₦airaland Forum

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Sai baba

RIP

chai

Congrats! double certificates

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hmmm

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed ‎shock over the death of one of its founding fathers, Adamu Ciroma, a former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In a statement on Thursday by its ‎National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said Ciroma was a great patriot, adding that Nigeria has lost a nationalist.

"The PDP is deeply grieved over the passing of one of our founding fathers, a foremost democrat, nationalist and statesman; the former Governor of the CBN and former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma.

"Indeed, Nigeria has lost one of her finest; an incontrovertible patriot who spent his life making inestimable sacrifices for the unity and development of our dear country.

"Mallam Ciroma lived as a committed citizen; an astute administrator and highly disciplined politician, who discharged all responsibilities vested on him with unequaled forthrightness and loyalty to the nation.

"On the political sphere, this great Nigerian will be remembered for his roles in ensuring the stability and growth of our nation, and particularly, the roles he played in the formation and growth of the PDP. He played a leading role in Group of 34 eminent Nigerians, otherwise called the G34, that formed the PDP," the party said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ciroma-was-a-great-patriot-nationalist--pdp-259585.html

The Federal Executive Council has approved N12.7 billion contract for the exploration and consultancy on some of its targeted minerals like gold, industrial minerals, earth metals and iron ore.

The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Bawa Bwari, stated this while briefing State House reporters after the cabinet meeting.

The minister said four companies would handle exploration, while another four others would do the consultancy.

“This contract is worth N12.7bn and with this, we will encourage both local and foreign investors to come in.

“Our Major challenge is the bankable data, most mining companies will not want to come into your country when they are not sure of what they are going to meet.

“Nigeria has the potential for minerals although we have not been known as a solid mineral destination, we have been known as an oil and gas destination.

“The perception is gradually changing and for us to really encourage this people to come in, we really need to explore because you cannot mine without information and information can only be gotten through exploration.

“This government today approved for us to start with some of our targeted minerals in line with what we have in the road map.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-to-spend-n13bn-on-minerals-exploration-consultancy-259472.html

hmm

Sai baba till 2023

Dr Ken Nnamani-led National Convention Appeal Committee has submitted its report to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Dr Nnamani said the committee received 24 petitions from the aggrieved aspirants.

He said, “We treated each case very seriously. It wasn’t our purpose to add kerosene to already raging fire. We made what we consider to be useful suggestions to the new National Working Committee that will give our members a feeling of justice.

“Justice does not mean you must win your case, it means that you will get a level-playing field, that you are given the opportunity to make your case. The appellants had tremendous opportunity of presenting their cases, and they did.”

Receiving the report, Oshiomhole thanked the committee and assured them that the National Working Committee (NWC) would ensure justice.

He said, “My appeal to those aggrieved is the assurance that under my leadership, we will make our obvious mistakes but once our attention is drawn we will find courage to make up for our mistakes.

“I am very appreciative of the fact that we were all elected and in the case of some of us, we were even unopposed. That is a huge responsibility that our members have entrusted us, that we can pilot the affairs of the Party at this time. We knew there were challenges when we contested for the various offices to which we have now been elected. So, we can’t claim we didn’t know.

“For us, it is a huge opportunity to make a difference not only for our Party but to the country. We will do everything possible to sustain confidence, to sustain trust. For us, everybody is important, everybody matters. We want to run an inclusive party. But as I said in my acceptance speech, there are no losers. If we run the party efficiently and democratically, those who lost will find that their interests, whatever service they wanted to render are being rendered efficiently and democratically.

“As the saying goes, if God gives you power, may he not deny you wisdom, I pray for wisdom, I pray for courage and I believe we have it and we will deploy it to make peace within the APC family.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/nnamani-submits-apc-convention-appeal-committee-report-259428.html

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has expressed fears that the 2019 general elections may not hold.

He said it would be especially so if next Saturday's governorship election in Ekiti State is rigged by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing the Forum of PDP local government chairmen who were on a courtesy visit to Wadata Plaza in Abuja yesterday, Secondus however, said ‎all the critical stakeholders in the country should prevail on the APC-led government to ensure the elections held in 2019 as scheduled.

"We have warned them not to rig the Ekiti governorship election because there will be crisis. There may be no election in 2019 if Ekiti election is rigged,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-elections-may-not-hold-secondus-259417.html

Though as a career civil servant I am not a politician, the compelling motivation to write this piece was predicated on an interview I granted some newsmen during the week, in which they asked me questions regarding my principal, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo. The press men, obviously amazed at what the governor was able to achieve with so little resources, felt I was the right person to shed more light on what some of them correctly termed the Dankwambo phenomenon. In this article therefore, I am going to paraphrase some of the things I told them, believing it will be useful to all readers, and may serve as a kind of compass for upcoming generation of leaders in the country.

For me, the main selling point of Governor Dankwambo is his trademark humility and uncommon intelligence. Whenever you are in his presence, he makes you feel at ease, such that you might forget you are in the presence of a serving governor. In Dankwambo, we have an exceptional leader possessing the ability to accept alternative viewpoints. Many a leader will simply dish out directives and insist you must carry them out, but not Governor Dankwambo. The Gombe Governor is also very, very tolerant and hardworking.

Is there any linkage between his achievements and his social or educational background? I believe there is. Governor Dankwambo hails from a well to do family that has distinguished itself in pro-people entrepreneurship. His unassuming mien and his uncommon humility belie a persona that is deeply insightful and intelligence. Naturally his background play a key role. This is a man who is well read, with a degree in accounting, Masters degree in Economics, PhD in accounting and a post graduate diploma in computer science. He rose to become the accountant general of Gombe state, and later, the accountant general of the Nigerian federation. An indicator of his desire to selflessly serve his people could be seen in that he took the risk of leaving his comfort zone by voluntarily resigning from that high post, to launch into the murky waters of Nigerian politics.

For the seven years period we have been working with him at the Government House, Gombe, Governor Dankwambo has never raised his voice or looked down on anybody, from the Deputy Governor down to a cleaner on the streets. Nobody who is truthful and honest will ever tell you that the governor had raised his voice against him. If anybody does anything that annoys him, he simply keeps quite. Only those of us that are very close to him will discern that he was crossed but you will never hear him bark.

So the allegation of Dankwambo not being approachable is misplaced. This is a governor who takes governance right to the doorsteps of his people by paying them visits, inspecting projects aimed at making their lives better, and who many of them reach even by phone. But then the most significant thing is not all about individual having access to the governor. It is about whether the governor is working towards advancing the cause of the society; towards taking the state to higher realms, and generally through the kind of sacrifice that seek to make for a better tomorrow for one and all. That, to me, underpins Dankwambo’s governance philosophy. And it informs why he is exceptional.

In Dankwambo, we are talking about a governor who has shown deep commitment to workers, who operate the engine of government. Under Dankwambo, Gombe has never experienced a situation where workers have not being paid their salaries. That in itself has been helping in making the wealth to circulate, and the market is overlying all over the state, and the payment of salary was made very easy in Gombe state despite the recession and also despite the fact that Gombe is in the middle of the North east. The insurgency has engulfed almost the whole of the north east, yet Gombe has been peaceful under his watch.

Is there one sector the governor regards as closest to his heart? That sector is education. Governor Dankwambo made education his first, second and third priority. He succeeded in walking the talk by massively transforming the educational system, reducing the number of pupils per class, improving the teacher-student ratio, and the atmosphere in most of the schools has been tremendously made conducive for teaching and learning. As everyone is aware, the number of pupils per teacher in the class impacts heavily on the understanding and assimilation of curriculum in the classroom. With limited resources, Governor Dankwambo built more schools, more classes.

To decongest the classes, the governor also recruited more teachers, and ensured they are trained and retrained. The governor also established another University of Technology, and let’s not forget, all the project executed by the previous administrations are being maintained by the Governor. He did not neglect the projects of the previous administrations, he consolidated on all the projects.

This kind of foresight, this kind of commitments can only be found in a rare individual and in Gombe state we are so lucky to be blessed with this very rare individual in the person of Governor Dankwambo. We thank God that we the people of Gombe state are blessed. Let me tell you there is no society on earth that has ever grown beyond the quality of its education. So anybody that is really committed to developing his people must invest heavily in education and that is exactly what Governor Dankwambo did and it is only a committed leader who loves his people that can do this.

Clearly, these are the qualities that endear Governor Dankwambo to millions of Nigerians, and they inform why the people have continued to crave for him. In the global village that the society has become, whatever you do in a small corner of the globe will get to be known elsewhere. These unprecedented achievements are the very reason Dankwambo has remained a darling of the people; the proverbial gold fish that has no hiding place.


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/why-nigerians-are-passionate-about-dankwambo-258184.html

The Plateau State Governor Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong has condemned in very strong terms the protest organized by some group of people over the recent attacks in the Northern Senatorial District which turned violent.

In a statement signed by Director, Press & Public Affairs, Samuel, Emmanuel Nanle, the governor said that it was regrettable that the conveners of the protest under the joint auspices of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Northern Zone of Plateau State; the Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Plateau State and Bazata Gospel Team allowed the protest to be hijacked by hoodlums.

Lalong added that the hoodlums took advantage of the procession led by these organizations to destroy government’s properties, vehicles of Civil Servants and visitors to the Government House running into millions of Naira.

He noted that the protest represents one of the saddest commentaries in the state’s collective resolve to stand as a people united against evil.

Governor Lalong opined that the name of the Church as a moral rectitude shouldn’t have been associated in any way with group of persons who would contemplate violence as a show of discontent especially in this period that all Godly and peace loving citizens are sharing in the grief of the bereaved.

He said, “What is more worrisome about the protest is that protesters weren’t willing to listen to the voice of reason in allowing the governor attend to visiting Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who were on a condolence visit to the state ahead of his addressing them.”

He added that while government mourns the loss of innocent lives and has extended deep commiseration to victims of the unfortunate attacks; his administration wouldn’t rest on its oath in fishing out the perpetrators.

He said, “We wouldn’t fold our hands and watch disgruntled citizens throw the state into a state of anarchy and chaos under the guise of mourning.”


https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/lalong-knocks-can-over-violent-protest-at-plateau-s-government-house-258471.html

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The emergence of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has destabilised the projection of opposition parties who expected the ruling party to collapse like a pack of cards during its just concluded convention.

This observation was made by a former Senator representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi, who also commended Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, for the watertight security arrangement that forestalled any form of violence.

Sen. Adeyemi said the election of Oshiomhole was akin to a “square peg in a square hole” as his experience in the labour movement and government portended that the cap of National Chairmanship of the APC fitted him well.

Adeyemi said, “Oshiomhole is coming at a time when he’s needed most to defend and articulate the achievements of the Buhari administration. It’s now a different ball game and he would respond to unwarranted criticism and gang up by the opposition in their attempt to pull down the APC. He’ll bring about stability in the APC.”

He also said Gov. Bello deserved commendation because the committee on security he headed organised a hitch-free convention which also frustrated the projection of the opposition that there would be a free-for-all at the event.

Adeyemi further congratulated Hajiya Salamatu Baiwa Umar-Eluma who was elected as the National Woman Leader of the APC and said, “The emergence of Hajiya Salamatu is evidence that Kogi State has been integrated into the nucleus of the APC. It’s the result of the sagacity and the networking of Gov. Bello before and during the convention.”

He said with the party on a good stead under the new leadership, more Nigerians would decamp from the opposition to the APC as the opposition would have nothing to use in winning more members into their fold.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/oshiomhole-s-emergence-is-problem-for-opposition-smart-adeyemi-258417.html

The National Assembly will make law to regulate Nigerians on social media, the Chairman Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime, AbdulFatai Buhari has said.

Senator Buhari, who disclosed this yesterday on the sideline of the 2018 Cyber-security Conference in Abuja, said social media should be regulated because many Nigerians are misusing it.

If left unregulated, he said, the activities on social media were capable of setting the country on fire, especially as the country approaches national election.

He said, “We have got experts to advise us and we have presented a bill to the Senate. The bill has passed the first reading and it has been listed for the second reading.’’

He said a lot of Nigerians made false claims and false accusations on social media to bring down those perceived to be their political enemies.

According to him, youths should use their ICT talent to develop the country’s economy and not use it to attack one another.

The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu said his ministry would work with Office of National Security Adviser and the National Assembly to reinforce or build international norms to regulate adverse state behavior.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/law-to-regulate-social-media-underway-senate-panel-258229.html

Senate Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa), yesterday, urged the leadership of the APC to ignore what he called “the antics of the nPDP,” saying the group was only pushing to blackmail, intimidate and ambush President Muhammadu Buhari.

Senator Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja ahead of tomorrow’s national convention of the APC, commended President Buhari for refusing to interfere in the nPDP issue, which, according to him, was receiving the attention of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and the leadership of the party.

He said it was time the party ignored the deliberate attempts by some persons in the APC to distract President Buhari’s focus on governance, pointing out that the admonition was against the backdrop of their recent decision to resurrect the platform of the defunct new nPDP to fight their personal battles.

“I belonged to the nPDP; and, as I had said before, there was nowhere we held a meeting to resurrect the group for the purpose of protesting alleged marginalisation of our former members by the APC-led federal government. Apart from that, the basis of the group’s allegation is tenuous,” he said.

Adamu, who is the North Central zone’s coordinator for Buhari’s presidential campaign, said the latest media report of President Buhari’s resolve not to interfere in the APC’s leadership meeting with the nPDP was a welcome development.

He stated that the president’s position that Vice President Osinbajo and the party leadership should interface with the nPDP was salutary to the supremacy of the APC.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sen-adamu-urges-apc-to-ignore-npdp-257518.html

Ben Murray-Bruce, the Senator representing Bayelsa East constituency has described former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as credible candidate to get Nigeria working again.

The lawmaker who assured the former vice president of his support said Bayelsa people are convinced that he is the choice to get Nigeria working again.

"Successful outing in Bayelsa State, ‘The Glory of all lands’. Always a wonderful time in the presence of my people. I am excited at the passionate welcome of @atiku. My people and I are convinced that he is the choice to get Nigeria working again".

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2019-atiku-is-the-choice-to-get-nigeria-working-again-ben-bruce-257234.html

The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial district,Shehu Sani reacted to President Muhammadu Buhari's claim that lawmakers made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects he submitted for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion.

The National Assembly had on May 16 passed the 2018 Appropriation Bill, increasing the proposal of N8.612 trillion presented by President Buhari last December to N9.120 trillion. Reacting,Sani in a tweet said,"If you take your fabrics to the shop of SURA DE TAILOR & asked him to make Agbada for you,then you travelled round the world for seven months,your clothes will be made in seven months;And it may not be Agbada,it may be Kaftan;that is if you are lucky your fabrics is not missing"



https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/2018-budget-shehu-sani-reacts-to-budget-paddling-257273.html

The APC and our country are at a critical stage in their evolution, an aspirant contesting the position of national organising secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at coming Saturday's national convention, Chidi Nwogu, said this on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nwogu, who addressed journalists on his ambition, underscored the need for the emergence of a new crop of party leaders with the required capacities and backgrounds to wield the party and the nation together for overall national development to confront the challenges of the moment.

While saying that Nigeria could not afford to fail the black race, he emphasized the need to develop political parties to deepen democracy and economic development through mass participation of the populace in political activities.

He said that his background as a former member of the House of Representatives, an employer of labour, a quantity surveyor, and a responsible family man had placed him on a solid pedestal to discharge the constitutional responsibilities of the office of national organising secretary.

He promised to initiate strategies for free, fair, and transparent processes in the conduct of party primaries and appointment of members for assignments within the party.
Nwogu also pledged to ensure that all interests were protected to make sure that discrimination on the basis of religion and ethnicity was eliminated in the choice of who flied the party's flag in any election.

He said, "I will work with all leaders, national officers, elected and appointed political office holders in the party to entrench internal democracy. I will assiduously pursue all initiatives aimed at uniting party members at all levels and avoiding bickering and intra-party conflicts that can undermine our overall aims as a party.

"I promise to serve as a bridge between the executive and the legislature of which I am a member. Our women and the youth will find me a reliable partner at all times. Our founding fathers will get the respect they deserve in the management of party affairs.

"I shall be faithful and loyal to our President, Muhammadu Buhari, our governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and all our party members."

Nwogu begged the delegates to put the interest of the party and the nation first as they voted at the convention.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/convention-apc-at-a-critical-stage--national-organising-secretary-aspirant-257081.html

Sai baba! carry go

Good one

Chai!

President of the Dangote Group of companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, yesterday commissioned a N2billion housing estate he built for Internally Displaced Persons in Borno State.

Speaking while commissioning the housing estate at Dalori village in Konduga Local Government Area of the state, Dangote said, in Borno alone, the Dangote Foundation invested N2bn for construction of 200 befitting housing estate to IDPs, in addition to provision of food and other relief items since 2012.

He also said the foundation has so far invested N7bn to create jobs and end hunger in the north east states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba among other states where millions of residents live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

“I am very grateful to witness this important occasion which marked the official commissioning of 200 housing estate, and newly constructed Primary Health Care Development Complex built by Dangote Foundation in partnership with Borno State Government.

“Since 2012, Dangote Foundation has been supporting the North East, particularly Borno, and has spent about N7bn as part of effort to ameliorate the sufferings of IDPs.

“We will continue to work and ensure that the IDPs are finally resettled back to their communities with dignity,” he said.

Dangote commended Governor Kashim Shettima for his giant developmental strides in Borno, despite the Boko Haram crisis, saying the governor has achieved a feat that governors from oil producing states could not achieve.

He called on philanthropists and other corporate organizations to assist the state government resettle and empower the IDPs who have since returned to their liberated communities.

In his address, Governor Shettima described Dangote as symbol of Borno and a highest gift to Africa for always identifying with challenges posed by insurgency.

“I am so glad that with this support and construction of this village to our IDPs, Dangote will now serve as permanent symbol in the state.” Shettima said.

He said the estate provided by the Dangote Foundation, though very massive, is a ‘tip of the iceberg’ compared to what the foundation has done to support humanitarian relief in the troubled region.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/dangote-donates-n2bn-housing-estate-to-borno-idps-256962.html