President Muhammadu Buhari had a closed door meeting with the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara today, Monday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa over the delay in the passage of the 2018 budget.
The President presented the budget to the joint session of the Natonal Assembly sometime in November 2018, but as at today, May 7th, the budget is still lying in the National Assembly.
Saraki, who spoke to newsmen as he emerged from the meeting, along with speaker Dogara confirmed that they were in the Villa “on the invitation of Mr. President. He wanted to brief us on his trip to the United States and also the issue of the budget. We also talked on the issue of concerns to us, the invasion of the National Assembly, which he showed great concern and said action will be taken to investigate that.”
Saraki said that the budget would hopefully be laid this week and passed early next week.
On the seeming sour relationship between the executive and the legislature, the Senate President said that the fact that the President had called them to brief them on his trip to America is a good sign that the relation is smooth.
“We are the National Assembly have always been ready to give all our support to the executive and we will continue to work along those lines. As I said, the presidential system that we operate, we sometimes have the responsibility to check the excesses of the executive, so there will always be times we will disagree but by and large, we will always work for the interest of Nigerians and always keep on moving on.” [myad]
Senior Special Assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on media and publicity, Laolu Akande has described spokesmen of the former President Goodluck Jonathan over their comments that his boss told lies on the rate of corruption in the previous governments, as ‘motley group of loud and rude characters.’
In a statement today, Laolu Akande said: “it is clear from the foul language of the authors that the statement could not have come from the former President, but from the motley group of loud and rude characters whose brief seems to be to deny all and anything said against the former PDP government and to do so in the crassest possible language. “The alleged spokespersons of the former President say that facts long in the public domain, some even being used to prosecute several corruption cases are lies and that those of us in government restating these well known facts are liars. “They accuse Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, of lying against the former President or his government citing their involvement in the stealing of three billion dollars, while speaking recently at The Platform event on the 1st of May.” Akande then went on to quote the Vice President for clerity thus: “Grand corruption remains the most enduring threat to our economy. Three Billion US dollars was stolen in what was called the strategic alliance contacts in 2013, three Nigerians were responsible, today three billion dollars is one trillion Naira and our budget is 7trillion! ….” according to Laolu Akande, two issues emerge, first that no mention is made of the former President and second that the story is not only true, but that it has been in the public domain for almost three years and it is the subject of criminal investigation and trials both here and in the UK. The Vice President’s spokesman then went on to say:
“The spokespersons also say that the allegations of corruption against the PDP government are mere lies. For clarity, the facts are laid out as follows:
As the Vice President said, $3B was stolen in the so- called NNPC Strategic Alliance Contracts. The three persons involved are Jide Omokore, Kola Aluko and the former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison- Maduekwe. The companies of both Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko lifted Nigerian crude oil and kept the proceeds. The total sums converted is in excess of three billion dollars including royalties, taxes and fees unpaid for the asset from which the crude was taken. The case is the subject of a trial in Nigeria, and criminal investigation in the US and UK, and the assets of all three individuals have been forfeited in Nigeria, the US and the UK.
The criminal diversion and theft of sums in excess of $2.5 billion meant for purchase of arms to prosecute the war against Boko Haram: The first phase of the investigations revealed several sordid details, many of the assets of culprits have been seized from them and they are facing trial. 3. The release of the sum of $289m in cash on February 25, 2015: Documents including cash vouchers indicate that the the sum of $289,202,382 was taken from the Joint Venture (JV) Cash Call Account No. 000-0000-11658-366 of the NNPC/NAPIMS with JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York, USA. 4. N70 billion was released in parts from the national treasury between January 8 and February 25, 2015. 5. In another illegal disbursement, 25th August 2014, N60B in cash in tranches of N40billion and N20billion: The sum was not tied to any project or procurement and was then shared between two security agencies under the supervision of the then NSA. Most of these sums ended up in the hands of senior PDP members some of whom have returned parts of the loot. Some are standing trial for these offenses. These facts are in the public domain. 6. There was yet another set of illegal fund withdrawals under one week between January 8and 16, 2015, where the sum of N1.5 billion was released in three tranches of N300m, N400m and N800m respectively. This money was released from the MEA Research Library Account . 7. Another document showed that N10 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on September 15, 2014. The money was released in tranches of foreign exchange of $47 million, $5 million, 4 million Euros and 1.6 million Euros. A letter from the Office of the NSA in November 2014 further showed that the monies were released as ‘funds for special services’. This particular release of N10B was sourced in November 2014 from a N40 Billion CBN released funds meant for Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. Investigators showed that this money was released for the PDP Presidential Primaries. 8. Lamido Sanusi, then CBN Governor was sacked for speaking up about the over $20billion missing from oil proceeds. “These cases of grand corruption and open looting of public resources pauperized Nigeria and left us with little or no savings in the years when oil was selling at 100 to 114 dollars a barrel and we were producing 2.1 million barrels a day. When in 2015 oil prices went even as low as between 28 and 35 dollars a barrel and oil production fell to less than one million barrels a day we had no buffer, no savings, to tide us through. “The amount released from CBN in cash on a single day, ie the US$289M ( N88.1Bn) is enough to fund 244,000 N-Power graduates for a year, or pay for 1.2Billion school meals or complete half of Lagos -Ibadan or half of Abuja -Kaduna -Kano roads. “The Vice President also made the point that in 2014 with oil prices as high as 120 dollars per barrel, the total capital released for Power, Works, Housing, Defence, Transport, Agriculture and Defence were just N152Billion for the whole year. “By contrast, the Buhari administration committed N578Bn to the same Ministries in 2016 with oil prices as low as US$28 per barrel as part of the strategy to end the recession. The government was able to do more with less by stopping grand corruption and impunity. “Recently, the Minister Coordinating the economy in that administration has written a revealing book : Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines. Who knows, perhaps her stories too are all lies!” [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to undertake a four-day trip to the United Kingdom.
A statement by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu explained in a statement today, Monday, that in the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor.
“The Doctor requested the President to return for a meeting which he agreed to do.”
The statement said that President Buhari will return on Saturday, May 12th to witness the word congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa State on May 15th. [myad]
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has endowed N10 million to the Hospital Paupers’ Fund meant for the medical treatment of indigent patients. He had also, last year endowed the Fund with N10 million for indigent patients to have access to the money when receiving medical treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Yola, Adamawa State.
Atiku, who visited victims of the Mubi suicide bomb blast on Monday at the Federal Medical Centre announced that he was increasing the money available to the Fund by N10 million.
“I once donated N10 million to the Fund and decided to make another donation of N10 million today (Monday) because I am quite satisfied with the way the Fund is being managed. Patients that cannot afford to get medical treatment can benefit from the Fund.”
According to Atiku Abubakar, the Fund was increased to enable victims of the Mubi bomb blast to access needed money for their treatment.
The Chief Medical Director of FMC, Professor Muhammad Auwal, who conducted Atiku Abubakar round the wards, said that about 300 indigent patients including those with major surgeries have accessed the Fund for their treatment. [myad]
The Nigeria minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has received a hard knock from Senator Babafemi Ojudu campaign group known as Ekiti Rebirth Organization (ERO) over the crisis that rocked the State Congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday, Saturday which led to its being postponed.
Director General of ERO, Chief Ranti Adebisi, in a statement, described Fayemi a man whose political fortune has taken a deep slide in recent times and whose entire campaign strategy was built on lies, orchestrated violence and cheap anti-democratic tricks.
Fayemi, who was former governor of the State, was reported by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode to have alluded to the fact that Senator Ojudu and another aspirant, Bimbo Daramola masterminded the violence and destruction of ballot boxes, having realized that the he (Fayemi) was already in a clear lead in the four local councils that had cast their votes.
Ranti Adebisi, however said: “the entire incident that happened at the stadium was caught on camera and broadcast on National Television. We implore the security agents who made several arrests at the scene to make public the identities of the people arrested and their sponsors. I can tell you that 100 percent that they have no link whatsoever to the Ojudu campaign.
“Fayemi has been the candidate threatening violence since he joined the race last month. He threatened to cripple the state if he is not given the party ticket. He deployed security agents to intimidate delegates even during the conduct of the primaries.
“He is the aspirant that has been avoiding democratic test of popularity, the chronology of events that culminated into the stampede at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, is known to the public, as some of them were also captured on camera. Those videos are everywhere on the social media for everybody to see.
“Clearly, if there is anyone desperate, that person is Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the stakes are high for him as a former governor who lost his seat wholesale and as wobbled as a serving Minister. It is his degree of desperation that has caused the latest show of shame in Ekiti.
“Ojudu has no reason whatsoever to want the voting disrupted since we were projected to win. But we are appealing to our delegates and supporters across the state to remain calm.
“Fayemi came late into this very contest to realize that the boat has left the shore. He is now looking for any straw to hang unto. He was shocked to realize that his much advertised hold on the state executive was a fluke.
“He was shocked that Ojudu was coasting home with a landslide so he has to haphazardly change from one rigging strategy to the other but Ekiti people are not fools.
“We don’t support violence; our campaign does not use thugs. We don’t use self-help. However, Ekiti people have made the statement loud and clear that they no longer want Fayemi. We are sure of our support base. If this election is conducted ten times Ojudu will win.” [myad]
A former Presidential adviser and spokesman, Dr.Doyin Okupe, has confessed that it will be absolutely impossible for opposition political party candidates to defeat the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 election.
“It is absolutely impossible to oppose the incumbent especially a towering figure like President Muhammadu Buhari and hope to defeat him.”
In a statement today, Sunday, Dr. Okupe said that since it would be difficult to defeat an incumbent, the Olusegun Obasanjo’s Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM) will be the only broad platform on which a President candidate could defeat Buhari.
“To defeat Buhari will require an exact repeat of what Bola Tinubu and others were able to do with the APC in 2014 by creating a broad platform encompassing the political majority in the country. This strong coalition will present a candidate to contest against Buhari with the hope of being able to win.”
“We recognize the fact that the APC has not done well. We are convinced that the decision by Buhari to contest again will not augur well for the country. To allow the APC to win means Buhari will continue and that would not be in the interest of Nigerians.” [myad]
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus has written a letter to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu with a complain that he never collected money from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.
Secondus, through his lawyer, Emeka Etiaba in a letter with reference numbr EESE&C/02/03/05/1 and dated 3rd May, 2018 titled: “Re: Mention of Prince Uche Secondus on the list of Looters of Nigeria Economy” insisted that he never sent anybody to collect on his behalf money at any time from the former NSA.
The PDP boss expressed fear that the continued listing of his name might be a deliberate ploy by the Commission to implicate him, scandalize his name in a desperate attempt by the ruling APC to suppress him, dent the credibility of our great party which is being rebranded by him.
The letter also reminded the EFCC that the issue concerning him is already in court and wondered why the commission should not approach the court with its evidence, if any, than continuously indulging in the media trial.
He drew the attention of EFCC to the suit before the Chief Judge of Rivers state in Port Harcourt where an interlocutory order was granted against the defendants and same restrained them from further publishing his name.
He also drew the attention of the commission to the injunction order published in the dailies as ordered by the court a copy of which was attached to the letter to the commission.
“The said publication by the Minister has become a subjectmatter of Suit No: PHC/1013/2018 in Prince Uche Secondus Vs. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Federal Government of Nigeria and Vintage Press Limited (publishers of The Nation Newspapers). The above Suit is pending at Court 1, High Court of Rivers State, Holden in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and same has been adjourned to the 28th May, 2018 for hearing”
“Having regard to the fact that the subject matter has become subjudice and having drawn the attention of the Commission to the facts contained in this letter, it is our hope that the subsisting Order of Court should be obeyed and if the Commission has evidence of collection of money from the office of the National Security Adviser by Our Client, (as an Agency of the Federal Government which is the 2nd Defendant in Suit No: PHC/1013/2018), the Commission should avail such information to the Federal Government for its defence of the Suit.”
“Our Client wishes for the umpteenth time to state that he neither collected money from the office of the National Security Adviser nor instructed anybody to collect money on his behalf. He also wishes to state that he never had a Special Assistant by name Chukwurah who is being touted as the one that collected the sum of ₦200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) on his behalf.
“Finally, the letter said, “Our Client hopes that the ongoing scandalization of his name is not a ploy by the Commission to give effect to the desperate attempt by the federal government to intimidate him and destroy his credibility and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as other opposition leaders as the general elections approach in the pretext of war against corruption” [myad]
Each morning, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of the President of Nigeria wakes up with a picture of women and children struggling through challenges of hunger and sickness, having to choose between food and medication. Sometimes they lose both, even as they battle the lack of education and harmful cultural practices. More often than not, they suffer permanent wounds and scars of these challenges, at other times, succumbing to the cold hands of death.
Each time, she would flash options in her mind; what to do, how to do it, who to do it with – all in a bid to ensure that one more life is saved, one more prospective contributor to national development. Is it easier to give women education or to empower them with self-reliance? How much impact can one make?
She has keyed into the RMNCAH+N Policy, (Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition) through her Future Assured Programme and has already made a lot of impact through advocacy campaigns on breastfeeding, de-worming, killer diseases, complementing this with food, nutrition and medicinal aid, calling on government and privileged Nigerians to save more lives of women and children.
At a recent event she organized for the private sector, she spoke on the need for them to embrace RMNCAH+N as their Corporate Social Responsibility and advocated for Innovative partnerships for investment in the sector. She presented a portfolio of areas of support for them to choose from. Captains of industry attended, listened and keyed in. Most importantly, they understood the precarious lives that women and children go through because of lack of access to essential health services.
Every year in Nigeria, 58,000 women are said to die from pregnancy related complications; from excessive bleeding after child birth, to complications of hypertension in pregnancy, unsafe abortions, infections and obstructed labour. At the event, Mrs. Buhari stressed that interventions to save the lives of these women are low cost, but of high impact because with only N58,381 it is possible to save one pregnant woman from dying in the process of giving birth to another life. She requested private sector to join her in saving at least 5% of these each year over the next 5 years.
Also important, 839,500 children do not make it to their 5th birthday because of malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, HIV and malnutrition. N28,454 is required to save each of these children so that they can live their lives. Some of the interventions include simple prevention and treatment, case management, therapeutic foods, fortifications and the like, some as simple as zinc, vitamin A and folic acid. In fact, it has been established that folic acid taken before conception and in the first few months of pregnancy can prevent spina bifida and associated complications.
Deficiency of these drugs causes problems for both the mother and the unborn child, Sometimes these deficiencies are attributed to poverty and illiteracy rather than lack of the drugs at the ante-natal clinics. A lot of mothers get to know the dangers only too late. Some of them, after suffering from a traumatic pregnancy and even child birth, now have to contend with a perpetually sick child, whose ailment can only be treated at a huge cost. Most of the support in this area is therefore slow and low.
This is why Mrs. Buhari has come in and supported the surgeries of eight children aged from a few months to 6 years. The surgeries were principally in three areas; Hydrocephalus, Encephalocele and Myelomeningocele.
Hydrocephalus results from complications of premature birth, diseases such as meningitis, tumors and traumatic head injury. It is typified by accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain. This fluid compresses the brain, causing neurological symptoms such as convulsions, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Fetuses, infants, and young children with hydrocephalus typically have an abnormally large head, excluding the face, because the pressure of the fluid causes the individual skull bones — which have yet to fuse — to bulge outward at their juncture points.
Encephaloceles causes a groove down the middle of the skull, or between the forehead and nose, or on the back side of the skull. Symptoms may include neurologic problems, cerebrospinal fluid accumulated in the brain, paralysis of the limbs, an abnormally small head, uncoordinated muscle movement, developmental delay, vision problems, mental and growth retardation, and seizures.
Myelomeningocele is the type of spina bifida that often results in the most severe complications. In individuals with myelomeningocele, the un-fused portion of the spinal column allows the spinal cord to protrude through an opening. The membranes that cover the spinal cord also protrude through the opening, forming a sac enclosing the spinal elements, such cerebrospinal fluid, and parts of the spinal cord and nerve roots.
These children have undergone successful surgeries so far, while others are receiving attention. Ya’u Usman, male, 9 months old had Hydrocephalus; Ma’aruf Abdulsalam, male, 3 months had Hydrocephalus and Myelomeningocele; Muhammad Auwal, male, 1 year old had Encephalocele. Nana Khadija Adamu, female, 1 year old, had Hydrocephalus and Myelomeningocele; Asmau Sabiu, female, 6 years old, had brain tumour and Hydrocephalus.
Mrs. Buhari’s acts of compassion continues to show the way for others to emulate. If the private sector can sponsor one hundred or one thousand lives of women and children, then our collective humanity has been proven, our women and children will have a chance be full and not temporary members of our national reality.
Haruna, Director of Information to the wife of the President, wrote in from Abuja. [myad]
Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Emmanuel Kayode Oguntuase, handing over his letter of Credence to the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Athanese Talon (right) at the Presidential Palace to assume duty in that country. [myad]
Nigerians Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, acknowledges cheers from traders when he visits Isikan Market in Akure, Ondo State capital today, Friday, May 4 to witness the ongoing solar electrification of the market. He was accompanied by the Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. Photo by Novo Isioro. [myad]
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Aisha Buhari And Kids Dying For Lack Of Folic Acid, Zinc Ind Iron, By Suleiman Haruna
Each morning, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of the President of Nigeria wakes up with a picture of women and children struggling through challenges of hunger and sickness, having to choose between food and medication. Sometimes they lose both, even as they battle the lack of education and harmful cultural practices. More often than not, they suffer permanent wounds and scars of these challenges, at other times, succumbing to the cold hands of death.
Each time, she would flash options in her mind; what to do, how to do it, who to do it with – all in a bid to ensure that one more life is saved, one more prospective contributor to national development. Is it easier to give women education or to empower them with self-reliance? How much impact can one make?
She has keyed into the RMNCAH+N Policy, (Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition) through her Future Assured Programme and has already made a lot of impact through advocacy campaigns on breastfeeding, de-worming, killer diseases, complementing this with food, nutrition and medicinal aid, calling on government and privileged Nigerians to save more lives of women and children.
At a recent event she organized for the private sector, she spoke on the need for them to embrace RMNCAH+N as their Corporate Social Responsibility and advocated for Innovative partnerships for investment in the sector. She presented a portfolio of areas of support for them to choose from. Captains of industry attended, listened and keyed in. Most importantly, they understood the precarious lives that women and children go through because of lack of access to essential health services.
Every year in Nigeria, 58,000 women are said to die from pregnancy related complications; from excessive bleeding after child birth, to complications of hypertension in pregnancy, unsafe abortions, infections and obstructed labour. At the event, Mrs. Buhari stressed that interventions to save the lives of these women are low cost, but of high impact because with only N58,381 it is possible to save one pregnant woman from dying in the process of giving birth to another life. She requested private sector to join her in saving at least 5% of these each year over the next 5 years.
Also important, 839,500 children do not make it to their 5th birthday because of malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, HIV and malnutrition. N28,454 is required to save each of these children so that they can live their lives. Some of the interventions include simple prevention and treatment, case management, therapeutic foods, fortifications and the like, some as simple as zinc, vitamin A and folic acid. In fact, it has been established that folic acid taken before conception and in the first few months of pregnancy can prevent spina bifida and associated complications.
Deficiency of these drugs causes problems for both the mother and the unborn child, Sometimes these deficiencies are attributed to poverty and illiteracy rather than lack of the drugs at the ante-natal clinics. A lot of mothers get to know the dangers only too late. Some of them, after suffering from a traumatic pregnancy and even child birth, now have to contend with a perpetually sick child, whose ailment can only be treated at a huge cost. Most of the support in this area is therefore slow and low.
This is why Mrs. Buhari has come in and supported the surgeries of eight children aged from a few months to 6 years. The surgeries were principally in three areas; Hydrocephalus, Encephalocele and Myelomeningocele.
Hydrocephalus results from complications of premature birth, diseases such as meningitis, tumors and traumatic head injury. It is typified by accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain. This fluid compresses the brain, causing neurological symptoms such as convulsions, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures. Fetuses, infants, and young children with hydrocephalus typically have an abnormally large head, excluding the face, because the pressure of the fluid causes the individual skull bones — which have yet to fuse — to bulge outward at their juncture points.
Encephaloceles causes a groove down the middle of the skull, or between the forehead and nose, or on the back side of the skull. Symptoms may include neurologic problems, cerebrospinal fluid accumulated in the brain, paralysis of the limbs, an abnormally small head, uncoordinated muscle movement, developmental delay, vision problems, mental and growth retardation, and seizures.
Myelomeningocele is the type of spina bifida that often results in the most severe complications. In individuals with myelomeningocele, the un-fused portion of the spinal column allows the spinal cord to protrude through an opening. The membranes that cover the spinal cord also protrude through the opening, forming a sac enclosing the spinal elements, such cerebrospinal fluid, and parts of the spinal cord and nerve roots.
These children have undergone successful surgeries so far, while others are receiving attention. Ya’u Usman, male, 9 months old had Hydrocephalus; Ma’aruf Abdulsalam, male, 3 months had Hydrocephalus and Myelomeningocele; Muhammad Auwal, male, 1 year old had Encephalocele. Nana Khadija Adamu, female, 1 year old, had Hydrocephalus and Myelomeningocele; Asmau Sabiu, female, 6 years old, had brain tumour and Hydrocephalus.
Mrs. Buhari’s acts of compassion continues to show the way for others to emulate. If the private sector can sponsor one hundred or one thousand lives of women and children, then our collective humanity has been proven, our women and children will have a chance be full and not temporary members of our national reality.
Haruna, Director of Information to the wife of the President, wrote in from Abuja. [myad]