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Buhari reiterates FG’s commitment to end strikes by ASUU, others
President Muhammadu Buhari, in the course of the week, reiterated the determination of the Federal Government towards bringing to an end strikes embarked upon by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in nation’s tertiary institutions.
The President’s position was made known in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on July 20 in Abuja.
However, the presidential aide dismissed as false media reports quoting President Buhari as giving two-week ultimatum to Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu to resolve the dispute between Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said: “It is a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorised spokesmen of government.’’
Shehu appealed to the media not to spread misinformation over the ongoing strike by members of ASUU.
The president had earlier on July 19, unveiled the new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), affirming that ”the company is mandated by law to ensure that Nigeria’s National Energy Security is guaranteed”.
He said Africa’s largest National Oil Company (NOC) would also support sustainable growth across other sectors of the economy as it delivers energy to the world.
At the event, which featured a Special rendition of the Theme Song ”Energy for today, Energy for tomorrow, Energy for Everyone’‘ by an Ensemble, the president recounted how God had used him to consistently play an important role in shaping the destiny of the country’s NOC in the last 45 years.
President Buhari also presided over meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on July 20 shortly after he inaugurated a compendium of ecological projects undertaken by his administration.
The Council meeting approved contract worth N6 billion as augmentation for the Chochi irrigation project in Adamawa as well as N1.4billion for procurement of aviation equipment.
NAN reports that immediately after the FEC meeting, the president met behind closed doors with the All Progressives Congress Vice Presidential candidate, former Gov. Kashim Shettima, at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The APC vice presidential candidate was accompanied to the State House by Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno.
Buhari also presided over the meeting of the National Security Council on July 21.
Addressing State House correspondents after the security meeting, the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, disclosed that the Federal Government might ban the use of motorcycles and mining activities to check banditry and terrorist activities across the country.
He said the decision was aimed at curtailing the activities of terrorists, who used motorcycles to perpetrate their evil acts as well as mine solid minerals, and use the proceeds to procure arms.
On July 22, President Buhari hosted a delegation from Nasarawa State, where he declared that the off-season elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States had confirmed his administration’s irreversible commitment to credible and violence-free polls in the country.
READ ALSO; ASUU tackles Ngige, says strike continues
He urged the electorate to vote the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general elections to ensure continuity in the polity, and stability in the country and West African region.
The president told the high-powered delegation, led by the State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, that the Electoral Act, signed by him earlier this year, was an attestation of the fulfilment of the administration’s determination and commitment to the tenets of the rule of law.
President Buhari concluded the week with a meeting with stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, on July 22.
Speaking at the event, Buhari said that the unity, security and prosperity of the country would matter most to him beyond his days in office as President, expressing delight that the party was working towards that eventuality.
He thanked members of the delegation “for the kind words on my role in processes leading to the emergence of our candidate and his running mate for the Presidential election in February, next year”.
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
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