Najatu Mohammed: When A Tirade Goes Wrong
Pro-democracy group hails Buhari’s performance at town hall meeting
A pro-democracy group, Democracy Support Coalition lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his sterling performance at the Town Hall meeting organized and broadcast by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) tagged ‘The Candidates’.
President Buhari, who appeared on the programme with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, highlighted some of his achievements since assuming power in 2015.
The group said Buhari during the programe clearly demonstrated his clear understanding of the issues militating against the progress of Nigeria as he responded to germane queries from Nigerians.
Rotimi Adeyemi, Esq, Executive Director, noted Bubari in the course of the programme was able to move away from theoretical and textbook posturing to demonstrate with real life project execution what he has done for the country and what he would be able to do when given another four years in office.
He said in a a statement that “No other debate can be more brutal given the candour with which Nigerians interacted with President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo yet they were able to satisfactorily sell their vision for the country in a way that completely convinced the electorates that voting for the other candidates would amount to wasting ballot papers.
“All what these other candidates have offered from their other engagements pale in relevance to what the APC candidate has promised.
“We encourage Nigerians to accept President Buhari as the best choice for the country especially when the short and long term solutions to the problems of the country can only be found in the template he has presented. He has the kind of courage needed to address these problems.
“Some other candidates might have presented rosy solutions but a deeper assessment of their promises clearly show that they are busy trying to impress their fans even when it is obvious that their proposals are unworkable while they themselves lack the will and experience to implement such assuming their solutions are practical in the first place.
“It is impressive that the President subjugated his candidacy to the needs of the nation as he did not shy from saying the truth in response to the questions of Nigerians during the Town Hall Discussion Program.
“Other candidates would have, out of desperation to win, lie their way through the entire programme in the hope of deceiving voters. Their lies would have been propelled by their being addicted to manipulating facts to appear saintly when they had never for once in their lifetimes harboured any good intentions towards the country.
“We congratulate President Buhari for seizing the opportunity provided by the programme to engage with the citizenry, which he has done at all times the chance presents itself to engage with Nigerians. His habit of stating matters the way they are without hiding behind deceptive words is responsible for his ever growing following amongst the masses that form the support base that will hand him another term of four years in office.
“The contents of the shallow promises being made by other candidates are well known to Nigerians. They range from those that have concluded on how they will sell national assets to their friends to those who want to use Nigeria as the guinea pig in their next economic experiment and to those that want to officially commission the country as a drug hub.
“President Buhari on the other hand has rendered a satisfactory account of his under four years of stewardship, which gave the assurance that another four years will make the plants he has sowed to begin yielding fruits.
“We are therefore able to conclude that the results are in already and President Muhammadu Buhari is the winner in the round about convincing citizens on how Nigeria should proceed in the next four years.”
Senate wants FG to immortalise Shagari
The Senate has called on the Federal Government to immortalise former President Shehu Shagari by naming a national monument after him.
This followed a motion by Sen. Ibrahim Danbaba (PDP-Sokoto) and co-sponsored by eight others.
Presenting the motion, Danbaba said late Shagari who was sworn in as President on Oct.1, 1979 on the platform of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) promoted national unity.
He added that the deceased executed many projects in the agricultural, housing and industrial sectors.
“Shagari returned to his home town in 1986 and lived in the traditional house where he was born until the federal government provided him with a house in Sokoto.
“He had an unblemished public service record spanning over a period of 30 years.
“He was forthright, a nation builder and a distinguished statesman that contributed greatly to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
The lawmaker said, his loss was a great loss not only to his immediate family but to the entire country.
He urged the Senate to call for a national monument to be named after him.
Contributing, other Lawmakers described the former president as a man of integrity.
Sen. Abdullahi Gumel (APC-Jigawa), described the deceased as a man of noble character, who wanted the best for the country.
The lawmaker, who said he had personal encounters with the deceased, said he was an honest man, who never allowed circumstances to distract him from his responsibilities.
Sen. Shehu Sani (PRP-Kaduna) urged Nigerian leaders to emulate his patriotism and high moral values.
“Nigerians have attested to his character, conduct and personality.
“He exemplified honesty, courage and simplicity. He lived with honour and left with honour.
“He did not make so much noise about his integrity but it was seen from his stewardship and there is a lesson we should learn from this.
“We should learn from the way second republic leaders conducted themselves in the country,” he said.
Sen. Barnabas Gemade (SDP-Benue) described Shagarai as a de-tribalised Nigerian, who gave recognition to Northern minorities.
“Shagari was an unsung hero, a shining example of simplicity and honesty.
“Nigerian Leaders should learn from his integrity and honesty and I urge my colleagues to approve these prayers especially the request to immortalise him,” Gemade said.
In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary, said Shagari was a national leader.
“He was a nationalist without boundaries, who lived in the heart of people. He lives in the minds and heart of the people no matter where they come from.
“That must be a lesson for all of us as leaders. One of his greatest attributes was his commitment to the unity of Nigeria.
“Even when he won an election with his party, he introduced the concept of a coalition to bring about national unity and he extended hand of fellowship to other political parties.
“I think that was his greatest contribution to the unity of the country,” he said.
Ekweremadu said he was a great leader who would be missed dearly.
Mrs. Buhari, other women intensify campaign for election
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, and wives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors in the North-East have called on women and youths to vote massively for the party in the forthcoming general elections.
Mrs Buhari, who was represented by Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, made the call alongside the governors’ wives at the APC North-East Women and Youths Town Hall meeting held in Bauchi.
She also advised them to remember the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC, adding that there was a lot to be grateful for.
“The wife of the president has asked me to remind you of the good work done by the APC; there are many, for example, feeding your children in schools .
“Moreso, the farmers are benefiting from the Anchor Borrowers Programme and farmers who sell the foodstuff have been been making money and youths are benefiting from the N-power project .
“There is also the Trader Moni that people have benefited from, among others. So, I urge you to take care of your voter cards to vote for the APC,’’ the First Lady said.
She urged youths to vote massively for the APC to enable them to progress, and steer clear of violence during the forthcoming general elections.
Alhaji Audu Katagum, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State,thanked the president for the projects he executed in the North-East as well as the restoration of peace in the zone.
Katagum said that Bauchi state had benefited from the Buhari-led administration’s programmes such as good roads, rail lines and other projects.
Because of these, he said, Bauchi and other states in the region would vote for the APC again to enable it to continue continue with the good work.
Retired Brig.-Gen.Buba Marwa, Chairman Central Working Committee, APC Women and Youths, Presidential Campaign Team, said the APC government had brought security to the North-East and therefore deserved a second term to enable it to totally eradicate insurgency in the region and complete the Mambilla project.
Mrs Mairo Al-makura, the Nassarawa State governor’s wife, urged women and youths not to sell their votes, as doing so could ruin their future.
Former Deputy Governor of Plateau, Mrs Pauline Tallen, said that APC was targeting women and youths’ votes due to their population and relevance .
Tallen, therefore, urged them to vote for APC at all levels to enable the party continue with the good work.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports APC youths and women leaders in the region who attended the rally promised their support to mobilise their counterparts to vote for the APC administration for continuity.
EFCC hits Ghana for slush funds
As Nigeria intensifies the battle against corruption, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC),takes the battle to faraway Ghana to block slush fund.
Politicians relying on slush funds to run their campaigns will not have it easy, the Nation reported on Thursday.
Mr Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of EFCC, is reported to have led detectives to Ghana to block repatriation of such funds.
The Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Tony Amokeodo, confirmed that Magu was in Ghana.
The anti-graft agency is also hunting for properties bought with illicit cash by some Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) in Ghana and other West African countries.
The EFCC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and Ghana Police Service (GPS) to track down some suspects.
Magu and the detectives arrived in Ghana with some intelligence report on huge campaign cash movement along the West Coast and a list of suspects being trailed.
It was gathered that in the last 72 hours, the EFCC delegation and the team from the EOCO of Ghana have exchanged some information.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The EFCC chairman has taken the battle against the use of slush funds for campaign by candidates to Ghana and some ECOWAS countries.
“Due to cash crunch, there have been intelligence reports that some politicians and those who looted the treasury had been trying to haul cash to Nigeria for campaign.
“Some of them were suspected to be engaging some Nigerian banks in Ghana for the transfer of the illicit funds.
“We are determined to block such funds in Ghana and other countries. We have been tracking the movement of the slush funds from abroad.”
Another source gave insights into the Ghana trip.
“The Commission has been targeting safe havens all over the world through collaboration with law enforcement agencies in those countries. The commission is making tremendous progress in recoveries of funds and properties from such territories and within Nigeria.
“There is high rate of movement of these funds by road transportation through the porous land borders to avoid the prying eyes of security personnel at the airports.
“ Magu’s fear is that if these illicit funds are not checked, they could be used to undermine national security.
“There are suspicions that these funds could be used to support Boko Haram terrorists as in the recent dare-devil audacity with which the group has been challenging the military.
“As the elections draw nearer, these funds could come handy in buying votes, arming thugs and causing confusion in the country.”
EFCC is also in Ghana to identify properties and explore areas of cooperation with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and other agencies.
”Some PEPs and cybercrime fraudsters in concert with some Ghanaians and financial institutions buy choice properties running into millions of dollars in protected neighbourhoods in Accra.
“There is also the angle of crude oil thieves who smuggle products from Nigeria, using Ghana as their base and thereafter laundering their proceeds through buying properties or moving the monies to Nigeria.
“Magu is working in collaboration with the EOCO, FIC and other relevant law enforcement agencies in Ghana.
Onnoghen: There should be shame in the absence of honour, resign before it’s too late – CJN told
Python Dance III: Igbos hail Army over operation, pledge support for free, transparent 2019 election
Abuja Chamber Policy Centre holds roundtable on 2019 national budget
…Stakeholders calls for review of BPP Act
By Lubem Gena, Abuja
The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) through its Policy Advocacy Centre (PAC) today held the first Organised Private Sector (OPS) engagement with the federal government on the 2019 national budget.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Ben Akabueze explained the underlining key assumptions of the 2019 budget and emphasised that the government was interested in stimulating the productivity of the private sector in order to grow the economy and create job opportunities.
According to him, the government has also opened up the Mobile Money sector to the private players in order to bring about financial inclusion stating that even as the government has genuine intentions in faithfully implementing appropriated budget, several challenges such as sharp practices by some power centres, connivance among the civil servants and obsolete laws have always naturally slowed down every intended forward movement.
He regretted that in the past, government was not properly engaging with the private sector but having realised the lapses, in all future engagements, the ACCI will be made to be co-organiser of the budget consultative forum.
He particularly expressed worry at the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Act which does not make for expeditious execution of government projects hence it is loaded with encumbrances that slows down capital budget implementation activities.
In his keynote address, the ACCI President, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode stressed the need for a collaborative working relationship between the private sector and the government noting that the era of hostility against each other is long gone and both should be partners in progress.
He advocated for a seamless budgeting process that would make for the continuity of programmes and projects maintaining that, for that purpose to be achieved there must be a clear cut policy and that, it is one of the reasons PAC was formed.
Prince Kayode emphasised that ACCI will continue to play its critical role of coordinating all the players in the economy in the territory and even beyond as part of its efforts to create wealth and expand the economic participation of the people.
Prince Kayode also used the occasion to make case for the Budget office of the federation and that of the National Assembly to work hand-in-hand to have a budget that will meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
The co-chair of the roundtable and former Director-General of Bureau for Public Sector Reform, Dr. Joe Abah expressed worry at the system which have made for budget padding to have occurred in the country just as he called on the Executive and the Legislature to bridge the disconnect between them and work for the common good of the nation.
Upon suggestion, he urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that are genuinely interested in budgeting to take up the responsibility of seeking interpretation from the court of competent jurisdiction who, among the legislature and the executive has the square responsibility to budget for the nation.
NACCIMA National Vice President, Otunba Dele Oye also made a passionate case for the federal government to look into the funding mechanism of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Otunba Dele said the issue has constituted a vlig in the wheel of the economic progress of the national hence those who try to go through the conventional banks always have a sad story to tell after been entangled into loans.
A former Minister in several capacities, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong in his contribution charged the participants to ensure that the BPP Act is amended hence it has proved to be an impediment to national development, a suggestions which was generally agreed upon as one of the necessary steps to get capital budget implementation executed without any let or hindrance.
Participants from the event were drawn from the academia, civil society, policy centres, trade groups, the media, West African chambers of commerce, National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, among several others. They all agreed that budgeting system in the country is made unworkable by powers that be.
In the final resolution, it was emphasised that the government should, as a matter of urgency learn to engage more constructively with the OPS before before framing the national budget or taking major economic decisions since some of them have proved to be Draconian to the operations and growth of private sector.
Buratai: The Hero Who made the difference
Buratai: The Hero Who made the difference
By Nkechi Odoma
The Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration is an annual event organized to honour members of the Nigerian Armed Forces who fought in the first and second World Wars, and those who served or are still serving in various peace support operations worldwide as well as those who fought in the Nigerian civil war. The Day is to celebrate both the dead and the living heroes including all those who suffered various deprivations as a result of wars.
As I watched the wreath-laying ceremony, I could not hold back tears remembering those that paid the supreme price in service to fatherland from yesteryears. I also thought of the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgents and those that have been persecuting war as well as those that have paid that supreme price. It was emotional for me as I thought of their families and loved ones. It then dawns on me that indeed patriotism knows no tribe or religion. It knows no envy of others, the common good is and has remained the watchword.
And this brings me to the recent achievements of the Nigerian Military in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria. We must admit that they had indeed sacrificed a lot to keep Nigeria safe and secured since 2009 when Boko Haram transformed into a monstrous phenomenon. Even though we experienced quite substantial casualties, they nonetheless gave their best. And on this auspicious occasion, Nigerians indeed celebrate our Armed Forces, both the living and the dead. We must always remember the sacrifice the Nigerian soldiers have made; we must remind our ourselves that they left families behind who need to be cared and catered for and also to remind us that whatever might have led to the loss of lives of members of our armed forces will no longer recur.
This mind-set has resonated in recent times with the exploits of our Armed Forces, especially the Nigeria Army under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. To say the Nigeria Army made substantial gains in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents and other militant groups that constituted threats to national security might be an understatement. We might not fully comprehend the efforts of the Chief of Army Staff, but when one juxtaposes his achievements in office to that of his predecessors, then we would be able to see that the difference is indeed crystal clear.
I stand to be corrected, the Chief of Army Staff is one of the few whose contributions to the overall well-being of Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. He has indeed demonstrated that service to fatherland is the ultimate. He has also shown that when there is a will, there would always be a way as evident in the way and manner the Nigeria Army has continued to push in the battlefield despite some setbacks. For Buratai, it has always been no retreat and no surrender.
The exploits of the Nigeria Army under Buratai is indeed exceptional even though in some instances, it was stretched thin. Imagine coordinating military operations around the country simultaneously, imagine making gains, suffering setbacks, imagine strategizing and implementing all at the same time. Indeed, it takes only a genius to be able to do all of that without blinking.
If we must be honest with ourselves, the Nigeria Army under Buratai has indeed redefined the concept of protecting the territorial integrity of the country through countless innovations in the last three years. For instance, there has been an improved civil-military relationship, there has been an improved accountability and transparency process, military expenditure no longer top secret. And much more too numerous to mention.
It is, therefore, sufficing to state that Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai is one of the few that have made a difference in the discharge of his duties. He has carried on like a real war general who displayed courage, character, presence, and intellect. His drive and tenacity are second to none, alongside his psychological openness that allows for cross-fertilization of ideas on war strategies. This much his lieutenants can attest to. Some would readily say that, but for his exploits, Nigeria would have been consumed by the Boko Haram menace, as well as that of other militant groups that threatened our existence.
And as we remember our fallen heroes on this occasion, it behoves on us to also recognize and encourage the ones still standing and keeping us safe from external aggressions. We must realize that the commitment to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria is unwavering under Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. This much he has demonstrated through his actions and inactions in the cause of a brilliant career that saw him traverse the length and breadth of the country. Some call him, the soldier’s soldier. Some also call him the strategist. Some call him a legend. But I choose to call him the hero who made the difference.
I dedicate this piece to the officers and soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgency in North East Nigeria, as well as other participating in military operations across the country. I encourage them to continue to give their best in service to fatherland. And for the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, you have indeed made a difference and posterity would be kind to you.
Odoma is President, Africa Arise for Change Network and wrote from Abuja.
TETFund has done well for our institutions-NUJ President.
