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THE President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, has described the LADOL Free Zone as a haven for investment and job creation.
Speaking during a facility visit to the company, he commended the company for its giant strides in support of industrialisation in Nigeria. He stated: "I am glad that I came to see this facility for myself, I am really inspired and delighted with what I have witnessed and I know that cooperating with LADOL will be of great benefit to our members, looking to set up manufacturing in a world class free zone like LADOL. I want to assure you that MAN is ready and willing to explore all areas of collaboration with your organisation so that together we would improve the industrial landscape of Nigeria.
"By receiving technical and vocational education and training in the LADOL Up-skilling Academy it is an opportunity for our members to equip their workers with the practical skills, knowledge and entrepreneurial tools that match labor market needs. I know that MAN and LADOL can work together on work integrated learning initiatives."
LADOL's Executive Director Business Development, Mr. Jide Jadesimi stated: "LADOL is committed to infrastructure and human capital development and is ready to work with key stakeholders like to train trainers from existing vocational institutions throughout Nigeria in the LADOL upskilling academy.
"LADOL encourages manufacturers in Nigeria and those looking to enter the market to set up in the LADOL Industrial Free Zone and boost the local content initiative thereby increasing exports and industrializing our economy."
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted morning thunderstorms in some northern parts of the country especially Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Dutse on Tuesday.
Other towns are Damaturu, Potiskum and Gusau.
NiMet, in its Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Monday in Abuja, also predicted localised thunderstorms over the entire northern region of the country in the afternoon and evening hours.
It added that the northern states would have day and night temperatures of between 29 to 33 and 19 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
The agency predicted that the central states would also experience localized thunderstorms in places such Abuja, Jos, Bauchi, Lafia, Makurdi and Mambilla with cloudy conditions over Ilorin, Minna and Bida in the morning.
Apart from the localised thunderstorms over the region in the afternoon, day and night temperatures of 27 to 32 and 16 to 23 degree Celsius will prevail except Jos with 25 and 16 degree Celsius.
According to NiMet, southern states will experience rains in places like Calabar, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa, while cloud cover is expected over the rest of the region in the morning.
Later in the day,however, there will be prospects of isolated rains over Shaki in Oyo State, Abeokuta, Ado Ekiti, Akure, Ibadan, Osogbo, Owerri, Ogoja, Ikom and Awka, while rain is also anticipated over Warri, Uyo, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa.
….As Political Parties react to President’s Speech
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: Former Vice President and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Atiku Abubakar has charged Nigerian to assist President Muhammadu Buhari succeed in the onerous task of national development rather than focusing on needless distractions.
Welcoming the president back home after his medical leave in the United Kingdom, the Wazirin Adamawa in a statement made available to journalists Monday in Abuja said “every well meaning Nigerian should be happy with the recovery of the President”.
According to him, a healthy and stronger Buhari would be able to concentrate more vigorously on the task of implementing his campaign promises to Nigerians.
He explained that President Buhari’s recovery is good news for the country and Nigerians because “it would reduce the needless conspiracy theories surrounding his health and long absence.”
The former vice president noted that the task of governance is so enormous that the country should celebrate the return of the President.
Atiku advised Nigerians to help the President succeed “by focusing on issues that unite us rather than those that divide us, and thereby distracting the President from attending to the tasks at hand.”
Parties ask Buhari to Apologise, Declare Health Status
Meanwhile, a former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council IPAC and national chairman, National Conscience Party NCP, Dr Tanko Yusuf has picked holes in Monday’s presidential broadcast, saying the president should have given Nigerians a peep into his health status if only to dispel rumours that he was poisoned.
“Ab initio, I was one of those who said Mr President should help in declaring the status of his health, not for anything but because Nigerians need to know, so that we will be able to address issues properly so that it the rumour that he was poisoned….he has to dispel that particular rumour. And again, Nigerians also remember that Mr President had said he would treat himself at home as against foreign medical trips. Mr President should ofcourse had explained to Nigerians why that particular trip had to be abroad, perhaps because of certain exigencies.
“He was talking about security which was one of his campaign promises, but I think it is no more time for words now, it is time for actions. Nigerians have shown love to Mr President and you saw how they came out to welcome him in large numbers. Now is the payback time to Nigerians. The people are crying for economic empowerment, security and unification of this country which is paramount because without it we cannot do anything. We are yet to see the decisive actions that would be taking with regards to IPOB and Arewa Youths who seemed at daggers drawn. I think the present has that capacity to do so now”, he said.
Also, national chairman of the United Democratic Party UDP, Barr. Godson Okoye said the president said, “Buhari is the president of the country and he said what he was expected to say to reassure Nigerians. Ofcourse he would tell people to calm down that things will be alright. He has not been in the country for a while and I am sure he is being briefed about what has been going on in the country and ofcourse, his address is not going to solve all the problems but it is a starting point. I am sure that he is going to take steps and put measures in place to ensure that the polity is calmed down”.
Reacting to the broadcast, national chairman of African Democratic Congress ADC, Chief Okey Nwosu, described it as “depressing.”
“We have to thank God that our President came back healthy and strong but I must say that the President’s speech is very depressing. And this goes to show the nature of people around him. When we have too many sycophants who have taken over power that is what you get.
“For somebody who was out of the country for over 100 days and you came back to meet the people that you promised so much during your election, you will look at them in the face and say ‘sorry, nature seems to be taking its course, please bear with me’ and thank Nigerians for their prayers because it is not his will.
“Having said that, we now look at the content of the broadcast to Nigerians. We had agitations, agreed, but what was the cause of it? The cause is because the political leadership is missing. If things are going well there won’t be to much agitations but it shows that the political leadership is compromised. And the major political leaders today were voted by the people of Nigeria. Mr President would have shown understanding of that”, he stated.
On its part, the Social Democratic Party SDP faulted the president for not taking a position on the vexed issue of restructuring, but however commended him for his resolve to frontally tackle security and economic challenges.
“We have listened to Mr President’s speech carefully this morning. While we commend Mr President for resolving to address the worrisome economic situation of the country and invigorate the fight against terrorism and ethic violence, we disagree with mere passing remark by him on the sensitive issue of the wide spread call for the restructuring of the nation particularly in relation to the devolution of more powers to the federating units and the correction of the imminent structural imbalance.
“Further more, we expected that the issue of the on going ASUU strike which has put the Nation’s universities under lock to feature prominently in Mr president’s speech”, the party said in a statement by its spokesman, Alfa Mohammed.
First Nation Airways Certificate of Airworthiness, AOC, has been down graded to non-schedule service, which is charter service, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ,NCAA, as the airline has been operating only one aircraft in the last one year. According to the regulatory authority, the airline can only return to scheduled service after meeting the requirement of at least two aircraft.
This development was disclosed yesterday by Capt. Muhtar Usman, the Director-General, NCAA, at the agency's headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport ,MMA, Lagos. Usman explained that the airline had downscale its operations from schedule operator to non-schedule, saying "that the status would remain so until it improved its aircraft fleet to at least two and would have to meet the requirements for schedule services".
The NCAA DG said : "Yes, they use one aircraft and they were on schedule services, but the present status now is that the certificate of the airworthiness of the status has been changed to non-schedule service, which is charter service. So, they are no longer into schedule service until they are able to meet the requirement for scheduled service."
Speaking also on the l N33.5 million sanctions imposed on the airline some few months ago for safety negligence, Usman said the authority would work with the airline to ensure the penalty was paid. He added that the essence of sanctioning any operator or organisation was not punitive, but to serve as a corrective measure to prevent recurrence.
"I will still reconfirm to you that whatever sanction we impose on any operator it's in-line with Civil Regulation and it's not punitive, but corrective. FirstNation was sanctioned, they appealed, the appeal, which was upheld. So, we are still working with them to pay the sanction. We don't want to cripple any operations. If it is safety related, we will not waste time, but the payment is being worked out now," Usman said.
On the visit of the America Federal Aviation Authority team to Nigeria to access the country civil aviation sector, the DG said the country would once again scale the hurdle, stressing that the regulatory agency was prepared to retain the Category One Status it attained in 2010. He recalled that Nigeria attained the new status in 2010 and retained it in 2014 after a comprehensive audit of the industry.
He explained that the " FAA team would focus its audit on Personnel Licensing, International Operations and Airworthiness", and he assured that the agency was fully prepared for the visit.
He said: "NCAA has done a lot in the areas that we are expected to cover and not only for this audit, in our statutory responsibilities; safety, aviation security and also regulations. We have the new civil aviation bill, which is on its way to the National Assembly. The bill is to enhance the current Act of 2006 and it's supposed to be in line with the new annexes of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Convention. We also amended our regulation, which is 2015 Civil Aviation Regulation.
"Re-organisation has also been going on to make sure the organisation continues to discharge its responsibilities as it should be, which is to be in line with ICAO. We want to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel in the industry in sufficient numbers to make sure we carry out the safety as required by ICAO.
"In the area of enforcement and compliance, we have done a lot. We make sure that our regulations, which are mainly safety, are enforced. Our sanctions are not supposed to be punitive, but corrective. We have been sanctioning where we need to sanction in order to correct and instil safety in the system and even security. We thank God in the last two years we never had any major accident. There is zero tolerance in accident at NCAA," he revealed.
The FAA team is led by Mr. Louis Avrez, International Technical Support, William Amoz, Aviation Safety Inspector, Benjamin Garrido, Frontline Manager, Airworthiness and L.P. Vanstory Ill, International Affairs.
Awka- CHAIRMAN of the panel on the Anambra State Ward Congress, Governor Yeson Wike of Rivers State and his counterpart from Ekiti State, Chief Ayo Fayose said yesterday in Awka that unlike what was happening in the past, Anambra politicians would never buy members of their committee.
Addressing the governorship aspirants and their supporters who turned out in large numbers to find out modalities for yesterday's Ward Congress of the party, the two governors reminded politicians in the state that it was only by working together and putting aside their differences that PDP could take over the government in Anambra State.
Wike said: "We must work together and put our differences aside and make sure that PDP comes back and takes over Anambra State. And whether you like or not, power comes from God. You can take the ticket and you may not be able to win the election. All of you know that some of us passed through this exercise, but God said we are going to be there and we are there.
"Not because we are stronger; not because we have money, but because God said at His appointed time, you are the one to be there. "It is only agents of other political parties that would want to cause trouble, but if you are a true believer of PDP, you know that we have to work as a family.
"I want to say that nobody can buy this committee. We have told the aspirants that if any of their supporters makes trouble, the person will be disqualified. And with two of us, the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and with me as chairman of this panel, no money can change our decision.
"That is why I said, let us respect ourselves by doing the right thing. We are going to do a transparent election. If you are popular, go to your Ward. You cannot be popular at the party secretariat here. "Nobody can hijack the election and that is why we advise everybody to go to his Ward and participate in the election.
"We have seven agents here who were nominated by each of the seven aspirants and we also urge the spirants to go to their Wards and prove their popularity.
"I can tell you that if you like to hijack anything, before you hijack, we have cancelled it. Nobody can meet us in any hotel and beg that we should accept their result; everything must be done in the party secretariat.
'For the party to have sent two of us here shows the seriousness of the exercise. So, I want to beg everybody in the name of God, let us work as a family. Nobody can influence us, let PDP be strong and win the governorship election.
"If we could struggle in our states and won, who is here in Anambra State to stop PDP from winning? Nobody can stop us here because PDP owns Anambra State, but because of our carelessness and fight, we lost the Government House.
"Those representing the state at the Senate and House of Representatives are from PDP, but we don't have the governor. Without the governor, it does not make meaning. So, let everybody work together. I know that everybody aspiring wants to emerge, but it is not possible for everybody to emerge at the same time. One person must emerge in a transparent way.
"PDP has just come out and we must do something that people will say, truly PDP is on the right track."
On his part, Fayose appealed to PDP members to have the interest of the party in mind in whatever they do, adding that it was not good for any aspirant to be linked to violence, (because some are already saying it now that if it does not work in their way, they will scatter the election).
He said: "APGA has done their own and I watched it on the television. I know APC will still do their own and whether na kolo kolo or kulu kulu, they will still do it and in their style of the more you look, the less you see.
"But this PDP election should start with orderliness. We have men who have proven themselves to be reliable leaders contesting, but with the desperation of the people, we will not allow them to mess the party up.
"Our position is that if you are linked to violence you are disqualified, not only in that Ward, but in the whole process, you are gone.
"Our report will show it that you an enemy of the party. So, it is better to go into this election peacefully, than to start fighting each other because we are not prepared for that."
After addressing the party members, members of the panel went into a marathon meeting with the aspirants and later adjourned, while those to conduct the congress at the 326 Wards of the state later left with the election materials.
Maverick entertainer and good governance advocate, Charles Oputa, also known Charly Boy has thrown his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue of Nigeria's unity.
President Buhari, in his nationwide address Monday, reiterated his administration's zero tolerance for secessionist agitations by some 'irresponsible' elements.Charly Boy
Reacting to the speech, Charly Boy, who penultimate week led protesters on daily sit-outs at the Unity Fountain in Abuja demanding Buhari either resumes duty or resigns his position, said that he shares similar thoughts with the President on the Nigerian project.
According to him, there is a good reason for all Nigerians to believe in the unity of the country if the fundamental issues of our value erosion are addressed.
He also said that Igbos agitating for an independent Biafra state over perceived marginalization by the government at the centre of the federation are missing a fundamental point; which is sitting round with other ethnic nationalities to dialogue and fashion a way forward for a better Nigeria for all.
He told Vanguard when asked his opinion on the issue of Nigeria’s unity as espoused by the President: "A lot of my Southern brothers are asking why I should believe in Nigeria. My answer is why not if we can solve the fundamental problem bedeviling the nation which is the fact that our values have been eroded.
"The youths are learning from their elders who are the political leaders. So far, we have seen elders and leaders who are enmeshed in corruption. Who are basically riff-raffs who are running around, who have managed to corner government. These are not the kind of people to move the country forward.
"I want to see a better environment for all Nigerians. In fact, it's painful that some of our children abroad no longer wish to return to Nigeria. Even, the ones in Nigeria want to leave the country.
"If we push hard enough, Nigeria might just get better or something more positive than the present situation might happen, because we can't continue to exist like this.
"I am an Igbo man. Even my people are 'yabbing' me and asking me why break a sweat over Nigeria. Let's face Biafra instead. But I say to them; I may be a dreamer but I still believe in Nigeria.
"It is the same fight 'Our Mumu Don Do' movement and what the pro-Biafra agitators are struggling for. It is almost the same fight.
"Biafra people are saying that they have been marginalized and that is true. Nnamdi Kanu has brought Biafra and put on the table and exposed the marginalization of the Igbos which is right.
"But ask me; Biafra or death? No, I don't believe in that. But let us sit around a table and discuss Biafra. Yes, I believe in dialogue. That is what we need to do.
"That is why 'Our Mumu Don Do' is telling young people please go and be part of this nation building and don't leave it to the old people; otherwise you will have no future in Nigeria."
A rally heralding the home-coming of President Muhammadu Buhari after a medical vacation in London left human and vehicular movement in Enugu metropolis in standstill for over four hours on Monday.
The rally organised by Buhari Support Organisation (BSO), Enugu State Chapter, saw hundreds of Nigerians holding various placards with inscriptions such as "Welcome Baba'' and "APC is Marching Forward''.
Other inscriptions are: "South-East is solidly behind PMB''; "We Continue to Pray for Mr President's Success, Baba is Back to Continue His Good Works, and Is PMB or Never''.
Buhari
Chief Anike Nwoga, Chairman of BSO in Enugu State told journalists that the rally was meant to show gratitude to God for bringing Buhari back after his medical vacation.
The organisation, Nwaoga said, was urging Mr. President to continue his good works of fixing the country's physical and social infrastructure.
"To this end, we implore you (Buhari) to appeal to the National Assembly to immediately approve the $29.9 billion foreign loans and more to get Nigeria out of recession and back to work.
"We are making this request because it is better to harvest your uncommon acceptability by the international community to secure more loans.
"There is no doubt that the international community admires your integrity quotient.
"More loans will not only exit us from recession, but will enable you to add more mega-watts of electricity, reverse the archaic idea of revamping the old gauge rail lines, instead of modern standard gauge, and expansion of the Kebbi/Lagos States Rice revolution in other states according to their comparative crop advantage,'' he said.
According to him, Mr. President, you can imagine millions you will put to work, if additional $20 billion loan is added.
"The coastal, the Lagos-Kano, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri modern standard rail lines, Mambilla Hydro-power plant, Enugu Coal to Power, East-West, 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Onitsha and other federal roads and the most importantly agrarian revolution take-off,'' he said.
He also requested Mr. President to fill all outstanding federal boards and other appointments; adding that both the Holy Bible and the Holy Koran prescribe that those who work in the vineyard should eat from the vineyard.
"This is the best way to reinforce hope of the citizens, cement the national consensus that its better to live together than to live apart,'' he added.
The welcome rally train passed through Bisilla Road, Chime Avenue and Enugu-Abakaliki Road.
Among the APC Chieftains that led the rally are Chief Osita Okechukwu, Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON); a leader of APC South-East, Chief Emma Enukwu; Dr. Okey Ezea; the Secretary of BOS, Enugu Chapter, Mr. Godwin Onwusi among others.
By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has acknowledged the receipt of the communication from President Muhammadu Buhari notifying the House of Representatives of his resumption to duty.Speaker House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara briefing State House Correspondents after a closed door parley with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida
A statement from the Speaker’s office last night stated that the letter was delivered the Speaker by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Reps), Hon. Suleiman Abdurahman Kawu Sumaila, on Monday.
Recall that President Buhari returned to the country on Saturday after spending 103 days in London treating an undisclosed ailment.
Awka– GOVERNOR Willie Obiano has directed the people of Anambra State to brace up against the threat by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, that it would disrupt the November 18 governorship election in the state, urging them to rise up to the challenge and confront any person or group that attempted to disrupt peace or cause chaos during the election.
Chief Willie Obiano
The governor, who spoke in Awka, observed that security reports available to him had indicated that the architects of the threats were from outside the state and wondered why such people should always be coming to Anambra to foment trouble.
Governor Obiano, who addressed the citizens of the state at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka during a ceremony to give out millions of Naira to support mission hospitals in the state, said the state has been adjudged very safe and assured that it would remain so before, during and after the elections.
Saying that the state was adjudged the safest state in the South East, Obiano urged the people not to be disturbed by election boycott threats, but to be prepared for such persons, should they attempt any such ill-advised intention to disrupt peace during the election.
He said: “We cannot allow somebody from another state to invade our peaceful state and issue unwelcome directives to us. We will not fold our hands and watch such an individual motor in people from Abia, Enugu and other outside places to disrupt order in our state.
“Ignore the empty threats. Go about your lawful businesses and sleep with both eyes closed. I will keep watch over you with my two eyes open. I will let anyone who dares us know I am from Aguleri."
The governor called on Anambrarians to take the threats as empty, saying that the majority of those at Nnamdi Kanu's rally at Ekwulobia on Sunday were people from Abia, Enugu and other outside places, who should not be part of the elections in the State.
Kanu, had during a rally of IPOB members at Ekwulobia in Aguata local government area on Sunday, renewed his call on people to boycott the forthcoming election in the state.
He also reaffirmed the determination of IPOB to enforce his orders of no election in the state, irrespective of any challenge to stop them.
Two livestock traders were killed and three seriously injured after triggering a mine as they fled an ambush by jihadists in northeast Nigeria, a militia fighting the group said Monday.
The men were travelling between Damaturu, the capital of Yobe state, and the town of Biu in neighbouring Borno state when they were attacked by Boko Haram fighters at around 5pm (1600 GMT) on Sunday.
They abandoned their vehicles and ran into the bush “but one of them stepped on a mine planted by the terrorists”, said Nuwaisu Aisami, a member of a local militia fighting the jihadist group.
“Two people died in the explosion and three others were seriously injured,” he added.
A representative of the cattle traders’ association confirmed the incident.
The three injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, said the spokesman who asked not to be named.
The Damaturu-Biu highway was only re-opened in April 2016, three years after it was closed following a string of Boko Haram attacks on motorists.
The key arterial road links Yobe state and Biu in southern Borno, a commercial and agricultural centre.
Despite increased military success in the fight to dislodge Boko Haram, the group continues to launch sporadic, deadly attacks on the route.
The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s mainly-Muslim north has claimed at least 20,000 lives and displaced some 2.6 million people since 2009, triggering a humanitarian crisis.
The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has acknowledged receipt of President Muhammadu Buhari's resumption letter to the National Assembly. Saraki Saraki made this known via his twitter handle on Monday.
He said,"I have received a letter from President Muhammadu Buhari informing the Senate that he has returned to the country.
"I have also acknowledged the letter.''
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the letter will be read in plenary when the National Assembly resumes from its recess on Sept. 19.
President Muhammadu Buhari had written to the National Assembly informing it of his medical trip to London, which he commenced on May 7.
He had transmitted power to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to act in his absence.
He returned to Nigeria on Aug. 19, amidst celebrations by residents of Abuja and major cities in the country.
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KATSINA – ABDUCTORS of the daughter, Nana Mansur to Katsina business mogul, Mansur Abubakar has allegedly demanded for the sum of N100 million as ransom.
A source who doesn't want the name in the print disclosed the ransom on Monday.
The abductors and unknown gunmen in the early hours of Saturday abducted Nana in place of her father.
An eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity said the gunmen numbered about 20, stormed the business mogul’s house in motorbikes and cars in search of the business mogul but was nowhere to be found at that time and decided to abduct his daughter.
The source said the unknown gunmen also took away one of the business mogul’s car in the house.
The incident which was said to have happened between 11:30pm friday night and early hours of Saturday occured in the Business mogul’s Malumfashi resident in Malumfashi local government area of Katsina State.
The police are yet to release an official statement confirming the incident.
….Accuses PDP of ‘Shallow’ Understanding, Says Buhari’s Speech Outstanding
By Omeiza Ajayi & Stephanie Afer
ABUJA: In a curious twist to its earlier stance on the 2014 National Conference which it boycotted and the decision of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to jettison the report of that conference, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has said it is currently working with the report of the conference and that of 2009 with a view to articulating its position on restructuring.
This was as its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun described Monday’s presidential broadcast as “outstanding”, saying President Muhammadu Buhari covered major areas including restructuring of the federation.
But the party in a statement signed by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP of having a “shallow interpretation” of the concept, restructuring.
“As the ruling party between 1999 and 2015, PDP organised two national conferences, in 2005 and in 2014. They had nine years between the first conference and the second one and one full year between the time the report of the 2014 conference was submitted and the time it lost power in 2015. Perhaps, if PDP show which aspects of the two reports it had implemented in the time it had, then perhaps Nigerians might begin to take them seriously on the issue of restructuring.
“If the PDP now believes in restructuring, we welcome them as latter day converts. But the appropriate behaviour would be for them to respect the efforts we are currently making to deliver on our party's manifesto on restructuring. It must interest the PDP that we have dusted up the reports of their national conferences from the shelves they had left them to gather dust and those reports are now forming part of the work we are doing with our committee, which they have tried hard to denigrate.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the APC believes in the restructuring of the country. It is at the very heart of our party's manifesto as explicitly stated in Section 3 (1) thus: 'We will devolve more revenue and powers, such as policing to States and Local Government so that decision making is closer to the people. We pledge to bring the government closer to the people through fiscal and political decentralization, including local policing”, APC stated.
The statement reads in part; “The All Progressives Congress APC notes the statement issued on Sunday by the spokesperson of People Democratic Party PDP, Mr Dayo Adeyeye claiming that PDP has always supported restructuring. This should ordinarily be a welcome development, given that it provides opportunity for bi-partisan cooperation on this very important national issue.
“However, of concern to us is PDP's rather shallow interpretation of restructuring as desired by Nigerians. In his release, Mr. Adeyeye quoted several aspects of his party's constitution which he claimed serve as evidence that PDP believes in restructuring. A cursory review of the referenced parts of the constitution would, however, suggest either the PDP is deliberately out to mislead or it just does not have an appropriate understanding of the restructuring that Nigerians clamour for.
“For instance, preamble 2(b) of the PDP constitution quoted by Adeyeye states: ‘To work together under the umbrella of the party for the speedy restoration of democracy, the achievement of national reconciliation, economic and social reconstruction and respect for human rights and the rule of law.'
“If statements such as the above are what he PDP intends to pass off as restructuring, this should further confirm that the party is still not in tune with the aspirations and dreams of the Nigerian people. It is indeed amusing that after being in power for 16 years, PDP is just waking up to realise that its constitution prescribed restructuring.
If this is not political opportunism, we wonder what is. We understand that PDP needs desperately to return to reckoning; and realising that restructuring is the new political currency in Nigeria, it is now latching on and even claiming to be an apostle!
“We welcome PDP and all the parties in opposition to work with us as we strive to meet the aspirations of Nigerians on this very fundamental issue of our national existence”.
Buhari’s Speech, Outstanding – Oyegun
Speaking with journalists Monday in Abuja, Odigie-Oyegun said the president prioritised what he wanted to talk about and that in due time, he would address other areas.
“The speech was absolutely outstanding. You see, he is the President of this nation. He has been away for quite a bit of time. Agents of destabilisation have been very much at work because they thought his absence created a gap and a weakness within the polity which they tried to exploit. So Mr President in his wisdom discerned that the stability, unity, peace and security of this nation and the ordinary Nigerian are the key issues at this material time.
He addressed them and went straight to the core of the issues. He left nobody in any doubt that any Nigerian is entitled as a matter of right to live, work and operate in any part of this country.
He made it clear and left no one in any doubt that yes, while people can discuss issues and the relationship in the nation, the National Assembly is there to handle such issues. But he drew one red line that the only thing that is not on the table is that this nation can be divided. He made it clear that the unity of the Nigerian nation is not up for negotiation of any type.
“Mr President picked on the core issue that was creating a lot of disquiet in the nation today and he made his views crisp and clear. Any leader must be able to set priorities. He set a very clear and unambiguous priority. The others he will deal with in the course of time”, he stated.
On the issue of restructuring, Odigie-Oyegun said; “He (Buhari) said quite clearly that you can discuss. The only issue that is out of bounds is the unity of this nation. That as the situation is today, the institutions of state that can legitimately deal with any changes in the relativity within the nation is the National Assembly and the National Council of State. It is the National Assembly that makes laws. So the situation is so clear and unambiguous. He did not say you cannot discuss but the only issue that was not on the table is the unity of the Nigerian nation”.
ABUJA- Following the nationwide broadcast on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari, scores of Nigerians have barred their minds on the speech, with many describing same as disappointing.
Femi Fani_kayode & President Buhari
In his reaction, former Minister of Aviation and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode described the broadcast as uninspiring, noting that the Commander-in-Chief ought to apologize to Nigerians over the incompetence of his administration since its inauguration in over two years ago.
"During his thoroughly uninspiring six minute broadcast this morning (yesterday), instead of appealing to Nigerians for patience and understanding and instead of apologizing to them for the ineptitude and sheer incompetence that his government has displayed over the last 2 years, President Muhammadu Buhari has returned home after 105 days on his sick bed in the United Kingdom and not only insulted Nigerians but also threatened them.
"He made no attempt to reach out to the people, to build bridges and to calm the troubled waters in what is clearly a traumatized and divided nation and instead he sought to intimidate and talk down on our people and his perceived enemies," he wrote on his blog.
Not done, the former Minister expressed dismay over the inability of the first citizen to realize that times have indeed changed and that imposition of one's will on others is no longer tenable. He further said that in order to enhance national unity; there must be a clear understanding and closer relationship between him (Buhari) and Nigerians.
"The President appears to have failed to appreciate the fact that times have changed and that he cannot impose his will on others. If he wants to enhance national unity, which is of course a noble and righteous venture, and if he really wants Nigeria to remain one, then he must desist from his dangerous and provocative rhetoric; he must treat all Nigerians like human beings and as equals; he must exhibit a much higher degree of sobriety and accommodation of contrary and dissenting views and he must display far more sensitivity, understanding and restraint in his interactions and discourse with the opposition and those that do not agree with him.
"Failing that and without a quick recourse to the devolution of power from the centre and the neat and timely restructuring of what is essentially a fake pseudo-federation and a functional unitary state, the agitation for emancipation will become more pronounced, the various ethnic nationalities in this country will eventually exercise their right of self-determination and our nation will eventually break," he wrote, adding that "what the President is unable to grasp and fails to comprehend is this: we are not children, we are not animals and we refuse to be second class citizens."
Fani-Kayode also decried the President's refusal to order the arrest of those who issued quit notice to a section of the country.
"Worse of all, other than saying that every Nigerian has the right to live in any part of the country, which in itself is undoubtedly a welcome and gratifying assertion, he refused to order the arrest or threaten to cage and bring to justice those that gave the Igbo people a chilling quit notice and that have promised to unleash genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass murder on them if they refused to abide by it and leave the north by October 1st.
"This strange omission and instructive refusal by Mr. President is unacceptable and it feeds into the narrative that there may well be some kind of frightful hidden agenda unfolding.
"It was also a missed opportunity to allay the legitimate fears and genuine concerns of many Igbo and southerners that live in the north," he added.
ABUJA- PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, Monday, held a closed-door meeting with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in his official home at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE./STATE HOUSE. AUGUST 21 2017
The President who resumed work after his medical vacation that lasted about 104 days in London, the United Kingdom, operated from his official residence where he received visitors including some governors that visited him.
The Personal Assistant to the president on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, had in his twitter handle disclosed that Julius Berger Construction Company was carrying out renovation work in the President office which had made it imperative for him to operate from his residence pending when the renovations would be through.
Ahmad, in his twitter handle, handle@BashirAhmaad, twitted, "”Some renovations are ongoing at the office. His fully equipped office in his residence. He’ll be back to the main office after the works."
It was gathered that the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo, on his return from Lagos where he had earlier attended a conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, proceeded to Buhari’s residence a few minutes after 3pm where they both held a closed door.
ABUJA- PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari who on Monday notified the leadership of the National Assembly that he has resumed to work after his medical vacation in London, United Kingdom, may work from his house, the presidency said.
Buhari
President Buhari left the shores of Nigeria ion 7th May for a medical treatment in London after formally informing the National Assembly of his vacation and that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would function as the Acting President pending when he will return to the country.
The President came back to the country on Saturday evening after spending about 104 days in London and addressed the nation on Monday morning where he spoke on many issues including the unity of the country, security challenges as a result of Boko Haram insurgents and economic security of the country.
Buhari, according to his media aide has written the leadership of the National Assembly that he was back to office.
The letter stated in part: “In compliance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I write to intimate that I have resumed my functions as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with effect from Monday, 21st August, 2017, after my medical follow-up in the United Kingdom.”
However, the Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad explained through his twitter handle said that the President will temporarily operate from his official residence also located in the villa.
He said, "Some renovations are ongoing at the office, his fully equipped office in his residence. He will be back to the main office after the works," he twitted.
It was gathered that the renovation work was being carried out by the construction giant, Julius Berger and it was uncertain when or how long the renovation would last.
Confirming Buhari’s resumption, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina who disclosed this to State House correspondents on Monday said, "Yes, some few minutes past 11 am, the President signed the letter notifying the National Assembly of his resumption. A copy has been sent to the Senate President and a cope has been sent to the Speaker, House of Representatives, so the President has resumed.”
On what his resumption will do to Nigerians, the presidential spokesman said, it meant the president they voted into office, who he said had been serving them and was indisposed for some time was ready to continue with the work he had been doing.
Commenting on Nigerians reaction to the President’s broadcast that his message was not explicit enough, Adesina said, “that broadcast was just one step of many steps that are going to be taken in the days and weeks and months ahead so you can’t expect that everything will be said in one day.”
The National Judicial Council, NJC, has barred judges being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged corruption, from sitting.
No fewer than two judges are being affected by the development, which came as a shock to the suspects.
Those affected by the latest order by the NJC are: Justice H.A Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court and Justice Agbadu James Fishim of the National Industrial court.
Both were among indicted judicial officers whom the NJC had in November 2016 barred from performing judicial duties until the anticipated cases against them are concluded.
But the Council inexplicably lifted the order after its meeting of June 1, 2017, and directed the indicted judicial officers against whom no charges had been filed, to return to their posts.
However, the EFCC charged Justice Nganjiwa and Justice Fishim to court on June 8 and June 21 respectively while both men continued to sit on the bench while being prosecuted for alleged corruption.
Sources at the NJC disclosed that the council mindful of the ethical dilemma that confronts the officers has since reviewed the situation and ordered the heads of their respective courts to direct the two judges to stop sitting in line with council's decision of 1st and 2nd November, 2016, as charges have now been filed against them".
Vanguard learnt that the directive has already been communicated to the investigative agencies.
It was also leant that Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, who is also standing trial for corruption, remains suspended from judicial duties as she was not among the officers recalled by the NJC on June 1, as the basis for the council's decision to recall the indicted judges did not apply in her case, having already been charged to court by the EFCC.
ABUJA—-AS the deadline given to the South East by the Coalition of Arewa Youths to leave the 19 northern states before 1stOctober draws nearer, the United Progressive Party, UPP, yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take prompt action to diffuse the tension in the polity.
The party in a statement in Abuja to welcome President Buhari from medical vacation in London, United Kingdom, told him to revamp the economy and provide dividends of democracy to the Nigeria populace.
The statement which was signed by Chief Chekwas Okorie, the party's National Chairman wished him good health in discharging his constitutional responsibilities and also said that it was time to reaffirm and renew the confidence in the fatherland.
Okorie who was the UPP presidential candidate in the 2015 elections in the statement said, "The United Progressive Party welcomes President Muhammadu Buhari from his medical leave in the United Kingdom . It is an answer to the prayers of fellow compatriots for his recovery and safe return to continue the enormous task of building a strong, united, prosperous and egalitarian society.
"We are grateful to God that President Buhari returned hale and hearty to complete his mandate till 2019 and urge him to take prompt action to diffuse the tension in the polity, revamp the economy and provide dividends of democracy to the populace.
"It is time for patriotism. It is time to reaffirm and renew our confidence in the fatherland and join Mr. President in steering the ship of the Nigeria State to the path of rectitude, progress and development."
ABUJA– The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has given the Federal Government the nod to take possession of about 500 vessels, tankers, barges, trucks, boats and motorcycles that were seized from alleged oil thieves across the country.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba okayed interim forfeiture of the properties to FG, following two ex-parte applications marked FHC/ABJ/CS/741/2017 and FHC/ABJ/CS/742/2017.
While moving the applications, government lawyer, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi, SAN, told the court that the items were seized items from the alleged oil thieves by the Nigerian Navy and the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Petroleum/Illegal Bunkering.
Specifically, Justice Dimgba ordered interim forfeiture “of all the items listed in the schedule attached to this motion, marked as Exhibits OB1 – OB3, including, but not limited to vessels, barges, boats, laden cargo pending the final determination of the originating motion on notice.
"That order of interim forfeiture is hereby granted to the first applicant – FRN – of all the items listed in the schedule attached to this motion, marked as Exhibit BB1, including, but not limited to motor vehicles (trucks, tankers, buses, cars and cycles – tricycles and motorcycles) and the goods/products contained therein, pending the final determination of the originating motion on notice."
The court further granted an order allowing the applicants to appoint a registered/certified valuer, auctioneer or any other person(s) or agency/body as may deem fit by the applicants to ascertain the value of the affected items before they are disposed of.
Meanwhile, the court has given owners of the affected items and the consignments which were seized nationwide, 14 days to appear before it go show cause why the items should not be permanently forfeited to FG.
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