President Muhammadu Buhari has commended Leah Sharibu for refusing to accept Islam as her religion in the Hands of Boko Haram insurgents who abducted her along with 109 other school girls from Dapchi secondary school in Yobe State on February 19 this year.

The President gave assurance of his commitment to the freedom of Sharibu who is the only one still in captivity as he was to the girls’ freedom when all 110 were in the captivity of Boko Haram terrorists.

In a statement today, Thursday, the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu quoted Buhari as stressing that his administration will not relent in efforts to bring Leah Sharibu safely back home to her parents as it has done for the other girls.

“President Buhari is fully conscious of his duty under the constitution to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of faith, ethnic background or geopolitical location and will not shirk in this responsibility.

“The President is equally mindful of the fact that true followers of Islam all over the world respect the injunction that there is no compulsion in religion.

“To this effect, no one or group can impose its religion on another.”

The President expressed sympathy to “the isolated parents who must watch others rejoice while their own daughter is still away. The lone Dapchi girl, Leah, will not be abandoned.”

President Buhari assured the Sharibu family that he will continue to do all he can to ensure that they also have cause to rejoice with their daughter soon. [myad]

Governor Nasiru Ahmed el-Rufai has expressed concern over the demographic disaster that may weight down Nigeria if by 2050 the health of the majority of the citizens is not properly taken care of.

The governor, who spoke after a special meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said that Nigeria is going to be 411 million people by 2050.

“Today, more than half of our population is very young and unless we try to educate them and by ensuring that they are healthy, we will face a demographic disaster.

“The truth is most Nigerians think that the dividend of democracy amounts to see a road pass by your house, water or electricity. Dangote and Gates reminded all of us today, is that there is something far more important than physical infrastructure – roads, electricity, water and that is our investing in the people.

“India and China have shown that a large population is not a problem, the problem is getting that large population to be productive by getting them sound education and good healthcare. “Unfortunately, this country has been consistently under-investing in healthcare. Our investments in education are below average even in Africa; our tax revenue in terms of GDP is the lowest in the world.

“We are moving towards certain disaster unless we recalibrate, focus as government leaders in collaboration with the private sectors and donors, to put our money into the future of our people. And the way to do so is to invest in education. This was the greatest lesson for us today.

“As governors, we are committed to scaling up what Dangote and Gates have been doing in our healthcare systems. Kaduna state is one of the state’s that has benefited strongly from the partnership, they have given us money but more importantly they have helped us focused on what is really important.

“We at NEC under the leadership of our Chairman, the Vice President are committed to ensuring that we make those choices that will make Nigeria great.”

“The national health insurance Act was passed by the precious administration and it provided for a first line charge on the consolidated revenue of one percent to be set aside to fund largely, primary healthcare and basic health care.

“The objective is for us to achieve universal health coverage. Unfortunately since the enactment of that law, the budgeting for basic healthcare provision has not been done. This year, our hope is that we have been assured by the leadership of National Assembly that as they are working on the 2018 budget, that one percent will be provided.

“Essentially, that one percent will be passed on as grants to states for spending on immunization and primary healthcare delivery and if that is that, it will go along way in improving healthcare delivery.

“Dangote has proposed a noble idea if I may say so, of introducing something similar to a company education tax, as you know companies pay a fraction of their profits to as education tax fund, which is what we use largely to fund tertiary institutions.

“He has proposed a similar health fund in which companies will pledge to pay a percentage of their profit that can go into a national health fund that can be managed jointly with private sector participation to ensure that primary healthcare receives appropriate funding for commodities, equipment and Human Resources.

“We have several primary healthcare centers across the country but they are just buildings without drugs, nurses and doctors and equipment. But with this proposal we hope to move forward, I think we have robust funding because it will be money that will be well spent.

“On the review of ERGP as suggested by Gates, it is not correct to say that the economic recovery and growth plan does not give primacy to human capital, it is not correct.

“The economic recovery and growth plan has enough provision for human capital, it is a federal government plan, what is needed is for states to have similar plans as well as adequate provisions for healthcare and education, because the bulk of the burden for healthcare and education really rests on states governments.

“The disease burden of the country is largely at the primary healthcare level and this primary healthcare system is broken completely, we need to rebuild it. It is the responsibility of the states rather than the federal government. The federal government identifies with funding, grants and aids. But essentially, routine immunization, primary healthcare, is the responsibility of the states.” [myad]

Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, representing Kano Central in the Senate has vowed to retire Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from active politics come 2019 general elections.

In an audio voice message aired on a private radio station in Kano (Express FM) today, Wednesday, Senator Kwankwaso made it clear that no amount of persuasion would make him change his mind over the stance to remove Ganduje.

According to him, the level of betrayal meted to him by the Governor is enough yardstick to stage a comeback into Kano politics and unseat him from Government House.

Senator Kwankwaso also boasted of dealing and retiring from politics, “those who have any link to the Governor from any quarters within the Country, even if that person is in Abuja.”

The Senator was also quoted as saying: “go and write it down, I will retire this betrayer (Ganduje) and his collaborators from active politics in a simple arithmetic of 1 + 1 which you all know the answer.” [myad]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered $9 million cash at the residence of the sacked Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, retired Brigadier General Paul Tarelah Boroh.

Boroh, who was Special Adviser on Niger Delta to President Muhammadu Buhari has also been arrested.

The discovery of the cash was made a few hours after his arrest by a combined team of EFCC and operatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Wilson Uwujiaren, confirmed the arrest and cash recovery in response to THISDAY’s enquiries.

A senior security agent said Boroh was picked up from his home in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Monday.

He was reported to have been taken back to his residence at about 3 a.m. Tuesday by the security operatives who raided his house for hours and made the cash discovery of $9 million at his home.

He remains in the custody of the EFCC.

“The former adviser was driven to his home in an unmarked car after his arrest. His home was searched for several hours and about $9 million cash was discovered in several safe boxes in several parts of the house,” the senior security agent stated.

“The combined team of EFCC and the National Security Adviser operatives were very thorough with the search. Indeed, at a point, the operatives broke all the locks in the home including his wife’s closet. The recovered cash has been deposited at the Office of the NSA.”

Buhari sacked Boroh last week and announced Prof. Charles Dokubo as his replacement. [myad]

The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has expressed joy in the return, today, Wednesday, of the over 100 school girls kidnapped from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State last month by Boko Haram insurgents.

In a statement today, Wednesday, the Representative of UNICEF Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, said: “UNICEF is delighted that the girls abducted on 19 February 2018 from a school in Dapchi, Yobe state, northeast Nigeria were returned to their families. According to unconfirmed reports, 105 girls have been returned.

“We are pleased to see that the girls are back in the safe environment of their families. UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Youth in Yobe state to provide the necessary support to the girls and their families. Over the last one month, the girls may have been exposed to physical and sexual violence. They need the support of their families and communities to feel safe and return to school.

“UNICEF is also working with civil society organizations to ensure that each girl receives individual attention – from medical treatment to psychosocial support.”

The UN body sympathized with families whose daughters could not come home, saying: “as we await further confirmation, five girls have reportedly died. UNICEF grieves with the families who lost their daughters.

“We are grateful for the efforts of all parties in ensuring safe return of the girls to their families.”

UNICEF reiterated that schools should be safe spaces, and protected at all times even as it recalled that since the start of the insurgency in 2009, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 displaced, and almost 1,400 schools destroyed. [myad]

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned against allowing school girls to be used as instruments of negotiation with Boko Haram insurgents and other groups.

Atiku, who expressed joy in the return of the Dapchi school girls today, Wednesday, after four weeks of being kidnapped by Boko Haram from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, cautioned: “we cannot continue to allow our daughters to be used as instruments of negotiation, subject to capture and release at the whim of any group.
“For the sake of our youth who embody the best of our tomorrow, we must confront this Frankenstein monster. Working together as a Nation we can and must bring an end to this. Not a day must be wasted in finding solutions. We must make it safe so our girls and women in every part of the country can study and flourish in peace.”

In a statement by his media office in Abuja today, Wednesday, Atiku is sure that with the return of the girls, some families who had been heartbroken will now have the tears wiped from their faces, as will other Nigerians who were distressed by the kidnappings.
“This is a moment of joy for all of us as a nation,” he said. “We may not all be in Dapchi at the moment but we are all celebrating with the families, the community and the entire Yobe State.”
Atiku, however, noted that the grief of the parents whose daughters weren’t returned would probably take on a new and more tormenting dimension, as they continue to wait and pray for their safe return.
“May God continue to strengthen and give them hope.”.
The former Vice President advised that a more permanent solution to the problem of kidnapping of girls from schools should be found, suggesting the immediate reassignment of 150,000 Nigerian police personnel to secure schools in volatile areas of the northeast.

“In addition, the government should look at redesigning schools to make them more secure from attack including the addition of safe rooms.” [myad]

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Kogi state has fixed last Saturday of April for the commencement of the recall process of the embattled lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye.

Speaking today, Wednesday, at a stakeholders’ forum in Lokoja, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Professor James Apam said that the commission has also fixed first Saturday in the month of May as the day that a referendum would be conducted in line with the electoral laws.

“On this day, the Commission will endeavour to invite all those who have signed the recall register to come forward and identify their signature,” he said.

The REC pointed out that if this process is successful, the Commission will proceed to the next stage where a referendum of all registered voters in the senatorial district would be conducted.

“Here, voters will be asked to vote either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question of whether they want Senator Dino Melaye recalled. If the answer meets the constitutional requirements of 51 percent ‘yes,’ the process moves to the next stage; but if it fails, the process stops.”

The commencement of the recall process is coming on the heels of the appellate court’s ruling that INEC can commence the recall process. The Court of Appeal had, last week, thrown out Senator Dino Melaye’s suit challenging the move to recall him. [myad]