President Bola Tinubu congratulates Mr. Reno Omokri, author and influencer, on his 50th birthday, which is marked on January 22, 2024.

The President commends Mr. Omokri for his dutifulness in providing constructive opinions on national issues, regardless of his political disposition.

Mr. Omokri, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, was the Special Assistant on Digital Media to former President Goodluck Jonathan from 2011 to 2015.

President Tinubu wishes Mr. Omokri many more years in good health as he continues to contribute his quota to national development.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
January 21, 2024

—TAMING INFLATION REMAINS HIGH PRIORITY

These days, the Guardian newspaper is at its best when it comes to twisting politically sensitive facts to suit its preconceived notions.

In one of its highest fallacies, the paper this morning is tying the rise of inflation to its 17-year high to the person of the President, Muhammadu Buhari who leaves office in exactly two weeks from this day.

Anybody who promotes this kind of thinking is telling the whole world that they either don’t know what is happening all over the world or they are not paying attention to the facts.

This stubbornly high inflation is a world-wide problem and no nation is immune to it since the global economic downturn triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inflation was boosted everywhere by the COVID-19 lockdowns with severe impact on national economies due to the dislocation of manufacturing and supply chains.

This is what led to fewer goods and the rises in prices of those goods reaching the market.

Considering that Nigeria relies heavily on imports for essential products like petroleum, cooking oils, fertilizers, crop chemicals, and others, international price fluctuations significantly impact local prices. The government, unless it chooses to disregard the principles of free trade, has limited maneuverability in this regard.

France, which enjoyed a stable average inflationary regime of 4.1 percent from 1960-2022 is today reporting price increases of up to 1,080.36%.

At 10.1 percent, UK inflation is at a 41-year high. Ghana’s inflation rate had hit a two-decades high of 54.1 percent before a recent decrease.

Turkey’s rate is 45 percent, Pakistan has also reported an alarming high inflation rate comparable to countries with similar profiles.

The war in Ukraine meant a rocketing in foodstuff prices leading to fear of famine in many countries, never mind inflation!

While Nigeria's reported inflation rate of 22 percent is undoubtedly high and worrisome, it would be incorrect to suggest that the Buhari administration is not making efforts to address the volatile global cost of living crisis.

President Buhari has consistently prioritized efforts to control inflation and continues to do so.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
May 16, 2023

By Garba Shehu

*CITY SEEKS TO TRANSFORM INTO NATION’S SOLAR STATE.

For an electricity distribution area, Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) that gets between 250-360 Megawatts, on a day by day basis, many will dismiss the commissioning of the 10MW, Challawa Kano Solar Power Project as inconsequential.

Yet, in terms of both significance and consequential impact, this power plant, the first of its kind in Nigeria is a game-changer in many respects.

It is important to note that this is the largest grid-connected solar power plant in the country so far. Not only this, it is a pointer to growth in the power sector and a strong and unambiguous message that large-scale renewable projects can be successfully delivered in the country.

The plant is equally a personal goal achieved by President Muhammadu Buhari, a globally recognized champion of awareness-creation and the mitigation of climate change. He is a recognized promoter of biodiversity and a strong advocate of clean energy sources.

For him, the destruction of the natural environment, especially from uncontrolled carbon emissions is an anathema; the reason for most, if not all of the security and socio-economic challenges, from terrorism to banditry, hunger and poverty that confront us.

The Challawa, Kano plant is built to generate energy that produces no greenhouse emissions from fossil fuels and reduces air pollution.

The intention is for the project to supply the Challawa Water Works, the backbone of public water supply to the city of between 4-5 million people, and the provision of unbroken power supply to streetlights in the state capital thereby helping with security.

The effect will be to ease pressure on the overstretched power distribution to the Challawa Industrial Estate, the city’s second but largest industrial layout, to help spur industrial production and motivate other companies to invest in additional capacity and allow them to reach full capacity utilization.

We are also informed that the choice of contractors was done in a way that a local contractor must have a foreign partner and vice-versa, the reason being to ensure local participation, local job creation, value retention and knowledge (technical) transfer. The goal is for the sector to grow into maturity to such a point where no foreign content is required to undertake similar complex technical projects in the future.

At the construction stage, the project created 300 direct jobs and indirect jobs (transportation, food and beverage, hospitality etc) in excess of 2,000.

The project is a demonstration pilot project, intended to stimulate investment in the Nigerian power sector. Kano wasn’t initially chosen for it. Another state among the country’s large number of states in the sun solar belt was chosen but its indecision and failure to meet deadlines cost the state this project.

To meet an irrevocable deadline, Kano State Government was challenged by an order of the President to respond to the requirements, and, in time. Could Kano Government respond in time, asked the Presidency? Happily, the Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his Deputy, Gawuna did not disappoint.

In just one week, the Governor sent a duly registered Certificate of Occupancy covering a 24-hectare parcel of land, valued at N322 million at market value to the President, meeting thereby a strong requirement, for his approval. An agreement was signed with an ownership structure in which the Federal Government has 80%, Kano State Government with 15% and Kumbotso Local Government, 5%.

Power generated will be directly supplied to the distribution system.

On January 4, 2019, following a directive from the President, the Federal Ministry of Finance instructed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, to transfer the approved sum of N4.71 billion from the Development of Natural Resources Development Account to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA.

The President chose the NSIA to be the funds and project manager for the development and construction of this solar project because of the seriousness he attached to it. The President chose NSIA because it has a record of adherence to transparency and known to go with the highest environmental and social standards. The Covid-19 epidemic and consequent lockdown, and the currency fluctuation, impacted negatively on the project’s execution but the good news is that the NSIA has, notwithstanding the delay, done its part by delivering the project.

Kano is home to 15-16 million people and is poised to overtake Lagos as the most populous state. With 60-plus integrated rice mills today in Kano, the city has transformed into the country’s rice processing hub in the seven years of the Buhari administration and with this, a growing and voracious appetite for energy.

With this commissioning, President Buhari will put Kano on the front line of the combat against climate change. It will also mark the President’s big push on renewables to decarbonize the power sector and reduce air pollution starting with Kano on Monday.

All these put together will lead to a huge transformation of Kano from a semi-arid state to a solar state.

Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity.)
January 29, 2023

STATEMENT BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE COMMONWEALTH LEADERS EVENT HELD AT THE MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, LONDON ON 5TH MAY 2023 IN FRINGES OF THE CORONATION OF HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III


Your Majesty, distinguished leaders of the Commonwealth,

It is an honour to be present at this Commonwealth Leaders Event, and a special privilege for me to have the opportunity to engage with you all, particularly His Majesty King Charles III ahead of his coronation.

As I come before you today, I am also mindful that this would be my last official engagement with the King and other leaders of Commonwealth as I leave office on 29 May 2023. I, therefore, feel both humble and grateful to be present at this important moment.

70% of the estimated 220 million population of Nigeria are young people under the age of thirty. Our youths are vibrant and engaged in various professions, ranging from Information Technology, Small and Medium enterprises, Agriculture, Transportation, Sports and other vocations.

We have a fully fledged Ministry of Youths Development at the federal level and the thirty-six states of the Federation. These Ministries, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education at Federal and thirty-six states are responsible for the education of our youths across the country. Other vocational institutions have also been developed to facilitate skills acquisition by our teeming Youths.

Let me take this opportunity to comment on the general elections recently held in Nigeria. These credible elections saw an encouraging turnout of voters and we have demonstrated that a government can be elected peacefully and fairly.

I am particularly proud of this achievement and thank all our friends and the international community, especially the Commonwealth for sending an election observation team led by former President of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, to observe the elections.

Elections are not an event but part of a process of enthroning leadership in a democratic setting. The process started with credible eligible voters Registration, and would end with the adjudication of disputes arising from the process. The aggrieved parties have taken their petitions to the appropriate Nigerian courts for adjudication.

The Commonwealth stands for democracy, good governance, rule of law, and human rights. These values are not just ideals, but must be fully enshrined and put into practice. We need to continue to work together to promote and defend these values, both within our respective countries and across the Commonwealth, particularly in Africa.

The Commonwealth family needs to work collectively to address the challenges facing our world. It is through our shared values that we can create a better world and improve the lives of our people.

I want to thank the Commonwealth and its leadership for their unwavering support to Nigeria, especially during my tenure. The support has been critical to the success story of Nigeria and a step in the right direction to strengthen our Democracy.

As I prepare to leave office, I am proud to leave a united, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria. May I kindly request for continuous support to Nigeria, particularly the incoming administration, to enable continuity and sustainable development of our beloved country.

I thank you. Long live the Commonwealth.

Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda Chief of Adolf Hitler said ‘‘Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth’’. This was in the 1930s, before the internet was birthed.

Let us clearly, specifically and emphatically state that there is absolutely no truth to the claim that President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards an interim government or even worse, the truncation of democracy- democracy that he has helped to keep alive not only here at home, in West Africa but throughout the continent.

The talk of interim government and truncation of democracy is way off the mark. Those who peddle it stand to gain nothing- nothing at all -but the creation of panic and the incitement of the public against the federal government.

It is another dangerous dimension by people who are afraid that they may lose their elections.

Everybody is aware that there is a lot of pressure on everyone-all of us- the party, its elected officials, its candidates and law enforcement agencies following the way the currency swap has gone but the way to go is not to panic.

There is indeed a problem and nobody will pretend that it doesn’t exist.

It is precisely because the President is concerned with this problem that he opened several avenues for consultation with leaders and groups across the country, culminating in his broadcast to the nation on Thursday morning.

In line with the speech, his clear and unequivocal directive is that the problem of cash supply must be addressed without delay.

While this is being done, there is no need to panic. We need to work together as leaders; as a people and as one nation. When panic hits, people go into overdrive. Shouting helps no one because no one can listen.

The solution to the problem is not in sending Nigerians into confusion.

Elections, just a week ahead, will hold and Nigerians will vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, (and any others if they so wish) on the basis of their choice.

Our people want progress, good governance, law and order and will not be swayed by the negative energy that is being expended against a well-meaning currency change.

Finally, to state that: the President clearly has a favoured successor in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is not in doubt.

The fact that Tinubu has been opposed to the speed and timing of the Naira swap timetable does not mean he is against the idea of Nigeria becoming a cashless society. Of course, Tinubu does support a cashless society: for he is a man of the future.

What should be made crystal clear to the doubters and the speculators and the untruth-tellers is that in no way was the naira swap “engineered” to keep the President in office beyond May 29. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The President looks forward to handing over the reins of power to his elected successor. This will happen on May 29, 2023 as the Constitution requires it.

The days of unelected Nigerian leaders, and those who outstay their welcome by unconstitutionally extending it, have gone.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
February 17, 2023

NATIONAL BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE CHALLENGES OF THE CURRENCY SWAP AND STATE OF THE NATION, ON 16th FEBRUARY, 2023

My Dear Compatriots,

I have found it necessary to address you today, on the state of the nation and to render account on the efforts of our administration to sustain and strengthen our economy, enhance the fight against corruption and sustain our gains in the fight against terrorism and insecurity which has, undoubtedly, been impacted by several internal and external factors.

2. Particularly, I am addressing you, as your democratically elected President, to identify with you and express my sympathy, over the difficulties being experienced as we continue the implementation of new monetary policies, aimed at boosting our economy and tightening of the loopholes associated with money laundering.

3. Let me re-assure Nigerians, that strengthening our economy, enhancing security and blockage of leakages associated with illicit financial flows remain top priority of our administration. And I shall remain committed to my oath of protecting and advancing the interest of Nigerians and the nation, at all times.

4. In the last quarter of 2022, I authorised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to redesign the N200, N500, and N1000 Nigerian banknotes.

5. For a smooth transition, I similarly approved that the redesigned banknotes should circulate concurrently with the old bank notes, till 31 January 2023, before the old notes, cease to be legal tender.

6. In appreciation of the systemic and human difficulties encountered during implementation and in response to the appeal of all citizens, an extension of ten days was authorized till 10th February, 2023 for the completion of the process. All these activities are being carried out within the ambit of the Constitution, the relevant law under the CBN Act 2007 and in line with global best practices.

7. Fellow citizens, while I seek your understanding and patience during this transient phase of implementation, I feel obliged to avail you a few critical points underpinning the policy decision. These include:

a. The need to restore the statutory ability of the CBN to keep a firm control over money in circulation. In 2015 when this administration commenced its first term, Currency-in-Circulation was only N1.4trillion.

b. The proportion of currency outside banks grew from 78%in 2015 to 85% in 2022. As of October 2022, therefore, currency in circulation had risen to N3.23 trillion; out of which only N500 billion was within the Banking System while N2.7 trillion remained permanently outside the system; thereby distorting the financial policy and efficient management of inflation;

c. The huge volume of Bank Notes outside the banking system has proven to be practically unavailable for economic activities and by implication, retard the attainment of potential economic growth;

d. Economic growth projections make it imperative for government to aim at expanding financial inclusion in the country by reducing the number of the unbanked population; and



e. Given the prevailing security situation across the country, which keeps improving, it also becomes compelling for government to deepen its continuing support for security agencies to successfully combat banditry and ransom-taking in Nigeria



8. Notwithstanding the initial setbacks experienced, the evaluation and feedback mechanism set up has revealed that gains have emerged from the policy initiative.

9. I have been reliably informed that since the commencement of this program, about N2.1 trillion out of the banknotes previously held outside the banking system, had been successfully retrieved.

10. This represents about 80% of such funds. In the short to medium and long terms, therefore, it is expected that there would be:

a. A strengthening of our macro economic parameters;

b. Reduction of broad money supply leading to a deceleration of the velocity of money in the economy which should result in less pressures on domestic prices;

c. Lowering of Inflation as a result of the accompanying decline in money supply that will slow the pace of inflation;

d. Collapse of Illegal Economic Activities which would help to stem corruption and acquisition of money through illegal ways;

e. Exchange Rate stability;

f. Availability of Easy Loans and lowering of interest rates; and

g. Greater visibility and transparency of our financial actions translating to efficient enforcement of our anti- money laundering legislations.

11. I am not unaware of the obstacles placed on the path of innocent Nigerians by unscrupulous officials in the banking industry, entrusted with the process of implementation of the new monetary policy. I am deeply pained and sincerely sympathise with you all, over these unintended outcomes.

12. To stem this tide, I have directed the CBN to deploy all legitimate resources and legal means to ensure that our citizens are adequately educated on the policy; enjoy easy access to cash withdrawal through availability of appropriate amount of currency; and ability to make deposits.

13. I have similarly directed that the CBN should intensify collaboration with anti-corruption agencies, so as to ensure that any institution or person(s) found to have impeded or sabotaged the implementation should be made to bear the full weight of the law.

14. During the extended phase of the deadline for currency swap, I listened to invaluable pieces of advice from well meaning citizens and institutions across the nation.

15. I similarly consulted widely with representatives of the State Governors as well as the Council of State. Above all, as an administration that respects the rule of law, I have also noted that the subject matter is before the courts of our land and some pronouncements have been made.

16. To further ease the supply pressures particularly to our citizens, I have given approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 when the old N200 notes ceases to be legal tender.

17. In line with Section 20(3) of the CBN Act 2007, all existing old N1000 and N500 notes remain redeemable at the CBN and designated points.

18. Considering the health of our economy and the legacy we must bequeath to the next administration and future generations of Nigerians, I admonish every citizen to strive harder to make their deposits by taking advantage of the platforms and windows being provided by the CBN.

19. Let me assure Nigerians that our administration will continue to assess the implementation with a view to ensuring that Nigerians are not unnecessarily burdened. In this regard, the CBN shall ensure that new notes become more available and accessible to our citizens through the banks.

20. I wish to once more appeal for your understanding till we overcome this difficult transient phase within the shortest possible time.

21. Fellow citizens, on the 25th of February, 2023 the nation would be electing a new President and National Assembly members. I am aware that this new monetary policy has also contributed immensely to the minimization of the influence of money in politics.

22. This is a positive departure from the past and represents a bold legacy step by this administration, towards laying a strong foundation for free and fair elections.

23. I urge every citizen therefore, to go out to vote for their candidates of choice without fear, because security shall be provided and your vote shall count.

24. I however admonish you to eschew violence and avoid actions capable of disrupting the electoral processes. I wish us all a successful General Elections.

Thank you for listening. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari has called for a lifting of the blanket visa ban clamped down on Nigerians by the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The President canvassed this position on Monday during a telephone conversation with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who doubles as the Emir of Abu Dhabi.

President Buhari had called Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to condole with him on the death of his mother-in-law, Sheikha Maryam Al Falasi, during which important issues of mutual concern between the two countries came up.

The President requested his UAE counterpart to review the blanket visa ban imposed on Nigerians intending to travel to the UAE, recalling that mutually beneficial excellent relations have subsisted between the two nations over many years, symbolized by robust economic interactions and regular consultations on matters of common interest, including engagements at the highest political levels.

He noted that recent irritants in bilateral relations generated by consular issues relating to the behaviour of some Nigerians in the UAE are being ironed out, explaining that no country including Nigeria will condone criminalities and illegal behaviours.

President Buhari therefore expressed the readiness of the Government of Nigeria to apply necessary sanctions through appropriate judicial process against anyone identified to have committed criminal acts in the UAE, urging that the issue be allowed to be handled by the relevant security/intelligence agencies of the two countries and to come up with lasting solutions to the problems associated with criminalities and illegalities.

President Buhari also requested a resumption of the suspended operations of Emirates Airline in the country.

Recall that Emirates Airline had suspended its operations in Nigeria in 2022 in the wake of its inability to repatriate funds trapped in Nigeria.

President Buhari assured the UAE leader that the issue of the Emirates funds was receiving appropriate attention alongside those of other foreign airlines operating in Nigeria, adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria had been directed to increase foreign exchange allocation to the airline.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

February 14, 2023

THEY HAVE EYES BUT CANNOT SEE. PITY!

By FEMI ADESINA

It has been a hectic week. Frenetic. We set forth at dawn on Monday from Abuja to Bauchi, to attend the Presidential and gubernatorial campaign of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates. It was only Muhammadu Buhari, the Mai Gaskiya (honest man), that could have commanded the number of people that turned out. Without inducement. Endless sea of heads. He remains the greatest political crowd puller we have ever seen in the country since the beginning of time.

From Bauchi, same Monday, we flew into Lagos. To commission the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port, then West Africa’s largest rice mill at Imota, and a lubricant plant at Tin Can, Apapa, owned by MRS Petroleum Company.

Tuesday saw the President commissioning two more projects, including the Blue Line Rail. And from there, we flew to Dakar, Senegal, to attend a summit on food security in Africa, billed for Wednesday. Our President delivered a Keynote Address, and we left for Nigeria in the evening. We didn’t reach Katsina, and Daura till about 1 am Thursday.

Now as I write this Thursday morning, we are in Katsina, commissioning legacy projects, including; Kofar Kaura Underpass, Kofar Kaura Waterworks, Revenue House, Meteorological Institute, Darma Rice Mills, Kofar Kwaya Underpass, Katsina General Hospital, among others. The spree continues Friday, then same at Kano on Monday, and Jigawa on Tuesday.

Our President is 80 years old, don’t forget. And he does all these at a sprint. We that are far younger struggle to catch up with him. On Thursday, after going to bed around 3 am, on return from Senegal, I refused to get out of bed till my colleagues came to evacuate me, saying the President was ready and raring to go. I sprang up. President Buhari is a blessed man, despite a debilitating health challenge he had in 2017. God has been truly merciful.

Now, all these projects being commissioned in States are because the Federal Government created an enabling environment, and enunciated the right policies.. There are even counterpart relationships in some of them. I tell you, this President has done great things for our country, including fighting insecurity to a standstill, and on the verge of winning the war.

Some cynics claim they’ve not seen anything Buhari has done. Yes, the Second Niger Bridge is so small, so they need a magnifying glass to see it. The Lagos/Ibadan Expressway is so minuscule, and they need to wear their medicated glasses. Rail line like catacombs in certain parts of the country? Bring my microscope, let me check. Same for Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway, Bodo/Bonny road and bridges, Loko-Oweto road and bridge, brand new airport terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Port Harcourt, rice mills everywhere. “We can’t see.” Purblind people.

What of Abuja-Zaria-Kano expressway in the works? AKK pipelines. And many other projects. No, they can’t see, because Buhari has done nothing. Fickle minds. Caviling. Carping. Flippant. Unserious.

Those who know and are honest testify to what President Buhari has achieved for the country. And because there’s no need reinventing the wheel, let me adopt the chronicle of Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in a recent press briefing. I then challenge anyone who wants to countermand the achievements to openly come out and say so.

Let’s go:

“Let me use this opportunity to comment on the increasing tendency by some opposition presidential candidates to downplay the achievements of this Administration, in their desperation for power, ahead of the 2023 elections. The worst offender in this regard has been the presidential candidate of the PDP, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. During his recent campaign in Akure, the former VP was quoted as saying the APC had not done anything for Nigeria in eight years. What a preposterous statement from somebody who should know. I guess we can excuse His Excellency the former Vice President who, until recently, had fully relocated to Dubai, thus losing touch with Nigeria.

“And if anyone would accuse the APC-led Federal Government of doing nothing, it should not be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Why? Because for the 16 years of the PDP rule, eight of which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was Vice President, there was no motorable road to the former VP's hometown and indeed to key local governments in the Southern Senatorial zone that served as Adamawa's food basket and economic nerve centre until the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari
assumed office. Today, gentlemen, the Mayo Belwa- Jada- Ganye- Toungo road has been constructed fully and it’s the road that Alhaji Atiku uses to get to his hometown of Jada.

“What about security? Before this Administration came into office, all the five local government areas in Adamawa's Northern Senatorial District were effectively under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists. All state institutions, the local government administration, the police, the judiciary, schools, hospitals and markets had been sacked. Traditional rulers, including Emirs and
Chiefs, had been displaced with their palaces taken over by the terrorists as their headquarters.
The affected 5 local governments in the Northern Senatorial zone are:
1. Madagali
2. Michika
3. Mubi North
4. Mubi South and
5. Little Gombi

“In the Central Senatorial zone, two local governments were effectively under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists: These two local governments in the Central Senatorial zone are:
1. Maiha Local Government
2. Hong Local government.

“Today, not an inch of these local governments in Adamawa, the home state of the former Vice President, is under the control of terrorists. All institutions of state have relocated back and are operational. All Emirs and chiefs have returned to their palaces. Schools and markets have opened. Please note, gentlemen, that
throughout that period, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could not even go home. As a matter of fact, when one of his right hand men, Mr. Adila, was killed by the terrorists, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar could not even go to condole with the family of the deceased. It was that bad.
Now that he can travel home freely, thanks to the Buhari
Administration, it is not sweet in his mouth to accuse the same Administration of doing nothing. As they say, the bedwetter should not join those who are insulting the washerman.

“In the area of Social Investment Programmes, there have been 29,641 beneficiaries, from Adamawa alone, of the N-POWER Programme of the Buhari Administration. Under the Home Grown School Feeding
Programme, some 162,782 pupils from Adamawa are benefitting from one meal a day. That programme employs 2,259 cooks in Adamawa and has
covered 1,236 schools in the state. How many school children did the PDP feed in Adamawa or anywhere in the eight years that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar held sway as Vice President in Abuja!

“We are not done. Under the Conditional Cash Transfer, some 64,607 vulnerable people have benefitted in Adamawa alone, while Trader Moni and Market Moni have reached a total of 38,000 people in the state.

“In the area of infrastructure, some 8 roads projects totalling 714 kilometres are currently being rehabilitated or constructed in the state. That's out of 43 road projects in the North East alone. These are not phantom projects. We have the full list of the roads and can
make it available to anyone who so wishes.

“Similarly, the North East Development Commission (NEDC) has either completed or is currently working on 140 projects, including construction of classrooms, healthcare facilities and ICT training centres, in Adamawa alone. Overall, NEDC has a total of 593 projects in the entire North East. Again, we have a full list of the projects.

“Gentlemen, you can now see that we didn't even need to go far to disprove the former VP's soap box statement.
You can also see the irony of someone who held the number two position in the country for all of eight years but could not positively impact on his own hometown, state or region now condemning an Administration
that has made it possible for him to even access his hometown, anytime he flies in from his new hometown of Dubai! The Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has had a positive impact on all parts of this federation. No amount of fallacious soap box rhetorics can change this fact.”

True. Projects abound in all zones of the country, done by the Buhari Administration, and you will get to have a compendium soon. But let those who have eyes, and deliberately refuse to see, continue. They will fall into a ditch, and great will be that fall.

In the words of Jimmy Scott, a Nigerian drummer, made popular by the Beatles, “O-bladi, O-blada , life goes on bra, la-la-la-la life goes on.”

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

Protocol

I am delighted to be here in Lagos State, on a two-day Official Visit to commission landmark infrastructure projects by the Lagos State Government and the private sector.

I would like to start by thanking the Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the people of Lagos, for the colourful reception that my team and I received today on our arrival in the state.

Earlier today, it was my pleasure to commission the Lekki Deep Sea Port, and the Imota Rice Mill, two projects that are very much in line with our Administration’s vision of economic diversification and food security.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port is driven by my vision to bequeath a legacy of poverty elimination through provision of job-creating infrastructure, I placed all matters related to the operationalization of Lekki Deep Seaport on top priority by giving unalloyed backing to the Nigerian Ports Authority and its supervising ministry, the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

With the commencement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement which we are signatory, the distinctive features of Lekki Deep Seaport such as full automation which positions it for quick cargo and vessel turn around will greatly enhance the competitiveness of Nigeria’s exports especially agro-allied products in the international marketplace, grow local jobs, increased FOREX inflow and position Nigeria to maximize the opportunities inherent in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)Agreement.

Secondly, the Bestaf Lubricant at MRS commissioned, is a testament to provision of enabling environment. The 200m litre lubricant plant, which covers the whole value chain of lubricants and the first of its kind in West Africa, will prevent the importation of sub-standard products, stop capital flight, and contribute to generation of foreign exchange for the country, through products exported by Bestaf. This plant will go a long way in ensuring that the plants and machinery which are used in Nigeria, have extended lifetime from the use of high quality lubricants.

Tomorrow, I look forward to commissioning the historic first Phase of the Blue Line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, among others.

Lagos is proudly Nigeria’s economic nerve center, as well as the leading subnational economy in Africa. It is also a place with which I am very familiar, having lived and served here for long periods during my military career.

I am therefore no stranger to the rich culture and remarkable hospitality for which Lagos and its people are famous. It is therefore always a pleasure for me to return to Lagos, and to see the remarkable changes taking place constantly.

The Federal Government, under this Administration, has always strived to support the growth and development of Lagos State:

We have approved important fiscal waivers required to deliver on key infrastructure projects, including customs duties for BRT Buses, LAG-RIDE vehicles, as well as Rolling Stock for the Blue and Red Rail Lines.

Lagos was one of the pioneer beneficiaries of our Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, which has transformed the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway, and will deliver a brand-new access road to the new Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Lagos has benefited from our Sukuk Bond projects – the nearby Ahmadu Bello Way being one of the major roads reconstructed using Sukuk funding.

In addition,

The allocation of Right of Way of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway Line, for use by the Lagos Mass Rail Transit’s Red Line.

Substantial financial support at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The handover of the International Airport Road to the Lagos State Government, for reconstruction.
The ongoing redevelopment of the National Theatre, Iganmu, in partnership with Lagos State Government.

We have been very clear that our Administration is one that will support and work with State Governments to achieve our mutually-held goal of laying a sustainable foundation for lasting progress and development in Nigeria.

I am delighted that the alignment between Lagos State and the Federal Government, since 2015, has more than delivered on the dividends of democracy for the good people of the State.

These projects being commissioned today would not have happened without close collaboration between the Federal and Lagos State Governments, and the involvement of the private sector as well.

Indeed, our commitment to unleashing the full potential of Nigeria’s private sector should never be in doubt. Through various policies, legislation and executive orders, we have worked very hard to facilitate private enterprise in Nigeria.

The results of this can be seen in the many thriving businesses across Lagos State, in manufacturing, oil and gas, creative industries, services, digital economy and many more, creating tens of thousands of jobs and economic opportunities for Nigerians.

For example, between them, the Lekki Deep Sea Port and the Imota Rice Mill alone are projected to create more than three hundred thousand (300,000) direct and indirect jobs, and generate economic benefits valued at well over two hundred billion United States Dollars (USD 200 Billion).

These labour intensive projects fit well to this Administrations plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

I have no doubt whatsoever that posterity will be kind to us on account of these landmark projects and successes.

Let me note that the sheer number of projects lined up for commissioning during my Visit to Lagos is impressive. I thank you, Mr. Governor for keeping the electoral promises which you made to Lagosians. You have been a true Ambassador of the progressive politics that defines our party, and which has been the guiding vision of our Administration, from Day 1.

I also acknowledge the excellent work that you did, working closely with the Federal Government and other stakeholders, to protect Lagos State from the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is so much for us to be proud of, that we have worked hand-in-hand to achieve. Equally, there is still so much ahead for us to collaborate on.

The possibilities for the future are immense and exciting. In the four months until the end of our administration, we will continue to work with unwavering vigour and commitment, to fulfill the promises we made to Nigerians.

Thank you and God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Presidential approval for upward review of salaries and allowances of judicial officers

Prosecution of more than 1,500 Terrorism cases, with 397 convictions recorded so far

Prosecution of more than 7,000 criminal cases, cutting across maritime offences, financial matters, kidnapping, etc.

Establishment of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Reforms and Decongestion

Establishment of the Federal Contracts Administration System (FCAS), to protect the FGN from entering potentially flawed/unfavorable contracts.

Presidential Assent to various important Bills, including Electoral Act, Anti-Terrorism, Anti Money Laundering, NFIU Act, new Police Act, SPOMO, etc.

Issuance of 12 Presidential Executive Orders, covering various areas, including infrastructure financing, ease of doing business, local content, and so on.

Significant increase in the use of Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture Mechanisms by anticorruption agencies, through efforts of Federal Ministry of Justice and PACAC.

Nigeria joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2016, and developed a National Action Plan, which is already being implemented.

Presidential Assent to the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Bill, 2022, to ensure effective administration and accountability regarding all assets forfeited to FGN.

Successful engagements with governments of Switzerland, Jersey Island, USA, UAE, among others, leading to recovery of more than $700m in stolen assets.

Prior to the Buhari Administration, no signed agreements or MoUs existed between Nigeria and UAE. Today there are no fewer than 9 signed bilateral agreements/MoUs.

Ratification of various International Treaties, including Nigeria’s accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, and four International Copyright Treaties.

Establishment of a new Special SGBV Prosecution Team by the Federal Ministry of Justice, and designation of 4 FCT Courts as Special SGBV Courts.

Development of National Policy on Prosecution, and Code of Conduct and Guidelines for Prosecutors.

Development of Nigeria’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy

Development of new practice directions to fast-track trials of Terrorism cases and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) cases.

Presidential approval to clear Inherited backlog of more than 10,000 law students hitherto unable to attend Law School (arising from over-admission by Universities)

Establishment of new Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt

Payment, in 2018, of N135 million compensation for the 2013 extrajudicial killings in Apo, FCT.

Operationalization of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee at the Federal level, in accordance with ACJA 2015.

PRESIDENT SIGNS N21.83 BUDGET INTO LAW, SAYS ADEQUATE PROVISIONS MADE FOR 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS, TRANSITION PROGRAMME, OTHERS

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja signed the 2023 Budget of N21.83 trillion along with the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill into law.

Speaking at the signing of the eighth and final annual budget of this Administration, the President said the aggregate expenditures of N21.83 trillion, is an increase of N1.32 trillion over the initial Executive Proposal for a total expenditure of N20.51 trillion.

The President explained that the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act would enable the administration to respond to the havoc caused by the recent nationwide floods on infrastructure and agriculture sectors.

As is customary, he said the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning will subsequently provide more details of the approved budget and the supporting 2022 Finance Act.

''We have examined the changes made by the National Assembly to the 2023 Executive Budget proposal.

''The amended fiscal framework for 2023 as approved by the National Assembly shows additional revenues of N765.79 billion, and an unfunded deficit of N553.46 billion.

''It is clear that the National Assembly and the executive need to capture some of the proposed additional revenue sources in the fiscal framework. This must be rectified.

''I have also noted that the National Assembly introduced new projects into the 2023 budget proposal for which it has appropriated N770.72 billion. The National Assembly also increased the provisions made by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by N58.55 billion.''

President Buhari said his decision to sign the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law as passed by the National Assembly was to enable its implementation commence without delay, considering the imminent transition process to another democratically elected government.

He, however, directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to engage with the Legislature to revisit some of the changes made to the Executive budget proposal, expressing the hope that the National Assembly will cooperate with the Executive arm of Government in this regard.

He urged the National Assembly to reconsider its position on his proposal to securitize the Federal Government’s outstanding Ways and Means balance at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

''As I stated, the balance has accumulated over several years and represents funding provided by the CBN as lender of last resort to the government to enable it to meet obligations to lenders, as well as cover budgetary shortfalls in projected revenues and/or borrowings.

''I have no intention to fetter the right of the National Assembly to interrogate the composition of this balance, which can still be done even after granting the requested approval.

''Failure to grant the securitization approval will however cost the government about N1.8 trillion in additional interest in 2023 given the differential between the applicable interest rates which is currently MPR plus 3% and the negotiated interest rate of 9% and a 40year repayment period on the securitised debt of the Ways and Means.''

To ensure more effective implementation of the 2022 capital Budget, President Buhari thanked the National Assembly for approving his request for an extension of its validity date to 31st March, 2023.

The President directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to work towards early release of the 2023 capital votes to enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies commence the implementation of their capital projects in good time to support efforts to deliver key projects and public services as well as improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

Reiterating that the 2023 Budget was developed to promote fiscal sustainability, macroeconomic stability and ensure smooth transition to the incoming Administration, the President said it was also designed to promote social inclusion and strengthen the resilience of the economy.

He pledged that adequate provisions have been made in the Budget for the successful conduct of the forthcoming general elections and the transition programme.

On achieving revenue targets for the budget, the President directed MDAs and Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) to intensify their revenue mobilization efforts, including ensuring that all taxable organizations and individuals pay taxes due.

To achieve the laudable objectives of the 2023 Budget, the President said relevant Agencies must sustain current efforts towards the realization of crude oil production and export targets.

''To augment available fiscal resources, MDAs are to accelerate the implementation of Public Private Partnership initiatives, especially those designed to fast-track the pace of our infrastructural development.

''This, being a deficit budget, the associated Borrowing Plan will be forwarded to the National Assembly shortly.

''I count on the cooperation of the National Assembly for a speedy consideration and approval of the Plan.''

On the Finance Bill 2022, the President expressed regret that its review as passed by the National Assembly is yet to be finalized.

''This is because some of the changes made by the National Assembly need to be reviewed by the relevant agencies of government. I urge that this should be done speedily to enable me to assent into law,'' he said.

Those who witnessed the signing of the budget include Senate President Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The President thanked the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and all the distinguished and honourable leaders and members of the National Assembly for the expeditious consideration and passage of the Appropriation Bill.

He also recognised the roles played by the Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Senior Special Assistants to the President (Senate and House of Representatives), the Office of the Chief of Staff, as well as all who worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much towards producing the 2023 Appropriation Act.

''As I mentioned during the presentation of the 2023 Appropriation Bill, early passage of the budget proposal is critical to ensure effective delivery of our legacy projects, a smooth transition programme and effective take-off of the incoming Administration.

''I appreciate the firm commitment of the 9th National Assembly to the restoration of a predictable January to December fiscal year, as well as the mutual understanding, collaboration and engagements between officials of the Executive and the Legislative arms of government.

''These have made the quick consideration and passage of our Fiscal bills possible over the last four years.''

The President expressed the belief that the next Administration would sustain the early presentation of the annual appropriation bill to the National Assembly to ensure its passage before the beginning of the fiscal year.
''I firmly believe the next Administration will also sustain the current public financial management reform efforts, further improve the budgeting process, and particularly maintain the tradition of supporting its Appropriation Bills with Finance Bills designed to facilitate their implementation.

''To sustain and institutionalize the gains of the reforms, we must expedite action and conclude work on the Organic Budget Law for it to become operational before the end of this Administration.''

Acknowledging that ‘‘these are challenging times worldwide,’’ the President concluded his speech at the ceremony by expressing deep appreciation to Almighty God for His Grace, while commending the continuing resilience, understanding and sacrifice of Nigerians in the face of current economic challenges.

''As this Administration draws to a close, we will accelerate the implementation of critical measures aimed at further improving the Nigerian business environment, enhancing the welfare of our people and ensuring sustainable economic growth over the medium- to long-term,'' he said.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

January 3, 2023

BUHARI: I FEEL FREER WHEN I HAVE NOTHING

By FEMI ADESINA

During his recent trip to London for routine medical checkup, President Muhammadu Buhari had time to meet and greet newly crowned King Charles 111 at Buckingham Palace. The President recounted the encounter thus later:

“He asked me whether I have a house here. I said ‘no’. Even in Nigeria, the only houses I have are those I had before I got into government.
“I’m not very much interested in having assets all over the place. I feel much freer when I have nothing.”

What a man! What a leader! Ascetic. Austere. Abstinent. Where did he come from, in this day and age?

The Scripture that came to mind at the encounter between the two leaders was Luke 12:15, where Jesus said: “Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

This should not be Muhammadu Buhari, a man who had been military Governor of the then North Eastern State, which was made up of present day Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States. Six States, which he could have fleeced and stolen blind!

Then he became Minister of Petroleum for over three years, Head of State for 20 months, Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund, where he sat over money in scores of billions, and now elected President for two terms, about concluding his eighth year in office. Yet, he feels freer when he has nothing.

Naturally, such people should not know the number of houses they have in major capitals of the world, the number of accounts they hold in banks, both locally and internationally, women in their harem, and wild oats sown home and abroad. But not Buhari. Where did this man come from, and do they make them like this anymore?

“He asked whether I have a house here. I said ‘no.’ A house? King Charles 111 should have asked of houses. That is what men in Buhari’s position have all over Great Britain, other capitals of the world, and counting.

“Even in Nigeria, the only houses I have are those I had before I got into government.” Holy Moses! Didn’t the contractors give him houses as gifts, after smiling to the banks with hefty profits from jobs done, not even to talk of kickbacks from jobs not done but paid for? Buhari. Buhari. Chai, Buhari, where did you come from?

And then the clincher: “I’m not very much interested in having assets all over the place. I FEEL MUCH FREER WHEN I HAVE NOTHING.”

Buhari ooooo. What manner of man are you? “I feel much freer when I have nothing.” Gbam! You now know why we love the man, why we trust him, and why we serve him. Our treasury is safe in his hands. Our commonwealth is kept, preserved, and used for the good of the people.

Look at great infrastructure projects embarked on by Buhari. Roads. Rail. Bridges. Airports. AKK pipelines. Bodo-Bonny project, which will link Bonny Island by road to the outside world for the first time in human history. Such huge projects are never done by a leader who has come to steal, kill and destroy. That is why those projects had only been imagined, and never done by previous administrations. What would they pocket, if they had spent money on such humongous projects? But trust Buhari, the man who feels freer when he has nothing, to have embarked on such projects, many of which are being concluded now.

“I feel much freer, when I have nothing.” Don’t we see the wisdom in this? You live better when your basic needs are met. You sleep better, without worries. You face eternity much more confidently. And you meet your God better prepared.

Am I advocating poverty? By no means. President Buhari is not poor, he’s just contented. He doesn’t have an Octopus complex that gets you grabbing everything in sight, though he has the opportunity. Group CEO of NNPC Limited , Mele Kolo Kyari had told me one day:

“I’ve never seen a leader like President Buhari. Not once has he sent anybody to me, with an instruction, ‘give this person a contract.’ Or, ‘bring this amount of money.’ Never! Not once. He’s an amazing man. That’s why he is the best person to spearhead all the reforms in the oil and gas industry.”

Of course, we knew how leaders treated the NNPC. Even the Central Bank. Customs. Federal Inland Revenue Service. Nigerian Ports Authority. NIMASA. And all the other revenue generating agencies. Like a gravy train, which they dipped their hands into at will. Those places served as sources of free cash for themselves, their families, political parties, and cronies. But not Buhari. The man simply wants nothing. He feels freer when he has nothing.

I remember myself as a simple Nigerian journalist, just enjoying the job, and not having the slightest ambition to ever serve in government. Because I wanted nothing. A friend, who had read me religiously over the years (his name is Japhet Ogunniyi) had visited me one day at The Sun Newspapers. I don’t know what led him to ask whether I could ever serve in government. Without giving it a thought, I said an emphatic NO. What was I going to do in government, with all the tendencies and predilections for filthy lucre? No, I was not wired that way, neither was I so trained by Pa Adesina, that great educationist and disciplinarian.

But Japhet probed further. “You can’t serve even in a Buhari government? But you admire the man so much, and write so fervently about him?”

I paused. Gave the idea a thought. That was at a time when a Buhari presidency seemed so far-fetched and improbable. So, I told my friend: “Well, I can serve a Buhari. Because he’s an honest man, and he will run a honest government.”

There didn’t seem to be chance of such ever happening at that time, but it eventually did. And diffidently, even reluctantly, I left what I was doing to serve a honest man. The morning I was to turn in my letter of resignation as Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Sun Newspapers, I woke by 5 am, and started crying. I did to my heart’s content. When I held the last meeting with the management team in the office later that day, it was a festival of tears all round. Men, women, we were not ashamed. We cried. But I left, to serve a honest man, who feels a lot freer when he has nothing. Wouldn’t you rather serve that kind of person? For me, it was a huge sacrifice, but I’ll do it over and over again. For God, for country, and for a honest man.

In 1994, I became a Buharist, when he was military head of state. I supported him in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019, because he’s an honest man. The Mai Gaskiya. And what can a country do without honest leadership? Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people, says the Good Book. When does another Buhari come this way? They don’t make them like that anymore.

Some cynics would definitely say; if Buhari was that clean, why is there still so much corruption in the country? The answer is simple. Corruption is being vigorously fought, and the statistics are clear in terms of comparative number of convictions between what used to be, and what subsists now. But if a single man remains squeaky clean in a forest of corruption, should he then be guilty by association? Nah. “Let him that is righteous be righteous still. Let him that is filthy be filthy still. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to repay everyone as his work shall be.” That is from the Great Book, the Book of Books. It’s the conclusion of the whole matter.

“I feel much freer when I have nothing.” Very true. When I have nothing, then I have everything. Just like Buhari.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

TEXT OF PRESS BRIEFING ON THE TRANSFER OF MT HEROIC IDUN FROM EQUATORIAL GUINEA TO NIGERIA – November 15, 2022

1. You may recall that on Friday 19 August 2022 the Naval Headquarters briefed the Press on the arrest of Motor Tanker HEROIC IDUN by the Equatorial Guinean Navy. It was mentioned that the Very Large Crude oil Carrier (VLCC) had entered the Nigerian Maritime Environment (NME) on 7 August 2022 and headed for Akpo Field without any form of authorisation or clearance. For the avoidance of doubt, MT HEROIC IDUN (IMO: 9858058) is registered in Marshall Island with an overall length of 336-metres, 60 metres breadth and capacity of 3 million barrels. The vessel was spotted by the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facility and a Nigerian Navy (NN) Inshore Patrol Craft, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) GONGOLA probed the legitimacy of her presence in the Total Safe Anchorage operated Akpo Field. Following the interrogation, the Captain of MT HEROIC IDUN duly responded to NNS GONGOLA and further stated that his vessel was without relevant clearance to operate in the Field.

2. The vessel was therefore ordered to turn around and follow NNS GONGOLA to Bonny anchorage pending when she will be cleared for loading by NNPC Ltd. However, she bluntly declined on the claims that she had been told by her agent not to take directives from the Nigerian Navy Ship. Thereafter, she engaged full speed southwards towards the Sao Tome and Principe maritime area in a bid to evade arrest. Apart from refusing lawful arrest, the Captain of the vessel made a broadcast of false piracy attack call to International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre to mislead mariners that NNS GONGOLA was a pirate vessel and possibly concoct an alibi for her desperate action. On the piracy alert, the Nigerian Navy also through international collaboration alerted relevant piracy reporting centres through CRESMAO and ECOWAS ZONE F Cotonou headed by Nigerian Navy officers for the alert to be cancelled immediately which was done by IMB. Suffice to state that Nigeria has not recorded any piracy attack in its waters in over one year. Hence, this mischievous act by MT HEROIC IDUN was clearly aimed at tarnishing the good image of the maritime domain of Nigeria, which we have worked very hard to achieve and sustain.

3. The Nigerian Navy therefore invoked the collaboration of neighbouring Equatorial Guinea through the Yaoundé Architecture to arrest the vessel. With the aid of the Nigerian Navy surveillance facility, MT HEROIC IDUN was tracked and the Equatorial Guinea Amphibious Ship, CAPTAIN DAVID was therefore vectored to intercept and arrest the fleeing ship on 12 Aug 22. Pertinently, MT HEROIC IDUN was held at the Luba Anchorage in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea while the country conducted her own investigations owing to some infractions the vessel had also committed in the country’s waters. Whilst these were ongoing, a formal request was made to transfer the vessel to Nigeria as mentioned during the Press Briefing on 19 August 2022. This was followed by diplomatic overtures and negotiations towards achieving the transfer of HEROIC IDUN to Nigeria. Suffice to add that both Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea are signatories to the Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy, Armed Robbery against Ships and Illicit Maritime Activity in West and Central Africa of 2013 commonly referred to as the ‘Yaounde Code of Conduct’. The Code is backed by appropriate UN Security Council Resolutions and provides the platform for information sharing as well as coordination amongst signatories. This includes handover of vessels or persons suspected to have committed offences in each other’s States. It was based on this therefore that MT HEROIC IDUN was brought back to Nigeria from Equatorial Guinea on 12 November 2022.

4. The smear campaign put up by the ship in the Media space in a fierce attempt to rubbish the transfer process by falsely gaining international support/sympathy was thus bound to fail and perhaps an indication that the vessel has a case to answer. Accordingly, on 6 November 2022, the vessel was handed over to Nigeria by Equatorial Guinea. Subsequently, she cast off Equatorial Guinea waters under Nigerian Navy escort on 11 November and arrived off Bonny Offshore Terminal II on 12 November 2022. MT HEROIC IDUN is presently in the custody of the Nigerian Navy and based on legal opinion and analysis, the super-tanker could be said to have committed the following offences against the Nigerian State:

a. Attempt to deal in export crude oil without license or authorization.

b. Entering the Restricted Zone around an Oilfield without authorization and thus violating Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone regulations.

c. Falsely accusing a Nigerian Navy Ship of piracy on International Maritime Reporting Platforms after having communicated with the Nigerian Navy Ship without ambiguity about her identity therefore violating sections of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO)Act 2019.

d. Violation of all lawful instructions at sea from Maritime Law Authorities as well as Nigeria’s Miscellaneous Act and other associated national and international laws ascribed to by Nigeria.

e. Violation of Custom and Immigration Laws as acceded by Nigeria regarding the operations of Akpo Oil Terminal being an Oil installation in the Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone.

5. At this juncture, the NN wishes to enjoin the media, wellmeaning Nigerians and well-wishers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to note the actual occurrence regarding MT HEROIC IDUN for which she is now under the custody of the Navy for prosecution. Please disregard rumours, mischievous and fictitious articles being circulated by enemies of the State, in a bid to cause chaos and discredit efforts of the Nigerian Navy and indeed Nigeria. The Navy also acknowledges with immense gratitude the role played by the Government of Equatorial Guinea in the arrest and transfer of MV HEROIC IDUN to Nigeria. Equally, the NN acknowledges the untiring efforts of the Federal ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Justice in the actualization of the transfer of this Vessel of Interest.

6. The Navy assures Nigerians that in accordance with its statutory responsibilities and drawing strength from the strategic directives of the CNS, Vice Admiral Auwal Zubairu Gambo CFR, the Service will maintain a posture of zero tolerance to crude oil theft and other criminal activities in our maritime domain. The Navy shall continue to work in synergy with other maritime stakeholders, Gulf of Guinea states’ navies and strategic partners to ensure that Nigeria derives maximum benefit from its natural maritime endowments.

7. Thank you for your attention.

SS GARBA Rear Admiral
for Chief of the Naval Staff
November 15, 2022

Distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen

It is truly a delight to be a part of this event, and to discuss the significant role of the clean energy transition in delivering both climate and energy access goals.

Without a doubt, we are at a critical time with respect to the world’s climate future and our actions today and over the next few decades will determine the fate of future generations and the planet. This year, we have witnessed disastrous extreme weather events from terrifying wildfires in the United States, to unprecedented heat waves in India, Pakistan, and Europe, to intense floods in my country, Nigeria,. From early summer till now, devastating floods have affected about 33 states in Nigeria, displacing over 1.4 million people, destroying over 100,000 hectares of farmland and causing about 600 deaths. In addition, we are witnessing increased desertification, erosion, and pollution in the country; the impacts of which are too severe to ignore. These glaring climate signals indicate that we do not have the luxury of time when it comes to the impacts of climate change.

For developing nations particularly in Africa who, despite contributing the least to both historical and current emissions, are facing climate impacts to a disproportionate degree, the case for accelerated climate action is even more pressing. As will be strongly demanded here at COP27, we need to see urgent and decisive climate action from the countries most responsible for the emissions that cause climate change. We cannot afford any more delays; our people and nations are on the line. The blame game should stop, affirmative and positive commitment to address these challenges must begin NOW.

We are committed to tackling climate change by embarking on bold actions ourselves. African nations are demonstrating commitment via the signing of the Paris Agreement, the submission of highly ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and spending up to 9% of GDP in addressing climate change.

However, as we seek to pursue our climate ambitions, we are acutely aware of other pressing concerns that must be addressed; not least of which is the energy poverty on the continent. With energy consumed for electricity, heat, and transport accounting for over 70% of global emissions, we acknowledge that a rapid energy transition must be at the centre of our climate efforts, but we also know that we need significantly more energy.

These energy deficits have staggering quality and length of life ramifications. For instance, the clean cooking deficits lead to about 500 million premature deaths from household air pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa annually, and due to the electricity deficits, half of secondary schools and a quarter of health facilities in the region have no power.

African nations, and in fact most developing countries, must balance contributing our quota to the global climate response with resolving our significant energy needs. The clean energy transition is perhaps our main tool to achieve this. As we sought to scale our climate mitigation efforts, the Federal Government of Nigeria recognized the need for an extensive clean energy transition while providing sufficient energy to meet the needs of the 92 million Nigerians without access to electricity and the 175 million Nigerians without access to clean cooking solutions.

Consequently, in 2021, Nigeria became the first African country to design a detailed Energy Transition Plan to tackle the dual crises of energy poverty and climate change and deliver universal access to energy (SDG7) by 2030 and net-zero by 2060. Our plan details pathways for significant low-carbon buildout of energy systems across 5 keys sectors: Power, Cooking, Transport, Industry, and Oil & Gas, and within its scope, 65% of Nigeria’s emissions are affected.

Although our plan recognizes the role of gas as a transition fuel for delivering clean cooking solutions and baseload power capacity, renewable energy is the bedrock of our transition pathway. Nigeria is set to deploy an unprecedented amount of renewable energy capacity to deliver the energy access and climate goals of our transition plan. For example, the plan calls for the deployment of about 5.3 Gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity every year till 2060 with the inclusion of storage and hydrogen. The plan envisions vibrant industries powered by low-carbon technologies; streets lined with electric vehicles and livelihoods enabled by sufficient and clean energy; this is an exciting vision.

We have developed this audacious plan and adopted it as a national policy, but the critical thing now is delivering the plan’s targets. Our analysis shows that Nigeria would need to spend about $410 billion above business-as-usual spending to deliver our transition plan by 2060. This translates to an additional $10 billion in annual spending, and we need support from international partners to mobilize this level of resources. In this regard, we are engaging the G7 to request the inclusion of Nigeria in the G7’s Climate Partnerships List for the co-creation of a Just Energy Transition Partnership.

Between 2000 and 2020, just $3 billion per year was invested in renewable energy in the whole of Africa. This was barely 2% of global renewable energy investment in the same period. A balanced and just approach to the clean energy transition must recognize that finance is key and currently skewed away from the developing nations that need it most. Making capital available in Africa for the buildout of clean energy systems is central to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement. In addition to conventional capital flows from public and private sources, it is also essential that Africa can participate more fully in global carbon markets and pioneer innovative instruments like debt-for-climate swaps.

For our own part as developing economies, we are undertaking strategies and reforms to create the enabling environment for the needed investments. In Nigeria, we have implemented several sector reforms such as the Power Sector Recovery Programme; put in place enabling incentives like the three-year tax holiday for independent power generation; and made investment-grade data and tools such as the Nigeria Integrated Energy Planning Tool publicly available to demonstrate our investment readiness and commitment to the transition. We are updating our Mini-Grid regulations to be flexible to private sector induced investments, raise the licensing cap and developing the policy for the integration of utility-scale solar into our grid to advance a shortlist of identified energy transition projects including Renewable Solar Independent Power Plants (IPPs), and scaled Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) projects, to name a few.

In closing, I thank partners such as Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and Bloomberg Philanthropies that have shown support for a clean energy transition in Nigeria, and I call on investors and the global community to recognize the immense investment opportunities and potential for impact in Nigeria and the Global South at large. We thank Bloomberg for understanding the situation as ‘a do nothing scenario’ will be a major draw back towards a global net zero ambition. Let’s come together at this crucial time in the world’s history to deliver a just, clean and thriving world.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Keynote Address by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Clean Energy Transition Event, organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), on Monday November 7, 2022, on the sidelines of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), and delivered by the Hon. Minister of Environment, Mohammed H. Abdullahi.

It’s an oxymoron, isn’t it? You can’t physically see footprints on water, but then, that’s what President Muhammadu Buhari has done with the country’s waterways. He has planted his footprints on them, and they are some of the things that will stand him in good stead as he exits May 29, next year.

Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief (Dr) George Moghalu, was our guest at the 52nd edition of the weekly State House Press Briefing last week, and what an eye opener it was. It’s not only in infrastructure, security, anti-corruption, economic diversification, and the like, that President Buhari is making waves, he’s also doing so on water. Inland Waterways.

Moghalu is the third Chief Executive of NIWA under this administration. First was Mr Boss Mustapha, who proceeded to become Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) from the position. Next was Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, who also got appointed Minister of State for Health, and is now substantive Minister at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Then came the incumbent, and between them all, under the inspiration of the President, they have generated benign waves at our inland waterways.

What is today known as NIWA began in 1957 under the colonial government as a department under the Federal Ministry of Transport. In 1997, it metamorphosed into NIWA, and commenced operations in 1998.

The statutory functions include; to improve and develop inland waterways for navigation, development of infrastructural facilities for national inland waterways connectivity with the economic centers using river ports as nodal points for inter-modal exchanges, among others.

What imprints have now been made on the sands of time (or rather, the waters of time, if you like) under the Buhari administration? Many, and many more, as recounted by Moghalu.

These include provision of ports and jetties at terminal facilities round the country, acquisition of dredgers, maintenance dredging of major rivers, including the majestic River Niger, partnership with the private sector on channel management, regular hydrographic surveys of waterways for safe navigation, wrecks removal master plan, supply and installation of navigational aids in all the dredged priority routes, provision of river guide to enable safe navigation within the inland waterways.

Others are; improvement of fleet capacity such as tugboats, passenger ferries, houseboats, patrol boats, barges, ambulances etc. There is also establishment of search and rescue coordination centers to promptly respond to emergencies, enforcement of navigational laws, improvement of the capacity of NIWA Police and other security agencies to provide security along the waterways, training and certification of boat captains, and many others.

Moghalu sourced the achievements to encouragement by President Buhari, who would not just give you an assignment, but also give you the wherewithal and freedom to work. All he wants are results. Simple.

You can see infrastructural projects in bold relief. Roads, you see, same for bridges, airports, rail network, and others. But when you sail on waterways, you may not know that quiet background work has been done to make your voyage safe. That is what NIWA does, and that is the support the President gives.

Accomplishments between 2015 and now constitute a very long list. Just a little more of them: shore protection works at Marine Base Waterfront, Asaba, Delta State, Ndoni Waterfront in Rivers State, maintenance dredging of River Niger, River Nun, and other major rivers, extension of jetty landing platforms, installation of Anchorage on River Niger to improve the berthing facility at Lokoja jetty, buoying of River Niger from Baro to Lokoja, to Onitsha, and to Warri. The list is really as long as a bailiff’s papers.

For the now and immediate future, strategic initiatives by NIWA include expansion of infrastructure, purchase of modern river crafts, recruiting of technical staff, strengthening of the Police Command, functioning of ports at optimal capacity, and many others.

Some people work with all body movement and pyrotechnics, some others work quietly, unobtrusively. President Buhari is of the latter mould. Without fanfare, devoid of noise, he built the Second River Niger Bridge. The Loko-Oweto Bridge. Bodo-Bonny bridges and road. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Rail networks. Airports. He utilized and made our inland waterways more effective and efficient. Plus many more. Won’t good people miss him when he breasts the tape? This quiet performer. We will sure do. But we are delighted that he has done his best for Nigeria, despite distractions from all fronts.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

COUNTRY STATEMENT BY SENATOR HADI SIRIKA, THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF AVIATION, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA DURING THE 41st ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION (ICAO) MONTREAL, CANADA.

27TH SEPTEMBER TO 7TH OCTOBER 2022

The President of the ICAO Council – Salvatore Sciachitano
The Secretary General of ICAO – Juan Carlos Salazar
The President of the 41st Assembly – Ms. Poppy Khoza
Distinguished Heads of Delegations and States delegates
Eminent Observers here present
Members of the Media
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

1. It is a privilege as well as an honour to address this august assembly of experts and managers of global civil aviation for a record third time as Minister of Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria having been opportuned to do this at the 39th and 40th Assemblies in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

2. First, let me extend to you all, very warm greetings and felicitations from President Muhammadu Buhari, and the good people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I also wish to join other delegations to congratulate the President of the 41st Assembly, Ms. Poppy Khoza and other elected officials of the Assembly.

3. Dear delegates, as we gather here today to reflect on the developments that have taken place and the achievements and setbacks that we have recorded since the 40th Assembly, particularly the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on air travel globally, the type never witnessed since the end of World war II.
On this note I wish to congratulate Member States, International Organisations and all industry stakeholders for the determination, resolve, cooperation and coordination under the able leadership of ICAO in handling the devastating impact of the pandemic. Through our collective efforts, we were able to find new and even better ways and strategies to re-start, improve and facilitate the recovery of International air transportation beyond the next triennium. On this note, I must acknowledge that the ICAO Council recovery Task Force (CART) provided excellent guidance on how to resume air transport operations, while at the same time meeting the public health requirements.

4. Let me also commend the ICAO Council and the Secretariat for successfully organizing this year’s Innovation fair. Building upon lessons learned from the experience of the COVI-19 pandemic, this fair focused on “ Innovation for a resilient International Civil Aviation system”. We however, believe that successes in technological advancement should be complimented with the modernization of global regulatory frameworks through the liberalization of market access and convergence of regulatory approaches. This would maximize the socio-economic benefits of air transport and enhance the comfort and convenience of consumers of our services.

5. Since Nigeria became a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council in 1962, it has continued to make valuable contributions to the ICAO Council’s work, and its activities. Nigeria has been playing a key role in supporting the implementation of ICAO Standards, Policies and Programs internationally, and particularly in the African region. To this end, Nigeria has ratified all international air law instruments including the Montreal Protocol and amendments to articles 50(a) and 56 of the Chicago Convention. Nigeria is also championing the cause of Aviation safety, security and Facilitation in Africa.

6. Distinguished delegates, may I inform you that the Nigerian Government in its bid to ensure continuous compliance with ICAO Standards and to meet the challenges of a rapidly growing air transport sector, has continued to maintain properly funded agencies in order to enhance aviation safety, and ensure effective and efficient provision and management of infrastructure in all aspects of the industry as well as guarantee its sustainable development. These include an autonomous Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for safety and economic oversight of the industry; the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for air navigation services; the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for management of all airports; and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) for meteorological services including aeronautical meteorology. A bill to establish Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has been passed by our bicameral parliament. This will transform the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to a multi-modal Transport safety investigation agency.

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the nation’s main training organization was established in 1964 in collaboration with ICAO, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The College was recently certified as an ICAO Regional Training Centre of Excellence. It runs ICAO Training Courses, in addition to its primary function of providing ab-initio and advanced technical and managerial training. The Government recently approved the establishment of an African Aviation and Aerospace University in Abuja to cater for research and development as well as the development of higher level manpower.
In this regard Nigeria is looking forward to the support of ICAO under its No Country Left Behind initiative.

7. Nigeria is fully committed to working with other States and to support the implementation of the Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP), the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) as well as the Global Aviation Security Plan (GASeP). Overtime, Nigeria has seconded auditors to support various ICAO programmes in the areas of safety and security and has also contributed experts on various ICAO technical panels and working groups.

8. Since the inception of the Regional Safety Oversight Organisation, the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organization (BAGASOO), Nigeria has continued to host the organization and has remain its major contributor. In the same vein it has continued to support the activities of the Regional Accident Investigation Agency the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA).

9. In its effort to support ICAO’s work and activities in the Air transport field and promote economic regulation as the industry recovers from the Covid-19 crisis, Nigeria has donated substantial sum to the ICAO voluntary Air Transport Fund. We have also made significant financial contribution to the Safety and Human Resource Development Funds (HRDF), in addition to hosting several ICAO Meetings, workshops and other programmes such as the Remotly Piloted Aircraft Systems Symposium (RPAS) and the 3rd ICAO World Aviation Forum (IWAF) in 2017. In May 2022 the seventh meeting of AFI Aviation week was hosted by Nigeria. The Country will also be hosting the 14th edition of the ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN) from 5th to 9th December 2022.

10. Nigeria has been a great supporter of liberalization and has continued to champion the liberalization efforts in Africa through the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). I must commend African States and African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) for their renewed and vigorous commitment to the development of Air Transportation in Africa, especially the implementation of SAATM. This will not only enhance air connectivity in the continent, it will also promote tourism, trade, commerce, integration and economic development, as well as contribute to the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in accordance with African Union agenda 2063.

11. I wish to call on ICAO to continue to encourage and support regional liberalization efforts, as they could be used as incentives to achieving global multilateral agreement on liberalization of market access.

12. I am happy to inform you that Nigeria’s efforts on liberalization has led to significant increase in the operations of foreign and domestic airlines and utilization of our airports, resulting in an annual traffic growth of over eight percent (8%). Since the coming of President Buhari, we have quadrupled the passenger numbers, doubled the number of airports, doubled the number of airlines and increased catering and other business, such that Aviation before covid became the fastest growing sector of Nigerian economy.

Our determination is to make Nigeria the most competitive hub of the African region, and make air travel the preferred mode of transportation, taking advantage of our population of over 215 million, 923,768 square kilo meter land mass, at the center of the continent with rising middle class and modest formal GDP of $450billion.

13. We are fully aware that achieving these would require a robust industry that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally friendly, with modern and adequate infrastructure. This has been the focus of the Nigerian Government and have been succeeding thus far.

14. The Government of Nigeria has continued to make significant investments in the provision of aviation infrastructure and facilities for safe, secure, environmentally friendly, and sustainable economic development of international civil aviation. It will also keep supporting the ideals and aspirations of ICAO, and the achievements of its strategic objectives, in collaboration with other member States of the Organization

15. With regard to aviation security, Nigeria has continued to record significant improvements in this area with the installation of modern security equipment at our airports, continuous implementation of our national aviation security programme and up-to-date training for Aviation Security Personnel.

16. I am happy to inform you that the Training School of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is certified by ICAO to train aviation security personnel. This facility will be available to train aviation security personnel both in Nigeria and in the West African Sub-region.

17. It is also noteworthy to mention, that Nigeria has continued to participate in the ICAO Public Key Directory (ICAO PKD), and support ICAO’s efforts to provide assistance to other African States in their programmes to introduce e-passport.

18. In the area of environmental protection, Nigeria is voluntarily participating in the pilot stage of ICAO’s Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and has provided capacity training to many African States in support of the CORSIA scheme under the ICAO ACT-CORSIA programme. Nigeria is a member of the Technical Advisory Body (TAB), a body that make recommendations to the Council on the eligible emissions units for use by the CORSIA as well as being a member of the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection CAEP), a technical committee of the ICAO Council established in 1983.

19. Distinguished delegates, as I earlier mentioned, Nigeria has been a member of the ICAO Council since 1962. We hold our membership of ICAO and its Council reverently and we therefore cherish the opportunity to work together with other Member States in advancing the work of the Organization for greater efficiency and effectiveness, in line with ICAO’s strategic objectives.

20. It is an honour and privilege to use this opportunity to solicit the support of ICAO Member States for Nigeria’s re-election into Part 2 of the ICAO Council. In addition, Nigeria also requests your support for the election and re-election of those African States, which have been endorsed by the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), to the ICAO Council.

21. Distinguished colleagues, On behalf of the Nigerian delegation, I congratulate the President of the ICAO Council, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchiatano, the Secretary General of ICAO, Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar and the entire ICAO Secretariat for a well organized 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly. I also like to express my profound gratitude, to the government and people of Canada, for the kind hospitality accorded my delegation since our arrival in this beautiful city of Montreal, that has become a second home to allAviators around the world.

22. I wish us all a most successful deliberation and meaningful outcomes that would shape the course of international air transport in the next triennium and leave no Country behind.

23. Thank you for your attention.

Senator Hadi Sirika
Honourable Minister
Federal Ministry of Aviation
Abuja, Nigeria.

27th September, 2022

HUMANITARIAN MINISTER DEPLOYS RELIEF ITEMS TO FLOOD VICTIMS IN JIGAWA

-DIRECTS CONTINUED SEARCH OPERATION FOR VICTIMS OF COLLAPSED BUILDING IN KANO

The minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq has sympathized with the government and people of Jigawa state over flash floods that washed away farmlands and rendered many people homeless.

Heavy rains had caused flooding across Jigawa state on Sunday, August 28, 2022

Most impacted areas include Sankara, Karnaya, Birnin Kudu and Gwaram communities in Ringim and Dutse local government areas.

At least 2,051 people were reportedly displaced in Karnaya while 2,000 homes were destroyed across the state.

The Minister has directed an immediate assessment by the National Emergency Management Agency officials and deployment of immediate relief items to the affected communities to reduce the impact of the floods.

Elsewhere in Kano state, Minister Umar Farouq has also sympathized with the government and people of Kano state after a three-storey building collapsed on Beirut Road along a popular GSM market in Kano metropolis.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was alerted on the incident and they immediately mobilised emergency responders to the site for rescue operations.

The Minister has also commiserated with the victims and families of the deceased.

Eight persons have been rescued and taken to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital for treatment while one person was confirmed dead.

Six others with minor injuries have been treated and discharged.

The Minister however directed a continued search and rescue operation to ensure that all trapped persons are rescued from the rubbles.

NNEKA IKEM ANIBEZE
SA MEDIA
31-08-2022

FG COMMITTED TO MULTI SECTORAL INVESTMENTS IN OLDER PERSONS.

The Federal government has promised to continue to provide partnerships that will accelerate investments in older persons in the country.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq gave the assurance on Monday, at a meeting of the Ministry, its Agencies and a United Nations Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of All Human Rights of Older Persons, Ms Claudia Mahler in Abuja.

The Minister explained that a lot of policies have already been established by the federal government to reduce discrimination against Older Persons and encourage inclusion .

“The Federal Government is making concerted efforts to direct the domestication and establishment of Senior Citizens Centres at the sub-national levels, in collaboration with the States and Local Governments. A Bill on the Rights and Privileges of Older Persons in the country has been passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and is awaiting assent into Law by Mr. President. This will be yet another instrument deployed in strengthening specific human rights of older persons.

“To curb discrimination and accelerate integration of older persons in National Development Plan, the Centre has established Ageing Desks and trained 64 desk officers on Ageing Policy planning and implementation in 32 ministries, departments and agencies. Older persons’ issues are being mainstreamed in all sector policies, strategic implementation plans, programs, services and budget lines. So far, the mainstreaming of Integrated care for older persons into States Primary Health Care schemes through partnerships with WHO and National Primary Health Care Development Agencies is being piloted in the FCT and Adamawa State.

“While looking forward to receiving your findings and recommendations, I wish to assure you that in the next five years, with the multi-sectoral partnerships and synergies created across Federal, States and Local governments, Nigeria commits to continuing to provide a strong passionate and committed leadership to accelerate investments in its older population for strengthened human rights, improved quality of life and enjoyment of all older persons including those living with disabilities and cognitive impairments”.

In her opening remarks, Ms Claudia Mahler stated that her visit to Nigeria is to have an overview of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts at addressing the rights of older persons.
Ms Mahler said that her team will also hold cluster meetings on thematic subjects including policy and legal frameworks as well as strategic plans on Ageing.

“We desire to assess Nigeria's mechanisms and processes in strengthening the protection of the rights of older persons to identify best practices in Nigeria that can be promoted or possible gaps in the implementation of national, regional and international standards that may be relevant to the rights of older persons. We are here to identify the challenges faced by older persons as well as those hindering the realization of the rights of older persons, with a view to making related recommendations to address them”.

In the meeting was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Nasir Sani -Gwarzo, the Heads of various agencies under the Ministry, Directors of the Ministry and other stakeholders.

NNEKA IKEM ANIBEZE
SA MEDIA
29-08-2022

Security Update

‘I STILL BELIEVE IN BUHARI’

*LESSONS FROM HASSAN USMAN, FREED TRAIN ABDUCTEE

By FEMI ADESINA

To be troubled in trouble is to have your trouble doubled, so goes a saying. And for Hassan Usman, a lawyer, it didn’t just rain on March 28, this year, it poured. He was not only onboard the Kaduna-bound train attacked by terrorists, his wife, Amina, was also there. They both got abducted.

For the next over 100 days, Hassan and his wife didn’t die, but they saw the younger brother of death. After his release, he talked about how they slept out in the wild, at the mercy of snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous reptiles, many of which they killed. They also got beaten and traumatized by their abductors.

A number of the abducted people have been released, after their families paid hefty amounts in ransom. A large number still remain in captivity. Our heart goes out to them. No people should be subjected to such inhuman, degrading treatment. No country should undergo this type of trauma.

However, what is both amazing and admirable is Hassan’s continued loyalty and support to the President of his country, after passing through the valley of the shadows of death. He describes himself as “still a strong supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari,” though he believes the administration has not done well in tackling insecurity.

When you have undergone an experience as Hassan and his wife did, it is just human to come out of it very angry and resentful of everyone, both man and God. But the man says he still believes in his President, and remains a strong supporter. Wonderful! Do they make them like this anymore?

Those of us Buharists, dyed-in-the-wool supporters of the Mai Gaskiya (the Honest One), have seen a lot, first in his days as military ruler, and in the last seven years as democratically elected leader. We have been excoriated, derided, flagellated, scorned, simply because we love that simple, self-effacing man from Daura. In the process, “good friends we had, oh good friends we lost,” (as Bob Marley sang in No Woman No Cry).

Yes, we have broken with friends, relations, pastors, brethren, who could not understand our loyalty to the ‘Fulani herdsman.’ But happily, we have also made some very good friends, who salute our steadfastness and loyalty to what and who we believe in.

Hassan Usman is now my kinsman, despite my being Yoruba, and he being from the North. What is the common bond? He believes in, and strongly supports the President, a thing which I also do. And there are millions upon millions of Nigerians who are also in this mould.

Resentment is a poor prop for anyone to lean on, goes another saying. But not for some Nigerians. Resentment is their daily food and drink, and they heap all the problems in the country on the head of the President. If it rains too much. Blame Buhari. It doesn’t rain at all. Buhari is the cause. A man gets to bed at night, no power. Buhari oooo. The President is the fall guy for everything. And he is to blame squarely for the parlous security situation in the land.

But they forget so soon. How can they not remember where we were before Buhari came in 2015? Insurgents ran riot round the country, with bombs going off like firecrackers in many parts. North-east, North-west, North-central, Federal Capital Territory, and heading South-west. What would then have been left of Nigeria?

Buhari came, beat back the insurgents, drove them out of our cities, till they got circumscribed in Sambisa forest. Things were looking up.

But suddenly again, there was a twist in the tale. Insurgents resurged, and they got joined by bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, cult killers, and all sorts of criminals. Till the whole landscape was suffused with evil. What should good people have done? Keep the faith, tell themselves that if the President could do it before, he sure can do it again. Keep encouraging him, pray for and have good words for our troops, and generally stand as one body against evil.

But what do we see? Evil speaking from some anarchists. Nigeria is a failed State. Buhari has not achieved anything. He has run the country into a worse hole than 2015. Short memories. In fact one toxic broadcaster got his just desserts earlier this week from Major General IBM Haruna, when he alleged that the President had run out of ideas. Yes, daily, that broadcaster shoots off his mouth on that station against the President, but Gen Haruna would have none of it. He gave him a good dressing down. He said if Nigeria had failed, would he be in the comfort of a TV studio, shooting breeze against the President and father of the country? Bravo, dear General.

A country succeeds or fails depending on the people, in concert with the leadership. Engage in a war of tongues against your President and government, get whatever comes. “I will do unto them as they have spoken into my ears.” (Numbers 14:28).

But President Buhari is focused. On Tuesday, while receiving a delegation at State House, he declared: “We are Nigerians, God willing we remain Nigerians, and Nigeria will remain one.” True.

Hassan Usman missed it slightly when after pledging his continued support for the President, he said the administration had failed woefully in the area of insecurity. Not so. I believe he spoke from lack of enough information. The problem may seem intractable for now, but it is a fact that no other government has given the military and security agencies the kind of support Buhari has done. That is enough show of commitment to end the security challenges, which will surely end soon. We believe.

Yes, the Good Book says blessed are those who have believed, for there shall be a performance of the things promised them. (Luke 1: 45). Insecurity will surely end in Nigeria. And soon too. #We Believe.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

‘I STILL BELIEVE IN BUHARI’

*LESSONS FROM HASSAN USMAN, FREED TRAIN ABDUCTEE

By FEMI ADESINA

To be troubled in trouble is to have your trouble doubled, so goes a saying. And for Hassan Usman, a lawyer, it didn’t just rain on March 28, this year, it poured. He was not only onboard the Kaduna-bound train attacked by terrorists, his wife, Amina, was also there. They both got abducted.

For the next over 100 days, Hassan and his wife didn’t die, but they saw the younger brother of death. After his release, he talked about how they slept out in the wild, at the mercy of snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous reptiles, many of which they killed. They also got beaten and traumatized by their abductors.

A number of the abducted people have been released, after their families paid hefty amounts in ransom. A large number still remain in captivity. Our heart goes out to them. No people should be subjected to such inhuman, degrading treatment. No country should undergo this type of trauma.

However, what is both amazing and admirable is Hassan’s continued loyalty and support to the President of his country, after passing through the valley of the shadows of death. He describes himself as “still a strong supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari,” though he believes the administration has not done well in tackling insecurity.

When you have undergone an experience as Hassan and his wife did, it is just human to come out of it very angry and resentful of everyone, both man and God. But the man says he still believes in his President, and remains a strong supporter. Wonderful! Do they make them like this anymore?

Those of us Buharists, dyed-in-the-wool supporters of the Mai Gaskiya (the Honest One), have seen a lot, first in his days as military ruler, and in the last seven years as democratically elected leader. We have been excoriated, derided, flagellated, scorned, simply because we love that simple, self-effacing man from Daura. In the process, “good friends we had, oh good friends we lost,” (as Bob Marley sang in No Woman No Cry).

Yes, we have broken with friends, relations, pastors, brethren, who could not understand our loyalty to the ‘Fulani herdsman.’ But happily, we have also made some very good friends, who salute our steadfastness and loyalty to what and who we believe in.

Hassan Usman is now my kinsman, despite my being Yoruba, and he being from the North. What is the common bond? He believes in, and strongly supports the President, a thing which I also do. And there are millions upon millions of Nigerians who are also in this mould.

Resentment is a poor prop for anyone to lean on, goes another saying. But not for some Nigerians. Resentment is their daily food and drink, and they heap all the problems in the country on the head of the President. If it rains too much. Blame Buhari. It doesn’t rain at all. Buhari is the cause. A man gets to bed at night, no power. Buhari oooo. The President is the fall guy for everything. And he is to blame squarely for the parlous security situation in the land.

But they forget so soon. How can they not remember where we were before Buhari came in 2015? Insurgents ran riot round the country, with bombs going off like firecrackers in many parts. North-east, North-west, North-central, Federal Capital Territory, and heading South-west. What would then have been left of Nigeria?

Buhari came, beat back the insurgents, drove them out of our cities, till they got circumscribed in Sambisa forest. Things were looking up.

But suddenly again, there was a twist in the tale. Insurgents resurged, and they got joined by bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, cult killers, and all sorts of criminals. Till the whole landscape was suffused with evil. What should good people have done? Keep the faith, tell themselves that if the President could do it before, he sure can do it again. Keep encouraging him, pray for and have good words for our troops, and generally stand as one body against evil.

But what do we see? Evil speaking from some anarchists. Nigeria is a failed State. Buhari has not achieved anything. He has run the country into a worse hole than 2015. Short memories. In fact one toxic broadcaster got his just desserts earlier this week from Major General IBM Haruna, when he alleged that the President had run out of ideas. Yes, daily, that broadcaster shoots off his mouth on that station against the President, but Gen Haruna would have none of it. He gave him a good dressing down. He said if Nigeria had failed, would he be in the comfort of a TV studio, shooting breeze against the President and father of the country? Bravo, dear General.

A country succeeds or fails depending on the people, in concert with the leadership. Engage in a war of tongues against your President and government, get whatever comes. “I will do unto them as they have spoken into my ears.” (Numbers 14:28).

But President Buhari is focused. On Tuesday, while receiving a delegation at State House, he declared: “We are Nigerians, God willing we remain Nigerians, and Nigeria will remain one.” True.

Hassan Usman missed it slightly when after pledging his continued support for the President, he said the administration had failed woefully in the area of insecurity. Not so. I believe he spoke from lack of enough information. The problem may seem intractable for now, but it is a fact that no other government has given the military and security agencies the kind of support Buhari has done. That is enough show of commitment to end the security challenges, which will surely end soon. We believe.

Yes, the Good Book says blessed are those who have believed, for there shall be a performance of the things promised them. (Luke 1: 45). Insecurity will surely end in Nigeria. And soon too. #We Believe.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja met with representatives of victims of Kaduna Train abduction, assuring them that the Federal Government is doing everything within its powers to ensure the safe return of the remaining captives.

Condoling with the families of the victims and those who lost their loved ones, the President said since the “terrible and cowardly attack by the criminal elements” on  March 28, 2022, the nation had joined them to endure a period of difficulty and emotional pains.

The President told representatives of the families that in the immediate aftermath of the incident several actions have been taken by government to bring succour to the affected families and to prevent a recurrence in the country. 

He also explained his reason for discarding the use of lethal military force in extracting the remaining abductees. 

‘‘I have been informed that at last count, there remain about 31 people in the hands of the kidnappers, and our determination is to work towards returning these 31 people to their families.

‘‘It is understandable that emotions typically run high, we have received several suggestions about the deployment of lethal military force in extracting those still being held in captivity.

‘‘This option has indeed been considered and evaluated.

‘‘However the condition to guarantee a successful outcome and minimize potential collateral damage could not be assured and therefore that course of action had to be reluctantly discarded.

''My primary concern is to get everyone released safe and unhurt,’’ he said.

On his recent instruction to security and law enforcement agencies to bring an end to inhumane action against innocent Nigerians, the President expressed delight, saying:

‘‘Judging by the available reports to me and news that have begun emerging in the last few days, I will say they have heard this instruction and are responding appropriately.

‘‘In the past couple of days, you must have heard about the number of terrorists neutralized by the military, and number of  hostages freed. These efforts will not stop, or reduce.

‘‘We must take the fight to the terrorists and demonstrate that there is no hiding place for them within the borders of our country.

‘‘Each one of them will be hunted, and pursued and spoken to in the language that they understand.’’

The President also used the occasion to commend the bravery and gallant actions taken by members of the Police Force who were onboard the train on that fateful day.

According to the President, ‘‘It is clear that their actions saved many lives and by making the ultimate sacrifice, they must be recognized for their bravery.’’

President Buhari added that he had never doubted the ability or confidence of those who have presented themselves to defend the country and the Kaduna train incident had reinforced the belief and faith of the nation in this special group of Nigerians.

‘‘I also would like to use this opportunity to say that we are cognizant of events that have unsettled our citizens in various parts of our nation and in the Capital.

‘‘I would like to comfort those who were traumatized by these tragic events and pledge that our response is to protect all Nigerians wherever they are.

‘‘My dear country men and women, we thank God that none of the released prisoners died due to the severe trauma they passed through in the hands of the terrorists, showing that the efforts of Government in securing their release were not in vain as Government continues to do its best to secure the release of the remaining abductees and ensure the overall security of all citizens in the country.’’ 

In his remarks, the Minister of Transportation, Jaji Sambo, said in the first week of his resumption in the ministry, he met with the relatives of the victims of the Kaduna train attack, updating them of all the efforts the government is making to ensure safe return of their loved ones.

He described the audience with the President as a manifestation of the efforts by this administration to secure the release of all captives, and proof that ‘‘government is not resting on its oars.’’

A representative of the victims of the train abduction,  Alhaji Sabiu Mohammed, appealed to the Federal Government to assist the families in the release of their remaining loved ones still in captivity.

‘‘Please we want to see our loved ones and many have found themselves in very critical situations. We do not have the money that they (kidnappers) are demanding. Please, Mr President, we know you are doing your best…please, please we want to see our loved ones,’’ Mohammed said.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 11, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday received at State House, Abuja, the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, and his Management Team, telling them the kind of sub-regional body West African leaders desire, and must have. 

The President told Dr Omar Alieu Touray, the new President, and the delegation: “I wish you success in your assignments, which we hope can collectively drive our sub-region to one that is economically integrated, politically stable, and socially in harmony with itself, to the admiration of our continent, and, indeed, global community. 

“That is the ECOWAS we desire, and must have. You cannot afford to disappoint us.” 

The President said as the host of the ECOWAS Commission, Nigeria expects that the scrupulous processes that led to the new appointments “would impact on the fortunes of our Organisation in terms of efficient and effective service delivery that bears positive impact on the lives of our citizens.” 

He added that when the founding fathers met on 28th May, 1975, to establish ECOWAS, what was uppermost on their minds was the promotion of economic cooperation between the member-States in order to raise the living standards of citizens hence driving the economic development of the sub-region in an integrated manner. 

President Buhari further noted: “Forty-seven years after, this core objective for the formation of ECOWAS remains critically relevant to our national and sub-regional aspirations. Issues of inter-state cooperation and collaboration, harmonisation of policies, integration of programmes, conflict management and security of the sub-region, have continued to necessitate the need for our solidarity and collective responses to our common challenges, such as climate change, terrorism, health issues, good governance and the sustainability of democracy anchored on rule of law and ultimately, development and progress for our citizens.” 

He told the new Management Team that citizens of ECOWAS must directly feel the impact of the organization through people-oriented programmes and projects that include effective advocacy around core issues of concerns to the sub-region. 

“May I emphasize the importance of team-work and the necessity for the new Team to work assiduously to re-position ECOWAS in order to deliver to the expectations of our citizens through a careful fine-tuning of our sub-region’s development agenda 2050, that is guided by the African Union Agenda 2063, and conscious of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. 

“With many Development Experts on your Team, I have no doubt that you will evolve appropriate partnerships and working relationships with Development Partners across the globe, to maximise opportunities for progress,” President Buhari submitted. 

Dr Alieu Touray thanked Nigeria for the support she gave to the candidature of the new Team members, pledging that they would live up to the expectations of West African leaders, “as we are fully conscious of the priorities set for us.” 

He said they would work with member-States to pursue their objectives, “and make ECOWAS institutions what you want them to be.”

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

August 11, 2022

Thursday, July 21, 2022 - The Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provision) Bill 2022, also known as the “Omnibus Bill” passed Second Reading at the Senate on Wednesday, July 20.

The Bill, which is an intervention of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is aimed at consolidating and amending outdated legislative provisions towards removing bottlenecks for Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs).

It also seeks to ensure the sustainability of business climate and give statutory force to Executive Order 001 of 2017 on the promotion of Transparency and Efficiency in the Business.

It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the bill on March 23, 2022, which was a culmination of 4 years of collaborative work by public and private sector stakeholders in the legal community anchored by the PEBEC through a sub-committee led by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation. It was then implemented by a technical working group with the Federal Ministry of Justice legal drafting team and representatives from leading law firms and consultancy firms.

Since it was established, the PEBEC has achieved the delivery of over 160 reforms and completed 7 National Action Plans.

Also, through PEBEC efforts, Nigeria moved an aggregate of 39 places on the World Bank Doing Business index between 2017 and 2019, and was twice named as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world during the same period.

Signed:
Dr Jumoke Oduwole,
Special Adviser to the President,
Ease of Doing Business
(PEBEC Secretary)

President Muhammadu Buhari commends the gallant display of Nigeria’s Super Falcons against the Moroccan female national football team in the second Semi-finals of the African Women’s Cup of Nations.

‘‘Although many will be disappointed with the Moroccan victory  on penalties, there are many positive outcomes for the Nigerian team to take home and prepare better for the next tournament,’’ the President says.

President Buhari is encouraged by the doggedness, resilience and professionalism of the girls, who despite playing with two players down before a home crowd showed their quality and class.

The President believes that great things are expected from this team and like all Nigerians; he will be cheering them on at future outings.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 19, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja unveiled the new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), affirming that the company is mandated by law to ensure that Nigeria’s National Energy Security is guaranteed.

Speaking at the historic occasion at State House Conference Centre, the President said Africa’s largest National Oil Company (NOC) would also support sustainable growth across other sectors of the economy as it delivers energy to the world.

At the event, which featured a Special rendition of the Theme Song ”Energy for today, Energy for tomorrow, Energy for Everyone’‘ by an Ensemble, the President recounted how God had used him to consistently play an important role in shaping the destiny of the country’s NOC in the last 45 years.

He expressed optimism that the NNPC Limited will sustainably deliver value to its over 200 million shareholders and the global energy community; operate without relying on government funding and free from institutional regulations such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

‘‘This is a landmark event for the Nigerian oil industry.

‘‘Our country places high premium in creating the right atmosphere that supports investment and growth to boost our economy and continue to play an important role in sustaining global energy requirements.

‘‘We are transforming our petroleum industry, to strengthen its capacity and market relevance for the present and future global energy priorities.

‘‘By chance of history, I was privileged to lead the creation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on the 1st July 1977. Forty-Four (44) years later, I was again privileged to sign the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2021, heralding the long-awaited reform of our petroleum sector.

‘‘The provisions of PIA 2021, have given the Nigerian petroleum industry a new impetus, with improved fiscal framework, transparent governance, enhanced regulation and the creation of a commercially-driven and independent National Oil Company that will operate without relying on government funding and free from institutional regulations such as the Treasury Single Account, Public Procurement and Fiscal Responsibility Acts.

‘‘It will, of course, conduct itself under the best international business practice in transparency, governance and commercial viability.

‘‘Coincidentally, I, on the 1st of July 2022 authorized transfer of assets from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to its successor company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and steered the implementation leading to the unveiling of Africa’s largest National Oil Company today.

‘‘I therefore thank Almighty God for choosing me to consistently play an important role in shaping the destiny of our National Oil Company from the good to the great.’’

The President, therefore, assured stakeholders in the industry that Africa’s largest NOC will adhere to its fundamental corporate values of Integrity, Excellence and Sustainability, while operating as a commercial, independent and viable NOC at par with its peers around the world.

He added that the company would focus on becoming a dynamic global energy company of choice to deliver energy for today, for tomorrow, for the day days after tomorrow.

He thanked the leadership and members of the National Assembly for demonstrating uncommon courage and patriotism in the passage of PIA that culminated in the creation of NNPCL.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said with the signing of the PIA, which assures international and local oil companies of adequate protection for their investments, the nation’s petroleum industry is no longer rudderless.

‘‘From the onset of this administration, Mr. President never concealed his desire to create a more conducive environment for growth of the oil and gas sector, and addressing legitimate grievances of communities most impacted by extractive industries.

‘‘While the country was waiting for the PIA, Nigeria’s oil and gas industry lost about $50 billion worth of investments. In fact, between 2015 and 2019, KPMG states that “only 4 percent of the $70 billion investment inflows into Africa’s oil and gas industry came to Nigeria even though the country is the continent’s biggest producer and the largest reserves.

‘‘We are setting all these woes behind us, and a clear path for the survival and growth of our petroleum industry is now before us,’’ he said.

Sylva described the unveiling of NNPC Limited as a new dawn in the quest for the growth and development of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry, opening new vintages for partnerships.

He thanked the President for his unparalleled leadership, steadfastness, and unalloyed support towards ensuring that the country’s oil and gas industry is on a sound footing.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, announced that the company had adopted a strategic initiative to achieve the mandate of energy security for the country by rolling out a comprehensive expansion plan to grow its fuel retail presence from 547 to over 1500 outlets within the next six months.

He assured stakeholders and the global energy community that the new company was endowed with the ‘‘best human resources one can find anywhere in the industry.’’

‘‘NNPC Limited is positioned to lead Africa’s gradual transition to new energy by deepening natural gas production to create low carbon activities and positively change the story of energy poverty at home and around the world,’’ he said.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 19, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday assigned portfolios to seven newly appointed ministers, charging them to serve the nation diligently, maintain unalloyed loyalty to the country and office of the President.

The President also announced the reassignment of portfolios in his cabinet, saying the new redeployment is aimed at reinvigorating certain sectors where the government desires to accomplish improved results.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, which preceded the virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the President said as his administration is now on the home-stretch of its second term, more work still needs to be done in diverse areas of the economy and national life.

The newly appointed ministers and their portfolios are: Ikechukwu Ikoh, Minister of State, Science and Technology; Umana Umana, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs; Udi Odum , Minister of State, Environment; Ademola Adegoroye, Minister of State, Transport; Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub, Minister of State, Works and Housing; Goodluck Opiah, Minister of State, Education and Nkama Ekumankama, Minister of State, Health.

The following ministers were re-assigned: Senator Adeleke Mamora, Minister of Science and Technology (formerly Minister of State, Health); Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, Minister of Transportation (formerly Minister of State, Works and Housing); Sharon Ikeazor, Minister of State, Niger Delta (formerly Minister of State, Environment) and Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development (formerly Minister of State, Transportation).

President Buhari urged the newest members of his cabinet to consult and collaborate with older cabinet colleagues and focus on driving key programmes already initiated by this administration.

He also warned all members of the cabinet against corrupt practices, reiterating that public officers must be above board and those caught in corrupt practices would face the full wrath of the law.

‘‘I begin this address by welcoming on board, all newly sworn-in members of the Federal Executive Council. I also congratulate you because the process that you all passed through to reach this stage has been rigorous and meticulous.

‘‘The appointment of these new Ministers is in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which prescribes that the Federal Executive Council shall be made up of members from every state of the Federation.

‘‘I therefore urge you to consider your emergence out of millions of equally qualified Nigerians within the purview of selection from your State, as a call to duty which imposes the obligation to serve the nation diligently and presents to you the unique opportunity to work hard in service to the Government and the country.

‘‘At the valedictory session for six former Ministers that departed to pursue other political careers, I promised that their replacement shall be a matter of priority so that the business of governance would not experience delays or setbacks.

‘‘This administration has been in the saddle since 2015 and is now on the home-stretch of its second term, as the nation prepares for the 2023 general elections. All through, it has vigorously pursued the three main electoral objectives namely: Securing the nation; Diversifying & growing the economy as well as fighting corruption.

‘‘You are all coming on-board at this time with new energy, ideas, experiences and vigour, to join the existing team so that the implementation of policies, programs and projects associated with these electoral objectives would be escalated and accelerated.

‘‘There is still so much to be done for our country in the areas of infrastructure development, energy, access to finance, access to justice, technology and innovation, trade, agriculture, education and security. The list is inexhaustible,’’ he said.

President Buhari urged the newly appointed ministers to be conscious that time is of the essence as they assume office.

‘‘As I assign you portfolios, therefore, I expect you to carefully study your sectors, take wise counsel, reach out to key stakeholders, consult and collaborate with older cabinet colleagues and focus on driving key programs already initiated by this administration. Above all, be loyal to your President and your country.’’

Underscoring the need for the old and new members of his Cabinet to work with common objectives of leaving indelible legacies for Nigerians and ending strongly with verifiable accomplishments, the President warned:

‘‘You must resist bad counsel, resist temptation and be circumspect in your utterances and conduct. You must totally eschew corruption and be above board because if caught there will be no sacred cows,’’ he said.

The President told the newly appointed ministers to await further communication on their appropriate Ministerial Mandates from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Prior to the commencement of the FEC meeting and swearing-in ceremony, the Council observed a minute of silence in honour of the Secretary-General of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mohammed Barkindo, who died on Tuesday in Abuja.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 6, 2022

BUHARI’S FOOTPRINTS

By FEMI ADESINA

We are winding down. In about 11 months, the Muhammadu Buhari administration will be done. So we are ticking off the days. Right is the Good Book when it says “for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one that is to come.” Even if the tenure is 20 years, it will still end. We must all live with that reality daily, in whatever we do. Life itself does not last forever. Transient.

But we must count our blessings. Yes, document the achievements and successes of the Buhari administration. Naysayers want the tenure to be signposted by just insecurity. True, there are massive security challenges, but that is not only what defines Muhammadu Buhari, so we must say it the way it is. The revisionists include Bishops, Pastors, Preachers, Imams, sections of the Media, opposition politicians, and many others. They can say what they want, it’s within their democratic rights, but we will also say our own. For we know. We have the facts and figures. And they can’t muzzle or gag us.

What do I try to do on this platform week after week, since I began to write this column over three years ago? To show Buhari’s footprints on the sands of time. Lest liars beguile the unwary, and cover the landscape with falsehood.

Today, let’s focus on the Federal Capital Territory, and see what Buhari has done, along with his quietly efficient, almost unobtrusive Minister, the Adamawa man called Mohammed Musa Bello, assisted by the Kogi woman, Dr Ramatu Aliyu.

Two weeks ago, Minister Bello graced the State House Press Briefing, where he opened the eyes and ears of his hearers. Jumping Jehoshaphat! So much has been done, and is still being done, under the watch of Buhari. So widely visible are the man’s footprints, no matter what those who cavil say.

Massive infrastructural development and urban renewal projects being executed, showing an administration that has come to serve. And major milestones have been reached, which cannot be contemned nor denied. Roads. Rail. Bridges. Water projects. And many more.

According to its reputation as both starter and finisher, there are projects inherited from previous governments, which have been completed and rolled out by the current administration.

There’s the Kubwa expressway connecting the FCT with the Kaduna-Abuja-Lokoja Federal Highway. Inherited, completed, and put to use. It has facilitated free and efficient movement of people, goods and services, improved safety, and reduced travel time.

The Airport Expressway, rehabilitated and expanded. Before I came to work and live in the city over seven years ago, I was a frequent visitor, as a journalist and someone who ran a newspaper business. We had to meander and cross-cross lanes, as the road was work in progress. Now, the 10 lanes have been fully built, and put to use. It has facilitated free and efficient movement from the airport to the city. Completed by Buhari.

The United Nations building. Remember? Boko Haram bombed it to smithereens in August, 2011, killing many innocent people. The Federal Government made a commitment to rebuild, but as at 2015 when Buhari came, work had been suspended due to some contractual challenges. Despite lean purse, the President fished out N6 billion, and today, the project has been completed and all UN Agencies returned to the ultramodern and heavily fortified building. Apart from the UN headquarters in New York, the Abuja office ranks as perhaps the next best in the world.

Apart from smooth inner city roads, join me at the dualization of the Usuma Dam Gurara road. When Buhari came, there were huge financial liabilities, and work had stopped. But the liabilities were settled, contractors remobilized to site, and today, all the hydraulic structures including five bridges and about 37km of asphaltic pavement have been completed with substantial portion of the road opened to traffic. Buhari, where have you been all our lives?

Without noise, fanfare, or flexing, the President and his Ministers get the job done. Get to Guzape District and see provision of roads and engineering infrastructure to the new layout. The same at Wuye District, Jahi, which covers an area of about 670 hectares of land, Apo Estate layout, Wumba, Saraji, Lokogoma, Dakota, Kabusa, and many others.

Satellite towns are receiving great attention in terms of infrastructure, and this frees the main city centre from congestion. Places like Kubwa, Wasa, Bwari, Karshi, have all witnessed engineering infrastructure and provision of water supply. No doubt, Buhari met Abuja well, and he would be leaving it better.

After Lagos, FCT suffered next most from Coronavirus (COVID-19), but the Administration pulled up its bootstraps and embarked on intervention works, which reduced the impact of the pandemic.

But is there any resting on its oars today? Work continues. Road infrastructure. Abuja Greater Water Supply. Engineering infrastructure. Rehabilitation of Federal Government buildings. Construction of access roads. Erosion control and road improvement works. Land Swap. Housing Estates. And many more.

No government anywhere in the world finishes all the work that needs to be done in a country. In FCT, Buhari’s footprints are visible everywhere, except to the willfully blind. He came, he saw, and he’s conquering.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF COMMEMORATION AND CELEBRATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY 12TH JUNE, 2022

Fellow Nigerians, Today, June The 12th, marks another Democracy Day anniversary and an occasion to celebrate freedom and unity of our Nation.

2. From 1999, we consistently celebrated Democracy Day to mark the end of military rule and the return of power and control into the hands of those freely elected by the people. On this day, Nigerians recommit themselves to ensuring we protect and preserve the ideals of democracy.

3. In 2018, we moved Democracy Day from 29th of May to the 12th of June. This change was to remind all Nigerians of one free election after which the presumed winner along with Nigerians were denied their rights and their choice.

4. On June 12th 1993, Nigerians saw the best in our citizens as we all went out to vote peacefully. By June 24th 1993, we also saw the worst of our leadership as the elections were annulled.

5. We must never forget the sacrifices of the heroes of Nigeria’s democracy during 1993. Their patriotism and peaceful struggle should guide our actions especially when it comes to electing our leaders and holding them accountable, now and in future.

6. Fellow Nigerians this is my last Democracy Day speech as your President. By June 12th, 2023, exactly one year from today, you will already have a new President. I remain committed and determined to ensure that the new President is elected through a peaceful and transparent process.

7. It is important for all of us to remember that June 12th, 2023 will be exactly 30 years from the 1993 Presidential elections. In honour and memory of one of our national heroes for democracy, Chief M.K.O Abiola, GCFR, we must all work together to ensure this transition is done in a peaceful manner.

8. I am hopeful that we can achieve this. The signs so far are positive. Recently, all registered political parties conducted primaries to select their candidates for the 2023 general elections.

9. These primaries were peaceful and orderly. Those who won were magnanimous in their victories. Those who lost were gracious in defeat. And those aggrieved opted to seek judicial justice as opposed to jungle justice.

10. I followed the party primaries closely from the state level to the Presidential level. I was very impressed to see across all the political parties that, most candidates ran issued based campaigns. The language and tone throughout were on the whole measured and controlled.

11. Another positive that came from the 2022 party primaries was the significant increase in women and youth particularly across all parties. I was very pleased to see this development. This augurs well for the future. These trends clearly show the level of maturity our democracy has achieved in the last 23 years.

12. As we move into the general election campaign season, we must sustain this mature attitude to campaigning and ultimately, voting. We must never see it as a “do or die” affair. We must all remember democracy is about the will of the majority. There must be winners and losers.

13. I will therefore take this opportunity on this very special day to ask all candidates to continue running issue focused campaigns and to treat opponents with dignity. As leaders, you must all showcase high character and never forget that the world is watching us and Africa looks up to Nigeria to provide example in governance. The tone you set at the top will surely be replicated in your followers.

14. For the voters, I am pleased to inform you that in the last 7 years, our government across all tiers, has made significant investments to reform and enhance our electoral laws, systems, and processes to safeguard your votes.

15. The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary were and still remain united and committed to ensure these reforms are fully implemented in the 2023 general elections. Fellow Nigerians, your right to choose your government will be preserved and protected.

16. I know many of us are concerned with the rise in insecurity due to terrorist activities in parts of the country. As a government, we are working hard to contain and address these challenges. And ensure that the 2023 general elections are safe and secure for all Nigerians.

17. To achieve this however, we must all contribute. It is not the job of government alone. I ask all citizens to support and cooperate with our security agencies by reporting any suspicious characters and activities to law enforcement agencies. We can only have a safe country if we are able to prevent crime not after the crime has been committed.

18. On this special day, I want us all to put all victims of terrorist activities in our thoughts and prayers. I am living daily with the grief and worry for all those victims and prisoners of terrorism and kidnapping. I and the security agencies are doing all we can to free those unfortunate countrymen and countrywomen safely.

19. For those who have lost their lives, we will continue to seek justice for their families against the perpetrators. For those currently in captivity, we will not stop until they are freed, and their kidnappers are brought to justice. If we all unite, we will be victorious against these agents of terror and destruction.

20. We have reformed some of our security structures. Some of the defence assets we procured three years ago have arrived and have been deployed.

21. Our cyber security and surveillance systems are being upgraded to further enhance our ability to track and trace criminal elements. We are also recruiting and training new personnel across all our security and intelligence agencies to strengthen the country’s over-all security.

22. I will conclude this Democracy Day speech, my last as President, by assuring you of my commitment to protect Nigeria and Nigerians from all enemies from within and outside.

23. I am also promising you a free, fair and transparent electoral process. And I am pleading with all citizens to come together and work with Government to build a peaceful and prosperous nation.

24. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The governments of Nigeria and that of the Beninese have decided to invite private sector to run the  Seme/Krake Joint Border Post in order to facilitate trade between the two countries and the sub-regional communities.

This was made Known today in a communique released after the Ministerial  Meeting on the Operationalization of the Seme/Krake Joint Border Post held at the location (Abidjan-Lagos Corridor).

It was also agreed that the challenges mitigating against its smooth operation will be addressed within 2 years by both countries before handing over to the private sector.

It will be recalled that the ECOWAS Commission under the 10th European Development Fund Transport Facilitation, funded by the European Union built and equipped  by the Joint Border Post.

The highlight of the occasion was the signing of the Bilateral Agreement on the Operationalization of the Joint Border Post by the Honourable Minister of State for Transportation,  Sen. Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki,  on behalf of the Nigerian government while her counterpart,  the Minister of Economy and Finance,  Romuald Wadagni, signed on behalf of the Republic of Benin.

Eric Ojiekwe
Director,  Press and PR
May 12, 2022

YOU HAVE JUSTIFIED GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, PRESIDENT BUHARI TELLS NIGERIAN AIR FORCE AT 58

.Tasks Security Agencies To Achieve A Secure And Prosperous Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Kano lauded the Nigerian Air Force for living up to its constitutional responsibilities of securing the nation, and in the process, justifying the investments of the government of the day in the force.

Speaking at the ceremonial parade to commemorate its 58th anniversary, the President said the Air Force had transformed into a formidable entity, ready to confront immediate and future challenges.

“It gives me great pleasure to be here to felicitate with you on the Nigerian Air Force 58th Anniversary Celebration. This is particularly because the Nigerian Air Force has over these 58 years transformed to a formidable and resilient air force that is positioned to effectively tackle both contemporary and future security challenges.

“This adaptability has thus enabled the Service to respond effectively to our dynamic national security challenges. The Nigerian Air Force has been able to meet its constitutional responsibilities thereby justifying the Government’s enormous support in the last 7 years. I, therefore, congratulate the Chief of the Air Staff, officers and airmen/airwomen as well as civilian staff of the Nigerian Air Force on this occasion of the 58th Anniversary.

President Buhari noted that on assumption of office in 2005, he "promised to equip and re-professionalize our armed forces to perform their constitutional responsibilities more effectively," adding that "we have therefore demonstrated the required political will and leadership as well as committed resources towards capacity building and re-professionalizing of the armed forces."

According to him, “today, I can say confidentially that the armed forces have indeed witnessed tremendous improvement in the past seven years. In particular, the provision of modern equipment and personnel motivation through enhanced welfare are also ongoing.


"The President noted that “the provision of modern equipment and personnel motivation” like the Super Tucanos and the Augusta helicopter gunships among others, had greatly helped turn the tide in the fight against terrorists and other non-state actors, and sustained the Nigerian Air Force. He assured that the administration will continue to provide more platforms to modernise the Nigerian armed forces:

“To this end, we have approved the procurement of more platforms such as the Beechcraft, some modern helicopter gunships and UAV for the Nigerian Air Force to enable it to man our airspace more effectively. Rest assured that as a Government, we are willing to do even more to ensure the provision of the requisite support and encouragement to overcome various security challenges.”

President Buhari commended the Honourable Minister of Defence, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs as well as the leadership of the security agencies for doing their jobs well, charging them to “remain committed, steadfast and resolute as we forge ahead to achieving a secure, peaceful and more prosperous Nigeria.”

The Commander-in-Chief particularly lauded the Chief of the Air Staff, officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the air force for the good work they are doing to support the Government’s defence and security policies as well as the high level of discipline, loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and support of democratic values.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)

May 23, 2022

Date was Friday, May 13, 2022, time 10 am, and venue was the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa. The event was valedictory session for appointees leaving the cabinet to pursue political ambitions at different levels. Some were aspiring to be President, others Governors, and others Senators.

It was solemn and sombre. Yes, it had to be. Some of the Ministers had been with the Government since 2015, some others came in 2019. Like it is said, there’s no good in goodbye, and parting can be such sweet sorrow.

All the Ministers who had bought forms to contest were around, except Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, erstwhile Minister of State, Education, who was said to have travelled. He had turned in his resignation letter since April 28, when he bought the form to be President.

On Wednesday, May 11, President Buhari had required Ministers with political ambitions to turn in their letters, with the deadline being Monday, May 16. And in line with his commitment to human dignity, the President decided to hold the valedictory session.

I’ve told this story before, but let me tell it again. The President had retained the Service Chiefs he inherited in 2015 for some weeks, when the usual practice was to remove such people with the speed of light. He didn’t, but kept them for almost two months.

The day the President decided to appoint new Service Chiefs, he sent for me, and I reported in his office. He told me what he had decided to do, and he gave me the names of the incoming set.

Then President Buhari gave a strange instruction. “I’ve discussed with the exiting Service Chiefs, but don’t announce their exit immediately. Let them get home, and let them be the ones to announce to their families and friends. It’s not good for a man to have a job in the morning, lose it in the afternoon, and he hears it over the media.”

I told the President that once he had told those Service Chiefs, it would be virtually impossible to keep the news till the next, as he was asking me to do.

The President looked at me with a smile on his face, and declared: “You won’t understand, because you’ve not been sacked before. Me, I’ve been sacked, so I know how it feels.”

That was how we held back the official news of the appointment of new Service Chiefs for a while. President Buhari believes in the dignity of man. The same thing he did with the two Ministers who had to leave the cabinet involuntarily last year. He had privately met with the Ministers of Power, and that of Agriculture and Rural Development, told them that time was up, before the other cabinet members and the nation were told.

That was not the staple Nigerians were fed with, or used to. They usually would tune their radio sets to Radio Nigeria 4 pm news, or NTA Network News, only to hear that some public officials had been dismissed “with immediate effect.” Some of them would still be in their offices, working, or be at home relaxing with their families, when the news would hit like a thunderbolt. Obviously, many leaders enjoyed that supercilious and cavalier treatment of their appointees, but not President Buhari. He believes in the dignity of man.

So, that Friday morning, the Ministers with intention to run for offices were invited. And gracefully, the President appreciated them, and wished them well in their political aspirations. What were the germane points Mr President made?

-The day marks yet another landmark designed to establish a culture of managing the departure of public officers who have served the nation sacrificially, with dignity and honor.

-The cabinet had been composed, first in 2015, and then 2019 at reelection. Some of the old Ministers were retained, while some new ones were brought in.

-Looking back as the President and head of the team over the years, I hold fond memories of incisive and robust discussions during cabinet meetings, rendering of performance reports during special sessions and presidential retreats.

-A significant number of cabinet members have become sufficiently equipped for higher elective offices, including the Office of the President. It shows the impact of the experience gathered while serving as members of the Federal Executive Council.

-If the next President emerges from among former members of the cabinet, ample competence would be on display.

President Buhari didn’t claim that he made any of the Ministers. “Prior to some of you joining the cabinet, you had made your marks in other areas as Governors, legislators, entrepreneurs and core professionals in different fields.” I tell you, there seems to be no proud bone in the body of this our Baba.

He wished the Ministers success in the upcoming elections, and in their future endeavors. It was a poignant moment.

For members of the cabinet remaining onboard, “I wish to remind you that the journey to the finish line is still very far, and this calls for more diligence, resilience and commitment to serve Nigerians better.”

Outgoing Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, and former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, spoke on behalf of his colleagues. He expressed “deep appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to work with you,” adding that they had learned, tapped from experience, and contributed their quota to national development.

Saying they had become disciples of Mr President, Akpabio pledged that they would “communicate Buharism, and take your message of transformation, patience, administrative sagacity to Nigerians.”

He said leaving was filled with sadness and joy. “We will miss the weekly learning and interaction with a father. Joy, in that we can now speak to a wider number of Nigerians. Those who misunderstood you will hear from us, and posterity will never forget you for your love for the country.”

Akpabio prayed that the President would land well at the end of his tenure, “and may one of us succeed you. We know where you are going, your mission, vision, which somebody from outside may not understand.”

Some of the Ministers have since rescinded their decisions to run for elective offices. That is not the purpose of this piece. The purport is to dwell on the dignity of man, how some leaders love to trample on it, and how President Buhari loves to respect and uphold it. That is why some of us love and admire him, and would stand by him through thick and thin, whether in government or out of it.

*Adesina is Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity