

“All these assaults and blame games on past leaders will not help them to win re-election in 2019,” the opposition party’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Sunday night.

He wondered when the Buhari administration suddenly woke up to the reality of alleged transgressions on the party of Mr Obasanjo, a man they had courted since 2015 when then-candidate Buhari first sought his support to win.

Mr Obasanjo supported Mr Buhari’s campaign in 2015, using several political attacks to weaken then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

“As at May 2017, what was their position on President Obasanjo?” Mr Ologbondiyan asked rhetorically.


Mr Obasanjo left the PDP in 2014 and has continued to dissociate himself from the opposition party.

He cited Mr Buhari’s circumvention of National Assembly in the purchase of military aircraft earlier this year as one of the president’s blatant disregard for the Constitution.

“President Buhari has acted in several ways that portray our democracy like a military regime,” Mr Ologbondiyan said. “He paid for the super tucanos without the approval of the National Assembly.”

“Only a few days ago, he boasted that if he had his way, he will lock all the politicians in jail,” that is a statement that is clearly anti-democratic. “In a democratic system, an accused person is innocent until proven guilty.”

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/270008-presidency-accuses-obasanjo-of-masterminding-removal-of-five-governors-from-office.html

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that should Nigerians forget the bad years of the it’s sixteen years in government.

Saying ‘Do we forget the PDP administration’s unwillingness to operate the now implemented Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has greatly plugged government revenue leakages?

‘Do we forget the voodoo economics, reckless fiscal policies and shocking pillage of the public treasury perpetuated during past PDP administrations?

‘Do we forget confessions by the immediate-past finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, reporting “zero political will to save” under the immediate-past administration.

‘Do we forget the $2.2 billion anti-insurgency funds fraudulently diverted and disbursed by the erstwhile National Security Adviser to political associates of the immediate-past President and PDP members, while our military personnel on the frontlines were ill-equipped and demoralized, resulting in many avoidable deaths and the maiming of our gallant men in uniform?’

The APC made this known in a statement on Sunday signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi the National Publicity Secretary titled ‘APC to PDP: Ahead 0f the 2019 elections, Nigerians are not gullible’.

The APC decried the PDP new found proclivity for constantly spewing falsehood in the name of opposition rhetoric and politics.

The statement read thus

‘The All Progressives Congress (APC) is increasingly baffled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) new found proclivity for constantly spewing falsehood in the name of opposition rhetoric and politics.

‘This comes against the backdrop of a recent statement by a spokesperson of the PDP in which the APC is accused of among others corruption, sectionalism and opposition clampdown, in the leadup to the 2019 elections.

‘While it is a widely-known fact that suppressing the opposition was the stock in trade of the PDP during its defunct 16-year rule, the APC has definitely not inherited this undemocratic practice in its governance style both in its internal politics and the country’s administration, under President Muhammadu Buhari.

‘Nigerians will recall how past PDP administrations illegally and routinely used state apparatus to harass opposition figures as seen in the attack on the APC data centre, blockade of the air and road routes to prevent movement of then opposition leaders in the leadup to the 2015 elections, among other clampdowns that are too numerous to list.

‘The PDP is quick to forget the divisive, insensitive and sectional politics it played during the 2015 electioneering campaign when its women’s wing led by a former first lady denigrated the country’s north as parasitic and unwilling to educate and cater for its young populace. Infact, the PDP-led administration at the time pointedly regarded the Boko Haram insurgency as a northern affair.

‘The PDP without an iota of proof, rather spewing laughable conspiracies accuses the APC-led administration of ‘barefaced looting’. Elections are around the corner and Nigerians are not gullible. They see through the PDP’s diversionary antics aimed at deflecting attention from the wanton culture of impunity and corruption it instituted when it held sway.

‘Do we forget the PDP administration’s unwillingness to operate the now implemented Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has greatly plugged government revenue leakages? Do we forget the voodoo economics, reckless fiscal policies and shocking pillage of the public treasury perpetuated during past PDP administrations? Do we forget confessions by the immediate-past finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, reporting “zero political will to save” under the immediate-past administration. Do we forget the $2.2 billion anti-insurgency funds fraudulently diverted and disbursed by the erstwhile National Security Adviser to political associates of the immediate-past President and PDP members, while our military personnel on the frontlines were ill-equipped and demoralized, resulting in many avoidable deaths and the maiming of our gallant men in uniform?

‘For one, Nigerians generally agree that the era of impunity is beginning to disappear from our national life. There is a gradual acceptance of the best practice and time-honoured values of honesty, hardwork, patriotism, abhorrence of corruption, accountability and integrity in our everyday life.

‘PDP’s narrative is anchored on the belief that if they continue to throw these wild allegations around, somehow Nigerians will forget what they truly represent and the atrocities that they have committed against the country. Alas, Nigerians are wiser now and our memories are longer. We can forgive, but we will not forget.

‘Change is perhaps the most difficult idea to implement in our societies, but sometimes, it becomes necessary or even inevitable, just as Nigeria found itself in 2015 because of PDP misrule.

‘Whatever is left of PDP, after years of suicidal gluttony, can only whine about imaginary persecution while wilfully ignoring the efforts being made to literally clear the mess they created and build a new Nigeria in line with the Change Agenda promised the electorate.

‘We urge Nigerians to remain steadfast to our collective task of achieving the Nigeria of our dreams. With the prayers and support for the administration, we will propel the country on the path growth in all facets.’

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/forget-2-2bn-anti-insurgency-funds-fraudulently-diverted-pdp-apc/

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says the country is transparent and there’s more accountability under President Muhammadu.

In a statement on Saturday, Segun Adeyemi, media aide to Mohammed, quoted the minister as saying this when he received Delia Ferreira Rubio, chairperson of Transparency International (TI), at his office on Friday.

The minister said TI has not offered the necessary support to the government. A recent report by TI said corruption was getting worse in the country.

“Nigeria has never had a more transparent, more accountable government than the Buhari administration,” the minister said.

“As a policy, this government is the most committed to fighting corruption. We need your support in the area of advocacy and capacity building. They look at the actions of an aberrant few to condemn the government.”

Mohammed said when the government disclosed that 55 people stole N1.34 trillion between 2006 and 2013 and the time it published the looters’ list, the civil society “was busy parroting the cliche that the allegations were one-sided, instead of supporting the government’s action”.

Citing the ‘Change Begins With Me’ programme, he said the government is not only fighting corruption with laws but also with education and “inclusiveness in government”.

Mohammed said the country is succeeding in its anti-corruption war because the fight is led by a president whose integrity is beyond reproach.

He alleged that corrupt persons are using looted funds to mount a campaign against the administration, especially in the social media, because they know that the reelection of Buhari would spell doom for them.

On her part, Rubio said she decided to visit Nigeria because the country could set the pace for the fight against corruption on the continent.

She said while the government is doing a lot to fight corruption, it should ensure there is transparency and more efficiency in service delivery.

”We are not an opposition anywhere in the world. We are just an NGO working in over 100 countries of the world. We are not enemies. We are here to help,” she said.

https://www.thecable.ng/lai-ti-need-support-nigeria-transparent-buhari/

…Says Buhari´s credibility will guarantee victory for APC

By Simon Ebegbulem


BENIN CITY-IMMEDIATE past governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that campaigns for 2019 general elections will be interesting because his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), will reveal to Nigerians how the alleged looting of the nation´s treasury by the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reign plunged Nigerians into poverty which the APC government under President Muhammadu Buhari is making effort to eliminate.

Oshiomhole, who disclosed this while addressing leaders of the APC in Edo state, predicted that despite the effort being made by the opposition to allegedly misinform Nigerians about the activities of the APC led government, that the APC will win more states in the governorship election and more National Assembly members. He also declared that President Buhari will be re-elected due to his achievements.

According to Oshiomhole who recently received the endorsement of President Buhari and the APC caucus in the senate and House of Representatives to succeed Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as the National Chairman of the APC, “it is our task as party activist to painstakingly explain to our people in the rural areas to understand who dug the hole that led to what we are experiencing today as a nation and the effort by President Muhammadu Buhari to gradually pull us out of that hole to the surface and begin to push and uplift us upward to that level in which every Nigerian will have to say I am a proud Nigerian.

“Poverty is not an act of God. It is the result of our economic history. And when you look at the numbers of how much was stolen under the watch of Jonathan as President and the revelations the governor of Gombe state made, the kind of money that was diverted under the PDP regime under President Jonathan, those monies if distributed by 180 million Nigerians, each of us will have a swollen pocket.

“And we must help our people to appreciate that the challenge of rebuilding a house that was rocked beyond foundation, to build complete new foundation cannot be an overnight work.
What is important is that there is a commitment to refix and the President has broken new grounds which may not have been amplified to a level that the rural people can see them.

“Once upon a time growing up, we were told that the Army´s finances are beyond proud, that whatever a general has stolen, it was for good, you cannot question.

“But this President has subjected the military to accountability. Some persons who were untouchable before are being touched. So, that fight against corruption, I am happy that even other African heads of states under the umbrella of the AU, have acknowledged President Buhari as one African President that has proved his sincerity to fight corruption. And i think even recently the Secretary General of the Commonwealth also had very kind word to say about the leadership of our President on the war against corruption.”

Oshiomhole added that “We are preparing ourselves in getting the truth ready so we can engage. In Edo state, those who participated under the PDP philosophy of share the money, those collected money for either their campaign or their personal interest, they are now being called to account for it.

¨So I am very confident that we will win the next general election, have our President re-elected, have more governors elected under our platform, have more of our party members elected in the states and National Assemblies so that come February next year we will not only form a federal Government we will have overwhelming majority in the National Assembly such that the capacity to govern on the part of the executive will not be weakened by a tight margin in the National Assembly¨ he stated.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/2019-well-expose-pdp-looted-treasury-plunged-nigerians-poverty-oshiomhole/

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday appointed the Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu to head the Party’s 77-member National Campaign Council to ensure victory for the Party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi at the July 14 Ekiti Governorship Election.

The campaign council, which was inaugurated by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Lawali Shuaibu on behalf of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, consists of fourteen serving governors, ministers, some members of the Party’s National Working Committee, National Assembly members and senior Party leaders.

Speaking during the inauguration, Sen. Lawali Shuaibu while stressing the importance of the Ekiti governorship election to the Party, urged the campaign council to shun hate speech in its campaign message to the people of Ekiti.

Shuaibu said: “In the exercise your assignment, please avoid hate speech. Let us ensure that we don’t use hate speech during our campaigns. If other Parties do that, our concern should be to capture the hearts of the Ekiti people in going out to bring to an end the four-year comedy that has been going on there.

“The election in Ekiti is very important for the APC. Infact, we feel the level of importance of the election is slightly below the importance of the presidential election to us. We are not going to relent in our effort to win Ekiti State. The responsibility now rest on your shoulders.”

The National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso during the inauguration also expressed the Party’s resolve to win the Ekiti governorship election.

“The election should be a must win for our Party. We won that election before, it was taken away fraudulently. This time around, we want to win it again and retain it.” He said.

The Chairman of the Party’s National Campaign Council and the Governor of Kebbi State, H. E. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu who was represented by the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, at the inauguration called for unity among the campaign council and all stakeholder to ensure victory, come July.

He said: “We take this task as very important. Just as we all have stressed it. This will not be the first time the Party is expressing and underscoring the importance of this election. When South-West Party leaders met with the president recently, he underscored the importance of this election.

“We have faced enough of affront as a Party. Challenge has been thrown to us not only by the PDP, but by Governor Fayose. So we must be united to confront that challenge. We will give our all to ensure that we win Ekiti State for the APC.

“This will be a second battle. Somebody I read on Facebook said something about Ekiti and I said by the Grace of God, it will happen that way. I tell you what he said, ‘Akeredolu contested against Mimiko, he lost. He contested thereafter against Mimiko’s candidate, he won. So if Fayemi contested against Fayose and lost, he is now contesting against Fayose’s candidate. He will win’”.

FULL LIST OF EKITI STATE CAMPAIGN COUNCIL

H. E. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu – Governor Kebbi (Chairman)
H. E. Akinwunmi Dapo Ambode – Governor Lagos
H. E. Sen. Ibikunle Amosun – Governor Ogun
H. E. Sen. Abiola Ajimobi – Governor Oyo
H. E. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola – Governor Osun
H. E. Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN – Governor Ondo
H. E. Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed – Governor Kwara
H. E. Alh. Abdulazeez Yari – Governor Zamfara
H. E. Mr. Godwin Obaseki – Governor Edo
H. E. Alh. Yahaya Bello – Governor Kogi
H. E. Mr. Simon Bako Lalong – Governor Plateau
H. E. Alh. Kashim Shettima – Governor Borno
H. E. Sen. Mohammed Umar Jibrilla – Governor Adamawa
H. E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar – Governor Jigawa
H. E. Engr. Segun Oni
Alh. Manir Dan-Ali – Minister Defence
Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau Rt d – Interior
Alh. Bawa Bwari Abubakar – State, Solid Minerals
Dr. Ibe Kachikwu – State, Petroleum
Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN – Power, Works and Housing
Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi – Transport
Chief (Dr.) Chris Ngige – Labour
Prof. Isaac Adewole – Health
Sen. Sola Adeyeye
Sen. Tayo Alasaodura
Sen. Andy Uba
Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim
Sen. Aliyu Wammako
Sen. Abu Ibrahim
Sen. Ben Uwajumogu
Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi
Sen. Tony Adeniyi
Hon. Bamidele Faparusi
Rt. Hon. Yusuf Lasun
Hon. Aliyu Magaji
Hon. Stephen Olemija
Hon. Mike Ogun
Otunba Niyi Adebayo
Alh. Yau Darazo
Sen. Olurunnimbe Mamora
Dr. Muiz Banire
Hon. Faruk Adamu Aliyu
Sen. Domingo Obende
Engr. Ade Adetimehin
Sen. Uche Ekwunife
Mr. Ayo Afolabi
Mrs. Kemi Nelson
Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele
Engr. Mohammed Maihaja
Hon. Omowunmi Edet
Mr. Yemi Olowolabi
Chief Zacha Adelabu
Barr. Sharon Ikeazor
Hadjia Hadiza Bala Usman
Mr. Edwin Ikhinmwin
Mr. Hubert Shaiyen
Mr. Adejoke Adefolire
Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa
Chief Kemi Adeosun
Senator Monsurat Sumonnu
Senator Binta Masi
Hajiya Fati Balla
Prof. Okey Onyejekwe
Mr. Ray Morphy
Hon. Jibir Maigari
Dr. Jabo Zarami
Mr. Shina Peller
Sen. Osita Izunaso
Alh. Bolaji Abdullahi
Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu
Alh. Dasuki Ibrahim Jalo
Chief Pius Akinyelure
Alh. Tajudeen Bello
Barr. Awele Van Nwoko
Mrs. Yetunde Adeniji
Mrs. Toyin Edun
Alhaji Ali Wurge


http://dailypost.ng/2018/05/24/breaking-ekiti-guber-atiku-heads-77-member-apc-campaign-council-full-list/

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in a statement titled “The economy: Facts are stubborn things” made available to journalists in Abuja.

Adesina said some unnamed persons have made it a duty to continue to make it appear as if there is nothing good about the economy under President Muhammadu Buhari.

The presidential spokesman said those in that category were only doing so to gain political advantage for themselves or their sponsors.

He said, “Some people have made it a pastime to talk as if there is no silver lining in the sky as far as the Nigerian economy is concerned. They carry on as if it is doom and gloom all the way, a thoroughfare of woes."

“This they do to hoodwink the public, and peradventure gains political advantage for themselves, or their principals."

“But facts are stubborn things. Those arrayed against facts may abhor and deride them, but there they are, staring them starkly in the face.”

Adesina then highlighted some of the achievements which he said the “naysayers” may not be able to do anything about.

He quoted the National Bureau of Statistics as saying that the economy has recovered from the slow-down and eventual recession, which started in 2014.

He said there has been an improvement with stronger growth for three successive quarters, adding that from contracting by 0.91% in Q1 2017, the economy has grown by 0.72 percent in Q2 2017, to 1.17 percent in Q3 2017, and 2.11 percent in Q4 2017.

The Q1 2018 GDP, Adesina said, showed that the economy has recorded a GDP growth of 1.95 percent, compared to a contraction of 0.91 percent in Q1 2017.

He explained that the growth is driven by agriculture and industry, which shows that after more than 50 years of lip service, the Nigerian economy is on the road to diversification, indicating that the oil sector’s contribution to GDP is 9.61 percent, while non-oil sector’s share is 90.39 percent.

He added, “One of the factors responsible for the positive performance of the economy in Q1 2018 was the spending of about N1.5trn on infrastructure projects in 2017."

“For the past 15 months, inflation has declined consistently from 18.72 percent to 12.48 percent. The country is steadily on the road to the single-digit inflation rate."

“The first quarter of 2018 saw a continuous growth in the total capital importation into the country, the fourth consecutive quarterly increase since Q2 2017. The total value of capital imported is $6,303.63m, a 17.11 percent growth over the figure reported in the previous quarter."

“Foreign reserves stand at $47.79bn, compared to $29.6bn inherited in May 2015, after about six years boom in oil prices in the international market. The increase came at a time of modest oil prices, showing transparency and accountability by government.

“Nigeria’s Stock Market ended 2017 as one of the best-performing in the world, with returns of about 40 percent."

“Tax revenue increased to N1.17trn, in Q1 2018, a 51 percent increase on the Q1 2017 figure.”

According to Adesina, milled rice production has increased from 2.5MT to 4MT, and rice imports have dropped from 580,000MT in 2015 to 58,000MT in 2016.

He said the country was saving millions of dollars in that regards.

“These are just little among the good things happening to the Nigerian economy.

“Only the willfully blind will not see it, but it does not stop the good work, which continues.

“On exiting recession last year, President Muhammadu Buhari had said he would not consider the job done until the ordinary man feels the impact of the rebounding economy on his life and pocket.

“We are inexorably on that road, no matter what scoffers may say,” he concluded.

http://saharareporters.com/2018/05/24/only-blind-wont-see-buharis-achievements-presidency

There was commotion at the Kano state office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as supporters of a former Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau attempted to block his rescheduled visit to the office.

A witness told PREMIUM TIMES that hundreds of supporters of the former Education Minister thronged the Hajj Camp Road offices of the anti-graft agency to protest what they called “persecution” by the agency.

Mr Shekarau arrived the area around 4p.m, as scheduled, but was however blocked from gaining entrance into the commission’s premises.

The overwhelming crowd almost overpowered security personnel on duty, who had to call for reinforcement from sister security organisations.

“The police had to use teargas and fire some shots in the air to disperse the crowd,” a witness, Abba Yunusa, said.

As at the time of publishing this report, Mr Shekarau was still being detained at the commission’s offices.

The former governor and the co-defendants are expected to be arraigned on Thursday before the federal high court in Kano on charges of money laundering.

On Tuesday, Mr Shekarau’s media assistant, Sule Sule, alleged that the former governor was being persecuted by the agency for his criticism of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The EFCC in a statement Wednesday said it had concluded arrangement to arraign Mr Shekarau alongside three others before a Federal High Court in Kano on Thursday.

Mr Shekarau will be charged alongside, Aminu Wali and Mansur Ahmed for allegedly conniving to collect N950 million part of the $115 million allegedly distributed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Madueke, ahead of the 2015 general election, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said in the statement.

“It is further alleged that the defendants distributed the money without going through a financial institution in clear violation of provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.

“The defendants are currently being detained at the Commission‘s Kano Zonal Office awaiting their arraignment tomorrow,” he said.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/269536-just-in-commotion-as-efcc-detains-ex-governor-shekarau.html/

One week after the 2018 budget was passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly, it is yet to be transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

This was revealed Wednesday by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma, while responding to inquiries from State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Mr Udoma said a media report credited to him that Mr Buhari would not sign the budget was not true.

“The President is yet to receive the budget. It is, therefore, impossible to make a statement about the budget that has not been received.

“Once we get it, we will work very quickly on it.”

“When it is submitted,I am sure the National Assembly themselves will inform Nigerians,” Mr Udoma said.

Both chambers of the Assembly had on May 16, 2018 approved the budget estimates submitted by Mr Buhari on November 7, 2017.

The lawmakers also raised the total figure from N8.6 trillion to N9.1 trillion, six months after it was presented.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/269501-buhari-yet-to-receive-passed-budget-2018-minister.html/

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday criticised previous Nigerian administrations for “lack of imagination.”

He said they failed to provide needed infrastructure despite huge revenues, even as he singled out Olusegun Obasanjo, who was president from 1999 to 2007, for spending over $15 billion dollars on power without achieving much.

Mr Obasanjo, a former supporter of Mr Buhari, is one of the fiercest critics of the incumbent president. He had in January written a damning letter to Mr Buhari asking him not to seek re-election in 2019 due to poor performance.

Speaking when he received a delegation of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) at the Presidential Villa Tuesday, the president said he often wondered why people in authority chose to send their children outside the country to acquire education while they fail to develop the country.

“I wonder want kind of Nigerians they want their children to come and work with. I think there is a lot of lack of imagination.

“Because if you’re fighting for the country then you shouldn’t be misappropriating or misapplying the fund the way people do,” he said.

Mr Buhari thanked members of the support group for standing by him without being prompted to do so.

“Nobody is paying you for what you have been doing. It is because from the bottom of your hearts; you exposed yourselves by identifying with me through opposition to success and after the success.

“I don’t know how many of you people will say what the hell you got out of it. You can only get satisfaction through voluntary and understandable way of believing in issues you do.

“You are only expecting your return from God and you are looking for the future of the country-your children and grand children.”

The president told the gathering that he recently made some statements. He said because some of them may have missed it due to absence of electricity, he had to repeat it.

He said he threw a challenge to anyone to check either in Europe, Asia or America that between 1999 and 2014, Nigeria was producing 2.1 million barrels per day of crude at an average cost of $100 per barrel.

He said the price even went up to $143.

“So Nigeria was earning 2.1 million times 100 times 16 years, 7 days a week.

“When we came, it collapsed to $37-38 and it was oscillating between $40 and $54 sometimes.

“ I went to the Governor of Central Bank, thank goodness I did not sack him, he is still there. I went with my cap in my hand and say oya. He said there was no savings, only debt,” Mr Buhari said.

During the 16 years the president referenced, Nigeria was governed by three presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007), Umaru Yar’Adua (2007 to 2010), and Goodluck Jonathan (2010 to 2015).

The president told the group of supporters that when he assumed office, most of the roads in Nigeria were in terrible condition, adding “some of them were not repaired since PTF days.”

PTF is the Petroleum Trust Fund set up by late Head of State, Sani Abacha, in 1994 to utilise the proceeds of a petrol price increase. Mr Buhari headed the PTF, which was reputed to have constructed many road projects across the country while the military dictator stole Nigeria blind.

Mr Buhari, who has been criticised for looking the other way while Mr Abacha stole billions of dollars from public treasury while in office, again justified his working with the dictator.

“No matter what opinion you have about Abacha,” he said, “I agreed to work with him and the roads we did from PTF exist from here to Port Harcourt, to Onitsha, to Benin and so on.”

He said the agency also intervened in education and medical care among others.

Mr Buhari also said the railway in Nigeria “was killed and one of the former Heads of State between that time was bragging that he spent more than 15 billion American dollars, not Naira, on power. Where is the power? Where is the power? And now we have to pay the debts,” he said, in apparent reference to Mr Obasanjo.

Lambasts National Assembly

Mr Buhari also came down hard on the members of the National Assembly.

He also said unlike the previous administrations, he has made the highest provision for capital projects; N1.3 trillion; in the budget he took to the Assembly.

“Let anybody come and confront me publicly in the National Assembly. What have they been doing?

“Some of them have been there for 10 years. What have they been doing?,” he asked.

Mr Buhari said just like he mentioned 30 years ago, everyone should know that citizens have no other country than Nigeria, adding “we should remain here and salvage it together no matter what you have outside.”

He said his administration had uncovered some houses in Abuja, U.S. and Europe belonging to “some people”.

He, however, said some of them “swore to God” that the houses do not belong to them.

Mr Buhari said “but their accounts, through the banks, through their companies, show that it is their own. But they say it’s not their own.

“This is a terrible thing and the people are saying what are we doing? Why can’t you lock them up? And again I went on by telling them what I said when I was in uniform, younger and rather ruthless. I got from the President downward and I locked them up in Kirikiri and I said you’re guilty except you prove yourselves innocent.

“I myself was locked up and those who misappropriated public funds were given back what they had taken away. Who did anything about it?

“Then I decided to come and put agbada. I tried one, two, three four times and God agreed,” he said.

Mr Buhari said when he ran for office for the third time and went to the court afterwards, his lawyer, Mike Ahamba, who, he described as “a Roman Catholic and Ibo man” requested the panel of judges at the Supreme Court to order for register of voters in some constituencies across the country be provided for vetting and confirmation of the election outcome.

He said the Supreme Court rejected the request and asked him to approach the electoral commission instead.

The president said that at the end, the court ruled against his petition except one judge, who, he, again described as” another Ibo man, a Roman Catholic” who wrote a minority judgment in his favour.

“He was among the panel of the judges, he wrote a minority report in my favour. So, why this question of religion and ethnicity and so on?

“People are worshipping the dollars, the Sterlings not to even talk of the Naira.

“He wrote a minority report saying this is what we have decided. But the President of that court was my classmate for six years in secondary school; he is from my own state. So, please, we have nothing to regret. Absolutely nothing.

“Since we all believe that God works in our hearts not in our talking. God help us, God help our children and grandchildren.

“We will try as much as we can to work and bring this country to it senses.

“God has given Nigeria everything; we are rich in human and material resources so let us keep praying to God that He should put people of conscience in charge at all levels,” Mr Buhari said.

The president commended members of the BSO for supporting him over the years without expecting anything in return.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/269368-buhari-talks-tough-attacks-obasanjo-yaradua-jonathan-national-assembly.html/

The Special Adviser to Governor Ayo Fayose on Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Ademola Bello, has resigned from the cabinet.

Bello, in his resignation letter, dated May 21, 2018, said he was quitting Fayose’s government “on personal grounds.”

It was, however, gathered that he allegedly resigned due to inability to clinch the deputy governorship ticket given to former council boss in Ado Ekiti Local Government, Kazeem Deji Ogunsakin.

A copy of Bello’s resignation letter was acknowledged by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Dupe Alade.

He joined the increasing list of officials quitting the Fayose administration for various reasons.

They include former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Ekiti State University, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi; former Director General/Special Adviser Bureau of Public Procurement, Chief Segun Akinwumi; former Commissioner for Public Utilities amongst others.
His resignation letter read: “I hereby wish to inform Your Excellency of my desire to resign my appointment as a Special Adviser under your administration forthwith on personal grounds.

“Permit me to express my profound appreciation for the opportunity given to me to serve in various capacities in the course of this administration.

“It is my fervent prayer that Allah in His infinite mercies shall continue to direct our noble course.”

http://dailypost.ng/2018/05/22/ekiti-guber-crisis-pdp-fayoses-aid-resigns/

As Baraje hails party as ‘Very Responsible’
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – The national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC Monday in Abuja met briefly with some of its aggrieved members under the defunct new Peoples Democratic Party nPDP, conceding that the group’s concerns were genuine and would be addressed.

“We have not yet resolved. They wrote a letter to us, they are party men, they have grievances, we looked at the letter, their grievances are genuine. And they requested a meeting within seven days and before the seven days expired, I called them and they were not ready to come, they said we should shift the meeting till today, which we did. So, we are listening to them, we have listened to them and we are taking up their matter seriously, we will address it. We don’t ignore our people except if you don’t send your grievances to the party, but if you send, we will always address your grievances”, said Sen. Lawali Shuaibu, APCs Deputy National Chairman, North, who stood in for the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Asked whether he was satisfied with responses his group got from the closed door meeting, the leader of the nPDP bloc, Abubakar Kawu Baraje said: “So far so good, we have just started and when you start a race, you don’t say whether somebody wants to see you until you are getting to the middle or to the end. But it is a good start, it is a good beginning”.

Speaking further, Baraje who was accompanied on the visit by a serving member of the House of Representatives from Kano state, Aliyu Madaki said; “As you are aware that we requested that we wanted to see the party, and the party, very sensitive party, very responsible party, responded to our requests adequately and we think it is a very encouraging time.

“Since last week, they have gotten across to us but because of one logistics or the other, we couldn’t come until today. We begged the party to shift the day till today and today we have seen our party. We are party members, this office is our office, we have only come home to discuss those observations we copied you people when we wrote in our letter. The meeting was very beautiful.”

When asked to respond to the allegations raised by Sen. Abdullahi Adamu’s group, Baraje said he was not ready to respond to such issue because a member of his group had responded.

“I am not ready to do that because somebody had earlier responded to them adequately. I think the former Youth Leader of the defunct nPDP, Timi Frank, responded to them and once somebody has responded, there is no need beating around the bush.

“In any case, in any group, particularly political groups, you are bound to have a splinter; while they split is best known to them. As far as we are concerned, the group that sent me here, or sent us here are 95.9% intact.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/apc-meets-barajes-npdp-says-well-address-you-grievances/

The National Democracy Stakeholders Group (NSDG), a pro-democracy and non-profit organisation, says President Muhammadu Buhari will lead the 2018 edition of “Democracy Solidarity Walk”.

Kletsaint Akor, NSDG’s convener, told reporters on Sunday that Buhari would lead the walk scheduled for May 29 at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

He said the walk, organised by NSDG in collaboration with state and non-state partners, would also be led by governors in the 36 state capitals across Nigeria.

According to Akor, the walk, which is the fourth edition with the theme “Walk for credible, free and fair 2019 election”, is expected to attract over 1 million people nationwide.

He said the aim of the exercise was to moblise Nigerians to take ownership of the 2019 electoral process through participation, enlightenment and protection of Nigeria’s nascent democracy.

“The 2018 edition of the annual Democracy Solidarity Walk will be led by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and the governors in each of the 36 states,” he said.

“It is expected to draw participation from all Nigerian democracy stakeholders, including representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC), Trade Union Congress(TUC), political parties, National Orientation Agency, aspirants to elective political offices.

“Others expected to participate are the media, pro-democracy groups, civil society groups, development partners, students union representatives, Non-Governmental Organisations and ordinary Nigerian citizens whose best interests are served by credible elections.”

The convener recalled that the first democracy walk, which took place in May 2009 to celebrate Nigeria’s first ever 10 years of uninterrupted democratic governance since independence in 1960, drew a huge participation.

Akor said that the event was marked again in 2013 and 2017, and had grown into a major component of Nigeria’s annual Democracy Day celebrations as Nigerians had realised that there was no alternative to democracy.

https://www.thecable.ng/buhari-lead-1m-nigerians-democracy-walk/

SOME opposition parties and interest groups, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party and the Nigerian Intervention Movement (NIM) have set up a high-powered technical committee to ratify an all-inclusive alliance against the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Members of the committee comprise key members of the National Executive Committees of the individual parties, their national chairmen and secretaries inclusive.

The constitution of the committee, Sunday Tribune learnt, formed the key resolution of a series of high-level meetings and consultations among leaders of the parties and pressure groups held in Abuja between last Tuesday and Friday.

Several of such meetings held at different locations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) attracted stalwarts of among other parties, the Labour Party (LP), United Progressive Party (UPP), and Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and the Action Alliance (AA).

The SDP team to the talks comprised a former Minister of Education, Professor Tunde Adeniran; national secretary of the party, Mallam Shehu Gabam, and the deputy national chairman, Mallam Abdul Ahmed Isiak.

The team for the ADP consisted of the national chairman, Y. Y. Sanni; national secretary, Dr James Okoroma and the national treasurer, just as NIM co-chairman, Dr Abdul Jalil Tafawa Balewa member, Steering Committee, Dr Elishama Ideh, and the Director of Organisation, Hajia Khairat Animashaun-Ajiboye represented the movement.

Some of members of the technical committee, who spoke to Sunday Tribune on condition of anonymity, explained that the talks were part of the process of setting up a national grand alliance for 2019.

Sources said the leaders met on Friday at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja to decide on the choice among the SDP, ADP, and the ANN as the anchor party for the election.

The NIM leaders will hold a special National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja on the choice of a party for the multi-party alliance.

It was gathered that a memorandum of understanding by all interested parties in the electoral alliance will be signed this week, after due consultations with their various leadership organs and the steering committee meeting.

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/2019-sdp-adp-others-unite-against-buhari-may-sign-mou-this-week/

Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), joined President Muhammadu Buhari to observe prayers at the Aso Rock mosque, Abuja, on Friday.

According to NAN, the IGP walked up to the president after the prayer session, and while exchanging pleasantries, Buhari asked him: “Are you back?”

Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, was among the hundreds of Muslim faithful at the mosque.

The IGP has been in the news all through the week over his row with the senate and some funny videos.

On May 9, the upper legislative chamber passed a vote of no confidence on the IGP, describing him as “enemy of democracy’’ over his failure to honour its invitations twice.

Idris, however, asked the deputy inspector-general of police (operations), Joseph Habila to represent him at the senate.

On Thursday, Senate President Bukola Saraki accused the IGP of trying to implicate him and Abdulfatah Ahmed, governor of Kwara state, in a criminal case involving some suspected cultists.

The senate has raised a 10-man panel to meet with Buhari over the allegation leveled against the IGP by Saraki.

https://www.thecable.ng/back-buhari-asks-igp-pray-together-aso-rock-mosque/

The Supreme Court on Friday discharged and acquitted, Alban Ajaegbu, one of the accused in the celebrated case of the ritual killing of an 11-year-old boy, Ikechukuwu Okoronkwo, in 1996 in Owerri, Imo.

The killing of the boy, a hawker, jolted Owerri, stoking riot and destructions by enraged residents that lasted for days in the city.

In her lead judgment, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, held that the circumstantial evidence relied on to convict and sentence the appellant by the lower courts was not sufficient.

“It must be restated here that the appellant was charged with murder and the prosecution has the burden of proving beyond reasonable doubt that it was the act of the appellant that caused the death of the deceased.

“The appellant does not have the burden to prove his innocence. The lower court held that the defence of the appellant raised a lot of suspicions.

“The law is well settled that suspicion, no matter how grave, cannot take the place of proof.”

She said that the assumption of the lower courts that because the appellant worked in the hotel for 17 years, he should have known who owned the farm that Okoronkwo was buried in, was wrong.

“Suspicion cannot take the place of legal proof. That the appellant worked in the hotel for 17 years and didn’t know who owned the farm cannot make him guilty.

“The law is settled, that an accused person told lies does not make him guilty.”

The apex court held that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The court, therefore, set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Owerri of 2012, which upheld the death sentence of the trial court and acquitted and discharged Ajaegbo.

The judgment was read by Justice Ejembi Eko, and the other four justices on the panel agreed with the judgment.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Okoronkwo, a groundnut seller, was on Sept. 19, 1996, lured into a hotel, called Otokoko in Owerri and beheaded.


Okoronko was reportedly given a bottle of Coca-Cola that had been spiked with drug before he was killed.

The hotel was owned by one Vincent Duru, who became known as Chief Otokoto during the long trial, following his not guilty plea after his arrest and arraignment.

Besides beheading Okoronkwo, the suspects, who were seven in number reportedly, removed different organs from his body, including his genitals before burying the corpse in a shallow grave.

The crime was discovered when 32-year-old Innocent Ekeanyanwu, left the hotel to deliver the head in a polythene bag to a client.

An Okada rider, who gave Ekeanyanwu a ride discovered the fresh human head and alerted the police, leading to the arrest of Ekeanyanwu.

NAN

http://punchng.com/22-years-after-supreme-court-acquits-otokoto-suspect/

Abuja – The Chairman of Governors’ Forum, Gov. Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara says the National Economic Council (NEC) will soon take decision on whether to allow the continuation of payment of petroleum subsidy by NNPC or not.

Yari, who stated this while responding to questions after the meeting of NEC which was chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday, said the governors would next month (June) take decision on whether to take responsibility for the subsidy in their states or not. He said the governors’ position was informed by the huge amount of money being spent by the NNPC as payment for fuel subsidy annually.

He described as outrageous the N800billion being expended by the NNPC as subsidy. “Our problem is the volume, the quantity of consumption which is not acceptable. “Working with the governors so many decisions were taken but by next month, we are going to adopt that position either for the governors to take responsibility for the subsidy in their states based on the consumption or we look at other ways. “For instance, if you say we paid N800 billion subsidy, you will ask who are we paying the subsidy to? And if you look at infrastructure development and capital programme of the Federal Government, it is about N1.1 trillion, almost 70 per cent of what you are spending on developing the economy. “If there is no infrastructure development then you cannot talk about development of the economy. N800 billion is a huge amount that we must look at it, who is benefiting from it.

“So we are coming up with a strategy, we are going to meet in the month of May and June. By next meeting, we will definitely come up with a position of the government at both level of volume of what is being brought into the country and what the state and Federal Government collaborate to check,’’ he said. The governor revealed that the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment briefed the NEC on the establishment of the Nigerian Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council which was approved by Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2017.

“The Industrial Council recognises that there is need for collaboration between the Federal Government (FG), State and Local Government to drive the industrialisation agenda. “The briefing today was to present the eight initiatives and recommendations from the Industrial Council that requires State Governments intervention,’’ he added.

Yari said the Advisory Council requested NEC to approve the proposals to address the bottlenecks identified in order to drive the Industrialisation agenda. He, however, said that the Council while welcoming the prayers resolved that the Nigeria Communication Commission should go and outline its plans and communicate same to the State Governors in the next meeting.(NAN) Related

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/governors-take-decision-fuel-subsidy-queries-payment-n800bn-gov-yari/

President Muhammadu Buhari and a former governor of Borno State, Ali-Modu Sherrif, are currently meeting at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
They are meeting behind the closed doors of the president's office.

Sherrif, a former caretaker committee chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, arrived the Villa at about 2:40pm.

This is the first time Sherrif will be meeting with Buhari since the former was ousted as PDP's caretaker committee's chairman.

He had met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa on September 22, 2017.

The national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress had last month asked Sheriff, who had interest joining the party in Abuja, to do so at his ward.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-sherrif-in-closed-door-meeting-251084.html

Detectives from the Ondo state Police command, have arrested a 25-year-old man, Saliu Oladayo, who stabbed a girl to death in Akure, Ondo state capital, for refusing to date him.

The suspect was said to have stabbed 19-year-old girl, Chinyere Ebere, to death following an argument between the deceased and the suspect at Obasuyi street in Ijoka area of the state capital.

According to a source, the suspect had been asking the young lady to date him for a long time while the lady refused to all his overtures and advances.

He, however, said that an argument ensued between the two, explaining that, the suspect claimed that the deceased insulted him and allegedly took a knife and stabbed the girl to death.

Speaking on the death of her daughter, Mrs Lovelyn Nwama, explained that, her daughter just came back home after writing her final SSCE examination before she was stabbed to death by the suspect

The mother said ” my daughter just came back home from where she went to write her WAEC yesterday. I observed some changes in her which led me to beat her before the unfortunate incident.

“I was in my shop when some neighbours alerted the police and I rushed to the scene of the incident only found my daughter in her pool of blood”


Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Femi Joseph, explained that the suspect was asking the girl to date him which she refused.

According to the PPRO, the suspect claimed that the deceased embarrassed him publicly which infuriated the suspect, who stabbed her, leading to her death.

Joseph, however, said the suspect has been arrested and the police would soon charge him to court after investigation.

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/man-stabs-girl-to-death-in-ondo-over-refusal-to-date-him/

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—AHEAD of 2019 presidential and general elections, the All Progressives Congress, APC, is in search of very strong and high-profiled personalities in the opposition political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to join its folds with the aim at ensuring that it wins in the six geo- political zones of the country.

The latest of such personalities being sought after by the APC is the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, PDP, Enugu West, who has been in the Senate since May 2003.


APC is wooing him to dump his party, the PDP, with the assurance that he would be given the presidential ticket for 2023 when the position would then be zoned to the South East at the expiration of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari who is re-contesting in 2019.


According to the APC, with Ekweremadu in APC and becoming the presidential candidate in 2023 from the South East, there would then be the much desired stability in the country.

Speaking yesterday at plenary while eulogizing the Deputy Senate President at 56, Senate Majority leader, Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe North who described Ekweremadu as an asset in Nigeria at large and the South East in particular, however pleaded with him to see through the misty, woolly environment and take what he termed, the right decision, adding that he must not stay to rust and waste away in the PDP.

Senator Lawan who noted that he was speaking on behalf of others said, “On behalf of myself, even though without consulting our colleagues here, I am sure all the senators here are with me on this, we pray for many more terms and returns of this day and of course, I will use this opportunity to urge Senator Ike Ekweremadu to see through the mist; this woolly environment and take the right decision.

“You are an asset; don’t stay and rust away or waste away. I am inviting you to consider joining the numerous leaders and elders of the south east who understood that Nigeria needs the commitment of people like you.

“Nigeria needs the unity of everybody to make it better for the masses of this country; Nigeria needs stability and I want to say clearly that you are going to fit in perfectly well. 2023 is here (for you) for the taking.”

Earlier, while congratulating the Deputy Senate President, Ekweremadu who marked his 56the birthday last Saturday, Lawan said, “I congratulate the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu,my neighbour and my boss on his 56th birthday. I want to say that this is a congratulation to commitment, dedication and devotion. Mr. President, our brother here, as far as I can remember, is the longest serving presiding officer in the National Assembly.

“Senator Ike Ekweremadu has been a very loyal and committed deputy president of the senate. First to the Senate President then, Senator David Mark, he excelled in filling the gaps. Whenever there was need for him to come in and preside, all of us in the sixth and seventh senate and in fact, in this current senate, we had to look for our helmets because definitely, skills and speed will come into play.

“We members of the National Assembly, the parliamentarians are the ones to make the parliament or the legislature worthy of its name and be respected. We can do that through committing ourselves to our work and we have a very good example in the deputy president of the senate who has done that for so many years.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/990810/

Contrary to the avowed intention to resume legislative session on Tuesday, senator Ovie Omo-Agege representing Delta central did not appear in plenary today.

The embattled lawmaker has premised his resumption on the high court judgement that vacated the suspension slammed on him by the hallowed chamber.

Omo-Agege was suspended over his comment allegedly tarnishing the image of the senate.

He, however, approached the court to challenge senate’s decision to suspend him.
When the court delivered judgement in his favour, he made declarations that he was going to be in plenary to continue to represent his constituents.

The Senate leadership has,however, reconsidered its position and decided late Monday night to comply with the judgement of the Federal High Court and do nothing to stop Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from his scheduled resumption.

The Senate stated, “As an institution that obeys the law and court orders, the Senate has decided that it will comply with the judgement of the Federal High Court and do nothing to stop Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from resuming in his office and at plenary from tomorrow May 15, 2018, pending the determination of the application for stay of execution”.


“The Senate leadership has been briefed by our lawyers on last Thursday’s judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on whether the Senate has the legal authority to suspend a member for certain misconduct or not.

“We have equally filed an appeal against the judgement of the court and a motion for stay of execution of the judgement at the Court of Appeal.

“The Senate has been advised that since the motion for stay of execution of the Thursday (May 10, 2018) judgement shall be heard and possibly determined on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, we shall therefore respect the subsisting High Court judgement and await the appellate court’s decision on the pending motion”.

However, Omo-Agege’s inability to resume as promised may not be unconnected with the pending determination of the application by the upper chamber for stay of execution of the judgement delivered in favour of the lawmaker.

Also, the forthcoming findings of the expanded senate and House of representatives investigation committee set up to unravel the circumstances that led to the invasion of the National Assembly and the snatching of the senate mace may not be favourable to Omo-Agege.

http://dailypost.ng/2018/05/15/senator-omo-agege-withdraws-resumption-nigerian-senate/

The 2018 budget has been jerked to N9,120,334,988,225 by the House of Representatives.

According to the document laid on Tuesday, N530,421,368,624 was proposed for statutory transfer; N2,869,600,351,825 for development fund for capital expenditure; N3,516,477,902,077 for recurrent (non debt) expenditure while N2,203,835,365,699 is for debt service; and N199b for sinking fund for maturing loans.

http://thenationonlineng.net/nass-jerks-2018-budget-n9-120-trillion/

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Adejare Adeboye has fried back at critics.

He spoke while addressing the ministers and workers of RCCG at the ongoing Northern Conference at the RCCG camp, in Jos on Saturday.


Adeboye said those attacking him were actually attacking the congregants of RCCG worldwide and by extension the Christians.

His words: “You are aware that some people spends their time attacking me, particularly in the internet.”

“Those attacking me are actually attacking you, but be rest assured, they would soon be sent out of this country.

“The Bible said, when you strike a Shepherd, the sheep shall scatter.”

The clergy lamented that he has severally been accused of not preaching salvation, adding that critics have also been faulting miracles that happened at camps.

This year’s conference, titled: “Let the fire fall”, is an annual event that started on Friday.

The auditorium was overcrowded with the church faithful from the 19 northern states.

http://dailypost.ng/2018/05/12/rccg-adeboye-reveals-will-happen-critics-attacking-internet/

This is terrible

President Muhammadu Buhari on his arrival at the airport in Abuja today said he is in good condition.

The President’s aircraft touched down at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja on Friday by 7:00 pm after a three-day medical trip to London, United Kingdom.

When asked on by journalists why he arrived on Friday after his schedule of returning on Saturday, the President said his arrival is not earlier than expected.

“It is not earlier than expected. I just went for a further medical check-up and I am alright, thank you,” President Buhari said.

In a tweet announcing his departure, President Buhari on Monday said, “I will be travelling to the United Kingdom tomorrow, to see my doctor, at his request. Will be away for four days; back in Abuja on Saturday, May 12.”

His Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had said the President would return on Saturday but he returned back to the country a day earlier.

Using his official Twitter handle @MBuhari, the President also announced his returned to the country.

“President is back in Abuja. He arrived this evening from London,” the presidency wrote on its Twitter account.

Buhari, who last year spent some five months receiving treatment in the British capital, had left on Tuesday to see his doctor.

The move stoked fresh doubts about the president’s health and his ability to campaign for re-election at polls scheduled for February next year.

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Buhari was clearly unwell and unfit to govern.

The PDP has previously claimed he was being treated for prostate cancer. Buhari has said those claims were untrue.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, also criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for embarking on a medical trip to the United Kingdom.

He said on Channels Television’s Programme, Sunrise Daily on Thursday that the President and other Nigerians who travel abroad for medical attention are ridiculing the nation.

“These medical trips by the President and the rich in Nigeria expose our country to ridicule because you cannot justify that a little of enormous resources cannot fix a few hospitals to the extent that everybody can be treated in Nigeria,” Falana said.

https://www.channelstv.com/2018/05/11/i-just-went-for-medical-check-up-i-am-alright-buhari/

The National Judicial Council has recommended 21 judges for appointment as chief judges and judicial officers in various states.

They include judges of the conventional courts and Sharia courts.

The announcement was made Friday in a statement by the NJC spokesperson, Soji Oye.

The appointments are subject to co formation of the president or governors of respective states.

Read the statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

11th May, 2018

The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, at its 86th Meeting, which was held on 8th and 9th May, 2018, recommended the under-listed names of twenty-one (21) successful candidates as Heads of Courts and Judicial Officers for the Federal/State High Courts and the Code of Conduct Tribunal:

1. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, KEBBI STATE

i) Hon. Mr. Justice Elizabeth A. Karatu

2. APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF JUDGE, KATSINA STATE

i) Hon. Mr. Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar

3. APPOINTMENT OF GRAND KADI KATSINA STATE

i) Hon. Kadi Alhafiz Mikail Abubakar

4. APPOINTMENT OF PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, FCT

i) Hon. Mr. Justice Abbazih Musa Abubakar Saddeeq

5. APPOINTMENT OF TWO (2) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, NIGER STATE

i) Bilikisu Gambo Yusuf

ii) Ishaku Usman

6. APPOINTMENT OF THREE (3) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, BORNO STATE

i) Musa Mustapha

ii) Baba Gani Karumi

iii) Waziri Alhaji Abubakar

7. APPOINTMENT OF THREE (3) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, KOGI STATE

i) Husaini Alhasan Saidu

ii) Zubayr Saliu

iii) Ruth Alolo Alfa

8. APPOINTMENT OF TWO (2) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, GOMBE STATE

i) Muhammad Haruna

ii) Fatima Musa

9. APPOINTMENT OF TWO (2) KADIS SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, GOMBE STATE

i) Muhammad Inuwa Gombe

ii) Hadi Aminu

10. APPOINTMENT OF FOUR (4) KADIS SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, GOMBE STATE

i) Ahmad Muhammad Gidado

ii) Mustapha Lalloki

iii) Dalha Bashir Ahmad

iv) Atiku Muhammad Bello

11. APPOINTMENT OF ONE (1) MEMBER, CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL

i) Julie Abieyuwa Anabor

The newly appointed candidates will be sworn-in after the approval of the President and their respective State Governors as the case may be.

Soji Oye

Director, Information

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/268044-njc-recommends-appointment-of-21-state-judges-full-list.html/

The immediate past chairman of Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr. Deji Ogunsakin, has been announced as the running mate to People’s Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

The information was posted on the Facebook wall of the Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media at Ekiti State Government, Lere Olayinka.

Olusola is currently the deputy to Governor Ayodele Fayose, and he is known to have been solely anointed bu his principal as the successor, despite the outcry of many members of the opposition party.

The announcement has not gone without criticism, though, as som respondents felt that other sections of the state were neglected in the deciioon.

Says one Olorunsola Olusesan, “This is is what I’m saying! Now, Fayose completely neglected Ekiti North! I’m writing this for the sake of those with the south agenda.

“Fayose is from central, appointed central as deputy. I told them not to introduce this hatred agenda. It will not gave birth to a child in Ekiti (sic).”

http://www.punchng.com/breaking-ekiti-gov-poll-deji-ogunsakin-named-as-kolapo-olusolas-running-mate/

Governor Ayo Fayose and his supporters, on Thursday prayed for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, asking God to further put confusion in their camp as they hold their primaries Saturday (tomorrow).

Governor Fayose, in a spontaneous prayer session with a large crowd of party supporters and people of Ekiti in Ikere hometown of his deputy. Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, who returned from Abuja where he went to receive his certificate of nomination from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Fayose, who was elated at the huge reception by the people for professor Olusola, prayed that the APC was his enemy and wished that Gid should put confusion in the cam of his enemies and asked God to give PDP victory against other parties.

Professor Olusola, while addressing the crowd, promised to ensure that Ekiti witnessed “an unprecedented development during his tenure as governor when voted in.”



He said: “We appreciate our amiable and indefatigable governor. The man who has for the first time in this country stood solidly behind his deputy, openly and transparently, to ensure he emerges the party’s candidate in order to be his successor. We will forever be grateful and we will retaliate with our votes.

“I want to assure you that all the good things that this government has been giving to Ekiti will continue in my tenure. I want to assure you and the Ekiti people that , by the grace of God, I will not let you down. For the people of Ekiti, your welfare will be paramount to our policies in government. I want to assure you that during my tenure, Ekiti will witness unprecedented development in all sectors.”

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/ekiti-2018-fayose-supporters-pray-for-confusion-in-apc-camp/

The fight against Boko Haram is not over as the insurgents were not defeated yet, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambers has said.

Chambers made said this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri on the sideline of the two-day Lake Chad Governors’ Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilisation, Peace-building and Sustainable Development.

“Boko Haram is by no means defeated but certainly weakened. The fight needs to continue,” he said.

Chambers said the UN and the international community would continue to support the region to get rid of Boko Haram insurgents in the Lake Chad Basin.

”The heads of states of the region, the countries of the region came together and created a joint force, a MNJTF that took the fight to Boko Haram.

“They pushed Boko Haram out of the territories in which it was operating and generally demonstrated that if countries stand together, collaborate and join forces together, they can defeat Boko Haram.

"This effort is supported and will continue to receive the support of the United Nations and the international community.

“The fight needs to be pursued. We are very encouraged by what we have heard from the force commander of the MNJTF.

“We want to assure MNJTF of the UN and the international community support in this legitimate fight to rid the Lake Chad of Boko Haram.

"Today’s initiative on the part of the government is to see how at the local level they can begin to collaborate in the area of humanitarian development and reintegration.

“One of the important efforts is bringing back life to the people, creating livelihood for the people and the best way to do that is through the governors of the Lake Chad region."

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/amplite/boko-haram-not-yet-defeated-united-nations-249818.html?