There appear to be confusion today, Tuesday, when the All Progressives Congress (APC), National Working Committee (NWC) announced the nullification of the governorship primary election which took place earlier in the day and the results were just being awaited even as the chairman of the party insisted that proper election took place.
The Chairman of the APC electoral panel, Chief Clement Ebri, at a news briefing at about 4.30pm today, in Alausa, Ikeja, said: “there was no election. Election materials are being sorted. The stage is set and election begins anytime from now. We have guidelines and we will stick to the guidelines.
“Because of the political tension in the state, we decided to be very careful, very methodical. As party men, peace is more important to us than victory.
“We want a kind of victory that will be celebrated by both parties.
“We want an election that will be credible and in line with the guidelines, the extant rules and the laws of the country.
“And that is what we have done. We are ready to go to the field and execute this, so that at the end of the day, we will not be accused of partisanship. Lagos is very important to us and it is a flagship of the APC.”
Ebri said that the panel was ready to give the most credible primary to the state and would contact the national headquarters for information on the preparatory process.
“It takes a lot of work for the main show to take place. We are ready to give the state the most credible election.
“We will contact the national headquarters on the timing for the release of materials. It is not our fault that this exercise took this long.”
Ebri said that the panel was waiting for the party chairman, Alhaji Tunde Balogun, to provide certain information that would enable them post people to the wards.
“We have two aspirants and we need to be fair to both parties. The information we demanded for came in about an hour ago. And we had to struggle this period to balance the equation.
“Now that we are ready, we will contact the national headquarters on the situation and the right time will be announced.”
He said that five persons from the local organising committee and four for each ward would be posted.
“They will all go out to ensure the primary is conducted. We all understand the terrain in the state especially as it concerns the traffic situation. So, the materials are available now and ready for deployment.
“The national secretariat advised us to use ballot papers and we came into Lagos with thousands of them. But during the stakeholders meeting, it became obvious that the state chapter of the party was not ready for such primary.
“They claimed that there was time to educate the members and others. And based on the submission made at the stakeholders meeting on Monday, some changes were made,” he said.
Ebri said that the panel was advised to conduct the open ballot in a manner that would be objective to all parties.
“And that is one of the adjustment we made to accommodate views of the stakeholders. For us, the stage is set and the primary should commence any moment from now,” he said.
Earlier, the chairman Lagos APC, Balogun said the election held and that it was free fair and credible.
When asked if the panel supervised the election, he said he would not be able to answer that, saying that he only saw observers and could not tell.
“We are awaiting the panel to declare the result.”
Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Imo State Governorship Primary Committee, Ahmed Gulak has narrated how he sneaked out of Owerri, the state capital at about 4am after conducting the election and the result announced, to escape being kidnapped by agents of Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Speaking to news men in Abuja, Gulak said he left Owerri “under the cover of darkness at about 4:00 am” to make his way to Abuja.
Gulak alleged that about nine out of the 12-member committee were “kidnapped,” by persons he described as “agents of the governor” who were led by a team of policemen to the hotel where the committee members were lodged.
“Myself, Colonel Igbanor and Hon Bernard Miko were the only three doing this job, as others disappeared, and we learnt that they were at the Government House.
“So, when we sensed that something was fishy, by 4.00 am, we left Owerri after concluding the entry of the results.
“The AIG Zone 9 called to inform me that they went for investigations and discovered that the governor himself and some policemen came and rounded up those members and took them to the Government House and until now, they have not been released and anything could have happened to them.”
Gulak said that he and other committee members conducted a peaceful exercise which produced Senator Hope Uzodinma as the party’s standard bearer for the 2019 governorship election for Imo State.
According to him, Uzodinma won after securing 423,895 votes to defeat eight other aspirants, including Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son in-law, Uche Nwosu.
“The election was held, results generated and a winner emerged and the winner is Senator Hope Uzodinma.
“My secretary disappeared around 2.00 A.M. In fact, the case of Sadiq Bello is most pathetic because he doesn’t know anywhere in Owerri.
“He called a while ago that he has not eaten and has no money on him. That is the price and hazard of this job.”
However, the party’s National Working Committee, in a statement signed by the acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said the exercise in “Imo has been suspended indefinitely.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has taken a look on a lighter mood, the fun and optimism with which Nigerians carry on with their lives which he said, gave him the confidence that Nigeria will grow to become the envy of the world.
Speaking at a dinner and Gala night at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to mark the nation’s 58 Independence Anniversary, Vice President Osinbajo said that wherever Nigerians are from, from whatever part of this great country that they are from, whether they are from the North, the South-South, the South East, West,, they have the same DNA.
“We love our country and this may not always be obvious, but you try insulting Nigeria if you are a foreigner and you will see how fierce and angry our reaction can be. A Nigerian can say the same thing, but if you’re a foreigner, don’t try it.” Vice President Osinbajo said that in the United States of America, Nigerians are the most educated ethnic group, “not one of the most educated, but the most educated.” According to him, 60, per cent of Nigerians in the US have college degrees, which he said is above the American average of 30 percent.
“And Nigerians in US are one of the highest income earners in the US, and I choose America as one example. Nigerians earn 25 percent more than the median US income. “The world’s fastest supercomputer was designed by a world-renowned inventor, Philip Emeagwali, a full-blown Nigerian. This means that Nigeria has the patent for the world’s fastest computer.
“We are also told that the wealthiest black woman in the world is also a Nigerian. Who knows who the next wealthiest African would be here or the next wealthiest African? “A Nigerian family, the Imafidons, who live in the UK, have officially been declared the smartest family in the UK; a family of about six children who have excelled in their academics in incredible ways.
“The designer of that famous car, Chevrolet Volt, is a guy called Jelani Aliyu. He now works for the Nigerian government; super talented Nigerian from Sokoto State. And for those who think that we are only giants in technology and business, Anthony Joshua is the world’s best heavyweight boxer, for those who watch boxing.” The Vice President marveled that everybody is dancing to Nigerian music, “and our traditional attires, especially our women attires and headgears have conquered Africa. Even our male attire, there’s just something about the Nigerian swag. Whether they like it or not, we Nigerians are just exceptional, we are just different. Anywhere you go, you know a Nigerian; don’t you recognize a Nigerian when you see one? You can just tell. If you see anyone reading a book on How to become self-confident, know that he is not a Nigerian. We are born self-confident. “The reason why we are so optimistic is because we know that we are the best, we know we are going to excel, it may seem like it’s taking a while, and there are many problems, but every one of the over 1,000 days that I have been Vice President for, I grow stronger in my complete confidence that we are going to be the envy of the whole world in a few short years. Well, you might say that that is optimistic, why not, I am a Nigerian.” He said that having been 61 years old and speaking about Nigeria at 58, he would say that he knows Nigeria quite well.
He recalled that a few years ago, a poll reported in The British Independent newspaper declared Nigerians the happiest people on earth, saying that the same poll said that Nigerians were also amongst the most optimistic people on earth, despite everything that they have experienced as a people.
“I agree with both assessments. In other words, that we are possibly one of the happiest in the world, but I must also add that we are by far the most humorous people on the face of the earth.
“Well, if you don’t agree with me, but I can tell you so many reasons why we are the most humourous. “A few months ago, an important Nigerian politician who was on his way to a trial in a court said he was abducted. And after he escaped from his abductors, he remained hiding on a tree for 11 hours. The most interesting part of that story is that many people online in particular, on the Internet, started to tell stories of different birds and how long those birds could remain perched on a tree. All these were the Nigerian contributions to that story. “Yet another very important politician insists, and still insists that the most important attribute for leadership is dancing, and boy could he dance! And for those who think that that is ridiculous at least 200,000 people voted for him in a particular election. “When I served as Adviser to the Attorney General of the Federation between 1987 and 1992, I had a driver who was always broke. But he was always so optimistic. He had 14 children, while I, his boss, had only one child at the time. And I asked him, “Why do you just keep having so many children?” Of course he had more than one wife. He said to me in Yoruba “I don’t know which of them can become President of Nigeria. So, the more I have, the better my chances.” How optimistic can you be? Only a Nigerian can be that optimistic. “We love our food, we love our clothes, we love our merrymaking. We love to be successful and we love success. We are resilient, we are fair minded. Nigerians always fight for the underdog, we believe in justice and the rule of law, even though our system still can do much better. But we are by far one of the smartest and, perhaps, the most talented people on earth. And I don’t say that lightly.”
The number of persons involved in certificate scandals under the Buhari administration may speak to something far deeper in our society, even beyond the administration, but it is to say the least, disgraceful and embarrassing. Ordinarily considered some of the best educated black persons in the world – one US report indicates that Nigerians are among the most educated immigrants in the United States, vertically and horizontally – it is now shameful that Nigerians today are also ironically poster-characters for fake certificates, 419 qualifications, and dubious academic affiliations. This whole saga started, this time, with the President himself whose school certificate qualification became an issue of much speculation and histrionics. The Constitution requires any office-seeker in Nigeria to have the minimum of a secondary education. You are required to go to school till about the age of 16: extremely small education in my reckoning but good enough to enable you read and write, and be able to sign documents.
The focus on this President’s educational qualification, and the opaqueness that grew around the matter ended up motivating nosey-parkers to begin to look for certificates in the corridors of power, including certificates of participation in the National Youth Service Corps. One of these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if investigators begin to turn their searchlights on birth certificates! In the past, we had the Chicago scandal, we also had the Toronto scandal, today we are a country of too many “Chicagos” and “Torontos.” You will recall that Ms. Kemi Adeosun was accused of dodging the compulsory one-year national service for higher institution graduates. She was pushed to resign her exalted office as Minister of Finance, but her case served the country well in the long run: it brought up issues of citizenship and the value or non-value of the NYSC. Ms. Adeosun would probably be remembered more in Nigerian history for the manner in which her example generated a conversation around the rights and citizenship of Nigerians in diaspora, their relationship with their ancestral country, the character of supposedly “trusted associates”, and the long-term relevance of the National Service scheme in a country where there is very little service but a greater obsession with self, entitlement and gratification.
Ms. Adeosun has since moved on and Nigerians have left her alone. But there is still the unresolved matter of Okoi Obono-Obla, the President’s Special Adviser on Corruption. He has been accused by a Committee of the House of Representatives of parading a doctored school certificate result. They argue that the School Certificate Result that he holds does not belong to him but to a dead cousin. And that he used that certificate to gain admission to the University of Jos where he studied law. The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the examining authority that should know the truth has also allegedly said that there is something fishy about the certificate in question. In Okoi Obono-Obla’s case, I am a bit confused.
As Chairman, Editorial Board and Editorial Page Editor of The Guardian newspapers for more than 10 years, I published opinion pieces, letters to the editor and essays from a certain Okoi Obono-Obla which were always very well written, well-made pieces, and fit for publication. Not one piece from that Okoi Obono-Obla’s sounded like something written by a man who needed to dodge a WAEC examination. Obono-Obla’s response to the current allegations is that the matter is already in court and that this is a case of “corruption fighting back” but whatever the truth is, and it is the duty of the court to determine that, the Obono-Obla case makes the Buhari government look really bad. It reinforces a growing narrative that there are too many persons in high places who cannot defend what they claim they are, under a government that flies integrity as a proof of innocence and virginity.
And there is Adebayo Shittu, the voluble, bearded Minister of Communications – the guy didn’t participate in the National Youth Service Corps. Ms Adeosun’s defenders talked about citizenship and her betrayal by “trusted associates”. They put up a spirited defence for her. In Adebayo Shittu’s case, the guy has the stupid effrontery to come forward to say that he did not enroll for the NYSC because he thought his membership of the Oyo State House of Assembly was the equivalent of a National service. I have heard a lot of stupid comments in my short life-time but this certainly must be the worst of them all. To worsen matters further, Shittu is said to be a lawyer, duly called to the Nigerian Bar. And he talks like that? Too many of this type are all over the place defending illegalities, and yet they would be the first to tell you I am a Barrister even when every year at Call to Bar ceremonies, fresh wigs are advised not to go about threatening people with the redundant title of Barrister this and Barrister that. The APC has had cause to disqualify Adebayo Shittu from participating in the APC Governorship primaries in Oyo State. Good for him. He has also been quoted as saying he is now ready to enroll for the NYSC. As the Yoruba will say: “Igbayi laaro”. In pidgin: “na now him just dey realize say NYSC important?” In street talk: “commot there, no dey talk nonsense”. The NYSC Act is very clear. It needs no golden interpretation. Shittu has committed a felony. He has convicted himself with his own mouth. He has raised further questions about the administration’s commitment to the rule of law.
There is also the case of the Governor of Adamawa state, Jibrilla Bindow, who has been accused of forging his school certificate qualification. Bindow is seeking a second term as Governor of Adamawa state. His opponents, principally named Global Integrity and Crusade Network (GICN) have now chosen to tell us that the man did not even complete secondary school. They have given WAEC an ultimatum to tell Nigerians whether or not Bindow who had served previously as Senator of the Federal Republic, has a Secondary School Certificate in accordance with the laws of the land. They claim he has not been able to make any difference as Governor because he is a secondary school drop-out.
But surely, it is not only the ruling All Progressives Congress that has this problem. Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Governor the people of Osun state wanted but the APC blocked, also obviously has issues with his academic qualifications. They say the man did not have a School Certificate. WAEC confirmed he had one. Then the Police accused him of having sat for the 2017 National Examination Council Examination (NECO) via a proxy. What we remember though is that he allegedly had an F9 in the School Certificate Examination. He didn’t deny that and yet he wanted to be Governor! Under President Buhari, Nigeria is at the level of F9 and fake certificates.
Let me nail this down. These stories, either from the APC or PDP or any other side do not help Nigeria’s image. I imagine that if any Nigerian were to go anywhere in the world today, and present the best, most impressive credentials, the relevant authorities would still go behind to double-check. Many of our students today who go abroad for additional educational opportunities are routinely asked to take extra tests that candidates from other countries are not required to take. When the rest of the world hears that Nigerian political leaders, the same persons who are supposed to take serious decisions about national, bilateral and multilateral relations are a bunch of semi-illiterates, draft dodgers, and uneducated semi-illiterates, they are bound to look at the rest of us as imbeciles. Japan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and the United States have some of the best educated persons in the world. Every serious country promotes its best people. In Nigeria we promote the worst of the pack in a country where there are more than enough people with credible qualifications. We don’t’ recognize such people. Instead we send to the international community, people who could not pass School certificate, the equivalent of the IGSCE in the United Kingdom, school drop-outs who have no clue about important governance issues – these are the ones we send out to go engage better educated and more enlightened persons.
In the end, the Buhari government prefers to take its time to respond to this issue that has become a major issue of his time as President. It may be said that President Buhari is a bad judge of character – he should never have associated with or recruited all these characters giving him problems in the first place, but how about the institutions whose job it is to screen political appointees and every other person in the public sphere? Senator Abiola Ajimobi has been Governor of Oyo State for two terms but I understand someone is also saying he too, does not have an NYSC certificate. If he has an NYSC certificate, he should display it right-away and put his accusers to shame. I really don’t understand what is going on. What is the meaning of this certificate problem in a country where there are people who can put every needed certificate on the table and yet they are the ones who are unemployed and the one who have issues are the ones running government? The relevant security agencies continue to disappoint the country and a lot of political crises are generated in part because the security agencies are politically compromised. Nobody can aspire to public office in Nigeria except they have been screened by the security agencies. What happened to that process under President Buhari’s watch?
For, the forgery of school certificates is a form of corruption. I am saying that certificate scandal is the worst form of corruption. Right now, our political representatives are no longer respected abroad Who wants to talk to a diplomat whose basic education is uncertain? Who wants to take a country seriously where a state Governor says “We works” instead of “We worked”. And you have a President who is very comfortable with all of these?
President Buhari needs to clean up his cabinet, do a complete audit. He should appeal to all the men who have certificate problems in his cabinet to do him a favour and ship out voluntarily. I won’t be surprised if the same investigative journalists who ousted the cases mentioned have even more scandalous examples in their file and may release bigger blows in the day ahead. Who are these people? Common certificate they don’t even have and they want to rule Nigeria! The diplomats serving in Nigeria must be laughing at us in the dispatches they send home.
The President has a responsibility to act on all of these cases, to determine the credibility of these allegations and to prove that his government is sincere about the anti-corruption campaign across all genres.
2: Tinubu Vs Ambode
After two postponements, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Party’s Governorship Primary will hopefully hold at last, in Lagos today, October 2. The Godfather of Lagos APC politics, if you are truly partisan, you can delete APC and say Asiwaju Bola Tinubu – effectively dominates all of Lagos politically, and has publicly declared that whereas the incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode wants a second term in office, he, the Godfather and the party leaders no longer want him. Ambode’s crime as stated, for more than two weeks is that he has refused to carry relevant stakeholders “along”, whatever that means. The godfather changed the narrative on Sundaywhen he disclosed that Ambode’s crime is that he failed to implement a “blueprint” for the development of the state. Ambode is fighting back. He called a World Press Conference and called Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the consensus candidate who has been handpicked to replace him, names.
When this crisis occurred, Ambode who was brought to power by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu begged his godfather and benefactor. He was ignored. Ambode’s wife also went before the grandmaster of APC politics in Lagos State. She was treated politely and dismissed. Sanwo-olu has the support of 36 members of the State House of Assembly, all local Government chairmen and chairmen of Local Development Council Areas, party leaders, and Lagos APC members in the National Assembly. Ambode has only the support of local councilors and a segment of public opinion. From the look of things, Ambode as they say, is a “goner”.
But that is not the story. The story is that after all the begging and genuflection, Ambode is now standing up for a fight. On Sunday at a World Press Conference, he pulled off his gloves and resolved to engage in a bare-knuckle fight. He accused his opponent, the Asiwaju camp’s candidate of fraud, incompetence and incapability. Sanwo-Olu has refused to respond in like directly, except may be through proxies, knowing clearly that he still serves in the government of the same man whose office he wants to take. If Sanwo-Olu is so bad, why is Ambode still retaining him as Managing Director of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC)? But of course, the fight is not between the two of them, it is between Ambode and Tinubu. Tinubu accuses him of abandoning a blueprint. Who are the authors of that blueprint? Is it a constitutional matter that a Governor must be held hostage by a document prepared long before he assumed office? What is the content of that blueprint, if the rest of us may ask?
I like the fight between Godfather and Godson. There will be no winners at the end of the day. There will only be losers on both sides. One, the Ambode saga has already exposed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s vulnerability. His political legacy is at stake. Ambode, having been pushed to the wall has become the underdog who is ready to shake the table. He has pushed the table. Two, Ambode is fighting the battle of his political life. If he defeats Tinubu, he would have re-made himself into a political force. If he loses, he would still have succeeded in exposing the evil of the Godfather syndrome in Nigerian politics. His travails may end up turning him into a hero. Three: nobody is talking about us: we the people, in this entire equation. We know that. Four, whatever happens in Lagos has implications for President Muhammadu Buhari’s fortune in the general elections of 2019.
Lagos, not Osun, is the ultimate test for President Buhari’s chances in 2019. But let’s thank Ambode for shaking the table. Whether or not he wins today is not the issue. It is what comes the day after. We wait.
File photo: Nigerian editors at the 2017 conference in Port Harcourt, River State. | Photo credit: thenewsnigeria
All Nigeria Media Editors are expected to converge on Asaba, capital of Delta State from October 10 to 14, for a Conference on credible election, sustainable democracy and the Nigerian media, against the background of the 2019 general elections in the country.
A statement by the Chairman of Planning Committee of the conference, Ken Ugbechie, confirmed that the theme of the conference has been chosen to reflect the prevailing political reality in the country.
According to the statement, the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mrs Funke Egbemode, emphasised the need for the editors to plot a roadmap to 2019 as a watchdog with a duty to provide unbiased, fair and objective coverage of the elections especially in the face of a monetized electoral system.
“We believe that the media also has a role to play in ensuring sustainability of the country’s democracy in view of the key role it plays in information dissemination and moulding of public opinion. It is, therefore, imperative that the media is properly positioned not only to understand the issues involved in organising a credible election, but to advance a true democratic culture in the manner it reports issues of politics and governance”, the statement said.
The host Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission and senior member of Open Society for Justice Initiative, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, are expected to deliver keynote addresses.
Other speakers, according to the statement, include governors, senior media executives, security experts, representative of Google, media specialists in digital journalism, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu, etcetera.
It said that All Nigerian Editors Conference is the largest gathering of Nigerian Editors, apart from the Biennial Convention, and it was initiated in 2004 at Ada, in Osun State. Since then, it has been held in different parts of the country. It brings together not less than 400 editors and other media professionals from all over the country and beyond to focus on a designated national issue that affects the future and wellbeing of our country.
The conference also attracts foreign speakers and editors from organizations such as the Global Editors Network (GEN), West African Editors Forum (WAEF), the African Editors Forum (TAEF), the World Editors Forum (WEF) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has made it clear that if he is elected President, he would reduce the number of the people in government at the end of his tenure.
Atiku admitted that he would start the government by involving everybody, but that his dream would be to leave office with small number of people in the government.
The aspirant who was Nigeria’s Vice President during the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, was answering questions at the Presidential Nomination Media Chat under the auspices of The United Nigeria Group (TUNG) at the Silverbird Galleria in Abuja yesterday, Sunday.
“Government is such a very big deal in Nigeria even though my dream is that by the time I leave office government will be smaller. There is room to accommodate every one of them, so I am talking to them and we are still interacting (with other PDP Presidential aspirants).”
Atiku said that there is no single aspirant that he had not been to, to ask for his support and also to work together, adding that each and every one of them bring something to the table different from the other.
“And I believe it will not be a problem for me bringing them together to participate with me in government and also in whatever capacity they feel they can support the government.”
On why he jump from political party to another, Atiku said: “tell me one political leader who has been consistent on a political platform.
“There is none that has not changed parties. But changing party is not the issue, have you been consistent in what you believe in, in your policies? I think that is the most important thing. Changing party is part of our political development process.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest violence in Jos which led to the imposition of a curfew in the Plateau state capital saying: “I am deeply worried about the seeming indifference to the sanctity of life by criminals whose hearts are hardened by evil.”
The President, in his reaction to the flare up, recalled that in the last three and a half years of the present administration in the state, the government had worked very hard with various communities and clearly demonstrated that a lasting peace can be achieved.
“I know it is not an easy thing. It is a very difficult thing. But the resultant peace achieved by the people of Plateau state should not be squandered. Every citizen deserves stability and development. Peace has no alternative. It is my appeal to all the communities in the state capital, and the entire state as a whole to embrace peace. Where there are differences, dialogue should be used to bring about understanding. There is also the due process of the law. Differences cannot be resolved by abuses or by bullets.”
The President lamented that some politicians are promoting ethnic and religious prejudices for cheap popularity, despite the knowledge that such incitement could play into the hands of hate mongers.
He pledged that his government would continue to engage with stakeholders to address the root causes of this repeated violence in Plateau State and other parts of the country. He however warned that no responsible government would allow anarchy to replace law and order.
President Buhari and Pastor Kumuyi in a warm handshake
General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to remain focus, be courageous to continue to do the right things, assuring him that his flocks are praying for him.
He reminded the President, when he paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today that not everybody would support him public.
“Please remain focused and courageous and do what is right. Not everyone will support you publicly, but we are praying for you so that your tenure will be one of progress and prosperity for the country.”
The General Superintendent who was accompanied to the Villa by his wife, Esther, Pastor Samuel Afuwape, Pastor Chike Onwuasoanya and Pastor Seyin Malomo, the Chaplain of Aso Villa Chapel, said that it was an honour to be received by the President on a busy day as October 1.
This was even as the President said that God did not make a mistake when he created over 250 different ethnic groups, and decided to put them in a place called Nigeria, saying that Nigerians must appreciate God for bringing everyone together.
“We must appreciate God for bringing us together. He knows what he was doing. He didn’t make a mistake.”
Buhari, who described Nigeria as a great country endowed with human and natural resources, admitted: “we have challenges in trying to get people to understand us.
“With my experience as a governor, Minister of Petroleum, Head of State, Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund, I thought I had seen it all, but Nigeria has a way of going at its own speed.
“My morale is raised by your visit. I very much appreciate it.”
President Buhari recalled what he described as Pastor Kumuyi’s intellectual achievements, as a scholar and university lecturer before going into full time ministry, adding that he was excited a great deal for the General Superintendent’s acceptance of government’s invitation to preach the sermon at the country’s 58th independence anniversary.
Nigeria’s heroes past, from right: former military Head of State; retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar and civil war-Head of State, retired General, Dr. Yakubu Gowon…present heroes: President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Eagle Square, Abuja to witness the nation’s 58 Independent Anniversary celebration today, October 1.
Air Force display of jets at Eagle Square, Abuja, as Nigeria celebrate 58 Independence Anniversary today, October 1.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his over three years government has been able to return the country to the part of development in all sectors away from the wastes, corruption and lack of direction in the past.
In his address to the nation marking the country’s 58 Independent anniversary today, October 1, the President said that the fight against corruption and recovery of stolen public funds and assets despite vicious and stiff resistance are on course.
“The shameful past practice, of the brazen theft of billions of Naira is no more. Shady oil deals and public contracts that were never delivered have become things of the past.
“Consequently, and this is very evident across the country, we have done more with less in infrastructural developments. Roads, railways, major bridges, schools, energy and power, air and sea ports, welfare of serving and retired personnel both civilian and military including payment of legacy debt such as pension arrears, have been attended to.”
Buhari stressed that there is now an enabling environment for local and foreign investment in Nigeria.
“We are building a rules-based system – a level playing field that is free from fixers and intermediaries. This is the cornerstone to help genuine investors and honest consumers, and the platform that will allow for the real reforms that we intend to deliver over the coming years.”
Read the full text of the presidential broadcast today, October 1:
Today is a day of celebration and solemn reflection. It is the anniversary of the day Nigerians realised one of the most cherished of human desires – the desire for freedom. We, therefore, give thanks to and remember our founding fathers who laboured so hard and sacrificed so much to build and bequeath to us this wonderful nation. It is our duty to consolidate this great legacy.
2. On this first October date and on the eve of the start of the general election cycle, we should do well to reflect on what binds us together and the great strength our diversity bestows on us. Ours is an ambitious nation, and, as citizens we have every right to look forward to the future with confidence and optimism which are well founded, considering where we find ourselves today.
3. There has been a steady improvement in the security situation in the North East. We remain committed to ending the crisis and make the North East safe for all.
4. Our thoughts and prayers are always with the victims of the Boko Haram’s atrocities and their families. Beyond that, we know that the goals of the Boko Haram terrorists include capturing territories, destroying our democracy and denying our children the right to education. We will not allow them to succeed.
5. I want at this point to pay tribute to the men and women of our armed forces, the Police and other security and law enforcement agencies, who have been working under the most difficult conditions to keep the country safe. In the process, many have made the supreme sacrifice.
6. As their Commander -In- Chief, I assure these our gallant men and women that I will continue to empower them by deepening their professionalism and providing all the necessary force multipliers and enablers required for them to prevail on the field. I am looking into all reported cases of inadequacies in relation to their entitlements, their welfare and those of their families.
7. We are diversifying away from reliance on oil to increased manufacturing capacity, solid minerals development, and agriculture.
8. Efforts are on course in the Niger Delta to clean up polluted lands, restore hopes of the youths in the region and re-establish livelihoods, and strengthen their capacity to guarantee for themselves and for our country a brighter future.
9. The age-long conflict between herders and farmers that was being exploited by those seeking to plant the seeds of discord and disunity amongst our people, is being addressed decisively. We will sustain and continue to support the commendable efforts by all including civil society organisations, local and states governments and our traditional and religious leaders in finding durable solution to this problem.
10. This being a transhumance issue, we are working with countries in our region that are also facing similar difficulties to complement our common efforts. In this context I must warn that the perpetrators of murder and general mayhem in the name of defending or protecting herders or farmers will face the full wrath of the law. Meanwhile, we urge all peace loving Nigerians to reject any simplistic portrayal, at home or abroad, of this conflict as either religious or ethnic based.
11. We are one of the countries in the world most affected by environmental degradation, as a consequence of climate change. We are signatories to almost all conventions and agreements aimed at slowing down the effect of climate change and mitigating its now evident consequences.
12. The consequences on lives and livelihoods of the shrinking of the Lake Chad and the pollution caused by oil exploitation activities alone make it mandatory on us to be at the forefront of the struggle for a safer and more sustainable environment. We will continue to mobilise international support for our efforts in this regard.
13. We are making progress in the fight against corruption and recovery of stolen public funds and assets despite vicious and stiff resistance. The shameful past practice, of the brazen theft of billions of Naira is no more. Shady oil deals and public contracts that were never delivered have become things of the past.
14. Consequently, and this is very evident across the country, we have done more with less in infrastructural developments. Roads, railways, major bridges, schools, energy and power, air and sea ports, welfare of serving and retired personnel both civilian and military including payment of legacy debt such as pension arrears, have been attended to.
15. There is now an enabling environment for local and foreign investment in Nigeria. We are building a rules-based system – a level playing field that is free from fixers and intermediaries. This is the cornerstone to help genuine investors and honest consumers, and the platform that will allow for the real reforms that we intend to deliver over the coming years.
16. We are gradually strengthening the economy with a stable Naira and falling inflation rate. We are building an economy that is moving away from over reliance on oil. Consequently we have witnessed massive return to farms and seen bumper harvest, despite recurrent floods across the country.
17. These positive developments are the result of our collective pursuit of a common vision through hard work and dedication, after the missed opportunities and disappointments that followed the return to democracy in 1999.
18. At the forefront, have always been our youths. They have been at the vanguard of the struggle for independence. They fought in the war to keep the country united. And it was they who kept alive the struggle for democracy and human rights in our country at times when these were at risk, especially following the June 12th 1993 election and the historic 2015 election process.
19. Even today, our youths play a central role in Nigeria’s continuing progress and developments in all fields of our national endeavour –technology, agriculture, mining, engineering and especially the creative arts. Together we are building a more diverse, inclusive and self-reliant economy.
20. In the past three years we have introduced many policies and programmes targeted at youth development and youth empowerment. We support the ‘not too young to run’ legislation aimed at giving the youths greater say in our national politics and governance.
21. The school feeding program in primary schools is aimed at encouraging enrolment and attendance. We are building on what we have already introduced to support schools and universities to which funds have recently been released for upgrade of facilities, training programs for our entrepreneurs, and rehabilitation schemes for victims of terrorism and human trafficking.
Fellow Nigerians,
22. Now we have in our hands technology that is a powerful tool that we can and should use for knowledge and understanding. As with other countries, we must also learn how to manage those tendencies that, instead, look to abuse new technologies to provoke passions and stir tensions.
23. Never before have we faced such a challenge. We must all rise to the responsibility of shutting out those disruptive and corrosive forces that hide in today’s world of social media. We need critical minds and independent thinking, to question and question until we are satisfied we have the facts. Otherwise, all the progress we have made as a democracy since 1999 is at stake.
24. I have committed myself many times to ensure that elections are fully participatory, free and fair and that the Independent National Electoral Commission will be exactly INDEPENDENT and properly staffed and resourced. The ballot box is how we make our choice for the governments that rule in our name.
Fellow Nigerians,
25. Developing a thriving democracy is not an easy task. There can be no quick fixes or short cuts. These are the most important lessons that we have learnt in our 58 years as an independent nation.
26. At the international level, we remain a responsible and respected member of the international community, playing active positive roles within ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations as well as all other regional and international organisations and institutions of which we are members.
27. We will continue to support initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges of our times: global and regional crises and conflicts, terrorism, trans-border crime, climate change, human rights, gender equality, development, poverty and inequality within and between nations, etc. In this context, we are working hard to achieve both the AU 2063 Agenda for socio-economic transformation of our continent; and the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, which together aim at addressing these challenges
Fellow Nigerians,
28. As we celebrate the 58th Anniversary of our independence, we know we are on the right path. Although we have our differences, they count for far less than the values, virtues and common aspirations that unite us as a nation. We have so much for which we should be grateful, and in which we should rightly take pride. Our journey is not finished but we have come a long way.
29. I want to assure you that as President, I will continue to work tirelessly to promote, protect and preserve what really matters: a united, peaceful, prosperous and secure Nigeria, where all, irrespective of background, can aspire to succeed.
Thank you. I wish you a memorable independence celebration.
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