₦airaland Forum

At last Audu Ogbe speaks out:-

"Because I challenged OBASANJO on some of his policies, all of a sudden, he rushed down to my house unannounced, requested for pounded yam. He came with all the fully armed security agents you can think of. My family was in serious panicking mood. After the meal, he washed his hands and brought out a letter asking me to read and sign.

"As I was reading, I saw it was my Resignation Letter as the PDP Chairman written by Obasanjo himself, a drop of water fell from my eyes, as I looked up, the security guards moved closer, I requested to go inside and get a pen, Obasanjo instantly brought out a pen from his pocket, 'this is pen sign it immediately.

"I signed and he told me 'Chairman, you know that for what you said today, you shouldn't be my Chairman again...".

I remained dumb until he left. Thirty minutes after, he came again, I thought they wanted to kill me, I went to meet him outside, he brought out the letter and said 'you didn't put date there, oya write today's date below your signature'.
I did and he left.

"It was a traumatic night for me and my family..."

-Audu Ogbe.

This is the man who said PMB is behaving like Abacha

President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned members of the All Progressives Congress in the Senate to a meeting at the Presidential Villa on Monday (today) over Onnoghen’s suspension.

The meeting, which is going to hold at the Banquet Hall, is being tagged as ‘a dinner’.

Invitations to the dinner were signed by the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, who is also the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi.

Onnoghen was suspended on Friday by President Buhari based on an ex parte order granted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
He is facing six counts of false assets declaration filed against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Buhari’s meeting with the APC Senators will take place ahead of the Senate emergency resumption on Tuesday (tomorrow) when decisions are expected to be taken on Onnoghen’s suspension by the President.

Recall that the APC caucus in the Senate at the weekend had vowed to resist any attempt by the presiding officers of the National Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Buhari.

Meanwhile, the APC senators’ meeting with the President, it was gathered, would take a position on how to counter the expected condemnation of the CJN’s suspension by the members of the opposition in the Senate on Tuesday.

Also, members of the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives have scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday (today).

The Majority Leader, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, called the meeting, according to a text message circulating among the lawmakers on Sunday.

“Honourable colleagues, there will be a meeting of the APC caucus tomorrow, Monday, at 4pm. Venue is the White House Hearing Room 1. Thank you. Femi Gbajabiamila,”

http://dailypost.ng/2019/01/28/buhari-apc-senators-dinner-onnoghen/

EU and U.S. are interfering in Nigeria's matters regarding the CJN #OnnoghenSuspension but when a similar event occured in USA with the suspension of US Supreme Court Justice not a word of caution, statement or letter was written.

The West Virginia Supreme Court Justice was suspended last year (2018) for similar reasons the CJN of Nigeria was suspended.

Justice Allen Loughry was suspended from the bench in June 2018 over allegations that he repeatedly lied and used his public office for personal gain.

In an order from the high court, Loughry was suspended without pay and barred from hearing any civil or criminal matters during a judicial disciplinary process.

They should please go & sit down and stop meddling in constitutional permitted matters that do not concern them.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said he had fulfilled his campaign promises to Nigerians.

The President, who spoke at a mega rally of the All Progressives Congress in Osogbo, Osun State capital, ahead of the February general elections, reminded Nigerians of the condition under which he came into office in 2015.

Buhari spoke to thousands of the APC, chieftains and party supporters including the national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, the APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former interim national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Osun State governor, Mr. Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola, and his deputy, Gboyega Alabi, immediate past Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Ameachi, and the national women leader of the APC, Chief Mrs. Kemi Nelson, among others.

Buhari said his administration on assumption off office in 2015 met the terrorist group, Boko Haram, occupying seventeen local governments in Yobe and Borno States and other parts of the North East but said no single council today is in the control of the insurgent group, adding that “except where they have soft targets market places and motor parks.”

According to him, his administration had significantly improved on agriculture.

Buhari, who also said had done his best in fighting corruption, assured that whoever that is found to be corrupt will not be spared, adding that “they will be prosecuted and brought to justice.”

Acknowledging people’s support for him, he expressed gratitude to the people for “trooping out and lining up the streets in the scorching sun to wave him and his entourage.”

Asking the people to vote for him and his deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in the February poll, he also appealed to them to vote for all candidates under the platform of the APC in the general elections, assuring that they would not let them down.

Also, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said those contending power with the APC never meant well for this nation. In their resolve, they are determined to draw us back but by the grace of God we are moving on and higher.”

Earlier, the Osun State governor, Mr. Oyetola, advised the people of the state to return Buhari for the second term, saying his administration had done so much for the state in the area of social investment and youth empowerment, road construction, health, agriculture.

The governor said votes for Buhari will provide an opportunity for the people of the state to continue to enjoy good and quality programmes of the Buhari administration.

He advised the people not to allow corrupt politicians to over power in the interest of the future of the nation, saying “the APC is a party of today and the future.”

In his welcome address, Chief Akande thanked President Buhari for his love for the people of Osun and Nigeria.

As the All Progressives Congress, APC, canvassed for votes from the South West at the forthcoming elections, its Presidential candidate, Muhammedu Buhari has assured the people of the region that his administration is determined to ensure the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other road networks and rail lines before the end of the year.

Buhari, who made this vow at Mapo Hall Ibadan, during the campaign of APC, also presented the party’s governorship candidate for Oyo State, Chief Bayo Adelabu.

Addressing the massive crowd that graced the occasion, Buhari equally promised that if elected for the second term, he would fix power as well as improve on the nation’s infrastructure for the nation to be conducive for its citizenry.

He, however, appealed that the people of the South West should take farming very seriously, adding, “I have asked your governor to tell you to go back to the land. We need to farm so as to drive hunger out of our land. I am glad to tell you today that we have stopped the importation of rice because we are now producing enough to feed us”.

Earlier in the same direction, his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, urged Nigerians not to vote for corrupt people and political parties if they wanted the nation to continue to progress.

He said, “The enemies of Buhari know that Buhari is an honest man. That is the quality no one can take away from him. Now, if you vote for an honest person, the nation will make outstanding progress and development. We should not vote for those that will take us back to corruption or corrupt era. Do not vote for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, because it is a party of corrupt people”.

In the same direction, the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole, urged the electorate not to pay attention to the former president of the nation, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, describing him as a liar personified.

According to him, “In Yoruba land, respect is very important. We must respect elders. But there is an elder who lies in the morning, in the afternoon and in the night. Such an elder does not deserve any respect. He does not deserve our respect. Obasanjo who once said that the Presidential candidate of PDP is a thief is now saying that he has forgiven him. That is an insult.

“How can you forgive a person who has stolen national property? So, I beg you to vote against privatization and auctioning of national assets. Do not vote for someone who is only interested in enriching his friends and not you. Do not vote for somebody who wants to sell our national pride.”

He said, “On February 16, 2019, call your father, call your mother, call your wives, call your husbands, call your children and everybody and ask them to vote for President Buhari and in the subsequent election, tell them to vote for our governorship candidate and other candidates standing for elections”.

The national Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu dispelled the insinuation that the party has perfected plans to rig in the forthcoming election.

He said, “Do not allow corrupt people to lie to you that we will rig election. We will not rig any election because there is no point to rig. We have people and you are our people. They do not have people. They do not have anybody that will vote for them. This is the reason why they are scared. On the election day, go out and vote for APC and monitor your vote to ensure that they count”.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State was absolutely sure that APC would win the forthcoming election at the federal and state level, stressing that the election is already won because of the good things that the party has done.

He said, “Nobody can get the government from us. It is very clear that we will win the election. You are aware that our president, President Muhammadu Buhari moved Nigeria from low level to the next level. President Buhari met Nigeria in broken bricks and moved it to the next level and he is moving it to the marble level.

“The forthcoming election is between the progressive and retrogressive, between security and insecurity, between looting and saving, between nobility of character and the ignoble, between accountability and impunity, between light and darkness and between we are dead (Atiku) and we are not dead (Atiku). Today, we are lucky to know and see the president from 2015 to 2023”.

Others in attendance were governors from the region including Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode; ministers including Minister of Communication, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, APC party chieftains at all levels, Director of Media, Buhari Campaign Organisation, Festus Keyamo, members of National Assembly and state executive council.

Earlier Buhari was received at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan by traditional rulers in the state led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111 and Oba Saliu Adetunji, Aje Ogunguluso 1.

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/01/26/we-will-complete-lagos-ibadan-expressway-buhari/

Ahead of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to Oyo State today for Presidential Campaign, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo and the Director, Presidential Campaign Council, South West zone, Chief Olusola Oke, on Friday, wooed supporters statewide to troop out enmasse in welcoming the President to Mapo Hall, in Ibadan.

The two APC leaders at separate meetings, reeled out the achievements of the president and the pride of place currently occupied by the Yorubas in the nation’s politics, with a promise that he will do more for the South-west if re-elected.

Osinbajo who was in Ogbomoso earlier in the day, said the federal government will increase Npower beneficiaries to a million to accommodate more youths for empowerment.

The VP while speaking at the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, promised the monarch that the Ogbomoso/Oyo Road will be completed, while a Federal Polytechnic will be established in the town.

Addressing the people at Soun Ogunlola Town Hall, he said the plan of the Buhari-led administration is to make Npower cuts across the federation, adding that, “we currently have 500,000 people captured in Npower but we will increase them to one million.”

While assuring traders in Ogbomoso that they will soon become beneficiaries of the TraderMoni, he said the scheme is for small businesses, saying “we still have plans for big businesses.”

Oke on his part while addressing journalists at the Agodi quarters of the Presidential Campaign, South West, Ibadan, called on All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in both Osun and Oyo states, to come out and show appreciation to the President for the road and rail projects in addition to the women and youth empowerment that accrued to the zone in less than four years.

He said the Yorubaland which used to be the opposition centre in the country is today the powerhouse of governance and “we have so much stakes to demonstrate to the whole world because of the pride of place, presently occupied by Yoruba sons and daughters in APC administration.”

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi, Chief Egwu Chima, has faulted Ohaneze Ndigbo’s endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as the choice of Igbos in the forthcoming presidential election.

Chima who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki, warned against using the highest pan Igbo socio-cultural group to secure ‘cheap’ political popularity.

He added that politicisation of Ohaneze Ndigbo was capable of reducing its relevance among the comity of other socio-cultural groups in the country.
Chima, a former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi, appealed to Igbos not to key into the sentiment, but to exercise their franchise by supporting and voting a candidate of their choice in the Feb. 16 presidential election.

Chima, board member of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), also noted that using the Ohaneze Ndigbo platform to adopt or endorse a candidate of a political party, could bring division and crisis in the organisation.

He said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has done very well in areas of physical infrastructure development and human empowerment in South-East geopolitical zone.

He appealed to Igbos at home and in the Diaspora to ignore the anti Buhari sentiment and continue with their support for the re-election bid of the President.

He urged the Igbo political elite, the business class, among others, not to make the mistakes of the past, stressing that Nigeria’s president in 2023 of Igbo extraction was feasible and achievable under Buhari’s administration.

Chima also spoke of the planned visit of Buhari to Ebonyi, and urged the people to give the president a rousing welcome.

NAN reports that Ohaneze Ndigbo recently declared that the pan Igbo socio-cultural group has endorsed former Vice President Abubakar and presidential candidate of PDP, as its preferred candidate for the presidency. (NAN)

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/atikus-endorsement-apc-cautions-against-politicisation-of-ohaneze-ndigbo.html

No doubt Atiku is corrupt, No doubt Atiku should be prosecuted. Also, no doubt Buhari has no say on how that should happen. We are in a democratic dispensation, and there are procedures as well as due processes that should be followed when cases of corruption come up.


"Independent" anti-corruption institutions like EFCC and ICPC are the agencies tasked with ensuring that corruption cases do not go unchecked. Notice the quoted emphasis on those institutions being independent? Well that signifies that Buhari has no influence on how they conduct their investigations as well as operations. Even the anti-fraud unit of the police can take up such a task.

It could be that they're trying to gather rock solid evidence before arresting Atiku. Buhari is a democrat, he cannot just start dictating to such institutions on how they should conduct their activities or who they should arrest and charge, he's allowing due process take its gradual course.

To suggest that Buhari should go ahead and skip legal steps to prosecute Atiku would be like asking him to be a tyrant whereas he isn't one. Moreover, the same people urging him to do such would tag the president as vindictive should he indulge. They would even call it a Witch hunt.

Buhari will always be the best option for Nigeria. Just look at how corrupt Atiku is. kai! We reject a thief. #Istandwithbuhari

Fellow Nigerians, greetings from Washington. After being banned from entering the U.S. for 12 years, I finally made a “triumphant” entry and shamed the “e-rats” and APC trolls. I even slept at the Trump Hotel, where our President, Jubril, the lifeless one can only dream of visiting.

While the “e-rats” were making empty noise on social media, my boy, Osita Chidoka, arranged a $1.1 million contract between the PDP and Ballard Partners which was a cover to buy my way to the U.S. You see, I am a con artist that can buy anything with my money, so, suck it up distractors!

While I am busy taking about the important project of how I will get Nigeria working again for my poor friends Bukola Saraki, IBB, Danjuma, David Oyedepo, Obasanjo and co., you, the toothless opposition was talking about stupid and unimportant things like, fighting corruption, Trademoi, and infrastructural development, pensioners, integrity, etc.

By trying to ridicule me after I enriched my friends, who in turn, enriched my wife through the illicit transfer of over 40 million U.S. Dollars while I was the VP, you, the trolls placed your hands on a tipper with a load of sand. But like the con artist tortoise, I have outsmarted everyone in the animal kingdom by going to U.S. Ntoor to all the “e-rats”. Suck it up, guys.

Fellow Nigerians, give me, Atiku, some credit for guts. Apart from Saraki and Bola Tinubu, I am the only Nigerian with an impeccable integrity and track record of not enriching himself while in office. While serving as Obasanjo’s VP, I, Atiku got myself impoverished, privatized government agencies for the poor, built the American University of Nigeria for the poor. Now, I have dangerously poor Nigerians campaigning for my reelection. So, why can’t you trolls suck it up and join the saints and deliver Nigeria to the devil?

If you doubt that I, Atiku, will “get Nigeria working again” for the poor, close your eyes and look at my guinea pig, the American University of Nigeria (AUN). This is an exclusive University for poor Nigerians living below the poverty line. Here, I, Atiku, who was “born poor”, grew up poor until Nigerian government “invested in [me]” and I became rich, is showing an example of how to reinvest in Nigerian poor. Today, AUN is setting the pace by exclusively attracting the poor and the underprivileged Nigerians. Suck it up Nigerians and stop being jealous.

Fellow Nigerians, fear does not affect the stomach, that’s why it is always in the front. I fear no one. My boys Osita and Ben Bruce were very dependable. Did you not see the pictures from the meeting I had at the White House with Trump and my fellow con artist Bukola Saraki?

After Saraki failed in his presidential bid based on the promise to “grow Nigeria” in Panama and Seychelles, I quickly recruited him to help “get Nigeria working again” by growing our economy like he grew the stomach and bank accounts of Nigerian Senators. Having orchestrated the restoration of openness, accountability, and integrity in the Nigerian Senate, why won’t Nigerians let me and Saraki “get Nigeria working again”?

If you need additional evidence of Saraki’s capability to help “Get Nigeria Working Again”, look no further than Societe Generale Bank. Not only did Saraki transform the bank to the envy of other banks, but he also consolidated its capital, to the extent that it survived several credit crises that led to the collapse of many banks. Now, the bank does not only grant low-interest loans to small businesses without stress, but Societe Generale Bank also offer free services on how to grow the Nigerian economy by investing in offshore safe heavens like Seychelles and Panama.

Fellow Nigerians, a fish that does not swallow other fishes do not grow fat. I, Atiku and Saraki’s economic theory of growing the Nigerian economy is promoting the siphoning of the national wealth by the political class that corruptly enriched themselves. We believe that poor Nigerians like ourselves will grow Nigeria by buying houses abroad. So, suck it up.


Of course, I was thinking of “growing Nigeria and making it work again” for poor Nigerians when I bought my mansion in the U.S. for a chicken change of $1.75 million in 1999. I later sold the mansion for a small change of $2.95 million Dollars when I thought the Americans will never let me in again. It was the millions of Dollars proceed that I used to establish my Dubai base. Ntoor!

What else is expected of cigarette if not smoke? Just before I made my triumphant entry to the US, I expelled a large plume of smoke by revealing that even though I am campaigning as an anti-corruption champion, I do not even understand the meaning of corruption. The stupid “e-rats” were shocked when I said that I will enrich my friends. Poor ignorant fellow.

While the “e-rats” whined, friends who have known me for years laughed. What the “e-rats” refer to as corruption is what we believe in and practice every day. It is what we live for and what we are campaigning to reintroduce to governance in Nigeria. If the “e-rats” believe that enriching my friends is corruption, then, I am corruption and corruption is me. So, suck it up guys, after all, I just returned from the U.S you once dangled in my face as an impossible mission.

Unlike the wise man from the east with a big mouth, Peter Obi, who is quoting statistics, evoking China and boasting of how he won’t enrich his friends, I am bold, telling everyone who cares to listen that I am running for Nigerian President to enrich my friends one more time. Poor Peter Obi does not know that the style and tempo of the game in Abuja is different from the practice he had at Awka. He will be shocked to discover that politicians care about their friends. Fortunately for him and his teeming supporters, Peter has only ONE friend he can enrich, himself.

Fellow Nigerians, tell the “e-rats” to suck it up. Just in case they have not realized, I can promise to sell Aso Rock when I become your President and my brainwashed, sorry, my Atikulated supporters, that hate Jubril with passion will still vote for me. The “e-rats”, especially those in the US, who are outside peeing in would have learned that teaching me, Chief Atiku Abubakar what constitutes corruption is like teaching a primary one pupil the concept of infinity in mathematics.

Finally, fellow Nigerians, as you go to the polls on February 16th, 2019, remember that what I have visited U.S. Remember that I have promised to enrich my gang of poor friends that have robbed and ruined Nigerian like Dopkesi, Doyin Okupe, Saraki, Ben Bruce, Reno, Wike, Tambuwal, Obasanjo, Ekweremadu etc. For this reason, I deserve your votes on February, 16th, 2019.

To my Atikulated fans, I trust that you will not only vote, but that defend your votes for the benefit of my friends. Forget what is written on the vehicle’s body and enter the Atikulated vehicle. Remain Atikulated forever! Together, we can make America Great Again. Sorry, this American thing has entered my head. We will get Nigeria Working Again!


Source: http://saharareporters.com/2019/01/23/atiku’s-memo-nigerians-washington-i-am-con-artist-suck-it-churchill-okonkwo

Under Buhari administration non-oil sector,crop production has been one of the main contributors to non-oil growth,which rose to 0.45% in the second quarter of last year,which was primarily driven by ongoing financial, capacity building and infrastructure development programs.

Kebbi state earned #150million from the sale of locally cultivated rice

Kebbi has projected an aggregate production target of 2.5 million metric tonnes of rice at the end of 2018.

Buhari graciously approved an intervention where rice was sold in many markets; Onitsha, Lagos, Abeokuta, Kano for N12,000.

Sokoto now gives priority to the production of rice, wheat and tomatoes to boost the economy

Under Buhari’s administration 9,500 rice farmers in Sokoto received a loan of N277,00 per hectare to grow crops and to repay in three installments.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has no shred of loyalty in his system. His betrayal of countless people pitches him as an untrustworthy individual. He betrayed Charles Taylor, a Liberian leader who seeked asylum when he was overthrown and subsequently declared wanted.

Obasanjo offered Taylor asylum and put him under house arrest in Cross River state but later used it as an opportunity to entrap him while the International Criminal Court made moves to arrest and prosecute the Liberian leader. The fact that he came to President Obasanjo to seek asylum suggests that they had a cordial trust but Obasanjo betrayed that trust.

Obasanjo also worked against his ethnic brothers Atiku and Awolowo, accusing them of not being fit to rule.


To further show that he lacks the ability to be cooperative with team members, he reported his VP to US government (For selfish reasons)

The claim by Obasanjo that we are now in Abacha era is largely false. During Abacha's military regime, there were lots of human rights violations and assessing it in comparison with Obasanjo's tenure, it reveals that as the only democratic dispensation that can be likened to what was obtainable under Abacha.

This means that Obasanjo and the late military ruler have more things in common.

Obasanjo had as president muscled the legislature when he sent soldiers to the then senate president's house to seize the mace. He also introduced the bribing of public office holders with monies in Ghana must go bags.

Obasanjo also ordered the massacre of citizens in Udi and Zaki Biam.

“Eight years-repeat, eight years in office, and the elected estate manager of this vast territory could not even provide the modicum level of power to activate even a low-level cottage industrial culture. And such individual has the nerve to sermonise about rising to challenges.’’ .....Wole Soyinka to Obasanjo

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said he was at the venue of the ongoing presidential debates in Abuja.

He, however, said he declined to participate because President Muhammadu Buhari was absent.

Mr Abubakar said he returned from the U.S. because he wanted to take part in the debate, but since the president was a no show, he had no reason to proceed.

Oby Ezekwesili, Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Duro-toye are the only three presidential candidates debating at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

Mr Abubakar said in a tweet that the upcoming general election would be a referendum on Mr Buhari, and not on the other candidates.

“I arrived the Congress Hall of the Hilton venue of the #2019Debate. This debate and the election is a referendum on the incumbent,” Mr Abubakar said.

Mr Abubakar later sent in this statement:
WHY I DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE – Atiku

We came here for a Presidential debate, not a candidacy debate, and I, Atiku Abubakar can not challenge or question an administration where the man at the helm of the affairs of the nation is not present to defend himself or his policies.

After all you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence. I do not believe in attacking a man who is NOT here to defend himself. As a leader and former vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, let me first apologise to all Nigerians, my fellow candidates and the moderator for the the APC Presidential Candidate’s absence in this debate. His non-appearance is a slight on ALL of us and our democracy.

Secondly, with all due respect to my fellow candidates, Fela Durotoye, Oby Ezekwesili, Kingsley Moghalu and to the moderator Mark Sugar and with apologies to all Nigerians here and at home expecting an interesting debate, I regret that I will not be able to go on with this debate due to President Buhari’s absence.

I however challenge President Buhari to choose a date and time for a debate where he will be present and I will be there, hopefully with the other candidates as well.

Buhari deserves 4 more years. He is doing more with less. PDP did less with More

PDP looted our treasury. APC salvaged our treasury

PDP did very little in infrastructure. APC has been constructing road, rehabilitating abandoned projects and kickstarting new ones.

Nigeria's foreign reserves and Excess Crude Account has been increasing since APC came on board.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that the candidate of the opposition PDP in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has questions to answer when he returns from his current trip to the United States.

The government said it is investigating Mr Abubakar’s alleged role in the collapse of former Bank PHB.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this while briefing State House correspondents on Friday.
Mr Mohammed said the decision to question Mr Abubakar is “following fresh evidence that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of Bank PHB.”

The government spokesperson said the government has in its position “paper trail which shows that he benefitted from N156 million.”
“It started from an internal memo dated 13 January 2009 asking that a draft in favour of Atiku Abubakar of 156 million should be raised,” he said.

Mr Mohammed also said another memo on the same date was raised to confirm that the amount was raised from a “claimant management account.”

He said the government has proof of the account mandate, cheque and account statement showing Mr Abubakar as the signatory to the account that received the money.

“We want him to stay in the US for as long as he wants but he has to explain to Nigerians when he returns,” he said.
Speaking further on the visit of the former vice president to the U.S., the minister said the government had earlier issued a statement advising the U.S. not to issue him a visa.

He, however, said it remains the prerogative of the U.S. government to issue visa to anyone
“We are not perturbed one bit. He can go ahead and get a U.S. green card. That will not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election,” Mr Mohammed said.

He also said the “election will be held here not in the U.S.”
The minister, however, said his claim does not imply that the former vice president will be arrested on his return.

Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has arrived Washington DC on a visit to the United States. The PDP presidential candidate arrived at 20.20 hours (14.20 hours Washington DC time).

Atiku was put on the list of Specially Designated Nationals (The OFAC SDN) by the United States government , a list that was made up of corrupt politicians, terrorist financiers, mafia lords and similar miscreants around the world as a result of the money he stole while in power.

A Nigerian and American officials were accused by the F.B.I for running a bribery racket in the award of a broadband project with the aim of expanding Internet coverage in Nigeria in the mid-2000s and Atiku Abubakar was said to have received kickbacks for his role in helping iGate which is an American firm, to secure the contract and as at that time, American politician, Williams Jefferson, a member of the U.S. Congress was identified as a political associate of Atiku Abubakar with whom the Nigerian leader allegedly connived to inflate the contract and get illicit payouts for seeing it through.

Reports showed that the infamous $100,000 cash which was found in Mr. Jefferson’s refrigerator was intended as parts of the bribes to be paid out to Atiku Abubakar

In 2004,President Bush who was in power barred Atiku and other corrupt politically exposed persons(PEP) from being issued visa to the United States. This was motivated by US government concern about corruption in the Third World and its corrosive effects on the development of honest government, democratic principles, and the rule of law.
Although Atiku was not the only foreign Politically Exposed Person(PEP) probed by the committee.He had company in Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, now the 48-year-old son of Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mbasogo, the President of Equatorial Guinea (EG), late President of Gabon, Omar Bongo and three Angolan PEP accounts, involving an Angolan arms dealer, an Angolan government official, and a small Angolan private bank.
The report showed violations of the US laws by Atiku and his fourth wife, Jennifer Douglas. It also included revelations about Siemens bribe paid into one of the accounts, and also possibly provided the basis for Atiku being barred from entering the United States, since then.

In August 2016, Atiku Abubakar was issued a letter by the EFCC requesting him to shed light on his alleged involvement in the unconstitutional release of funds to the PTDF and placing these funds in two different banks that he chose.

In his well rehearsed reply, Atiku claimed his indictment by the EFCC was an attempt to muddy the waters of his political ambitions.

However, the report which was an audit of the PTDF from the 1990s to May 31, 2006 found Atiku culpable for mismanagement of funds.

According to the report, Atiku’s improper approval for the release and placement of $125million in 2013 without following due process amounted to abuse of office.

These funds were transferred to Atiku’s private businesses. Nigerians curiously wait to see how Atiku attempts to explain his tremendous fraud allegations both home and abroad, how his twenty years in public office was enough to transform him from a modest official to a multi-millionaire and one of Nigeria’s richest business men.

How can this poster boy of corruption possibly hope to lead Nigeria’s corruption fight? That could be likened to a naked man offering to clothe another person.

The poster boy for corruption wants to lead Nigeria’s fight against corruption. According to the EFCC, Atiku diverted 125million from the PTDF into his private businesses. In his two-term tenure, he recorded $60 billion worth of transactions.

Reconstruction of Apapa—TinCan— Mile 2—Oshodi- Oworonshoki Expressway (commenced November 2018) . This is the first full reconstruction of the Road since it was first constructed in the 1970s. (ongoing)

The Federal Government under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari has commenced the reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway at the cost of N72.9 billion, The project would bring permanent relief to motorists and residents over the perennial gridlock in the axis and enhance movement within the State, which so critical to the economic survival of Lagos.

This reconstruction plan would be a 10-lane road of five lanes on each side, as well as drainage, said the work is a 27.8-kilometre road and 79.8 linear-kilometre arrangement.

This development is a historic moment for residents in the State and the whole country as a whole as it is the first time that any government would embark on a total reconstruction of the road since inception.

It is particularly gratifying that the project would be done using concrete, expressing optimism that it would ensure that the road would last for over forty years. Whatever it is that has been taking place in this particular project has always been rehabilitation and every Nigerian should be reminded that this road has been in place for more than 40 years.

Now, oil is significantly lower in price yet it takes one man’s commitment, one man’s good heart, goodwill and determination to make the kind of investments that are now being made here, that man is President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari's administration is aimed at increasing the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in the country using various energy mix.

This focus gave birth to the actualisation of the completion of the Gurara hydro power plant in kaduna state with an additional 30 megawatts to help boost electricity supply in the northwest part of the country.

PDP has over the years robbed Nigerians of good electrical supply, adequate supply of water, agricultural and industrial growth due to the long non-completion of the Gurara dam since 2001 when Obasanjo launched the project.

The contractors were given a duration of 3yr to complete but since Obasanjo’s tenure expired, every other president from PDP had failed to complete the dam.

Gurara dam 1,800 hectares of irrigation land had been leased to commercial farmers, individuals and retirees in the agricultural business sector.

The Buhari’s administration has given retirees room to retire home to the agricultural system of economic development.

This development has helped provide electricity to industrial companies, thereby improving industrial activities leading to employment.

No space in asorock for PDP. #istandwithbuhari

#Febuhari #Nextlevel. #Naijawemove carry go joor

Fake news. PDP cannot campaign on serious issues they're now using propaganda.

Nobody can touch Buhari. He is the chosen one. Buhari till 2023

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has attacked former President Olusegun Obasanjo again, saying he is supporting a man he called ‘a devil’ several years ago to become Nigeria’s president.

Soyinka, who was a panelist at the event tagged, ‘Nigeria 2019: Countering Fake News,’ organised by BBC News, charged Nigerians to be wary of Obasanjo who pretended to be the conscience of the nation.

Though Soyinka did not mention names, but his utterances ostensibly refers to Obasanjo and his former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar.

Punch quoted Soyinka as saying that if the former leader had been referring to a certain person (Atiku) for eight years as a devil and is now telling Nigerians to vote for the devil, then there was a reason for Nigerians to express some doubt.

According to Soyinka, “We have got to develop a very healthy scepticism. If someone in a position of power for eight years has lectured a nation for eight years and after that continued year after year to continue to direct the minds of a whole nation in one direction, only saying ‘this is Lucifer from hell’ for eight years in office and several more years out of office, saying this is Lucifer and then one day he changed his left hand and says behold your redeemer, which of the two is fake news?”

Source: PM News

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement on Wednesday that he will increase the minimum wage, but not by how much.

Buhari’s sign-off is required to raise the minimum wage, disagreements over which saw labor unions striking across Nigeria in September.

A committee set up by the government and unions has recommended a minimum wage of 30,000 naira ($98) a month to the president, which Buhari said on Wednesday would be reviewed by a technical committee.

N-POWER
ANCHOR BORROWERS PROGRAMME
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
JOB CREATION
POWER GENERATION
HEALTHCARE

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo says that members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar know that President Muhammadu Buhari is an honest man.

NAN reports that Osinbajo stated this while addressing the `Drive 4 Buhari-Osinbajo’ rally organised by the `I am Ready’ campaign group alongside other support groups on Tuesday in Abuja.

Referring to an earlier remark by Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Osinbajo said that with Buhari, Nigeria’s wealth is safe.

Bello had earlier posed a question to crowd on whether they would rather deposit their monies in an Atiku Bank or a Buhari Bank.

“I will not speak much, I will only give you certain examples and then you will make your choice. Because the difference is clear between APC and any other political party.

“Anywhere you go, you ask them this simple question—there are two banks; one is Buhari bank; another one is Atiku bank, where will you deposit your money?

“The talakawas know that their money is safe in Buhari bank; even Atiku knows that his money is safe in Buhari bank,’’ Bello said.

Osinbajo, who was beaming with smile while acknowledging cheers from the enthusiastic crowd, chanted APC campaign slogans while the audience responded.

He told the audience that Bello had said it all.

The vice president said the major problem of Nigeria was corruption- stealing of the resources of the people, adding that Nigeria would never give looters chance to return to power.

“We will not allow them to come back. I think that the very right question has been asked; where will you rather put your money?

“If it is me, I will put my money in Buhari bank because even Buhari’s worst enemies know that he is an honest man; even the thieves know that he is an honest man.

“Even the enemies will put their money in his bank because they know that their money will be safe in his bank; we have today an honest man as president, a man who will use the money for what it is meant.

“Even his worst enemy knows that he is an honest man and that he will use the money. I pray for our country that our country will be great.

“And the only way our country would be great is if you and I vote for a man who is honest, for a man who is truthful, a man we know, even his opponents know, everybody in PDP knows that he is an honest man.

“Even Atiku knows that Buhari is an honest man; and he can never deny that; nobody can deny that; that is the kind of leader we want for our country today.’’

Osinbajo said that the Buhari-led administration had made giant strides in the last three years.

According to him, for the first time, the country is spending money on roads and railways.

The vice president listed some completed and ongoing projects as the Lagos-Kano railway; Itakpe—Warri railway and second Niger Bridge.

“In every state of Nigeria, we are building a major road. We are going to do the Lagos-Calabar railway. We are going to complete that by the grace of God. Port Harcourt-Maiduguri we are going to complete it.

“When we came into office, after 16 years, 3000mw of power was all that we had. Today, we have 7000MW,’’ he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday rolled out the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) appropriated by the National Assembly in the 2018 budget.

The BHCPF is the one per cent of the federal government Consolidated Revenue and contributions from donor grants set aside to fund the basic health needs of Nigerians.

It is the fundamental funding provision under the National Health Act and was appropriated for the first time in the 2018 budget since the Act was signed in 2014.

The federal government earmarked N55 .1 billion for the CRF to the basket fund of the BHCPF, while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation contributed $2 million, out of which $ 1.5 million has been released.

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar does not deserve another shot at power because he blew his opportunity during his eight years reign under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Tinubu said rather than use the opportunity of being in control of the Obasanjo government’s privatisation programme to shine, Atiku allowed himself to be blinded by greed, leading to the squandering of billions of dollars pumped into the power sector.


Tinubu said beyond the sheer ambition of being in power, Atiku had no vision for Nigeria and should therefore be rejected by Nigerians in the February 16 presidential poll.

He described the election as a contest between two opposing visions – “one seeking to better the lot of generality of Nigerians and one which has no regard for the public but seeks to return the country to the days of official malpractices and corruption.”


These were contained in Tinubu’s acceptance speech, following his appointment on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari to spearhead the APC presidential campaign.

He described his appointment by Buhari as a great honour, pledging that he and other members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, including the council’s Director General, Rotimi Amaechi, would not let the President down, as doing so would amount to letting the nation down.

Drawing a contrast between Buhari and Atiku, Tinubu said, “The character of the two candidates cannot be more distinct. President Buhari is a straight and honest man. Leave a naira on the table with Buhari in the room, you will find the naira on the table when you return.

“When Buhari says ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ you know where he stands; he means what he says; no more, no less.


“With Atiku, things are more nuanced. When Atiku speaks, he may mean ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘maybe,’ ‘I don’t know,’ ‘come back tomorrow,’ ‘all of the above,’ or ‘none of the above.’

“His compass has four needles pointing in different directions at the same time. He knows of no direction to take. President Buhari’s word is his bond. When Atiku speaks, it is to give you the slip.

“We cannot afford a President whose ways and mind is a maze of contradicting urges and colliding desires. This shows he has no vision for the nation and no guiding principles except the naked pursuit of power for the naked use of that power.

“Atiku had his chance to shine as VP when he controlled the privatisation programme of the Obasanjo government. He abused this assignment. He helped squander billions of dollars on power generation that did nothing but extended our national darkness.


“That government had so much money at its disposal and that is exactly what it did. It disposed of the money yet failed to treat the poor or build for the future. Atiku laid waste to the national treasury for eight long years. That is enough for one lifetime. We should not reward him by giving him another eight years because the more he feeds, the stronger his hunger grows.


“His is a thirst that can’t be quenched and a hand that cannot be restrained from taking whatever is on the table. As the PDP candidate, he is now the leader of a avaricious horde that seeks to reattach its mandible once again to the public wealth and forever lay siege to our nation’s future. Nigerians would do well not to pay them any attention.”


Tinubu said this was why the APC Presidential Campaign Council would work diligently to ensure that Buhari was re-elected to forestall the chances of Atiku returning to power

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he believes the voters in South-Eastern Nigeria do not dislike him as other popular politicians like MKO Abiola and Atiku also lost past elections in the region.

Read statement below:

"I don't believe that the SE do not like me. I didn't win there, just like Ojukwu didn't win there too. Atiku lost there too. Chief Falae lost there too.

"I think Chief Abiola lost there too because the region was majorly rooting for the NRC. But General Obasanjo won there, President Yar'adua won there, President Jonathan won there. It is about the PDP which majority of the SE Leaders belong to.

"When General Obasanjo supported me in 2015, why did I still lose in the region? If Jonathan campaigned for me in 2015, SE will still vote for the PDP.

"It is about the PDP. What did I do against the SE? I am Fulani and Muslim, so were Yar'adua and Shagari.....In 2019, we have more SE PDP Leaders that have joined our party, some of them could not stand us in 2015 but they have come closer and we are good friends today.

"The infrastructures we are building across the country is not for politics but for development.

"Some people talk about marginalisation but was that the reason why they didn't vote for the APC in 2015 No. We don't hate ourselves in Nigeria, it is our politics that made it look like that...."