Tinubu To King Charles III: Surpass Your Mother’s Achievements, Late Queen Elizabeth

May 6, 2023

The President-elect for Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has tasked the newly inaugurated King Charles III of the United Kingdom, to try and surpass the achievements of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
In a personal letter which he addressed to King Charles III, congratulating him on his coronation today, May 6, Tinubu said: “the splendour of British monarchy and the rich tradition came to the fore again on Saturday and the world literally came to a standstill as you are crowned the new British King, with the appellation of King Charles III.
“By way of this letter, therefore, I convey to you my warmest congratulations on your coronation.”
Nigeria’s President-elect said that it is heartwarming that Charles’ accession to the throne is coming after the 70-year-reign of his iconic mother, Queen Elizabeth II, “whose death last September left the entire world in grief, given her eventful reign.
“Bearing your unique place in history as the first King to be inaugurated in Britain since 1937, I trust that you will follow in the glorious footsteps of your late mother and even surpass her achievements in United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.”
Tinubu acknowledged that the new King has long been identified as a great lover of environment, which has remained his lifelong crusade for sustainability and biodiversity.
He hoped that King Charles III would continue to push for these initiatives with kind eyes on the situation and plight of the under-privileged people in Africa and around the world.
“As the President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I also hope that during your reign, the excellent bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Britain will continue and even become stronger in the interests of our two countries.
“I look forward to further engagements with you and the opportunity of a meeting in the nearest future as both of us had earlier indicated in discussions with mutual friends and associates.
“Once again, I rejoice with you on your coronation and pray that God Almighty grants you strength and wisdom and makes your reign successful for the benefit of not only the people of the Great Britain, but for the entire world.
“Please be rest assured of my highest regards always.”

Buhari Celebrates 60th Birthday Of Onuah, Journalist Who Has Covered Presidency For 32 Years

Greenbarge Reporters

May 5, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari is celebrating
Felix Onuah, who is one of the longest serving Journalists covering the Presidency, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
A statement by the presidential spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu said that Felix Onuah was first assigned to cover the State House in 1991 and since then has continued on the job for several media organizations.
The statement said that in 32 years, Onuah has had the rare privilege of reporting eight Heads of State and Government, from Dodan Barracks, Lagos to Aso Rock, Abuja, beginning from General Ibrahim Babangida to President Buhari.
It said that Buhari’s government values the importance of press freedom and freedom of expression to democracy, even as he commends Onuah and Reuters World News Agency which he reports for, for maintaining a high standard of journalism over the years through objective and informed reporting, free from any political interference.
The statement said that the President asked the versatile journalist, “who is a calm and courageous voice among his colleagues in the State House Press Corps, to continue with the remarkable legacy of delivering news about Nigeria and the seat of government with insight, integrity, balance and knowledge.”
The President joins family, friends, colleagues and members of the State House Press Corps in wishing the veteran journalist with 36 years of experience more prosperous years in health and vitality.

Emergence Of Tinubu Will Ensure Safety Of Policies Of Buhari’s Govt – Garba Shehu

Greenbarge Reporters

May 5, 2023

“An important and overlooked aspect of the Tinubu/Shettima victory (at the February Presidential election) is that it ensures, not only an orderly transfer of power from the outgoing administration to the incoming one, but also the safety of policies and programmes of the outgoing government.
‘‘For this, we remain grateful to the Almighty, and to citizens of Nigeria for sticking with our Party.”
These remarks were made yesterday, May 5, by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari in Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, when he played host to leaders and members of the Arewa Young Lawyers’ Forum (AYLF), the umbrella body for all young lawyers in the Northern part of Nigeria.
APC victory in the election is a watershed moment for the Buhari government, its orientation, its programmes and projects.
‘‘In the hands of the opposition, many of the laudable programmes of the Buhari administration would have been sabotaged or unimplemented.

He said that the victory of Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, has established control of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in 21 out of 36 states in the last general elections.
Garba Shehu added that the victory also established the party as a dominant national Political Party.
‘‘This is a difficult reality for the opposition parties.”
According to him, the opposition victory in the general election would not only have been a career ending moment for many APC leaders but would also have had negative consequences for the various programmes of the Buhari administration that empowered marginalised groups and remedied much of the nation’s infrastructure deficit.
In accepting his appointment as Grand Patron of the Arewa Young Lawyers’ Forum, the presidential spokesman called on members of the association to be at the vanguard of promoting the study and practice of legal profession in the northern states.
“To build and secure democracy in our communities, you need lawyers and journalists as its guardians and protectors. Without one, the other will not be successful.”
The Chairman of AYLF, Barrister Olayinka Dauda Jimoh craved the support of the Presidency in giving strategic training to young wigs to enhance their leadership roles in the society.
Other members of the Forum at the meeting were Barrister Audu Umaru, National Welfare Director (Borno State), Barrister Ahmad Khalil, National Treasurer (Yobe State) and Barr Paul Gbande, Director of Publicity (Benue State).

As Rains Set-In, Community Leader Asks Nigerians To Go To Farm

Greenbarge Reporters

May 4, 2023

With another season of rain fall here with us, the National President of Egbira Nation Forum (ENF), A. S. Momohjimoh has advised people in his immediate constituency and Nigeria to immediately go to farm.
“Don’t be ashamed to go to farm no matter your level of education. By the time the harvest time comes, those you think make jest of you for going to farm, will come begging to have some produce from you.
“So, don’t mind anyone.”
In a statement he posted on a group WhatsApp platform, Momohjimoh said: “if you have plots of land for building project and it is not time for the project, use the land to farm now instead of it to remain idle.”
He however, offered to assist those who have the desire to go to farm but don’t have enough time and are not in partnership with individuals or company.
“ABSAB FARMERS NIGERIA ENTERPRISES is available to partner with anyone (contact com. A.S. Momohjimoh on this).Yes! We can.”
He can be reached on +2348166853837

Group Hands Assignment To Incoming President Tinubu On Controversial N23.72 Trillion Expenditure

Greenbarge Reporters

May 4, 2023

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has asked the incoming administration of the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu to conduct forensic audit of controversial N23.72 trillion Federal Government’s unappropriated expenditure, funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its ways and means (W&M) window.
In a statement today, May 4, by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said that to restore sanity and citizens’ trust, the incoming President must send strong signals to corrupt government officials.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has succeded in leaving a bad legacy of debt for Nigeria’s generation unborn. The next government should conduct forensic investigation of how these so-called debts were incurred and their uses and list out individuals indicted.
“Those culpable for mismanagement of state funds should be put on trial even if they become ex-Presidents or former ministers.
“Nigeria must begin to deal with corruption and lawless ex-President as seen in the case of Peru so that we can restore sanity.”
The Debt Management Office (DMO) had said that several loans have been contracted from multilaterals like the World Bank, the African Development Bank and bilaterals like Germany, India, China while the Federal Government keeps issuing promissory notes to settle obligations for which it doesn’t have the revenue.
According to the DMO, Nigeria’s debt stock is N46.25 trillion, including the debt of the 36 state government and the Federal Capital Territory. It added that the Federal Government is responsible for 84% to 85% of this debt.
The DMO said that while the 2023 budget size is N21 trillion, borrowing is N10 trillion.

Sudan: We Had To Steal Food Because We Had No Money, Returnee Nigerians

Greenbarge Reporters

May 4, 2023

Most of the returnees who were airlifted back to Nigeria from Egypt following the crisis in Sudan recounted how they resorted to stealing any available food to eat because they virtually ran out of money, even to urinate.
Recounting their ordeals while waiting for Nigerian authorities to evacuate them from the war-torn Sudan, following the clash between two military leaders, said also that some females were sexually harassed.
One of the returnee female student said , on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, that they faced humiliation and slept in the open.
“We spent all the money we had. We were so hungry and thirsty. They were harassing us sexually. There was no food, no water to drink. It got to a point we picked things from shops and ran away.”
The returnee female student narrated about her excruciating experience while at the border.
Another female student told the BBC Hausa Service in an interview, that their legs were swollen due to long hours of stay in the buses.
Speaking of his experience, a male student said that the situation was so bad that they even had to pay money before they were allowed to urinate.
He expressed the hope that the war would soon end to enable him go back to Sudan and complete just a semester to round up his programme.

World Press Freedom Day: IPI Nigeria Sets Agenda For Tinubu On Journalists’ Safety

Editorial staff

May 3, 2023

File photo: This picture is used for the illustration of the story

The Nigerian National Committee of the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) has challenged the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to be inaugurated in Nigeria on May 29, to commit to creating a better operating environment for journalists and media organisations.

This is coming on the heels of the activities for marking the 2023 World Press Freedom Day today, May 3.

In the past few years, cases of media and journalists’ harassment have been rampant. These violations include arrests, physical attacks, denial of access, threats, equipment damage, equipment seizure, lawsuits and high-handedness and arbitrariness by some agencies of government.

Nigerian journalists are in perpetual danger, and we are urging the incoming government to embrace a new attitude by deliberately improving the operational environment of journalists and the media.

There are still a number of oppressive and media-unfriendly laws, such as those on criminal defamation and cybercrime, that need to be amended. The government should also begin widespread sensitisation of its security operatives, who must understand that journalists and the media are key elements of democracy.

While state actors, especially state governors, must end intimidation and harassment of journalists, Nigerian politicians and political parties should also desist from the use of online trolls to attack journalists and media organisations for performing their constitutional duties of upholding the people’s right to know and holding governments, individuals and organisations accountable.

The incoming administration must also take deliberate steps to help the sustainability of media outlets while respecting press freedom and freedom of speech.

IPI Nigeria is also concerned that as laudable as the passage of the Freedom of Information Act is, journalists have not been able to fully utilise the law to hold public officials accountable because government officials continue to play pranks to deny them the information they seek.

Section 2 (1) of the Act states: “A public institution shall ensure that it records and keeps information about all its activities, operations and business.”

This provision is not being complied with. Specifically, sub-sections 2–4 mandate public institutions to publish public records in different accessible forms for information seekers. This is also not being complied with.

Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution provide for Freedom of Expression and the Press.

Section 22 states that: “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”

Section 39, which is closely related to Section 22, provides that: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference”.

IPI Nigeria demands that the incoming government commits to the total implementation of the FOI Act. This is because the free flow of information is essential to the survival and growth of democracy. Misinformation and disinformation thrive more robustly when authorities withhold information that ordinarily should be made available to the public

Over 200 Million Nigerian Teachers, Others Will Miss Buhari – Presidency

Editorial staff

May 3, 2023

The Presidency has listed Nigerians that will forever remember and miss the good work President Muhammadu has done in their lives as he prepares to leave office in three weeks time.

In a statement today, May 3, reacting to the PUNCH newspaper editorial’s negative narrative of the Buhari’s eight year government, his spokesperson, Malam Harba Shehu accused the newspaper of living in denial.

“The editorial states that Buhari will not be missed. We shall see. But, countless Nigerians whose futures he has improved, will fondly remember him for good.

“Among these, to take just one aspect or two- the two million poor and vulnerable Nigerian households that are currently benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, which pays a bimonthly stipend of N10,000 per household; the 355,000 vulnerable persons have received a special one-off grant of N20,000 each in the 36 states and the FCT; the beneficiaries of Nigeria’s Micro-Pension Scheme which allows self-employed persons and persons working in organisations with less than 3 employees to save for the provision of pension at retirement or incapacitation.

“Punch possibly doesn’t have a record of the government’s Survival Fund, the National Youth Investment Fund, and National Special Public Works Program (774,000 beneficiaries across 774 LGAs nationwide), and the Central Bank’s COVID-19 N300 billion Targeted Credit Facility (TCF) to support millions of small businesses, households, and young people, with federal grants, loans, and stipends.

“This Survival Fund has provided grants (Payroll Support, Artisan and Transport Sector grants, and General MSME grants) to more than 1.2 million beneficiaries, since the last quarter of 2020. It has also provided free business registration to 250,000 MSMEs across the country.

“Nor will he be forgotten by the owners of the new 40 plus fertilizer companies and the thousands of people they employ, producing locally to service the more than 12 million new rice growers who in turn provide six million tons of paddy processed by more 100 new rice mills with Kano alone having 62, and others spreading far and wide to Ebonyi, Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina and others.

“No, Punch should stop living in denial. These ones and their kith and kin making up the 200 million plus citizens of our country, the teachers whose backlog of unpaid salaries were paid and the pensioners from years yore, denied payment and treated with contempt now smiling their way to the banks will remember positively that Muhammadu Buhari came, saw and he conquered.”

Sudan Crisis: How Nigerian Security Community Perfected Evacuation Plans Through Egypt

Greenbarge Reporters

May 3, 2023

Details have emerged about how Nigerian security community secured a passage through the Egyptian borders for Nigerian citizens fleeing escalating hostilities in war-torn Sudan.

There have been reports of the Nigerian officials involved in the evacuation process facing some challenges, including demand by Egyptian authorities for visas before entry, a situation that left thousands of Nigerian evacuees stranded at the border since last week Thursday.

However, the situation turned positive on Sunday when the borders were flung open, with conditions, to Nigerians, following series of deft moves by top security and intelligence operatives in both countries, through some backdoor channels.

According to reliable security sources, Egyptian authorities started admitting Nigerian evacuees on Monday after Nigerian security and intelligence community started deploying their contacts and connections with their Egyptian counterparts, to remove some of the hurdles that had frustrated Nigerian representatives’ efforts.

A very highly placed source in the security community, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, told our correspondent in Abuja on yesterday that, on President Muhammadu Buhari’s instruction, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno, reached out to his Egyptian counterpart, Faiza Abou el-Naga, who pulled strings that have made the evacuation process smooth.

Although the details of the arrangements were not made public, the source said: “this initiative, which was broached and complimented by the Egyptian National Security Adviser (NSA), Faiza Abou el-Naga, and her Nigerian counterpart, General Monguno, has so far allowed a smooth movement across the border into Egypt.

“Faiza told NSA Monguno that Nigeria’s request, which he submitted, had been graciously approved by President el-Sisi, who also sent his fraternal greetings to President Buhari. Consequently, the deployment of the NAF aircrafts and the one by Air Peace were to be allowed to proceed with evacuation plans.

“Conditions required for the evacuation plans included details and schedules of the aircrafts, capacity of the aircrafts, strong pledge that once Nigerians depart the border, they would be conveyed to the designated airport, comprehensive list of the evacuees with passport numbers, valid travel documents, i.e passport or emergency travel certificate, and lastly, the presence of Nigerian government officials at the point of embarkation”, the source disclosed.

It would be recalled that fighting broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The escalating conflict has claimed more than 400 lives, while another 3,500 persons have been reported injured.

Buhari Goes To London For Coronation Of King Charles

Greenbarge Reporters

May 3, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart for London, United Kingdom later today, May 3 to join other world leaders invited to attend the coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, respectively.
The coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6.
A statement from the Presidency said that the Commonwealth Secretariat will take advantage of the gathering of leaders in London to host a Commonwealth Summit for Presidents and Heads of Government of Commonwealth countries on Friday, May 5.
The statement said that President Buhari will participate in the Summit which will deliberate on the Future of the Commonwealth and the Role of the Youth.
It said that the President will be accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd), the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, the Chairperson/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and other senior government officials.

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