₦airaland Forum

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

MUCH IS ACHIEVED WHEN PUBLIC RESOURCES ARE USED FOR PUBLIC GOOD - OSINBAJO
*VP adds: With vision, hard work & commitment to public good, our country can achieve possibilities – Osinbajo

*Attends 60th anniversary of Africa’s first TV station, WNTV, in Ibadan

“It demonstrated the capacity of the Nigerian mind to conceive and achieve anything no matter how complex or difficult. Secondly, it demonstrates how visionary leadership can inspire and lead people from the lowest levels to the high points of human imagination.

“Every generation has a historic responsibility to reach for the highest peaks that human capacity can achieve. Today we are at the most advanced moment in science, technology and innovation in human history” – Vice President Osinbajo

REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF WESTERN NIGERIA TELEVISION, IBADAN, ON THE 31ST OF OCTOBER, 2019.

PROTOCOLS

It is a special honour to be here today, to celebrate the pioneers of the first television in Africa. Exactly 60 years ago today, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Premier of the Western Region, then flanked by Governor General, Sir John Rankine, Chief Anthony Enahoro, the region’s Minister of Information, and Chief T.T Solaru, first Board Chair of Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, formally entered the history books by commissioning the Western Nigeria Television, the first in Africa; and ahead of China in 1962, Canada in 1967, New Zealand in 1960, and several European countries, including the Netherlands in 1960, Ireland in 1961, Greece in 1966 and Malta in 1962.

It was not just first in Africa, but first in many parts of Asia and, as you can imagine, even in Europe without even talking about Eastern Europe.

The event was historic for three reasons. Firstly, it demonstrated the capacity of the Nigerian mind to conceive and achieve anything no matter how complex or difficult. Secondly, it demonstrates how visionary leadership can inspire and lead people from the lowest levels to the high points of human imagination.

Thirdly, it exemplifies the use of public resources for the public good. WNTV was built to inform, to educate and entertain. As Papa Awolowo himself said on that day sixty years ago, television is a powerful influence for good.

It would ordinarily have been unimaginable that somehow in a part of the yet to be independent Nigeria, a man and his team would build a television station in three months, the first as we have seen, in many parts of the world. But for the man, it was not so surprising because Papa (Awolowo) had laid out a plan for the rapid development of the Western Region. It included physical infrastructure and human capacity development.

The plan included free and compulsory education. As of the date of the inauguration of WNTV, almost a million children were in school in the Western Region. Forty-one per cent (41%) of the Western Region’s budget was spent on education, the highest proportion anywhere in the free world, the highest proportion at that time anywhere in the world.

In the free world in particular, it was obvious that those who understood the value of education used it as a powerful proponent for the advancement of their people. Papa Awolowo clearly understood that so long ago.

Today, as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of WNTV, we also celebrate what is possible in our nation and states, what vision, hardwork and a commitment to the public good can do.

As Ambassador Yemi Faronmbi said, the celebration of the phenomenal achievement in 1959 would be wasted unless we recognize that the achievement represents sturdy shoulders for us to stand on. Today we can do more and the vision of Awolowo was to build a people capable of excelling beyond even his own achievements.

Every generation has a historic responsibility to reach for the highest peaks that human capacity can achieve. Today we are at the most advanced moment in science, technology and innovation in human history.

The smartphones you have in your hands have more computing power than all the computing power that the Apollo spaceship that took men to the moon in 1969 had. All things are possible and we are able! Let us be inspired by Papa’s words, that our only limit is our imagination.

Congratulations to the Foundation for Ibadan Television and to all of us friends, families and admirers of the pioneers.

Thank you very much and God bless you!

Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
31st October, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

NEC COMMENDS PRESIDENT BUHARI, VP OSINBAJO FOR NIGERIA’S IMPROVED RANKING IN WORLD BANK DOING BUSINESS INDEX

The National Economic Council (NEC), comprising the 36 Governors of the Federation, FCT Minister and Governor of the Central Bank, have commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, for driving Ease of Doing Business reforms, which has seen Nigeria move up fifteen (15) places in the World Bank Doing Business Ranking for 2020.

The NEC, chaired by the Vice President, praised President Muhammadu Buhari for setting up the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), and commended the Vice President for vigorously driving the Ease of Doing Business reforms, noting that Nigeria being named among the Top-10 improved economies for the second time in three years is commendable.

Last week, the World Bank’s 2020 Doing Business Index (DBI) ranked Nigeria 131 out of 190 countries, up 15 places from 146th position last year.

The report also named Nigeria one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world. Nigeria is one of only two African countries to make this highly prestigious list.

With this year’s leap, the country has improved an aggregate of 39 places in the World Bank Doing Business index since 2016. The global body’s Doing Business Index is an annual ranking that objectively assesses prevailing business climate conditions across 190 countries based on 10 ease of doing business indicators.

NEC also received the regular financial updates by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, including the Excess Crude Account (ECA), reporting that its current balance stood at $324,035,696.29; the Stabilization Fund Account balance which stood at N28,560,710.55; and the Natural Resources Development Fund Account, which has a balance of N70,691,826,511.84.

Other highlights of NEC’s 98th meeting were the presentation to the Council on Budget estimate for the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting and other related activities for the year 2019 by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning; and a presentation was also made to Council on Clean Nigeria: ‘Use of Toilet’ campaign, by the Minister of Water Resources.

The Minister of Health also presented updates on Disease Control; Polio, Routine Immunization and Primary Health Initiative in Nigeria, while emphasizing on the need for states to be strengthened in the area of health security in the country.

NEC also received briefing on NNPC’s efforts in addressing PMS (petrol) diversion, round tripping and smuggling.

Laolu Akande;
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
29th October, 2019

THE TAKEAWAYS FROM PRESIDENT BUHARI’S VISIT TO RUSSIA by Garba Shehu

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria from his four-day visit to the Russian Republic extremely happy with the success of the visit, which outcome is the best response to a few skeptical audiences back home, including a toxic newspaper editorial, “Buhari, Stay On Your Job,” by the Lagos-based Punch Newspaper asking him to not travel.

Based upon the results, it must be concluded that the President’s mission was fully accomplished. The definite high point was the decision by the Russians to agree to a government-to-government understanding that would see them return to complete the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill and commission it. Nigeria had expended well over USD 5 billion without it coming to fruition.

When he campaigned early in the year for his re-election, which he won with a majority of four million votes, marking a difference of 14 per cent against his closest rival, President Buhari reiterated an earlier promise to complete Ajaokuta to provide jobs and the steel backbone that the nation’s industrial complex needed so desperately. Could this have been achieved if he had locked himself inside the Aso Rock Villa? The answer is obviously a “no.”

Yet, this was not all that he secured. Presidents Buhari and Vladimir Putin opened a “new chapter" in the historically important relationship between the two countries as they both agreed to expand cooperation in energy sector, petroleum and gas, trade and investment, defence and security, mining and steel development, aluminium and phosphate, education and agriculture and a plethora of other issues which, to my pleasure had been spelled out in an elaborate manner by Tonye Princewill, an astute leader in the All Progressives Congress, APC in an opinion article he widely circulated.

President Putin noted that the traditional friendly relationship between Nigeria and his country has gained a new momentum, symbolized by a 93 per cent growth in trade between the two nations in 2018, promising that “Russian companies are ready to offer their scientific and technological developments to their African partners, and share their experience of upgrading energy, transport and communications infrastructure.”

In President Buhari’s view, this summit was a necessary anchor “to kick start what has been a very cordial and mutually beneficial relationship in past years...there are similarities between Russia’s journey under your leadership (Putin’s) and Nigeria’s aspirations for the future. We can learn a lot from the experiences of Russia’s ongoing reforms of transitioning from an oil dependent economy to a modern, diversified and inclusive economy.”

Russia is clearly seeking to reconstruct the important role the country played in its Soviet era. They had traditionally supported African countries in their fights for independence and sought to build industrial infrastructure and develop national economies.

In another sense, the focus of the summit on multilateralism, the advocacy for the reform of the United Nations and climate change action is a direct response to Trump era unilateralism.

It is noteworthy that Nigeria got everything our delegation asked for. When German Chancellor, Angela Merkel visited President Buhari in Abuja in August last year, she made reference to a pertinent defect in the relationship between Europe and Africa when it comes to the promotion of projects.

“When we give you a project, we show you the door to a bank. We tell you to go and obtain financing. The Chinese give you the project, they give you financing. That is something we will have to look at,” she said to President Buhari.

Before the Europeans make up their minds on this, the Russians are now having a go at the idea. For every viable project Nigerian officials suggested in the course of this summit, the chances of the financing appeared within sight.

It is in the light of this that one of Russia’s leading rail line service providers, MEDPROM indicated their interest in undertaking the 1,400-kilometer Lagos-Calabar rail track that will pass through all the states in the South-South sub-region.

The agreement and MoU signed between the NNPC and the Russia’s Lukoil is another spectacular agreement along these lines. Lukoil owns seven refineries and a record turnover of USD 38 billion.

The two oil giants will upgrade their commercial relationship to a government-to-government backed partnership, to work together in upstream operations and in revamping Nigeria’s ill-functioning refineries. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari signed for the Nigerian side while Vagit Alekperov, President, signed on behalf of Lukoil.

In support of this, President Buhari made clear that he wished to work with Russian businesses to improve the efficiency of our oil and gas sector, giving a strong assurance that his administration will “ensure this initiative is implemented within the shortest possible time.”

Of no less significance is the MoU resolving past issues, paving the way for the revival of the rested joint venture between the NNPC and Russia’s gas giants, GASPROM for the development of Nigeria’s enormous gas resources and its infrastructure.

In that waggish but poisonous editorial, the newspaper in question raised concerns about terrorism, kidnapping and general insecurity in the country. It asked a question, wondering why the President would travel abroad when there is, in the country, the problem of kidnapping and fire from oil tankers had caused the loss of life and devastation of shops. Yes, these are sad and unwelcome. This is a President who is praised for his prompt response to the Onitsha fire, first by releasing a message of commiseration same evening and thereafter, dispatching the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs on a condolence mission. The minister gave directive on the spot to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA for the immediate deployment of emergency assistance to the Southeast.

Either out of ignorance or mischief, the Punch failed to see how important it is for the President to seek international support in tackling home grown terrorists, the Boko Haram, reinforced by 2000 ex-ISIS fighters as disclosed by Mr. Putin.

Not only did President Buhari get that needed support to fight Boko Haram terrorists, he got the two countries to cooperate extensively in the strategic fields of defence, civil nuclear energy and in dealing with piracy and oil pipeline vandalism in the Gulf of Guinea.

The Nigerian leader also got a deal for the technological upgrade and timely delivery of the balance of seven, out of an existing order for 12 Attack Helicopters. These, and an assortment of military hardware are direly needed by Nigeria to deal with the new wave of crime bedevilling the country.

Interestingly, one of the three key themes of the whole conference is security. African states with Russia’s support have, as an outcome, drawn up a regional security architecture that would use new technological solutions to ensure security for cities, securing the borders and creating a buffer against the illegal movement of explosives, weapons, drugs and smuggling to reduce terrorist danger to the continent.

Still on security, the Nigeria-Russia Military Technical Agreement that lapsed a few years ago without being renewed will be given due attention by Nigeria. Russia had been ready with her part. President Buhari gave a response to this, saying, “I have directed the Minister of Defence to work with the Ministry of Justice to conclude this matter within the shortest possible time.”

The significance of this agreement lies in the fact that it opens the door to the procurement of military hardware, on a government-to-government basis, eliminating middlemen and reducing cost, as well as the training of military personnel, modernization of the armed forces, refurbishment and renewal of infrastructure and equipment, which President Putin said he is ready to assist Nigeria to undertake.

The one perennial business and, if you like emotional topic between the two countries is the protracted issue of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, Ikot-Abasi, Akwa-Ibom State. It too, will be resolved. President Buhari announced that he had asked the Ministry of Justice, “to submit a comprehensive report on the UC Russel (the Russian owners of the plant) matter...I want to assure you that the aim of our reforms is to ensure such investments are concluded and actualized in a professional and painless manner.”

There are many of our citizens who do not reckon with the fact that this country has a nuclear programme for about 40 years, one however, that has not gone beyond the setting up of research stations. Arising from these discussions, President Putin invited President Buhari to join him in taking the next step in the implementation of the project by commencing the construction of the nuclear power plant.

The two Presidents also addressed issues in education and agriculture. Russia said she would give additional scholarships. There are currently 100 Nigerian students studying under her scholarship and so far, 797 students from Nigeria have benefited from scholarships for training in Russia in various academic fields.

On agriculture, Russia agreed to support Nigeria in laying a solid foundation for food security. This will partly come through raw materials (phosphate) supply for President Buhari’s very impactful Presidential Fertilizer Initiative that has seen the reopening of dozens of blending plants and the return to work of thousands of employees.

Russia, now the world’s largest producer of wheat according to President Putin, will work with Nigeria in growing wheat to meet domestic and market needs.

This is in response to President Buhari who made a request to Putin, that “we seek your Government’s support especially in the area of wheat production. Today, Nigeria produces less than one hundred thousand metric tons of wheat locally while our imports are projected to exceed five million tons in 2020. We therefore need your support to bridge the deficit which will create jobs and save our foreign exchange for other important areas like security, defence and infrastructure.”

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, with President Buhari pointedly asking for Russia’s support for Nigeria’s aspiration to assume a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, in the envisaged reform of the UN.

Realizing that the relationship between our two countries had suffered the loss of the momentum characteristic of the Soviet era, President Buhari said “to move forward, may I suggest that our countries organize the fifth Joint Commission meeting to review and ratify all the agreements (about 40) contained in the Inter-governmental Nigeria-Russia Joint Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation Protocol of November 11, 2016,” to which his Russian counterpart agreed.

For the African continent that been looked at as a potential bright spot in the world economy for a long time, the flurry of summits between the leaders of the major economies of the world and the Heads of African states and government is a clear indication of Africa coming of age.

For Nigeria and President Buhari in particular, the Russia-Africa Summit had served the desire the two countries to diversify and further strengthen the bonds of our robust bilateral relations. A solid foundation has indeed been laid for the promotion of the mutually beneficial cooperation between both nations.

Garba Shehu, is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE


WHAT NIGERIAN FINANCIAL REGULATORS MUST DO TO PROTECT CUSTOMERS' DEPOSITS & BANKS, BY VP OSINBAJO


“…most reliable studies show that overly generous financial safety nets or system have generally tended to increase bank risks and systemic fragility. My respectful view is that there must be some rethinking of the short and long term implications of the use of these tools and their sustainability in the coming years. A reference was made in the past that we may not even have that option of the AMCON-type bailout given the sheer amount of money that will be involved.

“There is no question that regulatory institutions must now spend more time and resources on researching the nature, management of new risks such as the speed of transactions, cross border transactions, money laundering concerns and data privacy and security issues. Training to meet the required compliance capacity will also be crucial.

“Thirdly there are the challenges associated with the move towards financial inclusion.

“The other issue is coping with the implications for banking, of the disruptive technologies that are quickly changing the landscape of financial services. It seems to me that FINTECHS will continue to be most profound force for change for both good and ill ever seen in the financial services industry.”

BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH:

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE NDIC 30TH ANNIVERSARY LECTURE/BOOK LAUNCH, MONDAY OCTOBER 21, 2019 AT TRANSCORP HILTON HOTEL, ABUJA

It really is a special pleasure to join you today here at the 30th anniversary celebration of this unique institution and I am extremely grateful to the board and management for the kind invitation.

We have already heard of the various institutional achievements of the NDIC in the past three decades of its existence. The part that it has played in stabilizing the financial system especially the periods immediately after the early days of privatization and private ownership of banks, its role in the failed banks crisis that followed immediately after, and the various professional and standards distinctions that it has received through the years.

Few will deny that even its mere existence has reassured a sometimes nervous system that banks will be able to convert liabilities to cash to fulfill their potential obligations to their customers. I must also join others in commending the NDIC for its professionalism, its steady unexcitable and conservative profile and for gaining international respect amongst peers for itself and for Nigeria.

Not only are you a reference point for deposit insurance institutions globally but also NDIC officials have been preferred to Executive Council (EXCO) membership of the highly respected International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI), as well as the current Chairmanship of the IADI-Africa Regional Committee (ARC).

I must say again that the NDIC has continually demonstrated that it is an institution that deserves all of the accolades and commendations that it has received today and in the past. It is said that one of the great disincentives to greater glory is past glory.

Sometimes the status quo is so comfortable that the preparing for and taking on new challenges may not gain adequate attention.

I trust that the current board (whose talents and dynamism I can personally attest to) will be ahead of the challenges of the future. But it will be remiss of me not to mention some of my perceptions on some of the dynamics of engaging the future of our financial safety systems.

First is the number of institutions, and implicit and explicit tools in our safety system and their sustainability. Perhaps the most significant challenge to the financial system that we have experienced so far was that bank crisis of 2009. Going by the manner of resolution it appears that the preferred option was the establishment of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria - an option that cost something in the order of N5 trillion. Since then we have also seen the use of a mixture of bailouts and bridge banks.

The problem, of course, is that the most reliable studies show that overly generous financial safety nets or system have generally tended to increase bank risks and systemic fragility. My respectful view is that there must be some rethinking of the short and long term implications of the use of these tools and their sustainability in the coming years. A reference was made in the past that we may not even have that option of the AMCON-type bailout given the sheer amount of money that will be involved.

The other issue is coping with the implications for banking of the disruptive technologies that are quickly changing the landscape of financial services. It seems to me that FINTECHS will continue to be most profound force for change both for good and ill, ever seen in the financial services industry.

Indeed, already banks all over the world are investing in FINTECHS and may in time become FINTECHS themselves as these smaller firms are eating faster, with more innovative systems, into the customer base of most of our banks - in mobile payment systems to the various crowd funding ideas. There is no question that regulatory institutions must now spend more time and resources on researching the nature, management of new risks such as the speed of transactions, cross border transactions, money laundering concerns and data privacy and security issues. Training to meet the required compliance capacity will also be crucial.

Thirdly there are the challenges associated with the move towards financial inclusion. In the past four years the Federal Government launched the Social Investment Programme, and in particular the micro-credit programme covering over two million informal traders, and then our Conditional Cash Transfer scheme meant to cover over a million of the poorest in our communities. All of these have formalized to a certain extent services to millions of individuals who were outside the banking system. And with our commitment (and the President has already stated that), we intend to lift 10 million persons annually from extreme poverty for the next ten years.

So, we are looking at a much more phenomenally larger customer base for the banks and of course, with all of the implications that this will have for regulations. With the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreements, we are also bound to see even greater opportunities for our banks whose footprints are already firmly all over Africa. Again these opportunities plus technology present their own issues both for the NDIC, domestic deposit insurers in sister African countries and the regional deposit insurance bodies.

So, the future is without a doubt exciting, but I dare say, will also call for a proactive, nimble and savvy NDIC as well as all other institutions constituting our financial safety net. And we must note this especially when those who should know like Mr. AIG Imoukhuede say without blinking that the regulatory infrastructure today belongs to yesterday, and we may not be prepared for the future. And that is as frightening as one could possibly have the facts, so there is a lot of work to be done.

Let me again congratulate the NDIC for thirty years of exemplary practice. You should be justly proud of your excellent history and antecedents, especially the firm shoulders of the pioneering leadership on which you now stand, you truly have every reason to celebrate.

We pray that the next thirty years will be more glorious for you as individuals and for the NDIC.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GOD BLESS YOU.


Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President

21st October, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

VP OSINBAJO TO PARTICIPATE IN NORDIC-AFRICAN BUSINESS SUMMIT IN OSLO
*To hold bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Norway

In pursuit of the Buhari administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, especially regarding the active mobilization of foreign investment, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will be honouring a personal invitation of the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, to attend the Nordic-African Business Summit in Oslo this week.

The invitation is a long standing one and the event, holding from Monday to Wednesday, is being organized to give particular prominence to trade and investment ties between Africa and the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The summit will attract the largest Nordic companies doing business or interested in doing business in Nigeria, with interests in agriculture, light manufacturing, transportation, digital technology and entertainment, oil and gas, and renewable energy.

Specifically, Prof. Osinbajo would, among other critical issues, be speaking on the strides made by the Buhari administration in improving the economy and human capital development.

The Vice President will also headline a specific Nigeria-focused investment roundtable, which is expected to lead to increased trade and investment into Nigeria by building confidence about business prospects in the country and its role as an economic gateway into Africa.

There will also be a high-level plenary session at the summit to be attended by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, featuring the Nigerian VP, Deputy President of South Africa, David Mabuza, and other global business and government leaders. That plenary session would be moderated by Financial Times editor, David Pilling.

Also, while in Oslo, the Vice President would hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries, including bilateral cooperation, especially trade and private sector investments, as well as regional and multilateral issues of mutual concern.

In extending its invitation to the Vice President, the Norwegian government noted that Nigeria’s participation in the summit would contribute considerably to its success, as the country “plays a crucial regional leadership role and has the largest economy in Africa.”

The Vice President, who had earlier this afternoon attended the Extraordinary Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, leaves Abuja later today and is expected back on Thursday.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
7th October, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

WHY STATES MUST HAVE MORE POWERS – OSINBAJO
*Adds: We must strengthen states for a more productive nation

*Says devolution of more power to States enables them to control more of their resources

*VP advocates for States & community police forces, correctional facilities, special courts


NIGERIA can become a stronger and more prosperous nation if states have more powers, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this while speaking at the 59th Independence Anniversary Lecture at the Island Club, Lagos, on Friday.

The Vice President, who titled his lecture “the whole is only as great as the sum of its parts,” said Nigeria’s population and diverse ethnic groups has necessitated that states in the country be strengthened to enable them contribute more to national productivity and development.

Prof. Osinbajo stated that this can be achieved with “stronger, more autonomous States that are able to generate and control more of their resources.”

According to the Vice President, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is ensuring that states collaborate more with the Federal Government on different initiatives to improve visionary governance in the country.

“The most important transformative change we can make in Nigeria is to lift the majority of our people out of deprivation by speedily creating wealth and opportunity leading to the eradication of poverty,” he said.

He further said that “The nation cannot be wealthy when its component parts – the states – are poor. The standard of living of the federation depends on the standard of living of people who live in the states. In other words, the federation can only be as rich as its richest state and as strong as its strongest state. Our national indices merely aggregate the realities of our weaknesses and strengths as present in all our constituent units. Consequently, we can only build a stronger and more prosperous nation by building stronger and more prosperous states.”

He said, “Building stronger states means ensuring the devolution of more power to the states, enabling them to control more of their resources and make more of their own administrative decisions such as the creation of Local Governments, the establishment of state and community police forces as well as state correctional facilities; creation of special courts and tribunals of equivalent jurisdiction to high courts. The point I am making is that states must have more powers and more rights.”

The Vice President stated that, “The challenges confronting us now are about strengthening internal coherence and cohesion. It is about moving from affirmations of unity to the achievement of synergy in which the sum of our strengths exceeds the totality of our constituent parts.”

He noted that, “Opportunities for smart and visionary governance abound. So, for example, while states may not be able to right now establish their police forces, they can collaborate with the federal government on initiatives such as community policing which also revolves around the idea of localized law enforcement. Our administration is currently pursuing this option. When we set our minds to solving problems, we will find that what is truly possible is not as distant from the ideal that we seek.”

The Vice President further noted that Nigerians, despite differences, must draw inspiration from its history of a common shared belief, in order to attain the quest for collective progress and continued unity.

He said, “In order to do so, we must draw inspiration from the deep wells of our history. The founding fathers of our republic – Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello. These three differed on many things but shared a clear belief in the Nigeria’s boundless capacity as a united country. Regardless of their keen rivalry, they agreed on the crucial necessity of Nigeria staying united despite the many centrifugal pressures that buffeted the young nation. On this matter of unity, their differences were those of degree rather than category.

“Each of them occupied different niches on the spectrum of national integration but they all shared the view that the ideal situation was one in which a united and prosperous Nigeria took its rightful place in the world as the most populous black nation on Earth and as the foremost black power.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that the founding fathers were of one mind as far as Nigeria’s world historic significance was concerned. They also recognized that her ability to fulfil her destiny was dependent on her continued unity.”

The Vice President added that, “The point of this excursion into history is to show that strong sub nationals led by visionary leadership is what it takes to develop the Nation. What we require today is stronger, more autonomous States able to generate and control more of their resources and visionary leadership.”

Speaking during a Q&A session, Prof. Osinbajo added that the Buhari administration will continue its fight against corruption.

“Two governors have been convicted for corruption, and they are in jail today. It took almost 10 years because our legal system is extremely slow, but we achieved it,” he said.

“The other thing I think we have to take note of is the fact that corruption fights back, and we also as citizens have to much more up and doing, because corruption fights back. They throw mud at everybody, give the impression that, “everybody is corrupt.”

“If we don’t control corruption, it’s the worst possible cancer that any nation can have, and as we can see from anything else, it just destroys a country by installments.”

Prof. Osinbajo stated that he will continue to give his best in service to the country under the Buhari administration.

“I intend to do everything that is necessary, everything that I can to ensure that we achieve the promises that we made and to ensure that we achieve the kind of country that we want to achieve. And I will do that every day, every minute, for as long and God gives me life and opportunity,” he said.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
05th October, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT BUHARI VISITS SOUTH AFRICA OVER WELFARE OF NIGERIANS


President Muhammadu Buhari departs Abuja Wednesday on a three-day State Visit to the Republic of South Africa, following an invitation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss welfare of Nigerians, and find common grounds for building harmonious relations with their hosts.

The visit comes against the background of recent xenophobic attacks, the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians and the exchange of visits by Special Envoys of Presidents Buhari and Ramaphosa.

While in South Africa, the Nigerian leader will hold a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in the country, with a view to sharing in their experiences and reassuring them of Nigerian government’s commitment to working for the protection of their lives and property and promoting peaceful co-existence.

President Buhari and his host will preside over the South Africa/Nigeria Bi-National Commission, during which a progress report will be presented. At the end of the meeting, both leaders will sign a joint communiqué.

The President and his delegation including Nigerian business representatives will also participate at a South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum with their host counterparts.

President Buhari will be accompanied by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State and Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State.

Others are: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd); Minister of Power, Eng. Saleh Mamman; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch. Olamilekan Adegbite; Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi; and Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Katagum.

Also on the trip are: National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and Chairman/CEO Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The President will return to Abuja on Friday.



Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 1, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE

I WILL WAIVE MY CONSTITUTIONAL IMMUNITY TO CLEAR MY NAME - OSINBAJO

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has declared his readiness to waive his constitutional immunity to “enable the most robust adjudication” of several baseless allegations, insinuation and falsehoods against his person and office.

Prof. Osinbajo made this declaration in a tweet he personally authored this afternoon.


Below is the full text of his tweet:

“In the past few days, a spate of reckless and malicious falsehoods have been peddled in the media against me by a group of malicious individuals.

“The defamatory and misleading assertions invented by this clique had mostly been making the social media rounds anonymously.

“I have today instructed the commencement of legal action against two individuals, one Timi Frank and another Katch Ononuju, who have put their names to these odious falsehoods.

“I will waive my constitutional immunity to enable the most robust adjudication of these claims of libel and malicious falsehood.”



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
25th September, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

HOW PRESIDENT BUHARI PLANS TO LIFT MILLIONS OUT OF POVERTY – OSINBAJO



*Why TraderMoni won AfDB prize for financial inclusion



The Federal Government’s policies and programmes aimed at promoting financial inclusion remain key to the actualization of President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise of lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.



Prof. Osinbajo stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening session of the 2019 Annual Conference of Chartered Institute of Bankers.


He was referring to the President’s June 12 speech where he stated that “we are working to lift Nigerians out of poverty and set them on the path to prosperity. We intend to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty over the next 10 years”.



According to the Vice President, “Financial inclusion of course is the key to realizing so much of what we expect as an economy and the President promised in his June 12 speech to lift 100 million people out of poverty in ten years, that is the commitment of the government of Nigeria.



“We started that journey with our collaboration with the Bank of Industry to deliver the GEEP programme, better known as TraderMoni and MarketMoni by providing microcredit to almost 2 million petty traders. The Bank of Industry has now brought this huge bottom of the pyramid into the formal financial system and that has been recognized worldwide. Recently the programme won the AfDB prize for financial inclusion because of the work that was done with TraderMoni. This is a huge task.



“Going forward, we now need to embark on financial training for all of those who have been brought into the net. As you know, when they’re given N10, 000 and they pay back, they are given N15, 000, N20, 000 and it goes all the way. But at that point they’re given their BVNs, they’re formally included in the financial system, they’re formally included as formal traders, and so we are able to give them financial training and all that.”



Continuing, the Vice President said “…for very long, that bottom of the pyramid has been completely excluded and yet informal trade is a significant part of trading that is going on in our country.



“So, there’s a real need out there and we must devise the methods by which those at the bottom of the pyramid can be uplifted and we must look at how we can even resource the entire value chains. What we find is that the petty trader, who just has a trade, is usually selling little bits and pieces from many of the manufacturers or fast-moving products and we found that just by giving them credit, we can resource the whole value chain all the way up.”



Speaking further on what the Federal Government intends to do in improving opportunities for those at the bottom of the pyramid, Prof. Osinbajo said “we’re working with the Bank of Industry, with several players in the market, especially the marketing services people to identify how to work through those value chains so that more of these people can move from petty trading, higher up in the value chain as they’re resourced”.



He urged stakeholders in the banking sector to support government’s efforts in resuscitating the MSMEs and real sectors.



He said “All of that will depend on what the banking industry is prepared to do, how adaptable the banking industry will be to giving loans, especially microcredit. Everything is changing very quickly.



“We must create good jobs and opportunities. We must rapidly industrialize, we must provide the environment for local businesses, small and large to create wealth and value. We must also address the concerns of young entrepreneurs and startups, and the small traders, the millions at the bottom of the economic value chain, the millions at the bottom of the pyramid, those who sell from their trays and table tops all over the markets in our country.



“We must develop the housing sector both to provide much needed shelter but also to boost local opportunities in the local building and building materials sectors. We know that we must ramp up our agricultural production, and provide a more efficient farm-to-market value chain, again creating millions of jobs in farming and Agribusiness generally.”



Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity

TIMI FRANK’S TISSUE OF LIES

RE-Osinbajo in trouble over N90billion FIRS election fund – Timi Frank



The attention of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has been drawn to publication in some online and daily newspapers by a certain Comrade Timi Frank, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who claimed that the FIRS supported the`APC, through the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with a phantom N90 billion.



The FIRS wishes to state as follows:



1. That the entire allegation being spread by one Frank Timi that the Federal Inland Revenue Service spent N90billion to fund the last election is mendacious, wicked, malicious and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Service and that of his Excellency, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. This campaign of calumny and villifying false claims are entirely, libellous, unfounded in fact, irresponsible and a brazen assault on the integrity of the Service as a responsible and accountable organisation and demonstrates an abysmal ignorance of the budgetary and expenditure process of the FIRS.



2. That in the last four years since Mr. Tunde Fowler has supervised operations at the FIRS, the agency had not received up to N100 billion, per annum, as Cost of Collection from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC. FAAC is a public institution, whose records are open to the public.



3. That it is from the remittances from FAAC—which had never grossed up to N100 billion, PER ANNUM, that FIRS pays the salary and emoluments and trains it’s over 8000 staff, runs over 150 offices and provides for other needs of the Service.



4. That given the above, IT IS NOT PLAUSIBLE nor DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE that FIRS will commit its resources to a phantom campaign of N90 billion as suggested by Mr. Timi Frank and FIRS does not fund political associations.



5. That FIRS is a creation of statute and its activities are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and financials regulations and thus, IT IS NOT PLAUSIBLE, that its funds could be expended in such a cavalier manner as suggested by Mr. Timi Frank.



6. That FIRS Budget and expenditure approval processes pass through the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance, before such are presented to the National Assembly for Appropriation into Law. The National Assembly committees, consisting of all parties and inclinations exercise oversight function on all agencies of the Federal Government to ensure agencies keep to the letters of the Appropriation Act. Thus FIRS’ operations are subjected to Scrutiny and close monitoring by the National Assembly, the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee and the Ministry of Finance.



7. It is therefore unthinkable, malicious and irresponsible for the said Frank to insinuate or infer that N90 billion or any part thereof could be spent illegally and without budgetary approval.



8. It is equally alarming to note that this injurious falsehood and blackmail could find space in our mass media without proper scrutiny particularly with the availability of the Freedom of Information Act, which broadly allows Nigerians access to information on expenditure of public funds by government agencies. This all goes to show an orchestrated and invidious decision by paid agents to discredit the Service in order to achieve their diabolical ends, which is at variance from the interest of Nigerians.



9. We ask members of the public to ignore the claims of Mr. Timi Frank, with the ignominy it deserves as the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC is seeking for cheap popularity and relevance.



10. It is in the light of the foregoing observations, the FIRS demands an unequivocal apology from the said Mr. Timi Frank and a well publicised public apology in three major and leading newspapers within the next 24 hours. The FIRS shall pursue claims for aggravated damages in libel and injurious falsehood against the said Mr. Frank if he fails to meet these conditions in the next 24 hours.



11. This invidious publication is targeted as derailing the revenue generation efforts for the three tiers of government in the nation. This is calculated economic sabotage and hereby referred to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation officially.



12. We finally wish to assure all Nigerians that the FIRS did not spend and could not have spent taxpayers money for political ends. For the avoidance of doubt, every kobo paid by taxpayers goes straight to the Federation Account domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria and that the FIRS does not possess the constitutional right to touch the said account or appropriate any kobo there from to itself.



The FIRS wishes to reassure members of the public that the FIRS is a PUBLIC TRUST, which the agency operates on behalf of Nigerians. Taxpayers money-including the operational funds of the Service- are sacred. FIRS remains committed to public accountability and transparency in the sacred mandate of tax collection and public expenditure.



Signed:



Wahab Gbadamosi

Head Communications & Servicom Department

FIRS

The world would call us ingrates, if Osinbajo is maltreated -Northern Youth

The coalition of Northern Nigerian Youth has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to halt any attempt that can lead to maltreatment or embarrassment of any kind on the personality and office of the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

Speaking to the Journalist in Kano on Monday, Mallam Yusuf Abdulmalik said, he believes that the news going around the media that the Presidency is moving to reduce the powers of the Vice-President and subsequently sideline him, is a rumour.

He said any attempt to do the above would labelled President Buhari and by extention the North as ungrateful people, creating a bad image for the region to the entire world.

He said, Osinbajo who has displayed maximum loyalty to the President both in his presence and absence, is the face of the Christian and strenght of the Yorubas and the south in Buhari Administration, hence, he should never be abandoned at any time.

He further noted that, the smooth relationship between Buhari and Osinbajo in the last four years has given more lige to the one Nigeria spirit and should never be allowed to be destroyed by some selfish individuals, who are hidden under the bed to stain the hard earned integrity of the President

Nigerian Navy Boss *SMD Usman* Threatens Aspirants Over Race For President Of Abuja Estate Residents

The Director of Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja, Rear Admiral SMD Usman, is in an alleged plot to oppress residents and aspirants after declaring interest to contest for the President of Dantata Housing Estate Residents Association in Abuja.

SMD Usman, who allegedly own mansions in the estate located in Kubwa, Abuja, is reportedly conniving with the Chairman of the Caretaker Election Committee to ensure elections do not hold.

According to report put forward by a resident within the Estate, he narrated that the Real Admiral as the outgone President of the association, had on different occasions, called for meeting in his house but turned down by the residents. Owing to the need to re-elect new Excos for the Estate, SMD Usman, again called for another meeting at his home, which was attended by some residents. At the end of the meeting, he constituted a Caretaker Committee, headed by Alhaji Salisu Saad, to conduct election in two weeks.

While residents were awaiting date for election, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, ignored calls from residents and two days to the expiration of the set deadline, announced the last day of the two weeks period as election day.

As the D-day called, aspirants seeking to vie for position bought forms and campaigned round the residents with the expectation that election would hold on the announced date and time. However to their dismay, the committee chairman announced that the Dantata Developer wrote to the Committee to suspend the election on security grounds.
This, infuriated the Estate residents, and queried why a Developer, who has since sold and rented apartments to the residents should interfere in the activities and election of the residents.

“If truly there were security concerns as claimed by the developer, what should be done is to write to the security agency to deploy their men on the day of election so as to maintain peace and order, or invite all aspirants to the Police Station to write an undertaken, but none of these was done and the Committee Chairman expect us to belief this crap?”
Further dig revealed that Real Admiral SMD Usman, is allegedly behind the plot to stop the election exercise, raising concern what his interests are in the estate.

While it is unclear if the Nigerian military permits officers to stand for elections like this while in service, residents are beginning to express fear at the handling of the estate election by SMD Usman.

A resident, who spoke under anonymity disclosed that residents may not be able to utter their displeasure should SMD Usman finally win the race.

“It is clear that the shenanigans going on with this residents election is orchestrated by SMD Usman. It is even more crystal clear that he is in connivance with the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, who is dancing to his tunes,” she said.

Another resident who expressed her disgust at the current situation of event stressed that she won’t want a serving senior military officer to head the residents. She further questioned why a serving military officer would indicate interest in such election, saying it is “uncalled for” and “unheard of.”

An aspirant who confined in this reporter pleaded that the Nigerian Navy call Real Admiral SMD Usman to order and stop using his position to harass and oppress aspirants.

“If within an Estate, we are experiencing this undue harassment from SMD Usman, just because he wants to become President of the Estate Residents, then I think he has mistaken Dantata Estate to Sambisa Forest.

“SMD Usman claimed he wants to lead yet he is going about using boys to harass and intimidate us, we will not allow this to continue. I am using this opportunity to call on the Nigerian Navy to call SMD Usman to order and urge him to quit from this election,” the aspirant said.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Nigerian Navy proved abortive as his lines were enraged till the time of going to press.

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT

PRESS RELEASE



HOW NEC, NEWLY FORMED EAC WOULD WORK TOGETHER BY VP OSINBAJO

In response to a request for clarification by members of the National Economic Council regarding NEC’s relationship with the newly announced Economic Advisory Council, EAC, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said both councils are for the benefit of the President.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke at the 97th NEC meeting today at the Council Chambers.
“If NEC want to be briefed regularly by the Economic Advisory Council, EAC, we will request the President to do that,” the VP explained to the Council observing that such interaction will promote synergy.

Below are highlights of NEC deliberations:

NEC (5TH IN 2019) 97TH NEC MEETING – THURSDAY, 19TH October, 2019

UPDATE ON THE NATIONAL LIVESTOCK TRANSFORMATION PLANBY THE GOVERNOR OF EBONYI STATE, DAVE UMAHI, CHAIRMAN OFNEC TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON THE NLTP

The chairman reminded NEC that the Committee was to address the
Farmer/herder crisis
The Committee presented a National Livestock Transformation Plan 2019 – 2028.
The Plan is not targeted on only cows but a holistic strategy to address animal husbandry.
The Plan has six pillars:
Conflict Resolution
Justice and Peace
Humanitarian Relief and Early Recovery
Human Capital Development
Cross cutting issues
Economic Development
The Committee proposed an implementation guideline to guide FG and States
N100 billion has been budgeted to support the project.
FG is to contribute 80% in grant to support States, while States will contribute land, project implementation structure, personnel and 20% cost of the project.
Council Resolution
Need to look at the Trans-Human West Africa Regional Protocol – because the country cannot allow such movement of cattles without registering and monitoring them
Council emphasised the need to established the fact that NLTP is a creation of NEC and State Governors and is completely distinct from RUGA.
NEC adopted the National Livestock Transformation Plan on January 18, 2019. It is a creation of the National Economic Council.
States will determine, whether or not they are willing to participate, as FG did not impose this plan. Participation remains voluntary.
The role of the FG is to coordinate, monitor and help implement the plan.

UPDATE ON ACCOUNT

Honourable Minister of State for Budget and National Planning reported to Council that balances in the underlisted accounts as at 17th September, 2019 are as follows:
EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT (ECA) = USD 274, 583, 856 .78
STABILIZATION ACCOUNT = N23, 796, 349,487.76
DEV. NATURAL RES. ACCT FUND = N105, 135, 613, 817.27
UPDATE ON BUDGET SUPPORT LOAN FACILITY
The Honourable Minister of State also briefed in the Budget Support Facility that State Governments are expected to start servicing the loan from September 2019 and repayment is over 240 months
Council resolved that Governors should meet with the Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nigeria to sort out the details of repayment modalities and the Vice President will ensure same and ensure the meeting between the Governors, CBN and Finance Ministry in order to facilitate the speedy resolution of the matter.
UPDATE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ENABLING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL (PEBEC)
The Secretary of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Dr. Jumoke Oduwole gave an update on building an Enabling Business Environment. She informed Council that
There is currently a reform wave in African countries, as contained in the African Development Bank (AFDB) Economic Outlook Report released in January, 2019.
That in the 2019 World Bank ease of doing business ranking, Nigeria is ranked 146 with Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) making up to 90% of Business in Nigeria.
That the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020, which has three broad objectives; which includes restoring growth; Investing in people and Building a competitive economy has positioned Nigeria in the path of building a competitive economy.
That PEBEC is mandated to make Nigeria’s ranking to top 100 in the 2020 World Bank Doing Business index.
Achieve the required political buy-in across all arms and levels of government.
Furthermore, she told NEC that PEBEC has in the past 3 years achieved the following:
Moved up 24 places in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business ranking
32 Nigerian states, led by Kaduna, Enugu, Abia, Lagos and Anambra states have improved in their ease of doing business environment.
An independent EODB survey adjudged Nigeria’s reforms as impactful in terms of reduction in time, cost and procedures of doing business.
REPORT OF THE AD-HOC COMMITTEE ON CRUDE OIL THEFT,
PREVENTION AND CONTROL PRESENTED BY GOVERNOR EDO STATE

-The 13 member Ad-Hoc Committee which is chaired by the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki in their report, told the Council that the Committee is constituted to address:
i. Impact of vandalism, oil theft and illegal bunkering on oil production;
ii. Effectiveness of the activities of the JTF and other Security Agencies
iii. Consider the set-up of Special Courts to prosecute offenders, among others.
The Terms of Reference of the Ad-Hoc Committee is to include:
· restoring and sustaining the three major pipelines;
· assessing the challenges and draw up a roadmap to guide further actions towards finding a lasting solution to the problem;
· co-opt individual or corporate body to facilitate the work of the Committee and update the Council regularly.
- The Ad-Hoc Committee in its findings discovered that there were losses. NNPC reported a loss of 22.64 million barrel of crude oil valued at USD 1.35 billion for 2019 half a year and possibly UDS 2.7 billion for a full year at a global oil price of USD 60 per barrel, if not checked.
- The losses were recorded on the following pipeline:
a. Nember Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) 9.2 million barrels
b. Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) 8.6 million barrels
c. Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) 3.96 million barrels
d. Trans Escravos Pipeline (TSEP) 877 Thousand barrels.

- Absence of governance structure for the pipeline such that no one is held accountable whenever there is a breach on the lines.
- Slow and inadequate prosecution of oil thieves, despite numerous arrests and seizures.
- Absence of petroleum products filling stations in most of its oil producing Communities that make them resort to illegal bunkering and refineries
- Huge internal and external markets of stolen crude oil which include Ghana as well as some neighboring countries.
-The Committee made the following recommendations to the Council:
i. The need to restructure the maintenance of all pipelines as a way of tackling the perpetrators of oil theft. ii. Have a legal framework that will ensure every criminal is duly prosecuted, imprisoned and all assets confiscated.
iii. Setting up Special Courts to try offenders, set-up of Legal Task Force to coordinate the prosecution of arrested offenders as well as train special judges to handle cases of oil theft.
iv. NNPC to engage the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to identify markets for the stolen products.
v. Governors of the oil producing states to step up actions to develop their communities with their 13% derivation allocation as well as implement programmes that will be impactful to make life easy for the people. They should also create employment opportunities for the youths in these regions.
vi. Propose a funding arrangement to be jointly funded by the Federal, State Governments and oil companies.

Council Resolution
Council resolve as follows:
Recommendations given will be presented to the President who is also the Minister of Petroleum for the final decision and implementation.
The Chairman of Council also asked NNPC to make a presentation to the Council on the state of PMS and smuggling across the borders.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Governors requested clarification from the Council Chairman on the relationship between NEC and the newly formed Economic Advisory Council. The Vice President explained that both Councils are advisory for the benefits of the President, while NEC is established by the Constitution. The Vice President added that NEC could be briefed regularly on the activities of the newly found EAC with the permission of the President.

Released by

‘Laolu Akande

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
19th October, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

NEXT LEVEL: WHAT FG IS DOING TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE, SERVICE DELIVERY – OSINBAJO


*VP adds: Ministers to render first performance report in December

“Let me speak quickly to what will be done differently on implementation of government plans in this dispensation. After the Presidential policy dialogue preceding the inauguration of Ministers, the President developed a list of specific mandates for each ministry. Each of those mandates has clearly spelt out action points.


“Every minister has a mandate with action point, some of the mandates have 7 or 8 points. The ministers are to render their first reports on performance in December. So, in some sense we are moving to a more measurable way of determining where ministers are going and what they ought to do. Of course there would be challenges of funding, clarity of plans etc.”



SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE OPENING SESSION OF THE 2019 ANNUAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, HELD AT THE ICC, ABUJA, ON MONDAY, 16th SEPTEMBER, 2019

PROTOCOLS


I am extremely pleased to be here and to have received the invitation to participate at this annual management conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) for 2019.

Coming at a time when we are in the early months of the current administration it seemed to me to be a good time to come to the management gurus for some lessons on fresh ideas on management, especially the management of a complex democracy. With the quality of attendees today, I think I should award myself an initial pass mark for properly identifying the solution by picking the right conference to attend personally.

I also checked very diligently and found to my relief that there is no charge, open or hidden, for my category of attendee, which means that I can derive the immense benefits from this gathering of the brightest and best in management free of charge.

What remains is for me to consult with the President of the Institute as a true Nigerian to ask whether attendance at this one meeting qualifies me to start parading myself as a management expert henceforth.
The theme of the conference, “Managing the Challenges of Democracy”, really could not have been better framed. I think it was one of the illustrious past Presidents of the NIM, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, who at the 2006 Conference, declared quite perceptively that all sectors of the Nigerian economy were suffering from endemic management failure.

To carry his prognosis a little further, I would say that the central question especially in the public sector today is not the lack of talent or well researched policies, but the weakness in getting things done, or implementation - doing things as opposed to talking about doing them.

Implementation is possibly the central management challenge today and it is, in my respectful view, at the heart of the challenges of managing our democracy. So, in every real sense, our problem is a management one.

If the NIM achieved nothing else but a prescription on how to resolve the problem, you would certainly deserve to be described as national heroes. But to take the prize you will need to ensure implementation beginning with all of us who are seated here today.

Let me set out some of the issues or, as researchers will say, the problematic, for your consideration.

First is the central question of governance, ethics in the management of public resources; second is the issue of merit over quotas and politics in the selection of talents and projects; third are the challenges in human capital development; fourth is the problem of scale, scale in social services; for example, education - providing 21st century education to millions of children as the country heads for third place in world population in a few decades. Lastly, but by no means the least, is the problem of poverty, and the creation of wealth and opportunities for millions.

Regarding the first, our approach as a government has been first to tackle grand corruption, which, in other words, is the direct looting of the treasury by senior members of government, and the second is changing systems that promote graft.

This we have done by the introduction and implementation of the TSA, PICA, continuous Audit of government-owned entities, the insistence on full implementation of IPPIS, especially for the armed and uniformed services who had for long avoided being on this transparent electronic platform; the whistleblower initiative and other measures aimed at bringing greater transparency and scrutiny to public finance and the conduct of public affairs.

The Next Level is to deepen the fight against corruption especially in government procurement processes and government delivered services. We believe that technology and automation will help, moving things away from the discretion of the desk officer, to the agnostic electronic platform.

We aim to ensure that every Nigerian is able to obtain passports and drivers licenses, etc without having to pay bribes or suffer needless delays. But how to do these efficiently is the implementation challenge, and of course, we are open to advice from the gurus.

Next is the question of moving more towards consistency in applying merit as a first consideration as opposed to quotas as a first consideration in public appointments. Every part of Nigeria has great talents. Even If we are picking talents from every State, that choice should be merit driven. The civil service has in the past three years insisted on examinations for promotion and even for permanent secretaries, that process must be maintained and final choices per state should follow the order of merit. There are many open questions on implementation. Again, over to you.

The issues of capacity in Human Capital Development, affordable health care for all, education, especially getting out-of-school children into the school system, education of girls, and relevant educational curricula, are front burner issues today.

Health care for all cannot come from budget allocations alone. As of last week, we had taken major steps in the provision of our universal coverage policy. In 2018, we implemented the allocation of 1% of the CRF to healthcare.

Consequently, we launched the first phase of the BASIC HEALTH CARE PROVISION FUND with the disbursement of N6.5 billion to the first 15 qualifying States and the FCT. The money goes to Social Health Insurance Agencies in the States to reduce the hardship of patients making out-of-pocket payments for healthcare. The Next Level is the implementation of compulsory health insurance for all Nigerians on a co-payment basis with government.

We are working at the level of the National Economic Council to achieve Mr. President’s June 20th charge to State governors to ensure full implementation of free and compulsory education in the first nine years of the school life of every Nigerian child.

The extensive use of technology, focusing on getting girls into schools, introducing mainstream subjects into the Quranic School system, and implementation of the STEAM curricula are some of the main components of the educational plans that we have going forward.

Some of you are familiar with the Homegrown School Feeding Programme. That programme has been particularly helpful in ensuring an upward trajectory in education enrolment in primary schools all over the country. Today we are in 32 States and feeding over 9.8 million children. There are many implementation challenges in how to ensure high quality education on scale. At the moment several programs including technology solutions are in use or being considered in various States. We need to efficiently identify the best options and apply them on scale.

The implementation of policies and programmes to address the challenges of poverty and wealth creation, jobs for millions of young active people now and in the future require collective thinking and action. While we have created appreciable value in agriculture, with the Anchor Borrowers programme by adding new jobs and acreage in paddy rice, sorghum, millet, cassava and yams, we recognize that it is in the agro-allied value chain that the greatest value lies for jobs and improved productivity.

So, for a crucial component of our mechanization of agriculture, we have a programme with the Brazilian government, they are making available a $1 billion facility to provide equipment, where we intend to build service centres in every local government to render extension services, leasing of farm equipment and provision of improved inputs.

In addition to that, there will be six assembly plants for tractors and other equipment. The enhancing of commerce in agriculture by the building of rural roads for access to markets and commodity exchanges are also priority items. The truth is that in every development plan to create the number of quality of jobs that we want, we will have to do a lot with what our agricultural outcomes are. What our plans are and how they are implemented, especially in the agro-allied value chain are important. The expansion of opportunities in manufacturing with the completion of the first phase of the special economic zones in Enyimba City in Abia, Lekki Free Trade in Lagos and the Funtua Cotton in Katsina are priorities and good progress has been made thus far. We already have investor-indication in the Afro-Exim Bank and the AfDB. The IFC is also supporting the initiative.

In addition, we are in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, investing in infrastructure, in small business and commercial clusters all over Nigeria. Examples are, Leather works clusters, shoe making, food processing clusters, printer clusters etc. These are to benefit from the provision of power, equipment, and other infrastructure.

Under what is described as our Energizing Economies scheme, we licensed and ensured the provision of power on a willing-buyer-willing seller basis to large and medium scale markets, such as Sabon Gari in Kano, Ariaria in Abia, and Sura market in Lagos. We intend to continue with the Energizing Economies scheme. We also have the Energizing Education scheme where we are licensing private power producers, providing power to 37 universities and 7 Teaching Hospitals. We believe that we can resolve some of the power problems by decentralizing power generation and distribution such that not just the DISCOS and GENCOS will be involved, but that anyone willing to produce power are able to do so, and we are able to license more people who can produce power, especially on a willing-buyer-willing-seller basis.

It was in providing a better scope for jobs, especially for young people in technology and innovation, that we have been facing some of the critical challenges, especially with access to credit. Today, there are many startups and innovation, but in a country our size, the question is providing credit on scale and on an accessible basis. So, the Bank of Industry has about N10 billion that it has put aside for innovation in technology. But N10 billion is not enough for a country our size.

So, we are talking to the AfDB, they are putting together a $500 million facility for innovation and for startups in technology, and we think that can give a lot of impetus to a lot of the talents that we see today in technology and innovation. We have also started a technology and entertainment advisory group, where we have a lot of the young people who are in technology and entertainment, advising government directly on the policies that are required for ensuring that technology and innovation is not stupefied by regulations. For example, a lot of the Fin-Tech companies are basically doing banking type transactions, but they can’t be regulated or licensed like banks. So, there is a need for a policy review in that area. What we have tried to do is to provide those kinds of policies working closely with the Central Bank.

With respect to small businesses, we have seen quite a bit of work being done, especially with the MSMEs; and already we have done MSMEs Clinics in 24 States, and we have also established one stop shops for regulatory approvals in some zones. The clinics which are attended by all regulatory authorities has been an eye opener for them, as they hear and see the problems of small businesses first hand. This is quite important because so many small businesses have been complaining about getting approvals from NAFDAC, SON, CAC etc. So, the clinics are important in ensuring that the regulatory agencies themselves understand what the issues are and that has led to some of the changes we see today.

It was in the process of thinking through the problems of access to credit for informal traders and businesses, and especially petty traders, the so-called-bottom-of-the-pyramid in the commerce chain that we developed with the Bank of Industry, the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, or what is better known as the MarketMoni and TraderMoni schemes. Thinking through the budget in a democracy with the large numbers that we have, obviously, what our focus should be on how to ensure that the bottom of the pyramid, which is the largest number, get some help and are empowered to do their own business as well.

One of the very important things is how countries as large as ours, and with the levels of poverty that we have, are able to structure their budgets in such a way as to cater for that bottom of the pyramid. That is something that has always escaped us and we cannot seriously talk about the welfare of the majority without budgets that think through the questions that address the welfare of the majority. What we have seen so far is that both schemes have greatly enhanced access to credit, improved the inventories of petty traders. It is evident that if we don’t find solutions to some of those issues, it will more or less become difficult to take people out of poverty. And we have seen some of these schemes work in other parts of the world. We have seen these schemes work in India, taking large numbers of people out of poverty. We think that these schemes will work here if they are faithfully and diligently implemented. What we have been able to do so far is 2 million people; we are merely scratching the surface.

There is some cheering news, the programme recently won the AfDB prize for financial inclusion. And we think that there is room for improvement. How do we scale up? We found that there is diligence in repayment, people found that they will get more when they repay their loans.

Let me speak quickly to what will be done differently on implementation of government plans in this dispensation. After the Presidential Policy Dialogue preceding the inauguration of Ministers, the President developed a list of specific mandates for each ministry. Each of those mandates has clearly spelt out action points. Every minister has a mandate with action points, some of the mandates have 7 or 8 points. The ministers are to render their first reports on performance in December. So, in some sense we are moving to a more measurable way of determining where ministers are going and what they ought to do. Of course, there would be challenges of funding, clarity of plans etc.

The full and effective performance of these mandates is, of course, an implementation challenge. We look forward to your contributions on the journey.

Let me again commend the NIM for these many years of provoking thought and action on making our nation work for the benefit of all.

Just a thought as I take my seat, reading the Code of Conduct of the NIM, it is so elegant that if just those of us in this room, including myself, could comply with that code, this country will be completely different. So, I throw the challenge to the NIM to walk the talk.

So, it is now my special pleasure to declare open this annual conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management 2019 for the benefit of all Nigerians. Thank you very much.


Released by:

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President

16th September, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

REPORT INSINUATING VICE PRESIDENT DIDN'T FOLLOW DUE PROCESS IN SUPERVISION OF AGENCIES UNDER HIM IS FALSE
(Re: Buhari directs Osinbajo to seek approvals for agencies under him)

Our attention has been drawn to a sensational report by The Cable published on September 17, 2019, which claims that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, has directed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to seek approvals for agencies under him.

The report suggests, falsely, that agencies under the supervision of the Vice President do not normally comply with established rules where presidential approvals are required.

This is obviously misleading and aims only to plant seeds of discord in the Presidency, while attempting to create unnecessary national hysteria.

The agencies in question are established by law and the Vice President has always insisted on due compliance with the enabling statutes and other established regulations.

Depending on the particular scope of activity in question, agencies may require management approval only, at the level of the Director-General or Chief Executive Officer. In this category falls the great majority of their day-to-day activities.

However, other activities, or procurements, with value exceeding a certain threshold, require Board approval. These may get to the agency Board chaired by the Vice President. In a few cases where Presidential approval is required, the Director-General must seek such approval from the President, through the Vice President. These rules have always guided the activities of statutory agencies and the ones under the Vice President’s supervision have always been so guided.

To claim that in the first term of the Buhari administration, agencies of government have not been complying with the provisions (of getting final approvals from the President) is false, and the attempt to suggest the Vice President’s complicity in such irregularities is simply mischievous and reprehensible.

The effective and mutually respecting relationship between the President and the Vice President is well known to Nigerians and it is futile to insinuate otherwise.

Even though the Vice President has a statutory role as Board Chairman of some government agencies under his office, with appropriate approval limits, which often do not include contract approvals; it is ludicrous to even insinuate that a Board Chairman approves contracts.

Evidently, the Federal Executive Council, which oversees Federal Ministries and agencies of government, is chaired by the President, and it is in its purview to approve or ratify award of contracts within the prescribed threshold.

The Vice President remains committed to the service of his fatherland and will continue to do so despite the purveyors of fake news. We urge media organizations, as gatekeepers, to uphold truth, balance, fairness and objectivity in their reports.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
17th September, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT BUHARI CONSTITUTES ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL

President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted an Economic Advisory Council (EAC) made up of the following:

1. Prof. Doyin Salami – Chairman

2. Dr. Mohammed Sagagi – Vice-Chairman

3. Prof. Ode Ojowu – Member

4. Dr. Shehu Yahaya – Member

5. Dr. Iyabo Masha – Member

6. Prof. Chukwuma Soludo – Member

7. Mr. Bismark Rewane – Member

8. Dr. Mohammed Adaya Salisu – Secretary (Senior Special

Assistant to the President, Development Policy)

This advisory council will replace the current Economic Management Team (EMT) and will be reporting directly to the President.

The Economic Advisory Council (EAC) will advise the President on economic policy matters, including fiscal analysis, economic growth and a range of internal and global economic issues working with the relevant cabinet members and heads of monetary and fiscal agencies.

The EAC will have monthly technical sessions as well as scheduled quarterly meetings with the President. The Chairman may, however, request for unscheduled meetings if the need arises.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 16, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS HOUSE


PRESIDENT BUHARI DECRIES ATTACK ON SAUDI OIL REFINERY PLANTS; ASSURES OF NIGERIAN SOLIDARITY

President Muhammadu Buhari says the Federal Republic of Nigeria stands in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following drone attacks yesterday on the refinery plants at Khurais and Abqaiq.

“We in Nigeria once experienced attacks on our own oil facilities. Those who sought, by doing so, to undermine governments of the day did not succeed then – nor at any time.

“The identities of those who sent the drones to attack the Saudi refineries, and from where, may not yet be known. Still, these attacks similarly represent economic warfare aimed at damaging a government, but, in reality, always and only damaging innocent citizens’ livelihoods: those with no place, nor cause, to be harmed,” the President said.

“The attackers of Saudi Arabia will win no friends in the international community for their actions – whoever they may be, and however certain they be in their cause,” the Nigerian leader added.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 16, 2019

https://mobile.twitter.com/GarShehu/status/1173653678177345537

BMO REJECTS ONIGBINDE'S APPOINTMENT."..he lacks honour, character”

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has rejected the purported appointment of Seun Onigbinde, an arch critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, as Technical Adviser to the Minister of Budget and National Planning.

BMO says the appointment is a travesty that desecrates the characters of honour and integrity which are the hallmarks of President Muhammadu Buhari and those who are called to serve in his government.

The appointment had for days attracted widespread reactions from supporters of the Buhari administration, many of whom totally condemned the move.

In a statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, BMO's Chairman and Secretary respectively, the group wondered how "an imbalanced caustic denigrator of the government of President Buhari would be called to serve in the same administration he had described in the most unpalatable terms.

"Seun Onigbinde lacks honour and integrity, which are characters known of President Buhari, and thus could not be in the same team with him.

"He has severally described the President with the most distasteful terms, and has shown, especially on social media, that he sees nothing good in the administration of President Buhari.

" Onigbinde had also gone to the shameful extent of describing those who support the President and his administration as ‘ethnic jingoists’. He once referred to the President as ‘incompetent’, and accused him of being a dictator committing illegality.

“We cannot but wonder that this same man accepted an appointment to serve in this same administration he has described in the most odious terms. It shows he lacks honour.

“He perhaps was browbeating all the while so he could achieve some notice and be sneaked in at night into the same government he publicly threw invectives at".

BMO added that Mr Onigbinde lacked decency and morality to reject the said appointment if indeed he believed in those insults he had publicly hurled at Buhari and his administration

“We believe that a man must stand for something, and live by it. If Seun was called by anyone to take an appointment in a government he ridiculed and called illegal and dictatorial, he should have turned it down, if he had any decency or morals.

“Does he now want to serve in this same government and become part of what he had called an illegality and dictatorship?” the group asked.

“He went as far as deleting his Twitter account so that his ridiculous and denigrating posts against the President Buhari administration would not be recalled. That is enough evidence of Seun Onigbinde’s lack of character.”

The group also called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party, to reject the appointment of Seun Onigbinde and call for his ouster from the government.

It said: “There are countless supporters of the President who have more powerful backgrounds and records, who are better qualified, and who would offer better professional and intellectual support to the attainment of the President’s ideals and goals, which they believe in - which Seun has said he does not.

"These are the ones the government should engage, not imbalanced critics with unstable morality.

"We do not expect a man to rain curses at the conductor of an orchestra for the music he is playing, and yet still seek to play an instrument in that same orchestra. That is a travesty of integrity. It must not stand.”

3 Reasons Atiku Stood No Chance At Presidential Election Petition Tribunal By Akinloye James


Firstly, his petition was filled with so many contradictions, that for every claim he made, he made another claim that contradicted the first. For instance, in his petition, Atiku said that the card readers used during the election transmitted results that showed he got over 16 million votes. By this, Atiku relied on the optimum working of card readers across the country to establish his claim – yet the same Atiku in the same petition said at some point, that the same card readers were barely used in 11 Northern states.

Secondly, he based his petition on a non-existent server. Atiku claimed that INEC had a server where votes were allegedly transmitted through card readers. This is the most ridiculous claim yet, why? One, the electoral laws do not provide for electoral transmission of results. Two, because there is no such provision, there was no such transmission by any means. The only means by which results were collated and tabulated were through paper forms at polling units. Atiku then claimed that card readers were used to transmit votes tabulated. This is foolish because nobody votes on card readers. For votes to be transmitted via any device, you would have to have voted the party of your choice on that device. Nobody voted on card readers. The card readers were used before voting to accredit voters. Thus, the card readers can only tell you the number of voters and those who voted, but not who they voted for.

Finally, Atiku believes President Buhari does not have the required certificate to qualify to run for president. Now that is really dumb. How did a man rise to become a General in the Nigerian Army if he did not have a certificate? It simply does not make sense. Yet President Buhari has provided from the records of WAEC and Cambridge, the transcripts of his Senior School Leaving Certificate: that is the West African School Certificate. This is the minimum requirement expected by law.

His classmates have also come forward to affirm that he indeed, was their classmate and that they sat for these exams together. Recall that President Buhari has maintained that his certificates got missing during a raid by some Army officers on his residence during the 1985 coup against him?


– James is the president of the Initiative to Save Democracy.

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has supported food and non-food items to over 200,000 refugees in Adamawa.
Sen. Basheer Garba, the Federal Commissioner of NCFRMI, presented the items at Malkohi IDPs camp on Thursday in Yola.
Garba said the intervention was the consistent efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in bringing an end to insurgency and all forms of criminality.
He said the provision of the relief materials was aimed at improving living condition of the hundreds of thousands of refugees in the state.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is working assiduously to making displaced communities in Nigeria safe.
“In achieving this, it is our belief and prayer that in no distance time, our displaced persons will become self-reliant and ultimately agents of their own durable solutions,” Garba said.
Dr Mohammed Sulaiman, the Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), said the state has about 200,000 refugees currently.
“Some of the refugees are sheltered in some IDPs camps, while others are spread within host communities across the state,” Suleiman said.
The Nigeria News Agency reports that the items distributed by the commission included care, maintenance, educational and empowerment materials, among others.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

TRIBUNAL JUDGMENT IS VICTORY FOR NIGERIANS, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI


President Muhammadu Buhari says the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the February 23, 2019 poll, is victory for Nigerians who trooped out to overwhelmingly elect him for a second term in office.

“Good conscience fears no evil report. I was unperturbed all along, because I knew Nigerians freely gave us the mandate. We are now vindicated,” the President declares.

He dedicates the victory to God, and to Nigerians, while also commending the judiciary for “dispensing justice without fear or favour.”

President Buhari extends a hand of fellowship to those who had felt aggrieved at the outcome of the election, and went to court, noting that it was within their democratic rights.

He notes, however, that with the pronouncement of the judiciary, “it is time for the country to move forward as one cohesive body, putting behind us all bickering and potential distractions over an election in which Nigerians spoke clearly and resoundingly.”



Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
September 11, 2019

SAVE JUDICIARY FROM ASSAULTS BY EVIL FORCES – BMO TO NIGERIANS



The current persistent battering of senior Judicial officers poses a clear and present danger to the Judiciary, rule of law, our democracy and the nation in general.



Raising this advisory, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) warned Nigerians to be mindful of the evil effects of the relentless assault on the image and integrity of senior Judicial officers, especially members of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).



In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO warned Nigerians to be watchful and ensure they resist any move or antics from any quarter to undermine, intimidate, or harass Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.



Zeroing in on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar, BMO called Nigerians’ attention to the various attacks, threats and intimidation against Justices sitting at the PEPT.



“This is disrespectful, offensive and a clear assault on the rule of law.



“On Social Media, PDP agents have gone to the extent of publishing the personal details, including the telephone numbers, of the Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, with the intent of getting Nigerians, particularly PDP supporters to harass and intimidate these Justices.

“Some of Atiku’s social media agents have published threatening comments and called for the Justices to do the bidding of their principal. They have implied that they would unleash some sinister actions in the event their principal loses at the Tribunal.



“This is shameful and a desecration of our justice system. It is an attack on our democracy, and Nigerians must be wary of this, and call it out for what it is. It shows how desperate the PDP and Atiku have become, that they would go to any lengths to perverse a system in order to have their way.



“We must say however that this does not come to us as something new. These kinds of threats to members of the Judiciary is the usual style of the PDP. It characterised their days when they ran the affairs of the country. There was a preponderance of reports of members of the Judiciary who were either threatened, coerced or allegedly bribed to do their biddings.”



BMO then called on Nigerians not to “subscribe to, or be hoodwinked by this undemocratic and uncivilised manner the PDP has chosen to fight its course.

“Nigerians are urged not to become tools in the hands of these agents of darkness that the PDP and its allies have become, with its persecution of senior Judicial officers.



“It is most unfortunate that after the PDP’s candidate had lost woefully by almost 4 million votes, he chose to go to court to challenge the victory, only for him to resort to attacking Judicial officers by proxy.



“Seeking to stampede the Justices to give judgement in its favour is vile, irresponsible and morally wrong.

“Atiku, the PDP and their agents are hereby advised to stop being an embarrassment to Nigeria and democracy in general.”

The group also called on the Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal not to be intimidated or shaken by these antics, noting that Nigerians would rally behind them.



“The Justices have nothing to fear or worry about. PDP’s harassment and intimidation would go nowhere. And it would have no effect, whatsoever. We only call on the Justices to remain focused and undeterred by these threats, intimidation and other antics of this forces of evil", the statement added.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE



XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS: PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES REPORT OF SPECIAL ENVOY TO SOUTH AFRICA, DIRECTS ON NEXT STEPS



In the wake of the xenophobic attacks by South Africans against other Africans including Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari sent Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (DGNIA) as his Special Envoy to South Africa, to convey a Special Message to his counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Special Envoy, who was in Pretoria from Thursday, 5th to Saturday, 7th September 2019 conveyed:

· The deep concern of President Buhari and Nigerians about intermittent violence against Nigerians and their property/business interests in South Africa.



· President Buhari stressed the need for South African Government to take visible measures to stop violence against citizens of brotherly African nations.



· President Buhari is worried that the recurring issue of xenophobia could negatively affect the image and standing of South Africa as one of the leading countries on the continent, if nothing is done to stop it.



· The Special Envoy conveyed the assurance of President Buhari that the Nigerian Government is ready and willing to collaborate with the South African Government to find a lasting solution to the involvement of few Nigerians in criminal activities, and to protect the lives and property of the larger groups of other law abiding Nigerians and indeed Africans in general, against all forms of attacks including xenophobia.



· President Buhari further assured that the Nigerian Government will guarantee the safety of lives, property and business interests of South Africans in Nigeria.



· On his part, President Ramaphosa agreed that the violence was most disconcerting and embarrassing, adding that his government completely rejects such acts, which undermine not only the country’s image but also its relations with brotherly African countries.



· President Ramaphosa reaffirmed his stand against criminality and committed to do everything possible to protect the rights of every Nigerian and other foreign nationals in the country.



· The Special Envoy also interfaced with his South African counterpart, where they reviewed the situation of foreign emigrants in general and Nigerians in particular. They agreed to work together to find a permanent solution to the root causes of the recurring attacks on Nigerians and their property.



· President Buhari has taken note of the report and instructed the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs to continue to engage with appropriate Authorities on the concrete measure the South African Government is expected to take.



· President Buhari has also given instruction for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians who are willing to return home.





Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 9, 2019

How PDP agents travelled to Cambridge to check out Buhari’s certificate


As the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal kicked off few months ago, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sent a team of lawyers and other party agents to the University of Cambridge to confirm the authenticity of the West African School Certificate (WASC) of President Muhammadu Buhari.

A Cambridge source said that the opposition party did not only send a delegation but also made a request seeking potential evidence, citing doubts about the authenticity of the President's WASC results.

The source said that the PDP representatives who visited Cambridge were stunned to discover that the President did write the examination, passed and were even dumbfounded when they cited the well kept records of the Cambridge University.

The source said even the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and associates requested Cambridge provide them with a confirmation of his certificate. 

“Cambridge Assessment International Education had to issue a certifying statement that indeed President Buhari sat for his examinations in 1961. It was because the institution was inundated with requests for the verification of his result.”

The source said the institution is surprised that the opposition party still claims that the President does not have a certificate even after it had demanded for it and was handed evidence.

This revelation from Cambridge is coming amid the circulation on Friday of a pre-2015 election video, slanted to give the impression that the President's certificate is still a contentious issue.

In a press statement on Friday by Oladele Peter, the Secretary of Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) said it is sub judice for the opposition party to continue to make attempts at preempting the judgment of the Presidential Election Tribunal.

“The desperation of the PDP is frightening, very frightening to say the least. They will stop at nothing and I expect Nigerians to be aware of their antics by now. They have peddled all kind of falsehood against the President especially the claim that he does not have a certificate but have always failed."

He noted that the first attempt to ridicule the President was in 2014 before the 2015 elections, stressing that, if they have any evidence contrary to what has been presented in court and what they themselves discovered at Cambridge and which was tendered in the open court, they should present it.

“The PDP is free to present its counter-evidence if there is any but they know that there is no such document or evidence. They are only playing on the emotions of Nigerians by peddling fake news; a 2015 video deliberately slanted. It is  time Nigerians become more aware of this,” he said.

Mr Peter said it is another signal of desperation that the opposition party has even gone to the extent of populating an old video in which the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed was deliberately taken out of context.

“This is a very old video, for those of us who watch Channels TV we were stunned to see the video making the rounds, it’s old and ridiculous. If you watch the video, you will find that Mr. Mohammed never said they should pardon the President, instead he said if someone does not find his or her certificate after 53 years they could be pardoned.

According to him, "it is unbelievable how the opposition party and its backers continue to push a media campaign hoping to confuse everybody, yet in the court of law, their case was clearly shown to be hopeless and baseless."

Besides the Cambridge University Certificate the President's lawyer, Wole Olanipekun also presented in court class photos of the President and his classmates. The Cambridge University Certificate was obtained personally by the President’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari who travelled to the UK to secure it in mid-July.

While Malam Suleman Mai-adua, Buhari’s classmate in Katsina Provincial Secondary School presented to the court the group photograph of the school’s class six of 1961 set.

Source: https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/09/07/how-pdp-agents-travelled-to-cambridge-to-check-out-buharis-certificate/

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

LARGEST SOLAR PLANT IN AFRICA OPENS IN BAYERO UNIVERSITY KANO

*VP says it shows progress under Buhari administration’s Next Level road map

Solar power projects being commissioned under the Energizing Education Programme of the Buhari administration is a testament to the fulfilment of its Next Level agenda, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday in Kano State, where he commissioned the 7.1MW solar hybrid power plant in Bayero University Kano, which is the largest off grid solar hybrid power plant in Africa.

The Vice President further said the solar hybrid power plant was ‘just one touch point of progress and impact within this Administration’s Next Level agenda. The Federal Government is committed to powering Nigeria; one university, one market, one community at a time.”

This is the second solar plant to be commissioned by the Vice President within a period of about one month, following the first one in August - a 2.8 MW decentralized solar hybrid power plant at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI).

BUK is the second of the 37 federal universities and 7 teaching hospitals under the Federal Government’s Energizing Education Programme designed to provide sustainable and clean power supply around the country. It includes a solar hybrid power plant, renewable energy workshop and training centre and a solar powered street-lighting project.

“Notably today, we are also commissioning the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant in Africa. This is something we, as Nigerians, should all be proud of. This was only possible because various levels of government worked in tandem with the growing renewable energy private sector.”

“The installed 7.1MW decentralized solar hybrid power plant funded by the FGN green bond will supply over 58,000 students and staff with clean, safe and reliable electricity. I am sure that the entire student body, management and staff of Bayero University are proud to be beneficiaries of this, most especially as the only Federal University in Kano State and one of the longest standing ones. As a result, students can now focus on their academics and vocational training in a safer and illuminated environment,” Prof. Osinbajo said.

The Vice President emphasized that the ultimate goal of the Buhari administration’s Next level roadmap policies and objectives under the Energizing Education Programme is “to increase access to modern technical education in safe and illuminated learning environments, empower the girl child, create jobs in the power sector value chain, amongst others.”

He added, “Thus far, this project created 182 energy related jobs from power system engineers to electricians as well as trained 20 young female STEM students with the skills to contribute to strengthening our energy sector. It is initiatives like this that create the impact for Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.

“This significant initiative upholds the Federal Government’s adherence to global best practice, as we transition to cleaner sources of energy in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. These projects being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) are strategic to fulfilling our commitments to the Agreement as they strive to reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint.

“The leveraging of renewable energy technologies is in line with the Federal Government mandate and related activities. Nigeria’s plans to reduce carbon emissions by 20% unconditionally and 45% with international support by 2030 aims to limit the damaging effects of climate change.

“This remarkable off grid solar hybrid power plant being commissioned today, is already on its way to bringing these goals and objectives to fruition.”


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
4th September, 2019

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
PRESS RELEASE

ATTACKS ON NIGERIANS RECKLESS, RUN AGAINST IDEALS SOUTH AFRICAN LEADERS FOUGHT FOR, SAYS OSINBAJO
*VP adds: the violence unfortunate, recalling Nigeria's role in pulling down apartheid

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, spoke to reporters in Kano, just now, answering questions on the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. Below are his verbatim comments:

"Let me say first that these recent attacks are condemnable. It is very sad and very unfortunate that the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians living in South Africa are once again being destroyed with such wantonness and with such carelessness and recklessness.

"It is unfortunate because Nigeria and Nigerians invested a great deal in the pulling down of apartheid. Besides, these acts of bigotry are entirely contrary to the very ideals that all the great South African leaders, including the present President fought for, and for which many gave their lives.

"Mr President has already spoken about this; and obviously we are very concerned and certainly intend to take this up with the authorities in South Africa in order to ensure that this sort of thing does not repeat itself. This is absolutely unacceptable and unconscionable."

Released by:

Laolu Akande,
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
3rd September, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

WE’LL TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT CLOSURE OF NIGERIAN EMBASSY IN SRI LANKA, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria will re-examine the closure of her embassy in Colombo in 2017 in view of the important relationship the country has with Sri Lanka.

Speaking at a farewell audience granted the outgoing High Commissioner of the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Thambirajah Raveenthiran at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, the President explained that financial challenges which the country faced at the time informed the closure of some Nigerian embassies and consulates during a rationalisation exercise.

He assured that his administration will take another look at that decision as it affected Sri Lanka following the request by the outgoing High Commissioner.

President Buhari wished Mr Raveenthiran success in his future undertakings.

In his remarks, the outgoing High Commissioner said he had spent four out of his 30-year career in diplomatic service in Nigeria.

He said his period in Nigeria was remarkable in several ways, stressing that he enjoyed the support and cooperation of Nigerians, and was greatly assisted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Raveenthiran said that his country has a lot to offer Nigeria in the areas of counter-terrorism, medical tourism and higher education.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 3, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS: PRESIDENT BUHARI DESPATCHES SPECIAL ENVOY TO SOUTH AFRICA



President Muhammadu Buhari has noted with deep concern, reported attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa since August 29, 2019.

Consequently, the President has instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to summon the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria and get a brief on the situation; express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens; and assurance of the safety of their lives and property.

President Buhari has also despatched a Special Envoy to convey to President Cyril Ramaphosa his concerns and also interact with his South African counterpart on the situation.

The Special Envoy is expected to arrive in Pretoria latest Thursday, September 5, 2019.



Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 3, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE



NIGERIANS ENGAGING IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES ABROAD DO NOT REPRESENT OUR VALUES, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI



President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Yokohama, Japan said that the few Nigerians abroad indulging in criminal activities do not represent the values of majority of the people of the country.

Meeting with leaders of the Nigerian Community living in Japan on the sidelines of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7), the President declared:

“Let me also say that there are few Nigerians in the Diaspora that are giving us a bad name by engaging in criminal activities. These Nigerians are a minority, they do not represent the values of our country, and I plead with them to change their ways.”

According to him, “We will not condone any crime whether at home or abroad, and we will also not allow these Nigerians define us as a people with reputation for criminality.”

Urging Nigerians in Japan to be good ambassadors of their fatherland, the Nigerian leader said, “I am personally very happy that there are millions of Nigerians all over the world, like you here, who are truly making us proud.”

Describing majority of the over 17 million Nigerians in Diaspora as “the face of Nigeria globally and our ambassadors for good,” the President noted that, “Many of our Diasporans, like your good selves here today, have excelled in varying fields of endeavor, both professionally and individually.

“You have also made significant and overwhelmingly positive contributions to your Nigerian and international host communities. You have continually been a positive bridge between Nigeria and the world. It is not an easy feat and we commend you, salute your courage and efforts.”

Noting that “Japan is at the cutting edge of technology and efficiency, two very important attributes that can play a role in Nigeria and improve our capacity for development,” President Buhari urged members of his audience to continue to contribute their quota by helping to develop their host country and Nigeria as well, adding: “I look forward to your inborn gift, ability, and capacity in taking up this challenge.”

Commending many of them who are already “positively impacting the Nigerian economy through financial home remittances, promoting international trade in Nigerian commodities, our music, culture, tourism, sports, and education, while also helping to establish industries in Nigeria,” the President urged them “to encourage legitimate Japanese entrepreneurs to come and invest in Nigeria.”

According to him, “We are continually working to create the necessary enabling environment for investors to thrive, through improvements in our Ease of Doing Business practices, providing security, diversification of the economy, infrastructure and fighting corruption.”

He further assured them that, “We have put in place the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERPG) to put the country on a path of sustained recovery and growth.”

Explaining the rationale for his regular meetings with Nigerians abroad and the establishment of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, President Buhari said:

“As you are aware, I have regularly held town hall meetings with Nigerians in the Diaspora on all my foreign engagements be they in Europe, Asia, America and Africa.

“At these fora, I have always, appealed to our citizens to be our good ambassadors, observe the laws of your host countries, excel in whatever you do legitimately, and also remember us at home (Nigeria). I have established the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission specifically to engage with you, signifying a coordinated attempt by our administration to increase the involvement of our Diaspora in our national development.

“Collectively, your resources, skills, and talents will be a positive force for our country which can help accelerate our national growth and development.”

President Buhari’s meeting with Nigerians in Diaspora, coordinated by Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Diaspora Commission, who described the President as “the most Diaspora-friendly leader we have had in Nigeria,” witnessed a parade of the brightest and best of our citizens, plying their trade in Japan. They included academics, industrialists, top businessmen, scientists, economists, and many others.

Professor Ejiogu Emenike, President, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Asia (NIDOASIA) and an energy expert, commended President Buhari for efficient leadership, and disclosed that his members have “comparative advantages in human capital development, which we are trying to bring back to Nigeria.”

He added: “Any problem that science and technology can solve, we are able to, and we can help Nigeria in areas of need.”

Engineer Ochade Osakwe, Chairman, Nigeria/Japan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, recounted businesses that have been attracted to Nigeria in recent times, promising to do more, as the security and investment climates back home improved further.

Mr Nnaji Fintan, President, Nigerian Union in Japan, asked for more exploits in the areas of education, quality infrastructure and security, which incidentally, are focal points of the current administration.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 29, 2019

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

NIGERIA OFFERS ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SAYS PRESIDENT BUHARI AT TICAD7



“Nigeria has very attractive investment opportunities with some of the highest Returns-on-Investment,” President Muhammadu Buhari declared in Yokohama, Japan on Thursday.

Presenting the country’s Statement at Plenary Session Three on “Public-Private Business Dialogue” at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7), the President said he looked forward to prospective investors making inroads “in the following priority sectors in Nigeria, namely, power and renewable energy, petrochemical and gas, maritime (shipping and ports), automobiles, mining, agribusiness, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, ICT and railway.”

Assuring potential investors of good returns as a result of ongoing reform measures taken by his administration, he added:

“I have also established a Presidential Committee on Enabling Business Environment, which is made up of key Ministries and prominent businessmen to promote the Ease of Doing Business and make Nigeria more attractive and competitive for investment.”

Similarly, President Buhari said that his administration was “committed to removing all impediments to private sector participation in these sectors by creating policies that will ensure consistency, predictability and a level playing field for all.”

Having identified power, transportation, infrastructure, maritime/shipping, agro-processing, mining, manufacturing, petro-chemicals, food processing and textiles among others, as “key drivers to the diversification” of the Nigerian economy as well as “priority areas that will drive our Economic Agenda,” the President said he looked forward to “welcoming prospective investors to Nigeria.”

Reviewing Nigeria-Japan relations, President Buhari commended existing bonds of friendship and economic cooperation between both countries, describing the Asian country as “a strategic partner for our socio-economic development.” He disclosed Nigeria’s intention to “further encourage relationships with key public and private sector stakeholders” in both nations.

The Nigerian leader expressed particular delight with the level of “discussions on the establishment of the Japan-Nigeria Business Facilitation Council, an initiative of the Japanese government, which would be launched on our return to Nigeria,” adding that, “I look forward to positive reports of increased trade and investment between Nigeria and Japan from these initiatives.”

Describing the TICAD Forum as important to Nigeria in many respects, President Buhari said it “coincides with the period when the country is faced with a number of challenges that affect our economy.”

Noting that his administration “has put in place measures seeking to diversify the economy by developing agriculture, emphasising on manufacturing and addressing the energy and infrastructure deficit,” he expressed confidence that, “With these we shall be placing Nigeria on the path of rapid growth and sustainable development.”

According to the Nigerian President, TICAD is also “coming at a time when our government is implementing home-grown and private sector-driven economic measures that are predicated on good governance, infrastructure and human capital development as well as, business climate reform.” The above domestic measures, he explained, informed his invitation to “the private sector to come and invest in Nigeria.”

According to him, “Nigeria and indeed Africa, expect much from this Forum in terms of investment, considering the role of Foreign Direct Investment in all economies - developed and developing.”

President Buhari also expressed Nigeria’s gratitude to the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, “for his unwavering commitment to strengthen trade and investment between Japan and Africa through various initiatives, partnership and support of the Japanese Government.”

He also wished TICAD7 “fruitful deliberations and hope that the conclusions reached will enhance access by African countries to international capital investment as well as boost Japan-Africa exchanges by developing new and strategic public and private sector alliances.”







Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 29, 2019

Ahead of 2023, Cabal Perfects Domination Plot with FIRS Chair Position

Indications emerging from Aso Rock are that the Cabal have settled on the appointment of Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin (member of the House of Representatives representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State) as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Services. Ahead of 2023, the Cabal have embarked on an elaborate plan to ensure that all the sensitive government positions are retained by loyalists who will stand by the course they have charted for the office of the president. Mr Fowler who is perhaps one of the best qualified hands in tax administration is seen as either being too professional or loyal to an opposing power bloc as to render him untenable for the purpose.

It will be recalled that the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari had issued a memo on reduced tax collection that was subsequently and prominently leaked to the media. This is seen as part of the emerging power play as members of the yet to be sworn-in cabinet are being dragged into the web of intrigues surrounding the tussle. Sources have it that pledging allegiance one way or another would be crucial to the portfolio that each one would land. The more loyal, the juicer the portfolio.

It will be recalled that Jibrin was first elected into the House of Representatives under the Peoples Democratic Party - (PDP) in 2011 before decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014 where he was later re-elected in 2015. Jibrin was the Chairman Committee on Finance in the 7th Assembly with oversight on the Federal Ministry of Finance and its Parastatals, Federal Revenue, Preparation of Revenue framework/Estimate for the Federal budgets, Sovereign Wealth Fund - SWIA, Tax Matters, Fiscal matters, Government investment in banks and Statutory Corporations and Agencies, Insurance and Insurance of Government properties and assets amongst other functions. On September 28, 2016, the 8th House of Representatives suspended Jibrin for 180 legislative days after he blew the lid on what became famously known as budget padding—a scenario where legislators bloat the cost of budget line items in their constituencies for pecuniary gains. But there is no direct professional competence that one can ascribe to Mr Jibrin. On the other hand, Mr Fowler has increased the tax net considerably, raising the capability of the FIRS in increasing non-oil tax.

In addition and as part of a wider plot to retain the presidency in the North, it is believed that the Cabal favours a Northerner for the position of FIRS Chair to do their bidding. Recently, the cabal has been toying with the idea of putting forward Ambassador Kingibe including trying to associate him solely with the June 12 struggle. The ploy is to allow a current Governor from the South West play the second fiddle in the emerging chess play of high powered politics.

HOW THE $16 BN POWER FUNDS WAS REPORTEDLY SHARED

No fewer than 27 companies were said to have benefitted from Obasanjo's $16 billion power deal

- As at the time Obasanjo's tenure ended, the contractors had been paid only N360.7 billion - The sum of N273.65 billion was reportedly spent on Power Holding Company of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007

Buhari rhetorical question on where Nigeria’s power was in spite of the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo spending $16 billion in the sector has raised dust.

It was reported that only N360.7 billion had been paid to the contractors as at the time Obasanjo left office.

The Obasanjo administration also spent N273.65 billion on Power Holding Company of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.

The 27 contracts companies as follows:

1. Pivot Engineering Ltd was awarded contracts in the sum of $78,625,736.54 for the construction of Owerri-Ahoada-Yenagoa 132 KVA DC lines and substations. It is to be noted that out of this, $73,023,521.36 has been paid to the contractor.

2. ABB {Nig] Ltd [SAE] received a contract in the sum of $21,489,644.79million and Nl, 489,271,079.60billion for the construction of second Benin-Onitsha 330 kva SC lines. So far, the contractors have been paid the sum of Nl, 675,225,734:40billion.

3. Siemens Ltd also benefited from a contract of €l5, 032,410.65M and N200, 000,000M to provide Onitsha 150 Mva, 330/132/33 kva, T/F and 330 KV base at Onitsha and Benin. Out of this contract sum, it has received a total payment of €l2, 499,567.00M, N49, 979,258.00M

4. Energovod Src was awarded a project of Alaogi-Calabar 330 kva DC lines in the sum of $42,382,351.30million and N900, 000,000 for which payments to the tune of $23,851,466.58million and N431, 056,721.00million have been made.

5. AREYVA T/D SPR-and -MBH power-for offshore works for construction of bays got £8,987,322.00million and N600, 000,000million. The foreign payments have been fully made while only N161, 704,254.50million on the Naka was paid.

6. Chrome Consortium was awarded contracts for the provision of Gombe-Yola-Jakngo 330kva SC lines at at $74,872,154.04million. It has been paid $50,000,000.

7. News Engineering Ltd got a contract valued at $3,485,113.50million and N250, 000,000million for the construction of Jalingo 2×30/40 mva; 132/33kv sub-station. It received $2,670,679.36million and N100, 850,347.04million.

8. Allaogi-Umuahia 132 kva DC line was awarded to Pivot Engineering at $4,067,940.00million; it got $3,978,676.10million and N406, 528,365million.

9. Valenz Holdings [Nig] Ltd got the contract for Umuahia 2×30/40 mva, 132/33kv substation at $7,083,399.48 million and N489, 704,091.00million.It was not clear if the company had been paid.

10. Kec/News Engineering handled Gombe-Damatru-Maiduguri 330kv lines at $30, 172, 772million and N2.5 billion

11. JKN Limited did Ado -Ekiti 132/33kva sub-station and Akure 132kva Liangbe extension at N822M . It received N521m.

12. Kano- Dutse 132 kva DC and Dutse-Azare 132 kv SC line were done by LCEP at $50, 294, 388m.

13. ABB did Dutse- Azare 2×30/40MVA, 132/33KV Sub -stations cost $12,500,000:00m and €1,771,582:83m. The company received $11,074,967:81& €354,316:40million.

14. The Egbin-Ikeja West/Benin Main 330kv DC line and sub-station was handled by Energo (Nig) Limited at $8,437,687 million and N141, 967,775:92million; it was paid $6,475,037:18 and Nl7, 488,890:06million .

15. NEPA-ACEB Power Interconnection Project (Counterpart Funding) was handled by SAE Power Lines and Areva (SIS) (Counterpart Funding on ADB Loan on senders) at Nl,194,500,000:00; Nl,043,800,000:00 was paid.

16. News Engineering Nig Limited got the contract for construction of lx30MVA, 132/33W substation at Keffi at N441,534,004:50 N251,700,000:00 17. Continental Engineering Nig Limited was awarded Talata Mafara 2×30/40MVA, 132/33kv substation ( N453, 532, 829:20) . The company was paid N420, 323,334:57.

18. Amukpe (Sapele) lx30/40MVA, 132/33kv sub station was handled by News Engineering Limited at $1,194,482:34 and N219,920,252:71. The company received $1,014,276:14 and N78,303,339:54.

19. ABB Power Katempe got National Stadium 132kv DC line for N347,000,000:00; it was paid N 173,500,000:00.

20. Twenty-six companies carried out FY2000 substation reinforcement projects (N2,679,487,010:00) They received N2.3billion, representing 90% of the contract sum.

21. ABB Nigeria Limited handled rehabilitation of Delta TV Switchyard (€2,879,811:11 and N109,899,233:00); N36,822,340 was paid.

22. Nnewi 2x60MVA 132kv sub- station was awarded to Valenz Holdings Nigeria Ltd (€4,421,811:72 and N251, 833,400:00). It received N191, 734,122:52 .

23. CMC was awarded New 33kv substation at Omotosho ($30,325,386:00); $3,115,453:00 was paid.

24. Steers Int’l Ltd was awarded $1,395,353:83 and Nl 52,092,929:50 for the construction of New 330kv line at Ornotosho/Benin/ Ikeja West in which a down payment of $596,137:71 and N34,465,000:00 have been made to the contractor.

25. SEPCO got the $30,325,366:00 New 330kv substation at Papalanto. It was paid $8,915,453:00.

26.Kukwaba 2x60MYA, 132/33kv sub- station was awarded to NCEP at $5,252,932:61& N272,237,433.25; 20% payment was made, which comes up to $1,050,586:52 and N54,447,486:65.

CCC Int’l Ltd is a comp was awarded Onitsha-Nniwe-Ihiala 132kv DC line at $2, 631,003:58 & N 198,049,270:00.