Corruption Has Been A Parallel System Of Government In Nigeria, Buhari Tells Catholic Bishops

September 13, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has described corruption as having constituted a parallel system of government in Nigerian, so much that it has over shadowed the real system of government.
“Corruption in our country is so endemic that it constitutes a parallel system. It is the primary reason for poor policy choices, waste and of course bare- faced theft of public resources.”
In a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria today in Port Harcourt, President Buhari said that apart from barefaced theft of public funds, corruption has also been cited as the prevalence of poverty in the midst of plenty and waste of resources in the country.
“Our fight against corruption is not just a moral battle for virtue and righteousness in our land, it is a fight for the soul and substance of our nation.”
The President told the Second Plenary of the Conference that “it is the main reason why a potentially prosperous country struggles to feed itself and provide jobs for millions.
“The hundreds of thousands of deaths in the infant, maternal mortality statistics, the hundreds of thousands of annual deaths from preventable diseases are traceable to the greed and corruption of a few. This is why we must see it as an existential threat, if we don’t kill it, it will kill us.”
On security, the President vowed that his government is on course to militarily rout Boko Haram, and make them incapable of taking and holding territory, adding that suicide bombings in some parts of the North East are the desperate acts of the terrorists to create a sense that they are still in play.
“With vigilance and good local intelligence we will make those cowardly acts practically impossible.”
The President said that his government must change the paradigm of thinking about the economy and the ultimate good of the majority, adding: “while we create an enabling environment for free enterprise, we must reason, plan and budget with the understanding that almost 2/3 of our people are extremely poor, and must be helped first to survive and then to fully participate in the economy of the nation.
“We must create a safety nets for the very poor and vulnerable while ensuring that social spending is also a direct investment in the economy. We must invest substantially in relevant education, teacher training , and vocational and entrepeneurial training.”
The President who had attended the First Plenary of this year’s Conference in February as the presidential candidate of the APC, expressed a sense of honour at the invitation, and delivered to the Conference.
The President praised the Bishops’ Conference, saying that their bold critical interventions at various crucial moments in the national journey have helped to caution, admonish and ultimately stabilize the polity.
“This is as it should be. This nation belongs to us all, leaders in every sector owe it to this generation to contribute in building a good society.”
He asked for daily prayers even as he promised that they who were elected would continue to be committed to the progress of the country in all ramifications.
In his speech, the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Igantius Kaigama, the Archbishop of Jos, commended Buhari for his commitment to the fight against corruption, leading to the formation of a Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption.
“The president is dead right that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us” even as he prayed that God will give th citizens of Nigeria a new heart. [myad]

Boko Haram Insurgents Surrender, Says Nigeria Army

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Nigerian Army has announced that a number of Boko Haram insurgents fighting in the North East have started to surrender to the fighting troops.
A picture of the Nigeria soldiers fighting in the war front show jubilation and happy faces, as a way of justifying the victory that is gradually showing signs.
In a statement today, spokesperson of the Nigerian army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said the sustained bombardment of the enclaves of the terrorists as well as increased aerial bombardment has place the terrorists in weaker position.
The new strategies being employed by the military have started, according to him, yielding positive results with scores of terrorists surrendering to troops and many more willing to surrender.
“The new strategies employed included sustained offensive operations, pre-emptive air strikes by the Nigerian Airforce and routes blocking by ground troops all geared towards constricting and snuffing out the Boko Haram terrorists.
“Many of the terrorists that willingly surrendered painted images of mass panic and hysteria among their erstwhile colleagues who are feeling the noose tightening on their necks with the relentless efforts of troops and renewed vigour in operations inspired by the personal leadership of the Chief of Army Staff.
“Terrorists also seem to have an inkling of what happens to surrendered suspects as regards screening and deredicalisation of innocent ones among them.
“The Nigerian Army, in conjunction with the Nigerian Airforce and other security agencies will continue to devise and implement effective strategies to bring Boko Haram terrorism to a speedy end. It will also continue to receive surrendering suspects and assures innocent ones among them that surrender is the only option open to them. The Nigerian Army wishes to also appreciate the great support and information it receives from well meaning citizens. More of these are required to help towards quicker obliteration of the Boko Haram scourge in our nation.” [myad]

America Donald Trump, Unlike Nigerian Politicians, By Yahaya Mohammed

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Mr. Donald Trump, a Presidential aspirant in the coming US election was asked how he is going to create jobs in the USA, he replied “I am just gonna do it.”

The art of job creation is a serious issue that most of us, Nigerian electorates overlook during electioneering campaigns yet it should be a singular most important thing.

The number of people one is able to pull out of poverty largely lies with the number of jobs created. It is not just enough to mouth the mantra of job creation without a corresponding decrease in poverty level.

Assuming Mr. Trump whose antecedents as a successful businessman, with several thousands of workers, decides that it is a trade secret that he will keep to himself till he becomes president, what reason could the Nigerian politicians have not to explain the strategic plans to create jobs, since their antecedents shown they are unlike him.

I have not heard from past and current political leaders of Nigeria, what plans or number of jobs they created or plan to create, the nearest to that was in a speech by the Niger state Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who said he will train 370,000 entrepreneurs every year.

This figure I suspect was really outrageous and definitely not realistic, even though the strategy for doing that is not yet out. His lamentations over lack of funds are enough to put a spanner in that works. I am sure the figure in that speech was carefully inserted to make it look appealing to the teeming Unemployed youth of the state.

If 370,000 were to be trained in entrepreneurship par year, it would then mean that more than 1,4000,000 youth would have been trained in four years, and the corresponding cost of training would be about 11.1 billion Naira every year, ceteris paribu, and assuming the training is to last three months on a tuition of 10,000 Naira par month for three months.

This is without talking about monthly civil service salaries and emoluments, minus cost of essential services like Medicare, water and sanitation, emergency services, schools and etcetera.

Yet, that amount is only on entrepreneurship, what about the skills for which the entrepreneur will add value, what about the centres of training, what about logistics and what about the fields of required training?

The idea of job creation should be first on skills acquisition within which entrepreneurship training will be enshrined so as to make the trainee knowledgeable enough to manage the skills which he or she has been given and there from make profit for a living.

It is only pitiable that most of our political leaders only mouth the idea of job creation without knowing what It will require and Unlike Mr. Trump, most of them are only traders and merchants whose businesses engage a couple of hands.

So even if they answer like Mr. Trump that they are just gonna do it, their antecedents has not shown that they can really create the number of jobs they most times promise. [myad]

Strange: One-Third Of Americans Want Military Coup, Say They’ll Be Fine With Military Rule

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

A recent poll in America has shown that one-third of U.S. citizens are not satisfied with their government with 30 percent of them supporting a military takeover. They are disenchanted with the recent stock market meltdown or Americans’ general conviction that the country is going to hell.

According to The Guardian the numbers come from a YouGov survey, which polled 1,000 people online. The exact question asked was: “Is there any situation in which you could imagine yourself supporting the U.S. military taking over the powers of federal government?” Interestingly, Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to answer ‘yes’ to the question; 43 percent of Republicans said they could imagine supporting a military coup, while only 20 percent of Democrat said they would support the move. About 30 percent of self-identified independent voters said they could get behind a military takeover.

The report said that though the numbers look pretty grim, Abraham Wyner, director of the undergraduate program in statistics at the University of Pennsylvania, said that online polls are suspect when it comes to getting accurate results.

“People who are participating in an online poll are generally attracted to that poll because of some variable,” he said, adding that people who respond to the poll tend to feel strongly about the poll’s subject matter, so they are inherently biased.

The same survey included more questions about the U.S. military and law enforcement. Overall, most of those surveyed (70 percent) seemed to think that military officers want what is best for the country, but only 55 percent think that police officers act with the country’s best interest at heart. The numbers are even worst for local politicians and federal civil servants. [myad]

Femi Falana May Be Buhari’s Justice Minister, As Fashola Lost Out In Ministerial Nomination

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana may emerge as the minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation in the Muhammadu Buhari government.
According to a portal which leaked the information about the President’s ministerial list, a former Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun, made the Buhari’s ministerial list.
The report quotes a source close to the Presidency as saying that Falana was personally chosen by the President because of his personal like for him. The choice of Falana from Ekiti State sealed the perceived hope of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi to become a minister.
Also, the nomination of Edun from Lagos State has put paid to the ambition of a former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to occupy a ministerial position.
It was learnt that Oyinlola may emerge as the Internal Affairs Minister while Edun may emerge as the Finance Minister.
It was also learnt that Oyinlola’s nomination is a compensation for his support to the party following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) before last year’s governorship election in Osun State.
The Lead quotes the source as saying: “The leadership of the party wanted Oni to emerge from Ekiti State but President Buhari prevailed on them, saying he wanted to pick the attorney-general from the South-West and he personally likes Falana. The choice of Oyinlola in Osun is compensation because Oyinlola’s defection helped Aregbesola to be re-elected. Adeleke who also helped had earlier been compensated. So, it is time to compensate Oyinlola.”
The report has it that the perceived estranged relationship between Buhari and Tinubu has been restored following the decision of Buhari to retrace his steps to the latter in consciousness of his contribution to his emergence.
It quotes a source as saying: “The president decided to beat a retreat because he realised that it was safer for him to maintain his relationship with Tinubu in the South-West even if he would not seek a re-election in 2019. He told Tinubu that he would not make any appointment from the South-West without his blessing.” [myad]

Buhari Leaves For France Tomorrow On 3-Day Official Visit

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for Paris, France, tomorrow, Monday, to begin a three-day official visit to France at the invitation of President Francois Hollande.
According to a statement by special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the President will be accompanied on the visit by the National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.), the Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Defence, Finance, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Industry, Trade and Investment as well as the Chief Executives of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
“As the composition of his entourage indicates, President Buhari’s talks in Paris with President Hollande and other senior French Government officials will focus on the further strengthening and consolidation of ongoing bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in the areas of defence, security, trade and investments.
“Apart from his scheduled meeting with President Hollande at the Elysee Palace on Monday evening, President Buhari and his team will also confer with the French Minister of Defence, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Finance and Public Accounts, Mr. Michel Sapin, the French Minister of Economy and Industry, Mr. Emmanuel Macron and the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Mr. Laurent Fabius.”
The statement said that President Buhari will also visit the Headquarters of MEDEF, France’s largest federation of investors and employers, where he will participate in a France/Nigeria Investment Forum with leading Nigerian and French entrepreneurs.
It said that the President will confer with the Chief Executive Officers of leading French multinational companies such as Total and Lafarge on their current and future investments in Nigeria.
“The President’s other scheduled engagements in Paris include a meeting with African Ambassadors to France and an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community.”
Buhari, according to the statement, is expected to conclude his visit to France on Wednesday and return to Nigeria the same day. [myad]

Katsina Governor, Masari, Cries Blue Murder, Says Civil Servants Are Against Him

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari has accused some civil servants in the state of playing loyalty to his predecessors and working against him and his government.
Masari, who spoke yesterday in Katsina during a colloquium to mark his 100 days in office, said that the civil servants have been collaborating with his predecessors to sabotage his administration.
He alleged that some top civil servants had broken their oaths of office of secrecy and had been releasing secret documents to officials of governments that preceded his own.
Masari, a candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that had ruled the state for about 16 years, in the 2015 governorship election.
The governor warned that anyone caught in such act would face the law, saying: “we have the records of those that have been engaging in this act and we are going to take action against them.” [myad]

America, Going Wired, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Greenbarge Reporters

September 13, 2015

The United States of America, of late, has been demonstrating strange democratic ethos, stretching all type of freedoms to ridiculous breaking point and may break it.
For a country like America, which prides itself as model in the practice of democracy and, therefore, freedoms of all kinds, the recent additions, in form of gay marriage and the right-to-die bill in California have put a big question as to the moral input that is supposed to shape the society with doses of Godliness.
America it was which recently ruled that man could marry man and woman too can marry woman that love themselves. As a matter of fact, when the court delivered the judgment in the case in favour of gay marriage, some sections of that country went agog in celebration. There were public displays of what in saner society, were obscenity, with men hugging themselves and falling short of kissing themselves in public, even as women did the same.
Not long after that wired judgment, the Californian law makers – the House of Representatives and Senate – came up with a bill practically legalizing suicide. The two law making bodies, early in the week, passed what was termed right-to-die bill.

One of the bill’s co-authors, Senator Lois Wolk said the bill seeks to “eliminate the needless pain and the long suffering of those who are dying,” even as opponents said the measure could prompt premature suicides. The R-Rosevelle Senator, Ted Gaines said: “I’m not going to push the old or the weak out of this world, and I think that could be the unintended consequence of this legislation.”
The content of the bill, which is just awaiting the assent of the Californian governor, Jerry Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian, includes requirements that the patient be physically capable of taking the medication themselves; that two doctors approve it; that the patient submit several written requests, and that there be two witnesses. Already doctors in Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana have been given a go-ahead by law to prescribe life-ending drugs for living human being.

The bill came after the heavily publicized case of Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old California woman with brain cancer, who moved to Oregon to legally take her life.

The bill was passed amidst protests and condemnations from people who still have some form of sanity.
Of course, no one would have raised an eye-brow on what America is doing to its moral and religious fabrics if it were not that it has been trying to rob those things on other countries.
The American establishment tried to sell the gay marriage stuff to President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited that counry recently, a situation that showed the desperation of America in ramming its so-called freedom of association down the throats of others.
In science, it is said that for every course there is repercussion or that for every action there is reaction. America should know that the acts of disregarding the simple God’s orders, taking refuge in the so-called freedoms have their repercussion.
Indeed, America appears to have allowed its way-word citizens to dictate how the society should run. It is as if there is no one leading: as if everyone is for himself and God is for all, if at all they believe in God.
The country and its leadership need to take a break, re-think and apply the brakes otherwise, the rate at which it is going, the country may run into moral, psychological, social, political, religious and even socio-economic quagmire. It is going to find itself in situation where it would lose every other thing that humanity values. And then crash.
America and its leadership should begin to put price for every freedom to enable even those who are the direct beneficiaries of such freedom to enjoy it, and not observing the tenets of freedom in isolation of the happiness of its people. For, the freedom that allows a person to take his life knowingly, for whatever reason, is emphasizing the freedom of the grave yard. [myad]

Stay Away From Mecca’s Grand Mosque, Nigeria Instructs Its Pilgrims, Confirms 3 Injured In Crane Accident

Greenbarge Reporters

September 12, 2015

Nigeria has asked its pilgrims performing this year’s hajj to stay away from the grand Mosque in Mecca for now, following the crane accident that killed score of pilgrims yesterday in Saudi Arabia, even as it confirmed that only three Nigerians sustained injury in the accident.

Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Mallam Abdullahi Mukhtar, who spoke to newsmen today in Abuja said that the victims were responding to treatments in the Holy land. They are pilgrims from Kaduna and Gombe states, though he would not give their names.

“On the commission’s part, we have advised the various states pilgrims’ board not to allow their pilgrims to go close to the Grand Mosque for now. They have adhered strictly to our directive and it is yielding positive results.”
Mukhtar said that 53,800 pilgrims had so far been transported to Saudi Arabia as at today, Saturday.
He promised that the remaining intending pilgrims would be airlifted to the Holy land before the deadline of September 18.

Media report had said that103 people were dead and over 200 people were injured in the incident. [myad]

Buhari Lectures Army On Rule Of Law, Says He’ll Not Tolerate Human Rights Violation

Greenbarge Reporters

September 12, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has lectured the Nigerian Army, especially those fighting Boko Haram insurgents on the observance of rule of law which he said his government is totally committed to, even as he warned that proven acts of human rights violation by the Armed Forces will be punished under his leadership.

Speaking today in Kaduna while addressing officers, troops and newly commissioned cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), President Buhari reminded them that the rule of law applied to the Armed Forces as much as any other institution in the country.

“I wish to remind you of the Federal Government’s commitment to overhaul the rules of engagement and improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human rights violations by the armed forces.

“We are committed to a thorough investigation of recent and any future occurrences of human rights violations by elements of our Armed Forces.

“While I applaud the integrity and sterling record of the Armed Forces as an institution, this administration will insist on the rule of law, and deal with any proven cases of deviation from laws of armed conflict, including human rights abuses.

“In operational conduct Nigerians expect our Armed Forces to keep law and order, and not to behave like bullies.

“Let me reiterate this administration’s commitment to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law as central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society.

“Rule of law as an element of good governance applies to the Armed Forces as much as any institution in our country. It is therefore gratifying that all three Services have recently taken steps to emphasize strict adherence to rules in recruitment, promotions, procurement, project executions and civil-military relations.”

The President said at the passing out of Officer Cadets of the NDA’s 62 Regular Course and Short Service Course 43 that security remains the most important challenge in his Administration’s “Change” Programme.

President Buhari said that the nation expects exemplary conduct and professionalism from officers and men of its Armed Forces at all times and in all situations.

“The objectives our fight against terrorism cannot be realized without a credible and effective military. You must avoid any behavior that will tarnish your honour and dignity as commissioned officers.

“Your commitment and loyalty to the Armed Forces and the nation must be total. I urge you to take your roles in the on-going process of rebuilding our Armed Forces very seriously,” President Buhari told the newly-commissioned officers.

Declaring that the Federal Government is pleased with the Armed Forces’ resolve to end the insurgency facing the country once and for all, President Buhari assured them of his Administration’s determination to ensure the speedy provision of platforms and equipment they require to win the war against terrorism and meet their long term needs. [myad]

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