₦airaland Forum

bgossipnaija:
Vanguard report that the Presidency, yesterday, charged those against the administration’s ranching and colony programmes for herdsmen to rethink, noting that they are better off living with the ranches and colonies than dying through the persisting conflicts.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, speaking on an AIT morning programme in response to a question on ancestral attachments to land said: “Ancestral attachment? You can only have ancestral attachment when you are alive.

A Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lambasted  the Presidency saying

"Giving land for ranching is better than death.....Being alive is better than ancestral attachment to land"- Presidency.

In other words you must surrender your ancestral lands to the Fulani or prepare to be slaughtered. You must give them your homes or they will take your lives!

You must give them your money and all that is dear to you or they will butcher you and your family and take over all that is yours.

Surely only the accursed still support this evil government. Do we need any further evidence to prove that Buhari is behind the ethnic cleansing and genocide?

https://www.naijanewspapers.com.ng/2018/07/give-your-land-or-die-ffk-react-to-presidency-statement-on-giving-land-for-ranching-is-better-than-death/

The greatest undoing of buhari will be his careless talker SA's

Garba shehu
Onichie
Femi

ericsmith:
how & why you concluded they are angry still a mystery ,,besides its apc rally not AY live or basketmouth uncensored.


if pictures up there are from the rally am surprised, so ipob youths could be bought, opposition wey no get candidate beta go hunting

Look at their faces very well you will know that they are mourning APC imminent burial.

Look at the priest very well

Give up your ancestral lands for cattle colonies or face death, Presidency warns

The Presidency has told those against the administration’s ranching and colony programmes for herdsmen to have a rethink, saying it is better to give up ancestral lands for cattle colonies than to get killed.

It said they are better off living with the ranches and colonies than dying through the persisting conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, made this known on Tuesday on an AIT morning programme in response to a question on ancestral attachments to land.

Asked about the ancestral attachment by the people of those states to their lands, Adesina said: “Ancestral attachment?

“You can only have ancestral attachment when you are alive.

“If you are talking about ancestral attachment, if you are dead, how does the attachment matter? What will the land be used for if those who own it are dead at the end of the day?”
He said; “Some people are saying don’t use government money to build ranches.

“If truly they don’t have lands, that is fine, but remember that Kogi State offered 15,000 hectares of land for cattle colony and in the midst of that offer vicious attacks were unleashed.

“In Plateau State, where we had the recent orgy of killings, the government has offered land for ranches and I tell you that some people are interested in this thing not being resolved.”
Adesina also said it was not a religious issue.

He said: “Hundreds have been killed in Zamfara.
“Are they Christians?
“People have been killed in Birnin Gwari.
“Are they Christians?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvK_POZz8NA

dokiOloye:
In Ebonyi state alone,Abakaliki-Enugu expressway(100%).
Abakaliki to Ogoja(Cross Rivers)100%.
Abakaliki-Afikpo expressway(80%)(Already completed by the state govt.
Brand new Federal University in Ikwo.
That is in Ebonyi state alone.

Don't mind the BMC

They've lost steam.

Don't you notice their trademark already, they resulted into abuse once their lies os busted

Continued:...


Alhaji please address this issue squarely, particularly the one that touches on the illegality of his action. What has this decree got to do with the issue of June 12?

I said he has offended the constitution and his own decree. That is why I am saying there are procedures. There are certain things that cannot be undone and he cannot amend that decree today. He has no right to do so.

But that decree is no longer in force

Ah! No. It is. If you read the decree again you will see it. It is in force forever. The only possibility of changing that Decree is if there is another military coup, certainly not a civilian government. These are the things. And Babagana Kingibe who is now the official cabal that is controlling Buhari through the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, they intentionally did it to make Buhari unpopular. That is what Ray Ekpu is saying.

How would that make Buhari unpopular?
By doing the wrong thing for the right reason. You can do the right thing with the wrong reason. So Babagana Kingibe’s style of betrayal is this; only intellectual and intelligent people can see it because it cannot fly. You think the recognition of changing Democracy Day to June 12 is going to show? There is nothing in the world that says he has powers over Decrees and constitutions and out of excitement we must all lose our heads. Why I am not going to say more is that some things are likely to happen in Nigeria in due course and I don’t want anybody to say that I knew before hand that it was going to happen. So if you are really my brother let’s leave that aside I cannot tell you more.

Is what Buhari has done on this issue of June 12 positive as far as you are concerned especially when you think of the 2019 election?
The issue is very simple. It’s a good thing in terms of jubilation, but Ayo Opadokun phoned me and asked what does Babangida and now Abacha is dead, I am the voice of Abacha, that what do we think about this issue of Buhari and this June 12? And he said that he smelt a rat. So I told him yes Babagana Kingibe is the rat and that the agenda of Babagana Kingibe is that he wants Buhari to mess up so that he would fail woefully in 2019 election. If post election violence and anything takes place in Nigeria, Babagana Kingibe wants the money they have thrown on service chiefs and all that to make it possible for an Interim Government to be put on June 12 because there will be no election. The election will be inconclusive so that Babagana Kingibe can be Acting President. For God’s sake, look at that. So I told Opadokun to tell my people because my wife is from Abeokuta…

How would the advice by Babagana Kingibe cause post election violence?
Put this off record. I am also recording (divulges information to this reporter) That is why I said we should put this information off record.

I asked you how the action taken by Buhari about the June 12 will affect him in the 2019 election. Will it be positive?
It will dislocate Buhari because he is not going to win the 2019 election.

What did you see? What are the indices?
The Yoruba and everybody have decided to ditch Buhari in the election. They called Abiola’s daughter to write a big issue about Buhari. She sent it to me yesterday, but not that I believe in Buhari. I have had cause to help Buhari many times, but he is on his own now. How can a 78-year-old man want to continue to be president of Nigeria when there are younger people?

Is that the reason Opadokun and others will not want him to continue?
No, June 12 is not enough. They know Buhari’s antecedent. They have worked on him. They have known him since his government; they have known him since his machinations in PTF. I am sure you have read the PTF story?

In all sincerity where do you think the southwest will be in the 2019 election? I want you to use your experience as someone who is a former security expert. Some people have said his action is a masterstroke from a master strategist.
It is not a masterstroke anything. He did it for himself. He did it to increase his popularity because his popularity and acceptance have waned. It has gone down terribly. We measured it. America measured it. My Israeli friends measured it and told me about it. So he is trying to beef up his acceptance. Babagana Kingibe is very intelligent. In all the forces in Nigeria there are not up to three that are the best hands in security. Babagana Kingibe was an operative in the NIA.


Do you have any problem with the GCFR and GCON given to Abiola and his running mate, Kingibe respectively?
No, what he gave to Abiola is just fine but it is not done. There are procedures to be maintained please. You don’t just do things as if it is akara (beans cake) that they are frying on the way. The constitution is our guide. That is why there is no anarchy on our streets. Buhari must obey that constitution because he is an employee of the taxpayers. He is not a president for life. He is not our God. He is a human being. So the positioning and grandstanding of his supporters are meant to destroy him. So, southwest will not vote for Buhari in 2019.

Understand that; they will not and whatever southwest does is what the Igbo will do. Have you not started noticing the body language in the eastern region about what is going on in the present Buhari government? Some of them have started calling on each other not to be sympathetic to Buhari’s 2019 positioning.

And some people have told them Buhari can never be the kind of person in the world that will make it possible for an Igbo presidency in 2023. I am checking all the documents everyday even though I am in retirement so that the day anybody thinks he can tell me nonsense if my spirituality is not enough to destroy them I have enough documents to make sure they are caught off guard. Buhari is deceiving them. Please understand that. And let me say this before you call off this interview; you see anything you call anti corruption actually started from Abacha. During Abacha PTF was our first call. Immediately Buhari refused to accede to that document that Abacha asked me to take to him we broke down PTF. We wanted PTF to have eastern, south-south, south-west and northern desks because a lot of people started complaining that the PTF was mismanaged. That is why the documents I raised at that time, Buhari’s PTF and the great betrayal that happened under Buhari was put on Facebook recently. I have it. The issue is this. After finishing with PTF our next call was Nigerian Railways. Nigerian Railways was a strong money guzzler. At that time the Yeriman Zazzau, Muniru Ja’afaru was the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railways and General Gumel was the Chairman. So he came to me and told me about the $30million bribe money that the Chinese people gave railway officials. So Muniru Ja’afaru came to me and reported to me. So Abacha said we should debrief Gumel. Unknown to him, Muniru had already told me everything about it. When he finished then I told him what I knew. Then he broke down crying. He went home, had a heart failure and died. So Buhari is not doing a new thing.

2019 polls will end inconclusive – Mohammed, ex- spy chief

Reveals how Kingibe plans to succeed Buhari

Alhaji Abdulrahman Mohammed, is a former National Security Organisation, NSO (Now DSS) Chief and close ally of ex-military leaders: late Generals Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Sani Abacha and former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida. In this interview, he reveals deadly plots going on within the inner circle of President Buhari’s government, which will ultimately lead a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Gingibe to succeed the President after the 2019 polls, which he claims will end inconclusive.

He spoke more on this and more in this interview conducted by KENNY ASHAKA in Kaduna.

Let’s talk about June 12. I know that some of you worked with former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida…
(Cuts in) And Abacha. I was very close to Abacha.

Okay, but what I know is that some of you were in the transition programme of Babangida…
(Cuts in) Definitely, definitely. I was the Adviser on Politics, Economy and Security to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, the late Wazirin Jema’a.

Yes and what happened that you couldn’t stop the annulment of a transition that was almost coming to an end at that time? Was it something that was beyond your powers?
It had already been…if you observed from what happened in the Jos SDP primary, it was something that has to do with Babagana Kingibe, Abiola and Atiku that brought about all the issues. You remember Pascal Bafyau, the NLC President who became a politician. He played a lot of Babangida’s game during that time, used NLC…you know it was an elongated transition programme that was de￾signed if possible to make Babangida till the time he was going to…

(Cuts in) I don’t understand.
Now you know NLC has a lot of role to play in supporting a government? Pascal Bafyau played the game for Babangida at that time just like Oshiomhole did. Pascal Bafyau was a pro-Babangida man. So Babangida tried to pay him back by insisting that he should be the presidential running mate of Abiola. So it was because Abiola refused to announce Pascal Bafyau as his running mate and chose Babagana Kingibe instead that caused the annulment of June 12. Abiola had been told by Babangida in my presence that if he did not take Pascal Bafyau…anyway we were following what was happening in Jos during the SDP primary on our satellite programme. We knew every move that was taken, everything that happened there because my boss, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was in SDP. You know he was my former boss. I worked with Yar’Adua as Security Detail in charge of International Security Surveillance. You know our predicament in Nigeria today is because they think that Nigeria is one local government that anybody can be president and manipulate the way you like. We are in the world. At the time America and Israel said they were going to deal with Buhari on certain issues that were happening to Christians in Nigeria I warned Buhari. I was on Facebook and Whatsapp. I warned some of the service chiefs that I know that the American and Israeli consortium will ensure they break Buhari’s government until Buhari will leave the place.
Let’s go back to the real subject matter of the June 12. Why was it impossible for those of you who were civilians working with Babangida to stop the annulment; I mean you were Adviser to a key figure in the government?

It was an agenda already promised that just happened like that because Babangida had already promised Abiola that if you don’t pick Bafyau…Babangida was not in our team. We have a record of everybody. You know that was where my section is. I was a security chief and now having served the defunct NSO as a Director in terms of security surveillance, in terms of interrogation I have to be involved in logistics. I made sure I had to advise them on logistics to make sure that there was no black sheep in the entire arrangement and it was necessary for me to be able to say what is right and what is wrong. It was necessary for us to have information on every human being that was a player in the national scene at that time.

So it was easily conceivable that I had to put on General Babangida’s table everything that was happening in Nigeria. I had to put a tab on Babagana Kingibe as an NSO director and I had to put a tab on Abiola because part of the Abiola’s successes in the North was because of me actually because I talked to the people in Kano to make sure that Abiola…because Babangida actually wanted Abiola to be president; I must tell you honestly. You know the reason why I played a very strong role in the June 12 issue…at least you were one of the reporters that got close to me at that time. Henry Ugbolue and Ojudu were always reporting me at that time. They were reporters close to me reporting everything I was doing at that time.
I am very interested in this next question because you have just said Babangida was interested in Abiola becoming the president.

Why did he annul the election that he (Abiola) was winning?
This is because Abiola refused to make Pascal Bafyau his running mate. But your answer now is contrary to what made the rounds then that some military chiefs were those who instigated Babangida to annul the election because they didn’t want Abiola.

That one came later. Don’t believe that. Are you talking of this Benue man who was in Minna, David Mark? Those were the people who were doing that. I was in charge of security. I and General Akilu were in charge of security; I as NSO chief and Akilu in charge of Intelligence. Don’t believe all these things. People try to say what they want to say because they have stepped out. That is why Babangida has told us that anything we can do to save Nigeria while in retirement we should please do it. I went to Yar’Adua straight and told him to support Babangida’s action that was about to come out because they had betrayed our cause because Babagana Kingibe can never be a Vice-President any day in Nigeria because he has betrayed Nigeria too much.

How did he betray Nigeria?
Because…everything he did was to break Nigeria for his own purpose. We knew this. We had this in our security file. I was in charge of Special Survey because you know like in America the CIA was in charge of Special Survey. That is the word I can use for it because we do not have it in Nigeria but we have it in Washington, in the Pentagon.

What did you find wrong with Babagana Kingibe?
Listen to me. This interview will not take too long. There is one interview that someone gave last week – the betrayal of Kingibe, how Kingibe betrayed Nigeria by Ray Ekpu. He had a full interview on the betrayal of Nigeria by Babagana Kingibe. Everything I can tell you now is there. I read it in the night because I got a phone call from Minna. I read it and made sure that it was alright. You remember Ayu, the Senate President and Ameh Ebute? These were people who were handling the National Assembly because we had a dual government. We had a Military President and a legislature that was operating like…It was when Babangida left that he told me to please guide Abacha very well. That was why the first thing I told Abacha was to dissolve the National Assembly. That’s why all Generals in Nigeria will tell you that Mohammed Abdulrahman was with Abacha when all these things happened. So we had to dissolve the National Assembly because it served no good.

I talked to Shonekan and Kuforiji Olubi. Kuforiji Olubi was my friend. You know the role she played; didn’t you?

What role did she play?
The Interim National Government. It was Shonekan who was president. Kuforiji Olubi was Minister for Interior, actually Minister for Commerce and National Economy just like Okonjo Iweala was Minister in charge of the economy even though she was Minister for Finance. In our own time it was Kuforiji that I called and I told her to get ready to make sure that the Interim National Government survived. That is why we decided with Aliyu Jem’a, the Secretary to the Government to have a transition committee which was headed by this Jurist, Mamman Nasir from Katsina.

He headed the Transition Implementation Committee. Then my foster father, Abdulrahman Okene headed the committee in charge of Devolution of Powers between Federal, States and Local Government. You remember that? So when we did all that and gave them their letters of appointment Aliyu Mohammed reported back to Babangida that we had already executed the issue and Kuforiji Olubi was doing our bidding. But when within the military hierarchy it was discovered that there were people who feel they had a dream to be president of Nigeria, Danjuma and Abacha were the only ones that were left out because Obasanjo, Babangida, all these people were in the same group and the same thing. I served all of them as the NSO component of the military regime. So, internally they had a plan that Abacha should become Head of State. We had no control over that plan because you can see that the coup that brought in Abacha was a quiet one, not even one that qualified to be called a coup. Abacha told me to keep faith with him.

That is why I was the closest security chief to him. All the messages…you know when Abacha almost died and he was very ill he sent me personally to Buhari. I went to Buhari, we sat down. He said we should eat, I said no. If the C-in-C sends me I don’t eat in people’s houses. But I made sure the NSO…sorry no more NSO because I wrote the document in which it was transited to SSS and other things to water it down for the civilian dispensation.

So I called the SSS chief in Kaduna to accompany me to Buhari’s house. He received me quite okay. I gave him the document with which Abacha was going to read the Vision 2010 national address because he was very ill. That Vision 2010 address was to make Buhari the Chairman of Vision 2010 so that if he made him the chairman at his best he could easily announce an Interim National Government and make Buhari the president.

Was that the plan?
That was the plan. Mohammed Abdulrahman is telling you today. I am the only one in Nigeria who can tell you that because I was in charge. So that was what we did and I told Abacha that Buhari gave me one week to come back that he was going to look into it. I cannot tell Buhari that we wanted to make him Interim National President. You know the reason we wanted to do that? We wanted Buhari to clean up Nigeria for us with his own handle because his presidency was truncated.

So we wanted to give him another chance. If it is true that he was actually going to deny it, he should leave the PTF and handle the Interim National Government. But I will tell you what happened. My operatives came up with results and findings that they were planning to make Buhari a president through this entire route of the CPC and…

I don’t understand that? Can you come again?

Okay, let me break it down for you. You remember that Ashwey became the Managing Director of Continental Merchant Bank at that time; the bank that was opposite Leventis? Because it was a strategic location Abacha had shown intention to purchase the building. But Ashwey sold it to Salihijo Ahmad of PTF because they wanted to use it for Buhari for President Campaign Organisation. That is why Abacha told me to move against them.

That is why we interviewed Salihijo. We called him in and investigated PTF. After leaving our place for debriefing, Salihijo went to his office and said he was going home because he had headache and the wife told him to go to the hospital and see the doctor. He was waiting to see the doctor when he slumped and died.

When I investigated and got my facts right, we first of all detained Ashwey and we debriefed Salihijo. That is why he died. We don’t debrief anybody and he stays alive. I am telling you this because we had enough spiritual powers to back our official power to make sure that anybody who lies to us or lies about us does not live in this world again because we wanted to deliver Nigeria properly. And the ritualists and liars were too many. We had to even invite some of the Israeli security to help us plan what we were going to do at a certain stage. I am sure you heard at that time that Abacha had already forgiven Israel and started a relationship with the Israeli government. I was the one who went to Tel Aviv with a group of top military officers and some civilians to negotiate our recognizing Israel. We felt that was good for Christians and we recognized OIC at the same time. That was what we did to balance it.

We did for Christians and did for Muslims. So the issue is this. I called Ray Ekpu for releasing the betrayal of Nigeria by Babagana Kingibe; that he should never have been in the list of this June 12 thing that Buhari did. Whether it is wrong now or not, I am not going to say it.

Posterity will judge that and Nigerians will react to it. There is excitement of course because Abiola was badly treated. And Abiola talked to me. You know I was the intermediary between Abiola and Aliyu Mohammed, Wazirin Jema’a, the Secretary to the Government and Wazirin Jema’a, the Secretary to the Government was the intermediary between Abiola and Babangida. What I deliver to Aliyu is what he discusses with Babangida on Abiola because we didn’t want a direct link that the media will look into concerning the relationship and communication between IBB my boss and Abiola. You understand. I hope you are getting it now? So the issue is very simple. We did not expect Babagana Kingibe to be running mate to Abiola because…and of course he betrayed him. Have you read some of the things that happened between the June 12 annulment and now from Babagana Kingibe?



He stood by Abacha. I was there with Abacha.

Babagana was there with us with Abacha. Buhari was there with us with Abacha. After they had refused to work with the document that I delivered to him from Abacha when I came back the following week with the SSS director of Kaduna, he escorted me, he gave me back the document and said he was not interested.

Who?
Buhari who we wanted to make the Interim President. He was waiting for us maybe we will tell him we wanted to make him Interim President. My style is not like that. That was why you heard what happened that he jumped over his fence into the valley around his house and escaped in the night when security took over his house and disarmed all the SSS people that were serving him and broke into his sitting room. By that time he had already jumped over his fence into the valley there. You didn’t hear that?

Who jumped over the fence?
Buhari. Yes in his house on Sultan road.

Why would he do that and why were they after him?
Because he had refused Abacha’s proposal to be president. Nobody refuses Abacha. Even when Buhari was in power nobody refuses him. Hakimi Sokoto died because Buhari refused to allow him have access to medical attention when Buhari was in power. I am talking of Wazirin Sokoto then. That was why when Buhari was in detention and his mother got sick and died they refused to allow him go.

But when the mother died they released him. Now what are your thoughts about this recognition given to Abiola by Buhari?

It was ultimately going to happen, my brother. All the presidents that have passed… Goodluck Jonathan asked for my opinion on this when he was president. I told him to call Abiola’s son and discuss with him. Then he called Kola Abiola. You know I was on retirement and was not a member of Goodluck Jonathan’s government. Was it not your paper that treated about five pages of what happened with ACF and Northern Traditional Leaders on my exposition on paradigm shift that we profiled to make sure that Goodluck Jonathan becomes president? Didn’t you interview me at that time? The issue is very simple. If Buhari doesn’t play ball in his own government he shouldn’t expect anybody to play ball in their own government. Now, the June 12 issue. There are legal and constitutional procedures, which he has flouted. My old colleague because he is much older than me, himself, Pius Okigbo, Rotimi Williams, all of them we were together. I was the youngest on the Committee of Concerned Citizens. You have the list of the committee members with Yadudu, Hamza Zayyad. Justice Bello, former Chief Justice was once the Chairman, Rotimi Williams, Akintola Williams were all in the 32-member team that they said was going to save Nigeria. I was the youngest of them all.

So how illegal is what Buhari has just done?
After this interview I will search my IT library what this man, that legal luminary, Ben Nwabueze who was also a member of the Concerned Citizens Committee said. Nwabueze gave a treatise on Buhari’s mistake.

I have it. You must have read it too.

So what is the mistake?
I will send it to you in the next one hour.

Read it and incorporate it into this interview if you want to because there are procedures on all these issues. Look the first problem that Buhari has in dealing with the issue of June 12 is that when Buhari came to power he was excited. He rolled out decrees to make sure that even Journalists that even reported the truth was going to face death sentence. Do you remember that? In that decree there were some that had to do with making sure that all actions taken by his military regime cannot be undone.

Buhari is the one who promulgated that decree and I had the privilege of seeing Idiagbon to tell him to be careful and that what Buhari has done was going to catch up with him.



http://sunnewsonline.com/2019-polls-end-inconclusive-mohammed-ex-spy-chief/

2018 Budget Saga: Between Buhari’s exceptions and Saraki’s explanations

Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2018 Appropriations Law. The signing which happened on June 20 has generated a lot of controversies owing particularly to the observations which the president made at the signing ceremony, observations which were of great concern to patriotic Nigerians who wish for the country to run her processes as democratically possible as provided by our constitution.


While the president emphasised on the fact that the budget was not passed by the National Assembly until after seven months of its presentation to them, giving the impression that the legislative arm unduly delayed its passage, it is instructive to also note that the president did not, refused, neglected and or deliberately delayed signing the budget until over one month after it was passed by the national assembly.


The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari had said in his address at the signing ceremony that he “had hoped that the usual legislative review process would be quick” implies that he knows that the passage of a budget by the National Assembly is not a quick fix thing but a “review process”, a phrase which implies that there are works to be done to ensure that every –i is dotted and every –t is crossed.

Part of this “legislative review process” includes the defence of estimates before the various committees of the National Assembly working on the budget by concerned MDAs. But unfortunately, we are in a period when the executive arm of government has unnecessarily pitched itself against the legislature to the extent that appointees of the president flagrantly ridicule the institution of the National Assembly with nauseating impunity.

It is this cue from recalcitrant appointees of the president that the MDAs must have taken when they refused to go to the national assembly to defend their budgets thinking that the legislature would pass it anyway since they have a godfather in President Buhari whose word they assume is law and whose proposals dare not be tinkered with as if we run a dictatorial democracy.


In the same vein, except for those appointments whose spread are subject to legislative scrutiny for confirmation and spread by the constitution, President Buhari’s appointments are reputed to be the most lopsided, clannish, cryonic and parochial in the recent political history of our nation. Upon that, we have government appointees who have continued to remain in office and expend our common funds without getting the confirmation of the legislature to remain in office. That is the set up of the executive the legislature is left at its mercy.

Despite this blatant undermining of the legislative arm by the executive particularly the MDAs in this case, The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and his House of Representatives counterpart, Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara, still bent over backwards and led a delegation of national assembly members to Aso Villa to appeal to the president to order concerned ministers and MDAs to go to the national assembly and defend their budgets as part of standard “legislative review process” world over. This was as late as March this year, four months after the president laid the budget before the national assembly.

The implication of this fact is that effective work of the legislature on the budget did not take place until after the president gave the marching orders to his ministers and MDAs to go to the national assembly and do the needful. This is in addition to the fact that, according to the national assembly, members of the executive were still bringing in new items for the budget even as late as April.


It is most unfortunate that we have allowed the executive to so badly demonize the legislature in this clime to the extent that what are normal legislative processes in other climes are made to be seen as inordinate here. Even in much more advanced democracies, once the executive presents the budget to the legislature, the ministers and MDAs enter a frenetic mode of lobbying the legislature to convince them on why their estimates should either be allowed to remain without cuts or even increased if genuine reasons are given for the needed increase. Consensus is built and what is considered right in the eyes of both the executive and the legislature are done in the overall interest of the nation. But we operate a different kind of democracy here.

At the signing ceremony, Buhari also said that “The logic behind the Constitutional direction that budgets should be proposed by the Executive is that, it is the Executive that knows and defines its policies and projects”. While Buhari might be correct, the constitution also copiously and cogently provided for the national assembly to review the budget, and review means to increase, decrease or pass as submitted by the executive. Simply put, it can be tinkered with by the legislature!

What the constitution has in mind in this case on the part of both the executive and the legislature is that while the executive proposes the budget, it is expected that in performing its own role of checks and balances, the legislature would be carried along by the executive in its policies and projects so as to help the lawmakers make informed decisions on the budget or any other issue per time. But when we have an executive that thinks the legislature is a toothless bulldog that exists only as a rubber stamp, the spirit of the constitution that expects the executive and the legislature to exist as independent but cooperative entities in their dealings is killed thereby throwing up avoidable frictions.


For example, in its explanation, the National Assembly said it stands by its decision to cut the FCT allocation by N7.5bn and gave reasons it did so. One of the reasons it gave was that “in the 2016 and 2017 budget cycle, there was a severe non-performance of the budgetary allocations to the FCT. During the two years in question, over 50% of the funds that were allocated and released to the FCT were not utilized. These funds were ultimately returned to the treasury. Hence, in order to ensure that scarce resources were allocated in accordance to ‘needs over wants’, funding for the FCT which has historically been under-utilised were allocated to other MDAs that have demonstrated the capacity to implement their allocation for the development of the nation and its people”.

In this case and probably as in others, there could have been genuine reasons or challenges why the FCT could not utilize its funds. If the FCT had appeared before the national assembly committee on FCT to explain itself telling the lawmakers their challenges, things could have been sorted out and the lawmakers could even have helped in resolving whatever challenges they might be facing and militating against their now usual failure to make judicious use of funds allocated and released to them. Sometimes, even when government appointees manage to appear before the Senate, for example, they seem to treat their appearance as a waste of time and of no effect whatsoever.

And that is because our executive has the warped mentality that the presidential system of government like ours runs on the supreme dictates of an aloof executive who must not be questioned, and they have generously demonstrated such mentality over time to the detriment of our democracy. This is the root of our challenges as a democratic nation and it is affecting our budgeting processes.

The truth of the matter is that, on the FCT case, the National Assembly is justified because the FCT under this current minister, Muhammad Bello, has shown unpardonable incompetence as he has almost run the FCT aground as critical infrastructure in the nation’s capital have almost all collapsed while budgetary allocations to the ministry are grossly underutilized. In such a circumstance, having observed this while on oversight function, it would be politically inexpedient to expect the National Assembly to continue to appropriate funds for such a nonperforming ministry when there are other performing ones in dire need of such scarce funds.


Without a doubt, this administration has over time proved to have a knack for involving in illegalities and explaining away inanities. In April, without any recourse to the legislature, President Buhari approved the whopping sum of $1bn for the purchase of security equipment to fight Boko Haram and other insurgents. After concerns were raised about this infraction, the executive, as an afterthought, said it was going to send a request for it to the national assembly for regularization. Where is such done?

So when the National Assembly states that “As part of the implementation of the 2017 budget, the contracts for 15 roads were awarded by the Federal Executive Council with no budgetary provisions”, it reminds one of the kind of executive we are dealing with here. How long such unrelenting breach of our constitution by the Buhari-led administration will continue without consequence so as to save our democracy and preserve our democratic ideals is what one is yet to know. Yet, this same legislature that should have pulled all the strings against the president and some of his appointees for these severe and several breaches of our constitution has chosen not to wield its big stick so as not to heat up the polity of an already fragile national psyche, yet, it is scandalized endlessly while the culprits keep beatifying themselves.

While much noise has been made about the increase in the budgetary allocation to the national assembly, critics of the legislative arm of government have turned blind eyes to the overall increase in the budget of the executive. For example, while it has been highlighted and overemphasised that the national assembly increased its budget from N125bn to N139.5bn, such critics have remained quiet over a similar increase in the overhead budget of the executive which has increased over time from N163.3bn in 2016 to N219.8bn in 2017 and now N246bn in the 2018 budget.

Even at that, these increases which we have seen are not peculiar to the national assembly alone as even the judiciary also benefitted from it was predicated on increase in the international oil price used as a benchmark for the budget. We have been made to know that there were robust discussions with representatives of the executive on how to spread the difference among the three tiers of government to the extent that the judiciary’s budget was also increased by the legislature from the original N100bn proposed by the executive to N110bn.


While critics see nothing wrong in the significant increases over two years in the overhead budget of the executive, they see everything wrong in that of the legislature as if the legislature has no responsibilities requiring financial commitments. More so, when one considers the fact of inflation and exchange rates between 2016 and now, the purported increase in the National Assembly budget is as good as zero.

Let us also not forget that no matter the name it is called, the executive still reserves the right and power to execute projects even if such projects are labeled constituency projects. So the hullaballoo about legislators “inserting projects of their own” so as to corruptly enrich themselves does not even arise.

Finally, the impression President Muhammadu Buhari tried to create that the National Assembly added “6,403 projects of their own” to the budget does not hold water as the referenced projects could not have belonged to the lawmakers as long as they are projects impacting the lives of ordinary Nigerians. With the spread, “their own projects” here represent the increases to such vital organizations as the NDDC, National Judicial Council, Public Complaints Commission, National Human Rights Commission, the extra N2bn allocated to the Enugu – Port Harcourt Road, and the allocations to 15 roads whose contracts were awarded by the executive without budgetary provisions. All these are still within the purview of executive functions.

In conclusion, Nigerians should be asking the more important questions of why the executive did not utilize the whopping sums of N12.5bn and N7.5bn appropriated for the 2nd Niger Bridge in the 2016 and 2017 budgets respectively, and failure to implement such other critical projects across the country. It is time for the legislature to begin to demand for level of budgetary implementation from the executive as a yardstick for measuring the MDAs to be allocated funds in the new budget cycle so that the knotty issues of abandoned or non-execution of projects for which funds were allocated would reduce to its barest minimum, and our budgetary processes become more meaningful to the ordinary Nigerian.

Based on the foregoing, Dr Bukola Saraki, as chairman of the National Assembly, deserves accolades for how he has been able to steer the legislative arm through the turbulent waters of executive intimidation, harassment, calumny and media manipulation against it while it still maintains political equanimity, levelheadedness and avoided heating up the polity by not unleashing its enormous powers to defend itself in the face of continued extreme provocation.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/06/2018-budget-saga-buharis-exceptions-sarakis-explanations/amp/

Mylove55:
your ineffectual buffoon will complete it in his 2nd term, without adding a single block for 6yrs and 16yrs of PDP.

When a BMC havr nothing to say they result into abuse.

It's there trademark

kcmichael:
The niger bridge is on course,the Enugu pH express Rd on course,about 50,000 young graduates employed through Npower since 2016,, Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu, among other project.


Oga list just half gej started??.you are pained by the massive crowd

Who did this to you.


Oya take am

1. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/10/man-hails-jonathan-on-akanu-ibiam-airport-upgrade/amp/

2. http://dailypost.ng/2013/08/24/breaking-first-international-commercial-flight-lands-at-akanu-ibiam-international-airport-enugu/amp/

kcmichael:
The niger bridge is on course,the Enugu pH express Rd on course,about 50,000 young graduates employed through Npower since 2016,, Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu, among other project.


Oga list just half gej started??.you are pained by the massive crowd

Who inject you with lying injection


https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/05/contract-for-2nd-niger-bridge-not-yet-awarded-fg/

Kcmichael is this mourning ceremony

[quote author=kcmichael post=69058983][/quote]your pictures is just a testimony to the press statement


Angry looking fellows in the picture

kcmichael:
Just tell us one project GEJ initiated and completed in the SE?

Tell us how many project Buharu had completed.

Except the commisisoning of burial ground

Press Statement

July 3, 2018

APC Southeast Rally, A Mockery On Buhari

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Tuesday’s poorly attended southeast zonal rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Owerri, Imo state capital, as a mockery on President Muhammadu Buhari by the members of his party.

Nigerians had a comic relief as speaker after speaker made a mockery of the president by ascribing non-existent projects as well as those initiated by others, particularly, the PDP, to him in furtherance of APC’s renewed attempt to beguile Nigerians ahead of 2019 general elections.

Even the rented crowd showed and expressed a vote of no confidence on the ill-performed President and his party, as they refused to brandish the now famished APC brooms or respond to the party’s slogan, a development that signposts the rejection of the APC in the zone and of course, in other parts of our nation.

Is it not pathetic for President Buhari or the APC to, in anyway, think that they can suddenly enchant the people of the Southeast by false claims like those made about the Second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha Express way, Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu, among other projects, when the reality in the zone remains a bold testament of maltreatment, official disdain and government’s insensitivity?

Is it not also a height of foolery and political delusion for APC to think that the people of the southeast will suddenly churn out five million votes and deliver same to a party that overtly relegated them as mere “five percent”?

Worse still, all the APC leaders, who spoke at the rally, were all ill at ease, had no clear message, but dwelt only on empty sloganeering without regard to the sensibilities of the people, who had been subjected to the worst kind of relegation by their party in the last three years.

It will be instructive for the APC to accept the fact that the Southeast zone remains the stronghold of the PDP and no amount of hollow grandstanding by the fractious APC and its rejected leaders can detract from that fact.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary

post=69034997:
Shehu said, “The problem is that the competition for power in the country has become fiercer and fiercer because the stake is very high. I will give you one example. The President has unleashed on the country the war against corruption, the type that had never been seen before. Assets are being recovered from powerful people.
“The President is lucky. He has a judiciary which is transforming itself, which is on the same page with the President in fighting corruption. As I speak to you now, you know that two former state governors are in jail.


This is what makes them WAIL and FAINT daily!
GOD BLESS MY PRESIDENT

What hinders presidency from arresting those involved.


Reason: because they are his men

Presidency blames power contest, anti-graft war for killings


The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, has said the fierce competition for power and President Muhammadu Buhari’s unrelenting war on corruption are responsible for an upsurge of violent conflicts across Nigeria.

Shehu said this while speaking to reporters at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, in Abuja, on Monday.


He explained that competition for power had become fiercer and the stakes had become very high hence the upsurge in cases of violent attacks.

The presidential aide noted that many people, especially the rich and the powerful, had thought the war against graft was a joke until the President with the support of a reformed judiciary, showed no sign of backing down.

Shehu said, “The problem is that the competition for power in the country has become fiercer and fiercer because the stake is very high. I will give you one example. The President has unleashed on the country the war against corruption, the type that had never been seen before. Assets are being recovered from powerful people.


“The President is lucky. He has a judiciary which is transforming itself, which is on the same page with the President in fighting corruption. As I speak to you now, you know that two former state governors are in jail.

“A lot of people thought this war against corruption is a joke, and that the back and forth that has characterized this over time will continue. One of the two cases we are talking about is determined after eleven years of back and forth with lawyers and judges, kicking the ball from this hut to that hut.


“Now, they have descended on the country. A new era and a new aura that is ensuring the conclusion of these cases – a lot of these hash attacks against the President, are coming from people who had become used to lifestyle they can no longer sustain.”

https://www.punchng.com/presidency-blames-power-contest-anti-graft-war-for-killings/amp/

DeBrain045:
Their is nothing to investigate it is those PDP Fraudsters that are sponsoring it.
Is this the method the old generals want to use to remove buhari may God deliver nigeria from this people

So PDP is alibaba.


Na wa for you hooo

Amd the place ws not far from gbagi market.


Very pathetic

Very pathetic.

I saw the man helpless.

Even people witj 3 big fire instiguisher could not even operate it
Very sad

EKITI ELECTION: INEC DISTRIBUTES NON-SENSITIVE MATERIALS


A few days to the Ekiti State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission has starting distributes non-sensitive materials across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.



According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in the state, Prof. Abdulganiyu Olayinka Raji said the commission had distributed non-sensitive materials across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state and he assured that INEC would be fair and transparent to all political parties.



While assuring the voters that their votes would count during the election, Prof. Raji solicited supports and cooperation from them in order to have a peaceful governorship election.



“We are satisfied with the meeting and we have a cordial relationship with the political parties. They have all agreed to remain calm before, during and after the election and we are counting on their words. We on our part, promise to remain with our core values, to be transparent and be fair to all.

” We are fully prepared for the election. All non-sensitive materials have all been distributed to the local government areas and the sensitive materials will only come a day before the election.

” I have been around the local government areas in the state, and we have asked for the cooperation to ensure peace reigns during the election. We have equally given them our words to ensure that people’s vote count. With the structures well have put in place, the votes must count.

https://newsflash247.com.ng/2018/06/ekiti-election-inec-distributes-non-sensitive-materials/

All tribal warlords stay clear.

No room for propaganda

The Governorship election for ekiti State comes up on July 14 2018.

The threads will provides activity and count-down to the election.


Stay tuned for more updates.

sarrki:
This is what I called constructive opposition

Cool

Not like those online miscreants

Firefire abi nah fire fighter come and learn from a refined wailer

I want to believe PMB wlll bring out the perpetators.


Those killings are inhumane

Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has taken to Twitter to ask Buhari 8 critical questions concerning the President's anti-corruption campaign

See questions below

1. I ask our President, what has happened to the report on the $43m discovered in an apartment at Osbourne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos?

2. What has happened to the allegation of award of $25bn contracts without following due process made against Dr. Baru by Dr Ibe Kachikwu?

3. What happened to the DSS indictment for corruption of Magu and the AGF Investigative Panel set up by the President?

4. Who is the owner of LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, VI, Lagos inside which the EFCC claimed that it found N448.8 million cash?

5. Who brought the five sacks in which the EFCC claimed that it found N49 million cash to the Kaduna Airport?

6. What happened to the probe panel on the alleged N500m bribery said to have been paid to the Chief of Staff (COS), Abba Kyari by MTN?

7. Most importantly,,, what has happened to the report submitted on Tuesday on the fraudulent reinstatement of Maina?

8. Is the President going to use APC broom to sweep the report on Maina under the carpet just as he did to others before it?

The best Gift PMB would give the dead is to bring out te said perpetrators.

Buhari You're the CSO that's why you're elected.


Fish out the perpetrators. Dazol

Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) described the horrific and heinous hacking to death of scores of innocent Nigerians in Plateau as the handiwork of dare-devil political opponents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The organization made this known in a statement jointly issued by the chairman of the organization Mr Austin Braimo and Secretary Mr Cassidy Madueke on Friday in Abuja.

The statement said opponents of APC wanted to replace the party’s recent successful national convention with tears, sorrows and blood.

It added that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was behind the “harvest of death in order to truncate the achievement of the APC and cast dark imagery on the season of goodwill of President Buhari’s political party.”

The statement said the carnage and brigandage was timed to meet the period that APC Delegates were returning home in Northern Nigeria through Plateau State; where they were waylaid and murdered in cold blood.

“This was done to tarnish the reputation of the President and cast the image of APC in a bad light, just for the desperate opposition to gain some political advantage.

“It was also gathered that illegal roadblocks were set up by the hired assassins to carry out their nefarious and dastardly hatchet act of man’s inhumanity to man.

“Almost 90 people were cut down in their prime near Jos, Plateau Capital,” it said.

“The APC today is laden with heavy hearts by the mass killing of innocent breadwinners, women and children, under the guise of herdsmen versus farmers’ unrest.

“BMO is appealing to Nigerians to show love to Mr President and show avowed resistance to the unpatriotic people who are working hard to pull the President and his party down.

“The opposition PDP might have achieved its sadistic media objectives of casting a pall on the APC and Federal Government, but doing that on a field soaked with human blood is regrettable and unpardonable.

“No amount of calculated distractions or ill-will would prevent President Buhari from fulfilling his electoral promises of security, unity, equity and development to Nigerians,’’ it said.

The statement said the association prayed for the repose of the souls of these martyrs, and quick recovery to the maimed and injured while commiserating with the families of the departed.



https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2018/06/30/blame-pdp-for-plateau-bloodbath-buhari-media-organisation/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

Breaking:

APC

A-lways

P-rotecting

C-ow

1. who are these attackers,
2. where do they come from,
3. where do they go after attacks,
4. who arms them,
4. why is security forces’ response time very slow?”,

The International human right group, Amnesty International has queried the Nigerian government over the recent bloodshed in Plateau state that claimed hundreds of lives.



The organization, in a statement signed by its media officer, Isa Sanusi maintained that the authorities are not doing enough to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.

AI also established that independently verified estimated figures showed at least 1813 people have been murdered in 17 states in the country this year, double the 894 people killed in 2017.

“We are gravely concerned about the rising spate of killings across the country, especially the communal clashes between farmers and herders and attacks by bandits across at least 17 states,” the statement quoted Osai Ojigho, Director Amnesty International Nigeria.



“The authorities have a responsibility to protect lives and properties, but they are clearly not doing enough going by what is happening,” Mr Ojigho said.

“The latest incidence in Plateau State, where armed gunmen attacked 11 villages on 23 June for at least seven hours and killed at least 200 villagers without intervention from security forces should be investigated.”

It said it shows unacceptable security lapses that the violence in Plateau started after an attack, which was followed by reprisal attacks from Thursday to Saturday last week.

“Despite the deployment of security forces, including the military in over 30 states, the escalation of these attacks shows that whatever is being done by authorities is not working.

“There is urgent need for people who are suspected of committing crimes to be held accountable.

“We hope that President (Muhammadu) Buhari’s commitment to bring those suspected to be criminally responsible for the killings in Plateau State to justice will break the impunity that has spread through the country.

While the organisation is hoping that the Buhari-led administration will get the the culprits punished, it also questioned the government on the identities of the attackers, their whereabouts and also the slow action of the securities to the scenes of incidents in Plateau.

“In addition, government must answer these questions:

1. who are these attackers,
2. where do they come from,
3. where do they go after attacks,
4. who arms them,
4. why is security forces’ response time very slow?”,

AI queried.

Amnesty International also revealed it is currently investigating the rising insecurity that has resulted in the increase in killings across Nigeria.

It said its investigations showed “worrying details of how frequently the security forces failed to protect villagers. In all cases Amnesty International investigated, the attackers, usually arriving in their hundreds spend hours killing people and setting houses on fire and then disappeared without a trace.

According to AI, the killings have implication on food production in Nigeria.

“We are at the peak of farming season, and communities affected by this wave of violence are largely agrarian. But because of fear of attacks they have either been displaced or unable to cultivate their farms, therefore their major source of food and income threatened by the attacks,” Mr Ojigho said.

The organisation called on government to address “security lapses that make it easier for the killers to carry out attacks and disappear.

“Making arrests and bringing to justice those suspected to be responsible for these attacks is crucial in ending the killings that are gradually turning into almost a daily occurrence. In many instances these killings happen and no arrests take place,” Mr Ojigho said.



https://www.nigeriancablenewsonline.com/metro/5-questions-buhari-must-answer-over-plateau-killings-amnesty-international/

June 28, 2018

Press Statement

Ekiti Guber: PDP Accuses INEC Commissioner, Two Directors of Plotting to Rig Poll for APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over alleged plots by the National Commissioner in charge of Operations, Mrs. Amina Zakari and two directors of the commission to manipulate the system and rig the July 14, Ekiti governorship election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party said its investigation reveals that two INEC directors: Mr. Pascal Uwakwe, in charge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and one Mr. Abdulrasaq Agboola have been holding meetings with the APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Ondo state Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to perfect their plot to rig the election.

The PDP has been fully made aware of how the INEC directors have been meeting with Fayemi, Gov. Akeredolu and other APC leaders at the Ondo state Government House, Akure, in the last three weeks, on the directives of Mrs. Zakari, as well as details of their plot to manipulate the process and rig the election for the APC.

The party is also privy of the game plan of the APC to use INEC’s ICT Department to preload card readers and input false results through E-Collation while also using different sets of Forms EC8A to enter fake results in over 503 polling units to authenticate the fake E-collation results.

The PDP wants Nigerians to note these INEC’s clandestine activities, particularly those of Mrs. Zakari, who is fast earning notoriety in election rigging, as well as the manipulations going on under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who appears helpless in the face of the machination of the commissioners and directors of the Commission.

Meanwhile, this same Amina Zakari was reportedly sighted in Lagos last Wednesday where she allegedly held meeting with some top functionaries of the APC, including the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Further investigations revealed that Uwakwe, in particular, has been positioned to act as courier for huge sums of money to be paid to INEC staffers that will perpetrate the rigging.

The PDP, in no equivocal terms, therefore demands that Mrs. Zakari and her gang must not play any active role in the Ekiti election. She must stay away from Ekiti State as there is no way we can have a free, fair and credible election, with her in the process.

We also call on the international community as well as anti-graft agencies to be watchful of the sinister motives of Zakari and her collaborators in INEC ICT department, as well as others in the Operations unit.

Finally, let it be known that the people of Ekiti state are not in any way ready to accept any manipulation of the election by anybody whatsoever. This caution goes to all compromised INEC and security officials, who have been assigned to attempt to subvert the will of the people of Ekiti state in this election.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary