Outgoing British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright has described Nigerians, after spending over three years in the country, as enterprising and engaging

The envoy, who said that during his stay he visited 30 out of the 36 states, said that he found the people quite enterprising and engaging and that the British government would be glad to offer a helping hand as required in any part of the country.

He thanked President Buhari for his support, adding that the relations between Britain and Nigeria have improved tremendously in the past three years.

President Buhari commended the outgoing High Commissioner for his warm and pleasant disposition, which he said, has seen him traversing almost the entire country.

“I always see you all over the place,” the President noted.

Buhari complain that Nigeria was run aground in terms of infrastructural development for 16 years by the previous government, at a time the nation was earning high income.

“Our focus now is on infrastructure; roads, rail, power, and others. How I wish we had fixed all those when we had money. What we earned between 1999 and 2014 is on record, but nothing was done to infrastructure. Now, we are doing a lot more, with a lot less resources. And we shall continue to do our best.”

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has advised the Anglican Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Rt Reverend Christopher Omotunde, who criticized his regime to remove the cassock and mount the soap box so that the whole world would  know that he has joined  politics.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said that the Anglican Bishop, who said that his tenure was a waste and non-beneficial to Ekiti people, is blind and cannot see the physical transformation of Ekiti.

“Even the blind feels the good works of Fayose and perhaps Bishop Omotunde and the likes need to change their eye glasses to see well.

“Our fathers have a saying that it is disheartening when one hears a statement of gullibility from a place where one expects to hear the words of wisdom.

“The records of the Fayose administration are there for all to see. It organised an Education Summit that led to great improvement in education in the state. Ekiti came first back-to-back in NECO exams and we also did well in WAEC. These are public institutions and the records are there for Omotunde to peruse.

“The Fayose administration built the first flyover in the state and it passes besides Omotunde’s church. One wonders if the bishop closes his eyes whenever he drives or passes through that place. If he does not, we pray that God opens his spiritual eyes.

“The Fayose government built a new high court complex, a new Governor’s Office, a new Oja’ba Market; dualised roads in Ise, Emure, Ikole, Omuo, Ijero, Efon, among others. It also dualized the Ado-Ikere road, built many roads in Ado itself such as Petim-Afao Road and Dehead-Police Headquarters Road. May be the bishop does not pass through these roads!

“Accreditation for various courses in EKSU, School of Nursing, and College of Health Technology was pursued and achieved by the administration. We can go on and list many other achievements in agriculture, health, social welfare and other sectors.

“Yearly, the Fayose administrstion recognised hard-working teachers and civil servants with car prizes and other gifts. Within four years, it was promotion galore for civil servants. Civil servants and teachers will not agree with the untenable and jaundiced position of Omotunde.

“The Ekiti people who Fayose served for almost eight years know that his time was a great blessing to them, which is why they call him the architect of modern Ekiti. “Bishop Omotunde should remove his priest’s garment and mount the soap box if he is minded to be this politically partisan.”

“He said Fayose’s  opposition to Buhari administration did not allow Ekiti to benefit anything from the centre.

“Assuming that was the case, it only confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari as an autocrat who must not be criticised, and not a democrat who should take criticisms in his stride.

“We make bold to say that Ekiti under Fayose and PDP has witnessed more economic and physical development in the last four years when compared to neighbouring APC-controlled states which have openly venerated President Buhari as their god-father.

“What has Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun benefitted from the Federal Government? What has even Lagos, where the APC national leader comes from, benefitted?

“In terms of peace and security, Ekiti under Fayose was peaceful; it was secured from herdsmen attacks, assassinations, and armed robbery opreations. These and politically-motivated killings have returned in full swing under Fayemi/APC.”

Canadian Governor General, Julie Payette has advocated what she called commonality of humanity from the point of view of the fact that from space, there are no borders.

Julie Payette, who is an astronaut, said when she visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Monday that it is important for nations to pool resources together to start exploring the benefits of space in providing solutions to some problems on earth.

According to her, the world would achieve more by de-emphasizing geographical differences and refocusing its energy on the commonality of humanity.

She said that from space one can only see an earth without borders, even as she said that her visit was about showcasing “youth, innovation and technology.”

The Governor General said that he country would like to partner with Nigeria in the ongoing diversification of the economy.

She praised the warm and strong partnership that has been existing between Nigeria and Canada, the partnership she stressed, that has translated into ease of migration, large trade relations and cultural exchanges.

She wished Nigeria free and credible elections in 2019.

This was even as President Buhari said that democracy is steadily improving in Nigeria with deeper understanding of the culture and tenets among the people.

He told the Canadian Governor General that relevant institutions are being strengthened with a view to guaranteeing free and fair elections.

According to him, Nigeria has been learning from the mistakes of those who practiced democracy for a longer period, and by looking inward at its own peculiarities, even as he added: “I emphasize free and fair elections at all times.”

The President said that the bilateral relations with Canada will continue to be improved considering the huge interest of the country in Nigeria and growing economic ties, with many Nigerians schooling and working in the country.

He acknowledged that Canada played a brotherly role in helping the displaced persons in the North East, following Boko Haram insurgency.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed a detachment of Special Forces personnel to Kaduna in support of Internal Security operations in the State.

A statement today, Monday, by the Director of publications and information of NAF, Air Commodore Ibikule Daramola, said that the detachment will join other NAF personnel in Kaduna and other security agencies to ensure that the spate of senseless killings in some parts of the State is brought to a complete end and normalcy expeditiously restored.

He said that the deployment is in addition to the earlier deployment of two helicopters and a DA-42 Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft that have since been conducting aerial patrols over flashpoints in the State.

The Presidency has described Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as being incurably tied to corruption and hiding under a settled issue of certificate of President Muhammadu Buhari to remain relevant.

The Presidency described the renewed onslaught on the President on his West African School Certificate (WASC) as a waste of time “because we have the record of this and of higher qualifications obtained by hard work and truly merited by Mr. President.”

In a statement today, Monday, the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu said that this certificate story is an old one.

“To approach the court to pursue a matter long settled by the temple of justice is an abuse of the judicial system. It is shameful, disgusting and disgraceful.

“It is clear to all at this time that the PDP, facing an imminent humiliating defeat wants to sow division and chaos by seeking the destruction of the institutional structures that support our young democracy.

“They are attacking the courts and the police, they are molesting INEC commissioners. They are theatrical in spreading falsehoods against persons including the President.

“By doing these, they assume that they can take away attention from the discussions on issues gaining momentum in the country; the issue of internal security which has been jeopardized by years of near-zero investment under 16 years of the PDP; the provision of long-delayed infrastructure which the President is pioneering; corruption to which the PDP is incurably tied and the sustenance of the prevailing good days in the economy, a business-friendly government working day and night, creating more jobs and affordable life for the poor.”

Garba Shehu stressed that the 2019 election would not be the settled issues of certification, advising Nigerians not to believe the PDP no matter how honeyed their sweet words.

“Their evil record can never be washed away. The PDP set a record of murdering opponents of government and corruption on a scale never seen anywhere before.

“They put the national security at stake by diverting huge budgetary allocations to service their greed. Don’t believe their honeyed promises.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has made it clear one thing which Nigerians can be sure of from President Muhammadu Buhari and him is deceiving them by telling lies.
Professor Osinbajo who spoke today, Monday, on Brekete Family, a reality Radio Talk Magazine programme on Human Rights Radio, Abuja, stressed: “the focus of our government is on how things can be better for the common man.

“We are not in the business of trying to deceive Nigerians. You can accuse myself and the President of anything, but you will never find us deceiving Nigerians.”
The Vice President that the administration is able to do so much more with less resources, saying: “the President has ensured that nobody steals money from the treasury. The major problem Nigeria had before now was the fact that people stole from the nation’s coffers. Once the country is able to stop corruption, it would be better.
“The first thing we did was tackle unemployment by employing young men and women through the N-Power job scheme, which has so far employed 500,000 young graduates.”

The paid volunteer programme has a two-year duration, but it has now been extended for a batch.
Professor Osinbajo said: “every state has N-Power, noting that there are plans to employ more because of the number of graduates. This is a social safety net for young unemployed Nigerian graduates.
“So far, we have given about 400,000 MarketMoni loans, but the target is to give 1 million loans to artisans and traders, while TraderMoni loans is a N10,000 interest-free loans to petty traders, of which 2 million are expected to be reached in the first phase.”
He highlighted the Federal Government’s Energizing Economies Initiative, which provides clean, affordable, and constant power to economic clusters such as big markets and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.

The Buhari administration is concerned about the plight of ordinary Nigerians and would continue to carry out programmes that would improve their lives, according to

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has made it clear one thing which Nigerians can be sure of from President Muhammadu Buhari and him is deceiving them by telling lies.
Professor Osinbajo who spoke today, Monday, on Brekete Family, a reality Radio Talk Magazine programme on Human Rights Radio, Abuja, stressed: “the focus of our government is on how things can be better for the common man.

“We are not in the business of trying to deceive Nigerians. You can accuse myself and the President of anything, but you will never find us deceiving Nigerians.”
The Vice President that the administration is able to do so much more with less resources, saying: “the President has ensured that nobody steals money from the treasury. The major problem Nigeria had before now was the fact that people stole from the nation’s coffers. Once the country is able to stop corruption, it would be better.
“The first thing we did was tackle unemployment by employing young men and women through the N-Power job scheme, which has so far employed 500,000 young graduates.”

The paid volunteer programme has a two-year duration, but it has now been extended for a batch.
Professor Osinbajo said: “every state has N-Power, noting that there are plans to employ more because of the number of graduates. This is a social safety net for young unemployed Nigerian graduates.
“So far, we have given about 400,000 MarketMoni loans, but the target is to give 1 million loans to artisans and traders, while TraderMoni loans is a N10,000 interest-free loans to petty traders, of which 2 million are expected to be reached in the first phase.”
He highlighted the Federal Government’s Energizing Economies Initiative, which provides clean, affordable, and constant power to economic clusters such as big markets and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.