₦airaland Forum

Adamawa is the home state of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. Interestingly, it is also the home state of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, wife of the APC presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Adamawa State is one of the major political battle grounds in the upcoming February 16, 2019, presidential election.

Soon after his emergence as Adamawa governor-elect in 1999, Atiku Abubakar was nominated as vice presidential candidate to then candidate of the PDP, Olusegun Obasanjo; a development that marked a dramatic rise in his political profile.


Having served two terms as vice president and with a vast financial war chest, Atiku dwarfed all his erstwhile political rivals and elder statesmen from Adamawa, including a Second Republic Governor of defunct Gongola State, Bamanga Tukur, and Sen. Mahmud Waziri. Atiku, therefore, established himself as the strongest political force in Adamawa state, and to a certain extent, the North East.

However, Atiku began to lose grip on the electorate and local elite after he was frustrated out of PDP by then President Obasanjo who mobilised Atiku’s rivals in Adamawa, led by Prof. Jibril Aminu, as foot soldiers in an attempt to crush him.

Atiku contested for the presidency in 2007 on the platform of the Action Congress (AC) and was defeated by Umaru Yar’Adua. His home support further dwindled as he defected across political parties and suffered more election defeats when he contested against then President Goodluck Jonathan at the PDP presidential primary in 2011 and against President Muhammadu Buhari in the APC primary of 2015.

However, the former vice president is making a comeback, reconciling with some of his old associates and forging new alliances. His reconciliation with his childhood friend and associate, Alhaji Muhammadu Koiranga Jada, and his courting of a former governor and erstwhile political godson, Boni Haruna, and other actors is part of the plan to revive his old political base in the state ahead of the presidential election.

When Atiku returned to the PDP, he worked with Ahmadu Fintiri, a former acting governor, and a host of other groups to take control of the party to consolidate his presidential bid.

Campaigns for Atiku in Adamawa are centred on his contribution to economic development and youth empowerment and the benefits of his presidency to the state and the North East.

An Atiku campaigner, Abdullahi Adamu Dynamite, noted that Atiku being the second employer of labour after the state government, had already convinced the people of Adamawa that he would be a better president than Buhari.

Dynamite said Atiku helped several people from the state to secure federal appointments when he was the vice president and that currently his businesses in Adamawa, which included Adama Beverages, the producers of Faro drinks, Adama Plast, Rico Gado Animal Feeds, Gotel Radio and Television, as well as the American University of Nigeria (AUN) had provided thousands of jobs to young people.

He accused the Buhari administration of failure to address inflation, recent farmers/herders conflicts and other problems, saying Atiku being a businessman, possessed the skills to make life easier for Nigerians

However, Atiku is contesting against President Buhari, a candidate who also enjoys strong followership in the state and who executed some projects as the Chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) and as sitting president since 2015.

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, is already campaigning vigorously for the re-election of her husband and analysts believe that the first place she would want him to win is Adamawa, then all the states in the North East, in addition to making a good outing all over the country.

Pundits believe that the inclusion of a former EFCC boss, Nuhu Ribadu, in the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) as Director of Field Operations, after he lost out in the controversial governorship primary election is a strategy to retain his followers in the APC fold.

An APC stalwart, Uba- Dan Arewa, said the construction of the Numan-Gombe, Yola-Mubi, Mayo-Belwa-Jada-Ganye, Numan-Jalingo roads, as well as numerous human empowerment projects, had given Buhari an edge over Atiku.

An observer, Ishiaku Babidi, believes that the chances of the two leading candidates is 50-50, and that many would vote Atiku because he was from the state.

Babidi, however, noted that the ongoing Federal Government projects, especially the Mayo-Belwa-Jada-Ganye Road, which is in Atiku’s constituency, was attracting voters for Buhari.

He said the Federal Government was also setting up the Federal University of Forestry in Toungo, and the Federal College of Mining and Geological Survey in Guyuk, among several other projects.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/adamawa-set-for-battle-of-2-landlords.html

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Thursday said Nigerians will begin to pay for the National Identity Card from year 2022.
The Director General of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, disclosed this in Abuja at the Lunch Time Reform Seminar on “The National Digital Identity Ecosystem Strategic Road Map for the Enrollment of Nigerians and Legal Residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB)” organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).
According to him, the National electronics ID card can only be issued to Nigerians registered into the national identity system and legal residents who have attained the age of 16 years and above.
He however said that the National Identification Number (NIN) is assignable only to Nigerians.
“As a government, we recognise the huge importance of moving towards a Digital Government. Therefore, we must embrace and harness the potentials inherent in digital identity to build and develop our country.
“Nations all over the world and in particular, developed countries have utilized identity as a foundation to transforming governance and enhancing service delivery in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, voting, transportation, financial inclusion, access to basic service and welfare programmes,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that no one shall be denied any government services on account of not having the National Identity Number (NIN).
He said, “Rather, the mandatory enrolment or collection of data by the above-mentioned government agencies or their licensed agents, along with private sector organisations to be licensed by NIMC under the digital identity ecosystem means fast-tracking of the enrolment process in the national identity system.
“Instead, in its wisdom, the Federal Government approved the new digital identity ecosystem which ensures and mandates all government agencies earlier mentioned and private sector organisations to be licensed by NIMC, to collect citizens’ data using guidelines issued by the NIMC and through secure approved channels of communication send such data to NIMC to generate the NIN.
He urged Nigerians to make use of the remaining three years to get registered and obtained their cards.
In his welcome remarks, the acting Director-General, BPSR, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, represented by the Director, Strategy, Innovation and Research (SIR), Mr. Iyang Anyang, noted that the world was currently facing political, economic, social and technological challenges.
He said the challenges have spurred government institutions to undergo various reforms to cope, address and manage change, for improved performance on quality service delivery to citizens.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nigerians-to-pay-for-national-id-card-from-2022-nimc.html

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday punctured the claim by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government that oil price hovered at $100 per barrel in the 16 years of PDP’s rule, saying it was only sold for that price in two years of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Besides, he said his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo inherited a crude oil price of $11 per barrel yet took Nigeria out of recession, cleared the country’s foreign debts and grew the economy by six percent.

He stated this while delivering the quarterly business lecture of Lagos Island Club where he spoke on “My vision to get Nigeria working again”, saying the current structure of the country is not working.

He said for Nigeria to develop into a united, prosperous and secure nation, it must adopt a new economic management model and a new political structure “that will cure all the federating units of their addiction to oil revenues”.

Atiku said the present administration came into power and took Nigeria to recession while drawing back the economic gains of the previous administrations under the PDP.

He said though the country is blessed with the human resources to make quantum leap from a third world nation to a developed country, the last four years had witnessed deterioration in all aspects of human development.

According to him, “unemployment has unfortunately been our only booming industry with over 13 million people joining the ranks of people without a job, which now totals 21 million.”

He said the actions and inactions of government had weakened investors’ confidence in Nigerian economy, noting that Ghana with a population of 13 million people attracted more Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).

“In order to reverse the trend, our economic policy would be more coherent, consistent and therefore more predictable by the business community. Nothing could be more threatening to investment flows than an environment that is full of policy flip-flops”, he said.

He reiterated that if elected, he would run a private sector-driven government towards enhancing the capacity of private businesses to create jobs.

According to him, unlike during Obasanjo’s presidency when there used to be regular meetings with Chief Executive Officers of major companies, nothing of such is presently happening.

He lamented that there is no council of privatization in place, saying it stopped during Jonathan’s administration.

“The AtikuPlan recognizes the private sector as the engine of growth of our economy. A strong, productive and pro-growth private sector is needed to create wealth, generate employment opportunities and help fight poverty.

“We pledge to improve government consultations with the private sector in policy design and policy implementation. We will work with the Organized Private Sector to identify ways to reduce the cost of borrowing, tackle incidences of multiple taxations and improve availability of foreign exchange for legitimate production input purchases”.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/crude-oil-not-sold-for-100-in-16-years-of-pdp-atiku.html

Father of a former governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Alhaji Musa Saleh Kwankwaso, has endorsed the re-election bid of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Alhaji Saleh, who is the District Head of Madobi, assured Ganduje that he would work tirelessly with all his village heads and all community leaders to ensure his victory during the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.

Ex-governor Kwankwaso who had defected to the PDP had chosen his son-law, Abba Yusuf, as his preferred gubernatorial candidate.

“When you came in after your inauguration on 29th May, 2015, we were absolutely sure that you would bring development to all nooks and crannies of the state. And Alhamdulillah, that is what you are doing. So we need more of this development,” Kwankwaso’s father told Ganduje.

“We are ready to support you and get you closer to the people. We appreciate the good work you are doing for your people. We believe in your leadership style as a people-oriented governor who believes in developing his people in all aspects of life,” he added.

In his response, Governor Ganduje said he was in Madobi to seek for fatherly prayers in his re-election bid, adding that, “We are in our home. Here you are with your children. We came to visit our father and get his blessing.”

“We are sure you will give us what we are here for. So when you accept to support my gubernatorial race, we are not surprised because this is just a case of a father and his son,” Ganduje added. Governor Ganduje assured the district head and all village heads and Imams that he would redouble his commitment when re-elected for a second time.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/kwankwasos-dad-endorses-gandujes-2nd-term-bid.html

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has announced a donation of N2 million to a baby born at the venue of a governorship campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Mrs Otiri Benjamin of Ward 10 in Ekaka community, Kokori, was on Tuesday delivered of a baby girl at the Council Pavilion, Isiokoko, Ethiope East Local Government Area, with the help of the state government medical team.

Okowa described the birth as an indication of victory for the PDP candidates at all levels.

He said: “The birth of the new baby is a sign from God, a victory for all of us.

“I will open a N2 million account in the bank for the baby,” he said.

Addressing the large crowd of supporters, Okowa urged the electorate to stay back after voting to defend their votes at the polls.

He also advised them to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) ready a day before the elections. (NAN)

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/okowa-donates-n2m-to-baby-born-at-campaign-ground.html

The federal government said yesterday that it is fighting poverty step-by-step and ameliorating the plight of the poor and vulnerable people across the country.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, (MBNP), Udoma Udo Udoma disclosed this at the second three-day Social Protection Cross Learning Summit with the theme, “Improving the Lives of Poor and Vulnerable Nigerians: Lessons from Implementing Social Protection in Nigeria.”

He said the FG is fighting poverty not just by giving people fish to eat but by teaching them how to catch fish so that they can use that to solve their problems.

“We have review programmes of social interaction put up by the government and the testimonies are there on how it is improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable in the society,” he said.

The special adviser to the President on Social Protection Plan, Hajia Maryam Uwais in her opening remark said, the summit was to further discussion on how to address the challenges of the poor and vulnerable in the society adding that they have confidence that they have a concerted effort in eradicating poverty in the land.

“We are mandated to coordinate the social protection issues and the aim is to digest strategies to curb issues relating to the vulnerable in our country.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/we-are-fighting-poverty-step-by-step-fg-2.html

Governor AbdulAzeez Yari of Zamfara state has said governors are committed to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari following his intervention to state governments at a critical period when majority of them cannot pay salaries of workers.

Governor Yari spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the official launch of FORWARD WITH BUHARI, an independent campaign platform for the re-election of President Buhari.

He said the governors would have relocated to Abuja if the president did not come to their aide at such difficult period.

He said President’s Buhari’s zero tolerance for corruption and aggressive provisions of critical infrastructure were enough to secure victory for him during the next election.

He said, “Mr President, you have done something that is unexpected, whereby 27 out of 36 governors cannot pay salary and you had to bail out the states or else some of us will have relocated back to Abuja.

“If he can do this irrespective of party, it is time to pay back. Those that stay with Buhari, even his opponents, know his zero tolerance to corruption.

“It is about three weeks to the election. We need to work harder, we should go back home and gear up to return President Buhari for a second time.

“You know why governors are backing Buhari? I knew what happened in the past administration and now. The president has given us infrastructure. It has been right to ride behind him. We will do all to support this group.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the minister of Youths and Sports, Barr. Solomon Dalung, inaugurated the group.

Osinbajo urged the group to educate the voters on how to cast their votes in the midst of over 90 political parties besides the plan to engage in aggressive campaigns.

The coordinator of the group and the APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Sen. Lawali Shuaibu, said the mandate was not only to create visibility for the campaign on a sustained momentum but also to endear the brand of Buhari/Osinbajo in the hearts of Nigerian voters.

“The group named itself FORWARD WITH BUHARI as its mandate is to move with the APC presidential candidate to the next level,” he added.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-polls-why-governors-support-buharis-re-election-bid-gov-yari.html

Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro yesterday staged a comeback as the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He replaced Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, who took over from him two years ago.

Daily Trust reports that Bichi’s sack became known to the staff of the agency yesterday only after Bogoro appeared in the morning with his letter of resumption.

“He has since taken over the affairs of the fund. He has also addressed the management staff on arrival this morning,” a top official of the agency told Daily Trust.

The Ministry of Education later issued a statement confirming President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the reinstatement of Bogoro as TETFund boss.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, according to the statement, said the re-instatement of Prof. Bogoro is with immediate effect, with the same terms and conditions as it were in his previous appointment and as stipulated in the TETFUND staff conditions of service.

A letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Education addressed to Prof. Bogoro dated 21st January titled “Re-Instatement of Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund,” said: “You shall be eligible for re-appointment for further term of 4 years only subject to satisfactory performance.”

The president urged him to utilize the opportunity to re-focus the Fund and render its performance more responsive to the expectations of the present administration.

The Director of Public Affairs of TETFund, Ebikwo Benn, said Bogoro was reinstated to complete his tenure.

Mixed reactions trail Bogoro’s re-appointment

Daily Trust reports that the reinstatement of Professor Bogoro as TETFund boss has elicited mixed reactions in his home-state Bauchi, especially among politicians.

Professor Bogoro, a former lecturer with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), was first appointed as the Executive Secretary of TETFund in April 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan but was removed in February 2016 by the Buhari administration.

While some welcomed his re-appointment saying it was because of his “outstanding performance” as the head of the agency, others see it as “a strategic political move to strengthen the chances of the ruling APC in Bauchi State.”

Professor Bogoro was reportedly appointed by Jonathan following his nomination by former Bauchi State Governor Adamu Muazu who served as PDP national chairman during Jonathan’s tenure up to the 2015 elections.

After he was removed from the position in 2016, he went back to ATBU and continued with his teaching job until yesterday.

While Prof. Bogoro hails from Bogoro Local Government Area, Muazu is from neighboring Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in the same Bauchi South Senatorial district.

Muazu, alongside notable politicians from Bauchi State, recently joined the APC after what sources described as “high profile political scheming”.

Ex-Governor Isa Yuguda, also from Bauchi South, equally joined the APC few months ago.

Sources said before his defection to the PDP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had “near absolute control” of the political scheming in Bauchi South.

It was gathered that the speaker’s defection to the PDP had reduced the influence of APC in the senatorial zone, but the APC was trying to use Muazu and others to reclaim their firm grip of the area.

A top APC official in Bauchi State said Prof. Bogoro is well grounded in Bauchi South.

“As an appointee of APC government, I have no doubt he would justify the responsibility given to him. Yes, Dogara is very strong but Prof. Bogoro would march him step by step.

“Prof. Bogoro is an elder in Bogoro, the hometown of the speaker and he too has empowered hundreds of people from across the divide and they would definitely support him to succeed,” he said.

Speaking to our reporter on telephone yesterday, a lecturer with ATBU, Simon Yalams, who is a close associate of Prof. Bogoro, said “Although some people may give the appointment a political meaning because it is the political season, to me his appointment has to do with his track records during his first tenure as the head of TETFund. He is my colleague at ATBU and I know the kind of person he is.”

Also speaking, a former commissioner in Bauchi State, Dr. Audu Ghani Bogoro, said anybody who knows what Professor Bogoro had done as TETFund boss would be happy to have him back there.

He, however, said that some people would definitely look at it from the political angle, even as he insisted that merit should always override political sentiments.

‘Why Bichi lost out’

Though no reason was given by the ministry for the unexpected termination of the appointment of Bichi, sources told Daily Trust that several factors must have come into play.

They said Bichi, who is the Director General One2Tell10 Buhari Support Group, had disagreements with the education minister over the handling of the fund, and was flouting orders from the ministry.

Others said he was too involved in politics, especially in his home state of Kano and therefore unable to discharge his functions without distractions.

Bichi was a special assistant to the education minister before he was appointed as TETFund boss in 2016. He was not available for comment yesterday.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-prof-bogoro-was-reinstated-at-tetfund.html

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday flagged off the federal government’s ‘Tradermoni’ describing the scheme as “one of the major policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to empower the youth and poor Nigerians.

The vice president also advised Nigerians to resist the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from returning to power in the general election,n saying the motive of PDP’s come back to power is to loot the nation’s treasury.

The Tradermoni programme, under the government’s Micro, Small and Medium Scale enterprises (MSMEs) was done in Ado Ekiti, Ikere and Omuo Ekiti.

The VP also visited Iworoko Ekiti, where trailer rammed into a market and killed 15 persons a couple of weeks ago to commiserate with the indigenes of the town.

Osinbajo said Nigeria’s economy would have collapsed long ago but for President Muhammadu Buhari’s honesty, reminding that only a honest and selfless leader could be trusted with the nation’s wealth.

Osinbajo said Nigerians would be plunged into another round of embezzlement if the PDP is elected in the poll, describing Buhari’s government as prudent in terms of financial management.

He said the government would establish special micro finance banks; People’s Money Bank and Entrepreneurial Bank to drive the Tradermoni and Market Money policies, where beneficiaries will get between N100,000 and N500,000 to establish MSMEs to drive the economy.

“Many of our leaders are not responsible, so Nigeria needs a honest man to lead the people and President Buhari is doing just that. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you. President Buhari is a honest man. Our problem in this country is that many of our leaders are stealing our money; so you must disallow them from coming to power again”, he said.

He said Ekiti will benefit from Lagos-Kano railway line that is underway when completed, saying this project was targeted at strengthening the economy of each of the benefiting states.

“Rather than stealing money, President Buhari is doing more in strengthening the youths through N-Power, Tradermoni, School Feeding Programme, Lagos-Kano rail line, Calabar—Asaba-Abuja Railway line, among others. All these are meant to benefit Nigerian masses.

“As we speak, 500,000 Nigerians are benefiting from N-Power, but we are not going to stop at that. Soon, the number will increase.

“The Next Level of our government is to give loans to women, youths and other sector through the special banks that are underway to make lives easy for the masses”, he stated.

In his remark, the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, urged Nigerians to vote for Buhari’s continuity.

Fayemi said the array of potentials and creativity of Ekiti have been showcased to the Federal Government, saying those with special skills shall continue to benefit patronage from government.

“If you want better values for your lives, if you need a government that will be compassionate and resourceful, then vote For Buhari/Osinbajo in the next election.

“The good livelihood of Ekiti people is dear to Buhari’s government and with the APC in the saddle, Ekiti will continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

“In four months that we came into power, we have paid four salaries and pensions are paid regularly, so you have seen that we are different to the government of the past”, he said.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/osinbajo-launches-tradermoni-in-ekiti-urges-rejection-of-treasury-looters-at-poll.html

The Serving Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly and former vice presidential candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Pastor Tunde Bakare, has called for a “unification gathering” of all contending presidential candidates after the presidential election, noting that it will help in salvaging the country.

Bakare, in a state of the nation address at Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, said irrespective of who emerged winner in the election, the candidates must take cognisance of the fact that there was only one presidential seat being contested for by 73 of them.

“After the elections, we have a nation to build together,” he admonished.

According to him, in “the winner-takes-all-politics, we could be losing the ideas, the brilliance, the institutional memory, and all the strengths required to build a nation.

“But beyond the elections, the Buharis, the Atikus, the Moghalus, the Ezekwesilis, the Durotoyes, the Sowores and the like must come together to minimise our weaknesses and maximise our strengths as one political family with one agenda – nationhood. We can shape a new nation beyond 2019,” Bakare urged.

The pastor, who said he belonged to ‘Team Restructuring’, noted that the concept was all that the country needed to get it right. He said the coming together of all the presidential candidates was also part of the maxim being professed by “Team Restructuring.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/buhari-atiku-others-must-unite-after-elections-bakare.html

Following the repeated violent attacks in Ilorin, Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed has banned street rallies in Kwara State after setting up a joint task force to curb the incidents.

The governor made the announcement during a state broadcast, yesterday, in which he reiterated that his government would not let the state slide back to the dark era of fear and violence.

He said only political rallies in designated areas and with prior notification to the state police command would be allowed henceforth. “The state police command is hereby authorised to ensure full compliance,” the governor stated.

Governor Ahmed also told political parties and their supporters to campaign and solicit votes through lawful manner and refrain from deploying divisive and inciting rhetoric or instigating violence against real or perceived opponents.

“Thuggery, vandalism, intimidation and other forms of criminality will neither be allowed no condoned in any part of the state,” he said.

“Following assurances by the security agencies, I urge all our people to go about their lawful activities without fear for their safety. Our security agencies are capable and ready to forestall any further recurrence of such ugly incidents,” the governor said.

According to him, “As your governor, I assure you that no effort will be spared by my government to protect the lives and property of all law-abiding residents of the state. I also urge you to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, movements and developments to the security agencies for prompt action.

“In this regard, I have approved the establishment of a Joint Military Task Force comprising the police, army, navy, air force, Department of State Security, Civil Defence and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). This body is tasked with the responsibility of providing an extra layer of security and preventing a recurrence of the political violence witnessed in the last couple of days,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/kwara-bans-street-campaigns-rallies.html

The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO), on Tuesday said that a vote for candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is an endorsement of fascism, hunger and insecurity in the country.

The Director Media and Publicity of the PPCO, Kola Ologbondiyan, at a press conference in Abuja, said that Nigeria was becoming a totalitarian state under the present government, adding the February 16 presidential election is a referendum for freedom of Nigerians.

The PPCO said Nigerians should defend the nation’s democracy by voting out the APC in order to restore Nigeria’s past glory and guarantee the security of lives and property as well as revamp the economy.

“The PPCO urges all compatriots to note that any vote for APC is an endorsement of fascism and allowing President Buhari another tenure will be a pathway to full totalitarianism, where citizens would be treated as vassals in a conquered territory.

“We are all witnesses to the unrelenting assault on the institution of the judiciary and the courts by the Buhari Presidency and the APC.

“This siege on the Judiciary has now come to a climax with the widely condemned attempt by the Buhari Presidency and the APC to forcefully remove the Chief Justice of the Nigeria, (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen.

“The world can recall how the Buhari Presidency, in a widely condemned ‘sting operation’ in 2016, used the Directorate of State Services (DSS) to hound and round up sitting Supreme Court and High Court judges in Nigeria.

“Since that ‘sting operation’, our judiciary in Nigeria has remained under siege with the agents of the Buhari Presidency and the APC directly interfering in cases and trying to direct the rulings of courts.

“Nigerians and the world can recall also how agents of the Buhari Presidency and the APC, last year, besieged and attempted to forcefully remove the elected leadership of the National Assembly; the symbol of our democracy.

“Nigerians will also recall how the APC and the Buhari Presidency used apparatus of state powers to seal the legislative complex, unleashed thugs to invade the Senate chamber, disrupted legislative proceedings and forcefully carted away the mace, the emblem of the sovereignty and authority of the people.

“In our slide into fascism, Nigerians are daily falling victims of extreme torture, illegal detention, extra-judicial and arbitrary killings, forceful crackdown on peaceful protesters and mass burial by unrestrained agents of the state, as detailed in the 2017/2018 Amnesty International (AI) Human Rights Report.

“In the same vein, there have been concerted efforts by the government to gag the media leading to the manhandling of journalists and invasion of media houses over reports considered unfavourable to the government,” the PPCO said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-a-vote-for-apc-endorsement-of-fascism-insecurity-pdp.html

Former Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida yesterday urged the military to evolve a new strategy to confront the terrorists.

Babangida, in his message on the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, said the military was currently faced with “horrific challenges” in the crucial counter-insurgency war and activities of other blood-thirsty armed groups.

“Every year, our valiant Armed Forces majestically roll out their drums to honour our slain fallen heroes, with streams of organised fascinating events coming to a climax on 15th January.

“As we prepare to celebrate this year’s Remembrance Day, we should not be oblivious of the fact that our military is presently faced with horrific challenges in the crucial counter-insurgency war, and activities of other blood-thirsty armed groups.

“Hence, it is high time we seek to consolidate our gains and also fortify our combat strength. This is necessary as our Army is undeniably a professional military establishment that has over the years achieved remarkable successes in protecting our nation’s territorial integrity.

“Indeed, it is pertinent for the top echelons of our military to speedily evolve new combat strategy to bravely confront the callous terrorists who have continued to hold many parts of the North East, and in extension, Nigeria in ransom,” he said.

He urged the military to remain apolitical in the 2019 general elections.

“In recent times, elections have tested our unity as a people, while also posing threats to our socio-cultural diversity and challenging our common destiny. Nevertheless, I have a strong conviction that our Armed Forces will remain apolitical prior, during, and after the general elections, while focusing only on discharging their constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the country either from the aggression of internal rebels in the guise of Boko Haram insurgents or from external retrogressive forces,” he stated.

Babangida paid special tribute to some gallant troops incapacitated while at the theatre of war in the restive parts of the country and saluted “the uncommon bravery of our lion-hearted fallen heroes who paid the supreme price in their quest to defend our fatherland”.

He commended the Armed Forces for their resilience over the years in maintaining peace in Nigeria, the United Nations Missions, African Union and regional interventions.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/insurgency-evolve-new-strategy-ibb-tells-military.html

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally released a 33-page regulations and guidelines for the conduct of the 2019 General Elections.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who signed the document, said this was done in exercise of the powers conferred on the commission by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

Highlights of the guideline include the simultaneous accreditation and voting, which has been opposed by some opposition parties.

The documents which listed incidences that may warrant postponement or cancellation of elections among others, also stated that accreditation and voting would hold simultaneously between 8am and 2pm.

The section on the method of voting also prescribed that the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and Smart Card Reader (SCR) shall remain instruments of identification of prospective voters.

“Election to the office of President and Vice President as well as National Assembly shall hold on the 3rd Saturday in February of any General election year, while election to the office of Governor and Deputy Governor and the State Houses of Assembly shall hold two weeks thereafter.

“Whenever the end of tenure of FCT Area Council coincides with a General election year, election into the office of Chairman and Vice Chairman and Councillors of the Area Councils shall be combined with election for Governor and Deputy Governor and the State Houses of Assembly.

“Where the end of tenure of FCT Area Council does not coincide with a General election year, the election to the office of Chairman and Vice Chairman and Councillors of the Area Councils shall hold on Elections to which these Regulations and Guidelines apply,” the guideline reads in parts.

On the method of voting, the guideline said that voting shall be in accordance with the Continuous Accreditation and Voting System (CAVS) procedures as specified in the Regulations and Guidelines, the Election Manual and any other Guide issued by the Commission.

This is at variance with the demand of the 61 opposition parties which insisted that the chairman of INEC retains the 2011 and 2015 separate accreditation and separate voting system, which Nigerian voters are familiar with and avoid creating confusion and loophole for massive tampering of result with the continuous/same time accreditation and voting.

The guideline insisted that no person shall be allowed to vote at any Polling Unit/Voting Point

Settlement/Voting Point other than the one at which his/her name appears in the Register of Voters and he/she presents his/her PVC to be verified by the SCR, or as otherwise determined by the Commission.

The guideline equally bars the usage of telephones and other electronic devices capable of taking pictures in voting cubicles.

“Voters may come to the Polling Unit with telephones and other electronic devices provided that they do not take them to the voting cubicles or take pictures of other voters while they are voting,” it said.

The document said voters are free to remain within the vicinity of the Polling Unit to witness the sorting and counting of votes and the announcement of results, provided he/she is orderly.

According to the guideline, where the total number of votes cast at a PU exceeds the number of registered voters in the Polling Unit, the result of the election for that PU shall be declared null and void, and a report in that regard shall be made to the collation officer.

It added that where the total number of votes cast at a PU exceeds the total number of accredited voters, the outcome of the election shall be declared null and void, and a report in that regard shall made to the collation officer.

The commission said that where a voter’s PVC is read but the name of the voter is not on the

Register of Voters, the election official “shall politely request the voter to leave the polling unit”, adding that in the event that the PVC fails to be read by the SCR, the polling officer shall also “politely request the voter to leave the PU”.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/inec-releases-guidelines-approves-card-reader-simultaneous-accreditation-voting.html

The President Buhari reasserted his administration’s unwavering support to equip the military to overcome the insurgency in the North-East.

A statement issued by the Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina at the end of the meeting quoted Buhari as saying that the collective safety and security of civilians would continue to remain paramount in the administration’s strategy to restore peace and stability in the region.

‘‘Having been a former Governor in the North East, a GOC in the region and very familiar with the terrain, I assure you that as Commander-in-Chief, I’ll raise the standard of the Nigerian Armed Forces and get the resources to encourage them to do better than what they are doing, ’’ he said.

The President told the delegation comprising political, traditional, religious, women and media leaders in the State that he was impressed by their leadership roles and participation in helping the government deal with the insurgency in the North East.

The President commended the contributions of the stakeholders from Borno State particularly the need for more air support for troops on the ground and coordination among different security agencies.

‘‘I am getting at least a weekly situation report from the services and of course from other sources. I encourage the commanders to remain committed,’’ he said.

President Buhari thanked Governor Shettima for demonstrating leadership in the State during these difficult times.

‘‘I have an idea how much you are doing and I very much appreciate it. I’m sure that has earned you more respect from the people,’’ he said.

Other stakeholders from the State who made comments, according to the statement included Bishop Mohammed Naga, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State, Dr Bulama Mali Gubio, Secretary, Borno Elders’ Forum, Maina Ma’aji Lawal, former Governor of the State, HRH Muhammad Masta II bn Al-Amin El-Kanemi, Emir of Dikwa, representing the Shehu of Borno, Senator representing Borno North, Abubakar Kyari and Senator Ali Ndume, Leader, Borno Caucus, National Assembly.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ill-do-more-to-secure-the-country-buhari.html

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has promised to give top priority to job creation if elected in the forthcoming election.

Atiku, who made the pledge, yesterday, in Lokoja during the PDP presidential campaign flag off in Kogi State, lamented the current high rate of unemployment and poverty in the country.

He assured that his administration would ensure the revival of the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Complex which, he said, had the potential of generating millions of jobs for the people and as well boost the economy of the country.

According to him, his administration would restructure Nigeria in such a way that the people of Kogi State would enjoy maximum benefits of the abundant resources the state was endowed with.

Atiku, who decried the high level of hunger, poverty, insecurity and hardships under the APC-led government, urged the people of Kogi State vote for PDP candidates from “top to bottom” in the forthcoming elections to change the negative narrative and get “Nigeria working again”.

A former Governor of Kogi State and Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris aka Ibro, in his remarks urged people of the state to vote massively for Atiku and all candidates to bring an end to hunger and suffering the ruling party had inflicted on them over the past three and half years.

The Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and president of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, urged people of the state to vote for PDP candidates and resist the temptation of exchanging their votes for the ruling party’s “Tradermoni.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/atiku-pledges-job-creation-revival-of-ajaokuta.html

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has appealed to all members of the party in Lagos State to mobilise support from the grassroots and ensure that up to three million votes or more are delivered to the party in the forthcoming general elections.

Tinubu, a former governor of the State, made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ convergence held at the party secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos.

According to Tinubu, Lagos State has a total of six million votes and it has become expedient that at least the party aims for 50 per cent which is half of six million. He also asked the party members to be resolute and defy antics of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“It is over the 16 years of their failures and empty promises. We, in Lagos, were in opposition at the federal level, we survived them, we make progress. We are today the fifth largest economy in Africa. Lagos has the number; six million solid votes.

“I challenge all of you; your target must be 50 per cent of that votes for APC; 50 per cent and above from the entire six million votes. Will you do it for Buhari, for Osinbajo, for senators, House of Representatives, governorship and House of Assembly, chairman, councillors in local government, anytime any day?,” Tinubu said.

Similarly, the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, urged all aggrieved members of the party to emulate him and forgo past bickerings.

Ambode later raised the hands of both the party’s governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and deputy governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat as those whom to hand over to when he vacates power in May 2019.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/lagos-to-deliver-3m-votes-for-apc-tinubu.html

Eleven soldiers are facing trial in the general court martial inaugurated yesterday by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Nigerian Army, Enugu, Maj-Gen Emmanuel Kabuk.

Kabuk, who inaugurated the eight-member court martial, said it was to instil discipline.


He said the court martial was prosecuting 11 soldiers for various offences ranging from insubordination, incompletion of task and general indiscipline.

“This General Court Martial is meant to instil discipline among the soldiers and officers of the Division. Discipline is needed to achieve relentless professionalism, which is the target of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Burutai. So, the inauguration today, goes in-line with COAS vision to reposition the Nigerian Army for effectiveness and responsiveness,’’ he said.

He assured the soldiers standing trial of fair hearing.

Responding, President of the General Court Martial, Col. Edward Abore, said that the court would abide by the Nigerian Army law and the 1999 constitution as amended.

“I will assure the accused persons (soldiers) of justice in this court. So, I will implore the accused not to fear or panic as the court will be fair to all parties involved,’’ he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/11-soldiers-face-court-martial-in-enugu-2.html

A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, said only a fool will maintain neutrality when Nigeria is being destroyed with “incompetence, corruption, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious.”

Obasanjo was reacting to a statement that he had maintained neutrality ahead of the elections as reported by a news medium (not Daily Trust) with the headline: “Atiku: Obasanjo Shifts Political Gear to Neutral.”

The former president reportedly spoke at the 27th annual Owu National Convention held in Iwo, Osun State. In a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, by his Media Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo recalled that he would not impress any candidate on Nigerians, but that rather they should “vote for credible candidates who will drive growth and development and make their lives better than it is now.”

He insisted that he would not sit on the fence when he needed to be out and active for people to know where he stood in the best interest of Nigeria.”

Daily Trust recalls that Obasanjo had endorsed the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who according to him, would perform better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

Obasanjo urged Nigerians to be active and not just complain and be complacent as they allowed themselves to be deceived by “sycophants and enemies of Nigeria.”

The statement read “It is disingenuous, if not malicious, for anyone to suggest that Chief Obasanjo was being neutral when he chose not to use the Owu convention as a platform for political campaign but instead adopted a communal and familial approach in talking to members of his Owu family.

“For the records, and as accurately reported by some media organisations, what the former president said at the convention in Iwo was that while he would not impress any candidate on them, Nigerians should vote for credible candidates who would drive growth and development and make their life better than it is now.

“Chief Obasanjo’s statement did not suggest his neutrality. In fact, the former president believes that only a fool will sit on the fence or be neutral when his or her country is being destroyed with incompetence, corruption, lack of focus, insecurity, nepotism, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious. Chief Obasanjo is no such fool, nor is he so unwise.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-im-not-neutral-obasanjo.html

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) decries the stoppage of transactions on all accounts belonging to PDP Vice presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, wife, his family members and their businesses by agencies of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

In a statement signed by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Council and made available to Daily Trust on Saturday, the PDP said Odi had been receiving threats since he was named Vice presidential candidate of the party.

“Since his nomination, Peter Obi, apart from facing series of failed attempts by the APC to destroy his reputation, has also continued to receive all manners of threats and blackmail, including threats to his life and those of his wife and children.

“Having realized that the majority of Nigerians are rallying behind the duo of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi as their Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates respectively, the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resorted to all manners of machinations, including smear campaigns and direct attacks on their persons and business concerns, in a bid to run them down.

“The Buhari Presidency is intimidated by Peter Obi’s resume, particularly, his general acceptance as epitome of fiscal responsibility, frugality and transparency in governance.

“Otherwise, why is the Presidency on a wild goose chase in investigating Peter Obi, who left office as Governor of Anambra state five years ago with a nationally acclaimed clean record, intact reputation for frugality, transparency, zero tolerance for corruption and leaving behind a huge saving of N75 billion Naira in cash and investments; without owing any salaries, pensions, gratuities or even contractors for contracts executed.

“The fact remains that the Buhari Presidency and the APC are merely shadow boxing in their attacks on Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as their records before Nigerians speak for them.

“All discerning Nigerians know that the reasons for an investigation on a man like Peter Obi, is a journey to no where aimed to stifle him of funds as well as attempt to distract our campaign and divert attention from the failures of the Buhari administration,” the statement noted.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/pdp-condemns-freezing-of-peter-obis-accounts.html

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday unveiled a national competition plan that would allow Nigerians scrutinize his policy document.

Atiku unveiled his policy document on November 19, in a live broadcast on Facebook, saying, “I want these policies to be our policies – yours and mine. I want to hear your ideas to get Nigeria working again. So I will give the opportunity to anyone in Nigeria to have their say on national television.”

The competition, tagged, “Voice of the People Competition” kicked off yesterday and will end on December 24, 2018.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-atiku-unveils-national-competition-on-policy-document-2.html

Kano State Governor and Chairman, APC South East Peace and Reconciliation Committee, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, yesterday, said the South East geo-political zone could return to mainstream Nigerian politics if they vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates in the 2019 general elections.

Ganduje, who addressed a peace and reconciliation meeting in Enugu, said they were working with the objective to return the South-east zone to mainstream Nigerian politics.


He recalled that efforts were made in 1979 to return the zone to mainstream politics since there was love between former President Shehu Shagari and his Vice, Alex Ekwueme (now late).

Ganduje said but for the military intervention, Shagari would have handed power to Ekwueme at the end of the administration.


He said on two occasions, Buhari ran for presidential elections in the past and chose Igbos as running mates, but he was not given the opportunity to win.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ganduje-seast-can-return-to-mainstream-politics-if-they-vote-for-buhari.html

A former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, and a former Commissioner of Police, John Obaniyi, have been re-arraigned over N16.4million fraud.

They were re-arraigned yesterday before an FCT High Court in Apo by the Independent Corruption Practices and Other Related

The court was told that the defendants committed the offences from May 2006 to November 2006 when they allegedly conspired and used their positions to place N500 million in two fixed deposit accounts which yielded an interest of N16.4million.

The money, according to the prosecution, was part of N557.9 million donated by the Bayelsa State Government to the Nigeria Police for purchase of arms and ammunitions.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Consequently, their lawyers, Kenneth Onorun and Samuel Obairko, urged the court to uphold the bail granted to them when they were first arraigned. The application was granted.

However, when the prosecution applied for the court to proceed with evidence of a prosecution witness who, the prosecutor said, was ready to testify, the defence counsels objected, submitting that the statements of the defendants were not served along with the amended charge.

The trial judge, Justice Sylvanus Orji while adjourning the matter to January 8 directed the prosecutor to serve the defence counsel with the statements.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ex-igp-ehindero-cp-docked-over-n16-4m-fraud.html

Governor Rochas Okorocha, yesterday, gave a hint that his son-in-law and former Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, will vie for the Imo State governorship on the platform of another party.

Nwosu, who is also a governorship contender of the APC, and others who did not make it during the recent primary elections, would most likely quit the ruling party for another to pursue their ambitions.

Okorocha said he would not stop any of his aggrieved loyalists from defecting.

Our correspondent gathered that no fewer than 27 members of the Imo State House of Assembly and National Assembly candidates, including Nwosu, who felt aggrieved from the conduct the APC primaries, may be heading to another party before the substitution window closes on December 1.

Okorocha said while he would support their aspirations elsewhere, he remained in APC and would contest the Orlu senatorial election under the party.

The governor, however, maintained that Nwosu and all the aggrieved candidates remained his choices and would get his support under any platform they chose to realise their ambitions.

Okorocha, speaking at a media parley in Owerri, said Nwosu under whatever platform remained his preferred governorship candidate, describing the emergence of the APC governorship candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma, as “the worst imposition in Nigerian political history.”

But the Imo governor reassured President Muhammadu Buhari that his followers would deliver him at the presidential election and vowed to deal with any of them who disobeyed him.

According to him, “What will happen is that while they move to realise their ambition under any other platform, I remain in APC and support them. Such parties will have no presidential candidate, but will adopt President Muhammadu Buhari as their candidate.

“What we saw in Imo APC was a clear case of injustice and the worst imposition in history. The party members are aggrieved and they will be moving to another party to pursue their ambitions and I am not going to stop them, but we are going to form alliance with whichever party they choose to deliver President Buhari.

“In the 2019 general elections, we are going to vote for candidates and not political parties. I am in the best position to assess the candidates and I know that among all the governorship candidates, Nwosu remains the best. I have told Imo people to check the records of those clamouring to govern the state before voting for them.

“What is happening in Imo APC is interesting and strange, a party known for uprightness, justice and fairness as exemplified by President Muhammadu Buhari, has been dented by the actions of the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, for whatever reasons he is yet to disclose.

“I have been trying to manage the situation but I have no moral justification to stop the aggrieved candidates who felt short-changed from realizing their ambitions in any other party but I have not left APC and do not intend to leave APC. But you must realize that in Imo we don’t play party politics but politics of individuals. People did not join APC because of anybody but because of me,” he said.

Okorocha expressed regret that Imo people were short-changed by the three major political parties – APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – in their choice of governorship candidates, saying that all of them were imposed on the people.

When Daily Trust sought the views of Nwosu on the comments of the governor, he was non-committal.

Nwosu, who was silent on his next line of action, however, gave assurance that he would mobilize all the aggrieved APC members to work for President Buhari’s victory in spite of any provocation.

He said the actions of the APC national chairman would not affect his support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/my-son-in-law-will-contest-imo-govship-in-another-party-okorocha.html

A former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi, yesterday told a Lagos High Court that a notorious fraudster, Fred Ajudua, collected millions of dollar from him on behalf of a legal luminary Chief Afe Babalola in 25 tranches.

He informed Justice Josephine Oyefeso that the defendant collected the money during the pendency of criminal trial before a Lagos court for allegation of attempted murder of late Kudirat Abiola.

Bamaiyi said that apart from his personal money, he collected money from his friends, wife and staff to hire Babalola for his legal representation.

He said Ajudua collected the money while in Kirikiri Maximum prison, hospital bed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and when he was discharged before going to Indian hospital for treatment.

He said in 2004, Ajudua collected money from him and his associates six times; while in 2005, he collected money from the same categories of people nineteen times.

“When on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, my friends and personal staffs delivered money to him while in prison. He also collected money from my wife twice, one inside the prison and the other one outside the prison.

“Anytime money was released by me or any of my staff, I recorded them in my diary. In 2004, he collected money six times and in 2005, he collected money nineteen times.

“Anytime money was released both in the hospital and out of the hospital, he would call me on phone to confirm.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/alleged-8-4m-fraud-ajudua-got-money-from-me-25-times-bamaiyi.html

Sen. Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to President Mohammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, said that the presidency had directed All Progressives Congress (APC), candidates should base their campaigns on issues in the 2019 elections.

Enang said this during a church service at Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Ibiaku Parish in Ibiono, Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom on Sunday.

He said that the APC-led government would do real campaign without rancour or politics of bitterness during its campaign in the country.

“Let us go and do real campaign, speaking clean words, marketing what we have done, saying what we will do, saying what we have done and saying what we will do.

“We are not going to beat people to vote for us, we are going to beg people to vote for us.

“We will not tell lies of what we have not done but tell the people what we have done so that they can judge us in the elections,” he said.

Enang reassured the people that there would be no violence in the 2019 general elections, saying that the people should go out enmass and vote for candidates of their choice.

“There will be no violence in 2019 general elections, we should listen to values and virtues of each of the candidates and political parties and vote according to our judgement.

“The APC-led government has requested that they should vote candidates in all the elections,” Enang said.

He restated that APC government had sustained peace and development in the country.

Enang said that President Buhari was not religiously bias but a lover of peace and unity.

Also, Mr Edet Ikotidem, candidate of APC, Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency in 2019 general elections, said he was in the church to seek God directive and to commit his campaign project to God.

He said that his ambition was not
for selfish quest to amass public resources but burning desire to provide reasonable service through novel leadership schemes.

“I started my journey with God and I will not complete my journey except I consecrate myself to God,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/president-buhari-directed-us-to-campaign-on-issues-sen-enang.html

The Director-General (DG) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Modibbo Kawu has described the statement of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on investigations into N2.5 billion said to have been paid to Pinnacle Communications Limited, licensed private signal distributor in the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project as inaccurate and misleading.

Answering questions from newsmen in his office in Abuja on the allegation, the DG observed that the ICPC did not have the correct identity of the NBC which it referred to as the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation and also wrongly described the DSO as dealing with the migration of telephone lines.

He said it actually had to do with switch over of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signals from analogue to digital, adding that the statement could not have been based on genuine investigation by the ICPC.

The DG emphasized that contrary to the impression conveyed in the ICPC statement, Pinnacle Communications Limited was not only duly licensed as the private signal distributor for the DSO in accordance with section 11. 2 (a) and (b) of the Federal Government White Paper on implementation of the DSO after a transparent bidding process and payment of N685million since 2014, but was currently the largest single contributor to the successful roll out of the DSO in the country.

He said the company withdrew its court case which stalled the DSO since 2014 until the inception of the Buhari Administration when it voluntarily agreed to support the new administration’s determination to correct the infractions on its license under the previous administration and give the new NBC Director General a chance to achieve successful DSO by withdrawing its suit and later facilitated the National Launch of the DSO in December 2016 from its Mpape Hill Broadcast Centre in Abuja and the launch in Kaduna in December 2017 from its Kaduna Broadcast Centre, both of which have remained on air uninterrupted till date.

The DG stated that Pinnacle was not paid “seed grant” as claimed by the ICPC but for services duly rendered in accordance with the White Paper on DSO, adding that all companies involved in the DSO implementation such as ITS/NTA public licensed signal distributor, set top box manufacturers, content aggregators, satellite provider, call center as well as staff training received similar payment under supervision and approval of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nbc-denies-icpc-allegations.html

Improve what we have first, ASUU says

The National Assembly is working to create 80 new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education despite poor funding for the existing tertiary institutions.

If these new institutions are created, it will bring the total number of federal educational institutions to 164.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike in the last three weeks over inadequate funding of research and infrastructure in the federal universities.

Daily Trust findings revealed that there are presently 80 bills at various legislative processes pending before the Senate and the House of Representatives for the establishment of tertiary institutions across the country.

In the 2018 budget, the 84 existing federal government tertiary institutions across the country were allocated N367 billion out of the over N600 billion approved for the education sector.

The 80 proposed federal institutions, spread across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, comprise 27 universities, 22 colleges of education, 19 polytechnics, six institutes, one police academy, one federal college of agriculture, a federal college of forestry, one para-military academy and one federal college of veterinary assistants as well as a school of mines and geological studies.

Out of the 27 proposed federal varsities, ‎10 are for education, eight are for agriculture, four for technology, and one each for science and tech, medicine and medical sciences, aquatic studies and health.

A total of 37, out of the 80, are from the Senate, while ‎36 are in the House of Representatives with seven other bills concurrently undergoing legislative processes in both chambers.

It was learned that many of such bills will still come up before the expiration of the current 8th National Assembly in June.

If established, the new institutions are expected to gulp the federal government hundreds of billions of naira annually for both salaries of staff, research, infrastructure as well as day-to-day operations.

In the past few years, academic staff unions of other federal polytechnics, colleges of education, among others had embarked on strikes to press home their financial demands.

Our correspondents report that all the bills that came up for public hearing had received massive support from all the stakeholders, indicating acceptance for the establishment of the institutions. Only a few of the bills are yet to come up for the public hearing.

Most of the bills came up from late 2016‎ to date as the lawmakers devoted much of their time at the initial stage to the bills on constitution amendment.

‎Going by legislative practice for bill passage, either of the two chambers that passes a bill that is not with the other chamber shall transmit the same to the other chamber for concurrence, and vice-versa.

Varsity, poly, COE for every state

In January this year, senators approved a report on modalities of establishing federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.

They said ‎federal polytechnics and colleges of education should be established in the states without any of these institutions.

“The Federal Government should focus on upgrading already existing tertiary educational structures to specialised institutions,” they added.

Since the resolutions, there appeared to be a surge in the number of bills seeking to establish federal tertiary institutions in the Red Chamber.

Where they will be located

The breakdown of the proposed institutions ‎according to states showed that Kaduna and Anambra have the highest with five each, while Kano, Borno, Cross River, Abia, Taraba, and Ogun have four each.

States that will have three institutions each include ‎Gombe, Bauchi, Benue, Plateau, and Ondo, whereas states such as Kebbi, Ekiti, Adamawa, Edo, Sokoto, Jigawa, Rivers, Osun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will have two each.

The findings indicated that states with one proposed institution each are Yobe, Niger, Bayelsa, Katsina, Imo, Kogi, Delta, Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Lagos.

During a recent public hearing on some of the bills, the chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, Aminu Suleiman, said the committee would be thorough, fair and objective.

“A number of factors will guide our action. But we promise to be thorough, fair and objective; above all, necessity and the co-operation of host states, would be the deciding factors,” he said.

We don’t need them – ASUU

President of ASUU Prof Biodun Ogunyemi told Daily Trust that there was no need for any additional university in the country, but that what Nigeria needed was for the existing ones to be improved upon.

“We don’t need them. What we need is to improve what we have. What are we doing to fund the universities we have? What are we doing to bring them up to speed with their mandate? Government isn’t addressing that.

“Why is ASUU on strike? ASUU is on strike because the existing ones have been neglected? So, it’s sheer politics, and when you over politicise education, it cannot be used for national development,” he said.

“If you allow them, everybody would want to have a university in their backyard, because it appears that is the only thing they can take back to their constituencies and show them as evidence of contributing to legislative development.

“These same legislators cut education budget in order to finance elections. So, they’re interested in education just for the sake of it, not because they’re committed to quality education.

“There’s a difference between quality and quantity, and there are situations where you can find a meeting point. We know that Nigerian universities have not been developed to their fullest capacities.

“We have universities in other climes with 250,000 students. In fact, some universities in Egypt and Malaysia have over 500,000 students. If it’s about expansion and stocking the system with requisite human resources, these are the two basic ingredients you need to get a university going.

“Inject the quantum of resources, human and material, and back it up with finances. University will then be empowered to produce the best quality for human capital to carry out ultimate research and support community and national development.”

Also, ASUU chairman, University of Ibadan, Dr Deji Omole said: “The move to establish new tertiary institutions in Nigeria at this point in time is nothing but a misplaced priority. There is even the cry currently that the governments do not have the capacity to fund the existing universities, and they are going ahead to establish new ones.”

On his part, ASUU chairman in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada: “Surely, this is a political jamboree. Why go ahead to establish new tertiary institutions when you cannot fund the existing ones? It is just a political game, and there is a big difference between political universities and real universities.”

We’re addressing admission challenges – Reps

However, the House of Representatives said it was part of its desire to address the admission challenges faced by millions of Nigerian students seeking a higher education that informed their decision to come up with such bills.

“We felt that given the fact that we’re representatives of the people, we realised that most of our constituents don’t get admission on account of the fact that placements in the universities are very limited.

“So, we felt that given the population of the country, which is said to be around 200 million, as well as a large number of students taking JAMB, we should have additional higher institutions.

“Even ASUU complained that the pressure on the existing institutions is too much, that they’re overstretched. So, there is a need for more universities to be able to cater for admission shortcomings.”

We need quality, not quantity- CISLAC

Reacting to the development, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the National Assembly should have paid more attention to the quality of education in the country.

He said the lawmakers should have engaged educational experts that would give them the direction on the actual educational needs of the country.

“Unfortunately, due to lack of prioritization and internal capacity to timely deal with matters of national importance, they lost significant time which should have been utilized for effective and legislative work for a political crisis and misplacement of legislative action,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/n-assembly-to-create-80-varsities-polys-coes.html

Mr Goodluck the best president...