Why I Abandoned Buhari, Buba Galadima Gives Hints, Says He’s Not PDP Member

July 8, 2019

Former political ally and confidant of President Muhammadu Buhari, Buba Galadima has given reasons why he abandoned his political leader even as he made it clear that even though he supports the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 elections but that he has never been a member of the PDP.

Buba Galadima who testified against President Buhari at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja today, July, 8, said that he parted ways with Buhari because he (Buhari) failed to protect lives and properties of citizens and did not allow the rule of law to prevail.

Under cross examination by Buhari’s counsel, Chief Olanipekun, Buba Galadima admitted that he supported Buhari in the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 presidential elections but parted ways with him due to Buhari’s alleged unfulfilled promises on governance to Nigerians.

He denied the fact that he parted ways with Buhari because he was denied certain privileges when Buhari assumed office after winning the 2015 election, even as he said that he supported Atiku in the 2019 election because he was a better candidate who is educated, God-fearing and capable of providing good governance in the country.

And under cross examination by the APC counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, Galadima, Buba Galadima told the tribunal that he has never been a member of the PDP but that his factional party – Reformed All Progressives Congress (RAPC) had a Memorandum of Understanding with Atiku and PDP on how to make life bearable for Nigerians, ensure security of life and property and allow the rule of law to prevail.

Oba Of Lagos, Akiolu Insists That Obasanjo Is Number One Problem Of Nigeria

Editorial staff

July 8, 2019

“The problem we are having in this country is this, and I will continue to say it that the number one problem of Nigeria is Obasanjo (former Nigeria’s President, Olusegun Obasanjo).”

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, made this pronouncement today, July 8 at the public presentation of Chief Olusegun Osoba’s autobiography titled: “Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics,” Osoba is one of the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southwest.

The public presentation was held at the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos and was attended by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Deputy Speaker, House of Reps Ibrahim Wase; APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu; governors in the South West, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, former governors, ministers, diplomats, traditional rulers, among others.

Oba Akiolu made reference to a section of the Osoba’s book where he (Osoba) said that Obasanjo deceived the then governors of the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere. The traditional ruler said he had always believed that the former president was deceptive.

Source: Punch

Osinbajo Says The Only Ideology Of Boko Haram, ISWAP, Others Is Pure Hatred

Editorial staff

July 8, 2019

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has identified the only ideology of Boko Haram, the Islamic State (ISIS), Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and many Salafist-Jihadist as hatred for anybody that does not belong to their particular sect.

He said that these deadly groups have no redressible grievances and theredore there are no terms of reference for peace.

Speaking at the presentation today, July 8, of Chief Olusegun Osoba’s Memoir, titled: “Battle Line: Adventure in Journalism And Politics,” Professor Osinbajo said: “they are fanatics committed to a twisted creed. They exploit the ignorance of the tenets of Islam, poverty and exclusion, recruit men and women and use children to perpetuate the most heinous atrocities.
“They are motivated by a satanic desire to control communities by murder and terror. Whether it is in Iraq, Borno or Syria, their victims are men, women and children, Muslim or Christians, so long as they do not share their sick ideology. They target churches, mosques, markets and motor parks, where people gather, using children as human bombs to kill randomly, regardless of tribe or faith.
“I have seen the charred bodies of the dead men, women, children killed by suicide bombers in Gombe, Borno and Kano. The bombs are the ultimate agnostic destroyers, no discrimination in death.”

Vice President Osinbajo said that attempts by the political elite to delegitimize the government by the suggestions that it promotes insurgency are dangerous mainly because they help the insurgents by weakening the opposition to them.
He warned that all forms of insurgencies are evils that must be seen as the common enemy of all faiths, including Islam, quoting President Buhari who once said: “anyone who says Allahu Akbar and goes on to kill is either insane or dangerously ignorant of the tenets of Islam.”
Professor Osinajo said that the challenge for us is to recognize the religious extremism for what it is and to form alliances across faiths and ethnicities, “to destroy an evil that confronts us all. “Every evil that confronts our nation and our people can be defeated by the power of unity; a recognition that we are stronger together than apart.”
Speaking on the subject of the book presentation, the Vice President said that Chief Osoba’s life and times speaks most eloquently to the power of building bridges, finding common ground, and resisting divisive narratives, especially in a country as diverse as Nigeria; a country where it is extremely easy to find reasons to languish in stereotypes and suspicions, where far too many of us by default, lapse into ethnic camps.
“Virtually every major actor in the Nigerian story over the last six decades shows up in the pages of Chief Osoba’s book. He tells us and I quote from page 177 of the book, “There was no nightclub I did not visit with the likes of Babangida, Ike Nwachukwu, Air Marshal Abass, Air Marshal Bello and Sam Amuka, Moses Gowon, Fela Marsh, Alhaji Usman Nagogo, Ciroma Minna, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and Isyaku Ibrahim. We tagged Isyaku Ibrahim as the Godfather of our social circle of the era.”
“Well, while I do not recommend night clubs, we must never underestimate the significance of interaction, and a willingness to understand the other person’s point of view.”

Nigeria Is ‘Oliver Twist, ‘ Will Continue To Ask For More, Buhari Tells IDB

Editorial staff

July 8, 2019

President Buhari holds a bilateral meeting with Dr. Mansur Muhtar, Vice President, Islamic Development Bank (IDB) at the sidelines of the 12th Extra-Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government on 7th July 2019 | State House photo

President Muhammadu Buhari has told Islamic Development Bank that despite the huge assistance it had rendered, Nigeria, like Oliver Twist, will continue to ask for more.

He said that with a growing population and infrastructure deficit, no amount of money is too much to revamp the country’s development challenges.

‘‘We need all the support we can get on infrastructure because the oil will not last forever,’’ President Buhari told Dr. Mansur Muhtar, Vice President, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), during a bilateral meeting on the margins of the AU Summit in Niamey, the Republic of Niger.

President Buhari thanked the IDB for ongoing interventions in agriculture, trade and investment, rural development and food security in Nigeria, noting that the county will appreciate more support in other critical sectors.

Dr. Muhtar commended Nigeria for signing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, saying it was good the country is now on board the trade deal.

While congratulating President Buhari on a successful outing at the AU Summit, the IDB Vice President pledged the Bank’s continued support to development efforts in the country

He said the President of the IDB would like to visit Nigeria to commission the Bank’s new office, adding that Nigeria is a regional hub for the Islamic Development Bank Group

Buhari Approved N350 Billion To Pay Exporters Debt That Piled Up For Years -Awolowo

Editorial staff

July 7, 2019

The Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Segun Awolowo, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a total of N350 billion to pay Nigerian exporters which the federal government owed them over the years.

“I thank him (President Buhari) that we have paid the backlog on the export expansion grant; that is an incentive that we give to exporters. We owed them for several years but we have reversed the whole system and the President approved N350 billion to pay them.”

Segun Awolowo, who spoke to news men at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly after a private audience with President Buhari at the weekend, said that the President was very pleased with the situation and had promised to give continuous support for export.

He said that already, the National Assembly has appropriated and approved N190 billion out of the total amount the President approved, adding: “we are paying it through the Debt Management Office (DMO). They will get certificate which they will use to cover their loans, debts, pay AMCORN and pay taxes as well.”

He described Buhari government as the one that has been doing more with less revenue, saying: ´that really is the message I want to get across.”

Awolowo said that he briefed the President on the zero oil implementation plans, the setting up of national committee on export promotion by NEC, chaired by the governor of Jigawa State and how to diversify the economy.

“What we hope to achieve is to raise more revenue for Nigeria from other sources. You know 90 percent of our revenue is from oil and we cannot survive. Even though oil prices are rising a bit because of Iran, there is problem there. But we we should not rest on our oars because, those days of $140 per barrel is gone forever. So we have to look inwards and produce more.

“The zero oil plan is about raising production and productivity, we identified 22 sectors where we can earn foreign exchange apart from oil. We are hoping that in the next 10-15 years we will be able to raise $150 billion from sources outside oil. That is what we are working on and we are galvanizing the whole states behind us in other to raise production and productivity. We are working with the relevant MDAs to achieve this. You know the CBN just announced an initiative on five of our products and giving them low interest rates to farm and raise production.”

Segun Awolowo named one of the sectors as cocoa, which he said is an immediate win for Nigeria because, it has been the number one none oil revenue making.

But we are on less than 300,000 metric tons, Ghana is heading to 900,000, Cote d’ Ivoire almost two million metric. So, how do we compete? Meanwhile if you see the landmass in Nigeria, you can imagine what we can do. Another sector is sheanut, cashew is another breadwinner for us, so let’s raise production, let’s give our farmers, plantations low interest loan so that they can raise production for us. We are also looking at value addition for all because that is the way you create jobs; we cannot continue to sell the raw materials.

I was happy to present to Mr. President some tomatoes and Bell peppers from a green house in Benin, I also presented him Casanovas, which is cassava chips which a cottage industry is producing in Idu Industrial Estate, that is already being exported to Germany. And that is the future for Nigeria. We are about to enter into African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which is the biggest in the world, we don’t want to be a dumping ground and that is why Mr. President refused signing until we are ready. We must be competitive, we must produce more, and we must help our manufacturers get into this market.”

On packaging and substandard products, he said: “our products are no longer substandard and we are exporting all over West Africa and Inter-land Africa. We have a few challenges here and there but I always tell people, the journey of processing raw materials to producing goods is not going to happen overnight. We are going to have rejects but we will not succumb to them. Our packaging is improving and we are even packaging and labeling in different languages so we can get into those markets, particularly when Africa opens up for us now. For instance, you know we use to send our goods to west African countries but you know we are surrounded by francophone countries and we don’t even label our products in French but now we are not even doing that.

“All the products you mentioned are farm produce and we have problems with storage, is there a plan for a policy to ensure standard storage facility?

“To avoid wastage, we don’t have wastage with cashew because we are moving them through the ports and you are aware government has declared a state of emergency on Apapa Port. But in storage we are looking at aggregation centers and it is part of the zero oil plan. The Nigerian Export Promotion Council have put two giant aggregators in place so that we can process in those. Processing is very important for us, if we are able to do that we will be exporting all those things.”

Court Begins Process Of Investigating Payments To Electricity Contractors From Obj Era

Editorial staff

July 7, 2019

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has started the process of investigation into the payments and companies for electricity generation in Nigeria from the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, through late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.

In a landmark judgment today, July 7, Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor, a Professor of Law, ordered the “immediate release of details of payments to all defaulting and allegedly corrupt electricity contractors and companies

The judgment came from a Freedom of Information suit number FHC/L/CS/105/19, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

Justice Obiozor also ordered: “the full disclosure and publication of the names of companies and the whereabouts of the contractors paid by successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999 to carry out electricity projects across the country but disappeared with the money without executing any projects.”

In a statement, SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said that the details ordered by the court to be disclosed and published on a dedicated website and widely, include information on: “specific names and details about contractors and companies paid by each government, the total amounts paid by each government and the objects for the payments, the level of implementation of electricity projects, as well as details and specific locations of projects executed across the country by each government since 1999.”

The court also ruled in the suit brought against the Federal Government and the Ministry of Power, that: “the failure by the government of President Muhammadu to provide SERAP with the details of payments made to contractors by each government since 1999 is a breach of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.”

The court also ordered the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently disclose if there is an ongoing investigation or prosecution of contractors and companies paid by successive governments since 1999 to carry out electricity projects but failed to execute the projects for which public funds were collected.”

Justice Obiozor in his judgment granted the following reliefs:

A DECLARATION is hereby made that the failure and/or refusal of the Respondent [Federal Government/Ministry of Power] to provide SERAP with documents and information containing the specific names and details of contractors and companies that have been engaged in the power sector by successive governments since 1999, details, of specific projects and the amounts that have been paid to the contractors and companies, details on the level of implementation of electricity projects and their specific locations across the country, and failure to widely publish it on a dedicated website, any of such information, amounts to a breach of the obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2011

A DECLARATION is hereby made that the failure and/or refusal of the Respondent [Federal Government/Ministry of Power] to provide SERAP with specific documents and information containing the specific names and details of contractors and companies that allegedly collected money for electricity projects from successive governments since 1999 but failed to execute any of such projects, and failure to widely publish it on a dedicated website, any of such information, amounts to a breach of the Respondent’s responsibility/obligation under the Freedom of Information Act 2011

AN ORDER OF MANDAMUS is made directing and compelling the Respondent [Federal Government/Ministry of Power] to urgently compile and make available to SERAP documents and information containing the specific names and details of contactors and companies that have been engaged in the power sector by successive governments since the return of democracy in 1999 to date, details of specific projects and the amounts that have been paid to the contracts and companies, details on the level of implementation of electricity projects and their specific locations across the country and to publish widely including on a dedicated website, any of such information

A DECLARATION is hereby made that the failure and/or refusal of the Respondent [Federal Government/Ministry of Power] to urgently disclose if there is an ongoing investigation or prosecution of allegedly corrupt contractors and companies in the electricity sector, amounts to a breach of the Respondent’s responsibility/obligation under the Freedom of Information Act 2011.

We Must Take Advantage Of African Free Trade To Create Jobs – Buhari

Editorial staff

July 7, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on African leaders to take the advantage of the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to develop African economies and create jobs for Africans.

The President insisted that “as African leaders, our attention should now focus on implementing the AfCFTA in a way that develops our economies and creates jobs for our young, dynamic and hardworking population.

‘‘I wish to assure you that Nigeria shall sustain its strong leadership role in Africa, in the implementation of the AfCFTA. We shall also continue to engage, constructively with all African countries to build the Africa that we want.”

The Nigerian leader, who spoke today in Niamey, Republic of Niger after formally signing the Agreement to take Nigeria into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warned however that free trade must be made to be truly fair trade.

President Buhari appended his signature to the treaty at exactly in the presence of other African Heads of State and Government, delegates and representatives from the private sector, civil society and the media attending the 12^th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union on Launch of the Operational Phase of the AfCFTA.

The President declared that Nigeria’s commitment to trade and African integration have never been in doubt nor was it ever under threat.

He told the Summit that Nigeria will build on the event by proceeding expeditiously with the ratification of the AfCFTA.

“I have just had the honour of signing the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), on behalf of my country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This is coming over a year since the AfCFTA Agreement was opened for signature in Kigali, Rwanda, at the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union, on 21st March 2018.

“In fact, you will recall that the treaty establishing the African Economic Community was signed in Abuja in 1991.

“We fully understand the potential of the AfCFTA to transform trade in Africa and contribute towards solving some of the continent’s challenges, whether security, economic or corruption.

“But it is also clear to us that for AfCFTA to succeed, we need the full support and buy-in of our private sector and civil society stakeholders and the public in general.

“It is against this background that we embarked on an extensive nationwide consultation and sensitization programme of our domestic stakeholders on the AfCFTA.

“Our consultations and assessments reaffirmed that the AfCFTA can be a platform for African manufacturers of goods and providers of service to construct regional value chains for made in Africa goods and services.

“It was also obvious that we have a lot of work to do to prepare our nation to achieve our vision for intra-African trade which is the free movement of ‘made in Africa goods’

“Some of the critical challenges that we identified will require our collective action as a Union and we will be presenting them for consideration at the appropriate AfCFTA fora.

“Examples are tackling injurious trade practices by third parties and attracting the investment we need to grow local manufacturing and service capacities.”

President Buhari said that Nigeria’s signing of the AfCFTA and its Operational Launch at the 12th Extraordinary Summit was an additional major step forward on the AU’s Agenda 2063.

Meanwhile, with Nigeria and Benin Republic signing the Agreement at the Summit, 54 out of 55 African countries have signed the world’s largest free trade area deal, encompassing 55 countries and 1.2 billion people.

Eritrea is the only African country yet to sign the agreement.

A total of 26 African countries have deposited instruments of ratification, with Gabon being the latest after depositing her instrument of ratification during the Extraordinary Summit.

The AfCFTA Agreement came into force on May 30, 2019 thirty days after having received the twenty-second instrument of ratification on 29 April, 2019 in conformity with legal provision.

Senate President Reads Riot Act To Buhari’s Incoming Ministers, Appointees

Editorial staff

July 7, 2019

Senate President Ahmed Lawan has read riot act to incoming ministers and other appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari in the performance in the oversight functions of the National Assembly.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit on the All Progressives Congress National (APC) leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in his Lagos residence today, July 7, the Senate President said that performing parliamentary oversight functions well would keep every appointee of the government on his or her toes.

“Whoever is given a job must do it well. We will perform our job not to create hostility or engender rancour in the relationship between the National Assembly and the Executive. But to create synergy. Synergy will help us deliver our respective services to the people.”

He assured Nigerians that President Buhari and the government would get every possible support from the National Assembly.

Promising to run a bi-partisan and united Senate, Lawan said the senators had already formed some ideas about what it wanted to do and how they would operate, which would be through cooperation and collaboration with all necessary institutions and agencies.

The Senate President thanked Asiwaju Tinubu and the APC for ensuring the emergence of a united leadership of the National Assembly.

Receiving the Senate president and his team, Asiwaju Tinubu said that the determination of the National Assembly to perform their functions dispassionately is commendable, even as he commended Lawan on his resolve to run a bi-partisan Senate.

Muslim Hajj Commission Boils In Crisis Over Tenure Elongation For Board Members

Editorial staff

July 7, 2019

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON is believed to be in the heat of crisis following the extension by six months, of the tenure of the Commission’s Board, headed by Barrister Abdullah Mukhtar as chairman/Chief Executive.

Our findings showed a memo from the Presidency granting the team extension of tenure. The letter extending the tenure emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

A source in NAHCON said that the current chairman was first appointed into the commission in 2011, as Executive Commissioner in charge of Operations.

Quoting from a letter conveying Mukhtar’s appointment addressed to the Senate in April 2015, the source said that he was reappointed as “Chairman (to complete second term having served as Executive Commissioner (Operations) for one tenure),” which expired along with other commissioners in May 2015.

But forces pushing for a fresh term for the NAHCON chairman are misleading the Presidency to believe that he has just spent one term.

A memo from the office of the SGF, dated March 26, 2019, requested that the president approves six months tenure extension for all members of the board.

The memo reads in part: ”Upon a review of the submission of the chairman and the timing of the submission, I should observe that it will not be practicable to conclude the processes for a tenure renewal for the current team or the appointment of a new team before the expiration of their current tenure.

“Your Excellency, it is suggested that the tenure of the current chairman and members be extended by six months in acting capacity, within which period the commission must have been reconstituted, either by the current team for a second and final term or by new chairman and members.”

The source further noted that “following convincing arguments presented by the SGF, which included but not limited to the need to ensure there was no leadership vacuum and save 2019 hajj activities from any setback, the president was said to have given a blanket approval to the memo.”

But a certain Permanent Secretary in the office of the SGF, has since issued fresh appointment letters to some of the board members, while excluding others.

One of the appointment letters from the SGF office stated in clear terms that President Buhari approved the appointment for the official to be in an acting capacity and that it would be terminated once a new board is inaugurated.

A staff member at the commission said:“excluding some commissioners from the president’s approval of tenure extension for all members is an indication that some persons within the presidency are trying to test the resolve of the president.

“We are perplexed to see some commissioners glued to their seats after the expiration of their tenures.

“Two of the commissioners, including the chairman have served two terms. But when we heard they were given tenure extension for six months, we were happy because even though we want some of them to go, we still love to see some of them around. But we are not happy because those we love to see in NAHCON are the ones being denied tenure extension not by the president but some dubious persons.”

Source: Sunday Tribune.

Second Coming Of Abba Kyari As Buhari’s Marks Man

Editorial staff

July 6, 2019

On Friday July 5, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari made his first major appointments for his second term. The President gave the nod to Boss Mustapha and Abba Kyari to continue as Secretary to the Federal Government and Chief of Staff respectively. These are said to be positions meant for the President’s most trusted advisers. The operators of the so-called Kitchen Cabinet; where the beneficiaries of the Power and governance decisions in Aso Rock are determined.

Mustapha, a latter day Buhari appointee is not as popular as Kyari who is always in the news. In fact, Kyari’s media mentions may just trump President Buhari’s. That’s how popular Kyari is. Perhaps never have we had so much interest in an appointee of the President. This makes it imperative for the interest and fixation on Abba Kyari to be constructive and geared towards engendering good governance in Nigeria.

Prior to Kyari’s re-appointment, the media was awash with several campaigns in his favour as well as those designed to snuff out his influence in President Buhari’s administration. The media frenzy was immense. Several names were touted as possible replacements. Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), Adamu Adamu and Babatunde Raji Fashola were said to be the main contenders to the exalted office of Chief of Staff.

Ali, the unbending Buharist and current Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, was touted as one that would bring “discipline” while Adamu and Fashola, immediate past ministers of education and minister of works, housing and power respectively, were also considered as “progressives”.

Several reports quoted “Presidency sources” who “authoritatively” confirmed that President Buhari was set to drop Abba Kyari’s following outcome of investigation into various allegations. Unconfirmed reports were syndicated to instigate public outcry and angst against Kyari. The media war was so apparent to discerning Nigerians, to whom it was crystal clear that the drama was all about political posturing and positioning.

Yes, we have seen this play out in the polity time and again. Well, the President has elected to keep the services of Abba Kyari. This, regardless of the position of the warring factions, should be viewed as an endorsement of his performance. Consequently, all parties should in the interest of the nation unite and join hands with the President and his advisers to ensure Buhari’s second term is successful.

While congratulating Abba Kyari on his re-appointment, the Cambridge University trained lawyer must put all the drama behind him. Nigerians are expecting progress at the speed of light. His office is critical to setting the tone for the nation to make strategic and effective strides towards peace, progress and prosperity.

Abba Kyari needs to shield President Buhari from sycophants and those who are only seeking to feather their nests at the expense of Nigeria’s commonwealth. Kyari needs to coordinate far-reaching stakeholder engagement plans that will give Buhari’s administration access to multiple portals for discharging good governance equitably across the nation.

This second coming presents Abba Kyari a golden opportunity to help Buhari develop a legacy beyond fighting corruption and insecurity. Although these are essential for development, they do not guarantee sustainable growth. Abba Kyari neees to help Buhari build strong institutions.

In addition, Kyari should do all within his power to avoid mainstream politics and focus on policy formulation. As a son of the Borno Kingdom, Kyari must uphold the pride and integrity of the reverred Kingdom. It also will not hurt for Kyari to shed the garb of being introverted; he needs to be more convivial to engender opportunities of learning from others.

The onus is on Abba Kyari to ensure a coherent Presidency; one that is forthright, visionary and unwavering. Hopefully, the distractions and agitations that preceded Abba Kyari’s second coming will inspire him to work even harder and serve selflessly in accordance to the expectations of Nigerians.

Adebayo Olakunle, a Psychologist wrote in from Ile-Ife, Osun State.

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