Home Blog Page 1915

Countdown To October 16: Fayemi Receives Report Of Transition Committee

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Ekiti Transition Committee Report

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said that the outgoing administration will prepare the ground for the incoming government to have a seamless and smooth take-off in the overall interest of our people.

The Governor spoke on Sunday while receiving the report of the 20- man Transition Committee, set up to midwife the new administration and disengage the outgoing one.

He pointed out that the report would assist the incoming administration have a seamless and smooth take-off in the overall interest of the people.

Receiving the 332-page report from the Chairman of the committee, Mr Foluso Daramola, Dr Fayemi said the committee was set up in pursuance of the Ekiti Transition Law, 2019 as an enduring legacy aimed at setting the standard for the process of handing over power to succeeding administration in the State.

He also noted that part of the responsibility of the committee was to ensure adequate briefing of the incoming Governor before he assume office, as well as provide avenues to ensure that salaries and retiring benefits of political office holders are paid without delay.

Dr Fayemi said he was glad the assignment of the committee significantly captured the activities, programmes, projects and achievements of the outgoing government in line with the agenda of the administration.

“I must commend Ekiti people for electing Mr Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji, who had been part of the outgoing government in which in function as SSG.

“This singular commendable decision of Ekiti kete has rightly resulted in the continuity of the good works of this administration, I am very confident that in view of this development, Ekiti will witness accelerated sustainable growth on all fronts of human endeavour.

“Your committee was constituted in pursuance of the Transition Law 2019 which remains an enduring legacy of this administration, setting the standard for the process of handing over of power from one administration to the other in Ekiti state.

“This occasion therefore is strategic being a major event to the programme lined up for the inauguration of the incoming administration.

“As a government that values due process, it is inevitable for us to prepare the ground for the incoming administration to have a seamless and smooth take-off in the overall interest of our people.

“I’m aware that the committee receives returns from Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government through which the entirety of this government have been significantly x-rayed.

“I have no doubt that the report that has just been submitted would provide the needed starting point for the incoming administration to hit the ground running.”

Submitting the report to the Governor, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Foluso Daramola stated that the committee did its job thoroughly in line with the provision of the transition law 2019.

Daramola, who is also the Secretary to the State Government, expressed appreciation of the Transition Committee and the Advisory Council to Governor Fayemi for obliging them the opportunity to serve among the vast equally qualified persons.

He said he was hopeful that the observations and recommendations of the report would be useful to guide the policy direction of the incoming government.

Buhari Breaks Record, Honours Okonjo-Iweala With GCON, Amina Mohammed Too; Saraki Loses Out

By
Akinwale Kasali
-
0
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala with President Buhari

By Akinwale Kasali

President Muhammadu Buhari has broken the ice. He has broken a record. For the first time in the history of the award of National Honours in Nigeria, two women are being honoured with the second highest honour in the land.

The pace-setting and record-breaking Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, currently the Director General of the World Trade Centre, will, on 11th October 2022, be honoured with the award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON. To be honoured with the same award is Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Both high profile women were Federal Ministers under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

GCON is an honour usually reserved for the Vice President, the Senate President, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria. But Jonathan, during his Government, honoured two Nigerian extraordinary businessmen and serial entrepreneurs, Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga with it. Before them, the late Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was also honoured with the award. And a couple of years ago, Buhari honoured the late presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, posthumously, with the GCON award.

Okonjo-Iweala’s award is for her impact in the development of the country and also putting the most populous black nation on the World map. She is the first woman, and the first black to occupy the office of the DG of the WTO.

Others to be honoured with GCON are the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and his predecessor, Honourable Justice Tanko Mohammed.

Inexplicably, the immediate past Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, was skipped, an action not a few people attributed to politics, and described as petty.

Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, will be honoured with the award of Officer Of the Order of the Niger, OON, while legendary musicians, Tu Face Idibia and Burna Boy will be honoured with the Member of the Order of the Niger, MON.

The list has five persons listed for the award of the Grand Commander of the Order of Niger, 54 listed for Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic while 67 are for the Commander of the Order of the Niger.

Others include 64 for Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, 101 for Officer of the Order of the Niger, 75 for Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, 56 for Member of the Order of the Niger, and eight for Federal Republic Medal.

Serving and former governors, serving and former presiding officers of the National Assembly,  former members of the National Assembly are also included in the list, with serving and former Service Chiefs, Traditional Rulers, retired Public ser3vants, Lawyers, Philanthropists, Businessmen, Ministers and members of the academia.

Onanuga Invokes God’s Wrath On Tinubu Haters

By
Adesina Soyooye
-
0
Bayo Onanuga and Bola Tinubu

By Adesina Soyooye

Accomplished Veteran Journalist, Bayo Onanuga, has invoked the wrath of God on haters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Candidate,  Bola Tinubu.

Onanuga, who is the Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, reacted to the various stories, accompanied by an apparently doctored  photograph, alleging and depicting a very ill Tinubu.

The Presidential aspirant had, a few days ago, travelled to London for what Onanuga called a “short break”. But the trip coincided with two important activities concerning the 2023 Presidential election.

And Tinubu was absent.

There was the kick-off of the Campaign slated for September 28. Tinubu was not around, and so officially, APC has not kicked off its Presidential Campaign. Adams Oshiomhole, former National Chairman of the Party and Deputy Director-General of the Presidential Council, had attributed the delay to the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of the Council, and the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, who is also the Director-General of the Council. Both men were away to UNGA, but have since returned.

There was, also, the signing of the  all-important Peace Accord for Presidential candidates. Tinubu was absent and was represented by his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.

Tinubu’s absence at both events, especially, triggered wild speculations about his health. The story out there is that he is very ill in London and is taking treatment.

But Onanuga, in a post debunked the reports and insisted that Tinubu “is hale and hearty” and is on “a short break” to prepare himself for the upcoming rigorous Presidential Campaign.

Onanuga’s angry post reads:

“Here is a fake photo of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu forwarded to me just now, another handiwork of purveyors of deep fake.

“Whoever is behind this malicious falsehood will face the judgment of God at the right time.

“The man in the photo does not look like Asiwaju, except for his baldness. The man is fatter. Tinubu is slimmer.

“Look at the frame of his glasses. it is certainly not Tinubu’s trademark frame. Let me assure Nigerians who genuinely want to know Tinubu’s whereabouts. He is in London, in his house.

“Tinubu left Nigeria on Saturday night for a short break and in readiness for what will certainly be a gruelling campaign. I saw him, and spoke with him two hours before he left. He was hale and hearty. He was not ill. He didn’t go to treat any ailment.

“We spoke today at about 2pm. And he told me how his one-week retreat has not made any difference. He was still working like in Nigeria. Today, he still burnt his candle till 4.30 a.m.

“Nigerians should stop spreading rumours about Tinubu, who by the grace of God and fellow Nigerians, will be elected our leader next February. We should learn from the divine fate of the man who wished Tinubu dead.”

Onanuga made the post on Friday, September 30, 2022.

Months before the Presidential Primary, Tinubu was in the United Kingdom for about six months where he underwent surgery for, allegedly, knee replacement.

However, the state of Tinubu’s health has always been a subject of speculation with not a few people insisting he is exhibiting signs of alleged  parkinson disease.

Fayemi Thanks Ekiti People Says State Now Pride  For All

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has expressed satisfaction that his administration has fulfilled its promises and is bequeathing a solid foundation for socio-economic development to the incoming administrations to build on.

Addressing the people of the state in a special broadcast on Saturday to mark the 26th anniversary of the creation of the state and the country’s 62nd independence anniversary, Dr. Fayemi said “Ekiti is now a state of pride for all of us, emerging steadily from her humble beginnings.”

He noted that Ekiti wouldn’t have reached this level of progress without what he called “outstanding dedication of past and present leaders who worked for and have continued to work to ensure that the State assumes its proper pride of place in the comity of States across the nation.”

The Governor explained that the people of the State have every reason to thank God for what He has done for them through successive administrations, while also appreciating the struggles and sacrifices of those that fought for the creation of the State, which came into being on October 1, 1996.

He also used the medium to appreciate the people of the State for their support, guidance, prayer, suggestions and criticisms, the combination of which he said formed the impetus for his administration’s visible and impactful achievements throughout his two terms as the Governor of Ekiti State.

Dr. Fayemi is expected to transfer the reins of power to the Governor-elect, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, on October 16.

According to him,  the seamless transition in which an outgoing governor would be handing over to a successor from the same party, for the first time in the history of the state, would allow for building on the foundation of development already laid by his government.

While noting that Mr. Oyebanji was part of the success story of his two tenures, the Governor said it was heart-warming that his successor would perfect whatever the outgoing administration could not perfect.

“Today, I address you with a heart of fulfilment and gratitude. Despite the challenges we have faced in the past years, God helped us to surmount the hurdles and fulfil most of our promises.

“The journey we started on October 16, 2018, will end in the next few days. We made the best of the mandate given to us by Ekiti people and evidence abounds that a great future awaits us as a people and State.

“This government deliberately ensured that every sector of our social life and economy received attention.

“Despite the daunting challenges of the era, the government delivered on its projections for policies, programmes and projects execution, and achieved very tangible outcomes.

“I have no doubt that many of our visionary efforts would continue to deliver outcomes for generations to come.

“As you are all aware, I will be handing over the baton of leadership to our Governor-elect, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, in the next couple of days to take over from where we stop and start building on the foundation we already laid for the growth and stability of Ekiti State. This address, therefore, is my last Independence Day broadcast to you as your governor.

“The chapter of my second term that we started four years ago will end on October 16, 2022, thus heralding the new chapter of the incoming government.

“This administration came to office on the promise of restoring the values and dignity of Ekiti people, tackling infrastructure decay, and developing the economy.

“Against all odds, the administration fulfilled its promises and is bequeathing a solid foundation for fast economic development of Ekiti State for successive administrations to build on.

“As a government, we are conscious of the fact that there may be areas where expectations have not been met due to unforeseen circumstances and the realities of the period.

“Nevertheless, it is heart-warming, to inform you today, that whatever the outgoing government couldn’t perfect will be handled and perfected by the incoming administration. 

“That is the beauty of our seamless transition and the continuity that you, Ekiti people, voted for.

“The task of keeping Ekiti working is our collective responsibility. We already have a strong start with the victory of our Governor-elect at the poll.

“His victory is significant not only for the All Progressives Congress (APC), but for Ekiti-kete as a whole. This is the first time a political party will be succeeding itself in our dear State.

“Luckily, our Governor-elect, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, was an integral part of all the developmental feats recorded by this administration.

“What this holds for us as a State is that the path to an enduring socio-economic and political progress already mapped out by this administration will be followed through with renewed vigour and dedication.

“A tree, our people say, does not make a forest. I am, therefore, using this medium to appeal to all well-meaning sons and daughters of Ekiti, and all our development partners to rally round the incoming administration in the overall best interest of our people.

“With your prayers, support, suggestions, guidance and constructive criticism, the incoming government will make the best of the foundation we already laid and surpass our record of performance.

“I urge you all to join hands with the incoming administration to consolidate on the work we have done so far and keep Ekiti working in our collective best interest.”

Why Nullification Of Victory At APC Primary Election By Abuja Court Will Not Stand – Gov. 0yetola

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0

By Ayodele Oni

Osun state government has reacted to an Abuja Court judgement, which nullified the primary election, which produced Governor Gboyega Oyetola as a candidate in last July Election.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ismael Omipidan said the judgement will not stand a test of time.

Governor Oyetola lost the election to Ademola Adeleke, candidate of People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) and currently challenging the outcome at the tribunal.

A News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) stated that Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, nullified the nomination of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun as the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate in the 16 July governorship election.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment, nullified the candidacy of Oyetola and his deputy, Benedict Alabi, on the grounds that Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, who submitted their names to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) violated the provisions of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had filed the suit against Governor Buni, Governor Oyetola, and others.

The PDP, through its counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, had, on 7 April, commenced the suit, challenging the nomination and sponsorship of Mr Oyetola and his deputy as the duly nominated candidates of the APC for the recently concluded governorship poll.

Challenging the competence of the suit, Kunle Adegoke, SAN, who represented Oyetola, had contended, amongst other grounds, that the PDP did not have the locus to commence the action and that the suit was statute barred.

But Ogunwumiju argued that the plaintiff, PDP rightly commenced the suit under Section 285(14) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

Delivering the judgment, Mr Nwite agreed with the submissions of the PDP counsel and declared as null and void, the nomination of Messrs Oyetola and Alabi by the APC.

The court also held that Mr Buni acted in contravention of the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution when he held dual executive positions as the Governor of Yobe and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of APC.

The court said the decisions taken by Governor Buni, including forwarding the names of Messrs Oyetola and Alabi to INEC, amounted to a nullity in law.

In a statement on Saturday, Ismail Omipidan, appealed to supporters of the governor to remain calm in the face of the decision of a Federal High Court to nullify his candidature in the July 16 Governorship poll.

He noted that their team of lawyers would be challenging the decision at the Appeal Court, just as he expressed confidence that the decision would be set aside.

Omipidan further noted that the case was instituted by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in spite of the fact there is a plethora of decisions flowing from the apex court that frowns upon such a decision.

He said that, for the records, the position of the law is that only members of the APC who participated in the primary election can approach the court to challenge the nomination of Oyetola as the candidate of the party.

“All these are part of the antics of the opposition PDP and some of their collaborators from within to distract us. But like every of their plans, this too has fallen flat on their faces.

“They want to distract us from the Tribunal case. But we shall remain focused until we take back our mandate.

“We have confidence in the Tribunal to do justice in the case before it, just as we have implicit confidence in the Appeal Court to set aside this latest decision of the Federal High Court.”

Opinion: Why is Bola Tinubu Hiding in London?

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
Obasa and Bola Tinubu

By Farooq A. Kperogi

Questions and concerns over Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s absence from the Nigerian public space, which has trended on Twitter for days on end, are not misplaced or ill-willed gotcha maneuvers by political detractors. They are legitimate expressions of anxieties over the fitness of a man who has the most probable chance to be Nigeria’s president in 2023.

Forget what flawed, poorly designed—and, in some cases, transparently partisan—polls say about the 2023 presidential election. The auguries, for now, favor a Tinubu win next year. Atiku Abubakar and the PDP are mired in an irrecoverably debilitating internal turmoil, and Peter Obi’s wild popularity in the Southeast, the South-South, and some parts of the Christian North is not sufficient to win a presidential election—unless it transcends these regions and leads to actual votes in his favor.

So, heightened apprehensions over Tinubu’s disappearance from public view—and at events where his presence is required— aren’t the idle, bilious indulgences of his haters that his defenders might say they are. They sprout from an acknowledgment that he could be president who will decide the destinies of 200 million Nigerians.

Tinubu was the only presidential candidate who failed to show up in person when presidential candidates of Nigeria’s 18 registered political parties met on Thursday to sign an accord that commits them to a peaceful campaign in the 2023 presidential election. That event was too momentous to miss. Why did Tinubu miss it? What was more important than it, and where is he?

A member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council by the name of Ayo Oyalowo told Arise TV’s Charles Aniagolu that Tinubu is resting in London. “What’s he doing in London? He can’t rest in Lagos,” Oyalowo said. “They will not let him rest. So, he came [sic] into Abuja most of the time. They will still not let him rest. This man has been working for an average of 20 hours in 24 hours in each day. So reasonable people thought, ‘Oga, you need to leave this country because they will not let you rest.’”

This is a curious defense of Tinubu’s self-engineered blackout from public view. Even if it’s true that he needed to take a break from the high-pressure exertions of political campaigns, why did he choose to leave the country on or shortly before an event as important as the signing of a peace accord among presidential candidates, a yearly ritual since 2015 that attracts international media attention? Isn’t that a self-own?

Most importantly, though, if he becomes president, he would be under even more ponderous pressure than he is as a presidential candidate. Is Oyalowo suggesting that a President Tinubu would relocate the Nigerian presidency to London to evade or minimize the perpetual pressures of the presidency? Which self-respecting patriot who wants to rule his country runs away from it to another country (and a former colonizer’s country, to boot) in moments of pressure? Where else in the world does that happen outside of banana republics?

And why London? Why not, for example, Obudu Ranch in Cross River State or the Yankari Game Reserve in Bauchi State? Or the hills of Iragbiji in Osun State? These are serene, idyllic places in Nigeria whose quietude can restore inner psychic equilibrium and calm frayed nerves. Why do the people who rule or want to rule Nigeria have such deep-seated resentment of and disdain for the country and a corresponding slavish reverence for our former colonizer?

In this, Tinubu is not alone. Even Peter Obi who markets himself, and is touted by his supporters, as “different” from the rest routinely travels to London to “consult” and strategize for the 2023 election—when he is not seeking the endorsement of the same failed old stagers he says he’s different from. He is an Establishment, neocolonial flunkey dressed in borrowed robes. Atiku Abubakar is no different. He is gripped by the same xenophilic fever that causes our leaders to worship the foreign and despise the nation they want to rule. Dubai is his second—some would say first—home.

But Tinubu is the front runner and the likeliest, for now, to succeed Buhari, far and away Nigeria’s most neocolonial president who finds more comfort in London than he does in Abuja and who has abandoned all pretenses to governance.

In a September 16, 2017 column, I described Buhari as suffering from “Obsessive Compulsive Runawayism,” which I defined as the impulse to desert Nigeria for London, or anywhere else in the West, when the going gets tough, which Tinubu appears to be afflicted by, too.

“This is a president who will leave Nigeria for anywhere at the drop of a hat,” I wrote. “He spent most of 2015 and 2016 traveling the world (for no justifiable reason, in retrospect) and a good bit of [2017] on ‘medical vacation’ in London. So, when he said (or, if you will, joked) that he felt like ‘absconding’ after the enormity of the task he was elected to do stared him in the face, he wasn’t being faithful to the facts. He actually did abscond.” It got even worse after the column was published.

The worries and queries about Tinubu’s frequent habitation in London when he is needed in Nigeria are a direct consequence of our experience with Buhari who has elevated absenteeism, nonchalance, and “ungovernance” to an art. Nigeria’s problems are too enormous to be additionally burdened with another absent, detached, inelegantly insouciant presidency, which Tinubu’s current attitudes suggest we will have should he become president.

Tinubu and his minders need to come clean about the state of his health. If they insist that he is as fit as a fiddle, they need to tell us why he has been uncommunicative in the last few months. Communication with the public is a core feature of the American-style presidential democracy we practice in Nigeria. It is public communication that affords the president the opportunity to influence public opinion, to interface with citizens, and to frame and reframe the contours of national conversations.

That is why we now talk of the “rhetorical presidency,” where the goal of presidential communication is no longer to just persuade lawmakers (which is unnecessary in Nigeria since National Assembly members are often pliant yes-men and yes-women) but to win the popular approval of the public. What sort of presidency does Tinubu want to have if he becomes president? A continuation of Buhari? Well, he may not be as lucky as Buhari as been.

After eight years of Buhari’s vacant, dementia-plagued presidency, the last thing Nigeria needs is another presidency that will double down on it, that would be conducted through dishonest press releases by presidential spokespersons, paid social media troll farms, and TV appearances by deviously mercenary mind managers.

Happy Independence Day

ASUU: Buhari Appeals To Lecturers To End 8-Month Strike

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
ASUU Meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU to return to work, saying his government will address their demands based on the available resources.

ASUU, the umbrella body of university lecturers in the country has been on strike since February this year and has vowed to stay away from the campuses until their demands are met.

The Union and the federal government are currently in court after they failed to resolve the problem through negotiations.

The House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila had met with the striking lecturers this week in the last-ditch effort to broker an agreement between the contending parties.

Gbajabiamila promised after the meeting to meet with President Buhari next week to find ways to resolve the problems.

Speaking during his Independence Day address earlier today, the president said education is key in his administration’s quest to ensure that Nigeria takes its prime place among the committee of nations.

He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the disruptions in the university academic calendar due to frequent strikes by the members of the union, adding that his government has done its best to address the 11 years ASUU crisis.

Buhari said, “As we put in place all measures to ensure that Nigeria takes her place in the Comity of Nations, we recognise the importance of a well-educated populace as a panacea to most of the challenges we face.

“We have, therefore, pursued policies and implemented programmes designed to create a literate and proficient society that ensures that citizens are availed with opportunities for life-long achievements.

“I must confess that I am very pained by the recurring disruption to our tertiary education system and I am using this Independence Day celebration to reiterate my call for the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to the classroom while assuring them to deal with their contending issues within the limits of the scarce resources available.

“This administration has made appreciable progress in redressing these issues that have been lingering for over eleven years.

“The Federal Government will continue to mobilise resources both internationally and nationally towards funding education to ensure that our citizens are well educated and skilled in various vocations in view of the fact that education is a leading determinant of economic growth and employment generation.”

2023: Buhari Restates Commitment To Credible Elections

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0

One of the legacies his government will bequeath to the country is a free, fair, and credible election, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Buhari made the promise during his independence speech to Nigerians on Saturday, saying the recent elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun states are testimony to his belief in a credible electoral process.

Except in Ekiti state where his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC won the governorship elections, opposition parties have won the governorship in Anambra and Osun states.

The president said one of the steps taken by his government to ensure that credible leaders emerged from the country’s electoral processes is the signing of the amended Electoral Act 2021.

“Fellow Nigerians, no matter what gains we make, without a good governance system anchored on electing credible leaders on the basis of free, fair, credible, and transparent elections, our efforts would not be enough,” Buhari said.

He said, “It is for this reason that I have resolved to bequeath a sustainable democratic culture, which will remain lasting. The signing of the Electoral Act 2021 as amended with landmark provisions further assures us of a more transparent and inclusive Electoral Process.

Having witnessed at close quarters, the pains, anguish, and disappointment of being a victim of an unfair electoral process, the pursuit of an electoral system and processes that guarantee the election of leaders by citizens remain the guiding light as I prepare to wind down our administration.

“You would all agree that the recent elections in the past two years in some states (notably Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun) and a few federal constituencies have shown a high degree of credibility, transparency, and freedom of choice with the people’s votes actually counting. This I promise would be improved upon as we move towards the 2023 General Elections.”

The president also urged contestants in next year’s election to conduct themselves well and avoid hate speech. He also called on the youths to take an active role in the forthcoming elections.

“As we begin the transition process to another democratically elected government, I want to implore all aspirants to conduct issues-based campaigns devoid of hate speeches as well as other negative and divisive tendencies.”

“I also want to express my wish that we see more female and youth participation in the forth-coming electoral cycle. I am sure that our teeming and energetic youths now realise that violence generally mar elections and so should desist from being used by politicians for this purpose,” Buhari said.

Foreigners Have Invaded Our Country-Buhari

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
Buhari-independence Day

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that his administration is working hard to ensure that the problem of insecurity is tackled in the country.

The president said his government has recorded appreciable results in tackling the menace since he came to office seven years ago.

Buhari disclosed this in his last independence day address to Nigerians.

In the 20 minutes speech, the president said foreigners who invaded the country are the cause of insecurity across the country, saying he, as the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, is on top of the situation.

Speaking on what his government is doing to address the problem, Buhari said Nigerians are facing “kidnappings, molestations/killings of innocent citizens, banditry, all of which are being addressed by our security forces.”

“I share the pains Nigerians are going through and I assure you that your resilience and patience would not be in vain as this administration continues to reposition as well as strengthen the security agencies to enable them to deal with all forms of security challenges,” the President said.

Buhari’s Independence Day Address

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
Muhammadu Buhari

Fellow Nigerians, I address you today, with a deep sense of gratitude to God and a high level of appreciation to all Nigerians whose tremendous goodwill gave me the opportunity to provide leadership for our great country at one of the trying times in her history.

Conscious that today’s address would be my last on an Independence Day as your President; I speak to the millions of Nigerians, who believed in me, propelled and stood by me in my quest to bequeath a country where all citizens have equal opportunities to achieve their lives desires in a peaceful atmosphere.

I am honoured to say that my story in the annals of Nigeria’s history is no household secret. My various attempts, failures and eventual success in being elected as a Democratic President in 2015 was made possible by the majority of Nigerians.

When you elected me, I readily acknowledged that the tasks before me were daunting but surmountable because of the growing national consensus that our chosen route to national development was democracy.

This democracy was to be anchored on a clear understanding, application and the principles of separation of powers supported by a reformed public service that is more effective.

I then pledged to Improve the Economy, Tackle Corruption and Fight Insecurity and this was further strengthened by my commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years as the central plank of my second term in 2019.

To the Glory of God and His Grace as well as the commitment and passion displayed by many Nigerian supporters, we have made appreciable progress in these areas but not yet at our destination.

Mindful of the task before us, we took some time in settling down and we re-positioned the economy by providing strategic interventions in core areas at both the federal and sub-national levels.

One of the areas where we have made significant progress is in the eradication of deeply entrenched corruption that permeates all facets of our national development.

We strengthened the institutions for tackling corruption and also cultivated international support, which aided the repatriation of huge sums of money illegally kept outside the country.

The increasing number of prosecutions and convictions, with associated refunds of large sums of money is still ongoing. Furthermore, we would continue to block opportunities that encourage corrupt practices.

In order to address insecurity, we worked methodically in reducing Insurgency in the North East, Militancy in the Niger Delta, Ethnic and Religious Tensions in some sections of Nigeria along with other problems threatening our country.

Our efforts in re-setting the economy manifested in Nigeria exiting two economic recessions by the very practical and realistic monetary and fiscal measures to ensure effective public financial management. In addition, the effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account and cutting down on the cost of governance also facilitated early exits from recessions.

Fellow Nigerians, this administration removed several decades uncertainty for potential investors in the Oil & Gas sector with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021. This landmark legislation created opportunities for foreign investments in addition to improving transparency in the management of the sector.

Our administration has given the desired priority to the Agricultural Sector through a series of incentives to Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises that resulted in creating millions of jobs. Leading this initiative, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention in a number of areas as well as the Anchor Borrowers Programme had created the required leverages for Nigerians towards self-sufficiency in food and the necessary attraction for farming as a business.

The growing contribution of non-oil exports, especially in agriculture, information and communication technology as well as the performing arts to our national economy will enhance our foreign exchange earning capacity.

We are confronting current economic challenges such as debt burden, growing inflation, living standards and increasing unemployment accentuated by our growing youthful population. These problems are globally induced and we would continue to ensure that their negative effects are addressed in our policies.

This administration will continue to ensure that our fiscal policies are supported by a robust and contemporary monetary policy that recognises our peculiarities in the midst of the growing global economic difficulties.

This is evidenced by the recent Monetary Policy Committee decision to maintain all parameters, especially interest rates and marginally increased the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 14 per cent to 15.5 per cent and the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) from 27.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent. It is projected that this would further insulate our economy from over exposure to uncertainties at the international market by restraining growth in core inflation.

As we continue to de-escalate the security challenges that confronted us at inception of this administration, newer forms alien to our country began to manifest especially in the areas of kidnappings, molestations/killings of innocent citizens, banditry, all of which are being addressed by our security forces.

I share the pains Nigerians are going through and I assure you that your resilience and patience would not be in vain as this administration continues to reposition as well as strengthen the security agencies to enable them to deal with all forms of security challenges.

At the inception of this administration in 2015, I provided the funding requirements of the security agencies which was also improved in my second tenure in 2019 to enable them to surmount security challenges. We will continue on this path until our efforts yield the desired results.

As we put in place all measures to ensure that Nigeria takes her place in the Comity of Nations, we recognise the importance of a well-educated populace as a panacea to most of the challenges we face.

We have, therefore, pursued policies and implemented programmes designed to create a literate and proficient society that ensures that citizens are availed with opportunities for life-long achievements.

I must confess that I am very pained by the recurring disruption to our tertiary education system and I am using this Independence Day celebration to re-iterate my call for the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to the classroom while assuring them to deal with their contending issues within the limits of the scarce resources available. This administration has made appreciable progress in redressing these issues that have been lingering for over eleven years.

The Federal Government will continue to mobilise resources both internationally and nationally towards funding education to ensure that our citizens are well educated and skilled in various vocations in view of the fact that education is a leading determinant of economic growth and employment generation.

Fellow Nigerians, we have also improved our health facilities, especially during and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which attracted commendation of the global community.

As you are aware, Nigeria was one of the countries that defied global predictions of the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic because of our resilience, commitment and passion with which we individually and collectively managed the pandemic.

This administration embarked on addressing critical ecological challenges across the country in order to mitigate the impact of Climate Change manifesting in the form of flood, soil erosion, desertification, air pollution amongst others

We will continue to ensure that our infrastructure drive remains the key to Nigeria’s economic growth and for which every Nigerian will feel the impact.

The Federal Government is already expanding ports operations to ensure that they provide opportunities for the growth of the Nigerian economy.

We have also continued to accelerate our infrastructure development through serviceable and transparent borrowing, improved capital inflow & increased revenue generation by expanding the tax bases and prudent management of investment proceeds in the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

To further open up our communities to economic activities, we have continued to boost our railway infrastructure with the completion of a good number of critical railways and at the same time rehabilitating as well as upgrading obsolete equipment.

I am pleased to inform my fellow citizens that besides our emphasis on infrastructural development with its attendant opportunities for job creation, employment generation and subsequent poverty reduction, our focused intervention directly to Nigerians through the National Social Investment Programme is also yielding benefits.

There is hardly any ward, village or local government in Nigeria today that has not benefited from one of the following: N-Power, trader-moni, market moni, subsidized loans, business grants or Conditional Cash Transfers.

All the aforementioned programmes along with various interventions by the National Social Investment programme, direct support to victims of flooding and other forms of disasters have provided succor to the affected Nigerians.

Fellow Nigerians, no matter what gains we make, without a good governance system anchored on electing credible leaders on the basis of free, fair, credible and transparent elections, our efforts would not be enough.

It is for this reason that I have resolved to bequeath a sustainable democratic culture, which will remain lasting. The signing of the Electoral Act 2021 as amended with landmark provisions further assures us of a more transparent and inclusive Electoral Process.

Having witnessed at close quarters, the pains, anguish and disappointment of being a victim of an unfair electoral process, the pursuit of an electoral system and processes that guarantee election of leaders by citizens remains the guiding light as I prepare to wind down our administration.

You would all agree that the recent elections in the past two years in some states (notably Anambra, Ekiti and Osun) and a few federal constituencies have shown a high degree of credibility, transparency and freedom of choice with the people’s votes actually counting. This I promise would be improved upon as we move towards the 2023 General Elections.

As we begin the transition process to another democratically elected government, I want to implore all aspirants to conduct issues-based campaigns devoid of hate speeches as well as other negative and divisive tendencies.

I also want to express my wish that we see more female and youth participation in the forth-coming electoral cycle. I am sure that our teeming and energetic youths now realise that violence generally mar elections and so should desist from being used by politicians for this purpose.

Reforms in the public sector are already yielding results especially in the delivery of services.  On this note, I urge the general public to demand for citizen-centred services from the relevant authorities.

On the international front, we have continued to take advantage of our bilateral and multilateral platforms to explore cooperation with friendly countries and partners whenever these areas of cooperation are to the advantage of Nigeria.

Fellow Nigerians, in the past few years we have witnessed and overcome a good number of challenges that would ordinarily have destroyed our Nation. However, the indefatigable spirit of the Nigerian people has ensured that we overcome our challenges.

It is in this spirit that I call on all of us to individually and collectively bring to the fore in dealing with all our development issues.

I was called to serve, along with my team, I saw an opportunity to create a better Nigeria which we have done with the support of Nigerians. Almighty God and the good people of Nigeria supported us in laying a solid foundation for the Nigeria of our dreams.

I thank you all and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

1...1,9141,9151,916...2,982Page 1,915 of 2,982