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What They Don’t See: A Reflection On PMB At 76

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What They Don’t See: A Reflection On PMB At 76

By Okanga Agila

In the final months of transition from military to civil rule between 1998 and 1999, I never felt the enthusiasm that gripped most people in the country. My lethargic disposition at that time was not due to the uncertainty of whether the process would work – it was largely seen as an attempt, an experiment, a trial at that time because no one was certain the military will retreat to their barracks and stay put for one year without overthrowing the elected government, so any thought of a decade without military rule was stretching it.
The seeming indifference on my path was because the one man I believe as capable of resetting Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was not taking part in the contest. I easily concluded that those that will emerge from the process between 1998 and 1999 would merely continue the maladministration of the military albeit without khaki uniform. Sixteen years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and I dare say my assumption was proven right.

At the other times that Buhari unsuccessfully ran for office I supported him with all I can, which is not much. It consists mainly of one on one engagements to persuade people to see the value of getting a man that is not of the established order into office. Whenever those I engage in discourse ask what he has to offer I am quick to mention that his role is to bring the disruption that is needed to restart Nigeria on a new foundation.
May 29, 2015 my desire was fulfilled. President Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated and the changes desired kicked-in in earnest. While it has been a case of a half-empty and half-filled cup, perspective, since his inauguration, the results are nonetheless glaring for the discerning to see. For instance he was accused of not hitting the ground running when in reality it is about taking time to look before leaping. The same rabble that allege tardiness to act would have accused him of brashness in the same measure.
President Buhari did disrupted the system. He dislocated those that had made it their life mission to continually loot the treasury to the detriment of the larger population. This disruption of corruption from source has left those caught in the storm to continually lament about the hardship they are facing, which in reality is no hardship but people being jolted back to reality after decades of thriving on stolen easy money.
He disrupted the fixation on crude oil as the major revenue earner of our economy. We are not there yet but the path of growth that is possible for Nigeria is becoming clearer. This shift from dependency on oil revenue to a broader base economy is underpinned by massive investment in infrastructure across the country. In focusing on infrastructure, he displayed a trait that has been missing among Nigerian leaders – that capacity to complete what others started but never developed the will to finish. This alone has saved the country from wastages that come from abandoned projects.
Meanwhile, the capacity to focus and complete the task at hand extends to building systems like the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), enforcement of Bank Verification Number (BVN) for the operation of bank accounts and other steps that have contributed to the war against corruption championed by him.
Under his watch I have seen a realignment that may not be visible to Nigerians yet, but it shall become clearer in the course of time. There has been a kind of silent wealth redistribution under his watch. In the course of executing actual projects, the money that would have gone into the pockets of a few individuals is now not just providing infrastructure but also putting money in the pockets of workers engaged to execute the jobs. In the same space of time that some people are lamenting about hardship in the land, there has been a shift that is seeing more family sized apartments and bungalows being built versus the time that only a few mansions were built by those that cornered national resources. So in the real sense honest people now have the chance to earn clean money and not be dependent on tainted money.
In terms of state intervention, social interventions like N-Power, Trade Moni, the Conditional Cash Transfer and other programmes have placed made money available to Nigerians under different terms. These are funds that in the past would have been diverted for personal use by those that were sworn to act in the nest interest of the country.
Irrespective what critics want the world to believe, President Buhari’s uprightness is unrivalled. Take for instance his directive to all the agencies with roles in the conduct of the General Elections to ensure that they conduct a free, fair and acceptable exercise. It takes someone that is truly desirous of progress for the country to issue such directive, totally in keeping with his credential as a democrat at heart. He is a leader I respect tremendously more so that all efforts to tarnish his image have failed because he stands above board at all times.
I recall these qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari on the occasion of his 76th birthday knowing that an additional year adds additional wisdom, patience and understanding to his person. My prayer is that God grants him good health so that by 2022 we will again extend our good wishes to him on his 80th as the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. I know for a certainty that the positive results of the foundation he is presently laying would be visible and appreciable for all to see and experience. Happy Birthday President Muhammadu Buhari. May God sustain your rule.

Okanga wrote from Agila, Benue State.

SERAP, others and the abuse of activism

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SERAP, others and the abuse of activism

By Ifure Ataifure

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Enough is Enough (EiE), and BudgIT have been doing great work. Nigerians like them and they get positive press for their efforts, which they should do everything possible not to abuse.
SERAP has been at the forefront of utilizing the Freedom of Information Act, often dragging recalcitrant government ministries, departments and agencies before the courts to compel them to release information that they are not willing to make public. BudgIT has done much to simplify the otherwise cumbersome data around government, it makes them into easy to understand infographics that are easy to understand and trendy at the same time. EiE has done much to translate the works of the other two to street actions, often being the rallying point of protests against opaque tendencies in government.

To their credit, the history of entrenchment of good governance in Nigeria, when it finally happens, cannot be told without acknowledging and commending the roles played by this trio. They have built for themselves such reputation that the mere mention of their names is enough to get the cooperation of otherwise indifferent public office holders. It is a reputation that has gotten them seats at the table in various international engagements where matters of transparency and good governance is discussed. The leaderships of the three organizations have been recognized with awards for the work they are doing and in other instances their performance have guaranteed them prestigious grants and funding.

But there is something about reputation. It is like a balloon. One brush against a sharp object and it gets deflated, fit for no use except perhaps to be recycled and deployed to other uses. Reputation is like choice cut of meat that stays prime to the extent that it is preserved under the right environment like in a refrigerator. Power the fridge off long enough and the same choice cut goes bad, putrid and something that becomes toxic for consumption.

Like guarding the balloon against contact with sharp objects or taken caution to ensure the refrigerator stays powered, SERAP, EiE and BudgIT must take precautions what they allow themselves to be dragged into. There are issues around the personal lives of those driving the groups that are kept out of the job they do to the benefit of the country, so that could be immaterial here. There are relationships they maintain with certain politicians that would not be condoned in other climes because it would cast doubts on the work they do, dent on their capacity to be objective. But Nigerians are willing to look away from such blemishes to the extent that these organizations are not seen to be partisan.

The recent letter jointly signed by Bamisope Adeyanju of SERAP, Seun Akinyemi of EiE and Atiku Samuel of BudgIT, addressed to Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), requesting details of the Army’s budget could unravel the gentleman understanding that has allowed Nigerians ignore the limited impropriety on the part of those running the show at these places. The letter wants the COAS to “urgently provide information on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 budget implementation reports of the Nigerian Army, including the amounts released (financial implications) and expended in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for the various operations the Army carried out.”

Addressed to any other agency of government it would have been a welcome development since it will beam the searchlight on one more sector of the country and certainly initiate some measure of accountability in such place. But what could be wrong with making such request of the Army?

First, the request smacks of ignorance. Too bad that this strain of ignorance is wilful because the petitioners knew even before they filed their request that it is one not likely to be granted on account of requested details directly impacting the security of the country. It also wilfully ignores Section 11 of the Freedom of Information Act that stated in sub-section (1) that “A public institution may deny an application for any information the disclosure of which may be injurious to the conduct of international Affair and the defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Secondly, there is no record that any of the people that these organizations hobnob with on the international scene had successfully pulled off such requests in their own countries. If that was possible it would have been a cakewalk for Nigeria to track how some these countries directly and indirectly finance Boko Haram to destroy Nigeria. It would have been easy to track how these countries pay for the sophisticated weapons that Boko Haram fighters take to the battlefield and possibly even lead us to uncovering the receipts for haulage of those weapons to the terrorists, which would effectively allow the Nigerian Army to know how to cut off Boko Haram supplies. But the nations that give grants to SERAP, EiE and BudgIT are opaque in their defence spending to the extent that these things are untraceable. Yet, they these groups accepted the assignment to be the minions that will get information for these covertly hostile nations about how the Nigerian Army has been able to circumvent the arms purchase blockade that has slowed down the eradication of Boko Haram.

Thirdly, without prejudice to their rights to personal relationships, these groups should have sequestered themselves from filing the petition on the account of their personal relationship with some other interests that have been openly hostile to the Nigerian Army on a scale bothering on obsession. The CEO of one of the groups is a protégée of the presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Oby Ezekwesili. She is one of the owners of Bring Back Our Girl (BBOG) group that transited from seeking the safe return of the abducted Chibok School Girls into a rent-a-crowd rabble that has deployed for any conceivable cause provided the protest is against the army. This particular CEO hangs around Oby anytime he is in Abuja and even shuns hotels to take up transit accommodation in her abode. So it this request continuation of a vendetta against the army on Oby’s behalf? Is it a cover to get information that she can use to bolster her lacklustre campaign? Is the information being sought for onward transmission to contacts that are known to Oby in the course of her international work?

Whatever the answers are, they definitely will not smell nice.
Furthermore, the staffers of these groups interact constantly with operatives of Amnesty International, Transparency International, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and host of other entities that had made it clear in the past that they have an axe to grind with Buratai’s leadership of the army. Should the Nigerian Army be naïve enough to provide the requested information, how much of it would be passed onto the aforementioned organizations? What guarantees are there that they would be professionally managed not to further pass into questionable hands? These posers should be considered against the backdrop of a UNICEF that only recently has its suspension from the northeast reversed. Part of allegation against it was that it was passing intelligence to Boko Haram terrorists. What country will then pass information that can expose the nitty-gritty of its military asset to groups that are connected with an organization that has been caught passing information to terrorists?
Nigerians have in the past praised the work of the trio in speaking truth to power and holding public office holders to account. But their request to acquire sensitive military information is a handshake taken past the elbow. With the little known about the shady side of these groups one can only conclude that they are engaged in flagrant abuse of their positions as activists and social crusaders. Persisting on the path they have recently chosen will shred their credibility and taint their reputation, which would only go to hurt the only community left to challenge those in power. But the call is theirs to make whether they desire to end up as villains or to remain as champions of accountability.
In conclusion, the Nigerian Army must ensure it is in no way intimidated by the stature of SERAP, EiE or BudgIT. Their clout is not enough to stop Boko Haram so the army cannot afford to compromise sensitive information to satisfy groups that no one knows for certain what they plan to do with the requested information.

Ataifure is a research fellow at the Centre for International and Stratgic Studies, Abuja.

SERAP,  others and the abuse of activism

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SERAP,  others and the abuse of activism

By Ifure Ataifure

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Enough is Enough (EiE), and BudgIT have been doing great work. Nigerians like them and they get positive press for their efforts, which they should do everything possible not to abuse.
SERAP has been at the forefront of utilizing the Freedom of Information Act, often dragging recalcitrant government ministries, departments and agencies before the courts to compel them to release information that they are not willing to make public. BudgIT has done much to simplify the otherwise cumbersome data around government, it makes them into easy to understand infographics that are easy to understand and trendy at the same time. EiE has done much to translate the works of the other two to street actions, often being the rallying point of protests against opaque tendencies in government.

To their credit, the history of entrenchment of good governance in Nigeria, when it finally happens, cannot be told without acknowledging and commending the roles played by this trio. They have built for themselves such reputation that the mere mention of their names is enough to get the cooperation of otherwise indifferent public office holders. It is a reputation that has gotten them seats at the table in various international engagements where matters of transparency and good governance is discussed. The leaderships of the three organizations have been recognized with awards for the work they are doing and in other instances their performance have guaranteed them prestigious grants and funding.

But there is something about reputation. It is like a balloon. One brush against a sharp object and it gets deflated, fit for no use except perhaps to be recycled and deployed to other uses. Reputation is like choice cut of meat that stays prime to the extent that it is preserved under the right environment like in a refrigerator. Power the fridge off long enough and the same choice cut goes bad, putrid and something that becomes toxic for consumption.

Like guarding the balloon against contact with sharp objects or taken caution to ensure the refrigerator stays powered, SERAP, EiE and BudgIT must take precautions what they allow themselves to be dragged into. There are issues around the personal lives of those driving the groups that are kept out of the job they do to the benefit of the country, so that could be immaterial here. There are relationships they maintain with certain politicians that would not be condoned in other climes because it would cast doubts on the work they do, dent on their capacity to be objective. But Nigerians are willing to look away from such blemishes to the extent that these organizations are not seen to be partisan.

The recent letter jointly signed by Bamisope Adeyanju of SERAP, Seun Akinyemi of EiE and Atiku Samuel of BudgIT, addressed to Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), requesting details of the Army’s budget could unravel the gentleman understanding that has allowed Nigerians ignore the limited impropriety on the part of those running the show at these places. The letter wants the COAS to “urgently provide information on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 budget implementation reports of the Nigerian Army, including the amounts released (financial implications) and expended in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 for the various operations the Army carried out.”

Addressed to any other agency of government it would have been a welcome development since it will beam the searchlight on one more sector of the country and certainly initiate some measure of accountability in such place. But what could be wrong with making such request of the Army?

First, the request smacks of ignorance. Too bad that this strain of ignorance is wilful because the petitioners knew even before they filed their request that it is one not likely to be granted on account of requested details directly impacting the security of the country. It also wilfully ignores Section 11 of the Freedom of Information Act that stated in sub-section (1) that “A public institution may deny an application for any information the disclosure of which may be injurious to the conduct of international Affair and the defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Secondly, there is no record that any of the people that these organizations hobnob with on the international scene had successfully pulled off such requests in their own countries. If that was possible it would have been a cakewalk for Nigeria to track how some these countries directly and indirectly finance Boko Haram to destroy Nigeria. It would have been easy to track how these countries pay for the sophisticated weapons that Boko Haram fighters take to the battlefield and possibly even lead us to uncovering the receipts for haulage of those weapons to the terrorists, which would effectively allow the Nigerian Army to know how to cut off Boko Haram supplies. But the nations that give grants to SERAP, EiE and BudgIT are opaque in their defence spending to the extent that these things are untraceable. Yet, they these groups accepted the assignment to be the minions that will get information for these covertly hostile nations about how the Nigerian Army has been able to circumvent the arms purchase blockade that has slowed down the eradication of Boko Haram.

Thirdly, without prejudice to their rights to personal relationships, these groups should have sequestered themselves from filing the petition on the account of their personal relationship with some other interests that have been openly hostile to the Nigerian Army on a scale bothering on obsession. The CEO of one of the groups is a protégée of the presidential candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Oby Ezekwesili. She is one of the owners of Bring Back Our Girl (BBOG) group that transited from seeking the safe return of the abducted Chibok School Girls into a rent-a-crowd rabble that has deployed for any conceivable cause provided the protest is against the army. This particular CEO hangs around Oby anytime he is in Abuja and even shuns hotels to take up transit accommodation in her abode. So it this request continuation of a vendetta against the army on Oby’s behalf? Is it a cover to get information that she can use to bolster her lacklustre campaign? Is the information being sought for onward transmission to contacts that are known to Oby in the course of her international work?

Whatever the answers are, they definitely will not smell nice.
Furthermore, the staffers of these groups interact constantly with operatives of Amnesty International, Transparency International, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and host of other entities that had made it clear in the past that they have an axe to grind with Buratai’s leadership of the army. Should the Nigerian Army be naïve enough to provide the requested information, how much of it would be passed onto the aforementioned organizations? What guarantees are there that they would be professionally managed not to further pass into questionable hands? These posers should be considered against the backdrop of a UNICEF that only recently has its suspension from the northeast reversed. Part of allegation against it was that it was passing intelligence to Boko Haram terrorists. What country will then pass information that can expose the nitty-gritty of its military asset to groups that are connected with an organization that has been caught passing information to terrorists?
Nigerians have in the past praised the work of the trio in speaking truth to power and holding public office holders to account. But their request to acquire sensitive military information is a handshake taken past the elbow. With the little known about the shady side of these groups one can only conclude that they are engaged in flagrant abuse of their positions as activists and social crusaders. Persisting on the path they have recently chosen will shred their credibility and taint their reputation, which would only go to hurt the only community left to challenge those in power. But the call is theirs to make whether they desire to end up as villains or to remain as champions of accountability.
In conclusion, the Nigerian Army must ensure it is in no way intimidated by the stature of SERAP, EiE or BudgIT. Their clout is not enough to stop Boko Haram so the army cannot afford to compromise sensitive information to satisfy groups that no one knows for certain what they plan to do with the requested information.

Ataifure is a research fellow at the Centre for International and Stratgic Studies, Abuja.

21 Gun Salute As Former COAS Goes Home

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21 Gun Salute As Former COAS Goes Home

By Ajogwu Jerry 

The remains of the former Chief of Army Staff, late Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim (rtd), was accorded  a befitting military burial today in Kaduna state.

A statement by the Army Spokesman, Brig Gen Sani Kuksheka Usman said the burial ceremony commenced with a special prayer held at Yahaya Road Central Mosque, Unguwar Rimi, Kaduna state at about 1.00pm.

His remains was later interred at the Commonwealth Military Cemetery, Sir Kashim Ibrahim Road, Unguwar Rimi, Kaduna.

Present at the ceremony were Kogi Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai, former Chiefs of Army Staff, Major General AJ Kazir (rtd) and Major General MC Ali (rtd), former Chiefs of Defence Staff; General AO Ogomudia (rtd) and General ML Agwai (rtd), the Minister of Interior and former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General AB Dambazau (rtd), senior military officers both serving and retired, as well as other eminent Nigerians.

The late Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim (rtd) was Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army from August 1990 to September 1993.

He died on 10th December 2018 after a brief illness.

Nigerian Army Troops Intercepts Disguised Terrorists, Repel Attack 

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Nigerian Army Troops Intercepts Disguised Terrorists, Repel Attack 

By Ajogwu Jerry 

Troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE stationed at Gudumbali in northern Borno State has repelled an infiltration by suspected Boko Haram terrorists who disguised as  Internally Displaced Persons and inserted themselves in the community.

A statement signed by the Deputy Director Public Relations of the Nigerian Army Theatre Command, Col Onyema Nwachukwu said the terrorists took advantage of the ongoing distribution of relief materials by the Nigerian Army at Gudumbali and opened fire on troops location which was followed by rapid fire from other terrorists in gun trucks along Gudumbali-Kukawa axis.

“The trucks conveying the relief materials were set ablaze. However, the troops however fought gallantly and outmanoeuvred the attackers and inflicted heavy casualties on them.

Unfortunately, a soldier paid the supreme price during the encounter, while another was wounded in action. A Cobra Armoured Personnel Carrier and a truck belonging to the unit were damaged,” it said.

The statement further disclosed that the troops recovered bodies of some of the crushed terrorists, large quantity of ammunition and 8 Rocket Propelled Grenades Charges from the scene.

Bauchi on the March to Greatness Again

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Bauchi on the March to Greatness Again

By Salihu Saidu 

Election season is the time politicians try to sell their policy documents and unrealizable promises to the electorates in order to appeal to them for re-election or for winning the people’s mandate for the first tenure. But in Bauchi state the story is different; the items for sale are the dividends of democracy under the Muhammad Abubakar’s benevolent administration that are visible all across the state, so that even doubting Thomases cannot help but testify.

The enthusiasm which greeted the election of Gov. Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 Bauchi governorship election is understandable. This is because such enthusiasm was a natural outcome of a people desirous of change. The people yearned for change and truly they got it in 2015. But as the building of strong institutions for economic and social transformation cannot be done in just four years, the governor naturally needs another four years to consolidate his plans for the state and fulfill all his promises to the electorate.

Development is also about bringing better welfare to the people. The proximity of Bauchi state to the states ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast is not a flattering narrative. Such proximity has become an important problem to the people of Bauchi state. In fact, the welfare of the people is central to the success or otherwise of a democratic government, and Governor Abubakar is tackling the problem headlong.

A concerned citizen must personally feel embarrassed that Bauchi had been one of the states in the North with the high number of youth unemployment prior to the triumphant entry of Governor Abubakar into Bauchi State Government House in 2015. In fact, a large number of internally displaced persons found shelter in Bauchi state courtesy of the humanity of the governor.

There is no reason why Bauchi people should suffer an avoidable fate. Any government that doesn’t give priority to the reduction of unemployment and poverty cannot claim to represent the interest of the people. Abubakar knows this and Bauchi people are proud of him for offering them interest-free loans.

Despite all the media hype about the giant strides of Governor Abubakar’s predecessors, it now seems the giant strides have been dwarfed by the lofty achievements of the progressive governor.  The previous administrations were pursuing misplaced priorities, until the coming of the true democrat and servant of the people.

Abubakar, a man of integrity, reversed the trend of embarking on white elephant projects as soon he was sworn in. What do you expect Abubakar to do as one of most popularly elected governor in Nigeria as evident in his landslide victory in 2015, in spite of oppositions from all sides?

Good governance means everything, it serves the basic needs of the people. Governor Abubakar knows this and that is the reason he is building and strengthening state institutions instead of creating strong and powerful men and women who may rise above the law.

As an indigene of Bauchi state, I am happy that we have voted for change by electing Abubakar of APC as governor. The governor is not one of those politicians who seek public office to enrich themselves, their cronies or children. His election represents a ray of hope that Bauchi is surely on the path of greatness.

The people of Bauchi should surpass the feat they achieved in 2015 by giving Abubakar greater landslide in the 2019 gubernatorial election. But this is also a warning to his traducers that they should not waste their votes on opposition candidates because it is easier for the governor to beat his opponents in 2019 than in 2015. And who wouldn’t want to identify with the winning team?

Abubakar, even before becoming governor was financially independent. Therefore, there is that confidence that he will not preoccupy himself manipulating the commonwealth of the state but to serve the people, even as he is teaching politicians that politics is love for service.

He is not desperate for power to promote personal interest, but his major preoccupation, like President Muhammadu Buhari, is to lay the good foundation for generations unborn.

I am relieved that the people of Bauchi state have wisely voted the right man for the job into office because Abubakar  has the passion and competence to lead Bauchi state out of the doldrums and ineptitude of the previous PDP administrations.

Electing the right leaders would make the message of change more meaningful. The people of Bauchi state are fully behind Abubakar in the task to restore the glory of Bauchi, home of the first prime minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

One of the immediate priorities of Abubakar, like the APC-led federal government, is to make sure that looting of government property becomes unacceptable.

Greed and selfishness pose a threat to our democracy. However, Bauchi people now have no doubt in their minds that Abubakar, the astute democrat and legal luminary is more than determined to deal with more challenges.

Why then should Bauchi people look elsewhere when the ‘Moses’ is here to take us to the Promised Land?

In Bauchi, the story of out-of-school children is changing because of the value Governor Abubakar places on education as a vehicle for societal advancement.

We must agree that many renowned and developed nations are great today because of the early recognition they accorded education as a vehicle for societal  transformation.

The emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Yusuf Nuhu, as the winner of Toro federal constituency by-election held in Bauchi state on Saturday, November 17 lay credence to Governor Abubakar’s party leadership in the state.

According to report, Nuhu won in eight of the 11 wards in Toro federal constituency while the PDP candidate won in three wards. This is clear sign that Bauchi is an APC state. Therefore, a vote for opposition is a wasted vote.

This is the man, worried by the decline in the economic and commercial activities and increased dependence on government for jobs in Bauchi state, offered N1bn interest-free loans to traders and artisans in the state.

Abubakar, a shrewd business man observed that Nigerians must embrace commerce and entrepreneurship in order to reduce over-reliance on government. For this reason he floated a soft loan package to the people in line with the cardinal objective of the APC which his administration has been pursuing since inception in 2015.

No wonder state patron of Traders and Artisans Association, Alhaji Salisu Garba Maizuma, assured the governor of judicious utilisation of the loans and applauded him for his rare beneficence. Maizuma said traders and artisans in Bauchi are indebted to the governor and President Buhari for the concerns APC governments have shown to the plight of ordinary people.

The governor’s wife is also working round the clock, assisting her husband, to make sure that maternal and infant mortality becomes a thing of the past. Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar is helping her husband to strengthen primary healthcare centres, rountine immunisation, reproductive health, maternal and child health as well as nutrition services in the state.

“ I must say that there is a lot of work to be done to ensure that we keep every child alive in Bauchi state. “Our administration is committed to ensuring that pregnant women have access to antenatal care services and give birth under the expertise of skilled birth attendants,” Hajiya Abubakar said.

Bauchi people, won’t we rather become part of the winning team, and repeat our 2015 feat in 2019?

Saidu sent this piece from Bauchi

Nigeria’s Economy And Just Before We Crucify Buhari

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Nigeria’s Economy And Just Before We Crucify Buhari

By Philip Agbese

Nigeria is indeed a dynamic country where we have found the habit of looking at things mainly upside down and without giving it a second thought or a benefit of a doubt. In most times, we cry wolf where none exist. We are quick to “pull down” and celebrate the consequent downfall. Welcome to Nigeria.

No discerning mind would deny that the Nigerian economy was in absolute brink when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the affairs of government in 2015. Bad enough that those responsible for this malaise have never owned up to their dastardly acts because of how morally bankrupt they are. So for them, displaying remorse is forbidden and taking responsibility for their actions and inactions while they held sway is not even a topic for discussion because as they say, the cake is big enough for everybody.

I am constrained to pen this article when the words merchant went to town turning a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari upside down for obvious political reasons. I was astonished. I was also concerned about what it was that the supposed “self-righteous ones” wanted to achieve and what they didn’t achieve when they had the opportunity to put Nigeria on the path to greatness.

As a start, I would not subscribe to any channel that indicates that President Muhammadu Buhari inherited a vibrant and buoyant economy. I would also not subscribe to any insinuation that the Nigerian economy could be fixed in three years. That is an impossibility, not after 16 locust years under misrule by successive PDP administrations. I think that just before we crucify President Muhammadu Buhari, we should take out time for sober reflection on how previous administrations squandered our commonwealth. Also, on how Nigeria witnessed policy somersault year in year out, not minding the fact that there would be consequences.

Now, the real gist is that after a meeting of state governors with President Muhammadu Buhari, the chair of the governor’s forum issued a statement stating that President Muhammadu Buhari said that “the economy is in bad shape and that we have to come together, think and rethink on the way forward.” And that was it. Appalling a statement coming from the president especially as the elections are around the corner they thought.

The political strategists would see this statement if valid as a political blunder. They would also argue that the president went too far in expressions. But I disagree in totality. As a first, the statement didn’t emanate from the president directly, but through Governor Abdulaziz Yari, a figure who is known to speak from both sides of the mouth. This is also the same governor that was captured on tape threatening the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress for not doing his bidding. This is a topic for another day.

Back to the crux, the simplicity and sincerity of heart and purpose of President Muhammadu Buhari are indeed legendary. It is possible that he called the meeting to inform the governors on the need for them to continually think outside the box in confronting the numerous challenges we are faced with, hence the aspect of the statement that stated that “we have to come together, think and rethink on the way forward.” And not just that, there was a critical part of the statement that the word merchants have decided to downplay for political reasons, which was how the President’s tongue lashed the governors for failing to pay salaries and what led to the introduction of bailout funds to states.
Governor Yari admitted that “When Mr. President came on board, 27 states out of 36 could not pay salaries some for 13, 12, 8, five months respectively. Our first encounter with him, he told us that we have no business of being in power if we cannot do the basic, that is pay workers. So he asked that we discussed how we could support those states that cannot pay salaries so that workers will be paid. Those in the position they came up with the idea of bailing out the states so that they can pay the arrears.” That is the quintessential Muhammadu Buhari who listens and carries all along.

In my opinion, it is possible the meeting was held for strategic reasons to encourage the governors to always live up to expectations by thinking and deploying proactive measures in ensuring that governance is not put on hold for flimsy excuses. This is my opinion. And I very much doubt if the president would call a meeting to say that “the economy is in bad shape.” But again, we must come to terms with the fact that we are in a society where sensational news reporting is the order of the day.

And let us assume that the president said the economy was in bad shape to the governors, the question would why did the president call for the meeting and why did he say such? As an expert in Strategy Communications , I know for a fact that nothing happens in a vacuum. There must be a reason. And that reason, in this case, may be due to the profligate nature of some governors. Also, my interpretation of the statement credited to the president is that of a warning than admittance. It’s possible that the president wanted to use the medium to remind the governors, especially the profligate ones that it is not yet Uhuru and all hands must be on deck. Just maybe.

But trust us to always turn things upside down. In truth, I wasn’t surprised by the reportage of the event because its election period again, and all manners of spanners are freely thrown not minding the implications. In all of these, I think it would be morally deficient for anyone to want to crucify President Muhammadu Buhari while sparing those that brought the country to its knees even in the midst of enormous revenue. It is also insulting and despicable.

In all of the ensuing drama, Governor Abdulaziz Yari said: “the president talked to us in a manner that we have a task ahead of us, we should tighten our belt and see how we can put the Nigerian economy in the right direction.” And for me, that is the crux and not what words merchants want the members of the unsuspecting public to believe. And since when has, it becomes a crime to charge people to higher productivity?

That Deserved Doctorate To Buratai

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That Deserved Doctorate To Buratai

By David Onmeje

Initially, It seemed very foggy to me. I was one of the few critics who interrogated why the Kaduna State University, (KSUK), Kaduna had to find Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai worthy of conferment of an honorary doctorate degree.

Gen. Buratai who was recently conferred with a doctorate degree (honoraris causa) in leadership and peace. He was honoured alongside other prominent Nigerians at the combined convocation ceremony of KSUK attended by eminent personalities in Nigeria. A gathering of sophisticated intellectuals as described by many spectators.

I recounted Gen. Buratai’s exploits in the Nigerian Army and narrowed it to the day President Muhammedu Buhari appointed him, the COAS cum leader of the nation’s counter-terrorism plans. And behold, the illuminating light descended on me very convincingly.

At last it dawned on me that the University’s decision to honour Gen. Buratai was not only commendable, and timely, but has also raised the pedestal for the world to see the Army Chief as a beacon, who reflects uncommon leadership of the Army and a new public lifestyle. He epitomizes enduring peace, which he has devoted the last few years of his military career to entrench in his fatherland.

I reflected deeply and realized logically that Gen. Buratai has battled covert and overt forces with the troops he leads to anchor succor from insecurity to Nigerians. He has withered the storm of official blackmails, namedropping, smear campaigns, malicious persecutions and hate sermons on his person and the Nigerian Army from enemies of Nigeria, who plotted his failure on this national assignment. But he outsmarted them in their numbers collectively.

The Army boss has led Nigerian troops to battles against Boko Haram and other insurrections in the country to successful victories. With the heart of a lion, Gen. Buratai combined leadership in the trenches and in the office, proving his prowess as a man roundly endowed.

But what really sparked in me the wisdom or reason justifying KSUK’s conferment of an honourary doctorate degree on Gen. Buratai were the special imprints and legacies he has deposited on the sands of time.

I recalled that in spite of his arduous schedules fighting multifaceted insurgencies and terrorism, Gen. Buratai still finds time to think and invest in the education of Nigerian Army; which could benefit other arms of the military and even civilians. In my neighbourhood, Gen. Buratai is endearingly feted with the epaulet, “ terror of terrorists.”

I have seen many federal ministers of education who have spent several years on the seat and left, but could not boast of a government school built in their lifetime in Officr. And it is quite appalling that it is the experience even when they presided over government’s establishment of universities under their tenure.

Life has different experiences for different people. I know there are very many former Vice Chancellors of both state and federal universities whom God Almighty has not granted the foresight to understand their communities are deserving of higher institutions. They have risen to the pinnacle of knowledge but have abandoned their localities in the abyss of darkness.

But in contrast, Gen. Buratai has proven to be one of the greatest accomplished soldier, innovator, strategist and conqueror to ever emerge in Nigeria’s recent history of the Army. In his desire to transform and enhance operational efficiency of soldiers in combating insurgency, the Army Chief railroaded the Nigerian Army to the next level by establishing the first Nigerian Army Aviation School (Corps).

With this record breaking initiative, Gen. Buratai conspicuously placed the Nigerian Army in Africa as one of the few armies with an independent air wing from the Air Force. The first set of pilots and technicians have graduated after an intensive two-year training in flying warplanes and perfection in allied courses.

That’s the extent Gen. Buratai has gone in search of peace and security for Nigerians. These leadership attributes are uncommon in most leaders in our clime. Beyond sentiments, it explains why he stands tall at all times.

And to further demonstrate his exceptional commitment to the continuous training of soldiers and exposure to the ever dynamic world of knowledge in warfare, Gen. Buratai conceived the idea of Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB). He has aggressively pursued it to fruition within a short time.

We can only appreciate the leadership foresight of Gen. Buratai if we dissect the gamut of the NAUB. The specialized university has commenced its maiden academic session, as it was commissioned last October, 2018 and structured to favourably compete with some of the best Universities in the world in the next three decades.

NAUB is conceptualized as a center of excellence and positioned to lead scientific and technological researches and breakthroughs in military studies and conventional courses.

Its faculties and departments are a blend of specialized security courses as well as those offered by conventional institutions to carter for the civilian quota of its admissions.

An insight into NAUB reveals an exhilarating solid foundation, kick-starting with seven faculties. These includes; a distinctive Faculty of Military Technology and a Faculty of Military Policy, Logistics and Strategy.

Others include faculties run by conventional universities such as Science, Technology, Social Sciences, Environmental Studies, Administrative and Management Studies , as well as Schools and Centres. NAUB is a complete academic hub for Nigerians desirous of knowledge.

As already stated, NAUB admits both military and civilian students with a greater percentage in favour of civilians. And its staff composition also reflects the same mix.

Gen. Buratai says, NAUB is hued to function on the principles of creativity, self-reliance and self-sufficiency. So, I sensed that for a leader good in the warfront and equally splendid in administrative endowments, the KSUK award of a doctorate degree to Gen. Buratai is a loud proclamation of appreciation of his many discrete impacts on humanity.

These realities struck like a thunderbolt. I was instantly compelled to scribble these few lines as my token of appreciation to KSUK for honouring a leader who has given his very best in the service of his nation.

ECOWAS SECOND ORDINARY SESSION CLOSES WITH EMPHASIS OF IMPROVED AGRICULTURE FOR MEMBER STATES

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ECOWAS SECOND ORDINARY SESSION CLOSES WITH EMPHASIS OF IMPROVED AGRICULTURE FOR MEMBER STATES

Bauchi 2019: Barr. Ahmed and the Visual Fallacy

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Bauchi 2019: Barr. Ahmed and the Visual Fallacy

By Bala Sunusi Bauchi

A recipe for professional disaster is when a person becomes too overzealous and hidebound in the face of a fast changing and increasingly sophisticated world. People often go down the drain when they cannot not define their limitations in order to appropriately position themselves in the scheme of things.

The intricacies of life require that we all remain steadfast in our individual callings so as to be able to justify. More than ever, people can easily fall between the cracks of their self-indulgence. It is no longer fashionable to perpetuate extreme trick of the eyesight.

Time being too precious and inestimable commodity to fritter away, but some people’s attitudes appeals for an irresistible and compelling time sucking attention and not to simply dignify the subjects but to set records straight and educates the people not to be beguiled, bamboozled, and fall victims of such shenanigans which they may sadly regret in later time when they’ve dangerously committed an irredeemable mistakes of their lives.

In essence, there is an urgent need to give some clarification to the recent defection of Barr. Ahmed Umar Farouk from the ruling All Progressives Congress APC to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and his subsequent nomination as the party’s Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate in the upcoming March 2 2019 governorship election in Bauchi State.

For anyone who is familiar with his recent political history especially how he may have been much helped under the current administration, the action of the gentleman barrister might come off as quite disgusting. But, it is neither a crime nor aberration for anyone to align with a particular political party of his choice and to even further become its deputy governorship candidate. As such, Mr. Ahmed did not commit any crime. However, aside the argument that our man is exercising his civic rights, what is of more concern is the manner in which he exhibits a rather strange, if not reckless, enterprise of attempting to hoodwink Bauchi citizens for a selfish political gain. It is sad that the learned gentleman would agree to reduce himself to a letter writer of a ridiculous grade at a time he ought to tell people what he has in stock for them as deputy gubernatorial candidate in the state.

One asks, doesn’t he have anything to say apart from writing such laughable letter?

Mr. Ahmed had written an open letter to the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Barr. Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar disguising under the nom de guerre of the Concerned Citizens of Bauchi State instead of the People’s Redemption Party on whose interest he might have penned down his infamous letter.

It leaves little hope for upcoming generations of young Bauchi citizens for a self-acclaimed legal luminary who is expected to reasonably understand the legal workings of democracy as it concerns lawful political engagements to have reduced himself to the ridiculous extents of criticizing the defection of the former Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguda from the Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Governor Abubakar for accepting and welcoming him into the APC’s fold.

It begs the big question of whether or not the duo err in the process.

Of course, Bauchi State Government has set up a committee to look at the eight years regime of Malam Yuguda in which Barrister Ahmed was a member of the committee which has since submitted its reports to the government for onward actions. within its jurisdictions. It is interesting and satisfying this report is not at the direct supervision of the governor as individual. The government of Governor Abubakar recognizes government as a system, and, prefers to run it as a process.

But this development does not in anyway strip off Malam Isa of his right to associate himself with any political party he is willing to identify with and at a time he so wishes.

Gov. Abubakar too does not pretend to have the power to stop or deny him or anyone of their rights to coming into the APC.

These basic civil literacy is so much essential in politics. Quite curiously, Mr. Ahmed do not appear to be conversant with these vital knowledge, little wonders his disparaging disposition.

How could a practical product of decamping have a gut to criticize someone for decamping? This is hypocrisy taken too far.

Barrister Ahmed in exercising his civil right like that of Isa Yuguda, decided to decamp to the PRP not because of anything else, but due to his personal conviction that things are not working the way he expected – why by the way is not for the benefits of the generality of the people of Bauchi State. Information is rife that he is merely trying to hoodwink the people with his letter for his personal benefit. Isa Yuguda had legally decamped to the APC. He has done this without Mr Umar being furious about it?

Let Mr. Ahmed Umar know that, in Bauchi state, governance is run as a system that is independent of the political parties and there is no iota of discretion in linking the two. In other words, it is disingenuous to attempt to establish any link between Malam Isa’s decamping to the APC with the report on his stewardship because the two are clearly different things and has no relationship whatsoever and should be treated as such.

Isa Yuguda was in the GPN before his journey to the APC and he was not a threat to the PRP until he joins the ruling APC.

Although he appears to have suddenly forgotten that he was in the BACYWARD and part of the government he is now condemning simply because he is now a running mate to Ali Pate of PRP. Equity begets clean hands and until facts are established, Barr Ahmed may need to be circumspect with his epistles.

In a little admonition, campaigns should be issue based as no amount of false accusation will make the people of Bauchi State change their minds in voting whom they have tested and trusted.

It was desperation and egotism that took Ali Pate out of the APC. He was not fighting for the people of Bauchi State or the APC as he claimed. but for his individualistic psyche and those that joins the bandwagon including Mr. Barrister possesses the same character and only time can tell as none of them deserves the mandate of the people of the state.
Under the stewardship of Governor Abubakar, the Boob’s your uncle syndrome is no longer existing, contracts inflating is an alien, and above all, the state treasury was shielded from the usual hand dipping and with remarkable projects executed and the ongoing, it’s enough justification that we are in the safer hand and those against the administration, are doing so because it’s no longer a business as usual.

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