President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of N10 billion for the conduct of a national census.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, approved the release of N10 billion for the conduct of a national census.
The funds would be handed over to the National Population Commission (NPC) for the undertaking the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise in phases in the remaining 546 Local Government Areas of the country ahead, of the conduct of a census.

Buhari also approved an additional N4.5 billion to be included in the 2021 Budget for completion of the exercise as part of the preparations for the next census.

I am focused on helping President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on his mandates – Asiwaju Bola Tinubu

Former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has debunked the report that he is quietly opening a presidential campaign office in Abuja.

Tinubu in his reaction noted that he is focused on helping President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver on his mandates.

Recall that a news platform had claimed that the APC National Leader secretly opened a campaign office.

However, Tinubu, who spoke through his Media Aide, Tunde Rahman, called on his supporters to work with Buhari.

He further stated that followers of Tinubu want him to run for Presidency.

“His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has not even declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election let alone opening a campaign office. He has repeatedly said 2023 is still some years away and that he is at present focused on helping President Buhari to deliver on his mandate as he is doing and coast home to victory.”

“That is his position. You know also that many of his friends, associates and supporters who feel he is eminently qualified for the presidency and has done excellently well to advance our democracy and want to see him contest for the top job are doing everything on their own to see this happen.”

“I don’t know the office you are talking about, but it may just be one of those things these people are doing to get Asiwaju Tinubu to do as they wish. And I think they have a right to advance the course they believe in. Asiwaju’s appeal, however, is they allow the present government to concentrate on the good job it is doing and allow the matter of 2023 to take care of itself in the fullness of time,” 

President Muhammadu Buhari will not succumb to threats and undue pressure. – Presidency

According to the presidency, President Muhammadu Buhari will not “succumb to threats and undue pressure” , being mounted by advocates of restructuring the country.

The Presidency, in a statement, criticised “the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with factions giving specific timelines for the President to to do one thing or another or else, in their language, “the nation will break up.”

The statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, added:

“This is to warn that such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted as this government will not succumb to threats and take any decision out of pressure at a time when the nation’s full attention is needed to deal with the security challenges facing it at a time of the COVID-19 health crisis.”

“This administration will not take any decision against the interests of 200 million Nigerians, who are the President’s first responsibility under the constitution, out of fear or threats especially in this hour of health crisis.”

He further stated that;

“The President as an elected leader under this constitution will continue to work with patriotic Nigerians, through and in line with the Parliamentary processes to finding solutions to structural and other impediments to the growth and wellbeing of the nation and its people.”

In another statement, the Presidency said those condemning the organised Labour for reasoning with the government by suspending a planned nationwide strike last week are enemies of the country.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), after rounds of negotiations with the federal government, suspended the industrial action slated to commence on September 28.

The decision was criticised by varying groups, with some suggesting that the decision was a betrayal.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina, noted that the attack on the Labour unions was borne out of pain for “traducers of the Administration”, having failed to achieve an alleged plan to use the strike to score political and electoral gains.

The statement said:

“Since Organized Labour toed the path of sense and sensibility last week, seeing reason with the imperatives of fuel price adjustment, and opening a further window of dialogue on the service based electricity tariff, some groups of Nigerians have been dolorous, disgruntled, and disconsolate.

“They had apparently perfected plans to use the strike by the labour unions as smokescreen to unleash anarchy on the land, fomenting mayhem and civil disobedience. But the plan blew up in their faces, and they have been in severe pains since then. They have launched series of tirades against Organized Labour.”

“For some interest groups, their intention was to use the umbrella of the strike to further their whimsical and pie-in-the-sky dream of a revolution in the country. It went bust in their faces.”

“For some others, Bitter-Enders, who have remained entrenched in pre-2015 and 2019 elections mode, it was opportunity to avenge the 2012 Occupy Nigeria protests, which they believe largely devalued the government of the day, and led to its eventual ouster in 2015.”

“The strike that was to have come up last week, they wanted to use as opportunity for a pound of flesh, which they calculated would weaken the government so much, and influence the 2023 elections.”

“For them, it was all about hanker for power, its trappings and appurtenances. Nothing about love of country. They have since then been calling Organized Labour all sorts of names, claiming they deceived Nigerians.”

“The times in which we live-with severe security, economic and social challenges-call for all hands to be on deck, and goodwill and support for government, as it strives to put the nation on an even keel. We commend Organized Labour for putting the country first.”

“Those sponsoring and encouraging discord and anarchy, either for selfish ends, or as revenge for perceived injuries, are enemies of the country. Nigerians are urged to beware of them, as the Muhammadu Buhari government is only interested in engendering better quality of life for the citizenry. Nothing more.”

Reopen schools _ FG

The federal government has ordered the reopening of all schools in Nigeria.

The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja this Friday.

He advised all institutions to obey and adhere to the guidelines for the reopening of schools, earlier announced by the presidential task force.

He said;

“all unity schools across Nigeria should open by October 12 , while states and private schools will determine their own modalities of reopening.”

Many states including Lagos, Oyo, Kano and Enugu, have since announced dates for the reopening of schools in their states.

NIGERIA AT 60: MAJOR EVENTS AND DATES

Major Dates and Events

circa 11th century onwards – Formation of city states, kingdoms and empires, including Hausa kingdoms and Borno dynasty in north, Oyo and Benin kingdoms in south.

1472 – Portuguese navigators reach Nigerian coast.

16-18th centuries – Slave trade sees Nigerians forcibly sent to the Americas.

1809 – Islamic Sokoto caliphate is founded in north.
1850s – British establish presence around Lagos.

1861-1914 – Britain consolidates its hold over what it calls the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, governs through local leaders.

1922 – Part of former German colony Kamerun is added to Nigeria under League of Nations mandate.

1960 – Independence, with Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa leading a coalition government.

1966 January – Mr Balewa killed in coup. Maj-Gen Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi forms military government.

1966 July – General Ironsi killed in counter-coup, replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon.
Biafran war

1967 – Three eastern states secede as the Republic of Biafra, sparking three-year civil war.

1975 – General Gowon overthrown by Brigadier Murtala Ramat Mohammed, who begins process of moving federal capital to Abuja.

1976 – General Mohammed assassinated in failed coup attempt. Replaced by his deputy, Lt-Gene Olusegun Obasanjo, who helps introduce US-style presidential constitution.

1979 – Elections bring Alhaji Shehu Shagari to power.

1983 August-September – President Shagari re-elected amid accusations of irregularities.

1983 December – Maj-Gen Muhammad Buhari seizes power in bloodless coup.

1985 – Ibrahim Babangida seizes power in bloodless coup, curtails political activity.

1993 June – Military annuls elections when preliminary results show victory by Chief Moshood Abiola.

Abacha years
1993 November – Gen Sani Abacha seizes power, suppresses opposition.

1994 – Moshood Abiola arrested after proclaiming himself president.

1995 – Ken Saro-Wiwa, writer and campaigner against oil industry damage to his Ogoni homeland, is executed following a hasty trial. In protest, European Union imposes sanctions until 1998, Commonwealth suspends Nigeria’s membership until 1998.

1998 – Gen Sani Abacha dies and is succeeded by Maj-Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar. Moshood Abiola dies in custody a month later.

1999 – Parliamentary and presidential elections. Olusegun Obasanjo sworn in as president.

2000 – Adoption of Islamic Sharia law by several northern states in the face of opposition from Christians. Tension over the issue results in hundreds of deaths in clashes between Christians and Muslims.

2001 – Tribal war in Benue State, in eastern-central Nigeria, displaces thousands of people. Troops sent to quash the fighting kill more than 200 unarmed civilians, apparently in retaliation for the abduction and murder of 19 soldiers.

2002 February – Some 100 people are killed in Lagos in clashes between Hausas from mainly-Islamic north and Yorubas from predominantly-Christian southwest.

2002 November – More than 200 people die in four days of rioting stoked by Muslim fury over the planned Miss World beauty pageant in Kaduna in December. The event is relocated to Britain.

2003 12 April – First legislative elections since end of military rule in 1999. Polling marked by delays, allegations of ballot-rigging. President Obasanjo’s People’s Democratic Party wins parliamentary majority.
Obasanjo re-elected

2003 19 April – First civilian-run presidential elections since end of military rule. Olusegun Obasanjo elected for second term despite EU observers reporting “serious irregularities”.

2003 September – Nigeria’s first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, launched by Russian rocket.

2004 May – State of emergency is declared in the central Plateau State after more than 200 Muslims are killed in Yelwa in attacks by Christian militia; revenge attacks are launched by Muslim youths in Kano.

2004 August-September – Deadly clashes between gangs in oil city of Port Harcourt prompts strong crackdown by troops. Rights group Amnesty International cites death toll of 500, authorities say about 20 died.

2006 January onwards – Militants in the Niger Delta attack pipelines and other oil facilities and kidnap foreign oil workers. The rebels demand more control over the region’s oil wealth.

2006 April – Helped by record oil prices, Nigeria becomes the first African nation to pay off its debt to the Paris Club of rich lenders, which had written off two-thirds of the $30bn debt the previous year.

2006 August – Nigeria agrees to cede sovereignty over the disputed Bakassi peninsula to neighbouring Cameroon under the terms of a 2002 International Court of Justice ruling. Transfer takes place in 2008.

2007 April – Umaru Yar’Adua of the ruling People’s Democratic Party wins the presidential election.

2009 July – Hundreds die in northeastern Nigeria after the Boko Haram Islamist movement launches an enduring campaign of violence.
Government frees the leader of the Niger Delta militant group Mend, Henry Okah, after he accepts an amnesty offer.

2010 May – President Umaru Yar’Adua dies after a long illness. Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, already acting in Yar’Adua’s stead, succeeds him.

2011 March – Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan wins presidential elections.

2012 January – More than 100 killed in single day of co-ordinated bombings and shootings in Kano, shortly after Boko Haram tells Christians to quit the north.

2013 May – Government declares state of emergency in three northern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa and sends in troops to combat Boko Haram.

2014 April – Boko Haram kidnaps more than 200 girls from a boarding school in northern town of Chibok, in an incident that draws major national and international outrage.

2014 November – Boko Haram launches a series of attacks in northeastern Nigeria, capturing several towns near Lake Chad and running raids into neighbouring Chad and Cameroon in early 2015. It switches allegiance from al-Qaeda to the Islamic State group.

2015 February-March – Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger form military coalition and push Boko Haram out of all towns back into Sambisa Forest.

2015 March – Muhammadu Buhari wins the presidential election, becoming the first opposition candidate to do so in Nigeria’s history.

2016 June – Naira currency floated in attempt to stave off financial crisis caused by low oil prices.
2016 November – Niger Delta Avengers rebels bomb three oil pipelines in attempt to renew southern insurgency.

2017 December – Clashes between herders in Benue and Taraba states prompt thousands to flee.

2018 – Escalating attacks by Boko Haram from August onwards, targeting army bases.

2019 February – Presidential elections held after last-minute delay of a week.