President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed satisfaction with the reduction of what he called ‘gross corruption’ at local level over the last two and half years.

“Even though under our system, the Federal Government cannot directly interfere in the details of the operations of States, but to see that the gross corruption at the local level is being checked and transparently reported is a thing of satisfaction and joy for me.”

President Buhari, who spoke today, Tuesday at the first Adamawa State anti-corruption Summit in Yola, expressed delight in what he referred to as ‘this memorable event’ which he said is very encouraging.

He marveled at move by Adamawa state government, on its own, to venture into the subject matter of fighting Corruption deliberately, as well as transparently subjecting its methods to the whole nation for detailed discussion.

President Buhari recalled that on 29^th May 2015, he did say that Nigeria is faced with enormous challenges, especially with insecurity and institutionalized pervasive corruption.

He said that his confidence had consistently remained high that together Nigerians will tackle those challenges head on, saying: “as I had predicted, today I am proud to note that we have not relented in our determination to fight corruption.  We are fixing our problems together.

“We will try to ensure that, there is more responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country.

“I note with satisfaction the logical steps taken by Adamawa State Government in the last two and a half years to demonstrate that transparency, fiscal responsibility, accountability and timely delivery of strategic goods and services to develop the state and enhance the confidence of its people is a viable template to fighting corruption.

“Team work, the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, the respect and compliance with fiscal and procurement laws, the institutional reforms to improved efficiency, the drive to achieve value for money, as demonstrated by this administration, are worthy of note.

“I recommend to other states this model along with all other winning approaches to enhance the progress and development of our Nation.

“The projects and progress I have seen in Yola along with the reports and presentations made here have given me encouragement on the future of the State.  I hope this momentum will be sustained.

“To the Government of Adamawa State, I say “well done and keep it up”.  To the people of Adamawa State, I congratulate you all on supporting the Government and encourage you to continue to give your maximum support to the State Government in its drive for a much better future.”

The Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to take those he referred to as “empty barrel Nigerian elite’’ serious on their call that he should not seek a re-election in 2019.

The first class traditional ruler, who was obviously angered by statements credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military President Ibrahim Babangida that Buhari should not seek a re-election, the Lamidoo said in Yola today, Tuesday, that Buhari had achieved a lot and should proceed to seek a second term.

Buhari who is currently in Yola for a visit, was at the palace of the Lamido to pay homage.

“I am calling you to remain focused, stand firm and don’t listen to the empty barrel Nigerian elite who are calling you not to contest 2019 presidential election.

“They are burying their heads in shame and telling people that Buhari-led government has done nothing,” Muhammadu Barkindo noted.

Thanking the Lamido for his support, Buhari said that he had fulfilled major promises made to electorate during his political campaign.

He said that the fight against corruption and maintenance of peace and security were among the priorities of his administration.

“We appreciate security progress in the North East and the country at large,” he said.

He explained also that economic development had improved, especially in agriculture.

“We are lucky that for the past two years farmers across the country experienced excellent harvests,” Buhari said.

He said that Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Central Bank of Nigeria would continue to support famers in years to come in order to sustain sufficient national food production and economy growth.

He said he was aware of the abandoned Chochi water and irrigation project in Yola South local government area and explained that no one should be blamed for it.

Source: NAN

The Federal Government has reported massive movement of security personnel, including military and high caliber police officers to trouble spots in Benue and Nasarawa States to address the rising conflicts between farmers and herdsmen.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who gave the details of the deployment of the security personnel today, Tuesday, said that the army and Air Force and the Nigerian Army formations and units were involved in the movement to Benue State.

According to him, while the 72 Special Forces Battalion have consistently maintained Forward Operating Bases at the flash areas covering Guma, Logo, Katsina-Ala and Agatu Local Government Areas, the Army had within the last few days scaled up the size of troops and equipment in Agatu, Guma, Katsina-Ala and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue State.

He said that the Army also recently deployed troops at Awe and Tunga Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State, in order to monitor and block the gaps that were presumed to be used as staging points by armed herdsmen to attack communities in Benue State.

He said that troops of 93 Battalion, Takum in Taraba State, also occupy blocking positions as well as maintain constant liaison with troops in Benue State.

“Furthermore, the command and control structure of the Army formations and units in Benue and contiguous states have been reorganized.

“Accordingly, more troops were deployed and the Commander 707 Special Forces Brigade was reassigned to Taraba State for effective command and control of troops operating in the entire Benue/Taraba general area. And next week, the Nigerian Army will flag-off Exercise AYEM AKPATUMA, to checkmate the activities of armed bandits and militias in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and environs.”

A former Governor of Nasarawa state and current Senator of Nigeria, Adamu Abdullahi, has described the recent letter by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari, as a crass sensationalism aimed at promoting himself as usual.

Reacting to the Obasanjo’s latest open letter to Buhari titled “The Way Out: A Clarion Call For Coalition For Nigeria Movement,” asking the President not to seek reelection in 2019 and called for a coalition to move Nigeria forward, Senator Adamu said that in taking his case to the rowdy market place of sensationalism, Obasanjo had clearly intended to score cheap political points at the expense of the president.

“He (Obasanjo) intended to undermine the Buhari administration, subject the president to public ridicule and impugn his moral strength and integrity to lead the nation. As he must have obviously expected, his statement was intended to heat and is heating up the polity and causing confusion at this critical time when the myriads of our national challenges commend themselves to our statesmen and women for sober reflections rather than indulgence in crass sensationalism. It is a disservice to the country.”

The former Nasarawa State strongman, who addressed news men yesterday in Abuja with title: “The Antics of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo” argued that Obasanjo cannot, “escape the charge of impure motive and that he took this step, not to try and set things right for the sake of the nation but to promote Obasanjo for the sake of Obasanjo.”

According to him, the former President had unhindered access to President Buhari, wondering why he chose to ridicule the Presidency by writing an opening letter the way he did to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

“In a civilised political culture, it is taboo for former presidents to openly take a sitting president to the cleaners. Our former head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, has faithfully kept to this time-honoured culture of a former ruler not washing the dirty linens of a current ruler rather gleefully in the public. So have former President Shehu Shagari and former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

“The question is, if Chief Obasanjo meant well for Buhari, his administration and Nigeria, why did he not choose the option of quietly offering his advice to the president?

“No administration is a total success and none is a total failure. Chief Obasanjo cannot honestly claim that he ran a perfect and totally successful administration. Because he did not. Every administration grapples with problems thrown at it by circumstances beyond its control.

“President Buhari inherited an economy that was unsteady on its feet. He also inherited the security problems such as Boko Haram, armed robberies and kidnappings. Yes, I agree, that under his watch these problems should grow less, not more. But the solution to problems such as these is a slow and agonising process. He has no powers to simply make them disappear over night.”

“Since he left office on October 1, 1979, to local and international applause Chief Obasanjo has systematically sought to undermine every federal administration after him. He has today set up himself as the moral conscience of the nation. He believes he has acquired the wisdom of King Solomon and has consequently imposed on himself the right to decide who rules us and how we should be ruled.

“I am aware of criticisms that the president appointed only northerners as heads of his security agencies. There may be some merit in a national spread but a president reserves the right to fill such positions with those who command his implicit trust and confidence. That is neither unconstitutional nor a moral crime.”

On the accusation that President Buhari is selective in prosecuting the anti-corruption war, Adamu reacted this way “Chief Obasanjo said that President Buhari is selective in his anti-corruption war. I agree with him because if the president were not selective, Chief Obasanjo himself would be in the dock today on trial on charges of corruption arising from the corrupt practices in the pursuit of his third term gambit in the national n assembly in 2006.

“Today he denies that he ever nursed such ambition. And being a man much favoured by .. ‘ God. he has repeatedly said that if he had wanted it and asked the almighty for it, he would have given him  the third term.

“He knows as well as I and other leading members of the PDP that he badly wanted it and initiated the process of constitutional amendment. He bribed each member of the national assembly who signed to support the amendment, with the whopping sum of N50 million to make the constitutional amendment scale ”trough.

“The fresh, mint money was taken in its original boxes presumably from the vaults of the Central Bank of Nigeria and distributed among the legislators. The money was not his and it was not appropriated by the national assembly as required by law. I, therefore, agree that in failing to make former president account for that money. President Buhari is waging his anti-corruption war selectively.

“Nor should we forget that President Buhari has also not bothered to interrogate Obasanjo’s role in the Harliburton scandal for which some Americans are cooling their heels in jail. Perhaps, President Buhari might neec to look in the Siemens affairs in which the Obasanjo administration was indicted and for which can: hug-mans were on trial. What became of the trial?”

Senator Adamu said Obasanjo’s call for a “Coalition for Nigeria is a red herring across the path of our constitutional government. He is free to form a political party and pursue his ambition of being the power behind the throne but such a national movement would achieve no discernible purpose in the economic management and the social administration of the country.

“I believe that the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state have been most kind to him. Chief Obasanjo has a moral obligation to make the country succeed in solving its myriads of problems. That, i believe, is one way he can give back to the country that has given him so much

“As a friend, I wish to advise the former president to pull back from the dangerous path of rubbishing all presidents that came into office after him. Bringing everyone down is not a patriotic duty.” [myad]