World News

Umrah: Buhari leaves Madinah, performs lesser hajj in Mecca

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President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Madinah for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in continuation of his eight-day official visit to the Kingdom.

While in Madinah, the Nigerian president visited historic religious places, including an extensive tour of the city’s International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilisation.

Also, as part of his engagement in the Holy City, Mr Buhari observed the five daily prayers, including Taraweeh, at the Masjid Nabawi before departing for Mecca via Jeddah on Wednesday night.

Mr Buhari, accompanied by some of his aides, is expected to perform the lesser pilgrimage immediately after arriving in Mecca late Wednesday night.

Politics

Buhari seeks senate approval of Data Protection Bill

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President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Senate to consider and approve the Nigerian Data Protection Bill sent to it by the Executive.

The president’s request is contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Alhaji Ahmad Lawan, and read at plenary on Tuesday.

“Pursuant to Section 58, sub section 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, I forward herewith the Nigerian Data Protection Bill for consideration and approval of by the Senate,’’ the letter read.

The Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the protection of personal information and the establishment of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission for regulation of laws on personal information.

In a separate letter, Buhari urged the Senate to approve the re-appointment of Abdul Abubakar as non-Executive Director of the CBN for a second and final term.

In yet another letter, the president transmitted a Bill for the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force College Training School and Institution, for consideration and approval by the Senate.

“Pursuant to section 58, sub section 2 of the 1999 Constitution, I forward herewith the Nigerian Police Force College Training School and Institution Establishment Bill 2023 for consideration and passage of the Senate,’’ the letter read.

According to Buhari, the school seeks to provide a comprehensive and legal institutional framework to provide specialised training for police officers.

The institution would advance the performance of officers in accordance with the provision of the Nigeria Police Act, Buhari explained.

The president also sought the Senate’s approval for reimbursement through the issuance of promissory notes to Plateau and Borno, the sums of N6.6 billion and N3.8 billion, respectively.

The reimbursements are for road projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government by the state governments.

Business, Politics

Buhari regime’s continued payment of fuel subsidy is damaging Nigerians’ well-being- NNPCL

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Thursday said Nigerians had missed enormous infrastructure development due to the protracted fuel subsidy regime in the country.

The NNPCL disclosed that the amount spent on fuel subsidy payments could provide 7,500km of a road network at N400 million per kilometre and 37 well-equipped 120-bed tertiary health centres at N32 billion per hospital annually.

Lawal Musa, NNPC’s senior business adviser to the GCEO, disclosed this in Abuja at a joint National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)/Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) sensitisation workshop on the NNPCL Operations.

Mr Musa, in a presentation entitled ‘Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the Nigerian Economy’, said the federal government spent as much as N4.8 trillion annually on fuel subsidy at the expense of the well-being of Nigerians.

In an analysis of the opportunity cost of the subsidy spending, the NNPC official said deregulation could deliver 500,000 new houses and the education and upskilling of two million Nigerian students, among others.

Mr Musa explained that it could deliver N12 trillion in four years to Nigeria while annual petrol under-recovery would escalate to N3 trillion, stressing that the cost of fuel subsidy outweighed the direct benefits, particularly to the masses.

He maintained that deregulation could provide additional 27,000 megawatts of electricity to Nigerians and build and equip 2,400 hospitals in 774 LGAs.“

Nigeria is the largest producer of crude oil in Africa, possessing 28 per cent of Africa’s reserve, with petroleum contributing significantly to the country’s economy,” Mr Musa revealed.

“The benefits derived have over the years been eroded due to the amount paid on subsidy, a regime has been fuelling the vicious circle of poverty in the country.”

The NNPC business adviser also explained that petrol was sold at the lowest price in Nigeria among most West African countries despite the average cost of $2.7 per litre globally, which amounted to N570 per litre.

He stated that verifiable petrol demand data is critical to National planning and energy security.

In an overview of the PIA and New NNPCL structure, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, NNPC’s chief strategy and sustainability officer, said the new entity was incorporated as a commercial company to be run like any other private company in the country, following the provision of the PIA 2021.

Ms Eyesan said NNPCL’s activities were guided by three core values: integrity, excellence and sustainability.She explained that signing PIA into law overhauled the institutional, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry and provided a structured approach for managing host community development and investments.

Ms Eyesan said the PIA mandated the incorporation of NNPC and established NNPCL as a fully commercial entity.“Under the Act, NNPCL is to conduct affairs without recourse to government fund.

The new NNPCL is being owned by 200 million Nigerians with Ministries of Finance and Petroleum Resources as major shareholders,’’ she said.

Politics

President Buhari orders State House Clinic be converted to medical centre

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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the redesignation of the State House Clinic to a medical centre.

The permanent secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar, disclosed this after a pre-commissioning inspection of the new presidential wing (VIP) of the State House Medical Centre by secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

Mr Mustapha was accompanied by the finance minister, Zainab Ahmed and her deputy, Clem Agba.

“In March 2019, the President had given approval that the State House Medical Centre, Asokoro, which was facing challenges with funding, deterioration of infrastructure and equipment, be scaled down to a clinic until the challenges were addressed,” said Mr Umar.

“Now with improvement in the problem areas and the addition of the new VIP wing with state-of-the-art facilities, we can no longer operate as a clinic. It is now to operate as State House Medical Centre.”

According to him, all is set for the inauguration of the facility by the president, including the calibration, testing of equipment and training of medical personnel.

Mr Mustapha told State House correspondents that the new VIP wing is ”money well spent.”

The groundbreaking ceremony at the VIP wing was performed by the president’s chief of staff, Ibrahim Gambari, on November 1, 2021.

The VIP wing, a specialised and intensive care centre dedicated for the exclusive use of the president, vice-president and other VIPs, spans over 2,485m2 floor area on a suspended floor with a basement.

Politics

Bola Tinubu as President-elect stand, anyone who is aggrieved should proceed to court – President Buhari

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President Buhari has said that the declaration of APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu as President-elect stands and that anyone who is aggrieved with the outcome of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election, should proceed to the court, if they have the locus to do so. 

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement issued on Thursday, March 9,  titled “At the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, LDCs”, disclosed that President Buhari is against any plans to annul the elections which many have said was characterized by irregularities. 

According to Garba, President Buhari has said that he will not allow June 12, 1993, saga to repeat itself.

He pointed out that before the President’s trip to Doha for the UN Conference, there were calls for the cancellation of the elections but that he had always maintained that the outcome of the election will be accepted by his government and must stand. 

“In addition to other things, this trip, more than any other, speaks to the courage, political stamina and statesmanship with which the President has managed the affairs of the nation.

Before the trip, he was faced with orchestrated attempts to poison public opinion against national institutions, particularly the presidential election and its conduct by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as an institution, against which vile and unsubstantiated allegations were hurled.

The clear intent of this was creating an atmosphere of fear, polarising the public and demonising the administration of the President.

The wishful thinkers appeared to assume that the June 12, 1993, election crisis, the worst ever since the civil war could be recreated.

Those who sought to do this forgot what the President said at the palace of the Gbong-Gwon Jos, when he went to the city to inaugurate the Tinubu-Shettima campaign:  “this election will not be annulled; whoever is the winner will be president.

President Buhari not only muted himself, following the cacophony, he picked up international travel: Bola Tinubu’s election stands. If you are aggrieved, go to court.”

Politics

Kano APC Governorship Candidate Meets Buhari In Katsina

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The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State, Nasiru Gawuna, on Thursday, met with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in Daura, Katsina State.

This comes hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission postponed the governorship and state houses of assembly elections earlier scheduled for Saturday to March 18, 2023.

Buhari returned to Nigeria on Wednesday after a four-day trip to Doha, Qatar, where he participated in the fifth United Nations Conference.

Politics

Atiku, Obi, remember peace pledge you signed- President Buhari

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PRESIDENT BUHARI CONGRATULATES WINNER OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

President Muhammadu Buhari heartily congratulates the winner of the (2023) Presidential Election, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Reacting to the results just announced, President Buhari said;

“I congratulate His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory. Elected by the people, he is the best person for the job. I shall now work with him and his team to ensure an orderly handover of power.

“The election was Africa’s largest democratic exercise. In a region that has undergone backsliding and military coups in recent years, this election demonstrates democracy’s continued relevance and capability to deliver for the people it serves.

“Within Nigeria, the results reveal democracy’s ripening in our country. Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle. In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour. Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them. The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happens during a competitive election. Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned. Competition is good for our democracy. There is no doubt the people’s decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.

“That is not to say the exercise was without fault. For instance, there were technical problems with electronic transmission of the results. Of course, there will be areas that need work to bring further transparency and credibility to the voting procedure. However, none of the issues registered represent a challenge to the freeness and fairness of the elections.

“I know some politicians and candidates may not agree with this view. That too is fine. If any candidate believes they can prove the fraud they claim is committed against them, then bring forward the evidence. If they cannot, then we must conclude that the election was indeed the people’s will – no matter how hard that may be for the losers to accept. If they feel the need to challenge, please take it to the courts, not to the streets.

“However, to do the latter means they are not doing it in the interest of the people, but rather to inflame, to put people in harm’s way and all for personal, selfish gains.

“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly. I call on all candidates to remember the peace pledge they signed just days before the election. Do not undermine the credibility of INEC. Let us now move forward as one. The people have spoken.”

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)

March 1, 2023

Politics

Supreme Court fixes March 3 for ruling on states’ lawsuit against Buhari

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday scheduled judgement on the lawsuit filed by governors against the Buhari regime for March 3 over naira notes.

At least 17 states have joined a consolidated suit demanding the prohibition of President Muhammadu Buhari from suddenly implementing the redesign of the national currency.

The Supreme Court, after hearing from dozens of lawyers on both governors and federal government’s sides, said a judgement would be delivered on the matter next month.

The judgment date will be after the presidential election on February 25.

The court had previously issued an order saying the old notes should remain in circulation.

Arguments in today’s hearing focused on a contempt decision against Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, who had failed to implement the court’s decision for old notes to keep circulating until a substantive ruling on the matter.

The states, including Kaduna and Lagos, sued the Buhari regime earlier this month, arguing that implementing a change of banknotes at this time would hurt citizens.

Banks have not been able to make available new notes to Nigerians, which has caused economic hardships.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, which introduced the new notes on Mr Buhari’s directive, said it would try to make available the much-sought N500 and N1,000 notes.

Politics

Buhari attends last AU Summit as President

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday attended his last African Union (AU) Summit as Nigeria’s leader.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the President graced the event at the AU’s Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Nigerian leader departed Abuja on Thursday for Addis Ababa to participate in the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU.

The theme of the AU Summit is “Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.”

Buhari is participating in three high-level meetings on peace and security, climate change and the political situation in some West African countries.

He will deliver remarks at these events as well as present his National Statement at the opening session of the Summit, which brings together leaders from the AU member countries as well as a number of non-AU countries and international institutions accredited to the AU in Addis Ababa.

Politics, World News

Killers of 16 Nigerians in Burkina Faso will be punished — Buhari

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday said those who killed several travellers, including 16 Nigerians, in Burkina Faso will be “appropriately sanctioned.”

This was as he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, is engaging with the Burkinabe authorities to ensure that the soldiers who allegedly shot and killed the Muslim Pilgrims are prosecuted.

Buhari revealed this in a statement signed Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled ‘President Buhari calls killing of Nigerians in Burkina Faso unwelcome.’

At a news conference on Sunday in Abuja, the Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijaniyya of Nigeria revealed that 16 of its members were shot dead by the Burkinabe soldiers on patrol.

They were reportedly on their way to the home country of their leader, Sheikhul-islam Ibrahim Niasse in Senegal, when they met their untimely death.

The national secretary of the Islamic group, Sayyidi Yahaya, said that the Ansaruddeen members were “randomly selected and cold-bloodedly shot to death in a most horrendous display of bestiality,” after being stopped the Burkinabe soldiers.

Reacting to the incident on Monday, Buhari said he “received the tragic news of the murder of a number Nigerian Muslim pilgrims on their way to Kaolak, Senegal, when the buses conveying them came under gun attack in Burkina Faso.”

The President expressed his condolences and prayed for the safety of other Nigerians stranded there.

He also revealed that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Nigerian Embassy in Burkina Faso, is engaging with the Burkinabe authorities and awaits the outcome of their investigation of the unfortunate incident, and if necessary, to ensure that all culprits are appropriately sanctioned.”

Buhari added that the Nigerian Government will make every effort to secure the mortal remains of the deceased and the survivors of the attack

Politics

Buhari back in Abuja after Lagos, Senegal, Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Jigawa trips

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President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after visits to five states (Bauchi, Lagos, Katsina, Kano and Jigawa) in the country and a trip to Senegal.

Before departing for Lagos on January 23, Mr Buhari had attended APC rallies in Bauchi.

The president departed Lagos for Senegal on Tuesday after a two-day official visit to the state.

While in Lagos, the president inaugurated the Lekki Deep Sea Port, and the Imota Rice Mill projected to create more than 300,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Mr Buhari also inaugurated the Bestaf Lubricant at MRS Holdings Company Limited, Apapa, the historic first phase of the Blue Line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, and the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History on Tuesday.

The first phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line, taking a ride from the Marina Station to National Theatre Station, executed by the State Government, which spans 13km, has five stations – Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre and Marina.

The Nigerian leader arrived in Senegal on January 24, to attend the 2nd Dakar International Conference on Agriculture. The high-level Dakar second summit was hosted by President Macky Sall of Senegal and the Chairperson of the African Union.

The conference, which seeks to create favourable conditions for achieving food security in Africa, was convened jointly by the government of Senegal and the African Development Bank.

In his goodwill message to the Feed Africa Summit of Heads of State and Government on Wednesday in Dakar, Buhari welcomed the provision of 538.05 million Dollars for the first phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) for Nigeria programme.

The African Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development provided the facility.

Mr Buhari held a bilateral meeting with the president of Ireland, Michael Higgins, on the sideline of the Dakar conference on agriculture.

The Nigerian president, who returned to Nigeria on Wednesday night, embarked on another official visit to Katsina on Thursday.

While in Katsina, he inaugurated projects across the state and visited the Emir of Daura, Farouk Umar Farouk.

Mr Buhari inaugurated the Muhammadu Buhari Meteorological Institute undertaken by the Ministry of Aviation, the Darma Rice Mill in Batagarwa and the Katsina State General Hospital.

He also inspected ongoing work on the first flyover in Katsina, which had reached 90 per cent completion in the Government Reserved Area.

The president hosted the APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu at his country home Daura. Mr Buhari had on Monday, and Tuesday visited Kano and Jigawa, respectively. During his one-day official visit to Jigawa on Tuesday, the president visited four local government areas to inaugurate some projects, including the Hadejia Valley Irrigation Scheme at Auyo, Birnin Kudu Specialist Hospital, Malam Alu Integrated Agro-Allied Farm, Birnin Kudu, and the dualised Unity-Pentagon-Fanisau Road.

The president unveiled a 50.3 metres flag pole at the farm, described as the tallest in the country.

Before returning to Abuja on Tuesday evening, Mr Buhari also had an aerial view of some roads, infrastructure, bridges and places affected by the September flooding disaster, which affected many parts of Jigawa.

Politics

President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurates Lagos Blue Rail Line

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Tuesday inaugurated the first phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line.

This was as he joined other top government officials in a maiden ride from the Marina Station to National Theatre Station.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, revealed this in a statement he signed on Tuesday titled ‘President Buhari inaugurates Phase 1 of Lagos Blue Rail Line; takes train ride.’

Speaking at the event, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stated that the Line would accommodate about 25,000 passengers per hour, thereby reducing travel time, improve the quality of life of Lagosians, and make the state one of the most resilient mega-cities in Africa.

He added that the piece of infrastructure will position Lagos to compete favourably with other megacities globally.

The governor said;

“This iconic Marina Station would be the largest and busiest in Africa. It has the capacity to process about 450 passengers per minute, meaning that in an hour this station can process about 25,000 passengers.”

Sanwo-Olu also hinted that he would invite the President again to Lagos to commission the Red Line, which he described as a bigger rail corridor project compared with the Blue Rail Line.

The Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, said the Blue Line project owed its origin to the current presidential candidate of the APC and one-time Lagos Governor, Bola Tinubu.

According to him, Tinubu envisioned and laid the foundation for the project as governor.

He noted that the master plan has six rail lines and one monorail, 14 Bus Rapid Transit corridors, over 20 water routes, and several major roads.

“Talking about the Blue line without making a reference to the ground-breaking contributions of the presidential candidate of our great party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is like talking about the beach without the ocean.

“A visionary leader, Asiwaju Tinubu, pioneered the idea of the Lagos Blue Line and many other revolutionary initiatives.

“The Tinubu administration developed the Strategic Transport Master Plan, which laid out the foundation for a network of robust and modern transport infrastructure befitting a 21st century City-State, such as ours,” Hamzat said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, said the completion of Phase 1 of the project is a demonstration of the harmony in the bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Asian Tiger.

Thereafter, Buhari boarded the train alongside the Lagos State Governor, his Deputy, members of the Federal and State Executive Councils, members of the Federal and State Legislative Assemblies, the President of China Civil Engineering Construction Company, Chen Sichang; and journalists, among others.

The President also witnessed the signing of the contract for the construction of the second phase of the Lagos Blue Rail Line by the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Abimbola Akinajo, and the President of CCECC, Chen Sichang.

The first phase of the project executed by the State Government spans 13 kilometers.It has five stations; Mile 2, Suru-Alaba, Orile Iganmu, National Theatre, and Marina.Earlier, the President also inaugurated the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, after which he departed Lagos for Dakar, Senegal, to attend the high-level Dakar 2 Summit hosted by President Macky Sall of Senegal and the Chairperson of the African Union.

Politics

Buhari leaves Nigeria for Mauritania to receive peace award

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President Buhari will depart for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on Monday January 16, to receive the ‘Africa Award for Strengthening Peace’.

A statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, stated that the award would be conferred on the President for his leadership role in promoting peace on the continent through regular interventions, counsel and conciliatory position.

The presidential spokesperson noted that the award was instituted by the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum in 2014 to proffer new ways to embrace inclusive citizenship and promote peace.

He added that the President will address the Third Forum of the African Conference for Peace, where he will deliver a speech on the African Peace Process.

He said the President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Bashir Salihi Magashi; National Security Adviser, Mohammed Monguno; and Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

Politics

Buhari may sign 2023 budget Tuesday- Ahmed Lawan

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), will sign the 2023 appropriation bill on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.

Senate President Ahmed Lawan revealed this to journalists on Friday after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Senate President who arrived at the Villa minutes before 3:00 pm said he discussed Buhari’s recent additional loan request, the legislature’s support to the Independent National Electoral Commission ahead of the general elections, the 2023 appropriate bill and other national matters.

He said;

“We are looking forward to Mr President signing the Appropriation Bill 2023, by the grace of God, on Tuesday.

“This because we signed the documents yesterday, having lost some time because of some anomalous figures we had in the bill presented to the National Assembly.

“But thank God, the National Assembly, in both chambers, has passed the Appropriation Bill 2023 on Wednesday, and I’m sure that Mr. President and his team, on the executive side will work on what we have done. And the first thing on Tuesday, the first official working day of the year, I believe that Mr. President will be signing the Appropriation Bill 2023.”

He lamented that the National Assembly would have passed the bill a week earlier had it not been for irregularities spotted in the bill.

Explaining the delay, Lawan said;

“This year (delay) particularly, is because of the anomalous, very undesirable and unfortunate situation that we had to delay a little bit.”

He revealed that the Independent National Electoral Commission, “lacks nothing” and the National Assembly will support it to deliver credible elections.

Meanwhile, Senator Ali Ndume’s while reacting to the passage of the Budget on Channels TV Politics Today on Friday, said the Senate had been able to sustain the January to December budget circle.

He also said the 2022 supplementary budget presented by the President should have been included in the 2023 budget.Ndume said, “I think my position is very clear now to Nigerians. We kept our agreement on our part and that is returning Nigeria into the budget circle of January to December, but we just passed an extension of the time to implement the budget.

“That means the budget will be implemented in 15 months instead of 12 months. You passed the budget timely but the implementation is delayed. We had to now extend the budget by 90 days. We also had to pass a supplementary budget and that is another issue that I have a problem with.”

Lifestyle

Photos from President Buhari’s 80th birthday celebration in Abuja

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President Buhari turned 80 on Saturday, December 17.

He was in the US for the US-Africa summit when he celebrated his birthday.

However, members of his staff in the state house gathered to celebrate him, earlier today, December 19.

Present at the celebration were the SGF Mr. Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff Prof Ibrahim Gambari, Permanent Secretary State House, Alh Tijjani Umar, Commander President Guard Brigade, Brig General Muhammed Takuti Usman and Members of Presidential Guards.

Politics

Buhari approves upgrading of Aso Rock zoo

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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the remodeling and upgrading of the Presidential Wildlife Sanctuary (PWLS) to enhance the practice of conservation in the country.

This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, while receiving a delegation of wildlife experts from Zimbabwe to State House on Thursday, December 15.

The wildlife experts are on a week-long assessment tour of the PWLS, formerly known as the State House zoo.

Patience Tilley-Gyado, Assistant Director, Information, stated that Umar outlined the importance of safeguarding the wildlife in the seat of government for recreational purposes, rehabilitation, research and knowledge sharing during the meeting.

Politics

Buhari, Show You Are Not Bias Towards Any Ethnic Group — Ondo Council Of Obas.

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The traditional rulers were reacting to a statement credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, over an ultimatum Governor Rotimi Akeredolu gave to herdsmen to leave forest reserves in the state.

The Ondo State Council of Obas, on Thursday, called on the President Muhammadu Buhari to caution his aides who comment on security of the country.

The traditional rulers were reacting to a statement credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, over an ultimatum Governor Rotimi Akeredolu gave to herdsmen to leave forest reserves in the state.

In a communiqué issued and read by a former Chairman of the council and the Olukare of Ikareland, Oba Akadiri Momoh, at the end of a meeting in Akure, the monarchs said Akeredolu’s action was not to chase out the Fulani in the state but to save it from the activities of the bandits.

The monarchs said, “We are calling on President Buhari to show to the world that he is a father of all irrespective of ethnic affiliation as well as caution his aides to exercise restraints on issues that border on insecurity in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari

“The governors in the South-West region, the South-West caucus in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly should use constitutional means to rein in the rampaging criminals masquerading as herdsmen across the region.”

Akeredolu had on Monday ordered Fulani herdsmen to vacate all forest reserves in the state within seven days.

Apart from ejecting the herdsmen, the governor also banned underage grazing, night grazing, movement of cattle within the cities and highways.

He had said, “Today, we have taken major steps at addressing the root cause of kidnapping, in particular, and other nefarious activities detailed and documented in security reports, the press, and debriefings from victims of kidnap cases in Ondo State.

“As the chief law and security officer of the state, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the state. In light of the foregoing, the following orders are hereby issued: All forest reserves in the state are to be vacated by herdsmen within the next seven days with effect from today, Monday, January 18, 2021.”

Reacting to Akeredolu’s order, Shehu said the order could not stand because it is a violation of the constitution which gives citizens the right to choose where they wish to reside.

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