Buhari Vows To Prosecute Those Who Committed Political Crimes without Fear Or Favour

July 4, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that he will prosecute all those who were found to perpetrate political assassinations, intimidation and kidnappings in the country, irrespective of political affiliations of such people.

The President, who addressed State Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at a parley in the Presidential Villa today, made it clear that he is fully committed to providing a level playing field for all Nigerians to get on with their daily lives or participate in electing their leaders, without fear of intimidation.

He said that his administration will continuously strengthen Nigeria’s criminal justice system to curb the reign of injustice and impunity in the country, adding: “at every point, the law must be supreme and everyone must respect the law, if our democratic system is to survive.

“Injustice cannot survive for long. Justice will ultimately prevail. We will make sure that those saddled with the responsibility of ensuring justice and equity do not rest on their oars.

“The only way we can sustain our democracy is to ensure that the law remains supreme at all times. If the law is upheld, people will have confidence that they can vote for who they want to vote for, without intimidation or threats. People must have protection to exercise their rights freely or we could be headed for anarchy.

“The police and the judiciary must ensure that justice is done in the country. We won’t allow impunity to continue in certain states, where the rights of the people are being violated.

“I have a personal commitment to fair play and respect of personal rights. This government will do all that is possible to enforce that.

“My address to National Executive Council of the APC was very clear. We are now in the frontline. We are the party in government. We must lead by good example and consolidate on the gains of our democratic system.”

The President advised the APC State Chairmen and other political leaders in the country to keep to the prescribed legal processes for the resolution of political disputes and never resort to violence, criminality and other forms of unacceptable behavior in seeking redress for any perceived injustice.

He also called on the state chairmen to work with the party’s elected officials to ensure that the APC delivers on its promise of better living conditions for all Nigerians.

The leader of the delegation and Chairman of the APC in Kano State, Umar Doguwa, said that the APC State Chairmen were on a visit to the Presidential Villa to reaffirm their support for President Buhari and his administration.

Doguwa assured the President that the state chairmen would uphold the values of the party, promote peace and unity in the country, and also ensure that APC elected members live fulfill their promises to Nigerians.

Some of the APC State Chairmen in states controlled by other parties had complained to President Buhari of political intimidation and harassment. [myad]

Presidential Spokesman Warns Boko Haram To Seek For Dialogue Before It Is Too Late

Greenbarge Reporters

July 4, 2015

Special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina has warned members of Boko Haram to embrace dialogue with the government before it was too late as the government is set to flush them out.
“The machinery put in place, and which will be set in motion soon, can only devastate and decapitate insurgency. It is multinational in nature.”
In a statement today, Adesina justified the government’s decision to dialogue with Boko Haram, saying: “most wars, however furious or vicious, often end around the negotiation table. So, if Boko Haram opts for negotiation, the government will not be averse to it.”
Assuring that relief is on the way for Nigeria and her neighbours, Adesina stressed that President Buhari is resolute. “He has battled and won insurgency before, he is poised to win again. It is a promise he made to Nigerians, and he is a promise keeper.”
The Presidential spokesman explained that if the insurgents want to negotiate, no decent government will be averse to such, asking: “didn’t the Taliban and Americans also negotiate in Afghanistan?”
He made it clear however that the government would not be negotiating from a position of weakness, but that of strength. [myad]

Kogi APC Laments: 6 Months To End Of Wada’s Tenure, No Political Activities Yet

Greenbarge Reporters

July 4, 2015

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Kogi State chapter, has lamented that six months to the end of the tenure of the incumbent governor, Captain, Wada Idris, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to blow whistle for political activities to begin in the state.

Media Adviser to the State APC Chairman, Dr. Umar Akwu Goodman, who spoke to newsmen on behalf of the state party chairman, Alhaji Haddy Ametuo said: “the handover date from the current administration in Kogi State is scheduled for 27th January, 2016, which is just six months away, yet there is no political activity going on in the state as the time table is being awaited.”

According to him, INEC’s Public Relations Officer in the State had recently confirmed that there has not been any official communication from the INEC headquarters in Abuja in respect of the time table.

“Electoral law 2012 as amended stipulates various time spaces between electioneering campaign, primaries election and general elections and also between general elections and handing over, which should not be less than 3 months.

“Kogi state has 21 local government areas and about 239 wards, all of which the aspirants need to visit to canvas for delegate votes prior to the primaries; but there is no time table to determine the electioneering campaign timing that ushers in primaries.”

He, therefore, called on the INEC to speedy up the process of releasing the election time table and save the state and other stakeholders the frustrations arising from the usual fire brigade approach in general elections in the state. [myad]
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Between Go-Slow And Propaganda, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Yusuf Ozi-Usman

July 4, 2015

The new catch word in the opposition circle in Nigeria today is the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has been slow in making impact in the lives of the citizenry, a little over a month he was sworn-in as President under the umbrella of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The new main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represented by its national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, who of course, is the only notable national officer still functioning now, has been particularly harping on the delay by the President in naming his cabinet members or ministers, among others.
The opposition and its media megaphone have therefore tagged President Buhari ‘Baba go-slow’ instead of the change agent he professed to be.
Not to worry, what the PDP is doing or saying now is a familiar political gimmick that took root in the early days of the government of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. It was during his time that the word: ‘Baba go-slow’ was invented, incidentally, by the opposition then, which happened to be the ruling party today.
The similarity in the designation of late Yar’adua and President Buhari as “go-slow” leaders is not necessary the issue here, but the end product of what was imputed via-a-vis the rationale or implication of what has come to be commonly known as ‘hitting the ground running’ an acronym for haste in running the affairs of the nation. The former, i.e. the go-slow concept, to be sure, looks dowdy and is on a lonely lane while the latter, i.e. hitting the ground-running, looks attractive and is often oiled by propaganda.
At the time Umaru Yar’auda was tagged go-slow, he was actually making slow and steady progress in all the socio-economic and even political fronts. Such positive progress was not noticed until he died. It was actually after his death that those who were vilifying him and making jest of him came to know that, had he tarried awhile, he would have sanitized the nation’s electoral process through his famous electoral reform.
It was after his death that the nation was jolted up to realize the great plans he had for the upliftment of the status of the country on the economic and social fronts. Indeed, political and economic analysts came to a conclusion that what Yar’adua achieved, in terms of plans for steady growth and development in all sectors of the nation’s socio-economic fronts, within his short stay, would have brought the country out of the wood.
When he died, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who succeeded him, decided to follow the popular opinion that wanted haste in the governance. He went swiftly to assemble those who later turned to be speaking above the head of the Nigerians, instead of practical result. They were those who have mastered the art of speaking grammar to convince even the most pessimists amongst the populace that Nigeria was moving forward.
They, indeed, were those who have mastered the art of propaganda: who would tell you that roads have been constructed in places where it was obvious there were no such roads. They were those who would keep on shifting goal post on when the nation would finally enjoy steady power supply and expected you to jubilate in advance.
They were those who would tell you that millions of unemployed youths have been gainfully employed even if you did not know any one close to or far from you that had enjoyed such opportunity. They were those who would shout to the high heavens that after rebating the economy (a very mighty grammar that meant nothing to the common man), Nigeria had suddenly became the biggest economy in Africa, even when the living standards of millions of citizens were taking a dangerous downturn and they were going down in life of squalor.

They were those who would tell you that they were on top of the situation when actually they didn’t know the situation they were talking about.
One dangerous thing about propaganda is that the propagandists would cleverly create a dummy that makes you feel happy that some positive things are ongoing, whereas the system is gradually collapsing. For, as the saying goes, it is when you agree that you have a problem that you would get a help from the neighbour. But when you show your neighbour that you are doing well and even that you are the biggest economy in Africa, pray, you are simply committing suicide. Which was what happened.
Like Late Umaru Yar’adua who co-incidentally came from Katsina state, President Buhari appears to be working on the concept that when you hit the ground, you don’t run until you have studied and assessed the situation and define the direction to which you would like to run.
For, in a sense, it is only a careless and empty headed leader that would hit the ground and begin to run. What happens in most cases is that such leader would run the country into socio-economic gutter and depression. Which was what happened.
One thinks that that is what the Change, by President Buhari implies: doing things differently from the familiar ways. If that means go-slow, let us be patient to see where it would lead us. [myad]

174 Fresh Soldiers Graduate From Nigeria Defence Academy

Greenbarge Reporters

July 3, 2015

No fewer than 174 officers drawn from seven African countries, including Nigeria graduated from the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in Jaji, Kaduna state today and were asked by President Muhammadu Buhari to be apolitical and neutral in performing their constitutional role.
The President also asked them to be ready for deployment to troubled zones, such as North East in the nation’s fight against Boko Haram.
The graduands are of the Senior Course 37 of the Command and Staff College.
The graduation ceremony was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, representing President Buhari; the nation’s service chiefs, College officials and the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Professor Osinbajo also visited a center at the NDA where victims of Boko Haram insurgence, recently rescued and escaped from Sambisa forests where being “de-radicalized.”
In the speech delivered on his behalf by Professor Osinbajo, President Buhari promised not to relent in equipping the Armed Forces to firmly address all forms of threats that may arise both in peace and war.
President Buhari reminded members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, that they have “a principal role to play in protecting the lives and property of our citizens from all forms of internal or external threat.
He noted that while the civil police continues to be primarily responsible for internal security, “the scale of the current security challenges facing our nation requires the military to play a more decisive role in support of civil power.”
The President said that the military has made good progress in the war against terror, even though faced with contemporary security challenges that were not envisaged some decades ago.
He warned members of the Armed Forces to be generally mindful of “today’s highly sensitive media environment,” the president observed that some of the new graduates of the College would be deployed in crisis prone areas inside or outside the country.
To them, he said “you must be conscious of your actions, given that we live in a common global environment.” But he added that there is no doubt that the quality of training “you have received has adequately prepared you to confront current threats to national and global security.”
Commenting on the international composition of graduates and participants in the course at the Command and Staff College, President Buhari said praised other African nations that nominated candidates for the College.
He said such action, “enhances the ideals of African governance integration for regional cooperation vital for collective security and development of the continent.
For instance, he restated that fact that under the auspices of the Multi National Joint Force of neighboring countries and Nigerian forces, “we are progressively winning the fight against Boko Haram.”
Describing the College as a “prestigious institution,” he also noted that the federal government “will also continue to ensure that this College gets the type of support that it deserves.” [myad]

APC Runs The Risk Of Losing “War” For Party Unity, Buhari Warns

Greenbarge Reporters

July 3, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that having won the battle of the last general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) now runs the risk of losing the “war” for party unity and internal cohesion.

Addressing members of the National Executive Committee of the APC, the President advised the party leaders to work hard to quickly resolve internal differences in the party and avoid disappointing Nigerians.

The President affirmed his belief in the supremacy of the APC’s Change Pact with Nigerians over the personal ambitions of its members, adding: “As human beings, we are not perfect, but let us do our best to eventually win this ‘war’ so that we can get on with the urgent task of delivering on our electoral promises to the nation.”

Tracing the history of the APC from pre-merger talks to electoral victory, the President called APC members to put their personal ambitions aside and resolve their current differences for the good of the party and the nation.

The APC Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun had earlier told the gathering that President Buhari opted to attend the NEC meeting at the APC Secretariat, rather than host the parley at the Banquet Hall of the State House because he wanted to raise the spirit of party members with his presence at the secretariat.

Chief Odigie-Oyegun added that the party had focused its change agenda around President Buhari’s person during the campaign “because of his reputation and integrity.

“Your charisma and cult-like following facilitated what can be called a landslide victory at the Presidential election,” he told the President. [myad]

An Open Letter To President Buhari, By Olaiya Ola-Bamidele

Greenbarge Reporters

July 3, 2015

I consider this write-up a rare privilege to express my gratitude for your emergence as the President of this great nation. To top the gladness, your strong intent that craves for uncommon changes in every sector is another thing to be excited about. I, therefore, consider it necessary to quickly highlight and echo the age-long mistakes of myopic looks and impressions on water resources sector in the country.

“Water is Life”, “Human body contains 70% Water,” “Water occupies 70% of world Space.” These are the popularly sayings which are not fallacies or mere illusion, but truth in their original state.

Having said that, I wish to state here that the attention given to the Water Sector by the various past governments in Nigeria had been so little and grossly inadequate. It has, so far, not been sufficient for a country which equally needs to undoubtedly survive and thrive on its water resources.

Mr. President, it is expedient to state that on the basis of experience, previous mergers, submerging or subsuming the Federal Ministry of Water Resources under any other ministry will not only cause deficiency to the water resources meant to be enjoyed. It will also stifle or kill its natural vision and consequently, cause many more hardships to the populace from abandoned water projects as was the case in the last merging of 2009-2011. At that period there were high cases of:

Water related diseases which contribute immensely to the dwindling economic growth of the country;
Scarcity of potable water – several water producers do fold up during merger periods;
Acute Shortage of good quality drinking Water in Nigeria;
Inadequacy in harnessing water resources in different geo-political zones of the country;
Causes shortage or set-backs in providing job opportunities for Nigerian populace.
The need to vigorously pursue our natural vision, our mandate and course to provide

water to meet social and economic needs of growing populace shall be shattered as

was the case in the last merging exercise.

The set-back caused will require triple effort in terms of time, human and material resources; to reverse and get the vision back on track.

With the enormous challenges in the water sector, I strongly believe that charting a new course for the Ministry through its Departments, Agencies and stakeholders which was embodied in the Nigeria Water Sector Road Map would enhance the attainment of Nigeria’s vision 20:2020 targets, MDGs Agenda and Africa Water Vision 2025 which are paramount and not to be subsumed.

Also, I strongly advocate that topmost priority should be given to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for the speedy commitment to:

Water Sector:

Improving access to potable water,

Flood control,

Drought mitigation

Agriculture Sector:

Irrigation to support agriculture revolution

o Food security program

Tourism Sector:

Tourism Development

Environment Sector:

Environmental Sustainability

Doused Ecological threat

Kashimbilla Dam as a major source of life and economic driver to benefit Nigeria and especially the host communities

Health Sector:

Provide Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) to checkmate water quality that translate to health related issues,

Power Sector:

Hydropower generation

The Presidential Summit on Water convened in February 2013 achieved a lot of success and has widening the horizon of the water sector in the nation, subsumed it under any ministry now may most likely truncate the vision and cause another trend of setback.

Generally, the vision is to be the vehicle of the nations integrated water resources management, contributing optimally to the socio-economic activities of the nation through comprehensive planning. And provision of the enabling environment for integrated conservation, development and management of various water uses, for the preservation of the quality and quantity of fresh water ecosystems, leading to improved environmental protection, adequate access to safe water and sanitation, development of irrigated agriculture for food security and for sustainable livelihoods, as well as equitable allocation of all the aforementioned, amongst all riparian communities locally and internationally.

Its agencies and units carry out different responsibilities that are enormous and too important to cage and subsume under any ministry and parastals. These responsibilities covers capacity building in the sector and large water projects that ensure food security, thereby empower Nigerians economically.

Mr. President Sir, the facts and the truth of the needs for the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to be independent of any ministry can be verified and holistically taken into consideration. You will find out that merging the sector is like maiming the 70% of one’s body, life and our world which may not likely bring a palatable reason for existence. In other words, for this country to successfully grow, It is pertinent that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) stand alone as a ministry and not be merged with any other ministry because it is an economic driver organization being the basis for development of many other sectors in the nation.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Yusuf Suleiman Lasun pointed out this importance when he recommended that the Federal Ministry of Water resources should not be merged as published, “National Mirror” newspaper of June 26, 2015.

Again, with the global trend, water and sanitation is now taking preeminence as this sector safeguard the well being of the populace health leading to increase in economic development of any nation.

Therefore, I humbly suggest that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources should not be merged with any other ministry, but the Ministry should rather be given its rightful premium.

Congratulations once again sir, and thank you for taking this issue into critical consideration and accept the assurance of my highest esteem.

Olaiya Ola-Bamidele, writes from Abuja.

Those Still Talking Of Creation Of New States In Nigeria Are Insane – Ex Kaduna Governor, Dangiwa

Greenbarge Reporters

July 3, 2015

Former military governor of Kaduna state, Colonel Abubakar Umar Dangiwa (rtd.) has said that owing to the current financial crisis in most of the ‘unviable’ states, it would be a case of insanity for anyone to still be talking of creation of more states in Nigeria.
Dangiwa posited: “it is evident that most of the states and local governments are unviable and should not have been created in the first place. One of the greatest disservice to the nation by some military regimes was the creation of these unviable, revenue guzzling administrative (maladministrative) structures. They have continued to serve as a drag to our national development. “But for its impracticability, one would recommend a constitutional abrogation of some of them. Goes to show that any plot to create more states and local governments is plain insanity.”
The fire-spitting former governor spoke in a statement today, against the background of what he called “the current desperate financial situation of most State governments or at least those of them that have declared insolvency.”
Dangiwa who now chair a None Governmental Organization (NGO) known as Movement for the Unity and Progress, cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow himself to be bamboozled by the confused state governors.
“I am sure President Buhari will not allow himself to be hoodwinked. He must maintain the separation of powers between the tiers of government and enforce budgetary discipline. In fact, he should discourage governors from making frivolous demands from the federal government. This will serve to discourage their frequent visits to Aso Rock.”
Dangiwa said that the current financial crisis which has led some states to become insolvent, having lost the capacity to meet their most basic fiscal responsibility of paying their workers’ salaries and contractual obligations, including the servicing of their jumbo bank loans is a nightmare long foretold, not only by the cassandras of this world.
“We had cause to warn about the reckless extravagance of those states which led them to a borrowing spree from commercial banks at very high rates of interest. In reaction to our alert, the state governors tried to defend their actions, claiming they were all deliberate plan to finance development projects needed to raise internally generated revenue; a way to cut dependence on oil money.
“No one was fooled, and as we expected, the chickens have finally come home to roost. Faced with this dire financial situation, they are running from pillar to post in search of rescue. They have so far approached the FGN with an ill thought out bail out plan, requiring president Buhari to give them cash or his government to guarantee for them more loans from commercial banks, having exhausted the Excess crude account and no bank is willing to advance anymore loans to them.
“They also want the FGN to instruct their creditors, the commercial banks, to allow them a moratorium period of twenty years without indicating a viable repayment plan within the period. Luckily the banks are privately owned and not subject to any governments dictates.”
The former administrator said it is not clear if state Governors ever gave thought to the political and even ethical implications of their demands on the Federal Government and asked: “doesn’t it ever occur to them that by always coming to the federal government cap in hand, they expose their own sordid impotence and give additional ammunition to those that question the wisdom of running our peculiar federation through so many states and local governments – all of which depend on the centre to survive?
“Are they aware that the public has gained the impression that states are run without fiscal discipline, especially where the egos and whims of the Governors are quite large?”
Dangiwa turned to president Buhari, who he said should ask some questions before he extends a helping hand to any cash-strapped governors, including how they got into the problem in the first place.
He wanted the President to get such governors treated of the diseases which he listed as extravagance, lavish lifestyle, prodigality, profligacy, squandamania as well as corruption.”
Dangiwa recalled that one of the reasons given by state governments for their current financial mess is the failure of the federal government to reimburse them for projects executed in their states on its behalf.
He insisted that for such claims to be valid, states with such claims should have developed written contractual agreements with with the federal government, even as he also insisted that the federal government has the structure and capacity to execute its projects and should not ask any state to perform its functions. [myad]

Buhari Describes Recent Boko Haram Attacks As Last Desperate Acts Of Fleeing Agents Of Terrorism

Greenbarge Reporters

July 3, 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari is obviously angry with members of the deadly Boko Haram who lauched attacks on some towns in Borno state, leading to the death of no fewer than 150, describing them as most inhuman and barbaric.
The President believes that these last desperate acts of fleeing agents of terrorism underscore the urgent need to bring to early fruition the efforts of his government to form a more effective international coalition against insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
A statement today by senior special assistant on media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu quoted the President as saying that the murder of about 150 innocent men, women and children in Kukawa was a very heinous atrocity which must be unreservedly condemned by all people of conscience.
President Buhari called on Muslims in Nigeria and across the world to reject with one voice, the attackers claim to be acting in the name of Islam, and asked the terrorists to stop the abasement of Islam.
President expressed his heart-felt condolences to families of the victims of Boko Haram’s dreadful killings in Kukawa and other parts of the North East.
And in a condolence message to the government and people of Egypt on the recent murder by terrorists of the country’s Attorney General, Hesham Barakat and the killing of about 70 Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula, President Buhari emphasised the need for the international community to unite and forge a stronger worldwide consensus for more effective action against global terrorism.
He restated his conviction that concerted global action is needed to overcome terrorism in all parts of the world, adding that having borne the pain of terrorist attacks themselves for many years, Nigerians shared the anguish of Egyptians as they mourn their compatriots who lost their lives in Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula.
The President also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with other countries facing terrorists’ threats to overcome the scourge of violent extremism.
No country, the President added, can afford to be indifferent to the threats of terrorism because of its pervasive and destructive nature. [myad]

Niger Government Invades Ex Governor Babangida House, Carts Away ‘Stolen’Cars

Greenbarge Reporters

July 3, 2015

Niger State Government, today, invaded the Tunga private residence of the immediate past Governor of the state, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu where it recovered different car models believed to have been stolen from the state government at the tail end of the former Governor’s tenure.

Information reaching Greenbarge Reporters indicated that the former governor is currently outside the country.

It was gathered that some staff from the Transport Office, Government House went to the former governor’s house and ordered to be allowed access to the automobiles including; his personal car; three Mercedes cars, two Range Rovers and a bullet-proof SUV.

The Chief of Staff in Government House, Minna, Al-amin Mikhail Bmitosahi who is said to have ordered the evacuation of the cars parked inside the former Governors’ house also directed that similar choice car in the possession of the former governors’ younger brother, Mohammed Aliyu (Chiroma) be recovered.

The action of the state government has however generated controversy, particularly on the fact that, the government seems not interested in extending similar fate to the former Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ibeto, who defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the tail end of the immediate past administration.

While many see claims that the Deputy Governor to Babangida Aliyu followed due process in possessing the number of automobiles in his fleet, others believed Ibeto is being shielded because he worked to ensure victory for the party. [myad]

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