Politics
No one can stop my passion, zeal to improve Nigerians’ livelihood – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari in the course of the week reiterated the determination of his administration to uplift the quality of life of the citizens in spite of the harsh socio-economic realities.
He said that the passion and zeal for improving the livelihood of Nigerians had not dwindled, calling for more steadfastness as Nigerians.
The president gave the assurance when he received former State Chairmen of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.
He, however, urged political leaders to stay focused and uphold the ultimate objective of promoting interest of the country.
The president said the self-centeredness that led to the loss of about a million lives between 1967-1970 must not be allowed to repeat itself.
The president, who is also the Minister of Petroleum Resources, had also consented to the acquisition of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited by Seplat Energy Offshore Ltd., a Nigerian outfit.
ExxonMobil, the parent company had earlier entered into a landmark Sale and Purchase Agreement with Seplat Energy to acquire the entire share capital of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited from Exxon Mobil Corporation of the U.S.A.
The agreement would also enable Seplat Energy to acquire share capital from Mobil Development Nigeria Inc., and Mobil Exploration Nigeria Inc., both registered in Delaware, USA.
Mr Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman stated on Monday in Abuja that the president’s consent was in consonance with Nigeria’s drive for increased indigenous participation in the energy sector.
Also on Monday, the president congratulated the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Sports Federations and Associations on the performance of Team Nigeria at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Team Nigeria posted an impressive outing at the competition, finishing seventh on the medals table with 12 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze.
On the same day, Buhari forwarded the name of Muhammad Sabo Lamido to the Senate for confirmation as Executive Commissioner, Finance and Accounts, for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
Buhari, in a letter addressed to President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, said Lamido was being nominated due to the death of Hassan Gambo, who occupied the position until his demise.
The president also received the new Executive Members of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
At the meeting with the NMA officials, Buhari disclosed that the Federal Government had disbursed N100 billion to indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare investors as loans to expand their capital base.
He said it was also meant to boost local production of medicines and medical consumables.
Buhari stated that the loan was extended through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s support to the private pharmaceutical sector.
The president also announced the appointment of former Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office (EPO), Dr Habiba Muda-Lawal, as Special Adviser to him on Policy and Coordination.
Buhari also hosted the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organization, Simon Lalong, in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Lalong, who is also the Governor of Plateau, said he was in the Presidential Villa to thank the president for approving the University of Jos as a national cancer centre.
He also lauded Buahri for granting presidential pardon to the former Governor of the state, Joshua Dariye.
According to him, the people of the State will remain grateful to the president for delivering a lot of democratic dividends to the State.
Also on Wednesday, President Buhari joined members of staff and political appointees in the State House in congratulating the Permanent Secretary, Tijjani Umar, on his 59th birthday.
The president congratulated Umar, his family, friends and professional colleagues on the auspicious occasion.
Buhari appreciated Umar’s efforts, sacrifices and dedication to effective management of the State House.
Buhari unveiled the 2023 National Population and Housing Census Project Document, aimed at promoting robust and informed national conversation on procedures for the census.
He unveiled the document at the National Stakeholders Summit on the 2023 census, organised by the National Population Commission (NPC), in collaboration with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday.
Buhari also hosted representatives of victims of Kaduna train abduction in Abuja, on Thursday.
According to the president, the Federal Government was doing everything within its powers to ensure the safe return of the remaining abducted passengers of the ill-fated Abuja-Kaduna train.
He said, ”since the terrible and cowardly attack by the criminal elements on March 28, the nation had joined them to endure a period of difficulty and emotional pains.”
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Buhari also explained his reason for discarding the use of lethal military force in extracting the remaining abductees.
The president, therefore, condoled with the families of the victims and those who lost their loved ones.
Buhari also on Thursday received the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray and his Management Team, telling them the kind of sub-regional body West African leaders desire and must have.
Buhari, also on Friday in Abuja, received the Management of BUA Group at the State House led by the Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu.
He also inaugurated the National Crisis Management Doctrine (NCMD), to bridge the gap created by extensive deployment of security services through fostering collaboration among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The NCMD, which was developed by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in coordination with relevant MDAs, would ensure greater successes in tackling national crisis.
The president concluded the week with a closed-door meeting with Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo in the presidential villa, Abuja, on Friday.
Uzodinma, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting thanked the president for graciously granting his request that the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Owerri be converted to Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) Teaching Hospital.
He also disclosed that he sought president’s approval for the Alvan Ikoku College of Education to become Federal University of Education, Owerri
The governor spoke extensively on the forthcoming 2023 General Elections.
HE urged the media to pay more attention to issues like the depletion of the country’s crude oil output and the unsettling security situation in the country.
In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden and stabilize the economy, President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday that the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 97 to 65 percent over the 17 months since he took office.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for seven new ministers at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the government’s progress in stabilizing the economy despite challenging conditions.
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“For us, it was a challenge when the nation was servicing its debt with 97 percent of its revenue. It was nothing but the edge of the cliff,” Tinubu said.
“But today, I can report to you that we have brought that down to 65 percent, and we have never defaulted in meeting all obligations, both foreign and domestic.”
His remarks follow Afreximbank’s recent projection that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio could reach 110.4 percent by 2024.
Afreximbank’s 2024 Nigeria Country Brief warned of a troubling upward trend in debt servicing, which could see the ratio surge from 33.8 percent in 2017 to a projected 110.4 percent next year.
However, with continued reforms, the report suggested the ratio might decline to 62.6 percent by 2025.
In the first nine months of 2023, debt servicing consumed 66.9 percent (₦5.79 trillion) of Nigeria’s total revenue, a slight improvement from 99.3 percent (₦4.23 trillion) during the same period in 2022.
Tinubu, while optimistic about economic recovery, acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerians due to a sharp increase in the cost of living triggered by recent economic reforms.
“We have taken the bull by the horns,” the President asserted. “We have stopped the scavengers. We will fully put an end to the profiteers and smugglers of our resources across the country. We are not shirking our responsibility; we are confronting it head-on.”
He further expressed confidence that Nigeria was on a “good path” toward recovery, emphasizing that the government remains committed to re-engineering the economy.
He cited the introduction of a new minimum wage as one measure aimed at mitigating rising living costs.
Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of seven new ministers, part of a recent cabinet reshuffle.
In two batches, ministers including Idi Maiha (Livestock Development) and Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment) took their oaths.
The reshuffle, which saw 10 ministers reassigned, five discharged, and seven new appointments confirmed by the Senate, reflects Tinubu’s stated commitment to reshaping his cabinet to meet Nigeria’s evolving challenges.
As the administration continues to implement reforms, President Tinubu emphasized a long-term vision for economic sustainability, not only for the current generation but also for future ones.
“Despite the challenges, we must undertake the job of re-engineering and retooling this country’s economic path,” he said.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
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The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.
Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.
Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.
In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.
He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.
“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.
It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.
On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.
This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.
The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.
In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.
The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR
“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.
“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.
“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.
“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends. Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.
“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.
“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.
“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.
“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.
“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.
“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.
“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.
“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.
“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.
“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”
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