Buhari’s 43 Ministerial Nominees Sailed Through In Senate: Ready For Swearing In

July 30, 2019

The Senate has confirmed all the 43 ministerial nominees forwarded to it last week by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The upper legislative chamber confirmed the nominees today, 30 after concluding with the immediate past minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed; Saleh Mamman from Taraba State, and Sabo Nanono from Kano State.

Mohammed was asked to take a bow and go as he was the last person to be screened.

Below is a list of all confirmed nominees:

Ikechukwu Ogar – Abia

Mohammed Musa Bello – Adamawa

Godswill Akpabio – Akwa Ibom

Dr Chris Ngige – Anambra

Sharon Ipeazu – Anambra

Adamu Adamu – Bauchi

Maryam Katagum – Bauchi

Timipre Sylva – Bayelsa

George Akume – Benue

Mustapha Baba Shehuri – Borno

Godie Jerry Agba – Cross River

Festus Keyamo – Delta

Ogbonnaya Onu – Ebonyi

Osagie Ehinare – Edo

Clement Agba – Edo

Adeniyi Adebayo – Ekiti

Geoffrey Onyeama – Enugu

Ali Pantami – Gombe

Emeka Nwajuba – IMO

Sulaiman Adamu – Jigawa

Zainab Ahmed – Kaduna

Hadi Sirika – Katsina

Abubakar Malami – Kebbi

Sabo Nanono – Kano

Maj Gen Bashir Saleh – Kano

Ramatu Tijani – Kogi

Lai Mohammed – Kwara

Gbemisola Saraki – Kwara

Olorunnibe Mamowora – Lagos

Babatunde Fashola – Lagos

Subairu Dada – Niger

Olamilekan Adegbite – Ogun

Tayo Alasoadura – Ondo

Rauf Aregbesola – Osun

Sunday Dare – Oyo

Paulen Tallen – Plateau

Rotimi Amaechi – Rivers

Mohammed Maigeri Dengaji – Sokoto

Saleh Momoh – Taraba

Abubakar D Aliyu – Yobe

Aregbesola Promises To Introduce Different Taxes For Rich And Poor In Buhari’s Cabinet

Editorial staff

July 29, 2019

Former governor of Osun State, and ministerial nominee, Rauf Aregbesola, has made it clear that if he is cleared to be a member of the Federal Executive Council, he will initiate different taxes for both the rich and the poor in Nigeria

Aregbesola, who spoke today, July 29 as he was being screened by the Senate, said: “there’s a limitation to what we can do about multiple taxation at the federal level. But we can make the rich and the wealthy do the proper thing. I will create privileges tax for those who are wealthy and rich in Nigeria. I will advocate a just taxation system that will bridge the gap between the rich and the poor in the society.”

The former governor, in his response to a question from Senator Bashir Gasau (PDP-Zamfara), who asked him about what led to the reported inability of his government to pay workers for four years, described those carrying such information as “ignorant and mischievous.”

He said that the state under his stewardship just like others fell victim of economic recession in 2014, but was able to manage the situation with initial payment of half and full salaries depending on grade levels.

“On the issue of non-payment of salary, it is untrue that we didn’t pay salaries and this can be out of ignorance and mischief”.

“Just like other states in the country in 2014, Osun State felt impacts of the economic recession. But we were able to manage the situation. From July 2015 to July 2018, we paid full salary to all civil servants from levels 1 to 7, who constituted 72% of the workforce”.

“Within the same period of time, all levels 10 to 12 workers got 75% of their salaries, while from level 13 and above including all political office holders were paid 50%”.

“This was because we invested heavily in infrastructure. But today, we have cleared all that and my successor is doing his best in prompt payment of salary,” he said.

The nominee added that the measure was a temporary solution at the time as proffered by his economic team.

Source: NAN.

How I Uprooted Bukola Saraki From Kwara Politics, As smart As He Is – Oshiomhole

Editorial staff

July 29, 2019

The national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has beaten his chest, narrating how the immediate past Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was completely uprooted from Kwara State politics.

“Remember I was saying that Saraki must be removed; people would say how would I do it? I said okay if he resists removal then we would uproot him. We went to Kwara; we did Otoge and we uprooted Saraki…and you cannot commend me for this? You know who Saraki is?

“If you are talking of the smartest political player, seasoned smart guy, he is. But for every smartness he has, I have a superior smartness. At the end of the day who won?”

Oshiomhole, who spoke to news men today, July 29 shortly after a private audience with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, stressed: “we uprooted him as senate President, we uprooted him as senator, we uprooted his nominee for governor, and senators; we put our own. Today, he doesn’t have one senator in Kwara; he doesn’t have one House of Representative in Kwara. Everything in Kwara is APC and you can’t commend me for that? If you don’t then I will be like lizard – I will praise myself if you, the state house correspondents don’t praise me.”

The APC boss made a jest of Nigerians who are criticizing President Buhari’s ministerial nominees and saying that most are enjoying political patronage but not credibility, asking: “how credible are some of those who are talking? The point is that I don’t know if there is a Nigerian who knows every Nigerian. Even as I can say that I have worked for Nigerian people at all levels; as a worker in a factory, as President of the NLC, as governor of a state and now as a national chairman of a party, there are too many Nigerians I will never be able to know.

“The screening process (for the ministerial nominees) is meant to enable those watching; it is not for nothing that it is televised. It is to enable Nigerians see who these people are. But you will find that people started dismissing the list even before the saw it, just like some other things that Nigerians dismiss without knowing the meaning.

“So, what you and I should insist on is that in the president’s second term, in this next level, our party, our government at the center, state and local government level must deliver. That is the entry point for every Nigerian.

“And when you talk of patronage, should we appoint…have you heard of Americans pointing Russians because they are experts to go and preside over their MDAs? Even in your newspapers do you invite me as APC chairman to come and write your editorial?

“Patronage can be positive or negative but if there is one man who has shown the capacity to patronize all including where he did not win election, it is President Muhammadu Buhari. Otherwise, where we got less than five percent, I saw two ministers coming from that state, inspite of the fact that he got less than five percent there. That speaks volumes about a large heart, to accommodate, appreciate and to have an all inclusive government.

“I am very optimistic that these ministers coming all of us working together, the party, the executive which the ministers belong and the National Assembly where we have overwhelming majority, we have what it takes to take Nigeria to the next level and the next level we are going there.”

INEC Shocks Atiku, PDP: Closes Cases Without Inviting Witnesses At Electoral Tribunal

Editorial staff

July 29, 2019

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its Presidential candidate in the February 23 Presidential election as it closed its defence without inviting any witness in its favour at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital.

Counsel to the Commission, Yunus Usman (SAN), said in his oral application today, July 29 at the Tribunal: “my Lords, we will not be calling any witnesses to defend the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against conduct of February 23 election that re-elected Muhammadu Buhari as President”.

“Our client will instead rely on the evidence it obtained from the petitioners’ witnesses under cross examination. There is no need calling witnesses to help the petitioners’ case as doing so would have negated INEC’s stance as impartial umpire.”

The five-man panel headed by Justice Mohammed Garba gave the Commission six days to produce defence for the allegations made by the petitioners on the conduct of the presidential election.

Following this development, the tribunal adjourned until July 30 for the second respondent (Buhari) to open his defence.

INEC, Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) had early tried to deflate all the issues canvassed by the petitioners at separate cross examinations of the 65 witnesses that testified on their behalf.

The respondents on July 15 described the 48 Compact Discs evidence tendered by the petitioners as lacking in probative value and therefore challenged their admissibility.

Recall that four of the video clips played in the court hall included “Count down of Osun Decides’’, a production of Channels Television with Seun Akinboloye as host.

In the above production dated Feb.8, Mr Mike Igini, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom had talked about the readiness of the electoral body to transmit the Feb.23 general election electronically.

The second video was a clip of the postponement of the general election by INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood.

The third video was a clip of AFEX Nigeria training of INEC Ad-hoc staff on electronic result transmission.

Similarly, the briefing by the Nigerian Army authority on the status of Buhari’s alleged certificate saga completed the four materials shown in court.

INEC’s counsel had said that all the video clips tendered by the petitioners related to the commission’s activity before the election.

Usman had alleged such videos had no nexus with the activities that happened during the conduct of the election.

He also made the witnesses at various points to confirm that the chairman of the electoral body only expressed the hope of the commission to transmit results of the general election electronically, but that it was not actually done.

He also said that no officials of the commission except the chairman’s express permission had the statutory right to speak on behalf of the body.

On his part, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, counsel for the president at various times of his cross examination of the petitioners’ witnesses clearly established from them that Buhari had his WAEC result.

The respondents had on July 16 further attempted to dislocate the petitioner’s video clip evidence on the allegation that INEC had concluded decision to transmit the election’s result electronically.

To this end, Dr Alex Izinyon, SAN, Counsel for the president, tendered a Channels Television video of INEC’s chairman where he specifically said that the result from the Feb.23 general election would not be transmitted to the commission’s central server.

Chief Chris Uche, SAN, Counsel for the petitioners had on July 15 led a star witness, Mr Segun Showunmi to tender the 48 Compact Discs evidence to substantial their claims.

Counsel for the respondents had also claimed that the petitioners’ 33, 234 documentary evidence placed before the tribunal were “mere papers’’ bearing no convincing contents.

Source: NAN.

London Police To Pay £2,500 To Nigerian Who Described Islam As Aberration

Greenbarge Reporters

July 28, 2019

The London Metropolitan Police have agreed to pay the sum of £2,500 to a Nigerian street Christian preacher, Oluwole Ilesanmi, who preached on the street of London against Islam, as compensation for wrongful arrest humiliation and distressing treatment.

The 64 year old Ilesanmi was accused of Islamophobia, describing Islam as aberration on the street outside Southgate Tube station in London in February. The preacher was handcuffed and driven four miles away by police before his release.

The preacher admitted that he actually referred to Islam as an ‘aberration’ but said that he was just expressing his point of view as a Christian rather than denigrating Muslims.

The street preacher, who is a dentist by profession, was arrested by the London police following complain by passers-by who accused him of hate-speech.

His encounter with the police was recorded in a viral video. In the video, a policeman took his Bible away even as one of the police officers charged him for disturbing the peace.

“No one wants to hear that. They want you to go away,” the officer said.

But, the UK police have refused to apologize for taking him away from the tube station where he was arrested.

A Metro spokesman said: “the Metropolitan respects and upholds the rights of all individuals to practise freedom of speech, and this includes street preachers of all religions and backgrounds.

“However, if the language someone uses is perceived as being a potential hate crime, it is only right that we investigate. In this case, it was deemed appropriate to remove the man from the area.”

Source: The Mail on Sunday.

Kogi 2019: PDP Sells Governorship Ticket For N21 Million

Greenbarge Reporters

July 28, 2019

Ahead of the forthcoming elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has fixed N21 Million for the purchase of its governorship ticket.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the party fixed the price today, July 29, at the end of its meeting at the party’s headquarters in Abuja. It said that the nomination fee is N20 Million while expression of interest form goes for N1 Million.

Speaking after the meeting, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the party decided to increase the price of forms because the cost of conducting primary election is very high.

He assured that the party would conduct a free, fair and credible primary in Bayelsa and Kogi states to produce credible candidates in the coming months.

“The return of expression of interest/nomination forms would commence on Monday, June 24 and close on Wednesday, July 24 at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.”

Also, a document signed by PDP National Organizing Secretary, retired Colonel Austin Akobundu said that sales and return of expression of interest/nomination forms commenced on June 24 and closed on July 24 at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

PDP had sold its presidential nomination and expression of interest form for the 2019 presidential election at N2 million and N10 million respectively making a total of N12 million, while that of governorship was sold for N1 million and N5 million, making a total of N6 million.

Buhari Angry Over Boko Haram Attack In Maiduguri, Vows To End Terrorism

Editorial staff

July 28, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his anger over, and strongly condemned the attack by members of the proscribed Boko Haram, on a funeral procession in Maiduguri, Borno State, causing the death of tens of mourners.

A statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu said that the President has directed Air Force and ground operation army to move swiftly to hunt down the attackers with air patrols.

“The President has received assurances from the armed forces that the terrorists who committed these killings will pay a big price for their action.

“The Federal Government is firmly and resolutely committed to taking all necessary measures to safeguard the nation’s security. This administration is determined to end the menace of terrorism.”

The President assured the residents of Maiduguri and the citizens who settled in IDP camps that they will receive increased protection against further attacks.

Shiites Vow To Appeal Proscription, Admit They Are Not Registered

Editorial staff

July 28, 2019

Supporters of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky have vowed to appeal the order of the Federal Court that handed down the proscription of the Islamic movement in Nigeria, as soon as their lawyers are ready, even as they admitted that being a religious minority group, they in the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) are not registered.

They described the proscription of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria as the plan of a foreign Arab government which works very closely with some dubious and unpatriotic Nigerians, adding that the court’s order sponsored by the Nigerian government is alien to Nigeria which is a country with different religions, cultures, and ethnic groups.

Supporters of El-Zakzaky were reacting to the order issued by a Federal High in Abuja banning the Islamic Movement in Nigeria and designating it as a terrorist group.

El-Zakzaky supporters called on the Nigerian President to uphold the Nigerian constitution even as they vowed to continue their normal religious activities.

Meanwhile, a Kaduna State High Court is due to sit tomorrow, July 29, to decide on the application for medical bail filed by El-Zakzaky’s lawyers. If granted, the Islamic Cleric will travel abroad for medical treatment.

Buhari Sets Up National Action Committee On African Continental Free Trade Implementation

Editorial staff

July 28, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved establishment of a National Action Committee (NAC) for implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which he signed on behalf of Nigeria at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the African Union Heads of State on July 7 in Niamey, Republic of Niger.

A statement today, July 28 by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said that the Action Committee will be made up of representatives of Ministries and Agencies with competent and relevant jurisdiction, and selected stakeholder groups from the private sector and the civil society to coordinate the implementation of all the AfCFTA readiness interventions.

The statement said that the Committee (NAC) will upon inauguration, undertake a process of engagement with stakeholders to sensitize them on the opportunities and challenges of the AfCFTA, with preparedness plans for Nigerian economy.

The statement reads:

Upon ratification, Nigeria will domesticate the Agreement by incorporating it into existing laws or enacting new laws, as appropriate. Engagement shall shortly start with the Ninth National Assembly.

President Buhari had approved recommendations of the Committee on Impact and Readiness Assessment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The Committee, which was inaugurated by the President in October 2018, submitted its report on 27 June 2019.

The Report of the Presidential Committee was comprehensive, analytic with the full engagement of Stakeholders in the Nigerian economy. The work of the AfCFTA Presidential Committee was preceded by a nation-wide sensitization process directed by Mr. President.

The Report and consultative process raised the bar in engagement by Government with Stakeholders and set a standard for building support for strategic areas of public policy with clarity on concrete parameters for implementation action.

The AfCFTA Agreement, which creates a single market for goods and services and movement of persons to increase intra-African trade and deepen African economic integration, has Phase I and Phase II negotiations.

The Phase I negotiations culminated in the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA, the Protocol on Trade in Goods; Protocol on Trade in Services; and, the Protocol on the Rules and Procedures on the Settlement of Disputes. These were adopted by the African Union Heads of State in Kigali on 21st March 2018. The Phase II negotiations are expected to commence in January 2020 and will cover competition, investment and intellectual property rights.

The recommendations approved by President Buhari include: signature and ratification of the AfCFTA Agreement; engaging in the ongoing negotiations of the annexures of the Agreement to incorporate safeguards for the economy, such as: a longer period to achieve AfCFTA’s trade liberalization ambition; common exclusive and sensitive lists for ECOWAS; import quotas for exclusive and sensitive products; security and customs cooperation and other measures to tackle smuggling, non-tariff barriers to trade and predatory trade practices.

The President approved sustaining the trade reforms at ECOWAS including the establishment of a common trade policy, improving the operation and welfare gains from the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and establishment of an ECOWAS peer review and audit mechanism; and establishing and championing programmes at AU/AfCFTA to resolve the critical continental level challenges to the success of the AfCFTA including smuggling, abuse of rules of origin, low production and service capacities, poor infrastructure and revenue loss.

On the list of the President’s approval are: fast-tracking domestic work, for the implementation of AfCFTA readiness interventions to enhance productivity, competitiveness and facilitate trade which include policies to grow local capacity to produce and export goods and services; infrastructure projects, trade facilitation, ease of doing business and trade rules enforcement initiatives. And support, actively, Micro- Small and Medium Enterprises.

Following the signing of the Agreement, Nigeria plans to participate in the ongoing negotiations on the annexures of Phase I agreement and protocols to incorporate the above safeguards approved by the President. For Trade-in-Goods Protocol, the annexures will include schedule of tariff concessions; rules of origin; customs cooperation and mutual administrative assistance; trade facilitation; transit trade and transit facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, non-tariff barriers and trade remedies, for the protocol on trade in goods.

For Trade-in-Services Protocol, the annexures will include schedules of specific commitments, Most Favoured Nation (MFN) exemption and the annex on air transport.

Overall, the implementation of the AfCFTA is going to be a long journey. The Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to ensuring that Africa achieves a free and fair trade environment governed by rules that are predictable, enforceable, and in line with the intent and objectives of our continent which are growth, through increased intra-African trade, job creation and improved terms of trade in a rapidly changing global economy.

Group Rises To Defend Ministerial Nominee Against Malicious Media Reports, Asks Senate To Ignore Them

Editorial staff

July 28, 2019

A group calling itself Grassroots Youth for Change in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Senate to ignore what it described as “malicious media reports” against former Group General Manager (GGM), Crude Oil Marketing Division (OMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and minister-nominee, Goddy Jeddy-Agba, saying he was a victim of unsubstantiated allegations.

National Coordinator of the group, Orlu Henry Manuchimso said, in a statement in Abuja today, July 28, that the allegation that Jeddy-Agba aided Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke in shady deals, including the multi-billion dollar oil-for fuel swap deal, was a calculated campaign of calumny aimed at discounting Jeddy-Agba’s chances of scaling Senate’s screening and confirmation hearing.

“The allegations of corruption and the claim that Mr. Goddy Jeddy-Agba is not medically fit are idle narratives and unnecessary distractions for which the Senate should not fall. Whereas they are aimed at discounting his chances of scaling the screening and confirmation hearing by the Senate, the allegations represent unconscionable attempts to tar a solid reputation built over several years of committed service to the fatherland with a brush of malfeasance.

“The masterminds of the reports should have known that the Presidency and the security agencies must have taken the nomination of Mr. Goddy Jeddy-Agba through due diligence checks before forwarding his name as President Muhammadu Buhari’s minister-nominee to the Senate for screening and confirmation hearing. If anything untoward had been uncovered in the process, he would not have been nominated.

“Mr. Jeddy-Agba’s nomination is, thus, the clearest indication yet that no security reports and outcomes of any quiet investigations, whether now or in the past, have indicted him of being complicit in any shady deal while he worked for the NNPC.

“Besides, the media reports have created the erroneous impression that the anti-graft agencies were probably not up and doing in their job for purportedly failing to establish Mr. Jeddy-Agab’s links with their (media reports’) alleged large-scale corruption on Diezani’s watch as Minister of Petroleum.

“As a group that is committed to the promotion of equity and fairness within the APC, we are concerned that one of our illustrious party leaders in Cross River State, whose nomination enjoys the approbation and commendation of the entire State, including members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, is being unjustifiably and maliciously clobbered in the media by some vested interests whose objective is parochial and primordial.

“It is a matter of judicial records that in all the corruption cases filed by the Federal Government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, there is none in which Mr. Goddy Jeddy-Agba has been listed as a party whether separately or jointly with her.

“To suggest or insinuate him into corrupt acts or shady deals in the manner in which some media reports have done because of his nomination for the position of minister and because he was privileged to work at the time he did for the NNPC, without substantiation beyond reasonable doubt before a court of competent jurisdiction, is malicious and ungodly.

“Nigerians, including the Senate, are interested in facts and not fictions. As long as the allegations remain unsubstantiated, we urge the Senate to discountenance them and proceed to screen and confirm Mr. Goddy Jeddy-Agba as a fit and proper person to step into the position of minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The APC youth group also described the reference to Jeddy-Agba’s health as an extreme malice, pointing out that while the issue of medical status of public officers in Nigeria enjoys the confidentiality of doctor-patient’s relationship, it is not appropriate, in that context, for anyone to make a magisterial declaration that borders on the fitness or otherwise of any potential or serving public officer.

“While we are not competent to pronounce on his health issues, as everybody has one health issue or another, we declare that Mr. Jeddy-Agba’s dispositions indicate he is medically and mentally fit.

“We hereby call on the Senate to observe very closely Mr. Jeddy-Agba’s gait, composure, response time and coherence of answers to questions during his screening as we believe this will assist it in confirming his mental alertness which will countervail claims of any health issues that have not, in fact, incapacitated him.”

1...9991,0001,001...2,501 Page 1,000 of 2,501