It Is Too Early To Judge Buhari’s Government – Lai Mohammed

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it is too early to judge the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari based on about 40 out of 1000 appointments made so far.



Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Mr Lai Mohammed, said he believes the President will make the right decisions on appointments and he will be gender friendly.

He debunked reports that some members of the APC have expressed disappointments over the appointments made by the President, insisting that the party is happy about the appointment.

“ I also read online that some APC leaders who chose to remain anonymous, expressed dissatisfaction.

But I can tell u that all the APC members are behind the President on the issue of this appointment”, he stressed.

He, however, disagreed what is being said about the National Chairman of the party, John Oyegun, that APC will be more involved in other appointments of the President.

“ I read the full statement of the National Chairman of my party, and what he said was that, these are personal staff . It’s too early to make a judgment, you do not take part to be the whole.

Future appointments will be different but these are personal staff”, he said.

Talking about personal staff, Mr Mohammed said that “ I have been a Chief of Staff, and as the Chief of Staff, I was the first person the Governor saw in the morning and the last he saw at night almost on a daily basis.

“ As the Chief of Staff, I was the link between the Governor’s personal and public life .

“You can’t choose anybody from any party for that kind of job. There must be a relationship between you and your principal which must be personal”, he maintained.

The National Secretary of the APC opined that the calculation and permutation by Nigerians on who the President will appoint is wrong.

“There should be no fixation on any particular office, going to any particular part of the country.

The fact that it went to a particular part of the country in the previous administration, does not mean it will go there in this present administration”.

He stressed that “what we should focus on is the assurance from the government that in the fullness of time, no part of this country will feel marginalised by the kind of appointments that would be made”.

Speaking about the role of social media in influencing the APC in making decisions on appointments, Mr Mohammed said that “as much as we are going to be a responsive government, clearly, we won’t be stampeded by any opinion to take a decision which clearly does not fit into our own vision”.

While giving his opinion about the future of youths in President Buhari’s administration, Mr Mohammed said that the entire manifesto of the APC is youth centered.

“We would have loved to take off from day one, but this thing needs planning, diligence,and what we met on ground is quite unsettling”, he said.

Rochas appeals to Buhari to consider South East in his appointments

Imo state Governor and Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor’s Forum, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has said that it is too early to begin to judge Buhari’s intention on his appointments and that as far as he is concerned, the president had executed what the office empowers him to do.
Rochas who appealed to the president to consider the South-East in his appointments said as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has the right to make appointments that would make him succeed and nobody should dictate for him who he should appoint or who he should not appoint.
The governor spoke weekend at the end during his meeting with selected stakeholders in the state, urging them to continue supporting the APC governments at all levels, in the country and mostly that of President Mohammadu Buhari.
As the president’s appointments so far affect the South-East, Governor Okorocha said “what I can only do is to continue to appeal to the president to consider the South-East in his appointments. And as far as I am concerned, the president had executed what the office empowers him to do, and it is believed that he did that in the best interest of the nation.”
He continued, “again, most of the appointments the president has so far made are like his personal staff. I don’t think South-East will ever be forgotten in this administration, we will get our due. In fact, if you ask me, I would say we should be more interested in the projects coming down to the South-East, and as much as we can get. The projects will bring about development of the South-East.”
The governor continued on the appointments, “on the appointments as they concern the South-East, there is no cause for alarm. It is too early in the day to begin to judge Buhari’s intention. I think he means well. Let us give him a chance. Nigeria is one nation. A nation for all of us. We must start thinking about the nation rather than thinking about sentiment of where we come from.”
“Although the South-East had expected so much, we believe all will be well with the Buhari presidency and for the development of the South-East. It is wrong for some people to begin to use the issue to incite the people of the South-east against the president. The government is about to celebrate its one hundred days, and the appointments are just beginning to come, and by and large, the South-East will get their dues.”
“The point is that we cannot begin to judge President Buhari with the appointments so far made. We cannot obviously use it to judge his intention. I think he means well for the nation and with every geo-political zone inclusive. So, let us give him a chance.”
The Governor also restated his commitment towards ensuring that many federal projects are cited in the South East zone during the present federal administration than during the previous ones. On the essence of the meeting he held with political stake holders in the state Owelle Okorocha said it was aimed at charting the way forward on the government’s programme of beautifying the state to attract investors, adding that the exercise will be extended to Okigwe and Orlu.
The governor explained that government would establish taskforce committees charged with the responsibility of cleaning up Imo state and relocating markets and parks as to create healthy environments, adding that the joint state and local government committees aimed at reviewing development projects executed in rural and urban areas of the state will be set up.

Buhari is a President of the North – Fayose

 Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said a critical look at President Mohammadu Buhari operation since his emergence in May 29, 2015, portrays him as a president of the Northern Nigeria only.
Fayose, who described such development as tainted in ethnic and tribal colouration, posited that if such steps are not immediately addressed for equity and justice, it could threaten the unity of Nigeria.
Fayose explained that appointments made by President Buhari has showed an agenda for a deliberate “Nothernisation of Nigeria,”
In his words, “appointments made by the President so far negate the principle of federal character and it
appears the unity in diversity of Nigeria is being taken for granted by the President.”
According to a statement issued on Monday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said it was wrong for President Buhari to have made 31 major appointments and only seven will come from the South while 24 were from the North.
He asked; “Under Buhari, are people from Southern Nigeria only meant to be hounded and harassed by anti-corruption agencies and the Department of State Security (DSS) while those from the North are meant to enjoy federal government juicy appointments?”
The governor said “apart from lopsided appointments being made by the President, I am worried that construction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway has been slowed down while work has stopped on Lokoja-Abuja roads, which are the major roads linking the Southern part of Nigeria with the North.
“Also, we have been told by the Federal Government that the Second Niger Bridge project has been suspended and one is now beginning to remember how Buhari cancelled the Lagos Metroline Project in 1985 at a loss of over $78 million (then) to the Lagos tax payers.”
Governor Fayose, who maintained that Nigeria can only move forward if there was equity and fairness, said those who made the country’s constitution and enshrined the principle of Federal Character were
mindful of the ethnic diversity of the country, adding that President Buhari’s running Nigeria as if he was a Northern Nigeria’s President was not in the interest of the country.
“They said the President made the appointments on merit and I wish to ask whether there are no competent people in the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southern part of Nigeria, especially South-East where no one has been appointed.
“Are they saying Igbo leader like Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who graduated with a first class honours degree in Chemical Engineering at the
University of Lagos, is not competent to be appointed as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)?
“To my mind, these lopsided appointments skewed in favour of the North is a reminder of President Buhari’s tenure as Military Head of State and I hope the President is not seeing Nigeria of today a that of 1984 because doing so will mean that he has turned himself to a northern president, thereby justifying his notion that those who gave him 97 percent votes must get more benefits than those who gave him five percent votes.”

Probe: Jonathan holds meeting with ex-ministers

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has met with some members of his cabinet in a bid to defend his integrity.
He was said to have told the former ministers that he was “not a thief in office as being portrayed”.
He explained how he met President Muhammadu Buhari for 20 minutes on two issues.
They are:

• advising Buhari against subjecting his person and former cabinet members to “media trial” on alleged corruption and;
• why the Election Petition Tribunals in Rivers and Akwa Ibom should be allowed to work unhindered.

He deplored what he called the involvement of the Department of State Security Service(DSS) on election-related matters in the two states.
According to sources, the meeting was held at Jonathan’s Abuja home  a few days  ago.
It was gathered that about 15 former ministers (including two who were recalled from London) and some former security chiefs attended.
One of the former media aides in the Presidency attended the “strictly private” session to put issues in the correct perspective at the right time.
But the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is central to the allegations against Jonathan, was absent.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said the session was “a frank and fact-finding” against the backdrop of plans by the Buhari administration to probe Jonathan’s tenure.
The source said: “The ex-President confided in the meeting that he was worried that the gains of his administration were being washed away daily by the allegations of corruption being reeled out by the government.
“He said he called the session to set the records straight and get facts because his administration was not enjoying any benefit of doubt among Nigerians, especially the media.
“At a point, Jonathan, in an emotional manner told the meeting that ‘I am not a thief in office as being portrayed.”
Another source said the former President asked all the ex-ministers to “brace for the probe ahead and keep their records intact to reply Buhari’s administration on issues being raised.
“The ex-ministers unanimously agreed that there were better sides of Jonathan’s administration than being painted as a tenure of graft.
“The key ministries, such as Works, Finance, Health, Aviation, Education and even Petroleum Resources were mandated to produce lists of achievements.
“Some of the ex-ministers lamented that the Permanent Secretaries proving to Buhari as holier-than-thou were part of the Jonathan administration and they even made input into the handover notes.”
Responding to a question, the source said: “Jonathan and the ex-ministers admitted that the administration might have some issues to clear in the management of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
“But they said the situation was not as bad in the oil sector as being alleged.”
A third source said: “I think we should expect some fireworks in the next few days. The meeting resolved to reach out to the public in the same equal weight the allegations of corruption will be  released by the Buhari administration.
“But there was a word of caution that any response must not be abusive. The President personally appointed a former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, to sign any statement on cabinet issues.
It was learnt that some of the ex-Ministers asked Jonathan what he actually discussed with Buhari.
“The President said he raised two issues with President Buhari within 20 minutes. This border on the need to avoid media trial on any allegation of corruption being looked into. He said he told Buhari that his image and members of his cabinet were being dragged in the mud. He said even in law, an accused person is deemed innocent until proven guilty.
“Jonathan also said he asked Buhari to leave the Election Petition Tribunals in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states to do their work instead of the hounding of some INEC officials and politicians by DSS.”

DSS nabs Boko Haram suspects in Lagos, others

Operatives vow to frustrate sect’s activities
Detectives have arrested 19 suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Lagos, Enugu, Plateau, Kano and Gombe states.
The suspects were some of the commanders and frontline members of the sect who had played active roles in its bloody campaign, particularly in the Northeastern.
The suspects, who were arrested between July 8 and August 24, included those that coordinated and executed suicide attacks in Potiskum, Kano, Zaria and Jos.
The Department of State Service (DSS) broke the news yesterday in a statement signed by its spokesman Tony Opiuyo.
One of the suspects, Usman Shuaibu (a.k.a Money), revealed that he coordinated the attacks with N500,000 which was provided by his Amir, Isa Ali, the DSS said.
“Shuaibu claimed that the said Isa Ali has links to the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, from where he collects monies to fund operations undertaken by their Markaz.
“Also, he revealed that he has participated in several Boko Haram attacks, including the attacks at Gwoza Divisional Police Station in 2014.
“Shuabu also admitted being the leader of the team of nine sect members that was dispatched from Sambisa Forest to carry out the attacks. He disclosed that four out of the nine of them were used as suicide bombers in executing all the suicide attacks,” the statement added.
Another suspect, Ahmed Mohammed (a.k.a Abubakar) who the Service described as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert, confessed to having prepared the IEDs used for most of the suicide attacks in the Northeast.
He was also quoted by the DSS to have confessed that he prepared the IED strapped to the vests worn by a suicide bomber and his wives which they used in the recent Jos attacks.
Also in the net is Adamu Abdullahi (aka Babpa) who was said to have confessed that Usman Shuaibu motivated him to work closely with Ahmed Mohammed (aka Abubakar) in the preparation of the IEDs used in the said attacks.
Another of the suspects, Ibrahim Isa, reportedly confessed that he carried out reconnaissance on the targets in Jos ahead of the attacks.
Muttaqa Yusuf (aka Mohammed Sani/Mudtaka) was said to have named Aliyu, who is believed to be the notorious Aliyu Gombe of Sambisa forest, as the one who ordered the serial attacks which the syndicate carried out at various locations in the Northeastern part of the country.
He was said to have confessed that he assisted Shuabu in planning and executing the said attacks.
Other suspects arrested in various parts of Lagos include: Bakura Modu, Mustapha Alli Jamneri, Abuyi Sherriff, Babangida Ali, Babangida Koloye, Abba  Modu Sagma and Grema Abubakar, Tijani Bagudu, Baba Alhaji and Abbas Ibrahim, Adam Wakil Abdul Jilbe and Mohammed Usman.
Ibrahim Audu was arrested in Enugu; Ibrahim Haruna was arrested in Gombe, Mal Ali Mohamodu was arrested in Kano.
The DSS said the terrorists have decided to spread to other parts of the country as a result of the pressure being put on them in their core areas of strength in the Northeast.
“Nigerians and indeed the general public have to note that the arrest of Usman Shuaibu (Money) and the core members of his cell, stemmed the spate of bombings by the extremist sect.
“Money and his group were arrested on their way to Bauchi State where they had planned to execute another heart-rending bomb attack and this was frustrated by the arrest.
“Furthermore, the sudden influx of Boko Haram members into Lagos State points to the determination of the sect to extend its nefarious terrorist activities to the state and, in fact, other parts of the country.
“The arrest of these confessed terrorist elements has, however, helped in no small measure to avert devastating attacks in the area. However, the Service is making efforts to conclude its investigations and commence prosecution of the suspects.”
“Drawing from the above, the DSS reiterates its avowed determination to work with other stakeholders in the fight against terror and other forms of criminality in our country.
“Citizens and residents are, therefore, called upon to rise to the occasion by volunteering useful information to the Service and other relevant security agencies,” the DSS stated.

Fresh $6.9m Fraud Uncovered Against Jonathan, Diezani, Obuah

One of the investigative panels constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari- to trace and recover stolen funds has uncovered a fraud of $6.9 million, allegedly perpetrated by key officials of the administration of president Goodluck Jonathan.
Findings by the panel revealed that at a point in the life of the Jonathan administration, the alleged $6.9 million was purportedly spent on the purchase of three 40-feet mobile stages for use during mass public speaking events.
Findings by those saddled with the job of unearthing cases of sleaze in the country, revealed former President Goodluck Jonathan, his Chief Security Officer (CSO), O.J. Obuah and former Petroleum Minister, Deziani Allison Madueke, were allegedly involved in the mobile stages deal.
A reliable source told LEADERSHIP Sunday that Obuah initiated a memo dated October 17, 2011, to the former president, seeking his approval for the purchase of three mobile stages.
The source who is one of the investigators, noted that apart from the sum for the stages being incredibly inflated as confirmed by experts in the industry, there was no evidence yet that any of such stages was purchased.
He said the industry experts confirmed that while the cost of mobile stages is determined by the size and designs, “only outlandish rock star musicians in Europe and the US spend hundreds of thousands on their huge stages that are bigger than the 40-feet stages.
“Even then, those musicians and super stars would not pay over $2m per stage, according to industry sources.”
Besides, the source said the offices of the Auditor-general and the Accountant-general were not informed about the process of procurement of the three mobile stages, which is not known to extant Nigerian laws and due process regulations.
“There are no records of this purchase which was carried out late 2011,” the source hinted, adding that this purchase was carried out just few months after Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election for a full term after completing the late President Umaru Yar’adua’s tenure.
He quoted Jonathan’s CSO as telling the former president in the memo that this is regarding “my earlier discussion with Your Excellency on the security implication of your public appearances and your subsequent directive on the need to procure a secured presidential platform.”
“And on the same day, without any financial advice or purchase order reviews, the former president minuted an approval of the request to buy the three stages to the then minister of petroleum resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Maduekwe,” the source noted.
He also quoted Jonathan as stating in his minute that, “we have discussed this, please deal,” after which he initiated the memo. He added that after the former president had approved the deal on the same October 17, the senior special assistant to the president on administrative matters, Matt Aikhionbare, wrote another letter on the strength of the president’s approval, requesting the petroleum minister to take action on the request to purchase the stages for $6.9m.
The source further stated that it became obvious that the money was released by the next month when the NNPC raised a payment voucher with number 3840336, in which it directed that the money be taken from one of its accounts in New York, United States of America.
Findings further revealed that the money was first routed from the US bank to an NNPC account in one of the branches of a commercial bank in Maitama, Abuja, from where the money was sent to a private account.
It was gathered that the sum of $6.9m was then credited to another account in another commercial bank, belonging to an Abuja-based logistics firm, and linked to one of those allegedly involved in the deal.
The source said specifically that the $6.9miilion in question was promptly paid on November 29, 2011, into a private account belonging to the former CSO.
Investigators said that while the CSO himself was yet to show proof of the purchase, his bosses at the SSS were angry that he took the initiative to write such a memo requesting for the mobile stages, an action officials say was way above his pay grade.
“It is not the duty or responsibility of the CSO to make the determination on that purchase. He was meant to have informed the service, which will then review the situation and act accordingly,” an official of one of the security agencies conducting the investigation said.
The source added, “what has happened here is that the former president and the former minister with the collusion of the CSO decided to dip their hands into the public till and steal public funds for other purposes since no one has found the stages as we speak.
“The former president approved the procurement of the mobile platforms without due process and bye-passing the Procurement Act, neither was there appropriation in the 2011 budget for such facility.”
According to the source, it is even quite curious that that neither the minister of finance nor the Director-general of the Budget Office was aware of the deal.
This, he alleged, is just one of the several instances where the Jonathan administration used secret NNPC accounts to fund many questionable projects and for alleged personal financial aggrandisements.
The federal government investigators and security agencies say this is just one of the tons of allegedly corrupt practices that were frequently engaged and condoned under the presidency of the immediate past president.
LEADERSHIP Sunday recalls that the CSO has since been questioned over his role and activities in the Jonathan presidency when he was arrested, detained, questioned and later released.
The Buhari government has been under pressure to make real its determination to probe allegations of corruption perpetrated by past administration.
Following this, the National Economic Council (NEC) at its meeting on June 29, in Aso Rock, queried the non-remittance of some of the finances generated by the NNPC into the federation account.
The council made stunning revelations including that while the NNPC claimed it earned about N8.1trillion in the last two years, what it paid into the federation account in the same period was about N4.3 trillion.
The balance was said to have been kept in several secret accounts operated by the corporation, allowing the former president and his cronies access to such unknown accounts to do with money kept there as they pleased.
Determined to unravel the shady deals, NEC set up a four man committee made up of Governors of Edo, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Gombe to investigate the alleged missing money.
Apart from submitting an interim report to NEC, the committee also appointed financial experts to conduct forensic audit of the accruals into the federation account and the withdrawals from the excess crude account.
In a bid to plug some of the procedural loopholes that aid and abet corruption, President Buhari had also directed that all revenue-generating agencies of government including the NNPC should now pay all revenues to a Treasury Single Account (TSA).

Jonathan’s Aides To Buhari: We Are Not Afraid Of Your Probe

Federal ministers under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Sunday declared support for the planned probes by President Muhammadu Buhari of their tenures in office but cautioned him against any form of witch-hunt.
The ministers, who decried the lynch mentality created by the current administration to discredit their contributions while in office, said their former boss, Goodluck Jonathan, never supported corruption noting that he fought corruption vigorously, within the context of the rule of law and due process.
The ministers further declared that the improvements that were currently noticed in the power sector, national security, social services and other sectors were results of the foundations laid by the last administration.
They dared Buhari to release copies of the hand-over notes he received from Jonathan’s administration.
The former ministers stated these in a statement signed on their behalf by former minister of National Planning, Dr Abubakar O. Suleiman.

The statement read in part, “we, the Ministers who served under the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, have watched with increasing alarm and concern the concerted effort by the Buhari administration and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to condemn, ridicule and undermine the efforts of that administration, in addition to impugning the integrity of its individual members.
“While we concede that every administration has the right to chart its own path as it deems fit, we nevertheless consider the vilification of the Jonathan administration, to be ill-intentioned, unduly partisan, and in bad faith.
“The effort that has been made to portray each and every member of the Jonathan administration as corrupt and irresponsible, in an orchestrated and vicious trial by media, has created a lynch mentality that discredits our honest contributions to the growth and development of our beloved nation.
“We are proud to have served Nigeria and we boldly affirm that we did so diligently and to the best of our abilities. The improvements that have been noticed today in the power sector, in national security, and in social services and other sectors did not occur overnight.
They are products of solid foundations laid by the same Jonathan administration.”
They noted that contrary to what the APC and its agents would rather have the public believe, the Jonathan administration did not encourage corruption.
They said “it fought corruption vigorously, within the context of the rule of law and due process. For the benefit of those who may have forgotten so soon, it was the Jonathan administration that got rid of the fraud in fertilizer subsidies, which had plagued the country for decades. This helped to unleash a revolution in agricultural production and productivity.
“It was also the Jonathan administration that supported the institutional development of strong systems and mechanisms to curb corruption in the public service and plug revenue leakages. These included the development of the Government Integrated Financial Management Platform, The Single Treasury Account (TSA), and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management Systems (IPPIS), in addition to the biometric registration of civil servants and pensioners which saved the country over N100 billion paid to ghost workers and ghost pensioners.
“To ensure greater transparency and integrity in the oil and gas sector, the Jonathan administration ordered investigations and put mechanisms in place to check the theft of Nigeria’s crude oil.
“It was also under the Jonathan administration that a Nigerian Content policy was introduced, which opened up that sector to Nigerians in a manner that was not previously the case.
“It was also the Jonathan administration that mobilized and secured the support of our neighbouring countries to ensure a robust multinational response to the menace of terrorism and insurgency, resulting in notable advancements in the fight against terror.
“President Jonathan personally initiated the collaboration that led to these advancements and ensured that Nigeria provided the needed financial support for the Multinational Joint Task Force.
“It was the Jonathan administration that repaired and rehabilitated over 25, 000 kilometres of our nation’s roads. Nigeria also became a profitable and preferred investment-friendly destination. It was under President Jonathan, for example, that Nigeria’s electric power sector became more competitive and attractive to local and foreign investments.
“The same administration promoted the rule of law, free speech, fundamental human rights, and a robust freedom of information regime. Women’s rights to participate in public life and the Federal Character principle as well as other Constitutional principles were also respected.
“In every respect, our administration promoted inclusive governance and encouraged all stakeholders including the private sector to play key roles in the transformation of Nigeria.
“It should also not be forgotten that the Jonathan administration strengthened electoral institutions and created a peaceful environment for democracy to thrive. On this score, it is sad and ironic that the chief beneficiaries of that same legacy are the most vociferous today in condemning President Jonathan and his team.”
While they charged the new administration and the APC to be fair enough to acknowledge the good works of the Jonathan administration, they dared them to be sincere enough to publish the details of the hand over notes they received.
The former ministers who admitted that no administration can be either completely bad or completely good, however urged the current administration to acknowledge the achievements of its immediate predecessor and build on it.
“We also urge him to press on with the anti-corruption fight, but in a fair and non-partisan manner, in line with due process, and not as a political witch-hunt.
“The various lies and fabrications being peddled by some self-appointed spokespersons of the administration may entertain the unwary, but such sensationalism may achieve the unintended effect of de-marketing our country within the international community.
“All such persons playing to the gallery for whatever gains should be called to order. The name-calling of members of the Jonathan administration and the trial by news media should also stop.
“We encourage President Buhari to continue with the probes, but this must be in strict accordance with his oath of office to treat all Nigerians equally and with the fear of God.
“We have reserved our comment until now, in the fervent hope that once the euphoria that may have inspired the various attacks on the past administration wears off, reason will prevail.
“But we are constrained to speak up in defence of the legacy of the Jonathan administration, and shall do so again, for as long as those who are determined to rubbish that legacy, are unrelenting in their usual deployment of blackmail, persecution, and similar tactics.”

Breaking news: Stop insulting Jonathan, ex-ministers tell Buhari

Ministers, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan have told President Muhammadu Buhari to stop unwarranted attacks on the former president.

Goodluck Jonathan and  Muhammadu Buhari

They have also asked Buhari to show respect to Jonathan in his actions and utterances as a former president of Nigeria, who paved the way for his emergence.

The ministers made the call in a joint statement released in Abuja on Sunday.

The former ministers maintained that it was wrong for the Buhari administration to cast aspersion on Jonathan and the ministers who worked under him, deliberately discrediting the monumental achievements and the innovative measures it adopted to tackle corruption in the country.

The former officials in a joint statement released in Abuja on Sunday and signed by former National Planning Minister, Dr Abubakar O. Suleiman pointed out that while Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress had the right to chart their path, they considered the vilification of the Jonathan’s administration as ill-intentioned, unduly partisan, and in bad faith.

They said it was also wrong for the new administration to portray each and every member of the Jonathan administration as corrupt and irresponsible.

The former ministers who boasted that they served Nigeria diligently and to the best of their ability, pointed out that the results of their sweat was what Nigerians were enjoying under the Buhari administration and should be so applauded rather than being vilified.

They insisted that contrary to the claim by the APC, Jonathan did not encourage corruption but rather devised means and measures to stamp out corruption within the context of the rule of law.

While calling on Buhari to carry out the probe of whoever he wants to probe, the ministers advised that such inquiry must however follow due process and respect for human rights.

The statement said: “We, the ministers who served under the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, have watched with increasing alarm and concern the concerted effort by the Buhari administration and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to condemn, ridicule and undermine the efforts of that administration, in addition to impugning the integrity of its individual members.

Don’t be northern Nigeria’s president,

ABUJA—Elder Statesman and former Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, UN, Maitama Sule, has charged President-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari, to see himself as a Nigerian President and not only President of  Northern Nigeria when sworn in on May 29. Referring to Buhari’s election as an act of God, Sule also asked him to use the opportunity to correct the social ills of the past.

Maitama Sule spoke yesterday, when he led a delegation of northern elders, including Professor Ango Abudalhi, to pay a congratulatory visit to Buhari in Abuja.

According to him, God granted Nigeria a peaceful election against scary predictions that the country would disintegrate in 2015.

Extolling the virtues of discipline and uprightness in Buhari, the elder states man also urged him to relentlessly pursue justice and make truth his watch word throughout his tenure.

He said:  “You are the president of Nigeria, you are not the president of Northern Nigeria by the grace of God. Your excellency, we have come to congratulate you.

‘’We first of all thank God. What has recently happened to Nigeria is an act of God. Nobody can claim credit for it. Allah has done it for us. Allah has listened to our prayers and our pleas to bring about this change, a change for the betterment of all.

“Nobody expected that the elections would be peaceful, nobody expected that the elections would not lead to the disintegration of the country. By the grace of God, the elections were held peacefully.

‘’We are living in peace with one another. By the grace of God, power will also be handed over to you  (Buhari) and we’ll be living peacefully thereafter by the grace of God.

“On many occasions, I’ve called   for a revolution  but I made it quite clear that I was not calling for a violent or bloody revolution.

“I wanted a kind of revolution led by Mahatma Gandhi, non-violent, bloodless revolution with the philosophy of Sathia Gria. A revolution is a change of attitude.

“Glory be to God, having listened to our prayers, he gave us somebody who has a good record of being a man of God, a truthful man, a man of integrity, a man of discipline.

‘’Yes, you (Buhari) were a military leader. I’ve always said it that when you were a military leader, you instilled discipline into our society.  You fought corruption and you gave Nigeria a sense of direction.

“I am sure you will not compromise your principle but you’ll bring justice, wisdom and diplomacy. I’m sure you’ll not compromise your principline. Let it be the same Buhari that gave the country a sense of direction when he was a military leader.”

Second Niger Bridge: Former Works Minister disgraces debt ridden Oshiomhole with pictorial evidence

A former Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, has denied the allegation by the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, that the Goodluck Jonathan-administration paid the sum of N140bn to consultants for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge.

Onolememen, who made the denial in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Tony Ikpasaja, made available toThe PUNCH on Thursday, accused the governor of misleading Nigerians with “wild and spurious” allegations.

The statement noted that the Second Niger Bridge was a Public Private Partnership project being executed on the Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer model at the cost of N108bn and that only N10bn, out of the refundable N30bn funding from Federal Government, was paid through the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme.

The statement reads, “The Federal Government of Nigeria, guided by the Transaction Adviser, Roughton International, agreed to provide a refundable Catalytic Funding of N30bn. By May 2015, N10bn Catalytic Funding was paid from the Federal Ministry of Works’ SURE-P Budget to fast-track the early and sub-structural works of the bridge. This implies that the successful concessionaire, JB-NSIA Consortium, has responsibility for the design, finance and construction of the project, as well as its operation.

“The total project cost is N108bn (excluding duties and Value Added Tax) with a completion period of about 48 months. This cost was arrived at, after BPP’s (Bureau of Public Procurement) review of the concessionaire’s submitted cost of N138bn.”

“The bridge located at about 2km downstream the existing Niger Bridge in Onitsha, has recorded impressive progress. One wonders therefore, the intentions of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in deliberately misinforming Nigerians on the true status of the 2nd Niger Bridge.”

Human rights lawyer berates Buhari over sectional appointments
HUMAN rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has berated President Muhammadu Buhari over recent appointments.

Adegboruwa described the appointments as disregard for unity and progress of the country and wants them reversed, saying: “I believe it is totally wrong to concentrate all major appointments in just one section of the country, in this case the north.

“Virtually all major positions, from the President to the National Assembly, judiciary, financial sector and the armed forces, among others, are mostly occupied by candidates from the north in total disregard of the provisions of the constitution.
“It is envisaged that in the course of running the affairs of the country, the President will carry the entire sections of the country along, especially in very sensitive appointments. With the latest appointments of his Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Federal Government, heads of Immigration and Customs coming from the north, the general feeling is that the President is ruling on behalf of a particular section of the country and does not care about the feelings or concerns of the other sections.”
According to him, section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that major appointments should not be concentrated in any particular section or region of the country, and that “all actions of government should give due observance to the principle of federal character and the equitable distribution of all positions to give a sense of belonging to every section of the country.
“Furthermore, section 42 of the Constitution prohibits any form of discrimination on the grounds of race or geographical location. These and other constitutional provisions have been wantonly disregarded by the President since he came into office.”

Group Blasts Buhari Over Exclusion Of S’East On Appointments
South East Progressive Assembly say Buhari is delibrately excluding Ndigbo from his administration.
An apex socio-political group known as South East Progressive Assembly(SEPA) has taken a swipe on President Mohammadu Buhari for shunning Ndigbo in the appointments so far made since he assumed office as President and Commander-in- Chief of Nigerian Armed Forces.

In a statement titled “President Buhari’s Appointment and Ndigbo” signed by Ebere Uzoukwa, President of SEPA and made available to newsmen, the group posited that the recent appointment of Secretary to Federal Government, Chief of Staff, Controller General of Customs and Immigration from the northern part of the country has clearly proven that President Buhari does not have any plan to include Ndigbo in his government. SEPA, however warned that total exclusion of Ndigbo at the APC-controlled Federal Government may resurrect Biafra agitation by Ndigbo.
The statement reads: “The South East progressives Assembly(SEPA) has observed with dismay the lopsided and the glaringly non-federal character compliant appointments so far made by President Mohammed Buhari since he assumed office as President and Commanderin- Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The most recent appointment of the Secretary to Federal Government(SGF), Chief of Staff, Controller General of Customs, Controller General, Immigrations, as well as Senior Special Assistants on Legislative Matters for Senate and House of Representatives from the northern part of the country has clearly proven that South East zone in the eyes of President Mohammad Buhari, is not a component of Nigeria.
“Recall that President Buhari has vindictively disengaged about five persons from South East holding various plum positions at the federal establishments and hurriedly replaced them with his northern kinsmen. This is even as the furore generated by President Buhari over the alleged appointment of his cousin Mrs. Amina Zakari and brother Alhaji Daura as INEC acting chairman and Director of DSS respectively is still raging in the political arena.
The deliberate exclusion of the South East from President Buhari- led Federal Government portends grave implications. First, the resurrection of Biafra agitation by majority of Ndigbo. Secondly, total rejection of APC in the South East. Thirdly, political and fatal downfall of some APC leaders in South East.
It is in view of the foregoing that SEPA sympathizes with our political leaders in APC that not only campaigned vigorously for President Buhari, but risked their precious lives to prevent electoral manipulation and rigging from the South East zone that could have returned the former president to office. “Also recall that His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha had predicted a better political deal for Ndigbo under the umbrella of the APC.

Lopsided Appointments? Make Unna Go Find Job – Festus Keyamo

The so-called “uproar” over the perceived “lopsided” appointments made so far by President Buhari is nothing but an orchestrated frustration of a few jobless politicians who depend only on government appointments as their means of livelihood and, of course, the noise of the latest opposition party in town. The majority of Nigerians want to see good governance, pure and simple, and care less about the ethnic origin of those appointed into positions.

My worry is that the decade-long general division of government positions into “juicy” and “non-juicy”, and the mentality that these few “juicy” positions must be shared equally amongst the major ethnic groups was nothing but a contraption of the old order from which we have just liberated ourselves.
To my mind, all government appointments pose an equal challenge to those appointed as a call to higher service of fatherland. All public positions come with an equal responsibility to be honest, forthright and dedicated. To go further to classify them as “juicy” or “non-juicy is just a euphemism for positions that have enough money from which to steal and those that are “dry”. Therefore, any agitation from a section of the country to get “juicy” positions is only an agitation for their kinsmen to be appointed to steal enough from which they would benefit.
I therefore unreservedly condemn, in the strongest of terms, the so-called “uproar” about “juicy positions” going only to a certain section of this country. All sections of this country should be happy and content with whatever positions that the President deems fit, at the end of the day, to give to their kinsmen.
After all, the President still has a long way to go with appointments. He has not even filled up to five percent of available positions.
Please, let the President be.
Thank you.
FESTUS KEYAMO, ESQ