₦airaland Forum

Contentment and gratitude aren’t identical, but they sure are family. Contentment lives somewhere near the beginning of the path toward a more grateful perspective.

For instance, it’s difficult to have gratitude for something you’ve received when you’re at the same time wanting more of that very thing. Think of a toddler who says thank you for sweets because they’ve discovered that’s how to get more. Are they glad to have the sweets? Yes. But, are they content with what they’ve already received? Probably not. A grateful perspective realizes God gave us the good we have, responds with praise, and then believes His good is enough. Yet, we often come to God with a toddler-like, “Thank you. More, please.”

How do we keep discontentment from robbing us of the realization of God’s all-sufficient provision? We practice saying, “Thank You, God. You’re enough.” When we do, we’ll find gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Try this: Look around you and start thanking God for the things you see. Start a mental list today of the things He’s done for you. Share them in a discussion or post them on social media this week.

Asshurbanipal:
This Osinbajo counter quote is nonsense. You people should stop parading it.

Borrow sense

VP OSINBAJO FLOORS PDP CANDIDATE IN VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

NIGERIANS ON SOCIAL MEDIA MOCK OBI'S FALSE NARRATIVES

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has shown a gulf of class between him and other Vice Presidential candidates when he blew his compatriots away with his insight on constitutional, economic, security and social development issues.

Osinbajo who is seeking reelection in office alongside incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, riveted his class as the best Vice President in Nigeria’s history.

Osinbajo a proficient orator and inarguably Nigeria’s favourite Vice President proved that he was no fluke as he displayed his dexterity, aura and finesse at the Vice Presidential debate which held at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The debate organized by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) had four other Vice Presidential candidates in attendance, Peter Obi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ganiyu Galadima of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN); Khadija Abdullahi-Iya of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) and Umma Getso of Young Progressive Party (YPP).

Stating categorically how the ruling government will take Nigerians to the next level when re-elected, Osinbajo noted that the government will continue to build on infrastructure and human capital development.

“What we intend to do is to build on what we are doing and that is why we are talking of the Next Level. We have moved 24 places up on the Ease of Doing Business,” the Vice President said at the debate.

“We need to improve power transmission, we need to improve our rail and road infrastructure to boost our economy, the Vice President explained.

He also stated that, “foreign Investment will come when we create an environment for local industries. We are also looking at the taxation regime and will continue to ensure that small and medium businesses continue to thrive.”

He however drew the biggest cheer of the debate when he replied Peter Obi, the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP insinuated that the ruling All Progressives Congress had left its shop and was chasing thieves.

In response, Prof Osinbajo said, “If you allow criminals to steal all the inventories in the shop, there will be no shop. That’s the problem and the World Bank said that corruption is the major impediment to Nigeria’s development.

Speaking on power, Osinbajo said, “I think the common denominator between the two countries you mentioned is the strong infrastructure,” the VP said referring to the mention of China and South Africa, adding that,

While under President Buhari, power generation capacity has climbed up to a high of 7,000 MW, the Vice President pointed out that “Our nation in the past 16 years has suffered a major infrastructure deficit. So, we don’t have rails, roads. When we came into power in 2015, power was 4,000MW in 16 years,”

“So, you need strong infrastructure. No one can argue about it. The second thing is you cannot have a strong economy if you allow the type of grand corruption that has taken place in Nigeria in the last 16 years.”

The Vice Presidential Candidate of the PDP was observed by many, especially on social media, to have been economical with some of the data he churned out. He had claimed that Nigeria had over 2 million cars, however checks from data released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that in the third quarter of 2017 alone, there were over 11.5 Million cars in the country.

Social media users took on this issue and have made posts calling out the Vice Presidential Candidate.

After the two hour, 30 minutes debate, the Vice Presidential candidates were awarded certificates of participation after which they took a group photograph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X58GG85eiM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVNp6TmzH38


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAgrvRfW88s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im04gepYQ0E


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLqJU06EaHI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGsCNMrGq0Q


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL56GP1XVvU


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


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TowZ7EGT72k


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQ6762gEYE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-ypUdMUFXY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9NJEB2xaJQ

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A lot of Nigerians expressed that they are better off than four years ago.

Group petitions DSS, Police to arrest Fani-Kayode over Fake News

A political group in Nigeria has petitioned security agencies over the continuous spread of Fake News by former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode, warning that, it is a security risk to the country leading up to the 2019 election.

The Initiative to Save Democracy warned that if Fani-Kayode and his kind are allowed to peddle false news it could lead unsuspecting Nigerians to believe that this news is true.

President of the group, James Akinloye who said he will drag Fani-Kayode to court, explained that people must be forced to face the consequences of their actions.

“There are laws in this country and if anyone thinks they are bigger than the law, then we have a problem. The law enforcement agencies should do their job and arrest the likes Fani-Kayode, Deji Adeyanju and others for their hate messages and fake news."

Quoting the 2015 Nigerian Cybercrime Act, Akinloye noted that Fani-Kayode had breached certain provisions and should be arrested and charged. “The Act forbids the distribution of racist and xenophobic material to the public through a computer system or network (e.g. Facebook and Twitter), it also prohibits the use of threats of violence and insulting statements to persons based on race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. Persons found guilty of this are liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than 5 years or to a fine of not less thanN10million or to both fine and imprisonment.”

Akinloye explained that the Act also outlaws cyber-stalking and cyber-bullying. Anyone convicted of these could receive a N2 million minimum fine and/or at least 1 year in prison. More severe offences could attract a penalty as high as a N25 million minimum fine and/or up to 10 years’ imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence.

He explained that the group will petition Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms as deterrent to others who are emulating Fani-Kayode on their platform, stressing that, it is a national security risk. “They need to know how divisive his messages are, and they need to understand why his accounts should be deleted immediately.

“We have a fragile but steady democracy and we should protect it with all our hearts and this includes halting fake news and hate speeches. We have seen what these kinds of things can cause, and we do not wish it on our country.

Akinloye urged politicians to approach the election with maturity and caution, noting that, Nigeria belongs to everyone. “Who wants to rule over a country that is in turmoil,” he asked, “We should strive to ensure peace at all times.”

https://twitter.com/DailyPostNGR/status/1065952622840971264?s=19

What does a principal has to do with the National Home-Grown School Feeding Program?
It is meant for primary school pupils.
Most head masters and head mistresses are not happy because they don't have access to these funds. The money is sent directly to the bank accounts of the cooks individually and this has made them sad.
Some head teachers still force some vendors to give them part of the money.
But this programme is a success.
You can't find it in a private school, only pupils of public schools are the targets.
Secondly, it is currently in 26 states of the federation not the whole 36 states.
The program has benefited the children, their parents, cooks, teachers, vendors, farmers and the business men.
It's better you don't say what you don't know.
National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme is a goal.

No Violations In Approval Of N5.8Billion Emergency Food Intervention Fund For Northeast.

Our attention has been drawn to a report of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness issued on Thursday, November 8, 2018, particularly in respect of funds released for “emergency intervention of food security to the North-East” in June 2017, when the Vice President was Acting President.
In its report, the Committee alleged that a sum of N5,865,671,939.26 was approved and released in June 2017 vide a Memo raised from the Office of the Acting President, directing the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to so act. The House Committee also concluded that the payment made was in contravention of approval of the National Assembly. This conclusion is both false and misleading.
To start with, it is important to understand the context of the transaction. This was at a time when internally displaced persons and their host communities faced very severe food shortages throughout the North East, as a result of successive poor harvests and abandoned farmlands, minimal cross-border cash crop trade and lost economic opportunities.
On 15th April 2017, the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP), a major aid organisation and food supplier to the region, had issued a warning that it would be reducing its vital support to about 1.8 million IDPs by as much as 85%, due to corresponding reduction in funding by the donor countries. Around the same time, the United Nations Commission for Refugees in Geneva also warned of the growing risk of mass deaths from starvation among people living in the conflict areas.
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) moved urgently to prevent the looming disaster by establishing a strategic food intervention plan for the affected States. A Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Delivery to the North East was convened and the Committee met on the 13th of May, 2017 to kick off the process, with the then Acting President as Chairman. Other members of the Committee included:
(i) Minister of Finance;
(ii) Minister of Budget and National Planning;
(iii) Minister of State for Budget and National Planning;
(iv) Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;
(v) Governor of Central Bank;
(vi) Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; and
(vii) Senior Special Assistant in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Resulting from the deliberations of this and subsequent meetings, the approval referred to in the House Committee’s Report was, in fact, based on a request raised by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as facilitator of the National Food Security Programme, vide a letter dated May 25, 2017.
As explained in the said letter, there was an immediate need to distribute grains, including rice, maize, soya beans and sorghum, to Internally Displaced Persons through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The only way to obtain the quantity of grains required was to resort to the National Food Security Progamme (NFSP) earlier established by the Federal Government as a means of shoring up its strategic grain reserves.
It was in consequence of the Federal Government decision to urgently purchase the stored grains for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons that the CBN made the proposal for approval of 30,905.08 Metric Tonnes at N5,229,685,333.26. Of that amount, the then Acting President eventually approved N5,036,644,933.26, after excluding bagging costs. This was pursuant to the recommendation that bagging, transportation and other logistics were best handled by NEMA.
NEMA also originated a request to the Acting President, dated May 25, 2017, requesting the sum of N829,026,456.00 for general logistics, branding & packaging, tracking, security, personnel, media & publicity and contingency costs of taking the grains from their respective locations in Kano, Kaduna, Funtua, Ibadan and Gombe to Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Jigawa States.
These presidential approvals were well within the clear constitutional authority of the Acting President, who needed to take emergency steps to forestall acute food shortages in the affected States and there was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about them. The approvals were duly communicated by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of Central Bank, Director General of NEMA and the Minister of Finance for implementation.
On account of the emergency nature of the procurement, the House Committee’s assumption that the ordinary rules of procurement would apply was wrong. Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act makes provision for emergency procurement, in which case the procuring entity is allowed to engage in direct contracting for goods and file a report thereafter with the Bureau of Public Procurement.
It is also wrong to assume that taxes and interests accruable to government from these transactions in food items were deliberately ignored or waived by neglect. Of course, we expect that any loans advanced to any of the companies would be recovered with the agreed interests and that any profits made by such companies would be liable to tax in the usual manner.
The suggestion that the grains were never delivered to the target States is also blatant falsehood. In actual fact, in order to ensure effective distribution of the grains, an Emergency Food Intervention Project Team was established, consisting of the Director General of NEMA and representatives of the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Department of State Security, Nigeria Police and the Presidency. The Committee also worked with respective State Emergency Management Agencies, as well as humanitarian agencies such as World Food Programme, International Committee of the Red Cross, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Deliveries were publicly made directly to the intended beneficiaries. In fact, the then Acting President personally inspected the electronic truck-tracking unit established in Maiduguri for the purpose of monitoring the transportation and flagged off the food distribution on the 8th of June, 2017. Besides, there was the integration of a robust monitoring and evaluation system into the operation in order to facilitate a transparent and accountable process.
Therefore, all insinuations on this matter regarding purported indictments and perceived violations of due process or the constitution are baseless and totally false. Such interpretations are flawed and should be utterly ignored.

Laolu Akande,
SSA, Media and Publicity,
Office of the Vice President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria

OSINBAJO CONVEYS PRESIDENCY’S CALL FOR LEVEL PLAYING GROUND IN LAGOS APC GUBER POLLS

*VP has not endorsed Sanwo-Olu
*How Sanwo-Olu’s media team took advantage of VP in widely publicized photo


Vice President Yemi Osinbajo today attended a meeting of the Lagos State General Advisory Council, GAC, where he had been invited by the elders on the council.

Before the meeting, the Vice President who had been in Lagos to participate in the Presidential primaries in the State had met with Governors Akin Ambode and the APC National Leader Ashiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

APC gubernatorial aspirants Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Kunle Hamzat were also at the premises of the GAC meeting ahead of the Vice President’s arrival.

Sources at the GAC meetings hinted that Prof Osinbajo, who is believed to be supportive of a second term bid for Ambode, conveyed the view of the Buhari presidency that there should be a level playing field in the overall conduct of the primaries.

Informed sources at the meeting said the purpose of VP’s attendance at the GAC was to report on a previous meeting held between him and Gov Aregbesola on how to resolve some of the outstanding issues around Governor Ambode‘s second term bid and its fallouts.

It was while he was coming out of the meeting that Mr. Sanwo-Olu and Mr. Hamzat took advantage of the VP’S presence to take the photos which are now being falsely paraded as proof of endorsement.

“The VP did not go to endorse the candidate, they only took advantage of his presence,” a source at the meeting confirmed last night.

gypsey:
Osibanjo is a fool, he is busy declaring 50 year of failure.
he should just buy himself a new cap and go back to his village.

Your generation will be die of happiness if someone can achieve his achievements in your family.

Juliusmalema:
Imagine celebrating a mediocre, terrorist and fake pastor like Osibanjo

Who made him a man of the people.

The guy is as evil as buhari....infact I dare say that even buhari is a lesser evil to osibanjo.

Why are you doing this to yourself?

See the way people are looking at you as if a knot is missing ?
Bros Y

OSINBAJO, “A Man of the people”

By Omololu Kassim
For a moment, I stopped thinking that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,SAN, GCON, is a Senior Advocate Of Nigeria. Yes, for a moment, I stopped thinking that the man is a professor of Law, what is generally perceived as an elitist profession.

I stopped thinking that he belonged to the ruling class, the bourgeoisie, the Second Citizen of Nigeria, with the prestigious GCON, the Grand Commander of the Niger, adorning his collar.

Yes, for a moment, I stopped thinking that this is the man who wields such enormous powers that sacked the D.G. of DSS, Lawal Daura following the security invasion of the National Assembly.

Then, I started thinking of Osinbajo as a quintessential dramatist who plays the part of “Baba-Oloja” the Grand Patron of Market Women. Does he not fit this role?

As I saw the Vice President tucked himself among market women of Nyanyan market on the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with Mararaba in Nasarawa State, I wondered if Osinbajo remembered that this was the same market whose motor garage was dastardly bombed by satanic Boko Haram a few years ago.

More importantly, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo reminded me of China Achebe’s heroic politician in his satirical novel, “A man of the People,” as he meanders through the markets to propagate the doctrine of TRADER MONI.
This is unprecedented!
Never in the history of Nigeria’s political experience. – or even Military autocracy – have we had a government who would dish out money, no matter how small, without collateral security, and without paying interest to the lowest level of the socioeconomic ladder.
This gesture has endeared Professor Yemi Osinbajo to the man-in-the-street.
I won’t be surprised if the man wins a popular election, going by his popularity with the masses, because he has now become A MAN OF THE PEOPLE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgGPiYxI4Zw

YPRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2018

*Name the APC-Sponsored Presidential Aspirants, Party Challenges Wike*

In reacting to the allegations by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sponsored some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants, it is understandable that the PDP in its despair over its failed 2019 election bid for the presidency has resorted to comical conspiracies.

Instead of putting it house in order, it is laughable that Governor Wike and his PDP cohorts are clutching on straws it is desperate bid to remain in public reckoning in the face of imminent 2019 defeat.

Meanwhile, we challenge Governor Wike to be brave enough and name the APC-sponsored aspirants among the crowd that have signified interest to run for the presidency under the PDP.

We urge the PDP to quickly wake up to the reality that the 2019 presidential elections have been won and lost.

The PDP is a dead party and we urge its members who share our progressive ideals to leave the sinking and rudderless ship and come over to the APC which is rebuilding and repositioning the country in all facets. 

SIGNED:

*Mr. Yekini Nabena*
Ag. National Publicity Secretary

1. FORMER VICE PRESIDENT ATIKU ABUBAKAR'S GEOGRAPHICAL RESTRUCTURING IS NOT THE ANSWER

"I rejected the notion that geographical restructuring was a solution to our national problems. Geographical Restructuring is either taking us back to regional governments or increasing the number of states that make up the Nigerian Federation.”

"What we required now was not geographical restructuring but good governance, honest management of public resources, deeper fiscal federalism and a clear vision for development".

2. PROF. OSINBAJO IS A BETTER CHAMPION OF RESTRUCTURING THAN ATIKU

"As we all may recall, the 2014 National Conference actually recommended the creation of 18 more states. And I argued that, with several states struggling to pay salaries, any further tinkering with our geographical structure would not benefit us".

3. ALHAJI ATIKU'S IDEA OF RESTRUCTURING IS INDISTINCT AND MUDDLED

"Alhaji Atiku's concept of Restructuring is understandably vague, because he seeks to cover every aspect of human existence in that definition. He says we need a structure that gives everyone the opportunity to work, a private sector driven economy".

"Yes I agree, these are critical pillars of our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan including our Ease of Doing Business Programme. If however, this is what he describes as restructuring, then it is clear that he has mixed up all the issues of good governance and diversification of the economy with the argument on restructuring.”

4. NIGERIA MUST FIX CORRUPTION BEFORE RESTRUCTURING WOULD MEAN MUCH

"In arguing for good governance, I made the point that our greatest problem was corruption. I pointed out that grand corruption, namely the unbelievably looting of the treasury by simply making huge cash withdrawals in local and foreign currency, was the first travesty that President Muhammadu Buhari stopped.”

"In the final analysis, restructuring in whatever shape or form, will not mean much if our political leaders see public resources as an extension of their bank account. This, I believe, is the real issue"

5. PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI’S ADMINISTRATION IS FOCUSED ON THE REAL ISSUES

"Good Governance involves inter alia transparency and prudence in public finance. It involves social justice, investing in the poor, and jobs for young people which explains our School Feeding Programme providing a meal a day to over 9million public school children in 25 states as of today, Our N-POWER is now employing 500,000 graduates; Our TraderMoni that will be giving microcredit to 2million petty traders; Our Conditional Cash Transfers giving monthly grants to over 400,000 of the poorest in Nigeria".

6. ATIKU IS A NEW COMER TO THE RESTRUCTURING CONVERSATION

“As Attorney-General at the time, it was my duty and privilege to lead the legal team against the then Federal government, in our arguments at the Supreme Court. I am sure that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would remember these cases on greater autonomy for States that I cite below, as he was Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time.

At the Supreme Court, we won several landmark decisions on restructuring Nigeria through deeper fiscal federalism, some of which our late converts to the concept, now wish to score political points on.”

7. PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI’S ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE SO MUCH WITH LESS IN SO LITTLE TIME

"In four years from 2010 to 2014, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government earned the highest revenues in Nigeria's history, $381.9billion. By contrast, the Buhari Administration has earned $121billion from May 2015 to June 2018, less than 1/3 of what Jonathan administration earned at the same period in that administration's life.”

"Despite earning so much less, we are still able to invest more in infrastructure than any government in Nigeria's history".

8. ATIKU IS RUNNING AWAY FROM ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT CORRUPTION WHICH ELITES LIKE HIM BENEFIT FROM

“Alhaji Atiku leaves out the elephant in the room – corruption. And how grand corruption, fueled by a rentier economic structure that benefits those who can use political positions or access to either loot the treasury or get favorable concessions to enrich themselves.”

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

CORRUPTION ALLEGATION AGAINST ABBA KYARI HINGED ON FICTION

The Presidency takes strong offence to the improbable and outlandish publication by Punch Newspaper today (Saturday) in a dig at presidential aide Abba Kyari who was alleged to have collected a 29 million naira bribe for the awarding of a contract.

We wish to state with full authority that the allegation is wrong and the Chief of Staff did not have any private meetings with the person making those allegations.

What is even more surprising is the decision by the newspaper to run the cooked up lies despite obvious loopholes in the story, such as the Bureau of Public Procurement’s denial that a major source for the story was a member of their staff. With a slew of crucial elections ahead, some politicians and their media agents appear to be working together to build pressure on the Buhari administration by wielding non-existent scandals against it.

We equally note that the supply of 15 Hilux vehicles for the Presidency was an unlikely contract to have been awarded, as it did not exist anywhere in the 2016 and 2017 budgets.

Checking the appropriation for 2016 and 2017, that request is not even there. How could Abba Kyari have asked for money to award a contract that did not exist anywhere at all?

In addition to that, the amount allegedly given in bribe was also suspicious, as the office of the presidential aide had been known in the past to receive imprest of 200 million naira and above every month, with no one expected to give account.

It was only since Abba Kyari occupied that position that things changed.

In blunt terms, it is difficult to make a case of N29 million bribery against an official who spurned a monthly payment of N200 million to his office, money for which he didn’t need to account to anyone.

Once again, we wish to caution against the media's haste to publish unverified accusations against government officials simply for the sensationalism value, without journalists doing the due diligence required of them by their profession.

The Punch was notified of the various falsehoods contained in the allegations but still went ahead to publish the weak accusations. They should be prepared to face Abba Kyari in court.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 8, 2018

Yesterday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo received ‘Team Save-A-Soul’, a group of Nigerian girls who won the world's largest tech competition in the United States of America, at the State House, Abuja.

The girls from Regina Pacis Model Secondary School, Onitsha, comprising of Promise Nnalue, Jessica Osita, Nwabuaku Ossai, Adaeze Onuigbo and Vivian Okoye, defeated teams from USA, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China to win the 2018 Technovation world pitch junior division in San Francisco.

They were accompanied by Anambra State Deputy Governor Nkem Okeke.

PRESS STATEMENT ON TRADERMONI

Our attention has been drawn to allegations on social media regarding the TraderMoni programme, which had its sixth sensitisation event in Osun State during the week.

We believe these statements are not driven by spite, but by a genuine misunderstanding of what TraderMoni is and where it comes from. We would, therefore, like to use this opportunity to set the records straight.

TraderMoni has been conceived since May 2016. It is part of the 2-year-old Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) scheme of the Federal Government. GEEP, a social intervention programme being executed by the Bank of Industry, has been providing interest-free loans to petty traders and artisans across Nigeria since May 17, 2016.

The GEEP programme, by design, comprises three products:

- GEEP MarketMoni, over 350,000 loans and growing, since May 2016: loans of N50,000 and N100,000, for structured traders and artisans in their market associations and cooperatives. In the past 2 years, the programme has granted loans to over 350,000 Nigerians nationwide. BVN and bank accounts are required.

- GEEP FarmerMoni, up to 5,465 loans and growing, since May 2017: much larger loans of N300,000 each, for structured farmers in their farming cooperatives. BVN and bank accounts are required.

- GEEP TraderMoni, commenced in May 2018: loans starting at N10,000, for petty traders for whom MarketMoni and FarmerMoni are too large, and for whom the bank account and BVN requirements are a barrier. Payback of the first loan guarantees automatic disbursement of N15,000, and successively N20,000, N50,000, and N100,000.
Candidates are enumerated in their trade clusters by the over 4,000 TraderMoni agents nationwide. They are verified by the Bank of Industry, and loans are disbursed directly to their mobile wallets.

While the TraderMoni commenced in May 2018, the programme was first publicly “activated” on August 7, 2018, in five markets in Lagos State, with tens of thousands of beneficiaries in Mushin, Ikotun, Agege, Ketu, and Abule Egba markets in the state.

Subsequently, there have been similar activations in six States as follows:
- Kano (August 18)
- Abia (August 20)
- Akwa Ibom (August 21)
- Katsina (September 1)
- Osun (September 3)
- Abuja (September 6)

State activation events run on a pre-defined schedule, to cover all 36 states and the FCT. These events provide important opportunities for the Federal Government to monitor the execution of the programme in each State. Activation events also enable further public sensitization about the programme, first-hand study of the impact on beneficiaries, and critical learnings for any operational improvements.

The transformative impact of TraderMoni on the lives of our beneficiaries is better experienced than imagined. These are financially vulnerable Nigerians who, up until now, have been relegated as “uninteresting,” “high risk,” and “difficult to understand” by traditional lenders. An opportunity to receive a N10,000 loan and graduate in quick succession to N100,000 is one that has escaped their realm of possibility. They first approach the programme with strong disbelief – until their disbursements happen. With TraderMoni, these Nigerians experience a literal turnaround in their businesses and their lives.

An insinuation that such a programme is a bribe for votes is not only unfair to the Nigerian public. It is moreso demeaning to the hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries who are accessing these loans, paying back, and in the process taking control of their financial futures and their dignity.

The only requirement to be a TraderMoni beneficiary is that you are a Nigerian and a petty trader. As a programme, we have never, and will never, inquire about the political affiliations of a trader. There is no such thing as a paper form or a “PVC check” in the registration process.

We enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to please join us at these activation events, or just visit any of the major trade clusters in your state to see the TraderMoni programme in action. We are also open to feedback on how to continually strengthen TraderMoni’s impact, our number 1 goal.

Please do not hesitate to email us on tradermoni@geep.ng

The lack of ideology of our political parties makes it easy for our politicians to jump from one party to the other without much hesitation.
Ideology can be defined as an orientation that characterized the thinking of a group or nation.
The Nigerian power elite, whether in the ruling APC or the opposition PDP only thinks of power from hegemonic perspective.
Hegemony is the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others.
There are about 91 registered political parties currently in Nigeria and what this implies is that there are parties with no ideologies. Ideally, a two-party system should be the best option for Nigeria instead of these mushroom parties with no ideology. It should be whether you are for the conservative or the progressive.
The recent defections by politicians in this country also show that political parties in Nigeria lack ideologies.
Our politicians are in power to sustain themselves. Unfortunately, the youths whose future was being destroyed by the actions and inactions of these crops of politicians were regrettably celebrating their actions.
The current defections and counter defections of our politicians from one political party to the other sadly confirm that our politicians are deeply corrupt and without ideology. How can we grow and develop as a nation when most of them are in politics to sustain themselves with stolen money?
In the advanced countries, parties are identified by the ideology they preach but that’s not the case with Nigeria, it is about selfish interest.
The defections in Nigeria politics are merely for selfish interests, not common good. The same set of people were in the ruling PDP before 2015 elections and merely decamped to APC seeing that APC will enable them win elections.
As long as such defection is for self, it has no usefulness to Nigeria on the long run.
It is this character of appearing differently (in time and colour) that tend to confuse people to think that such change is an evolution.
True evolution change or defection comes with different content, message and structure that MUST address the fundamental defects of the old order.
In good politics, defections MUST be as a result of change in ideological principle of the politician.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, PREMIUM TIMES, BY PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (Sept 4, 2018)

RE: OSINBAJO GOT IT WRONG ON RESTRUCTURING - ATIKU

Dear Editor,

Kindly permit me a response to a piece in your publication, titled “Osinbajo got it wrong on Restructuring,” written, we are told, by my illustrious predecessor in office, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

First, let me say that I really would have expected Alhaji Abubakar to at least get the full text of my comments before his public refutal of my views. But I understand; we are in that season where everything is seen as fair game! He quoted me as saying that “the problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring… and we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the argument that our problems stem from some geographic re-structuring”.

Yes, I said so.

As the quote shows, I rejected the notion that geographical restructuring was a solution to our national problems. Geographical restructuring is either taking us back to regional governments or increasing the number of States that make up the Nigerian federation.

As we all may recall, the 2014 National Conference actually recommended the creation of 18 more States. And I argued that, with several States struggling or unable to pay salaries, any further tinkering with our geographical structure would not benefit us.

We should rather ask ourselves why the States are underperforming, revenue and development wise. I gave the example of the Western Region (comprising even more than what is now known as the South West Zone), where, without oil money, and using capitation tax and revenues from agriculture and mining, the government funded free education for over 800,000 pupils in 1955, built several roads, farm settlements, industrial estates, the first TV station in Africa, and the tallest building in Nigeria, while still giving up fifty percent of its earnings from mining and minerals for allocation to the Federal Government and other regions.

I then argued that what we required now was not geographical restructuring but good governance, honest management of public resources, deeper fiscal Federalism, and a clear vision for development.

On the issue of deeper fiscal Federalism or restructuring, I explained how the then Lagos State Government, led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, decided to fight for greater autonomy of States.

As Attorney-General at the time, it was my duty and privilege to lead the legal team against the then Federal government, in our arguments at the Supreme Court. I am sure that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would remember these cases on greater autonomy for States that I cite below, as he was Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the time.

At the Supreme Court, we won several landmark decisions on restructuring Nigeria through deeper fiscal federalism, some of which our late converts to the concept, now wish to score political points on.

It was our counter-claims alongside those of other littoral States, that first addressed so comprehensively the issue of resource control. We agreed with the oil producing States that they had a right to control their resources. We argued, though unsuccessfully, that the Ports of Lagos were also a resource, which should enable Lagos State, in the worst case, to be paid the derivation percentage for proceeds of its natural resources. Years later, we also filed an action at the Supreme Court arguing that the Value Added Tax, being a consumption tax, should exclusively belong to the States.

On the issue of who, between the Federal and State governments, should have authority to grant building permits and other development control permits, the Supreme Court, by a slim majority, ruled in our favour. It held that, even with respect to federal land, States had exclusive authority to grant building or other developments control permits.

In 2004, we created 37 new local governments in Lagos State. We believed that we had a Constitutional right to do so and that in any event, a State should have a right to create its own administrative units. Several other States joined us and created theirs.

The Federal government’s response was to seize the funds meant for our local governments, thus strangulating States like Lagos, which had created new local governments. We challenged this at the Supreme Court. The court held that the President had no right under the Constitution to withhold or seize funds meant for the States. The allocations were not a gift of the Federal Government to the States. They were the Constitutional right of the States and local governments.

The court also agreed that States had a Constitutional right to create local governments, pursuant to section 8 of the Constitution, but that the creation remained inchoate until the National Assembly, by resolution, amended the existing list of local governments to capture the newly created LGs.

In response, we created by State Law, Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), to accommodate the newly created Local Government Councils until such a time as the National Assembly would complete the process. But the Lagos State Government took up the challenge to re-engineer its revenue service, making it autonomous. With innovative management, tax collection in Lagos became more efficient, and tax revenues continued to grow geometrically. Today, the State earns more IGR than 30 States of Nigeria put together!

Further, we contested the attempts of the then Federal Government to create supervisory authority over the Finances of Local Governments by the signing into law of the Monitoring of Revenue Allocation to Local Governments Act, 2005. The Supreme Court also ruled in our favour, striking down many provisions of the law that sought to give the Federal government control over local government funding.

I have been an advocate, both in court and outside, of fiscal Federalism and stronger State Governments. I have argued in favour of State Police, for the simple reason that policing is a local function. You simply cannot effectively police Nigeria from Abuja. Only recently, in my speech at the Anniversary of the Lagos State House of Assembly, I made the point that stronger, more autonomous States would more efficiently eradicate poverty. So I do not believe that geographical restructuring is an answer to Nigeria’s socio economic circumstances. That would only result in greater administrative costs. But there can be no doubt that we need deeper fiscal Federalism and good governance.

Alhaji Atiku’s concept of restructuring is understandably vague, because he seeks to cover every aspect of human existence in that definition. He says it means a “cultural revolution”. Of course, he does not bother to unravel this concept. He says we need a structure that gives everyone an opportunity to work, a private sector driven economy. Yes, I agree. These are critical pillars of our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), including our Ease of Doing Business Programme.

If, however, this is what he describes as restructuring, then it is clear that he has mixed up all the issues of good governance and diversification of the economy with the argument on restructuring.

Good governance involves, inter alia, transparency and prudence in public finance. It involves social justice, investing in the poor, and jobs for young people; which explains our School Feeding Programme, providing a meal a day to over 9 million public school children in 25 States as of today. Our NPower is now employing 500,000 graduates; our TraderMoni that will be giving microcredit to 2 million petty traders; our Conditional Cash Transfers giving monthly grants to over 400,000 of the poorest in Nigeria. The plan is to cover a million households.

Surprisingly, Alhaji Atiku leaves out the elephant in the room – corruption. And how grand corruption, fueled by a rentier economic structure that benefits those who can use political positions or access to either loot the treasury or get favorable concessions to enrich themselves. This was a main part of my presentations the Minnesota Town Hall meeting.

In arguing for good governance, I made the point that our greatest problem was corruption. I pointed out that grand corruption, namely the unbelievable looting of the treasury by simply making huge cash withdrawals in local and foreign currency, was the first travesty that President Buhari stopped.

I showed the OPEC figures from oil revenues since 1990. In four years from 2010 to 2014 the PDP government earned the highest oil revenues in Nigeria’s history, USD381.9billion. By contrast the Buhari Administration has earned USD121 billion from May 2015 to June 2018, less than 1/3 of what Jonathan Administration earned at the same period in that administration’s life. Despite earning so much less, we are still able to invest more in infrastructure than any government in Nigeria’s history. The difference is good governance, and fiscal prudence.

In the final analysis, restructuring in whatever shape or form, will not mean much if our political leaders see public resources as an extension of their bank accounts.

This, I believe, is the real issue.

More pix

NHGSFP is feeding 8,596,340 million pupils in 24 states across Nigeria.

#NHGSFP

Kiki Osinbajo, daughter of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and Afropop Alternative singer, Ric Hassani have been conferred with awards of Excellence by the Abuja Summer Festival for their contributions to Lifestyle and Entertainment.

The list was made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja by the festival’s Founder, Chioma Onashakpor.

According to the list, ‘Style Temple’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ogugua Okonkwo, ‘The Solohan Company’ CEO, Omojo Wada, ‘Good Hair’ CEO, Chioma Ikokwu, humanitarian Dora Enwere and actor, Uzee Usman also got awards. Kiki, a fashion and beauty entrepreneur, was recognised for her innovation in creating affordable and healthy beauty products with the launch of her skincare line, ‘Konyin’. Ric Hassani got an award for his musical prowess and doggedness as an alternative Afropop music artist, despite the marketing hurdles faced by singers of the genre in Nigeria. Okonkwo earned an Excellence award for her contribution to female fashion in Abuja as her firm ‘Style Temple’ is the most acclaimed in the FCT for style and practicability.

Enwere was recognised for her humanitarian work with females, especially her ongoing #ForYoungGirls project where she distributes soaps and sanitary pads to young girls in IDP camps. Also, Ikokwu was awarded ‘Business Excellence (Female)’ for the contribution of her brand ‘Good Hair’ in the revitalisation of the Hair business in Nigeria. Wada, who bagged the ‘Business Excellence (Male)’, earned the award for his marketing acumen and quality production of lawyers’ wigs and gowns in Nigeria. Actor and TV host Uzee Usman, who began his career in 2003, was awarded for his contribution to the Nigerian film industry, especially Kannywood. Newsmen report that the Abuja Summer Festival held its annual summer event on Aug. 11 with an outstanding performance from Ric Hassani. The family focused event also featured performances from upcoming Abuja artists, fashion shows, children playground and a football tournament.


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/breaking-acting-presidents-daughter-kiki-osinbajo-bags-award/

Always Active Acting President.
PYO has energy I swear.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE



TWO MILLION NIGERIANS TO GET COLLATERAL FREE LOANS IN BUHARI ADMINISTRATION’S NEW MICRO CREDIT FOR PETTY TRADERS

*EACH STATE, FCT TO GET MINIMUM 30,000 BENEFICIARIES
*SCHEME OPENS IN LAGOS, KANO & ABIA TO FOLLOW
*GOES ROUND COUNTRY BY YEAR END


In a determined and significant bid to further enlarge its financial inclusion agenda for all Nigerians regardless of social class and economic status, the Buhari administration has launched a new initiative under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), called the Trader Moni, which will empower two million petty traders between now and the end of the year.

The scheme which was launched last week in Lagos would grant a minimum of 30,000 loans in each State of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

All together the 2 million mark is expected to be attained on or before the end of this year, with petty traders in Lagos, Kano and Abia States set to be the first round of beneficiaries to draw the collateral free loans.

In addition to the 30,000 loans per State, States with larger populations like Lagos and Kano are expected to get more than 30,000 loans. Across the country, especially in the pilot states about 500,000 potential beneficiaries have so far been enumerated.

In order to identify the beneficiaries, no less than 4000 enumeration agents have been engaged by the Bank of Industry which is deploying the new scheme.

Trader Moni is designed to help petty traders expand their trade through the provision of collateral free loans of N10,000. The loans are repayable within a period of six months.

Under the scheme, beneficiaries can get access to a higher facility ranging from N15,000 to N50,000 when they repay N10,000 within the stipulated time period.

The goal of the Buhari Administration is to use the Trader Moni to take financial inclusion down to the grassroots, the bottom of the ladder, considering the contribution of petty traders to economic development. The Federal Government is also aware of the fact that many of the petty traders don’t have what the commercial banks require to grant loans.

This administration is keen to ensure that such traders at that level are able to build their businesses and grow.

Trader Moni was launched last Tuesday in five markets in Lagos State with tens of thousands beneficiaries already.

The Lagos markets already reached are Mushin, Ikotun, Agege, Ketu, and Abule Egba markets.

The scheme will soon be taken to other states in the country, with Abia and Kano states next in line.

Beneficiaries are already heaping praise on the Buhari administration for this initiative that will improve their businesses.

A trader in one of the Lagos markets, Anna Enwerem thanked President Buhari for the initiatives. “I sell clothes. This N10,000 would do a lot for me and my children. I like this programme so much. I will pay the loan before six months’ time. Before I didn’t believe it, but now that I have received my money I believe.”

Similarly, Chief Mrs Mufiat Adewumi, a market women leader in Lagos said it will help ordinary Nigerians who cannot have access to commercial banks’ credit facilities because they don’t have collateral, “We are happy about the Trader Moni because this is what we have been expecting for long, that the Government should assist the masses, especially the traders. We thank the Federal Government so much.”



Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity,
Office of the Acting President,
12th August, 2018

REMARKS BY HRH, ALHAJI FAROUK UMAR FAROUK, THE EMIR OF DAURA DURING A COURTESY VISIT TO THE PALACE BY ACTING PRESIDENT, YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, IN DAURA, KATSINA STATE, ON THURSDAY, AUG. 9, 2018


An occasion such as this offers an opportunity for us to discuss many things but for lack of time I would not bore you by presenting a long speech. Also, the masses have been waiting for you, so I would prefer you take your time to address them. I just want to thank you for this visit and pray for success in your progranmme in the state.


His Excellency, the Governor of Kastina, I convey our appreciations to all our guests especially the Vice President of Nigeria, who has been very supportive of the President, our father and our son. I welcome you this community. This is where our President was born and raised. I am happy because, as far as I know, this is your first visit to this community, as the Vice President, but we pardon you.


I can assure you that all us here, myself and my subjects; we are fully and solidly behind you and in support of you. We are happy with you and we are particularly proud of the way you have supported our son, President Muhammadu Buhari in leading our country Nigeria to prosperity.


That explains why when you talk about loyalty and trustworthiness among the political class, you stand as an example worthy of note. I wish that you carry on with this level of trustworthiness and continue to uphold the confidence that our son has in you.


I can assure you that our son has enormous trust in you, I want you to continue to justify that confidence he has placed in you. I want to inform you that we have never had such a government where the President and his deputy operate under such high level of mutual respect and understanding.


From the onset, this government has demonstrated integrity, our son, Muhammadu Buhari and yourself; both men of integrity, we thank you very much for your honesty and trustworthiness.


I will not say much because the entire people of the state await your coming, go ahead and conduct whatever business that has brought you to this place, in peace. This is your home, though you may be regarded as guests, this is still your home.


His Excellency, the Governor of Kastina, we cannot thank you enough for the good works you are doing. I want to assure you that we are with you, 100 per cent.


Considering all that you have done for this state, I want you to know that we do not have any issues with you and your government and we are fully in support of you.


In conclusion, Your Excellency the Vice President, As Allah has bestowed on you the task of assisting our son to lead this nation, May he see you and our son the President through your tenure and may he continue to guide you even as you go back home.

I can