Nigerian Army Council Promotes 136 Officers To Rank Of General

November 20, 2017

File photo: Some Nigeria's Army Officers — File photo: Some Nigeria’s Army Officers

The Nigerian Army Council has approved the promotion of 45 Brigadier Generals to the rank of Major Generals and 92 Colonels to the rank of Brigadier Generals respectively.
A statement today, Monday, by the Director of the Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, said that some of those promoted to the rank of Two Star Generals (Major Generals) include Brigadier General HO Otiki, Acting Commander Defence Headquarters Garrison, Brigadier General OO Soleye, Acting Director Veteran Affairs, Defence Headquarters, the Acting Provost Marshal, Brigadier General AT Hamman, the Acting Military Secretary, Brigadier General F Yahaya, the Acting General Officers Commanding 3, 7 and 8 Divisions, Brigadier General BA Ahanotu, Brigadier General IM Yusuf and Brigadier General SO Olabanji respectively.

Others are Acting Commander Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps Brigadier General JI Unuigbe, Brigadier General AA Jidda, Acting Commander Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport, Acting Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army), Brigadier General JE Jakko, Commandant, Depot Nigerian Army, Brigadier General VO Ezugwu and Brigadier General ACC Agundu, Director, Foreign Liaison, Defence Intelligence Agency, Acting Commander, Headquarters Command Army Records, Brigadier General HE Ayamasaowei and Brigadier General MS Yusuf, Commander Guards Brigade, while late Brigadier General BA Raji, was promoted posthumously.
Similarly, Brigadier General OF Azinta, Commandant Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre and the Commandant Nigerian Army School Infantry, Brigadier General J Sarham, Brigadier General TA Gagariga, Commander Nigerian Army School of Artillery and Brigadier General LF Abdullahi, the Acting Commander Nigerian Army Education Corps have also been promoted Major Generals, as well as Brigadier General JGK Myam, Acting Director Operations and Brigadier General US Yakubu, Acting Director Peacekeeping Operations, amongst others.
The statement gave the names of those elevated to the rank of One Star Generals (Brigadier Generals) as Colonel A Israel, Colonel COC Ekulide of Defence Headquarters, Colonel SOF Olowolayemo, Colonel JTE Chukwu, Colonel EE Eyong and the prolific writer, Colonel DC Nengite, as well as Colonel CA Dalhatu and Colonel UN Babangida. Others include Colonels UI Mohammed, Colonel NU Mukhtar, Colonel OG Onubogu, Colonel ST Shafaru, Colonel GG Shipi, Colonel AS Ishaq of 8 Division Provost Group, Colonel AOI Kalajaiye, Colonel JC Mbibi, Colonel JTE Chukwu, Colonel HA Gambo and Colonel LB Mohammed, amongst others.[myad]

Buhari To Judges: Please Help Me To Fight Corruption

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

*President Muhammadu Buhari addressing the Judges during the opening session of the 2017 All Nigeria Judges conference held at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja.*

President Muhammadu Buhari, today, Monday, declared open the 2017 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference in Abuja, where he told them that the objectives of his government is to combat graft and other forms of corruption so endemic in public life. He reminded the senior judges that the executive arm of the government cannot achieve these objectives alone, saying: “we require the close cooperation of other arms of government.” [myad]

Travails Of Robert Mugabe, By Jerome-Mario Utomi

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

When one is favoured with longevity, says my grandfather, he must in the same vein contend with one out of the these two inherent probables. If the individual is not met with a flood of blessings, chances are that such a fellow may be visited with torrents of afflictions during this extra or ‘injury time’.
But unfortunately, I did not for a long time deemed it necessary to unravel what this words of wisdom connotes until recently when Robert Mugabe’s saga burst forth.
A few months back, after reading a piece authored by Mbizo Chirasa, a Poet and very prominent voice in Zimbabwe, of which the content will form the plot of this discourse, I concluded within myself that my dear Robert Mugabe’s days as president of Zimbabwe are numbered. But in the same vein, I neither envisaged it coming this soon nor contemplated it occur via undemocratic means.
Mbizo Chirasa in that piece opined that ‘the revolutionary CADRES believes that change in Zimbabwe must begin by changing the leadership matrix in the ruling party, including laying off their political lotterist Robert Mugabe while adding that c CdeChe and his cabal are tired of the Mugabe hegemony.
Mugabe, in that article, was roundly blamed for the infuriating scorn, the liberation veterans received from the verbal cyclone Grace Mugabe, whose verbal acid burns the fontanels of the eldest liberation strongmen, most of whom are victimized daily in the corridors of power. While concluding that Grace Mugabe has become Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe is now Grace Mugabe. She has tasted more sweetness than bitterness in the power trenches since her meteoric rise to the politburo – the highest decision making Body in the ZANU-PF power structures. Case closed.
Very instructively, the above synoptic gospel marked the beginning of the end of the great Mugabe as the Zimbabwean president. While Mugabe travails have become a pulpit, it is now left for all to listen to what he sermonize. Conversely, Robert himself has learned no lesson from his current situation as he is still brandishing hope against all known logic
.
Adding context to this discourse, I will state categorically that I am not in support of his removal through an undemocratic means and will never support any group that gets to power using non-legitimate and undemocratic means.
With the above in mind, it is also pertinent that I situate firmly that the stage for this debacle was set by President Mugabe’s total consecration of himself, his government, and the soul of Zimbabwe to the ‘immaculate’’ hands of Grace Mugabe, his wife.
But In doing that, he failed as a student of history to harness the social responsibility postulations which strictly advised that every freedom must go with a responsibility. This political miscalculation of Mugabe as a person that loves education so much should be enough reason for him to seek further tutelage on managing women that is if he survives this onslaught. And provides a big lesson for all.
This occurred because President Mugabe and his wife Grace were deceived by a barefaced illusion that made them feel more nationalistic than patriotic. A compelling evidence for this claim is that at a point, they viewed Zimbabwe as their personal property thereby affirming indispensability and superiority over other Zimbabweans.
That to my mind was the missing link that landed Mugabe in this sorry state. A situation that should sound a note of warning to our present crop of leaders. The recent outburst by a serving senator of the federal republic that he will spend the rest of his life in the Senate, is a symptom of ‘Mugagbenism’ and need to be reminded that political positions are not ‘hereditary principalities’.
Another factor that the ‘lion’ of Zimbabwe failed to remember as a president is that; knowing when, and when not to, is the victory. Yes, I appreciate his love of education cum knowledge. But in all fairness, I must say that the volume of knowledge acquired wasn’t best applied. If not, he ought to have departed the political stage when the ovation was loudest without waiting for the military to come pushing.
In the same vein, I am well aware that Baba Mugabe as a scholar must have come across the aphorism which says that ‘for one to know about the road ahead, he must ask those coming back’. But on this ideology, Mugabe, again, failed as he deliberately decided not to ask or learn from the likes of Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo.
He did not also remember at any point to seek leadership tutelage from Mobutu Seseseko of Zaire and other African presidents via their biographies. Instead, he banked on his six Degree certificates and on and the ‘grace’ of Grace Mugabe. He brazenly allowed power to move from the corridor to the bedroom.
As a typical African, He overlooked the slim line that separates family -hood from leadership. Mugabe to my mind was a victim of ‘defocused leadership vision and his current predicament, we should draw a lesson from.
Still on the negative side, when the economy of Zimbabwe is peeped into, one will discover without labour that Robert was more of a burden than an asset. To buttress this point, it is on record that Mugabe led administration made virtually all Zimbabweans millionaires but economically powerless occasioned by uncontrollably galloping inflation. Yet, he did not border to carry out self-introspection that will help unravel the damage/disservice he was doing to both the economy and the people.
Comparatively, while Mugabe is bemoaning his current plight, the event though still unfolding has presented a very good learning platform for the current leaders in Africa as well as the leadership novitiates. But failure to draw from a lesson from his travails will definitely lead to the vicious circle of leadership failures and in turn increase the number of causalities.
To the Military, I hope and pray that their role will remain strictly interventionist function.

Buhari Challenges Judiciary To Address Confusions In Justice System In Nigeria

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has challenged the judiciary to quickly address the confusions in the justice system in Nigeria.

In a keynote address today, Monday, at the opening of the 2017 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference of the Superior Courts, held in Abuja, President Buhari listed such anomalies and confusion.

According to him, court cases used to drag on for years and years, sometimes decades without resolution, adding: “I need only mention land cases in Lagos to illustrate my point.”

The President noted that there are huge backlogs of cases waiting to be dispensed especially at the Appellate levels, saying that reeform of the judiciary should start at eliminating these seemingly endless delays in settling what to the layman are apparently simple cases.

“Again, litigants expect that higher courts should endeavour to harmonize their rulings. There are contradictory decisions of superior courts on the same subject matter in cases where facts are substantially the same without a clear attempt in subsequent cases to distinguish the earlier cases. This lack of clarity leads to serious confusion to the lower courts.

“The knock-on efforts of these delays and dis-continuities range from loss of confidence in the judicial system to over-crowding of prisons. This is an area Your Lordships should pay close attention to in your efforts at reforming the system.”

Buhari considered the subject of this year’s Conference which is “Strengthening Judicial Integrity and the Rule of Law” as very appropriate and timely, saying that a democratic system such as ours cannot survive or prosper without strict adherence to the Rule of Law.

He said that the purpose of any government is to regulate social relations within its territorial jurisdiction and that without the rule of law, the government will degenerate into dictatorship or anarchy.

“The theme you have chosen this year keys in with our Administration’s resolve to strengthen the three arms of government to effectively fulfill their constitutional obligations.

“For the judiciary, the public expects fairness, impartiality and speed in the administration of justice.”

President Buhari recalled that just last month, he personally wrote to all State Governors, urging them to make special visit to prisons in company with State Chief Judges and release prisoners unnecessarily detained without due process.

He said that the objectives of his government is to combat graft and other forms of corruption so endemic in public life, reminding the senior judges that the executive arm of the government cannot achieve these objectives alone.

“We require the close cooperation of other arms of government.

“My lords, earlier this year, the Judiciary came under investigation. Let me again assure the judicial community, this action taken by the Executive was in no way a prelude to usurping the powers of the National Judicial Council or aimed at intimidating the Judiciary as wrongly portrayed in some sections of the media. Executive and legislative officials were also investigated.

“I am aware that the majority of judicial officers are learned and incorruptible and day in day out acting in the best spirit of their oath of office. At the same time, I am quite aware of the problems besetting the Judiciary including under-funding, inadequate personnel and absence of modern technological aids.”

The President said that his government’s increased allocation to the Judiciary from N70 billion to N100 billion in the 2017 Budget was deliberate to make it perform its role effectively, even as he said that a similar figure has been proposed for 2018.

He gave assurance that his government’s commitment is to accord the Judiciary its constitutional rights, even as he commended the recent decision by the Chief Judge of Nigeria (CJN) to ask all judges at lower courts to provide him with a comprehensive list of all corruption and financial crimes in order to designate special courts to handle them.

“I support your action and the public is awaiting the results of this initiative.”[myad]

Sule Lamido Group Admits PDP’s 16 Years Of Mistakes, Laments APC’s 30 Months Of Calamity

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

National Volunteers for Lamido, a group campaigning for Sule Lamido for the 2019 Presidential contest, has acknowledged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made mistakes for 16 years it was in power, even as it lamented what it called the calamity of the last two and half years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in multiple dimensions.
The group, in a statement in Abuja, said that whatever the PDP did, it left the scene over two years ago and that the exit provided Nigerians the opportunity to gauge the standard of its performance.
“From the economy, foreign relations where an APC government has decided to make caricature of the country, its leadership and people, security, wage theft, misapplication of resources and the lack of vision at all levels. This is total disaster.”
The statement, signed by its National Coordinator, Umar Danjani Hadeja, accused the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu of deliberately choosing to feed the public with falsehood and obvious inaccuracies, deliberate misinformation and even mischief bordering on denial and selective amnesia.
The group, essentially reacted to Garba Shehu’s response to a recent interview granted by a former Governor of Jigawa state, Alhaji Sule Lamido, wherein he fielded questions on his presidential ambition and the state of the PDP, as well as some snippets on reasoned insights on President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership style, the APC government and the future of Nigeria and the place of her youth.
The group was not happy with the Presidential Spokesperson for relishing in what it called “quackery” whenever he ventures into the laborious attempts at rebuttals or rejoinders, more often with scant regard for the truth.
“Clearly, Garba’s attempted response to the said Sule Lamido interview is yet another classic example of the PR disaster and liability that he now represents for the Buhari administration. Surely, we would care less for this misfortune of an appointee of Mr. President who is fishing and scavenging desperately for ‘stuff’ that would make him look useful in a job he clearly does not know how to do. His brazen and intellectually lazy import-substitution mission for issues never raised in the interview in the effort to tar Alhaji Sule Lamido with a dirty brush is at best mischievous, unprofessional and a damning verdict on Garba.”
While describing the attempt by Shehu “to tar Alhaji Sule Lamido with a dirty brush” as mischievous, unprofessional and a damning verdict on the presidential spokesman, the group also expressed concern over the feeble and failed attempt to address or “attack” the facts of the matter raised in the interview.
It accused the presidential spokesman of falsely accusing Lamido of impugning the integrity of the nation’s judicial system and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission when, in actual fact “the government is itself destroying” these two institutions.
“Where, for instance, did Garba see any reference to these institutions in the said interview? Did he at all read the interview or in the classic case of playing the ‘Boss’, lazily rely on some subordinates who supposedly drew his attention to a publication he never sighted? And as if this was not shameful enough, he brazenly proceeded to blindly issue a ‘rejoinder’ to a publication he apparently knew nothing about. This is a further injury to the image, integrity and ethics of the journalism profession.”
The group said that Garba Shehu has thrown up the poverty of the government’s effort to water down any serious effort to address our national ills.
“His usual habit of ignoring facts was manifest in his attempt to defend his party rather than the government’s confused approach to implementing the agenda it promised.”[myad]

Ekwueme Made Personal Sacrifices In Laying Foundation For Enduring Democracy – President Buhari

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has recognise Alex Ekwueme, who died in a London Hospital on Sunday night as a national leader who made personal sacrifices in helping to lay the foundation for sustainable democracy in Nigeria.
In a condolence message to late Ekwueme’s family and Nigerians, President Buhari said that the unwavering commitment by Dr. Ekwueme, to the unity of Nigeria, had been a major encouragement to many governments.
President Buhari said that Dr. Ekwueme, who was the Nigeria second Republic Vice President, worked assiduously to improve the livelihood of many poor and underprivileged people through ‘the Alex Ekwueme Foundation.
Buhari said that the late leader rendered selfless service to his country and humanity.
The President expressed sympathy for the entire Oko Kingdom, the Aguata Council of Traditional Rulers and the Ekwueme family over the loss of the family’s patriarch.
Buhari said that his regular counsels on national issues and mediations for peaceful co-existence would be sorely missed.
He prayed that God would receive the soul of the former Vice President, and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Dr. Ekwueme, from Anambra State, was flown to London last week for medical treatment, on the order of President Buhari and died last night.[myad]

Central Bank Of Nigeria, Again, Pumps $210 Million Into Forex Market

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

The Central Bank of Nigeria, has once more, intervened in the inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market by pumping a total of $210,000,000 into it.
This is coming on the heels of the commencement of the meeting ot the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
The CBN’s $210,000,000, interventions were said to be mainly in the Wholesale, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and invisibles windows.
The Acting Director of the CBN Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor confirmed that the apex Bank had offered the total sum of $100 million to the wholesale segment, while the SMEs segment received the sum of $55 million.
He said that the invisibles segment, comprising tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others, also received an allocation of $55 million.
According to him, the releases were aimed at boosting liquidity, trade and ease of remittances for legitimate personal commitments.
Okorafor said that the Bank is satisfied with the current rate of N360/$1, adding that the continued intervention by the CBN in the inter-bank forex market had largely checked unwholesome activities of currency speculators.
He stressed that the CBN would not relent in its monitoring of the market in order to ensure that authorised dealers abide by the extant rules.
It will be recalled that the CBN, in its last inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market, doled out the sum of $195,000,000.
This is even as the naira, as at today, Monday, maintained its steady rate against major currencies around the globe, exchanging for N360/$1 in the BDC segment of the market.

[myad]

President Buhari Declares Open, First World Aviation Forum In Abuja

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declared open the annual World Aviation Forum by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in Abuja, Nigeria, the first country to host the Forum outside the Organization’s headquarters in Montreal, Canada.
A statement from the office of the minister of state for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said that the Forum will hold from today, November 20 to Wednesday, November 22.
He said that the hosting of the Forum underscores Nigeria’s rising profile within the aviation world.
“The hosting of the ICAO World Aviation Forum by Nigeria, coming so soon after it hosted the ICAO Symposium on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) is a clear indication of the confidence the Buhari Administration has gathered within the sector and an endorsement by the world body of its reform programmes for the nation’s aviation industry.
“The third ICAO World Aviation Forum, which is intended to explore the benefits of the aviation sector to social, economic development and prosperity of member states, is aimed at top-ranking government officials in charge of aviation, transport and infrastructure, finance, economy and tourism as well as key industry and financial partners.”
The statement said that participants at the Forum would discuss, identify needs, and facilitate the funding and financing required to accelerate the implementation of international civil aviation standards and policies, as well as global plans for aviation, in support of the ICAO’s No Country Left Behind (NCLB) initiave.
It listed the objectives of the Forum to include the establishment and alignment of infrastructure programmes and plans that are consistent with the ICAO global strategic plans for aviation like the Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP); to stimulate common and inter-operable air transport systems leading to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
Hadi Sirika said that the Forum would build on the outcomes of the two previous ICAO World Aviation Forums (IWAF/1 and IWAF/2) held in November 2015 and September 2016 respectively, and, in the spirit of the No Country Left Behind initiative, tackle the existing and future financing challenges facing aviation infrastructure and capacity development in member states, especially in Africa.
Sirika assured all participants at Forum of the usual hospitality of the government and people of Nigeria, saying the nation appreciates the honour and privilege of being the first country to host the Forum. He also appeals to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for continuous support for Nigeria’s drive to reposition its aviation sector.

[myad]

Minister Flags-Off Construction Of N8.62 Billion, 73 Kilometre Abuja Dual Carriageways

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has flagged off the construction of the 73 kilometre Apo-Wasa dual carriageway, with a total cost of N8.62 Billion.
The road which is part of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), would pull up the Apo-Karshi road, currently under construction, to the heart of the Abuja city.
The minister said, while flagging off the commencement of the construction of the road today, Monday, that the segment of OSEX would run through Wasa District and Kuje Town and end at Gwagwalada, which he hoped would open up the major parts of the Territory for economic activities and estate development.
He said that to ensure speedy completion of the projects within a 12-month times pan, the two carriageways have been awarded to different construction companies namely: M/S CGC, (Nig) Ltd – for Left-Hand-Side carriageway of 15km and Gilmor (Nig) Ltd – for Right-Hand-Side carriageway measuring 5km.
He said that the contract sums for both roads are N6.17billion and N2.45billion respectively.
The minister said that his government is thinking of engaging in Public-Private Partnership initiative with interested investors for the purpose of completing the other part of the expressway, measuring 52 kilometres. It ends at the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The minister said that the flag off of the first phase is symbolic of the next phase of the Administration’s roadmap for infrastructural development and provision of social services in the satellite towns and rural communities.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, said that the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) is one of the Regional Road Networks provided for in the Abuja Masterplan and makes access available for the City Centre from the Southern axis of the FCT.
He said that it covers 73 kilometres, running from the Aso Villa Roundabout at its intersection with the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) right on to Abuja-Lokoja Road at Gwagwalada.
The Executive Secretary said that the OSEX stretch defines areas designated for the land-swap scheme, adding that the project would fast-track the relocation of Apo Traders and mechanics as well as open up Takushara settlement.
Takushara is a national heritage site identified as the first historical iron smelting place in West Africa by the renowned British archaeologist, Professor Thurston Shaw.

[myad]

Tony Aneni Grieves Over Ekwueme’s Death, Says Nigeria Has Lost Nationalist

Greenbarge Reporters

November 20, 2017

Former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih, has described the death of Dr Alex EKwueme as a great loss of a fine gentleman politician.
Describing Ekwueme, who was the foundation chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, as a nationalist, Anenih said that the former Vice President played politics without bitterness.
In a statement in Abuja, Anenih said: “with the death of Dr Alex Ekwueme, the tribe of principled politicians has been further depleted.
“Nigeria has lost a nationalist, a detribalised politician and one who was not given to impropriety in the conduct of government business.
“Dr Ekwueme will sorely be missed by a vast majority of Nigerians who had the privilege of his leadership, political association and interactions. The PDP where both of us played leading roles will remember him for his sterling contribution to its birth and development.
“While I pray that the Almighty God would grant his soul eternal repose, it is my earnest wish that his family would be strong in this moment of grief to be able to bear this great loss.”

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