₦airaland Forum

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESS STATEMENT

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has described the unauthorized takeover of the National Assembly complex earlier today as a gross violation of constitutional order, rule of law and all acceptable notions of law and order.

According to him, the unlawful act which was done without the knowledge of the Presidency is condemnable and completely unacceptable.

By this statement, Professor Osinbajo is consequently assuring Nigerians that all persons within the law enforcement apparatus who participated in this travesty will be identified and subjected to appropriate disciplinary action.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,
Office of the Acting President,
7th August, 2018

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has launched the landmark Patients’ Bill of Rights in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Tuesday.

The bill protects the rights and dignity of patients when they seek healthcare services across the country. It is also designed to help patients know their right and use those rights at medical facilities.

The bill by the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the Ministry of Health is an aggregation of Patients’ Rights that exist in other instruments including the constitution, Consumer Protection Council Act, Freedom of Information Act, National Health Act, the Hippocratic Oath and others.

Speaking on the Patients’ Bill of Rights, Babatunde Irkera, Director General, CPC said, “Respecting the rights of patients to quality care and dignity is sometimes a matter of life and death; the most vulnerable are the sick, we must be especially attentive to their rights, as they sometimes can’t even demand.”

After Vice President Osinbajo’s Visit to Silicon Valley, Public WiFi Coming To Nigeria, Says Google

Aftermath of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s trip to Silicon Valley in Califoria, United States, with some Nigerian tech entrepreneurs, Google has announced it would launch a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots in 200 locations and five cities across Nigeria by the end of 2019.

The development comes as part of Professor Osinbajo’s efforts to attract investments into Nigeria’s burgeoning tech space and .boost the country’s tech industry.

The initiative, which is in partnership with Nigerian fiber optic telecoms service provider 21st Century, will roll out Wi-Fi spots at public places such as colleges, malls, markets and bus stations.

Speaking at the Google for Nigeria event, Professor Osinbajo said, “Africa is confronted with existential challenges, and there is simply no time to waste in resolving these problems. The answer that providence has given us is technology.”

He added: “The great purveyors of technology such as our hosts today Google, and their collaborators - 21st Century Technologies Limited and Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN), are not mere corporations in search of profit and some social good, they literarily hold the future of generations of humanity in their hands.”

According to the Vice President, the partnership is particularly important to the country “because we have in the past one year, in our energizing markets project, been providing solar power to markets and economic clusters across the country.

“We have done extensive work in Ariaria market in Aba, Sabongari in Kano, Gbagi market in Ibadan, Sura here in Lagos, and we are starting out in Iponri, and Balogun markets.”

In her remarks, Country Director, Google Nigeria, Juliet Chiazor, said, “Today, at our second Google for Nigeria event, we announced more products and programs to help more people in Nigeria and across Africa benefit from the opportunities the web has to offer.

“Google Station will be rolling out in 200 locations in five cities across Nigeria by the end of 2019, bringing Wi-Fi to millions of people. Sites will include markets, transport hubs, shopping malls, universities and more.”

Earlier, Professor Osinbajo had inaugurated the Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity, a subset of theNational Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council established by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017. The committee members comprise private sector players with roots in technology operation. Also, the Vice President’s entourage to Silicon Valley comprises a number of tech-savvy entrepreneurs from that advisory board.

Osinbajo, at the inauguration of the advisory board, lauded the impact of technology towards driving down unemployment in the country. He noted that the board would formulate policies, programmes and projects for the Technology and Creative sectors of the country’s economy.

Similarly, Vice President Osinbajo, announced he will launch a Climate Innovation Center in partnership with the Enterprise Development Center at the Lagos Business School.

This according to him forms part of the nation’s ICT roadmap, in which the private sector is an important stakeholder.

His words: “Our goal is to create a data-driven digital economy; one that will lead the way not just in Africa, but globally as well. And I believe strongly that Nigeria is on the right path.

“We have the people, the talent, we have a government that sees the potential very clearly, and is showing the determination to unlock that potential.”

Everyone who is conversant with trending issues in the global investment sector knows that investors, both local and foreign, constantly need the assurances of the government of whatever country they want to invest in as evidenced in what the country is doing to make investments thrive and for the investors to get returns on their investments.

The recent road show to promote foreign direct investments in Nigeria, which the Vice President embarked upon in the US, was a way to reassure American and other international investors that Nigeria is not only a fertile place to have their investments on the continent of Africa, but also that the present government of President Muhammad’s Buhari is removing official bottlenecks and creating more conducive environment for foreign investment; even as recently acknowledged by the World Bank rating in which the country moved forward by 20 steps in the ease of doing business ranking.

It is important to restate here that the Buhari administration is doing everything possible to revitalise the nation’s economy especially with emphasis on the non-oil sectors, which is a viable way of propelling the diversification of the economy. The roadshow, which included a visit to the Silicon Valley, was a way to trigger American techpreneurs to consider Nigeria in their investment loop.

“Investment Roadshow” is a marketing technique that is usually embarked upon by countries that are serious about investment drive from abroad. The most recent example was the visit by the French President, who after the official visit to President Buhari was also on the streets of Lagos, to drive partnership between his country and Nigeria in the area of culture, language and manufacturing business.

The French President was not at the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Afrika Shrine (a place that may not enjoy the recommendation of many government officials) for fun. He met with top-shots of Nigeria’s entertainment industry, Nollywood practitioners and culture journalists, who painstakingly waited for him at the Afrika Shrine for over three hours behind schedule! To add to that, the French President gave the highest honour in France to Mr. Mike Adenuga for building a French Language school in Lagos.

A government that managed the country out of its worst economic recession in its history in record time without the economy going under completely cannot be said to be an “unserious one”. While the economy might not be running on all fours at the moment, there’s no iota of doubt that things are definitely looking up. According to a very recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics, the perennial double digit inflation that has dogged the economy for many months has crashed to 11.23%.

The implication of this is that, other things being equal, a single digit inflation is possible in no distant time. With a single digit inflation, the intrinsic value of the Naira, the nation’s currency, will increase, so with its purchasing power. To achieve this quickly, a foreign investment drive as embarked upon by Mr. Vice President is inevitable in order to increase foreign revenue and strengthen the local currency.

The global financial monitor and assistor, International Monetary Fund(IMF), has said in one of its recent reports that Nigeria is good for investment. In its July 2018 edition of its World Economic Outlook, the global lender predicted a surge in the economy of countries in the sub-Saharan region of Africa with Nigeria leading the way.

The outlook identified the “improved prospects for Nigeria’s economy” as the major catalyst for the upgraded forecast for the whole region compared to what was obtainable in the April 2018 edition. Also, the likely increase in Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 2.3 percent was reflected in the prediction.

“Its (Nigeria) growth is set to increase from 0.8 per cent in 2017 to 2.1 per cent in 2018 July 2018 and 2.3 per cent in 2019 on the back of an improved outlook for oil prices.”. IMF also stated that the economic renaissance in sub-Saharan Africa will continue, owing to a rise in the price of commodities in the region.”

Another newspaper report indicated that revenue of US firms in Nigeria hits N2.6trn as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) reaches $1.3bn. All genuine efforts like that of Professor Osinbajo, to sustain and enhance such progress should be applauded and not derided for any reason whatsoever.

According to another report, American companies in the country ranging from GE to PwC, made N2.6 trillion in 2017 as against N1 trillion reported in 2016, according to a report conducted by the American Business Council (ABC), sponsored by Dow Chemical. The report says that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows from the US into Nigeria were $1.3bn in 2017.

Another interesting aspect of the report is the total spend on training. The US firms invested over N1.6 billion in training in 2017 as against N340 million in 2016. American companies operating in the country also pumped N1.5 billion into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) last year as against N217 million the previous year. American investors know better than putting their money where handsome returns are not guaranteed.

The report disclosed further that the CSR programmes embarked upon by US firms in 2017 were in key sectors such as health (provision of medical equipment for primary health centres; medical missions); education (scholarships for university undergraduates); infrastructure ( building of classrooms as well as youth and sports centres), and social intervention (monetary donations to charities, NGOs, community development trust funds). They also created over 9,000 direct jobs and 11,000 indirect jobs in 2017.

We share in the aspirations of Nigeria,” said Lazarus Angbazo, President of ABC and Chief Executive of GE Nigeria, at a recent press conference in Lagos.

He further stated that US firms in Nigeria have shown that they are good corporate citizens, based on their level of commitment and expenditure on CSR, adding that GE collaborated with UNICEF in 2017 on the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the north-eastern Nigeria.

According to Darrell McGraw, Vice President of ABC, the major challenges faced by US companies in Nigeria in 2017 were labour issues (poor preparations of school leavers for the labour market), specific industry regulations, local content, as well as crime and security.

“US companies are optimistic and bullish in doing business in Nigeria,” McGraw said, adding that there had not been a better time to do business in Nigeria.

Also, 52 percent of the firms identified Nigeria as a regional hub for their operations in West Africa. There is certainly no evil in asking for more American investments in Nigeria. All efforts aimed at sustaining and promoting FDI in Nigeria should be supported by all patriots, regardless of political and economic biases.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has convened a stakeholders forum to find a lasting solution to the Apapa traffic gridlock in Lagos.

The forum tagged “Dialogue With Stakeholders on Apapa Traffic Gridlock” was held at the Western Naval Command in Apapa was attended by business owners and residents in the Apapa axis.

After listening to various solutions proffered by the stakeholders, the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo assured the stakeholders that the Federal Government had embarked on a roadmap to resolve the multi-faceted issues in the axis.

Professor Osinbajo who hinted that President Muhammed Buhari had directed him to handle the Apapa gridlock issues with utmost seriousness and urgency said more dialogues would be held with stakeholders as the event unfolds.

Promising that the stakeholders would witness more improvement in the situation in the next two weeks, the Vice President stated that all approval required for the completion of the roads under rehabilitation in the area would be granted.

He said the security situation hindering the usage of other ports in the country were being reviewed.

This is the second time the Vice-President would be visiting Lagos within a two-week period over the Apapa traffic issue.

The meeting had in attendance, the Governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the MD of the Nigeria Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman and the Commander of the Western Naval Command, Commodore Okon

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his total commitment to the values of democracy, freedom of choice as well as total willingness to work with all members of the National Assembly, irrespective of their political party, for the benefit of the nation.

In his reaction to the developments Tuesday morning at the National Assembly, the President noted that none of the defecting federal lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had any specific grievances against him or the government he leads; neither did he harbour anything against any of them.

“As the saying goes, all politics is local. We understand that some of the distinguished and honourable lawmakers have issues with their home states, especially on zoning which bars some of them from seeking another term in their constituencies,” he said.

Noting that the APC had done its utmost to stop the defections, the President commended the leadership of the party for relentlessly working for its unity and ensuring success in the upcoming elections.

President Buhari assured members of the APC of his total support and urged party faithful not to despair but to see the defections as a seasonal occurrence that happens on election eve.

He expressed confidence that no harm or injury will be done to the party and its aspirations by the movements.

President Buhari wished all the decamped members the best in their future undertakings.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 24, 2018

PRESS RELEASE BY THE COALITION OF APC SUPPORT GROUPS IN RESPONSE TO BUBA GALADIMA, HIS R-APC, OBASANJO'S THIRD FORCE AND PDP:

The Coalition of APC Support Groups is the structured body of the almost two hundred registered and recognized groups by the party across the country, before the 2015 general elections that brought us to power. 

The Coalition of APC Support Groups whose members cut across the nook and crannies of this country is in structure and practice the strong arm of APC with jurisdiction and modus operandi to constantly counter challenges and encourage system relevant behaviours to both our party and government for the overall interest of our nation. 

Our members are so concerned that the coming campaign season is coming up with all manners of malicious campaign of calumny most especially against Mr President and shamelessly and irresponsibly even against the new national leadership of the party. 

The country's kleptomaniacs, the supposed owners of the country and manipulators (anti common man), the shameless hypocrites and political misfits are gradually coming to unfold themselves as one big re-energized axis of evil aiming as usual to cause more damage than good to our party and by extension the collective interest of majority of the Nigerian people. 

Consequent upon the aforesaid, it has become necessary for the leadership of the Coalition of APC Support Groups to break silence and respond appropriately in order to set the record straight. 

BUBA GALADIMA AND HIS R-APC 

In his press address of the 4th July, 2015 Buba Galadima in his characteristic naivety, foolish assumption of knowing more than everyone and his usual propaganda, deciet and lies which has become the trade mark upon which he is being described today, made some of the following accusations :-

1. "You will recall that in the build up to the 2015 general elections, some political parties and groups came together and formed a brand new party, the All Progressives Congress, APC. This merger was based on the strong belief that Nigeria had come of age, but was severely underperforming and unable to meet its potentials for good governance. The Nigerian people entrusted power to APC based on its promises and potentials". 

2. "We are sad to report that after more than three years of governance, our hopes have been betrayed, our expectations completely dashed. The APC has run a rudderless, inept and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. It has rather imposed dictatorship, impunity, abuse of power, complete abdication to the rule of law and constitutionalism, it has failed to ensure the security and welfare of of our people and elevated nepotism to unacceptable height. The APC has failed to deliver on its key promises to the nation. There is no evidence of any political will to reverse the decline of our party, while leaders who have created these circumstances continue to behave as if Nigerians owe our party votes as a matter of right."

(We shall address these allegations and prove with verifiable facts that the APC government has done creditably more than any government in the last 33 years but, please let us take Buba Galadima on issues of recent past and why the previous CPC could not go beyond the apparently unexpected Nasarawa state). 

During his leadership as practically self-imposed National secretary of the CPC, within the confines, of most northern States it was very easy for him to play small-ball politics, that time, between the partisan dead-lock and the entire news circle, his contrive talking points was basically on the sensational over the substantive ; issues of corruption and poverty, hopelessness and lawlessness were problems to be managed, not crises to be solved. They became fodder for newspapers and television shows, not issues to find genuine consensus and compromise. He single handedly forced everyone at some point in cpc to stop reaching for the possible and resigned to that which was most probable. Some of our members coming from the previous cpc saw these as a perfectly conceived plan in the process of execution and wrote several letters of protest, which were not acted upon, because Buba was then, the National Chairman, National secretary, Organising secretary as well as the unofficial publicity secretary of the cpc. 

Buba Galadima would rather force his candidates down the throat of members than allow internal democracy take its cause ; as was the case in Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and several other states. He almost succeeded in tarnishing the image of Buhari and of course he contributed 98%to the failure of cpc in the governorship election of all the northern States. 

Buba Galadima was simply the manifestation of evil, anarchy and impunity in the Democratic process of the previous cpc - one that succeeded in doing more evil and damage on an unimaginably larger scale than the entire corrupt INEC officials put together. He controlled the soul of cpc with an impunity that promotes only that which is suffocating to public good and decency. The result of which led to what happened in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, and several other cpc hopeful States. 

Even after several appeals from genuine well wishers Buba refused to listen, the only unique thing to his administration was inability or deliberate refusal  to arrange an order of priorities that promised solutions that were decent and just. Solutions to those problems urgent as they were would have been constructive and rational. CPC would have been the party of an open, honest system that doesn't peddled the agenda of whichever loyalist or special interest can write the biggest cheque. So the exit of such a boastful loudmouth, with no clout to winning an election even in his native home of Gashua is indeed a good riddance to a pest infested rubbish. 

THE ACCLAIMED R-APC

According to what we have been reading, majority and influential members of the so-called R-APC are mostly members of the npdp and in this regard, we are compelled to ask - what do they really want? Unless we are mistaken, we know that they have the following positions :-

1. The speaker house of Representatives 

2. The Senate president 

3. Governors of Sokoto, Kwara, Benue and Plateau 

4. All previous Governors involved are serving senators 

5. And of course we are also aware that some of them produced some members of the present national executives of the party. 

As responsible and respected members of the society and our party we wish to use this medium to appeal to them to give the new national leadership of the party a chance to as much as possible try and right the wrongs. 

After all, disagreements were not unexpected, they have become a part of the universally accepted Democratic process as such, it is not only in our party but, anywhere two or more group of people with a diametrically opposed ideologies co-exist in a community. However, it is not the disagreements that should worry us for now but, the measure with which to resolve them. In our considered opinion it is too early to pre-empt the capability or otherwise of the new leadership of the party to resolve issues. 

OBASANJO'S THIRD FORCE AND THE PDP.

In all  the pdp's governments one can note a sort of decay in the confidence placed by the two previous governments of President  Obasanjo and Jonathan ;in which most members of the so-called third force were prominent, active participants in their idea of progress. To them the idea of progress as possible, probable or necessary was /is rooted in the certainty that the development of killer machines e.g Boko haram, now being perniciously disguised in "herdsmen", divide and rule using ethno-religious propaganda, seeking the continuance and reinforcement of their traditional conception in the perpetuation of higher level stealing of our common wealth, rather than a vehicle with wider institution geared towards social, moral, welfare and infrastructural reconstruction. 

In view of the above, it has become pertinent for us to state that  we are now witnessing misguided efforts by some religious groups, leaders and persons of vested interest taking advantage of avoidable situation in our nation to sow discord between people, these groups and individuals using different communication platforms continue to spread fake information about Mr president and our party. The sole purpose of these detractors is to provoke a systematic crisis within the polity and our party that would lead to factionalisation and its eventual defeat like they did the previous cpc. 

It is therefore, important for all (Nigerians) to remain conscious and commit ourselves to building durable peace and promoting mutual co-existance within our nation. We must always remember that impunity and lawlessness can only breed societal instability and can undermine the basis of ethnic social and religious harmony among our beautiful diversity. We must also realize that all of us regardless of creed and ethnic origin have the fundamental and unfettered right to live and worship, before we can vote or be voted for. 

Finally, we are prepared to use every available lawful and constitutional means to decide our collective destiny for the better, we can not allow our members and people generally to once again be held hostages in the hands of political misfits with questionable capability to deliver Democratic dividends. We therefore, remain committed and resolved to continue to sensitise, mobilise and galvanise our members against any group or persons that seeks to create confusion in both our country and party. 

Thank you all. 


VERIFIABLE INFRASTRUCTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE APC GOVERNMENT UNDER PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI :

ROADS 

1. Abia- rehabilitation of Enugu - Port Harcourt express 

2. Adamawa - rehabilitation of Yola-Hong-Mubi road. 

3. Akwa-ibom - rehabilitation of Umuahia - Ikot-Ikpene road 

4. Anambra - resumed construction of 2nd Niger bridge 

5. Bauchi/Azare - resumed construction of Kano, Jigawa, Azare, Yobe, Maiduguri express road 

6. Bayelsa - dualisation of Yenegua road Junction - the Kolo - Ituake-Bayelsa

7. C/River - rehabilitation of Alesi - Ugeb road 

8. Delta -  emergency repairs of Warri - Sapele road 

9. Ebonyi - construction of Nnenwe - Uduma - Uburu road 

10. Edo - construction of Lokoja Benin express road 

11. Enugu - rehabilitation of Enugu - Onitsha dual carriageway 

12. Ekiti - construction of Efon-Alaaye-Erinmo-Iwara road 

13. Gombe reconstruction of Gombe - Numan - Yola road 

14.Imo - construction of Ikot-Ikpene boarder Aba - Owerri dual carriage 

15. Jigawa - construction of tsakuwaran - Galambi road 

16. Kaduna - emergency repairs of Kaduna - Abuja express road 

17. Kano - dualisation of Kano /Katsina road 

18. Katsina - rehabilitation of Zaria/Gusau/Birnin Kebbi road (Funtua/Gusau) 

19. Kebbi - reconstruction of Sokoto/Tambuwal/Jega/Kontagora/Makera road 

20. Kogi - dualisation of Lokoja/Benin (Obajana Junction) 

21. Kwara - rehabilitation of Ilorin /Jebba/Mokwa/BirninGwari road 

22. Lagos - rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of Lagos /Ibadan express way 

B. Rehabilitation of access road to Apapa/Tincan Island port - NNPC deport including construction of a new bridge running parallel to the existing one from Liverpool roundabout. 

23.Nasarawa - reconstruction of Nasarawa /loko/Alushi road 

24. Niger - emergency repairs of collapsed Tatabe bridge along Mokwa/Tegina 

25. Ogun - rehabilitation and expansion of Lagos /Ibadan through Shagamu express way 

26. Ondo reconstruction of Benin/Ofusu/Ore/Ajebandele/Shagamu express way 

27. Osun - rehabilitation of Gbogan - Kwara state boarder 

28. Oyo - Oyo /Ogbomosho/Oko /Ilogbo road 

29. Plateau - Construction of Pankshin /Tapshin /Gambar /Sarka /Kal /Gindiri road 

30. Rivers - Bodo / Bonny road with bridges 

31. Kano /Damaturu/Maiduguri express way 

ZAMFARA emergency repairs of some federal roads. 

RAILWAY 

1. Introduction of special freight shuttle train from Apapa port to outskirts of Lagos thereby reducing traffic gridlock along Apapa wharf axis. 

2. OTHER RAILS BEING CONSIDERED:

A.  Portharcout, Enugu, Kafanchan, Bauchi, Goober, Maiduguri line. 

B.  Itakpe /Baro/Abuja line. 

C.  Kano, Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibiya line

D. Lagos, Benin, Portharcout, Aba, Uyo, Calabar line. 

AGRICULTURE:

An integrated PPP Agribusiness cluster between Grow Africa, Segnal and federal government of Nigeria for commercial and small holder production, processing and conditioning of produce for export. 

On the 17th November, 2015 Mr president flagged off the multi billion naira support for Nigerian farmer under the CBN anchor borrower program to support the governments back to land initiative. 

Since the launch in November 2015, the anchor borrower program has so far achieved tremendous success in terms of outreach and coverage, making the scheme one of the most successful CBN development finance initiative to date. 

Currently about 80 billion naira has been disbursed to over 385,000 small holder farmers in 34 States, cultivating 9 commodities. The success of the program has culminated into wealth creation for the small holder farmers, who hitherto had been crowded out of the formal financial system. The commodities involved are:

Rice, Maize, Cassava, Soybean, Ground nut, Wheat, Fish, Poultry, and Cotton. 

Source ; central bank of Nigeria April 2018. 

POWER :

Leading the pack of the new project is the Mambila hydroelectric power plant, located in Taraba state North east Nigeria, on completion, it will generate approximately 3050 megawatts to make up for the targeted 5000 megawatts, also the Enugu coal fire powered plant is to generate 1000 megawatts while the balance will come from other mini hydroelectric and renewable energy sources like solar and Katsina wind power project. 

Nigeria today is having 7000 megawatts against the inherited less than 3000 of more than 16 billion dollar investment by the governments of both Obasanjo and Jonathan in  16 years. 

We make bold to challenge anybody to prove us wrong. 

NB: where any such projects is seen abandoned, people should endeavor to notify us in written through our soon to be commisioned headquarters @ No 44 Sa'adu Zungur Avenue Gwarimpa Abuja. 

We will take such reports up with the appropriate authority through the National leadership of the party. We must all rise up to help the government to defeat corruption in our  country. 

God Bless Nigeria.
Thank you.
Ambassador Lawal Muhammed Munir
Chairman.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday directed security agencies and relevant bodies to commence a 72-hour joint operation to restore order around Apapa and environs with a view to easing vehicular movement in that part of Lagos.

Osinbajo who made an unscheduled visit to the road to personally assess the situation also asked relevant government agencies to speed up decongestion of the Apapa ports.

Professor Osinbajo was flown in a Navy chopper,first to Tin Can Island park.

He was accompanied by Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and senior Naval and Police officers.

He walked close to the traffic to see the situation for himself and then proceeded to the Five Star Berth at the NPA where he met with relevant officials and security officers.

Involved in the 72 hour joint operation are the Police, Navy, Army, Air Force, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), LASEMA, Container truck drivers, National Association of Road Transport Owners, NUPENG, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria are also joining in the operation.

In fulfilment of its promise, the Buhari administration has concluded arrangements to deploy and formally engage 300,000 new beneficiaries in the second batch of its N-Power Volunteers Corp effective from August 1.

With 200,000 beneficiaries currently benefitting from the programme, meaning that by August, 500,000 unemployed Nigerian graduates will be beneficiaries of the scheme, which is a crucial part of the administration’s National Social Investment Programmes (N-SIP).

The N-Power Volunteer Corp scheme is designed to benefit all Nigerians irrespective of their backgrounds and is currently in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It would be recalled that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo noted that, “President Muhammadu Buhari made it clear that the SIP would be a major programme of the administration because he was concerned about poverty and unemployment.”

In conjunction with all State N-Power partners, the new beneficiaries will be promptly deployed to their assigned Primary Places of Assignment (PPA) on or before the said date.

The final selection lists broken down in States/Local Government Area (LGA) for each of the (3) N-Power component would be circulated to all focal persons in the states and FCT by Friday, July 20, 2018.

All successfully deployed N-Power beneficiaries in the second batch will be engaged for a period of two-year period starting from August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2020.

In order to qualify for their first monthly payment stipend of N30,000 by August 31, 2018, all deployed volunteers are expected to upload on their N-Power portal page their stamped and signed confirmation of resumption on or before Friday, August 10, 2018.

Through the N-Power scheme, hundreds of thousands of young, unemployed Nigerian graduates have been empowered through training and skills acquisition in different areas of public services, including education (N-Teach), health (N-Health), agriculture (N-Agro), and building/construction (N-Build).

Each N-Power beneficiary learns entrepreneurial skills to enable them become business persons and become professionals on their own, while beneficiaries are given electronic devices to enhance their work and paid a N30,000 monthly stipend.

State-based N-Power partners comprise, but are not limited to the following: N-Teach – State Universal Board for Education (SUBEB); State & Local Government Area (LGA) Offices for Adult Education Centres; State & LGA Offices for Nomadic Education; N-Agro – State & LGA Offices for Agriculture Development Programme (ADP); and N-Health – State & LGA Offices for Primary Health Care Board.

Despite the cacophony of opposition voices against President Muhammadu Buhari, it is crystal clear that the mass of the Nigerian people are still in full support of his administration. This is also not surprising as the president has continued to keep faith with his promise to serve the interest of all Nigerians especially the downtrodden among us.

Towards this end his administration has enunciated several life-changing programmes and policies aimed at bringing development to all parts of the country. Take for example his administration’s commitment to not only commence new projects but also complete those ones started by previous administrations. It must be acknowledged that such projects were in the first place abandoned due to the pervasive corruption obtainable prior to President Buhari’s assumption of office.

Today, most of the inherent encumbrances in the award and execution of federal government projects have been reduced to the barest minimum as a result of President Buhari’s zero tolerance for corruption.

His administration is also reviving the Nigerian railways sector which was completely abandoned and the solutions seemed intractable. Presently work is going on at various locations in the country. Similarly the administration is focussed on rehabilitating the road infrastructure in the country considering the important role this can play in driving the country’s economy. The power sector is also receiving attention with the astronomical increase to about 7000 megawatts.

For the first time in Nigeria’s recent history we are witnessing less interruption in power delivery sometimes for upwards of one month. What this implies is that constant power is possible in Nigeria and President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to stay the course.

As a strategy for the fast revival of Nigeria’s economy President Buhari’s administration embarked on an economic diversification programme which has seen Nigeria reaping incomes from some other sources, rather than our usual dependence on oil. Were it not for President Buhari’s vision in this direction Nigeria would have been caught in the web of volatility associated with global oil market.

Nigerians are also gladdened that the Buhari administration is waging a major battle on corruption in the country and the transparency they have brought to bear on the use of the recovered looted funds is commendable. For example the federal government has earmarked the sum of N120 Billion from the recovered looted funds for the construction of major roads across the thirty six states of the country. This is money that ordinarily would have ended up in some people’s pockets.

Definitely it takes a sincere government to use public funds to spread development in the country rather than a situation where few individuals corner the resources for themselves. Were it not for the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria would have continued in the past corrupt activities of some corrupt public officials and their collaborators. One thing that is decipherable from the Buhari administration’s style of governance is that they are focussed on making life more meaningful for the ordinary people, rather than using any available opportunity to appease the rich and powerful.

For a long time Nigerians had to contend with the negative ripple effects of corruption in high places and the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari to restore sanity to Nigeria’s public life is attracting erasures among the beneficiaries of the old order. It must be appreciated that the essence of government is to serve the interest of the generality of the people at all times, but our lot in the past was that institutions of state were deployed for the benefit of some narrow vested interests.
CHUKWUDI ENEKWECHI

With the unveiling of the logo and the planned take-off of Nigeria Air in December President Muhammadu Buhari has gone beyond completing abandoned projects to resurrecting dead projects.

Making this observation in a statement in Abuja, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) says it is gratifying that the Nigeria Airways killed by PDP government in 2003 is being brought back to life by PMB 15 years after.

In the statement signed by the Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, the group applauded the move and noted especially the acquisition of new Boeing aircrafts.

“This is a most welcome development which will benefit the country in more ways than one, another promise kept and a further proof of President Muhammadu Buhari's commitment to correcting the wrongs of the past.”

The group recalled that when the President vowed to revive the Nigerian Airways that was liquidated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2004, many Nigerians were understandably cynical because of the failed promises of previous governments.

"When the then Candidate Buhari gave his words on the National Carrier, many people who had been told that a government owned airline was not viable felt he was playing to the gallery, but it is now clear that the President is a man of his words," the group said.

It added that with the unveiling of the logo what many people had dismissed as a political gimmick has begun to manifest.

The group pointed out that "many older Nigerians would recall that as at 1984 when Buhari was then a military ruler, Nigerian Airways had 34 aircraft, so he was understandably shocked that smaller countries were running well-managed airlines with private sector support and laid the groundwork for what we are seeing now."

The group reminded Nigerians that the new national carrier is just one aspect of an Aviation master-plan which include a maintenance, repair and overhaul centre, an aviation leasing company and airport concessioning -all designed to make the country the aviation hub for west and central Africa.

BMO also commended the Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika for running with the President's dream, from planning to execution, while urging him to ensure that the December take-off date is sacrosanct.

It however urged him to learn from the missteps of previous administrations by ensuring that the public/private partnership arrangement is water-tight in order to realise the government's aspiration of profit within three year's of operation

On the possible benefits of Nigeria's investment in a new national carrier, BMO noted that the vacuum created by the absence of a national carrier is costing Nigeria $6.4 billion annually as a result of its inability to reap the benefits from 78 Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) from non-payment of royalty by foreign carriers.

This, it says, is an estimate provided by aviation experts of what international operators should have been paying but for the inability of Nigerian airlines to reciprocate the number of flights operated by these foreign carriers due to lack of capacity and the fact that the country does not have strong airlines that operate many international destinations.

BMO says it is convinced that the Buhari administration would put in place the necessary processes to ensure that never again will Nigeria be deprived of a national flag carrier at a time smaller African countries are running viable, profitable airlines.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday assured victims of flood disaster in Abeokuta, Ogun, of Federal Government support and assistance.

Osinbajo gave the assurance when he visited the state to commiserate with the victims and the state government.

About eight people lost their lives while property worth millions of naira were destroyed following downpour on Friday evening which lasted hours.

The Vice President in company of Gov. Ibikunle Amosun and other government officials visited some of the affected areas including Amolaso Ago Ijesa, Itoku and Ijeja in the Abeokuta metropolis.

Osinbajo, who addressed journalists at Itoku area, described the incident as “unfortunate.”

He, however, gave assurance that the Federal Government would provide immediate relief materials to assist the victims.

He said if not for the drainage system, channelisation and the good infrastructure put in place by the state government, the incident would have been worse.

” Let say that what has happened here is very unfortunate indeed.

“A lot of drainage have been done but then level of the rain has been so heavy that it has overtaken the infrastructure in place.

“So, what we are looking at is how the infrastructure can be enhanced and we are also discussing with the governor on how the Federal Government can be of assistance.

“We have to really sit down and look at those challenges properly and also provide immediate relieve materials to support the state government,” he said.

The vice president said the incident of flash flooding was unavoidable, particularly in situations of heavy rains in areas like Ogun.

Osinbajo urged the people of the state to shun the habit of blocking drains through indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

He advised that in such situation, people living in valley areas should quickly move to “higher grounds.”

“On the whole, the loss of lives is very unfortunate.

” The Federal Government commiserates with the state government and families of the victims.

“I also want to say that God has been gracious to us here in Ogun because it could have been worse.

“We also have to be thankful to the state government for providing the right type of infrastructure and for its very quick response to minimise the loss,”

Some of the victims were seen salvaging their losses as at the time of the visit.

Kudos to PMB for all these.. He surely deserves second term but I'm sure wailers will still oppose these but they can argue with their keypads for all i care.