₦airaland Forum

President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, said Nigeria would have been in trouble by now if not for his government’s decision to embrace agriculture.

Buhari spoke at a virtual meeting with members of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) at the State House, in Abuja on Tuesday.

President Buhari stressed the position of agriculture in the government’s scheme to reduce joblessness and poverty.

“For us to bounce back to productivity, especially in agriculture, the unemployed with many of them uneducated had to be persuaded to go into agriculture,” Buhari said.

‘‘If we hadn’t gone back to the lands we would have been in trouble by now. That is why we virtually stopped the importation of food thereby saving jobs and foreign exchange.”

The President also broached the issue of COVID-19 pandemic and how it necessitated the recent government policies as they relate to energy (electricity) and fuel.

He said the Federal government took such decisions because it places the country above politics.

“COVID has reduced us to the same level as developed countries.

‘‘We are lucky we went back to the land. We eat what we produce. We are doing our best to secure the country and provide infrastructure for investment to be viable in the country,” he said.

https://dailypost.ng/2020/09/15/we-would-have-been-in-trouble-by-now-buhari/

Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to change his style of governance otherwise Nigeria maybe heading towards collective suicide. He noted that the ongoing governance posture of aggressive evasion spells only one end: collective suicide.

Soyinka who spoke in a statement made available to The Nation on Tuesday, warned against the backdrop of obvious division among the groups in the country as earlier pointed out by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said: “We are close to extinction as a viable comity of peoples, supposedly bound together under an equitable set of protocols of co-habitation, capable of producing its own means of existence, and devoid of a culture of sectarian privilege and will to dominate.

“On Africa Day, May 2019, organised by the Union Bank of Africa, I similarly seized an opening to direct the attention of this government to warnings by the Ota farmer over the self-destruct turn that the nation had taken, urged the wisdom of heeding the message, even while remaining chary of the messenger. That advice appears to have fallen on deaf ears. In place of reasoned response and openness to some serious dialogue, what this nation has been obliged to endure has been insolent distractions from garrulous and coarsened functionaries, apologists and sectarian opportunists.

“The nation is divided as never before, and this ripping division has taken place under the policies and conduct of none other than President Buhari – does that claim belong in the realms of speculation? Does anyone deny that it was this president who went to sleep while communities were consistently ravaged by cattle marauders, were raped and displaced in their thousands and turned into beggars all over the landscape? Was it a different president who, on being finally persuaded to visit a scene of carnage, had nothing more authoritative to offer than to advice the traumatised victims to learn to live peacefully with their violators? And what happened to the Police Chief who had defied orders from his Commander-in-Chief to relocate fully to the trouble spot – he came, saw, and bolted, leaving the ‘natives’ to their own devices. Any disciplinary action taken against ‘countryman’? Was it a spokesman for some ghost president who chortled in those early, yet controllable stages of now systematized mayhem, gleefully dismissed the mass burial of victims in Benue State as a “staged show” for international entertainment? Did the other half of the presidential megaphone system not follow up – or was it, precede? – with the wisdom that they, the brutalized citizenry, should learn to bow under the yoke and negotiate, since “only the living” can enjoy the dividends of legal rights?

According to him, to reel off any achievements of a government – genuine or fantasised, trivial or monumental – is thus to dodge the issue, to ignore the real core concerns.

He stressed that no government, however inept, fails to record some form of achievement – this was why it were elected, and it takes real genius to succeed in spending four years actually doing nothing. “What it fails to do, or what it does wrongly, deceitfully or prejudicially is what concerns the citizenry. Across this nation, there is profound distrust, indeed abandonment of hope in this government as one that is genuinely committed to the survival of the nation as one, or indeed understands the minimal requirements for positioning it as a modern, functional space of productive occupancy.

“Donald Trump is not without a governance pass mark here or there – indeed, he has been touted for the Nobel Peace prize in some quarters, backed, predictably, by the quota Nigerian columnist – yet who dares deny, outside Republican diehard circles – that the great United States of American is brutally divided, and is even unraveling under the Trumpian phenomenon!

“Back to our own yaws however: Are pensioners still considered human, deserving the rewards of labour without further labour? Many collapse from that extended labour of recovering routine entitlements. Even routine access to that basic human requirement – food – is now under question, as farmers are chased off their farms in large numbers.

“Instead of timely action, urged stridently by beleaguered governors and of course by ‘professional agitators’ — appeasement of the violent food saboteurs was the preferred route to food security – operating under fancy names like RUGA. So how do you persuade graduates and young school leavers to try their hands at farming instead of flooding urban centres looking for non-existent white-collar positions? To get killed and dismembered? And what is the score within those much-coveted urban precincts? Lop-sided appointments to crucial positions in Civil Service and parastatals! Consider the prime economic cash cow – petroleum – exposed a few months ago as a reeking cesspit of nepotism. Who is the Minister of Petroleum under whose watch such an unprecedented contempt for geographical parity – uncontroverted till today — became entrenched? That happens to be none other than the nation’s president – and he did make a show of astonishment at the gross disparities, promised to subject the anomaly to immediate enquiry.

Continuing, he said: “May one ask what action has been taken to rectify that presumably “nation-unifying” compilation? It all casts a long, unedifying shadow backwards to those days of agitation by Tai Solarin and the mercuric engineer, Awojobi when the same Buhari took forceful charge of that ministry, promised to get to the root of the flying charges – anyone still recall the saga of the missing millions? He made a beeline for the home of a prominent political leader and carted away loads of files in his illegal possession. In vain the nation awaited enlightenment – Nothing!

“National divisiveness? Just where does culpability lie? Does centralist usurpation divide or bind? The answer is obvious in daily effects. We have even heard the charge laid at the feet of governors. When the constitutive units of this nation take steps to rescue themselves into the ‘unifying’ quagmire into which they have been plunged by a creaking, clearly unworkable centralised system, guess who squawk, gnash their teeth and threaten to call down thunder even where such remedies are backed by constitutional provisions! Alas, the dare of ignorance! And after being confronted by the legitimate right of states to at least salvage their existence and protect their citizens, guess who trundles out constrictive parameters, and attempts to dictate to governors how such state prerogatives should be exercised! Come under the umbrella of a failed Inspectorate Usurper – ordered the Garbled megaphone. Just on whose authority?

“We do know – let this be stated for the umpteenth time! – that the rains did not just begin to beat us yesterday in this nation. We know when the clouds began to gather, where the deluge began and turned to severe pounding. We can pinpoint the first trickle of the torrent of appeasement, of illegal extortions and concessions. Past leaders will not be permitted to forget or gloss over own self-centred interests and nation corrosive lapses that brought us to this parlous present. But we do endure in this here and now, in the immediacy of current governance, so let no uppity flunkey attempt to divert attention from current realities, realities that now clearly pronounce this nation of once promising prospects a basket case of abject penury and insecurity, where hordes of trained minds and sturdy limbs roam the streets as beggars, as haphazard vendors of the products of other peoples, other lands!” he added.

https://thenationonlineng.net/soyinka-to-buhari-we-are-heading-towards-collective-suicide/

Lai Lai - come rubbish dis claim quick quick!

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Nigeria’s Consumer Price Index, which measures the average change over time in prices of goods and services consumed in everyday living, climbed to 13.22% in August.

This is 0.40% higher than the figure reported the month before, the statistics office said on Tuesday.

Inflation in Africa’s biggest economy has been on a steady rise for one year now, making the latest figure its peak level in 28 months.

In 2016, the central bank announced plans to suppress inflationary pressures on the economy and keep inflation at single-digit within a range of 6-9% but none of such measures has been able to tame it to the level desired.

“On a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.34 per cent in August 2020. “This is 0.09 per cent higher than the rate recorded in July 2020 (1.25 per cent).

“The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending August 2020 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 12.23 per cent, representing a 0.18 per cent point rise from 12.05 per cent recorded in July 2020,” the National Bureau of Statistics said in its ‘Consumer Price Index August 2020’ report.

Year on year, the urban inflation rate jumped to 13.83% from 13.40% in July just as the rural inflation rate rose to 12.65% in August from 12.28% the month before.

Read also: Food crisis, higher inflation loom, as bakers plan to hike bread prices

“On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.42 per cent in August 2020, up by 0.15 from 1.27 per cent recorded in July 2020, while the rural index also rose by 1.27 per cent in August 2020, up by 0.04 from the rate recorded in July 2020 (1.23 per cent),” it added.

A separate food price index revealed food inflation at 16% in August, up from 15.48% in the preceding month.

The upward drift was triggered by the rising costs of staples including bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, meat fish, fruits, oils and fats as well as vegetables.

“In August 2020, food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Kogi (22.03%), Kwara (19.11%) and Edo (17.95%), while Gombe (14.33%), Kano (13.99%) and Bauchi (13.42%) recorded the slowest rise.

On month on month basis however, food inflation was highest in Ogun (3.27%), Lagos (3.13%) and Abia (2.81%), while Plateau (0.67%), Zamfara (0.24%) and Sokoto (0.13%), recorded the slowest rise,” the NBS said.

Core inflation, which considers the prices of all items but volatile agricultural produce, advanced to 10.52%, up by 0.42% when set beside the 10.10% reported in July.

The central bank said on Friday it saw inflation touching 14.15% at the end of this year on the grounds of disruption in the supply chain due to the economic slowdown induced by the coronavirus plandemic.

https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/just-in-inflation-hits-28-month-high-rises-to-13-22/

Igbos no fit follow this man.

Auladimeji:
Lol,I don't pity Nigerians abroad,majorities are living fake life

Your very unlikely to see a Nigerian beggar abroad. Worst worst dem go go clean plate or do security.

Some if not most homeless oyibo brought it upon themselves - too much white privilege.

Today dressing as a yoruba moslim....

Confirmedzombie:
Isreal implementing a national lockdown to enable them defeat the virus.

I urge the FG to emulate Israel as it is the only way the virus could be defeated.

Our cases keep increasing day by day. Nigerians are already used to a total lockdown.

People should stock their homes from their pockets as it makes no sense for a pallatives.

Nigerians have done it before and can do it again.

The FG must deploy the military to enforce a total lockdown for Eight good weeks.

Utter trash.... because of 1 death reported.

Say no to hard drugs.....and hard alcohol!

Softly softly....

Who is PTF?

Wey dem get this kind power?

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday placed a six-month travel ban on Nigerian passengers who avoid the mandatory second COVID-19 test on arrival from overseas.

The PTF National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, who stated this at the task force daily briefing, added that foreigners who failed to undertake the second COVID-19 test would have their visas revoked while leaving the country.

He added that over 9,000 passengers had registered with the new travel hub, while over 5,000 had actually made payments through the hub.

Aliyu, however, disclosed that young children and individuals with diplomatic passports would be exempted from the second COVID-19 test.

https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/passengers-face-six-month-travel-ban-for-avoiding-covid-19-test-ptf/

I'm sure hes sold all the rivers in Imo....

Both of them are notorious tax evaders - big up to them!

The US should please ban all Nigerian politicians and their family members - past, present and even the future ones!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday imposed additional visa restrictions on Nigerians over election-related activities in the African nation, the State Department said, accusing them of being responsible for undermining the democratic process.

The restrictions were imposed on the individuals, who were not named, “for their actions surrounding the November 2019 Kogi and Bayelsa State elections and in the run up to the September and October 2020 Edo and Ondo State elections,” the State Department said in a statement.

“These individuals have so far operated with impunity at the expense of the Nigerian people and have undermined democratic principles,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in the statement.

In 2019, the United States imposed visa restrictions on Nigerians it said had undermined elections in February and March of that year.

The State Department said it warned in a statement last year that it would consider consequences, including visa restrictions, on those responsible for organizing election-related violence or undermining the Nigerian democratic process.

World Bank on Monday said the Nigerian central bank needs to step up efforts to ease pressure on the foreign exchange market to meet the high demand for hard currency in the country.

CBN last Monday resumed the gradual sale of foreign exchange to licensed bureau de change operators in the country just to ease the pressure on naira.

But World Bank country director, Shubham Chaudhuri, told Bloomberg that “continued and even stronger action and a clear commitment from the central bank will go a long way toward facilitating a stronger recovery.”

CBN stopped the sale of forex to BDC operators on March 27th as the country faced an imminent lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the exchange rate at the black market has gone from N395/$1 on March 27, 2020, to N480/$1 as of August 27, 2020, exactly 5 months later.

The trouble for naira also escalated due to the downward trend of the price of crude, which accounts for more than 90% of the nation’s foreign-exchange earnings.

The Financial Times reported on Thursday that power plant Azura, partly financed by the private-lending arm of the World Bank, could default on its dollar-denominated debt because of the dollar scarcity.

“The Azura case is just one example of the difficulties that a number of established foreign and domestic private firms in Nigeria have had in accessing the forex to meet their business and contractual obligations,” Chaudhuri said on Friday.

Despite the resumption of forex to BDCs across the country, naira is still in a staggering recovery.

According to data obtained from Abokifx, a forex tracking website, naira is still selling at N460/$ as of Monday, September 14, signifying only about N20 appreciation after 8 days.

https://guardian.ng/news/how-cbn-can-make-naira-appreciate-world-bank/

Uzomacharles:
so anybody wey hold phone for 9ja na suspect?

Off course!

A commercial bus and an SUV on Monday collided with a train around the PWD area of Oshodi, Lagos State.

It was learnt that one of the persons in the SUV died in the accident while the passengers of the commercial vehicle survived with minimal injuries.

The Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the bus conveying the passengers, suddenly veered onto the tracks and collided with the train.

Oke-Osanyintolu said, “The bus and the Jeep were then dragged along for a stretch of the journey before the train managed to come to a complete halt.

“The Agency was able to successfully extricate the passengers and one life was lost. Casualties have been provided with on-site medical care and discharged. A 20-year-old boy that sustained severe injuries was taken to LASUTH for further treatment.”

https://punchng.com/photos-bus-suv-collide-with-moving-train-in-lagos/

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Failed State....

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