Senator Babafemi Ojudu is a veteran journalist, a politician representing Ekiti Central Constituency under All Progressives Congress (APC). This fearless media practitioner-turned-politician in this interview, fired salvos on several fronts relating to ‘State of Nigeria polity, 2015 Elections, Economy and chances of survival of Africa’s most populous nation during and after the election.’
How will you describe the present political atmosphere in Nigeria?
It is very charged. So much tension. It promises both hope and doom.
Do you foresee chaos among politicians, before, during and after the 2015 Elections? Anything is possible. We only pray we get right.
Are you predicting a lot of legal fireworks as in Court appeals to several election results? This will certainly happen. This is when candidates will dispute the outcome of the elections and it will be time for lawyers to make money
What is your fear over the 2015 Elections? It could make or mar, unite or disunite the country, give hope or offer despair. We are calling on both the people in government as well as the opposition to play by the rules so that our people will not end up fighting one another and the country destroyed. We definitely have a date with destiny. Do you see this election unite us or divide us as a nation? All indications point to disunity. The country has never been this divided on ethnic and religious line. Many are optimistic that we shall pull through. That Nigeria has always managed to pull through whenever it found itself in this kind of situation. The pessimists are however of the opinion that whichever way the election go we are in for a long dark night.
What is your take on rising Inflation in Nigeria? The economy is in a bad shape. The managers are interest with the people and with themselves. We need new hands and not new pairs of gloves to deal with the problem.
In 2015, what are your political aspirations? I am out of aspiration in this electoral season. I am taking a break. Let me however assure you that I will be back. Nigeria , for me, is too important to be dumped and abandoned by forces for positive change. I am involved in the ongoing struggle for change but I am not contesting for any post.
Do you support the belief that General Buhari will make a better President than Jonathan after the election? Oh yes! I am convinced he will. Any average Nigerian will. The regime is a disaster. Jonathan does not offer any hope . He doesn’t inspire. He is lackluster and clueless. Nigeria has disintegrated badly under him. We need a change to give back confidence to the people and offer hope for a better future.
There are fears that Buhari will jail Jonathan and other Ministers as President-elect. What is your view? I do not think so. While everyone who has committed economic crimes should not be allowed to go unpunished I do not see a President Buhari witch hunting any innocent person. He will be too busy reconstructing than chasing after other people. [myad]
At least 12 people have died, 16 others rescued and several others still missing after a TransAsia Airways plane clipped a bridge and crashed into a river near the Taiwanese capital, Taipei this morning.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) broadcast footage of the plane almost submerged in the Keelung river. Out of the 58 people on board, 53 are believed to be passengers and five are crew. Thirty-one of the passengers are tourists from mainland China.
Report says that the ATR-72 turbo-prop plane had just taken off from Taipei Songshan Airport and was heading to the outlying Kinmen islands, just off the coast of the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen.
Flight controllers were said to have lost contact with the plane at 10:55 local time (02:55 GMT).
Footage of the plane apparently filmed from inside passing cars showed it banking sharply, hitting a taxi and clipping the bridge before crashing into the river.
Rescue teams are alongside the plane trying to rescue several people still trapped inside.
Cindy Sui reports: ”Many of the people on board are still inside the aircraft.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) report that the Chinese tourists could have been on their way home as many people come to Taiwan through Kinmen island.
In July last year, 48 people died when a TransAsia Airways plane crashed amid stormy weather in Taiwan’s Penghu archipelago.
TransAsia Airways
Founded in 1951 as Taiwan’s first private civilian-operated domestic airline, later expanded to overseas routes.
One of the region’s smaller carriers though has rapidly expanded in recent years.
Has about 20 planes in its fleet – a mix of Airbus and dual-propeller ATR planes.
Gained popularity due to its low-cost tickets.
Flies many routes between Taiwan and mainland China, and to other parts of South East Asia. [myad]
Four Nigerians have gone to court, challenging the qualification of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the February 14 Presidential election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The complainants are Professor Tunde Samuel, Dr Junaidu Mohammed, Mr Rasak Adeogun and Yahaya Ezeemoo Ndu. They asked a Federal High Court to restrain President Jonathan from contesting the elections.
In an originating summons issued by Malam Yusuf Ali, SAN, the plaintiffs contended that Jonathan was ineligible for re-election because to do otherwise is to allow him spend more than eight years allowed for anyone to serve as president.
They asked the court to declare that by virtue of the provisions of the constitution it was unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal and not permissible for any person to occupy the office of the president of Nigeria for more that a cumulative and aggregate period of eight years when the country was not at war.
They also asked the court to hold that having regards to the constitution, Jonathan was not eligible to seek re-election into the office of president for another term of your years from 2015 as that would have permitted him to occupy the office of president for more than eight years.
They asked the court to declare that in computing the period already spent in office as president by Jonathan, the period from 6th day of May, 2010 to 28th May 2011 should be reckoned with.
They also sought a declaration that having spent a period of more than four years in office as president reckoned from 6th day of May, 2010, Jonathan is without competence, authority or entitlement to contest for the same office for another term of four years.
The trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed has fixed the case for February 11th for the hearing of the originating summons.
Two similar cases were pending before the same court. [myad]
Sixteen political parties in Nigeria have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the general elections slated for February 14 and 28, threatening to boycott the elections if their wishes are not heeded.
In addition, five of the 14 presidential candidates signed a joint statement urging the electoral commission to postpone the elections to a “more appropriate” date.
The parties involved are: the United Democratic Party (UDP), Citizen Peoples Party (CPP), Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), Action Alliance (AA), Peoples Democratic Congress (PDC) (ACPN), Labour Party (LP), (MPPP), United Party of Nigeria (UPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), (ADC), (ACD) Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) and Independent Democrat (ID).
The parties argued that they would lose the presidency if the elections are held in February even as they also cited insecurity and inadequate distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Saying that “some dangerous trends, which if not checked may negatively and adversely affect our democracy,” the 16 parties called on the government to take necessary steps to provide adequate security for Nigerians to go out and collect their PVCs in order to be able to exercise their civic and constitutional duty.
The five minor-party presidential candidates who endorsed the postponement are Godson Okoye (UDP), Chief Sam Okoye (CPP), Prince C.O Allagoe (PPN), Tunde Anifowose (AA) and Ganiu Galadima (ACPN). It is unclear why 14 parties said they endorsed the postponement, but nine presidential candidates did not.
Earlier in the day, the powerful All Progressives Congress, in two separate statements in Abuja and Lagos, warned against efforts and conspiracies to pre-empt the elections. [myad]
National publicity secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Goodluck Jonathan Administration and the PDP are determined not to hold the February 14 and 28 elections in the country for excuses that are neither here nor there.
He said that despite their deceitful statements that they are ready for the polls, President Jonathan and his party will stop at nothing to ensure that the polls do not hold as scheduled, if at all. Lai Mohammed who addressed newsmen in Lagos today said that their determination to postpone the elections has made them not be asking Nigerians to go and collect their PVCs, even when INEC has said the cards for all registered voters are now ready for collection, putting a lie to the campaign that the cards will not be ready before the elections. That is why, Lai Mohammed said, they have refused hordes of foreign journalists visas to come to Nigeria, adding: “as we said earlier, the denial of visas to foreign journalists is systemic, aimed at preventing the international community from seeing or watching the desperate plots to scuttle the elections.” Mohammed said that an Administration that has nothing to hide will not embark on a deliberate move to shut foreign journalists out of what is definitely one of the most important elections in the world this year. “In addition to using the courts, they have resorted to lobbying some members of the Council of State to support their clamour for election postponement. We hope the Council, which is due to meet later in the week, will put national interest above narrow, partisan considerations and reject the poisoned chalice of election postponement. Conclusion: “We call on local and international Observers to take note of the scheming by the election-postponement campaigners. This is because if they succeed, Observers will have no elections to observe. We urge them to note that since election is a process, and not restricted to election day alone, all the steps leading to the elections are as important as the actual voting itself. “Therefore, we implore them to take note of the systemic shut-out of foreign journalists from the forthcoming polls, which is a ploy to shut out the international community from the elections. “We urge the Council of State not to allow itself to be used to scuttle the forthcoming elections, because it is in the interest of Nigeria and her people that the elections proceed as scheduled. “If the Jonathan Administration and the PDP are indeed committed to the Feb. 14th and 28th dates for the elections, as they have said, we challenge them to heed our call for a two-day public holiday so that working class Nigerians who have yet to collect their PVCs can do so. By the way, APC states will declare two public holidays for this purpose. “We will also like to repeat our appeal to the judiciary to act as a bulwark against any attempt to truncate our nation’s hard-earned democracy by refusing to be used to scuttle the elections. We consider it an insult to the judiciary for the advocates of election shift to believe they can use their dirty funds to influence the course of justice. We believe the judiciary will not take this bait. “On our part, we will not relent in speaking out against ongoing efforts to scuttle the elections. The APC is ready for the elections as scheduled. The PDP and the Jonathan Administration should stop their scheming and get themselves ready for the elections too. Nigerians have seen through them, and have rejected their evil plots.” The full text of the press conference by Lai Mohammed goes thus: During my last press conference on January 29th, I alerted the nation to the fact that the advocates of the postponement of this month’s general elections have resorted to using the courts to disqualify our presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and scuttle the polls. This followed the obvious failure of their clandestine campaign to have the elections postponed ostensibly because of the poor distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. Despite sponsoring pseudo-experts and cash-and-carry analysts to make the television rounds to canvass for the postponement of the election, in addition to instigating protests against INEC, Nigerians have rejected the call for election shift, which is a big blow to those who want the elections postponed to give the Jonathan Administration time to recover lost ground. The advocates of election shift may have retreated, but they have not given up their push to scuttle the elections. In fact, a conference organized on Monday to consider the effects of the National Conference on the 2015 elections was turned into a campaign for election postponement by the usual culprits. The election-postponement campaigners have now returned to the drawing board to plot another move to make sure the elections do not hold, and that precisely is why we have called this press conference. Despite their defeat in the court of public of opinion, the no-election proponents are now working hard on their back-up plan, which is to force a constitutional crisis that will ultimately lead to their goal: Interim Government! And the courts and tribunals are the main tools to be used in pursuing this devilish plot. They have restrategised to procure ‘pliant judges’ to give outrageous and unpopular judgment at election tribunals and courts, judgment that are capable of destabilizing the polity Their hope is that such outrageous and unpopular judgment will help trigger massive violence across the country, which they will then leverage as an excuse to scuttle the elections and form an Interim Government. At the last count, six cases have been filed by the agents of those working to scuttle the elections, and we expect more. In one of the cases, Justice Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday gave the order for a substituted service in the case instituted by Max Uzoaka against our candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Make no mistake about it, the Jonathan Administration and the PDP do not want elections, despite their deceitful statements that they are ready for the polls, and they will stop at nothing to ensure that the polls do not hold as scheduled, if at all. This is why they have not been asking Nigerians to go and collect their PVCs, even when INEC has said the cards for all registered voters are now ready for collection, putting a lie to the campaign that the cards will not be ready before the elections. That is why they have refused hordes of foreign journalists visas to come to Nigeria. As we said earlier, the denial of visas to foreign journalists is systemic, aimed at preventing the international community from seeing or watching the desperate plots to scuttle the elections. An Administration that has nothing to hide will not embark on a deliberate move to shut foreign journalists out of what is definitely one of the most important elections in the world this year. In addition to using the courts, they have resorted to lobbying some members of the Council of State to support their clamour for election postponement. We hope the Council, which is due to meet later in the week, will put national interest above narrow, partisan considerations and reject the poisoned chalice of election postponement. Conclusion: We call on local and international Observers to take note of the scheming by the election-postponement campaigners. This is because if they succeed, Observers will have no elections to observe. We urge them to note that since election is a process, and not restricted to election day alone, all the steps leading to the elections are as important as the actual voting itself. Therefore, we implore them to take note of the systemic shut-out of foreign journalists from the forthcoming polls, which is a ploy to shut out the international community from the elections. We urge the Council of State not to allow itself to be used to scuttle the forthcoming elections, because it is in the interest of Nigeria and her people that the elections proceed as scheduled. We call on Nigerians to remain vigilant, especially in the days ahead, and to continue to reject all attempts by anti-democratic forces to cling to or get power through means that are not democratic. We urge our members and supporters in particular to eschew violence under any guise, even in the face of the most egregious provocations, so as not to play into the hands of those working to scuttle the elections. If the Jonathan Administration and the PDP are indeed committed to the Feb. 14th and 28th dates for the elections, as they have said, we challenge them to heed our call for a two-day public holiday so that working class Nigerians who have yet to collect their PVCs can do so. By the way, APC states will declare two public holidays for this purpose. We will also like to repeat our appeal to the judiciary to act as a bulwark against any attempt to truncate our nation’s hard-earned democracy by refusing to be used to scuttle the elections. We consider it an insult to the judiciary for the advocates of election shift to believe they can use their dirty funds to influence the course of justice. We believe the judiciary will not take this bait. On our part, we will not relent in speaking out against ongoing efforts to scuttle the elections. The APC is ready for the elections as scheduled. The PDP and the Jonathan Administration should stop their scheming and get themselves ready for the elections too. Nigerians have seen through them, and have rejected their evil plots. The elections dates of Feb. 14th and 28th are sacrosanct! I thank you. Alhaji Lai Mohammed National Publicity Secretary All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos, Feb. 3rd 2015. [myad]
All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Organization has said that the government of General Muhammadu Buhari will make the current Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to explain the circumstances leading to the alleged missing N30 trillion under her watch. The allegation was recently made against her by the former Central Bank Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo. In a statement in Abuja today by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, APC Presidential campaign organization promised that the monies would be recouped to fund some of the initiatives of an APC administration. “Thirty Trillion Naira will fund the generation of 22,000 megawatts of electricity, which is well in excess of the current national power demand of 15,000 megawatts, among other pressing needs.” The APC condemned the blanket of secrecy surrounding the transactions that led to the wanton waste of the country’s scarce resources under the Jonathan administration, adding that General Buhari, if given the mandate to pilot the affairs of the country, will wage an unrelenting battle against corruption and wastages in the system. The party advised Okonjo-Iweala to speak up on this allegation of epic proportion, saying: “she has the responsibility to give an account of the management of the nation’s resources under her watch. “It is not enough for Okonjo-Iweala to boast of rebasing the economy and declaring it the largest in Africa, without a concurrent reduction in poverty and unemployment or infrastructure development in the country. “It is ironic that rather than tackle the accusation from Soludo, the Finance Minister has been canvassing a stance in the media that Nigerians should brace up for a hard time to come as the economy is nose-diving. “Only last year, the workforce of several MDAs could not receive their salaries to celebrate the Yuletide season due to government inefficiency. A recent African Union report also alleges that billions of Naira is illicitly taken out of our economy annually. [myad]
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organization has drew the attention of Nigerians to the gathering of individuals, which it called “Association of Jonathan-organized National Conference Attendees” that are trying to re-enact the June 12 scenario by moving to truncate the February general elections in the country.
The APC Presidential campaign organization said in a statement, signed by Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign that it is more galling that one of these people, with a history of armed insurrection by way of attempted military putsch against a united Nigeria, had the effrontery to offer admonition against the conduct of election, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended for the virility of the Nigerian state. The APC warned that it is possible for an undiscerning Nigerian to conflate the ostensible reasons of this group of unpatriotic zealots from their real motives. “The ostensible reason of insecurity in some part of the country, though seemingly valid, pales into insignificance when put side by side with their real reasons. The fact of insecurity of lives and property, which has consigned a portion of the Nation state to a ragtag insurgency group, is in itself, a huge indictment of the government in failing in its primary responsibility as contemplated in Section 14 of 1999 Constitution as amended,” Shehu said. “Should a government that has shown such insouciance to the security and welfare of the people be compensated with longer duration than contemplated by the statute book? Of course, we are aware that these unpatriotic elements are doing this piece of execrable endeavor to rebuild their stomach infrastructure that had been pulled down after the cessation of free funding following the completion of the National conference! “We have rightly observed that this is Nigeria’s season of anomie. All shades of ill-mannered and self-centered behavior can be seen in once respected people. It is our hope that Nigerians shall not be swayed into believing them on account of their previous service. “We want to call the attention of Nigerians and the international community to the repeated calls for the postponement of the forthcoming presidential election. We do not have any difficulty to discern that these groups are working out the script of some agents in the ruling party. We also want to call on the security agencies in the country to stop any further public parade by this outlawed group. “Let us remind Nigerians that the power of our democracy has been tested in the past by this outlawed group during the June 12, 1993 presidential election and our democracy won and will win again. No person or any faceless group of corrupt individuals can stop an idea which time has come. Nigerians made the call for a change in the country and the will of the people must prevail in February 14. “We do not entertain any iota of doubts in our minds that this current attempt to scuttle democracy is because of the impending defeat starring the ruling party in the face. The same individuals who scuttled democracy through the instrumentality of the ABN (Association of Better Nigeria) are at their game again. They failed in the past and they will fail again. “The All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation had rejected and continues to reject any suggestion, proposals or insinuation to postpone the February 14 presidential election by a single day. “Needless to say that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shown its preparedness to conduct the February elections and very necessary for all Nigerian Patriots to rally behind the Electoral body in accomplishing the onerous task of delivering a good election! “We hereby call on Nigerians to ignore the scare mongering of these elements and remain focused on the desired change that should see to the birth of a new Nation where no man is oppressed.” [myad]
A frontline Yoruba leader and former top Nigeria military officer, General Alani Akinrinade (rtd) has described the endorsement of President Goodluck Jonathan by the pan social-cultural Yoruba group, Afenifere, as disgraceful, self-serving and an embarrassment to every Yoruba living or dead. “if this old men that are shouting marginalization few months ago, can sit today to endorse the same man that is marginalizing them, then their brains need medical examination.” He said that the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as APC vice presidential candidate,(an in-law to Chief Obafemi Awolowo family) is enough to unite Yoruba to work for a common interest. He described the endorsement of Jonathan, against the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket as a serious disservice to the Yoruba race. “How can this people be speaking for Yoruba, when they abandon their own son to celebrate a man that see them as nothing for complete four years. He continue to deceive them with implementation of National Conference, as if that is where our future lies” Aknrinade asked Yoruba youths to take their destiny in their hands, as the old men are not good role models. He described them as a group of sadist working assiduously against Yoruba interest because of their hatred for a single man. He advised members of Afenifere to use their last days wisely since they will be answerable to God Almighty who created them one day. [myad]
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for responding to my invitation. In the course of asking Governor Fashola to set up this meeting, two things occurred to me. The first is that I told him that I meant business by getting Nigeria’s economy back on its feet. This is why the caption of this meeting is: “GMB Means Business.” Number two, he told me that he meets with you every six months to listen to your problems and provide solutions within the following six months. This is a wonderful idea because Government cannot know in detail business developments as they occur because it is too immersed in various other aspects of Government. A periodic and regular series of meetings is something I will encourage if you elect me as your next President so that our Government can hear from you at firsthand what we should or should not do to advance business interests. This will be our approach to growing the economy, creating jobs and restoring the dignity of labour among Nigerians. I will however start by sharing with you, a summary of the economic plans highlighted in our manifesto. As practical as it is possible to do so, our policies for implementing our commitments will be governed by the highest consideration of how they create jobs. Equipping and resourcing our security personnel, for example, will not be limited to provision of arms alone, but uniforms, boots and accoutrements, are enormous opportunities for textile production, garment making and shoemaking. Power supply is the minimum that we can seriously commit to in order to quickly galvanise the economy back to productivity. We agree with the privatization of the power utilities but we believe it must go further to transmission. After the signing and handing-over ceremonies of the power assets the real work of producing, transmitting and distributing power is really just beginning. The reason why the success seems elusive is that apart from the signing ceremony and handing over of the power assets, the hard work to connect the various parts of the power chain, supply gas, install transformers, complete substations has not been done. Our studies show that we will require no less than 200,000 trained personnel to support the initiative to provide power and light up Nigeria. Apart from the inherent direct employment that this will give, the reduction in cost of production, the savings from self-generation by Nigerians, who currently spend a lot of their income on purchase of diesel and petrol to generate their own electricity, will reduce the burden on their disposable income. These savings to Nigerians from reliable electricity will help the average Nigerian spend their money on other basic necessities of life and reduce poverty. There is already an initiative to build a refinery in Lagos. Our Government will fully support this initiative because a local refinery means many things such as:- a. Jobs locally at a Nigerian refinery instead of refineries abroad; b. Local fuel supply and National security; c. Reduced importation, less demand for foreign exchange and strengthening of the Naira Other areas of infrastructure investment is roads and highway construction from one end of Nigeria to the other. We will concentrate on the roads and highways that link up Nigerian states, while state Governments will be expected to connect their states to these highways by building the last mile connections. Road construction alone will unlock a value chain of opportunities in the built industry for construction companies, builders, engineers, architects, quarry operators, cement and iron rod production and supply. The successful opening up of Nigeria by the construction of new roads and highways will revive road transportation, truck manufacture, tyre manufacture, engine oil, brake pad production on one hand. It will also create a demand for jobs for mechanics, drivers and those engaged in transport support business. We expect a revival of all the inter-state economies that used to thrive across Nigeria, providing support to travellers by way of canteens, restaurants, farm produce, etc. This is a summary of how we intend to revive the economy. But I know that there are views you have about what will help and what will not. So, apart from sharing our plans with you, the other purpose of this meeting is to afford me the opportunity to listen to you. To hear your own side of the problems. We shall collate your views and proposals in policy formation. I wish to invite you to sit with my economic team to look at our proposals and develop workable policies and implementation options. In particular we would like, in consultation with you to explore options of reducing taxes and customs duties without too much disruption to Government finances and private sector business plans. Before I yield the floor to you, I wish to say a few more words about our manifesto and our campaign message. The manifesto of the APC is the product of a survey that took over 6 months to develop. We spoke to over 20,000 Nigerians across the 36 states and the FCT. The questionnaires we issued to them and the interviews we conducted showed overwhelmingly that; Insecurity, Corruption and the Economy were the biggest worries among the electorate. This is why I have been talking about Insecurity and Corruption on the one hand; and Mining, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Jobs on the economic side. They are so inter-connected and the Nigerian people are right in their identification of these problems. We cannot build an economy in an insecure environment. We cannot build an economy when the playing field is not level. We cannot build an economy where corruption is the working capital. Corruption affects our ability to secure ourselves, and it also undermines the performance of the economy. Let me share some figures with you to demonstrate what I mean. This current Government is being challenged to account for an estimated $20 Billion and the whole country is awaiting a report of a forensic audit. $20 Billion at N210 to $1.00 is equal to N4.2 Trillion- nearly a year’s federal budget. If it is true that this sum cannot be accounted for, this is grossest form of corruption. Just think at N5 Million per vehicle, this money would have bought 840,000 patrol vehicles (This would have improved security in every town and village in the country). At N13.5 Million for a high capacity bus this money would have bought 311,000 buses (This would have revolutionised the transport and production side of the economy). From information at my disposal, Lekki Bridge in Lagos cost N29 Billion to construct. N4.2 Trillion would have built 145 Lekki bridges (This would have revolutionised Transport, Infrastructure, Construction, Employment in the economy). If the average cost of generating 1 (ONE) Mega-Watt of power is about US $1.5 Million (excluding gas and distribution costs), $20 Billion would have bought us over 13,333 Mega-Watts of power. What a difference that would make up and down the country. If you also factor the N2.2 Trillion spent on subsidising fuel import which became a huge scandal, you may then understand why our manifesto focuses on the issues of security, corruption and the economy. We are too vulnerable as a nation at this moment if we have to import fuel to move our planes, our tanks and our men. We are too vulnerable as you can see that we also have to import arms. We are vulnerable because our troops also depend on imported food. We cannot continue like this. Thank you for listening, I will now like to listen to the problems and your proposals, from your own experience as industrialists and business executives. [myad] Being the speech delivered by the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), at a meeting with the organized private sector, hosted by Governor Fashola (SAN).
Nigerian health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Unions, (JOHESU), have suspended their three-month old nation-wide strike to press home their various demands. The strike was suspended following a joint meeting President Goodluck Jonathan held with the Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals Association (AHPA) on Sunday 1st February, during which time he gave strong commitment and assurances that all their demands would be met. The demands include implementation of Court Judgement and agreement the union signed with the government. Another one, which the President promised to implement is the issue of salary adjustment even as he also promised to ensure that the white paper that will be generated from Yayale Ahmeds committee report is released. The Yayale report is presently undergoing the process of white paper formation and it is expected to bring harmony and peace in the health sector The health workers have been on strike since November 2014, and, as a result of the suspension of the strike, were expected to have returned to work today. Since the strike began, medical doctors have been running the affairs of government hospitals in Nigeria without help from nurses, laboratory scientists and other workers. The health workers had also among other actions, conducted a prayer and fasting session asking God to touch the hearts of the people in government to meet their demands. The union members were aggrieved that promises made by the Nigerian government that within three weeks, positive steps would be taken for members of the executive to see President Jonathan about the adjustment of CONHESS salary and other issues were not kept. Minister of Health, Khaliru Alhasssan, who also spoke, said it was important to forget all the bickerings that have happened in the between the JOHESU members and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), where some doctors were said to be attacked by health workers at Gwarimpa General hospital. “Negative things that have happened have happened. Let the bygones be bygones,” Alhassan said. Also, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has issued a Circular, dated 2nd February 2015, asking members to resume work today. The circular was addressed to the President, other NAC Members, all NEC Members and all specialist groups. The circular, signed by the General Secretary of the association, Yusuf Badmus, showed the union’s appreciation for members’ support during the strike and the support they gave to “the course of our noble profession.” He said that the leadership is expected that members would return to work with the spirit of dedication to their work “more than ever.” [myad]
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I Mean Business For Nigeria, By General Muhammadu Buhari
Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for responding to my invitation.
In the course of asking Governor Fashola to set up this meeting, two things occurred to me.
The first is that I told him that I meant business by getting Nigeria’s economy back on its feet.
This is why the caption of this meeting is: “GMB Means Business.”
Number two, he told me that he meets with you every six months to listen to your problems and provide solutions within the following six months.
This is a wonderful idea because Government cannot know in detail business developments as they occur because it is too immersed in various other aspects of Government.
A periodic and regular series of meetings is something I will encourage if you elect me as your next President so that our Government can hear from you at firsthand what we should or should not do to advance business interests.
This will be our approach to growing the economy, creating jobs and restoring the dignity of labour among Nigerians.
I will however start by sharing with you, a summary of the economic plans highlighted in our manifesto.
As practical as it is possible to do so, our policies for implementing our commitments will be governed by the highest consideration of how they create jobs.
Equipping and resourcing our security personnel, for example, will not be limited to provision of arms alone, but uniforms, boots and accoutrements, are enormous opportunities for textile production, garment making and shoemaking.
Power supply is the minimum that we can seriously commit to in order to quickly galvanise the economy back to productivity.
We agree with the privatization of the power utilities but we believe it must go further to transmission.
After the signing and handing-over ceremonies of the power assets the real work of producing, transmitting and distributing power is really just beginning.
The reason why the success seems elusive is that apart from the signing ceremony and handing over of the power assets, the hard work to connect the various parts of the power chain, supply gas, install transformers, complete substations has not been done.
Our studies show that we will require no less than 200,000 trained personnel to support the initiative to provide power and light up Nigeria.
Apart from the inherent direct employment that this will give, the reduction in cost of production, the savings from self-generation by Nigerians, who currently spend a lot of their income on purchase of diesel and petrol to generate their own electricity, will reduce the burden on their disposable income.
These savings to Nigerians from reliable electricity will help the average Nigerian spend their money on other basic necessities of life and reduce poverty.
There is already an initiative to build a refinery in Lagos. Our Government will fully support this initiative because a local refinery means many things such as:-
a. Jobs locally at a Nigerian refinery instead of refineries abroad;
b. Local fuel supply and National security;
c. Reduced importation, less demand for foreign exchange and strengthening of the Naira
Other areas of infrastructure investment is roads and highway construction from one end of Nigeria to the other.
We will concentrate on the roads and highways that link up Nigerian states, while state Governments will be expected to connect their states to these highways by building the last mile connections.
Road construction alone will unlock a value chain of opportunities in the built industry for construction companies, builders, engineers, architects, quarry operators, cement and iron rod production and supply.
The successful opening up of Nigeria by the construction of new roads and highways will revive road transportation, truck manufacture, tyre manufacture, engine oil, brake pad production on one hand.
It will also create a demand for jobs for mechanics, drivers and those engaged in transport support business.
We expect a revival of all the inter-state economies that used to thrive across Nigeria, providing support to travellers by way of canteens, restaurants, farm produce, etc.
This is a summary of how we intend to revive the economy. But I know that there are views you have about what will help and what will not.
So, apart from sharing our plans with you, the other purpose of this meeting is to afford me the opportunity to listen to you. To hear your own side of the problems. We shall collate your views and proposals in policy formation.
I wish to invite you to sit with my economic team to look at our proposals and develop workable policies and implementation options. In particular we would like, in consultation with you to explore options of reducing taxes and customs duties without too much disruption to Government finances and private sector business plans.
Before I yield the floor to you, I wish to say a few more words about our manifesto and our campaign message.
The manifesto of the APC is the product of a survey that took over 6 months to develop. We spoke to over 20,000 Nigerians across the 36 states and the FCT.
The questionnaires we issued to them and the interviews we conducted showed overwhelmingly that; Insecurity, Corruption and the Economy were the biggest worries among the electorate.
This is why I have been talking about Insecurity and Corruption on the one hand; and Mining, Agriculture, Infrastructure and Jobs on the economic side.
They are so inter-connected and the Nigerian people are right in their identification of these problems. We cannot build an economy in an insecure environment. We cannot build an economy when the playing field is not level. We cannot build an economy where corruption is the working capital.
Corruption affects our ability to secure ourselves, and it also undermines the performance of the economy.
Let me share some figures with you to demonstrate what I mean.
This current Government is being challenged to account for an estimated $20 Billion and the whole country is awaiting a report of a forensic audit.
$20 Billion at N210 to $1.00 is equal to N4.2 Trillion- nearly a year’s federal budget.
If it is true that this sum cannot be accounted for, this is grossest form of corruption. Just think at N5 Million per vehicle, this money would have bought 840,000 patrol vehicles (This would have improved security in every town and village in the country).
At N13.5 Million for a high capacity bus this money would have bought 311,000 buses (This would have revolutionised the transport and production side of the economy).
From information at my disposal, Lekki Bridge in Lagos cost N29 Billion to construct. N4.2 Trillion would have built 145 Lekki bridges (This would have revolutionised Transport, Infrastructure, Construction, Employment in the economy).
If the average cost of generating 1 (ONE) Mega-Watt of power is about US $1.5 Million (excluding gas and distribution costs), $20 Billion would have bought us over 13,333 Mega-Watts of power. What a difference that would make up and down the country.
If you also factor the N2.2 Trillion spent on subsidising fuel import which became a huge scandal, you may then understand why our manifesto focuses on the issues of security, corruption and the economy.
We are too vulnerable as a nation at this moment if we have to import fuel to move our planes, our tanks and our men. We are too vulnerable as you can see that we also have to import arms. We are vulnerable because our troops also depend on imported food.
We cannot continue like this.
Thank you for listening, I will now like to listen to the problems and your proposals, from your own experience as industrialists and business executives. [myad]
Being the speech delivered by the Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), at a meeting with the organized private sector, hosted by Governor Fashola (SAN).