Lifestyle

‘Buhari must go’ protesters storm Abuja

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The city of Abuja on Friday witnessed protest from ‘Buhari Must Go’ groups who voiced their opposition to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

This came shortly after the Independence Day broadcast by the President.

Some of the protesters brandished placards with inscriptions like:”#RevolutionNow” and “#BuhariMustGo.”

Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the protests had earlier made the announcement via the Twitter page of SaharaReporters, the media arm of his organisation.

I am urging all citizens and non citizens of Nigeria to boycott @MBuhari’s national “INDEPENDENCE DAY” broadcast scheduled for tomorrow, instead you should partake in protests across the country tomorrow to reject this man, the Failure-In-Chief of the Federal Republic #BuhariMustGo,” he said on Twitter.

On Facebook, the activist posted,” What is this Failure-In-Chief going to broadcast to the country? #RevolutionNow #October1stProtest #BuhariMustGo.”

Earlier in his speech, President Muhammadu Buhari pledged to ensure the prosecution of secessionists and insurrectionists who have created a climate of insecurity across the country.

Sowore had been arrested several times over his protests against the current administration.

Politics

‘PDP will produce Buhari’s successor in 2023,’ says Edo deputy gov, Shaibu

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The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Saturday, expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023.

Shaibu, who stated this during his speech at the ongoing ward congress in Oyo State, added that all the PDP required to win the 2023 election was to put its house in order and step up operations ahead of the exercise.

He said: “We will be able to take over the Federal Government. All PDP states’ policies currently yielding positive results will add up to making Nigeria great again.

“We are fulfilling that obligation to make sure that the congress in the 351 wards across the state is peaceful and credible.

“I had discussions with some other members of the party and they have accepted to put their grievances aside and work for the common good.

“Majority of the people are in support of the peaceful reconciliation process and the discussions that are still ongoing.”

Politics

‘Use your position to stabilize West Africa,’ UN chief, Guterres, tells Buhari

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The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership roles in the West African sub-region and the continent as a whole.

Guterres, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, gave the commendation during a meeting with Buhari on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States.

The UN chief expressed concern that Africa, especially West Africa seen generally as the home of stability and good governance, had witnessed a dramatic change in fortune in recent years with the military toppling democratically elected leaders in some parts of the sub-region.

He, therefore, urged President Buhari to continue to show leadership as he looked up to Nigeria to help stabilize the sub-region in terms of democracy and good governance.

On terrorism, Guterres commended the efforts of Nigeria on this global phenomenon.

He assured the Nigerian leader of the UN’s continued support in the efforts at addressing the prevailing security and humanitarian challenges that had arisen especially with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

He also commended Nigeria’s efforts on climate change and the global body’s expressing willingness to cooperate with the country on the matter.

President Buhari applauded Guterres for his leadership and the success of the UNGA76.

He assured the UN Secretary-General that Nigeria had achieved appreciable successes in tackling the insecurity caused by terrorists and bandits in the Northern part of the country.

Politics

Nigeria’ll continue to invest in food security, Buhari pledges at the UN

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President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, pledged that Nigeria will continue to invest massively in food security as a way to enhance agricultural productivity in the country.

While speaking at the Food Systems Summit as part of the High-Level meetings of the ongoing 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Buhari said national food security, nutrition knowledge dissemination, skills’ development, and information management systems is paramount to his administration.

According to the President in a statement issued by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, titled, ‘At UN summit on food systems, President Buhari restates commitment to national food security,’ said Nigeria had developed a “food system focused development agenda that prioritizes healthy diets and affordable nutrition, inclusive, efficient, resilient, and sustainable, which will contribute to rebuilding our economy, creating jobs and spurring growth across sectors while sustaining our ecosystems.”

He added that the plan was the outcome of a wide range of stakeholder-engagement geared towards a better understanding of their food systems, experiences and needs.

Following the recommendations from the dialogues and our plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a decade, Nigeria is committed to investing in food security and nutrition knowledge dissemination, skills’ development, and information management systems to enhance agricultural productivity.

“It is also aimed at building sustainable, responsive, and inclusive food systems.

It will enhance the productivity of smallholder farmers and empowering women and youths for greater access to food production, while strengthening climate mitigation strategies and conflict early warning systems that will reduce the many stresses and shocks to our food systems.”

The President added:

“To transform our food systems and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, we hope to learn from, and collaborate with member states that have grappled or are grappling with food systems concerns similar to ours.

“We especially support the emerging coalitions of actions and sustainable food systems.”

Politics

Buhari demonstrated attribute of God for forgiving Fani-Kayode —Femi Adesina

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Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has lauded the President’s “kind and angelic heart of forgiveness” for accepting his staunchest critic, Femi Fani-Kayode, back into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adesina, in his Facebook column, ‘From the Inside’ on Friday, said the fact that the former Minister of Aviation said “unforgivable and unpardonable things” against Buhari prior to his (FFK) recent defection to the APC, was enough reason for the President to reject his defection but because of magnanimity and forgiving spirit, Buhari refused to act like a regular Nigerian.

Adesina claimed that his principal demonstrated the attribute of God by forgiving Fani-Kayode despite all his previous attacks.

In the article titled ‘Buhari, FFK, and the quality of mercy,’ Adesina praised Buhari to high heavens, saying that by accepting and hosting Fani-Kayode at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari, as the “leader of the party displayed amazing capacity to forgive, to show mercy, and let bygones be bygones.”

Part of the statement reads;

“Not a small ruckus has been caused by the defection of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week.

An icing on the cake, or the salt added to injury (depending on which side you are), was his reception at the Presidential Villa by Muhammadu Buhari, father of the nation. The development has been rocking the polity for many days.

“FFK is by no means a miscellaneous personality, and whatever he does, or does not do, attracts loads of attention.

“He has said things straight from the gutters, things that the natural man would call unforgivable and unpardonable.

“Against President Buhari, the first family, Yusuf Buhari whom he wished had died when the latter had an almost fatal bike accident, APC as a party, the government, leaders of the party, groups and individuals. Even this writer has suffered horrid descriptions from FFK in many write-ups.

Buhari showed him mercy, dropping like gentle rain from heaven, when he could have otherwise spat into the sky, collecting the spittle with his own face. Was that not what me and you would have done? Confess.

“We would have told FFK to go to hell, and stay there. But Buhari didn’t. He displayed an attribute of God: forgiveness.”

Politics

Buhari meets Queen of Netherlands, appeals for funds to develop Nigeria

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President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the Queen of Netherlands, Her Majesty, Maxima Zorreguieta, to support his administration’s efforts at developing critical infrastructure in Nigeria.

Buhari held a bilateral meeting with Zorreguieta on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly holding in New York, USA.

A statement by the President’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari, during the closed-door meeting, stressed the importance of infrastructural development for the advancement of any nation.

He said Nigeria was well aware of her limitations, and thus prioritized the provision of infrastructure, NAN reports.

“Without infrastructure, development would be limited, so we put emphasis on building roads, rail, and providing electricity. We have a comprehensive plan, and we are doing our best”.

”We have the land. We have the people. Capital input is what we need. he said.

He added that the country was hampered by resources, despite oil exportation, and that with more financial wherewithal, infrastructural works would speed up.

President Buhari assured the Queen, who last visited Nigeria in 2017, that if she comes again, she would see a lot of difference in the nation.

In the area of agriculture, the president said Nigerian borders were closed to some neighbouring countries to encourage farmers.

He said, ”People went back to the land, and this helped us tremendously. We made fertilizers available, resuscitated dams, and it all paid off handsomely. Otherwise, with about 200 million people, we would have been in trouble when COVID-19 struck and affected the economy.”

He added that Nigerian farmers were quite receptive to modern ways of doing things, especially in respect of cutting post-harvest waste.

Queen Zorreguieta lauded what she called “the huge effort” made by Nigeria to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, saying; “you spent a great part of your GDP.”

The Queen said agriculture was music to her ears, being the daughter of a former Minister of Agriculture, and her biggest plea would be for Nigeria to make infrastructure available so that investors and aid donors could access areas beyond the major cities.

“We need roads, railways, digital financial inclusion for farmers. The government needs to digitalize all payments,” she said.

Politics

Buhari pledges Nigeria’s support for Burundi

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday promised Nigeria’s support to Burundi as part of deliberate efforts at promoting peace and development in the Southern African country.

The President, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made the promise when he met with his Burundian counterpart, Evariste Ndayishimiye, in New York, the United States.

The meeting was held on the margins of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly holding in New York.

Buhari said: “We will be proactive and give support to the best of our abilities.”

The Burundian President assured that his country was out of conflict, saying “there is now peace and reconciliation and we have vast opportunities to exploit.”

He said Burundi was looking for support of friendly nations in the areas of oil supply, agriculture, mines, and several others.

Politics

I judged Buhari from outside but know better now – Fani-Kayode

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A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Thursday explained why he returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fani-Kayode, a fierce critic of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, returned to the party he left more than seven years ago on Thursday.

The ex-minister, who appeared on Channels Television programme, “Politics Today,” described the APC as a liberal party.

He commended the President for accommodating the change in the ruling party.

Fani-Kayode said: “I spoke against President Buhari from the outside, now I know him from the inside. I am not saying he is an angel or a demon. The APC I was taking about that time is not the same today. Let’s focus on unity, peace, and togetherness.

There is a time to condemn and criticise people. There is also a time to come together, work together to achieve unity. Joining APC now is the way forward irrespective of what people may think about the party.

“APC is a liberal party. A lot has happened in APC over the years. The party has changed and President has accommodated the change. Had the APC leadership not changed I wouldn’t have joined them.

“I am doing the right thing based on conviction and understanding. This is the right decision for me, love me or hate me, it will not take anything away from me.”

Politics

Omokri tags Buhari ‘enemy of progress’, after fresh appeal for foreign loans

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A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has lampooned President Muhammadu Buhari over his fresh appeal to solicit for foreign loans.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that Buhari urged the Senate to approve $4 billion and €710 million external loans.

The president’s request was contained in a letter addressed to Senate President Ahmad Lawan and read at plenary yesterday.

However, in a series of tweets on Wednesday, Omokri labelled the President ‘an enemy of progress’ over his incessant loans, considering the country’s debt profile.

He wrote: “A new $4 billion loan. What is Buhari even using all these loans for? Useless things like Naval Base in Kano’s desert and sewing Igbo trousers that never reach the ankle. What has this nation called Nigeria done to deserve this enemy of progress?

“Naira is now ₦550 to $1, and Buhari still wants to borrow an additional $4 billion after increasing foreign debt from $10 billion in 2015 to $34 billion today? Does he have no shame? What type of bambiala mentality is this? Is it until Naira gets to ₦1000 to $1?”

Politics

Why Nigeria’s economic challenges persist – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday expressed concern about the country’s economic challenges.

He listed high population, COVID-19 pandemic, and separatist agitations as major factors fueling the country’s economic challenges.

The President, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this during a meeting with members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) at the State House, Abuja.

He said the challenges exist despite the five percent economic growth recorded in the second quarter of 2021.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had on August 26 announced a 5.1 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for Nigeria in the second quarter of this year.

He said: “The global economy has been seriously affected by the pandemic, and despite recent pleasing news of more than five percent economic growth for Nigeria in the last quarter, we are still having fiscal challenges to deal with like most other countries.

“The source of revenue that Nigeria has depended on for so long experienced global decline, our population is rising fast and the tension arising from both is fuelling agitation among our youth. Organizations like the NMA could play a very useful moderating role in society.”

Politics

I will use my power to help Uzodinma fight insecurity in Imo – Buhari

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President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to help Governor Hope Uzodinma fight insecurity in Imo state.

He said he would use his constitutional powers to help in fighting insecurity in the state.

The president spoke during the commissioning of Egbeada-Onitsha bypass road in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

He then pledged to help deal with infrastructural deficits of the state.

Buhari said: “I have gone round and I am impressed with what I saw. A society without security and infrastructure will not progress and luckily this is where my vision has tallied with the governor of Imo State. I will use my power as enshrined by the constitution to make the governor achieve more.”

Earlier in his speech, the governor urged the president to deal permanently with the issues of insecurity and flooding which he said was ravaging Owerri.

Politics

Imo govt denies accusations of brutality by IPOB ahead of Buhari’s visit

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The Imo State government has dismissed allegations of brutality and militarisation by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which culminated in the imposition of a lockdown on the region by the secessionist group.

This was disclosed by the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba during a guest appearance on AriseTV on Wednesday.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that ‘unknown gunmen’ had wreaked havoc on the state and the South-East region with repeated attacks on correctional facilities and police formations which led to strict measures by a coalition of security agencies to quell the uprisings.

In his assertion, Emelumba dismissed the allegations by the IPOB saying, “The allegations are neither here nor there. When there is a total breakdown in law and order with the security of residents at stake, the Government has the responsibility to move in to protect lives due to the rampage of ‘unknown gunmen’ who repeatedly attacked correctional facilities.

The quelling included the coalition of various security agencies including the military so the issue of militarisation by IPOB is unfounded. It has yielded results with the restore of calm.”

The Commissioner also revealed that the Ohanaeze and prominent Igbo leaders will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in order to table their concerns and brainstorm on solutions on them.

President Buhari is on a one-day working visit to commission crucial projects across the state for the benefit of the citizenry, Emelumba confirmed.

“All the challenges being faced by the South-East will be addressed and the Ohanaeze will table the concerns of the Igbo leaders before the President — dialogue is the only way, not violence.

All the challenges being faced by the South-East will be addressed and the Ohanaeze will table the concerns of the Igbo leaders before the President — dialogue is the only way, not violence.

“Among the projects to be commissioned by the President is the Nekede-Obinze link-road which houses two tertiary institutions. The road was completely abandoned for 20 years which was a death trap for students but it is still in its first phase with the second phase to be completed by Dec.

“We are grateful for the efforts of the President regarding infrastructure as evidenced by the construction of the Second Niger bridge.”

Politics

Ex-Aviation Minister, Chidoka, challenges Buhari to release review of Ministers’ performance

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Osita Chidoka, a former Minister of Aviation in the President Goodluck Jonathan regime, has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to be transparent enough to release the performance review report of the recently sacked Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Nanono, and Ministry of Power counterpart, Sale Mamman.

In a statement he signed in Abuja on Tuesday, titled ‘Chidoka tasks Buhari to publish review on sacked Ministers, security sector, others,” the former Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), described Buhari’s sacking of the two Ministers as an “uncharacteristic move” and Nigerians deserve the right to know how he arrived at the decision.

President Buhari, in a widely reported speech at the Federal Executive meeting, predicated his decision on a claimed ‘independent and critical self-review’ of sectorial performance and evaluation,” the statement said.

“According to Mr President, ‘two years and some months into the second term, the tradition of subjecting our projects and programmes implementation to independent and critical self-review had taken firm roots through sector reporting during cabinet meetings and at retreats.’

“These significant review steps had helped to identify and strengthen weak areas, close gaps, build cohesion and synergy in governance, manage the economy and improve the delivery of public goods to Nigerians,” the statement stated.

Chidoka added that the speech gave the impression that the President evaluates and monitors the activities of his appointees through independent review and monitoring alignment with the nine priority areas of the government.

However, he said he is worried that Nigerians do not know the criteria and indices employed by the President to arrive at the decision and will like Nigerians to know.

“Nigerians would want Mr President to publish the said independent performance review, which, according to him, have been going on for two years and some months into his second term and final term in office, and which led to the dismissal of the two ministers,” he added.

Politics

Nigeria needs a kind-hearted leader like Buhari in 2023 – Umahi

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The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, Monday expressed hope that God would give Nigeria a kind-hearted leader like President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

The governor, who spoke with State House correspondents at the end of a meeting with President Buhari in Abuja, said people of South-East are grateful to the President over his great works in the region.

He commended Buhari over some landmark projects including the Second Niger Bridge and the eastern corridor of the railway line among others in the South-East.

He stressed that the country needs a leader with a good heart like Buhari.

Umahi said: “I came to see Mr. President. One is to thank him very highly for a number of mega projects that he is doing in the South-East. The Second Niger Bridge is fast becoming a reality. Each time we visit that bridge location it is always like a dream.

“So we the people of the South-East are very grateful to Mr. President for this. We also thank him for the award of the Eastern corridor of the railway line. This is a project that is going to fast-track the commercial activities of our people.

“I recall that when I was in school, I used to join train from my state, Ebonyi, and then get up to Maiduguri where my brothers were staying for my holidays.

Mr. President is about restoring that hope. We are deeply very grateful. But I also reminded Mr. President that one of his cardinal objectives is to integrate the South-East or the state capitals, but in putting together the project through South-East that the capital of Ebonyi State, which is Abakaliki and capital of Anambra State, which is Awka, were omitted.

“And I reminded Mr. President that the South-East governors had requested that I write which I did, but not yet approved by the Honourable Minister of Transport, which Mr. President said he will find out why they were omitted in the first place.

“I am very, very hopeful that Mr. President is going to give approval to those two locations. Let me also mention the fertiliser presidential initiative which has helped the country Nigeria so much in food sufficiency.

Let me point out that without the effort of Mr. President, through this fertiliser initiative and other programmes in the agricultural sector, it would have been a very difficult time for this country.

That project is supposed to produce a large set of granules to enable us to produce fertilisers to serve the South-South, South-East, and part of North- Central.

“Mr. President has already approved the funds and released to Solid Mineral Development Fund. But part of the requirement is that there must be SPV integration or private sector initiative. They have applied to Mr. President for approval through the Chief of Staff. So we had to remind Mr. President.

Lastly, four years back, Mr. President was in Ebonyi State about November to commission a number of projects and lay the foundation stone for others. I reminded Mr. President that we are expecting him four years later, which would be November for him to come to Ebonyi State. The last time he spent one night but this time we are asking him to spend three nights.

“We have over 20 different projects that we consider good enough for Mr. President to commission. We have completed the Muhammadu Buhari light tunnel bridge complex, the first of its kind in Africa for Mr. President to commission.

We have gotten to the stage of completing the best medical center, King David University of Medical Sciences, the best in Africa. We have completed the largest mall, the most beautiful mall you can see anywhere in West Africa.

We have completed additional six twin flyover bridges, well decorated and beautiful. We want Mr. President to commission it. We want Mr. President to commission the St. Margeret International Market, the largest market in West Africa.

“We have over 200-kilometre concrete roads in Ebonyi state, some of them federal roads and some concrete roads. We have over 1000 kilometres of road completed, since my first tenure. Of course, the list can be unexhaustive here. Even the three agric Industrial clusters are ready for Mr. President to commission.

We also have a number of ongoing projects. Most of them will terminate at the end of 2021. Like the International Airport which Mr. President approved two years ago. Now we are the first in the whole of Nigeria to build an international airport runway with concrete that is going to be ready for Mr. President to lay the foundation stone. I will invite him to commission it next year.

“We have the first flight about May 29, 2022. We also have a number of road projects, especially the 199 kilometres of Abakaliki ring road, of which the state government has completed with 53 kilometres of it.

“And of course, the limestone granules is Mr. President’s project and he has to lay the foundation stone.

“But I think after Lagos and Abuja, Ebonyi remains, another state with the highest numbers of flyover and Ebonyi Airport remains the largest after Lagos and Abuja.

So this is why we came and I’m happy that Mr. President is quite disposed towards visiting us again.

“I will continue to say that power rests in the hands of God. And God will also give us the next President who has a good heart like President Buhari for the good of this country.

Politics

Make NDDC audit report public, punish all offenders, Dan Orbih tells Buhari

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Nothing must be done to sweep the forensic audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the carpet.

This charge was made Sunday by Chief Dan Orbih, National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while addressing journalists in Abuja on the widely reported submission of the forensic audit report commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The PDP chieftain also tasked the President not to spare anyone indicted by the report, insisting that identified culprits be made to pay for their acts of corruption, and not pardoned because of any known relationship or ties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had last Thursday submitted the Forensic Audit Report on NDDC to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Speaking on the issue Sunday, Orbih welcomed the report, noting that it was a confirmation of his earlier held fears that the NDDC was, and still is, a cesspool of corruption from where misguided politicians were milking the people of the South-South dry instead of developing the region.

The outcome of the forensic audit report confirms my worst fears. NDDC is the centre of corruption in Nigeria. President Buhari must not allow this report to gather dust or be swept under the carpet. It may have its flaws because of the processes leading up to it but it remains too important to toy with.
“The Niger Delta has been robbed for too long and our people demand transparency in the implementation of the findings of the forensic exercise. I call on Mr President to make the audit report public without delay,” Orbih said.

While expressing concerns over the manner in which the Buhari administration has handled issues of corruption by public officials, Chief Orbih tasked the President to bring all indicted individuals to book and have them pay for sabotaging the people of the Niger Delta.

He said: “President Buhari must prove this time that he is not selective in dispensing justice to all those involved in the criminal act of sabotaging the economy. We demand that all individuals indicted by the report must be made to face the law. Being a member of APC should not be a ticket to freedom in the matter of recklessly stealing from our people. The President must be firm and just.”

Orbih also demanded apology from the Nigerian government for its indiscretion in appointing into the Board of NDDC a set of unaccomplished individuals, alleging that they were largely responsible for the later woes of the interventionist agency.

“The APC government must apologize to the people of the South-South for imposing an incompetent Board on NDDC. Their indiscretion is largely responsible for our woes today,” Orbih alleged.

The forensic audit report had reportedly shown that there were over 13,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta, and that multinational oil companies had failed to remit over $4billion to the commission.

Lifestyle

Cleric warns Buhari to return Nigeria to how he met it or risk Allah’s punishment

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An Islamic cleric, Sheikh Nuru Khalid, has come out hard on President Muhammadu Buhari over insecurity and the activities of bandits in the country, saying the President should return the country to how he met it, or risk eternal punishment from Allah.

Sheikh Khalid, who is the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Mosque in Abuja, in a viral video at an event on Monday, insisted that Buhari has derailed from the mandate Nigerians gave him and “God will punish Buhari if he fails to return Nigeria to the state he met it.”

The fiery cleric, speaking in Hausa language, noted that Nigeria had no challenge of banditry before Buhari assumed power, but the situation has gotten out of hand because of the President’s ineptitude.

Addressing worshippers during his sermon, the cleric vowed that “Allah would punish Buhari if he fails to tackle bandits.”

Go and tell President Muhammadu Buhari that under his government, some group of people are issuing threats to local communities, demanding that they should be paid some amounts of money or face attack.

“And they would gather the money and announce publicly on the BBC that they (bandits) would be paid this Friday to avoid attack.

“Tell the president that there is a country we pay allegiance to, and there is a part of the country we do not know, which is governed by bandits.

“The president should either return the country as one nation where bandits are not killing people anyhow, just the way he took over, or Allah will deal with him.

“Tell him that I, Sheikh Nuru Khalid says Allah will surely punish him if he fails to deliver on the mandate Nigerians gave him,” the fiery Sheikh added.

Politics

Buhari vows to crush perpetrators of Plateau unrest, preaches peace in communities

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night assured Nigerians his government would leave no stone unturned in the efforts to bring all persons found culpable in recent attacks in Plateau State to justice.

The President, who stated this in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, however, appealed to Nigerians to embrace peace, and unite against violence.

Buhari was reacting to recent attacks in several communities in Jos, the state capital, and other parts of the country.

He cautioned religious and community leaders against inciting residents to violence in whatever form.

The statement read: “The Presidency wishes to assure all citizens that as a government, the administration is on top of events and is moving ahead with force to crush the perpetrators of the recent incidents of unrest in Plateau State.

But to achieve success, our communities must unite against these horrific attacks. Retributive violence is not the answer.

“While these troubled communities are being reinforced with security personnel, our religious, traditional, and other community leaders must not allow the use of their spaces for the propagation of violence and incitement to violence.

“Attempts to simplify the reasons into a basic narrative may help raise donor-dollars for international NGOs, fill pages of overseas newspapers, and burnish foreign politicians’ faith credentials; but this does not increase understanding, nor offer solutions. If anything, simplistic theorising and finger-pointing make the situation worse.

“It is important both for Nigerians and the international community to appreciate that there are a multitude of factors attendant to these troubles.

There is the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorism, as well as the spate of kidnappings for ransom, transformed by some misinformed global media into a Muslim-on-Christian threat. Yet, in reality, there are no religious connotations at all when the primary purpose of these acts is to extract money.

“Then the herder-farmer clashes. While international voices and some Nigerian politicians who seek personal gain from division declare this a matter of religion, for those involved, it is almost entirely a matter of access to water and land. Herders have moved their cattle into contact with farmers for millennia. But, increasingly, due to population pressure, escalating aridity of northern states, and climate change, they are forced to travel further south to find grazing lands.

Then, further afield in the South-East, IPOB are not struggling for freedom when they attack police stations and property, but rather committing acts of terrorism in order to steal money.

“IPOB is not defending Christians – as their highly-paid foreign lobbyists claim – when almost every citizen of those states they terrorise is uniformly Christian. Yet mistakenly, and because the lobbyists for IPOB have duped them, some misguided foreign media and politicians believe so.

“As for Nigerians, what we need is to come together. And we must do this firstly and for the most part by our own hands, by casting asunder those who seek to divide us for their own nefarious financial and political gain.”

Politics

JUST IN: Buhari has to put on his thinking cap to save Nigeria and his legacy —Pastor Bakare

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Founder of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take stringent steps to ensure that his legacy is not rubbished.

The cleric who stated that he was shocked by happenings around the country right now, said the president and those in places of authority in the country need to put on their thinking cap to remedy the situation.

He spoke during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday morning.

More to come…

Politics

Buhari has hidden agenda to Fulanise Nigeria —Gov Ortom

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Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has accused the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari of a hidden agenda to fulanise Nigeria.

He alleged that the president was in support of the activities of Fulani herdsmen who were terrorizing citizens, and killing people in efforts to chase them from their ancestral lands.

The governor spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he also lamented that Buhari was not the first Fulani man to rule Nigeria, and asked why his administration was different in condoning the atrocities of Fulani herdsmen.

Ortom said, “Because of the body language of President Muhammadu Buhari, Miyetti Allah has been killing our people. My citizens have sent me to tell the President that they don’t want open grazing.

The Presidency is aware of the atrocities of the Miyetti Allah because I alerted them of the threats being issued by the Fulani herders but nothing was done.

President Buhari told me to tell my people to learn to live with their neighbours; neighbours with AK-47s who kill and pillage our people; I have alerted the Presidency several times, but Miyetti Allah is always in Abuja with the President, being protected with taxpayers’ money.”

Regarding the stance of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum on open grazing, Ortom noted that his position is widely known amongst his colleagues.

“I have made my position known to the NGF but I am just one governor; the southern governors resolved over what should happen but they were castigated.

“The position is known with the support of most of the northern governors but most of them are afraid to confront the matter due to the fear of the EFCC. The presidency is frustrating the efforts of the NGF regarding the issue of open grazing.”

Ortom further lamented that he has been blocked from seeing the president by his handlers, to present the plight of his people to Buhari.

Politics

Benue gov, Ortom, threatens Buhari with legal action over grazing reserves

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The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has insisted on dragging President Muhammadu Buhari before a competent court if the Federal Government goes ahead with plans to implement the Grazing Reserve Policy.

This is coming on the heels of Buhari’s approval of recommendations of a committee to review 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, to determine the levels of encroachment.

The President’s directive followed his approval of the recommendations of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari.

Among others, the committee had recommended the collection of field data on 368 grazing reserves across 25 states to assess encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitisation.

Reacting to the approval in an interaction with newsmen in Makurdi, the state capital on Sunday, Ortom, insisted that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria superseded the Northern Nigeria Law that provided for grazing reserves, and as such, the imposition of grazing reserves in states is illegal.

He maintained that Benue State under his watch would not accept the grazing reserve policy, stressing that his state would not concede any of its land for the policy.

“The truth is that if the entire country had accepted ranching, then why is Mr President insisting on open grazing when there is no land for such?

“In the 50s when this policy was initiated, what was the population of Nigeria? It was less than 40 million but today, we are more than 200 million.

“The 923 square kilometres is not even enough to cater for the population. The reason Mr. President is insisting, to some of us, I think there is a hidden agenda.

“Mr. President has aides. The Attorney General of the Federation, Malami (SAN) and other lawyers around him should advise him. For God’s sake, it is laughable and it appears we do not know what we are doing.

Under my watch, this state will not accept open grazing. I have already briefed my lawyers should Mr. President insists on going ahead with the policy,” Ortom said.

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