We Are Trying To Correct Our Mistakes As A Nation – Buhari

April 2, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians in Washington DC that his government is working hard to correct the mistakes made in the past as a nation.

“We are working diligently to correct our mistakes as a nation. We will rehabilitate and expand national infrastructure, and move forward as quickly as possible.”

Speaking at an audience with a group of Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various professions in the United States, President Buhari said that the present administration is fully committed to correcting the errors that have hindered Nigeria’s progress as a nation.

“We are determined to get things done properly this time and God willing, we shall succeed.

President Buhari said that his administration will maintain contacts with Nigerian professionals in the Diaspora and see how they can be best placed to contribute effectively to national development if they choose to come back home.

The President congratulated the five Nigerians he met with for their exceptional accomplishments, saying that he was very proud of them all.

The Nigerians received by President Buhari included Professor Austin Esogbue, the only African to have served on the board of the United States’ National Aeronautical Space Agency.

Others were Jelani Aliyu, a leading car designer with General Motors, Prof. Nwadiuto Esiobu, a renowned Microbiologist and Biochemist, Dr. Yemi Badero, an Assistant Professor of Medicine and 13-year old Muriel Oduwole who has interviewed 18 world leaders. [myad]

California’s Firm Donates Uniforms To America University Of Nigeria’s Feed And Read Pupils

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Vicki Marsha Uniforms, a California-based school uniforms company has donated school uniforms, worth $48,000 to the disadvantaged young girls in the Yola-Jimeta community attending the literacy scheme of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), tagged ‘Feed and Read Program.’
The University confirmed in a statement today that it had taken delivery of the school uniforms, worth $48,000 in wholesale value, at the Yola campus.
The clothing was said have been freighted free of charge by FedEx international couriers. FedEx’s in-kind donation is valued at $11,000.
“We appreciate being included in this incredible effort to help fellow humans and to make our world a better place for those so in need,” said Mrs. Diane Cologne, whose husband, Tim, co-owns the Huntington Beach-based clothier.
The donated items include new high-quality trousers, short pants, skirts, sweaters, shirts and dresses. The uniforms will be available for use in other AUN programs.
AUN President, Margee Ensign said while receiving the donation: “this generous gift from the other side of the world will make such a huge difference to the children we are seeking to educate here in Nigeria.
“All of us, and particularly the girls and their families, are enormously grateful to the Colognes.”
The new literacy program was launched on February 11 with a financial donation by the Irish government. It targets at-risk, out-of-school girls and orphans ages of 6 to 17. Some of the beneficiaries were orphaned by the Boko Haram insurgency.
AUN’s Feed and Read program, which kicked off with 70 girls, has seen the number already double. The program’s Coordinator, Executive Director of AUN Schools Mrs. Nkem Uzowulu, reported that the number increases daily as parents are encouraged by their children’s improved performance and tell their neighbors about it.
The literacy program provides basic literacy and numeracy skills to the girls, with a feeding component that provides one meal per day. The meals are cooked by local vendors.
Besides education, the program has a local economic impact as it is a source of livelihood for community women serving as volunteers or facilitators in the program, as well as for the food vendors.
At the launch of new program, AUN President Dr. Ensign stressed the need for Nigeria to educate girls, noting that when girls are educated, everything in the country changes, from infant mortality to decline in infectious diseases and family size.
AUN also has a literacy program that targets Almajiri boys. Both programs follow the same fundamental pedagogy and include a free meal for participants.
The new uniforms are also available for the boys.
AUN also runs a USAID-sponsored literacy and numeracy program Technology Enhanced Learning for All (TELA) which is exposes 22,000 vulnerable boys and girls in the local community using radio and tablets. [myad]

A Christian Presidency Failed Nigeria – Bishop, Dr Mike Okonkwo

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Things were going wrong under the watch of a Christian President. So, I asked myself, ‘Are we really praying well? Are we praying right? Is it that there were things God was telling us that we were not willing to listen to’? So, that changed my perspectives and I started balancing things. I came to the conclusion that we needed someone that will be able to deliver the dividends of democracy. Leading a nation is not running a church. Church has the Bible as its
constitution but in a nation, you have heathens, Christians, Muslims and you have to carry everyone along. You have to protect the interests of everybody. You have homosexuals. So, I must not want a President to impose his religious views on everybody. No, no, no. He has to be able to protect the interests of everyone. And to be able to do that, the only way is to
deliver the dividends of democracy. Nigeria belongs to everyone and everyone is entitled to practise whatever he or she wants without fear of molestation.
I started advocating them but my views were not popular. I stuck to my guns anyway. I kept insisting that in our very eyes, we have seen the failure of a Christian presidency and we should have a rethink. To me, Christianity should be sincere enough to admit when something is not working and not to play to the gallery, becoming sentimental that we must support a Christian. Doing that will mean the nation will continue to be in limbo.”
These were part of the remarks by the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo, when he granted an interview to SUNDAY OGUNTOLA of THE NATION recently.
Excerpts:
You have been labeled a supporter of the government of change…
(Cuts in)… But everyone should love change.
Everyone should work for change. For me, my interest politically is whoever will deliver dividends of democracy for the nation.
Regardless of that person’s religious persuasion, as long as he can deliver, he has my vote. Even if he is a heathen, I will vote for such a person.
But people are asking ‘is this is the change we voted for’?
That is the issue I keep talking about. Nigerians are naturally impatient and we chicken out once there is a little pressure. We will say we don’t want again. I read somewhere in the
social media a young man who said we should go back to corruption since things appear not to be working out well. I said so we should go back to the vicious cycle? I replied the young man and said he was talking nonsense. Yes, things are not too stable but that is to tell you the rot the nation has degenerated to. You see, we are not fighting corruption. Nigeria is corruption. Everywhere you turn, every sector you turn, you find corruption.
From the messenger to driver to the boss, everyone is involved. Corruption has become a second nature to us. The truth is you hardly find anyone that has not been dragged into the
industry of corruption. It is as bad as that. Corruption has become the biggest industry in the nation.
Now that Buhari is there, it will be foolhardy to say things will change overnight. Buhari will not completely eradication corruption because it’s been with us for decades. If anyone is expecting Buhari to change this even if he stays for 15 years, the person is not being sincere. I believe the current administration is fighting so hard to put things in place. The things we are seeing is corruption fighting back. We have saboteurs in the system that will take time to be detected and flushed out.
There are people enjoying where we were. They were making it with the situation we had then. They have a lot of money in their hands so they can do anything; they can create problems.
But if we endure a lot, I believe things will be better.
Do you believe this administration will deliver?
I believe so with all my heart. I believe the current crop of leaders will fix this nation. That is why some people are fighting them back. It is because they know within themselves that they can deliver.
What is the basis of that belief?
Why not? They have wonderful programmes. The budget has just been passed. So, let’s watch between now and end of the year for things to start taking shape.
Do you share the belief that government should declare amnesty for all corrupt Nigerians?
I believe that we should but with stringent conditions. If you have stolen money and you are willing to willingly refund, you can access amnesty. But amnesty does not mean we should not run after all the looters of our treasuries. They have been able to accumulate too much, even more than the nation. The government has recovered so much of the loots and they should go even after more looters.
But we haven’t felt the impact of the loots reportedly recovered…
…That is because government has not declared how much was recovered. Besides, they cannot spend monies without passage of the budget. I know that a lot of these monies will be
channelled towards projects that have been outlined.
But there is the concern that this government seems only interested in spending the next three years chasing thieves. Will that be a good direction to face?
Government is not chasing thieves. It is EFCC that is chasing looters; it has just been suddenly awoken. The government is working; the ministers have just been appointed and things are running. It is not Buhari that is running after thieves.
The system in place will pursue the looters. We cannot leave them to enjoy our commonwealth. I mean, they have stolen monies meant for us and must vomit them by force.
In few weeks, this administration will be one.

How do you assess its performance so far?
My performance appraisal is that at least people are running away who stole money. There is an awareness that impunity cannot continue. If nothing, that is a great step forward.
I agree there are certain indices that are still expected but I believe that we have gone passed the period where people just did anything and got away with everything. That was what happened with the last administration. The nation just got to a point where it was more or less a banana republic. People could do anything and government cared less.
But now, there is a little bit of sanity. There is restraint that you cannot get away with illegalities. I don’t want to run into troubles but that is a good thing for us. In an atmosphere where there is no impunity, you can move the nation forward within a year. In an atmosphere of peace with people aligning and you put structures in place you can get results in six months that should have taken three years. So, I believe in the next one year, we will see results that will shock us.
So, Nigerians should be patient?
Yes, we should be patient. I mean we have no option at this state. We have to allow the government put things in place that will last and deliver dividends. There is no Nigerian that does not believe that the President and his Vice mean well. We know they won’t steal and want to change the nation. So, we should just be patient. We should bear the little inconveniences that will lead us to the Promised Land.
You were one of the few men of God that supported this administration during the electioneering campaign. Many of your colleagues are still angry you supported a Muslim against a Christian. Why did you do that?
Two or three years before the elections, I got completely disgruntled and dissatisfied with what was going on. I mean, we had a sitting Christian President yet more Christians had been killed. More churches had been destroyed, yet no compensations for anybody. Things were going wrong under the watch of a Christian President. So, I asked myself, ‘Are we really praying well? Are we praying right? Is it that there were things God was telling us that we were not willing to listen to’? So, that changed my perspectives and I started balancing things. I came to the conclusion that we needed someone that will be able to deliver the dividends of democracy. Leading a nation is not running a church. Church has the Bible as its constitution but in a nation, you have heathens, Christians, Muslims and you have to carry everyone along. You have to protect the interests of everybody. You have homosexuals. So, I must not want a President to impose his religious views on everybody. No, no, no. He has to be able to protect the interests of
everyone. And to be able to do that, the only way is to deliver the dividends of democracy. Nigeria belongs to everyone and everyone is entitled to practise whatever he or she wants without fear of molestation.
So, you mentioned these to fellow church leaders?
I didn’t just mention; I started advocating them but my views were not popular. I stuck to my guns anyway. I kept insisting that in our very eyes, we have seen the failure of a Christian presidency and we should have a rethink. To me, Christianity should be sincere enough to admit when something is not working and not to play to the gallery, becoming sentimental that we must support a Christian. Doing that will mean the nation will continue to be in limbo.
So you have no regrets at all?
I have none at all. I was glad when Buhari came on board. I mean I could have said we should support a fellow Christian but the interest of the nation should supersede all other considerations.
Are you bothered you are called a Buhari apologist and an APC supporter?
Why should I? It is my personal opinion, which I am entitled to. Everyone is entitled to his or her political ideology.
I want somebody who can deliver dividends of democracy. The other person had tried for six years and didn’t deliver. Why shouldn’t we have someone else?
You just started a full-fledged Mike Okonkwo academy. Is that because you love football? Many of your colleagues will say football is not a spiritual activity. Why should a man of God be involved in such ‘carnal’ venture?
You see, it is important that you put your ears to the grounds and know what interests people. Football is like a rallying point for millions around the globe. It is an area of interest to many. You see, there are people who will never go to universities. I always have it in me that life is not just about going to schools and acquiring certificates. Many people have other interests in life that will take them to the top.
So, the academy is about looking for young people with potentials in football and nurturing them to greatness with the fear of God.
The scholarship scheme keeps getting bigger. Are you getting overwhelmed?
I cannot because there are many people who wouldn’t
have gone to schools without assistance from others. That is the truth of life. Many are stranded but brilliant. It gives me joy to be able to lift somebody up to become what he or she can be. It is
always a joy in my heart.
I remember a young man, a good musician with vast knowledge of the keyboard. He had been trying to improve his skills in schools to no avail. I met him one day and asked what he was doing. He said he was trying to get into a music school in South Africa. They were asking him to send some of his works to him and I asked what was delaying him. He said he didn’t have money to pursue the admission.
So, I said, ‘You concentrate on your works, while you let me know how much everything will cost’. To cut the long story short, the young man is graduating this year. I didn’t do it for anything but because someone has been helped. It is not about training him so that he can play instrument for me. But he could become a mighty instrument in the hands of God and our nation because of his gift. It gives me joy to be able to do all of these.

Source: The Nation. [myad]

Man City Beats Bournemouth Silly

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Manchester City has sent Bournemouth packing with 4-0 in the Premier League match played at the Vitality Stadium today, Saturday.
The Citizens were three goals to the good inside the opening quarter of the match, as a side boosted by the return of Kevin de Bruyne ran riot against their below-par opponents.
Aleksandar Kolarov came off the bench to help earn City just a third win in eight – keeping them in fourth place and now three points clear of their closest challengers.
The visitors were up and running just seven minutes as a result of a fine individual strike by Fernando, who got on the end of Jesus Navas’s corner which skidded through to the Brazilian 12 yards out.
City supporters did not have to wait too much longer for a second in the South Coast sunshine, either, as De Bruyne – back after two months out – rounded off a fluid one-touch move by simply passing the ball into the back of the net.
David Silva and Sergio Aguero were involved in that attacking play, and it was the latter who essentially sealed the points 19 minutes in when nodding the ball across Artur Boruc at the back post when picked out by Navas.
That third goal forced Eddie Howe into action, with Joshua King dropping into a five-man midfield to match City, and the move appeared to pay off as the Cherries finally wrestled back some control of the previously one-sided match.
It could have got even worse for the Cherries, however, after Fernandinho picked up the ball in some space and fired a shot back off the crossbar to let the home side off.
The closest Howe’s men came to a consolation prior to the break arrived on the half-hour mark, as Steve Cook met a corner which forced deputy City stopper Willy Caballero into a decent stop from close range.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are still yet to confirm their top-flight status for a second season following successive 3-0 defeats either side of the international break. [myad]

Nigeria Will Be More Productive Again, Buhari Boasts To His Denmark Counterpart

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear about his determination to exploit agriculture and solid minerals to make Nigeria more productive again.
“We have great potentials for agriculture and solid minerals. We are now determined to exploit them to the fullest.
“Addressing the past neglect of these two sectors will help to reduce unemployment and make us a more productive country.”
President Buhari spoke at a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mr. Lars Rasmussen in Washington DC.
He stressed the move his government has been making to significantly reduce the high bill for importation of food products to Nigeria, saying that his administration is committed to the rapid diversification of Nigeria’s economy.
“We developed a mono-product economy and lost opportunities to diversify in the past.
“We will welcome more investment in our agriculture and solid minerals sectors from countries with expertise in the two sectors. We abandoned them for petroleum. Now, we have to go back.
“Our bill for the importation of food and dairy products is very high. We want to cut it as much as possible by developing our local potentials,” the President told Mr. Rasmussen.
President Buhari assured the Danish Prime Minister that his government will continue to work in partnership with other countries to further improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The President said that his administration is determined to stop the huge loss of revenue from crude oil theft and has received assurances of international support to curb illegal shipments of Nigeria’s crude oil.
The Danish Prime Minister responded by saying that Denmark is a major shipping nation, even as he commended President Buhari for Nigeria’s current efforts to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea.
He assured the President that Danes will be very interested in investing in the development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector if the right policies and conditions are put in place.
“We are quite experienced in agriculture. It is an area in which we can cooperate. If you pave the way and remove the obstacles, we will like to come in,” the Prime Minister said. [myad]

Adeosun Faults Use Of GDP To Measure Economic Progress, Says It Conceals Inequalities

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Nigeria’s Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun has faulted the universal use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure economic progress of the country, which she said often conceals inequalities.
The Minister emphasized that there has been excessive focus on GDP as a measure of economic progress, which often concealed vulnerabilities, particularly inequalities.
Adeosun spoke at a high level G20 Finance Ministers seminar in Paris on Thursday night. The Finance Ministers met to discuss current challenges to the international financial architecture and ways of combating macroeconomic volatility.
The high-level seminar also assessed volatility in capital flows and their impact on global economic conditions.
She noted that the first line of defence is sound macroeconomic policies, which Africa in general and Nigeria specifically, is trying to tackle with a series of fiscal housekeeping initiatives.
Speaking at the opening plenary, the minister highlighted the risks associated with international capital flows and warned that African economies need to be insulated from the disruptive effects of volatile short term portfolio flows.
According to her, Africa can build the necessary resilience, saying that there must be more careful management of capital flows and a move towards long term and sustainable growth.
Minister Adeosun said that an essential component of more careful management of capital flows was to build better economic mapping and surveillance to manage risks and spill-overs, which she said should be a priority for G20 Finance Ministers.
She called for more understanding and flexibility for Africa to grow and protect key markets, as developed countries had done while at Africa’s current stage of development.
She highlighted the need for long term partnerships and foreign direct investment into African economies to deliver the necessary investment, particularly in infrastructure, to unlock sustainable growth.
The meeting which was called by China, the current chairman of the G20, was attended by Michel Sapin, Minister of Finance and Public Accounts, France; Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of Finance, Germany; George Osborne – Chancellor of the Exchequer, United Kingdom; Pietro Carlo Padoan, Minister of Economy and Finance, Italy, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Valdis Dombrovkis, Vice President of the European Commission; Zhou Xiaochuan, the Governor of the People’s Bank of China; François Villeroy de Galhau and Governor of the Banque de France. [myad]

A Pakistani Sneaks Into Nigeria On Motor Cycle Through Bush Path

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

A Pakistani, Sahid Mahmood has been caught after sneaking into Nigeria on motorcycle through a bush path in Calabar, the Cross River State.

Sahid, who reportedly entered Nigeria through a bush path in Etung, a border community with Cameroon is being thoroughly screened by the Nigerian Immigration Service and other security agencies to ensure that he is not on the wanted list of any country before he is repatriated.

The Cross River State Comptroller of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi told newsmen that Sahid was smuggled on a motor cycle through bush path into Etung from where he went to Ikom and was on his way to Lagos when he was intercepted by border Immigration officials at the village of Yahe, in Yala Local Government Area of the state.

“We are collaborating with other security agencies to thoroughly screen the man to make sure he is not on the wanted list of any country before he is sent back to his country because we have to be vigilant during this critical time in the country why should somebody from Paskistan want to come into the country through bush path.”

Mrs. Adeuyi said that the man was arrested along with a Cameroonian accomplice, Nji Hagis Chi who said he met Sahid at the bus station in Ikom and decided to function as his guide to Lagos where he was going for an undisclosed reason.

“He was not found with anything incriminating but had enough hard currency on him to do anything he wanted to do so we are wary of his movement in Nigeria because he has no reason to be in this country.”

She said that the man only had documents that took him to the Duala Airport in Cameroon but was smuggled into Nigeria suspiciously therefore thorough security checks would be carried out on him and his accomplice, the Cameroonian before they are repatriated to their countries. According to her, there are several illegal routes through which people access the country and warned motorist to desist from adding and abetting those who come into the country through illegal routes owing to obvious security risk. [myad]

I Will Refund Stolen $16 Million To Treasury, President Zuma Caves In To Pressure

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma has pledged to refund the sum of $16 million taxpayers’ money which he allegedly stole to upgrade his rural home.
President Zuma, though insisted that by using the money for his private project, he had not acted dishonestly but that he would pay back the money.
Zuma addressed the nation on television a day after the Constitutional Court ruled that his failure to accept a recommendation from the public protector that he repaid part of the money was a violation of the constitution.
“I did not act dishonestly or with any personal knowledge of irregularities,” Zuma said.
He admitted that “there are many matters that could have been handled differently” and apologised “on my behalf and that of the government.”
However, the speech disappointed many South Africans who had expected Zuma to announce his resignation. [myad]

21 Year Old Girl, Dumped By Boyfriend, Attempts Suicide

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

A 21-year-old girl has been rescued from an attempted suicide as a result of the fact that her boyfriend had dumped her to marry another girl from his village. The girl, whose name was given simply as Ifeoma, was rescued at Berger Camp, Phase 2, Site 1, Kubwa, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) almost lifeless by good Samaritan and handed over to police. It was gathered that Ifeoma had been dating a customs officer, for about three years before they broke up and that she later heard that her lover, while away in his home town, got engaged to another woman. It was gathered that when the news got to Ifeoma, she vowed that she would not be alive to see her lover marry another woman. “When it became obvious that the man was bent on dumping her for the other woman, she drank a poisonous substance suspected to be an insecticide.” But Ifeoma, who was rushed to the Kubwa General Hospital where she was resuscitated and discharged earlier in the week, attempted taking her life for the second time before she was rushed to the same hospital a second time. This is even as the Kubwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Chief Superintendent Nuruddeen Sabo, confirmed the incident and that the lady would be charged to court as soon as she is discharged. [myad]

Company Threatens To Sue FG Over Financial Scam Allegation

Greenbarge Reporters

April 2, 2016

Emi Systems Nigeria Limited, one of the companies indicted by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has given the Presidency seven days ultimatum to retract the publication which it described as false or be sued.

In a letter titled, “Re: Buhari’s Panel indicts over 300 ONSA Contractors, recovers N7 billion,” counsel to the company, Greenfeild Chambers said the publication disparaged its client before right thinking men in the society as it completed and handed over all jobs it was awarded way back in 2002.

“Our client’s attention was drawn by their customers, business associates and contractors to the press statement credited to Garba Shehu, the Special Assistant (media) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the report from the investigating panel of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to the effect that EMI Systems Ltd was indicted as a company which ‘outrightly failed to execute contract(s) or did so partially and have therefore been asked to refund various sums’.
“Our client finds the above press ‘statement of indictment’ as unfounded, false, baseless and does not reflect the true state of affairs regarding the contracts handled by our client and the engagement by our client with the investigating panel that led to several joint site verification visits carried out by the panel and our client.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state unequivocally that all the contracts awarded to EMI Systems by the ONSA have been fully completed and the contracts were awarded in 2012”, Emeka Obegolu of Greenfeild Chambers said.
The solicitor to the company claimed that the publication cast their client as “a company with no track record of project management and completion; a company that cannot be trusted with contracts in the public sector of any serious government, and a company lacking in integrity and corporate ethics in their day to day business.”
They explained that the contract awarded to them was valued at €722,059.96 for the four contracts, almost four years ago and the contracts had since been performed to the satisfaction of the ONSA.

According to them, they were invited and honoured the investigative panel where they presented documentary evidence to the satisfaction of all parties showing that they did not have any outstanding obligation with the only area of doubt being whether the payment received by the company was net or inclusive of all taxes.
“That the panel insisted that our client should pay taxes on the payments made to it while our client opined that as a matter of practice, government withholds taxes before payment is made, as the items supplied were individually priced.
“That the tax issue was not conclusive as our client is consulting with tax practitioners to get professional advice on the issue of tax liability as stated above,” they stated.
Obegolu said that there was never a time their client was accused of non-completion of jobs in the 20 years they had been into security solutions and contractual relationships.

“We therefore, on behalf of EMI Systems Ltd, demand that Mr. Garba Shehu issues an immediate retraction of the misleading publication concerning our client and a letter addressed to our client conveying the said retraction. This is the minimum that will assuage the battered corporate image of our client and reassure their customers of the corporate integrity of our client and continuing commitment to excellent service delivery.
“Take notice therefore, that unless we receive the letter of retraction within seven (7) days of the date of receipt of this letter, we have our client’s standing instruction to employ all legal means to seek redress for the publication including seeking damages in libel before a court of competent jurisdiction,” they demanded. [myad]

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