₦airaland Forum

RIP

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the United Kingdom, Dr Philip Idaewor has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that government projects and services provided by members of his cabinet are based on the party’s manifesto to fulfil “our binding social contract with the Nigerian people”.

In a statement in London, Dr Idaewor said the move would be a crucial building block that would “enable Nigerians see the values and visions of the APC for a new Nigeria where character, ethics and service to our country are values that will enable the emergence of the new nation we all desire”.

The chairman, who said UK branch believes that the APC “remains the best ideological vehicle to rapidly transform our polity and our country into one that works and one in which the lives of all peoples matter”, pledged the fervent desire of his members “to bring to the table, those enabling ethos of organisational best practices and political party institutional governance that will rapidly turn our country from a developing status to a developed nation”.

He commended President Buhari for setting up a reconciliation committee led by Chief Bola Tinubu, stressing that the move would ensure unity and peace within the party across the country.

“APC needs to be in harmony with itself in order to attract the best minds from within its rank for national development”, he said, adding that reconciliation would also ensure that “forces who wish to play politics with the lives of Nigerians under the watch of the APC government are not given the oxygen to foment troubles for political gains”.

He therefore called on “all patriots and progressives in our beloved party to join hands with the leadership to ensure that peace, discipline and vitality is restored within and between the leadership and members of the party at all levels”.

Dr Idaewor stated that party faithfuls had made and would continue to make the necessary sacrifices to enable the APC grow into a truly organic political party, but lamented that “many of our leaders do not understand the enormity of the challenges they agreed to take on themselves and therefore view all their actions from the lens of political gains”.

He, however, urged leadership of the party to ensure that members were accorded their due privileges as it is the case in all modern democracies, pointing out that giving such privileges to undeserving persons is one of the causes of complaints and turmoil in the party.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/uk-urges-buhari-to-fulfil-contract-with-nigerians.html

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has expressed concern over the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls saying the continuous abduction of schoolgirls is a potent attempt to frustrate girl child education in Northern Nigeria.

The Muslim umbrella body said this in a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna and signed by its Secretary General, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu.

The statement said, “JNI under the leadership of its President-General, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto received with absolute shock and amazement the most unfortunate story of the abduction of school girls at the Government Girls’ Science Technical Secondary School, Dapchi, some kilometres away from Damaturu, Yobe State.

“There must be blame for this, and no one found culpable in this gross negligence should be spared. In fact, a serious government would have by now put in jail and suspended all negligent security and political chiefs who could and should have protected these innocent children, rather than the rigmarole setting up of an investigative panel. Which most often than not, such panels/committees’ report end up on shelves, covered in dust.”

He added, “Again, why did the Dapchi girls’ abduction happen months before the 2019 general election, just like the Chibok girls’ abduction of 2014? Are there orchestrated plans somewhere to make a case for more security votes?

“All of us as parents are still in shock. We must ask: how did the perpetrators gain access to the school? How come they were not prevented or intercepted? Does it mean that when they were coming no security or informants provided any hint?”

JNI called on government at all levels to do everything possible and as a matter of urgency to return “our Dapchi and Chibok daughters.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/dapchi-abduction-attempt-to-frustrate-girl-child-education-jni.html

God bless him

Chai!

which one are we to believe now?

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, yesterday, said the major opposition party, the PDP, is no longer a brand.

He said the ruling APC had no credible opposition in PDP, but admitted that the ruling party’s opposition was from within.

El-Rufai, however, said he was confident that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reconciliation committee would resolve the crises within the APC, adding that the party would come out stronger.

The governor said this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, while delivering Al-Hikmah Univeristy’s first public lecture titled: ‘Governing justly: Perspective from Far and Near with Lessons for Nigeria.’

He said more revelations concerning the PDP’s 16 years of alleged misrule would come to the fore before the 2019 general elections.

“We are a party that is just five years old. We are a miracle. We are truly a 21 Century miracle. A party that was formed a year to the elections and it ejected a party that had ruled for 16 years is a miracle. We will solve our problems and we will win the next elections even in more states,” he said.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/no-credible-opposition-to-apc-el-rufai.html

The embattled Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, says the elongation of the tenure of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and others in an indication that the ruling party “is going nowhere beyond 2019”.

Frank, who said this yesterday in a statement, stated that the APC had proved to the world that it does not respect its own laid-down rules and guidelines that did not give room for such decision.

He voiced displeasure over the decision taken by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), describing it as “laughable”.

“I am personally disappointed with the tenure extension of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led leadership. This has clearly shown that the APC is an undemocratic party. A party which has been in existence for three years but has never obeyed its own constitution.

“I challenged anybody to tell me which part of the APC constitution has been religiously obeyed in the past? This is has shown again the difference between the PDP and the APC, but I know that the former is better.

“I will not relent in speaking the truth which I'm known for. This decision is against the wish of the majority but for the oppressors within the party,” he also said.

He queried the usefulness of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led reconciliation and flayed the alleged injustice meted out to members of the nPDP in the APC.

Frank said, “Even when the presidency had appointed the National Leader of the APC to reconcile all the aggrieved members, the tenure elongation has clearly shown that the party is going nowhere beyond 2019. If they didn't believe in Tinubu's reconciliatory panel, why did they set up at all?

“How can you keep a man that lacks capacity to lead a governing political party for another twelve months? This has shown that those who took such decision are selfish and does not mean well for APC.”

He added, “Some of us that came from the PDP have not been treated well, even the positions being held today by the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara were forcefully taken.

“Time will tell very soon when some of us will have to take decision against some of these anti-democratic tendencies of some people in APC.”

A Kano State High court has fixed March 8, 2018 for the commencement of trial of a former Commissioner of Health, Dr Abubakar Ladan Yusuf.

Dr Ladan, a commissioner under the regime of Senator Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso was accused of misappropriation of N47.8m.

The funds were meant for utility bills and other allowances for Kano state students at Mansoura University, Cairo, Egypt.

The former commissioner was arraigned for three-count charge boardering on corrupt practices.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/kwankwaso-commissioner-goes-on-trial-march-8-for-n47-8m-fraud.html

Hunger in land, boko boys activities on the increase, fulani ...

The Federal Government said, as of September 2017, it has disbursed a total of N1.91 trillion loans to states from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), the budget support facility and the Paris Club refunds.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said this in Abuja yesterday at the Dialogue of Organs of Government on Reform of Justice Sector and Campaign Against Corruption, organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption and Federal Ministry of Justice.

Osinbajo put the ECA and the budget support loans to states within the period at N873.3 billion, saying no previous administration had given such support to states since 1999.

The vice president, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Ade Ipaye, said the present administration should be applauded for exercising restraint and discipline in its appointment of public servants.

Osinbajo: Why Nigeria declined on corruption index

He said despite the latest corruption perception index released by Transparency International, the administration was making progress in its fight against corruption, saying the perception of the TI “may indeed lag behind reality.”

He, however, said rather than see the ranking of Nigeria by the TI as a setback, the government had “to keep up the good fight until the full effect of our efforts can be clearly seen and perceived.”

He said main reason for Nigeria’s decline in the Transparency International 2017 Corruption Perception Index was that the nation recorded a major drop in score on just one out of the nine international recognized indexes used by Transparency International to ascertain perceived levels of public sector corruption from the perspective of experts and business people.

“So, the drop recorded was in just one out of the nine recognized indexes. The index in question scored Nigeria low on the economy intelligence unit country’s risk service with the decline from 37 points to 20. This is an index that analysis the risks of financial exposure in countries.

The chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, Itse Sagay, said his committee would rather work alone rather than with corrupt people.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/states-get-n1-9tr-excess-crude-account-loans.html

RIP

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja, said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government had stabilised Nigeria in spite of obvious challenges.


He stated this at APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.


´´I am happy to report that slowly and steadily, we have managed to stabilise the country and redirect the ship of state.


“We have restored prudence to the management of resources and confidence in Nigeria.


´´We have stabilised the naira and increased our foreign reserve from 20 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars. Inflation rate is down.


´´With considerably less resources available to the country, we have improved all the indices towards a stronger economy.´´ the president said.


He added that credit should be given to governors of APC-controlled states, chairmen of the party in the states for contributing to stabilising the polity.


Buhari also commended the Armed Forces, the police and other security agencies for stopping Boko Haram and driving them from their bases.


He said that though the government was poised to defeat acts of terrorism in the country, it was difficult to completely isolate such act.



´´No country, no matter how well secured can isolate acts of terror as we have seen in the United States, Europe, Asia and here in Africa.



´´We must support our security agencies to safeguard our country so that the job of development as outlined in our manifesto can proceed without too much interruption.



´´We cannot afford to fail in reminding Nigerians where we came from in 2015,’’ he stressed.



He particularly appreciated the party´s leadership and governors for their stewardship and for steering it to success.



The president noted that from the party´s resounding electoral victory in 2015, it had won elections in Edo, Kogi and Ondo states and had improved performance in the November, 2017 governorship election in Anambra.



According to him, the APC has moved from the party in government to the party of the Nigerian people.



He paid tribute to Nigerians who supported the government in spite of distractions from what he called ´´proponents of business as usual´´.



Buhari charged APC members not to relax and take things easy because, according to him, elections are looming in the horizon.



He, therefore, urged the members to get their acts together and to cooperate with the Sen. Bola Tinubu reconciliation team to succeed.



This, he said, was critical to resolve existing differences among party members in affected states, restore order, manage differences and strengthen the party.



´´It is perhaps inevitable that there will be differences of opinion within the party. If we resolve them, then we can build a genuinely democratic party.



´´But, we must not lose sight of our common purpose as a party to break the mule of Nigerian politics and take the country to new heights,’’ the president stated.



While acknowledging that the ´´face of government has not met the expectations of many within the party´´, he said that only a few appreciated the depth of the wrath when APC assumed power.



He explained that the APC government had spent the last two years trying to bring the country out of the mess it met it.



Buhari admitted that the stand-off between the Executive and the National Assembly slowed down the process of government within the period.



He, however, added that efforts were being made to resolve the differences so that the country could move forward.



Earlier, National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odegie-Oyegun, had thanked the president, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors elected on the party´s platform and its leaders for being supportive and available always in spite of challenges.



He noted that the party had a very tough year ahead, because of the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun coming up in July and September, respectively.

´´These elections are precursors of the national elections. It is therefore necessary that we treat them with great seriousness because they are elections we should do everything to win.

´´They are signals and signposts, indicators of what is to come in 2019. Preparations are also well underway for those elections,’’ he said.

He pleaded with party members to do everything possible to minimise stresses and crises within the party and to remain in fighting shape ahead of 2019.

The chairman reiterated the support of the party´s leadership to the Tinubu reconciliation team.

Most of the Nigerians presidents are people who passed through prisons in one way or the other...

hmmm

Nigeria, sai baba

ebi like cold dey worry him...

The three lecturers of the University of Maiduguri recently freed by the Boko Haram have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to relocate them and give them new jobs.

They made the plea at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday when they were hosted by President Buhari.

They said going back home was still a nightmare following their experiences in captivity.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Dr Solomon Nicholas Yusuf said they appreciated everything done to ensure their freedom.

“Sir, from the university, it is a golden opportunity for us to see you and to share our fears and concern because we were abducted while working for the nation.

“And right now going back home to us is still a nightmare because of our experiences. Sir, we have this golden plea with all due respect sir, if there is an opportunity for us to be relocated and maybe given another job, sir, this is our golden request. This is the only opportunity we have to share with you. But we appreciate everything done, the sacrifice you have given to us, thank you sir.

“We also want to appreciate the DSS, the Nigerian Armed Forces, and the entire team that worked together to make sure we regained our freedom. We appreciate their labour and love they have shown to us.

“We also want to appreciate Nigerians for praying. We were informed that the entire nation was praying for us and we were excited and we said oh God, what is this? This is love. Sir, we are grateful.”

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, says the electoral body has no reason to change the current sequence of the 2019 general elections released based on the provision of the existing laws.

Professor Yakubu, who said this yesterday in Abuja at a regular consultative meeting with the media, did not rule out the possibility of looking at the sequence of the election timetable if there was any compelling issue.

“On 9th January, we issued the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 General Elections based on our powers and extant laws and nothing has changed. There is a principle behind the choice of these dates- as our democracy matures, we should be moving from uncertainty to certainty.

“As far as the Commission is concerned, there is no legal lacuna for now; we are working based on existing laws. But if something happens tomorrow, we will come out clear and tell Nigerians, but I think we are not operating based on conjectures,” he said.

The INEC chairman, who reiterated the concern of the electoral body over what he called “monetization of the electoral process,” said the commission was already working with security agencies to stop the menace.

Professor Yakubu said INEC was optimistic about the conduct of free, fair and credible general elections in view of its continued engagement with critical stakeholders in the electoral process.

He said the commission had finished all the preparatory steps for the 2019 general elections, adding that practical steps had been taken to implement provisions of the Election Project Plan (EPP).

The INEC chairman said the commission was making efforts to ensure that voting process was easier for persons living with disabilities (PWDs), including pregnant and lactating women as well as the aged.

He ruled out the possibility of giving opportunities for underage voters in national elections conducted by the INEC, stressing that the electoral body would do “whatever it takes to clean up the voter register so that only those who are eligible are allowed to vote.”

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/inec-stands-by-2019-election-timetable-prof-yakubu.html

No hope on our security men and women again!

Wickedness, heartless

The national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has promised to support the party's national leade, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on the reconciliation assignment given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chief Odigie-Oyegun, in an acknowledgement letter which he personally signed and addressed to Tinubu yesterday, expressed confidence in his ability to justify the trust President Buhari reposed on him.

The two-paragraph letter titled 'Re-Actions and Conduct Weakening the Party from within', read,
"I thank you for your letter dated February 21, 2018 for your prayers and good wishes for my health. I wish you the same and pray that our good God keeps you strong and grants you His peace. Let me once again formally congratulate you on the peace making assignment Mr President has entrusted you with. It is most challenging but I believe you will ultimately justify the confidence reposed in you by Mr President. In you have my fullest support.

"Be assured, dear Asiwaju, of my highest regard now and always."

The letter, which was copied to President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, was issued after Chief Odigie-Oyegun met the president yesterday at the presidential villa.

It could be recalled that Tinubu had accused the APC national chairman of undermining his assignment in a seven-page letter to Odigie-Oyegun on Wednesday, judging from the attitude to the request on status reports on state party chapters.

Tinubu was appointed by President Buhari to lead the consultation, reconciliation and confidence-building efforts in the APC.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/oyegun-bows-agrees-to-back-tinubu-s-reconciliation-move.html