I’m Still Not Satisfied With 90 Percent Drop In Rice Import Bill – President Buhari

December 29, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that until Nigeria attains 100 percent drop in the importation of rice, he would continue to push for self sufficiency and even exportation.
He said that in the last two years, the huge rice import bill had dropped significantly by more than 90 per cent, which he described as not good enough by his expectation.
The President who received in audience, the All Progressives Congress (APC) family from Kebbi State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Friday, said that his government will continue to review and strengthen ongoing reforms in the agricultural sector until Nigeria regains its pride of place as a food exporting country.
“Beyond self-sufficiency, we must strive to become net exporters of food commodities.
“We are not doing badly in the agricultural sector and Nigerians, and the world, are beginning to appreciate our efforts. We will not be satisfied; we will work harder until we start exporting food.
“We are happy that rice and beans importation into the country have gone down by over 90 per cent, and visibly everyone can see how productive states like Kebbi have turned out to be and states like Lagos, Ogun and Ebonyi are following the example.”
Buhari said that Kaduna, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto states have already reported remarkable turn around in the agricultural sector, with more youths taking interest in entrepreneurship.
The President disagreed with the astronomical food import bill presented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from the inception of the administration, pointing out that it was later discovered to be “fraudulent practices’’ by some of the elites to deplete the foreign reserves.
“When I was told that the CBN had no savings after the windfall of selling oil for more than $100 dollars per barrel for many years, and the production was 2.1 billion barrel per day, I did not believe them.
“I did not believe them because majority of Nigerians cannot afford imported food; they rely on what is locally grown. It turned out that 50 per cent of the export bills were fraudulent. That is what the Nigerian elites did.
“Unfortunately, we will not know all that happened because the elites worked in collusion with institutions in developed countries, like insurance firms, shipping companies and other financial outfits, to perpetuate the fraud.”
On security, President Buhari said that the return of farmers to their farm lands in the North East, with glaring results of high yields, is a testimony to the relative peace that has been achieved.
He assured that more would be done to check suicide attacks even as he promised to reposition the educational and health sectors to compete with other global institutions.
Speaking while introducing the delegation, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) told the President that the political leaders of Kebbi State have now abandoned opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and embraced the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We came to show you that the good policies of the administration have made the leaders of the PDP to abandon their party and move to the APC. With this development, the PDP is now pronounced dead in Kebbi State,” Malami said.
In his remarks, the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu said the APC family was pleased with the performance of the administration in securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption.
Bagudu and members of the delegation, which include former Governor of Kebbi State, Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari and other former PDP stalwarts, prayed for the quick recovery of the President’s son, Yusuf.[myad]

Why Sambo Dasuki Should Be Released On Bail – Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki Group

Greenbarge Reporters

December 29, 2017

A group going by the name: The Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki Progressive Association (SIDPA), has given many reasons why the former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired colonel Sambo Dasuki should be released on bail after being held for two years.
The group, which claimed to be speaking on behalf of the entire members of Sultan Dasuki family, issued a statement at the press conference on Dasuki’s Two Year anniversary of Incarceration, December 28.
Addressing the news men today, Friday at Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Sokoto, Sokoto State, the group’s Secretary General, Comrade Kabir T. Auwal, asked request the Federal Government, under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, to respect the rule of law by releasing “our son” from detention
Parts of the statement read at the press conference go thus:
Today is two years since the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki was arrested and re-arrested in December 2015 after securing his bail condition but ignored by the Federal Government. Since his incarceration, Dasuki has been arraigned before four federal courts which granted him bail, while the ECOWAS court, a sub-regional court not only ordered that the FG release him immediately but also order his compensation to the tune of N15 million. The agents of the Federal Government, especially Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have refused to obey any of the court orders.
Meanwhile, just recently the DSS had prevented the EFCC from arresting or interrogating the former DG of DSS Ita Ekpeyong by relying on the provision of a proclamation approved by General Abubakar Abdulsalam in 1999. The edict, titled Instrument No 1 of 1999, shields Security agencies from external audit and investigation of their financial dealings, making them subject to only presidential review. Why is this not applied to Sambo Dasuki’s who supervised and cordinated activities of the intelligence services when the instrument has not been nullified or replaced by a National Assembly-enacted Act.
In addition, just recently too while receiving a report on National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over Osborne Tower Scandal from Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, President Buhari in a statement by his Spokesperson Femi Adesina said the scandal “must be understood that this (investigation) cannot be done in a manner that jeopardises national security or exposes the operations of any intelligence Agency, which must, by nature be conducted in secrecy.” Why is this not applicable to Sambo Dasuki who supervised those agencies during his tenure.
We and other right-thinking members of his family have deliberately remained silence on his ordeals and persecution, hoping in a democratic government, rule of law would be adhered to. But surprisingly in over two years that Sambo Dasuki has been unlawfully and illegal detained without any court order or warrant, he has been subjected to media trial, scandalized, criminalized, insulted and humiliated not through any court of justice but from the propaganda of the current administration through media trials of falsehood.
It is on record that Sambo Dasuki served this nation meritoriously in various capacities before his appointment as the National Security Adviser by the previous administration. It is public knowledge that Dasuki had served previous administration of General Muhammadu Buhari and General Ibrahim Babangida but was against dictatorial regime of General Sani Abacha, before he sought asylum outside the country where he teamed up with other Nigerians in the Diaspora to campaign against that military dictatorship and entrenchment of democracy.
On the return to democracy, he remained abroad until the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo invited to serve as Managing Director of Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company. He disengaged honourably after serving meritoriously to continue his business abroad before he was invited by President Goodluck Jonathan to serve as the National Security Adviser (NSA). Dasuki was appointed as NSA when Boko Haram was at its peak. It is on record that he recovered more than 24 towns from Boko Haram before the coming of the current administration and ensured that security strategies put in place facilitated the conduct of peaceful elections in 2015 across the country, including in the Northeast states without disruption by Boko Haram terrorism. In one of his official statement he had provided lists and proof of huge military equipment bought to prosecute the war on terror and how they engaged Nigeria’s neigbours to join in the efforts. Yet, the current government doesn’t want the truth to be told.
In spite of Dasuki’s contribution in taming insecurity in the country, he has been the most maligned public officer through naked falsehood and mischievous information leakages that tend to portray him as a corrupt person. Suffice to say that Dasuki has served the nation with best of intentions yet he remains the only public officer that has remained in detention in the last two years; the only officer that has been granted bail by four courts. The FG’s sheer disregard for the rule of law in the last two years, especially as it affects Sambo Dasuki’s incarceration has become worrisome to Dasuki family even when we lost our Father Sultan Dasuki. No nation develops in the absence of rule of law, in which case her extant laws and judicial structures are respected ‎devoid of sentimentality and grudging impunity.
We are all living witnesses to the fact that some suspects on grievous charges of treasonable offence were released by this same government after clamour and outburst by their people. In Dasuki’s case whose offences are all bailable and granted by the court, he was not allowed to enjoy his bail. The disregard by the government agencies of these orders could not be without the express approval of President Buhari which is most painful and to his inlaw. The judiciary should be encouraged to have the courage to exercise its powers without undue interference by the executive arm.
Since we are not in a military junta but a democracy, Nigeria’s constitution should not be turned to Military decrees with which rights of citizens are trampled upon without question. We strongly call on the ‎Federal Government to respect rule of law and allow Sambo Dasuki to enjoy his bails, except if the intention of government is to kill him in detention.
We therefore call on the Federal Government to release Dasuki on bail in compliance with the rulings of our competent courts while it continues with the cases in open court rather than in secret or media trial.[myad]

Katsina Gov Prepares For 2019 Elections, Sacks ‘None Political’ Commissioner

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state has begun preparations for the 2019 re-election bid, with the sacking of a ‘none political’ state’s Commissioner of Education, Professor Halimatu Idris with immediate effect.

A letter which was personally signed by the Governor, told the sacked commissioner, who is an academic: “it has become necessary for the government to bring more active politicians on board so as to fasten activities of governance.”

He reminded her that the action was taken in view of the fact that political activities leading to elections would commence early next year, even as he thanked Professor Halimatu for the services she rendered as Commissioner of Education.

In the letter titled: “Letter of Appreciation and Disengagement,” dated December 21, 2017, Governor Masari said that the sacked commissioner’s “contributions to the development of the Education Sector in particularly and the Government, in general, cannot be overemphasized.”

According to the governor, during her term as commissioner, “schools were rehabilitated and upgraded, new ones were constructed, teachers were trained and the atmosphere made more conducive for learning and teaching.”

George Weah: From Football Pitch To Liberian Presidency

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

Former World Footballer of the Year and Senator in Liberia, George Oppong Weah, has emerged the winner of the Presidential run-off election making him the new President of Liberia. It is story scripted for the movies. Weah thus became the first global soccer icon to rule his country, a feat the likes of Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, Ziko, Socrates all of Brazil never achieved.

Meanwhile, the former President John Mahama-led ECOWAS Observation Mission has described Liberia’s 26 December presidential run-off vote as peaceful and satisfactory with the process up to the counting of ballots transparent and credible.

In its four-page Preliminary Declaration read by the Ghanaian Statesman in Monrovia on Wednesday, 27th December, the Mission called for calm and patience as Liberians awaited the results.

The Mission urged the National Elections Commission (NEC) “to work diligently and expedite action on the proclamation of the provisional results in order to avoid creating anxiety within the polity.”

It also called on the two candidates, Senator George Weah and out-going Vice President Joseph Boakai “to gracefully accept the will of the people.”

They should “refrain from prematurely declaring results” and “in the event of genuine grievances, to resort exclusively to legal means to seek redress,” the ECOWAS Mission counselled.

The Mission congratulated NEC for its professionalism and the measures put in place with the support of an ECOWAS Technical Team, to improve the electoral process.

It also commended Liberians for their patience, determination and peaceful conduct and called on development partners to continue to provide more support to Liberia in order to ensure that the country “maintains its progress towards political and socio-economic development.”

In her remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs Halima Ahmed urged Liberian political actors to continue to demonstrate political maturity for the consolidation of democracy in the country, which is on the throes of witnessing the first peaceful political transition of government in 73 years, and since the end of a devastating civil war in Africa’s first Republic founded by freed slaves from American in 1847.

Biography of a winner

George Oppong Weah, (born October 1, 1966, in Monrovia, Liberia), was named African, European, and World Player of the Year in 1995—an unprecedented achievement. He won his first African Player of the Year award in 1989. His talents on the field were equaled by his activism on behalf of his homeland, where he worked to bring an end to a long civil war.

Weah learned his football on the dusty streets of Monrovia before playing for Invincible Eleven, Mighty Barolle, Bongrange Bonguine, and Young Survivors of Claretown. After leading Young Survivors, a team without a coach, into the first division, Weah signed a three-year semiprofessional contract with top Cameroonian club Tonnerre of Yaoundé, which won its league in his first season (1987) with the team. Shortly thereafter, the promising 22-year-old striker was signed by AS Monaco of the French first division. In his five seasons with Monaco (1987–92), he scored 57 goals, and the team won the French Cup in 1991. His exceptional dribbling and shooting skills made him a crowd favourite, and his uncompromising work ethic and technical ability landed Weah a lucrative contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). In his most acclaimed season, he led PSG to the French Cup, to the league title, and to the semifinals of the 1995 European Champions League. Subsequently he transferred to AC Milan (1995–2000) in Italy’s Serie A, helping the club win the 1996 and 1999 league titles. In January 2000 AC Milan loaned him to Chelsea of London, where he made an important contribution to that team’s Football Association Cup triumph. At the end of his career, he played briefly with Manchester City and Marseille in France. Weah scored more goals and played in more matches than any other African professional in Europe.

Though Weah established a new home for his family in New York City, he maintained close ties to Liberia, where he is known as “King George” and enjoys considerable popularity. Wracked by poverty and civil war in the 1990s, Liberia was able to sustain the Lone Star—the national team—only with the assistance of Weah, who played for, coached, and to a large extent financed the team. In 2002, after the Lone Star nearly qualified for the World Cup and then performed poorly at the African Cup of Nations, Weah retired from football.

Following the ouster of Pres. Charles Taylor in 2003, Weah returned to Liberia as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations. In 2005 he ran for president of the country as a member of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party. After winning the first round of voting, he was defeated by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party (UP) in the runoff election in November 2005. Weah initially challenged the election results in court, but he dropped his case the following month.

Weah faced Johnson Sirleaf again in the October 2011 presidential election, but this time as a vice presidential candidate running on the CDC ticket with presidential candidate Winston Tubman. Johnson Sirleaf and Tubman emerged with the most votes, but—as neither garnered a majority—a runoff election was held on November 8. Less than a week before the runoff, however, Tubman cited CDC complaints about irregularities in the first round of voting and withdrew from the race. He also urged his supporters to boycott the election. International observers, who had previously declared the first round of voting to be free and fair, said his allegations were unsubstantiated. Johnson Sirleaf was reelected by a wide margin, although her victory was clouded by the withdrawal of the Tubman-Weah ticket from the race and by low voter turnout.

In December 2014 Weah ran for the position of senator of Montserrado county under the banner of the CDC. He handily defeated his nearest opponent, Robert Sirleaf (one of the president’s sons), taking 78 percent of the vote to Sirleaf’s almost 11 percent. Two years later, in an effort to consolidate opposition strength in preparation for the 2017 elections, Weah’s CDC merged with two other parties to form the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Weah was the CDC’s candidate in the October 2017 presidential election, with Jewel Howard Taylor, senator for Bong county and former wife of the ousted president Taylor, as his running mate.

Weah was the top vote getter in the first round of voting, winning about 38 percent in the October 10 poll. He and his nearest challenger, Vice President Joseph Boakai, who represented the UP and received about 29 percent of the vote, advanced to the November 7 runoff election. The election was indefinitely postponed, however, after the Supreme Court ruled on November 6 that the electoral commission could not hold the poll until the commission had finished investigating allegations of fraud and incompetence filed by the third-place winner, Charles Brumskine, and his Liberty Party (LP). The LP’s complaints had the support of other political parties, including the UP. Furthermore, the UP alleged that Johnson Sirleaf had interfered in the electoral process to Weah’s benefit—a charge which she denied. After the electoral commission concluded its investigation and dismissed the LP’s allegations, on December 7 the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal filed by the UP and LP and ordered the runoff election to be held.

Courtesy: ECONOMIST [myad]

George Weah Dribbles Joseph Boakai To Win Liberia’s Presidency

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

Liberian President elect, George Weah — Liberian President-elect, George Weah

African football legend, George Weah, known for his dribbling prowess on the football pitch, has politically dribbled Liberian Vice President, Joseph Boakai to clinch the Presidency of the country.

According to Reuters, the National Elections Commission, Weah beat Boakai in the country’s run-off election on Thursday. The commission said that with 98.1 percent of ballots cast, Weah garnered 61.5 percent of the total votes while Boakai got 38.5 percent.

Weah becomes the 25th President of Liberia.

The ex-Liberian international played for Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City and later returned to France with Marseille. He is the only African to win the coveted Ballon d’Or.

Weah also won the UEFA Champions League Top Scorer award, Coupe de France, Ligue1, Coupe de la Ligue, Serie A title, English FA Cup among others. [myad]

Russia Disagrees With President Trump Over Jerusalem

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

Russian President, Vladimir Putin and U.S President, Donald Trump

Russia has disagreed with the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump on his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Russian Ambassador to Vatican, Alexander Avdeyev, who made the position of his country known, recalled that Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church, in one of his recent statements, said that the status quo of Jerusalem, which is a place of pilgrimage and worship for Jews, Christians and Muslims, should be respected.

The ambassador told Sputnik: “this is a city of three Abrahamic religions and it should not be politicised by recognition as a capital. I draw attention to the fact that this statement was made by the Pope, who usually expresses his position very carefully in order not to offend anyone.

“So we can see a clear disagreement with the U.S. decision here. We have the similar position.”

The diplomat also said that Russia and the Vatican share similar views on the world and the threats posed to it in the 21st century.

“We have much in common in our vision of the threats and dangers of the 21st century. This is an important issue that unites us.

“First of all, I speak about the threat of any terrorism, criminal, religious or separatist one. The second threat is the weakening of non-proliferation regimes.

“Of particular concern is the drug trafficking and the separation into rich and poor in the world.”

The ambassador added that the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church were concerned over the destruction of the moral and ethical values of the Christian civilization. [myad]

Fayose Describes Obasanjo As A Decayed Element, Lacking Democratic Credential

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has described the former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo as “a bad and decayed element, lacking democratic credential here in Nigeria

In a statement today, Thursday, opposing the United Nations’ (UN) choice of the former Nigerian leader as a mediator in Liberia, Fayose described the appointment as misplaced.

“Someone like Obasanjo, who was at the center of the manipulation of George Weah’s electoral victory 12 years ago should not be the one to mediate now that he (Weah) has secured the victory that he was denied then.”

The statement, which was issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, quoted Fayose as calling on the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to withdraw the nomination of Obasanjo as a mediator in Liberia.

“Obasanjo, who was a major actor in the Liberia 2005 election crisis, lacks moral rights to be a mediator in the affairs of that country now that it had the first peaceful transfer of power from one democratically-elected leader to another in more than 70 years.

“He will rather compound the problems in Liberia because I don’t see him being trusted by the President-Elect, whom he (Obasanjo) openly worked against in 2005 to impose the outgoing President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for reasons best known to him.

“The UN should be mindful of the fact that someone like Obasanjo that may be seen as celebrity and champion of democracy internationally is actually a bad and decayed element, lacking democratic credential here in Nigeria, considering his failed third term agenda.”

The governor asked African leaders, especially the democrats among them, to always avoid leaders like Obasanjo with questionable antecedents, saying “he is the actual confusion in the continent.”[myad]

FCT Minister Pays Legal Fines To Set 114 Prison Inmates Free

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

The Minister of the Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has announced the settlement of court fines for 114 prison inmates to gain their freedom.
The minister, announced this today, Thursday when the Presidential Committee on Prison De-congestion visited the Kuje Medium Security to review cases of inmates who have either been fined but could not pay the stipulated fines or have stayed beyond the terms which their offenses could have attracted by law.
The Minister, who was represented at the event by the FCT permanent secretary, Christian Chinyaka Oha, said that the gesture was part of efforts to de-congest the prisons and assist the freed inmates to reintegrate back into the society.
According to him, the FCT Administration will continue to partner with Presidential Committee to identify and support indigent inmates who do not have the means to pay the court fines.
He said that the administration has been partnering with the Nigerian Prison Service to design and build new prison facilities in the Territory, adding that about 36.3 hectares of land had been provided for the building of a new prison in Abuja.
Muhammad Bello said that locations have been identified in the six area councils to build correctional centres for youths and that the centres would be dedicated solely for underage inmates rather than putting them together with high profile criminals in prisons.
Earlier, the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello commended the Minister for the establishment of a standard family as well as children and young person’s Court in the FCT.
He noted that the facility which is the first of its kind in the country, is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
He said that the two courts will go a long way in addressing various cases involving young persons who presently have to be taken to open courts where adults are arraigned.
Justice Bello expressed the gratitude of the FCT Judiciary to the minister for the numerous interventions made to ensure improvements in the judicial system and speedy justice delivery. [myad]

I Have Learnt Lessons While On Suspension, Controversial House Of Reps Member, Jibrin Admits

Greenbarge Reporters

December 28, 2017

The embattled member of the House of Representatives, who has been on suspension, Abdulmumin Jibrin has admitted that he has learnt some lessons for the period he had been on suspension.
“For every situation like this, there is always an opportunity to learn; it is a learning curve. So, it is fine.”
Jibrin, who spoke to newsmen shortly after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Thursday, said that he was in Aso Rock to greet the President since it had been long he saw him.
“It Is a meeting between a son and a father. The most important thing is that I saw him and he is in a very high spirit. I greeted him like a son and he spoke to me like a father.”
On the campaign to have him recalled to the House of Representatives, the suspended law maker said that such campaign is normal, adding that it is his constituency that has been on suspension in the 16 months.
“So, it is only normal that people will talk and ask questions; why are we not back on the aspect of court case that has been lingering in the court for the past 16 months. I think these are some of the reasons people are raising issues in the public glare.”
Jibrin, who likened his case to that of his counterpart in the Senate, Senator Ndume that was recently recalled, said it made the whole matter to be interesting.
Because, it is the “same case, similar case, identical case which was dispensed with within two months. But here I am still hanging in the court system, but again, I know the Nigerian judiciary is just, so I’m pretty sure that soonest, I will be able to get judgement and my constituency will soon get back to the house.”

[myad]

36 Prisoners Escape In Akwa Ibom Prison Jailbreak, 4 Shot Dead, 7 Recaptured

Greenbarge Reporters

December 27, 2017

Prison service boss, Ja'afaru Ahmed — Prison service boss, Ja’afaru Ahmed

Thirty six prisoners are still at large in a prison jailbreak that occurred today, Wednesday, at Ikot Ekpene Prison in Akwa-Ibom State.

Reports reaching us said that four of the escaping prisoners were shot dead during the scuffle that followed the jailbreak attempt while seven others were recaptured at the point of escape.

Confirming the incident in a statement today, Wednesday, the State Prison Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Ogbajie J. Ogbajie, said that already search parties have been activated to effect recapture of the escaped inmates even as the Controller of Prisons in the State, Alex Oditah has ordered an investigation into the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident.

ASP Ogbajie narrated how it all happened, saying: “at about 1147hrs on Wednesday, 27 December 2017, there was an attack on kitchen staff that were on duty by some prisoners.

“They seized an axe from fellow inmate attached to the kitchen, inflicting a deep cut to inmates’ head in the process and immediately made for the rear entrance to the prison. They broke the door with the axe and engaged the staff that chased after them in battle.

“At the end of the scuffle, 4 of them that sustained gun shots lost their lives while 7 were recaptured.”

The prison authorities appealed to members of the public to assist them with useful intelligence information that would aid arrest of feeling prisoners, assuring that security has been strengthen in all prison formations in the State to forestall breach of security. [myad]

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