Full Text of President Buhari’s Democracy Day Speech

My Compatriots,

It is one year today since our administration came into office. It has been a year of triumph, consolidation, pains and achievements. By age, instinct and experience, my preference is to look forward, to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead and rededicate the administration to the task of fixing nigeria. But I believe we can also learn from the obstacles we have overcome and the progress we made thus far, to help strengthen the plans that we have in place to put nigeria back on the path of progress.
We affirm our belief in democracy as the form of government that best assures the active participation and actual benefit of the people. Despite the many years of hardship and disappointment the people of this nation have proved inherently good, industrious tolerant, patient and generous.
The past years have witnessed huge flows of oil revenues. From 2010 average oil prices were $100 per barrel. But economic and security conditions were deteriorating. We campaigned and won the election on the platform of restoring security, tackling corruption and restructuring the economy. On our arrival, the oil price had collapsed to as low as $30 per barrel and we found nothing had been kept for the rainy day. Oil prices have been declining since 2014 but due to the neglect of the past, the country was not equipped to halt the economy from declining.
The infrastructure, notably rail, power, roads were in a decrepit state. All the four refineries were in a state of disrepair, the pipelines and depots neglected.
Huge debts owed to contractors and suppliers had accumulated. Twenty-seven states could not pay salaries for months. In the north-east, Boko haram had captured 14 local governments, driven the local authorities out, hoisted their flags. Elsewhere, insecurity was palpable; corruption and impunity were the order of the day. In short, we inherited a state near collapse.
On the economic front, all oil dependent countries, nigeria included, have been struggling since the drop in prices. Many oil rich states have had to take tough decisions similar to what we are doing. The world, nigeria included has been dealing with the effects of three significant and simultaneous global shocks starting in 2014:
A 70% drop in oil prices.
Global growth slowdown.
Normalization of monetary policy by the united states federal reserve.
Our problems as a government are like that of a farmer who in a good season harvests ten bags of produce. The proceeds enable him to get by for rest of the year. However, this year he could only manage 3 bags from his farm. He must now think of other ways to make ends meet.
From day one, we purposely set out to correct our condition, to change nigeria. We reinforced and galvanized our armed forces with new leadership and resources. We marshaled our neighbours in a joint task force to tackle and defeat boko haram. By the end of december 2015, all but pockets and remnants had been routed by our gallant armed forces. Our immediate focus is for a gradual and safe return of internally displaced persons in safety and dignity and for the resumption of normalcy in the lives of people living in these areas.
Efcc was given the freedom to pursue corrupt officials and the judiciary was alerted on what nigerians expect of them in the fight against corruption. On the economy, in particular foreign exchange and fuel shortages, our plan is to save foreign exchange by fast tracking repair of the refineries and producing most of our fuel requirements at home. And by growing more food in nigeria, mainly rice, wheat and sugar we will save billions of dollars in foreign exchange and drastically reduce our food import bill.
We resolved to keep the naira steady, as in the past, devaluation had done dreadful harm to the nigerian economy. Furthermore, I support the monetary authority’s decision to ensure alignment between monetary policy and fiscal policy. We shall keep a close look on how the recent measures affect the naira and the economy. But we cannot get away from the fact that a strong currency is predicated on a strong economy. And a strong economy pre-supposes an industrial productive base and a steady export market. The measures we must take, may lead to hardships. The problems nigerians have faced over the last year have been many and varied. But the real challenge for this government has been reconstructing the spine of the nigerian state. The last twelve months have been spent collaborating with all arms of government torevive our institutions so that they are more efficient and fit for purpose:
That means a bureaucracy better able to develop and deliver policy
That means an independent judiciary, above suspicion and able to defend citizen’s rights and dispense justice equitably.
That means a legislature that actually legislates effectively and
Above all; that means political parties and politicians committed to serving the nigerian people rather than themselves.
These are the pillars of the state on which democracy can take root and thrive. But only if they are strong and incorruptible. Accordingly, we are working very hard to introduce some vital structural reforms in the way we conduct government business and lay a solid foundation on which we can build enduring change.
An important first step has been to get our housekeeping right. So we have reduced the extravagant spending of the past. We started boldly with the treasury single account, stopping the leakages in public expenditure.
We then identified forty-three thousand ghost workers through the integrated payroll and personal information system. That represents pay packets totaling N4.2 billion stolen every month. In addition, we will save twenty-three billion per annum from official travelling and sitting allowances alone.
Furthermore, the efficiency unit will cut costs and eliminate duplications in ministries and departments. Every little saving helps. The reduction in the number of ministries and work on restructuring and rationalization of the mdas is well underway. When this work is complete we will have a leaner, more efficient public service that is fit for the purpose of changing nigeria for the good and for good.
As well as making savings, we have changed the way public money is spent. In all my years as a public servant, I have never come across the practice of padding budgets. I am glad to tell you now we not only have a budget, but more importantly, we have a budget process that is more transparent, more inclusive and more closely tied to our development priorities than in the recent past. 30% of the expenditure in this budget is devoted to capital items. Furthermore, we are projecting non-oil revenues to surpass proceeds from oil. Some critics have described the budget exercise as clumsy. Perhaps. But it was an example of consensus building, which is integral to democratic government. In the end we resolved our differences.
We have, therefore, delivered significant milestones on security, corruption and the economy. In respect of the economy, I would like to directly address you on the very painful but inevitable decisions we had to make in the last few weeks specifically on the pump price of fuel and the more flexible exchange rate policy announced by the central bank. It is even more painful for me that a major producer of crude oil with four refineries that once exported refined products is today having to import all of its domestic needs. This is what corruption and mismanagement has done to us and that is why we must fight these ills.
As part of the foundation of the new economy we have had to reform how fuel prices had traditionally been fixed. This step was taken only after protracted consideration of its pros and cons. After comprehensive investigation my advisers and I concluded that the mechanism was unsustainable.
We are also engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: significant amount of assets have been recovered. A considerable portion of these are at different stages of recovery. Full details of the status and categories of the assets will now be published by the ministry of information and updated periodically. When forfeiture formalities are completed these monies will be credited to the treasury and be openly and transparently used in funding developmental projects and the public will be informed.
On the Niger Delta, we are committed to implementing the united nations environment programme report and are advancing clean-up operations. I believe the way forward is to take a sustainable approach to address the issues that affect the delta communities. Re-engineering the amnesty programmes is an example of this. The recent spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and power installations will not distract us from engaging leaders in the region in addressing niger delta problems. If the militants and vandals are testing our resolve, they are much mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators and their sponsors and bring them to justice.
The policy measures and actions taken so far are not to be seen as some experiment in governance. We are fully aware that those vested interests who have held nigeria back for so long will not give up without a fight. They will sow divisions, sponsor vile press criticisms at home and abroad, incite the public in an effort to create chaos rather than relinquish the vice-like grip they have held on nigeria.
The economic misfortune we are experiencing in the shape of very low oil prices has provided us with an opportunity to restructure our economy and diversify. We are in the process of promoting agriculture, livestocks, exploiting our solid mineral resources and expanding our industrial and manufacturing base. That way, we will import less and make the social investments necessary to allow us to produce a large and skilled workforce.
Central Bank of Nigeria will offer more fiscal incentives for business that prove capable of manufacturing products that are internationally competitive. We remain committed to reforming the regulatory framework, for investors by improving the ease of doing business in nigeria.
Meanwhile, the first steps along the path of self-sufficiency in rice, wheat and sugar – big users of our scarce foreign exchange – have been taken. The labour intensive farming enterprise (life), will boost the economy and ensure inclusive growth in long neglected communities. Special intervention funds through the bank of agriculture will provide targeted support. Concerns remain about rising cost of foods such as maize, rice, millet, beans and gari. Farmers tell me that they are worried about the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and the absence of extension services. The federal and state governments are on the same page in tackling these hurdles in our efforts at increased food production and ultimately food security.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the increasing role that our women are playing in revitalizing the agricultural sector. Modern farming is still hard and heavy work and I salute our nigerian women in sharing this burden. In this respect I am very pleased to announce that the government will shortly be launching the national women’s empowerment fund, which I have approved to provide N1.6 billion in micro-finance loans to women across the nation to assist in rehabilitating the economies of rural communities, particularly those impacted by the insurgency and conflict.
With respect to solid minerals, the minister has produced a roadmap where we will work closely with the world bank and major international investors to ensure through best practices and due diligence that we choose the right partners. Illegal mining remains a problem and we have set up a special security team to protect our assets. Special measures will be in place to protect miners in their work environment.
For too long, ours has been a society that neglects the poor and victimizes the weak. A society that promotes profit and growth over development and freedom. A society that fails to recognize that, to quote the distinguished economist amartya sen “ poverty is not just lack of money. It is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential as a human being.”
So, today, I am happy to formally launch, by far the most ambitious social protection programme in our history. A programme that both seeks to start the process of lifting many from poverty, while at the same time creating the opportunity for people to fend for themselves. In this regard, five hundred billion naira has been appropriated in the 2016 budget for social intervention programmes in five key areas. We are committed to providing job creation opportunities for five hundred thousand teachers and one hundred thousand artisans across the nation. 5.5 million children are to be provided with nutritious meals through our school feeding programme to improve learning outcomes, as well as enrolment and completion rates. The conditional cash transfer scheme will provide financial support for up to 1 million vulnerable beneficiaries, and complement the enterprise programme – which will target up to 1 million market women; four hundred and sixty thousand artisans; and two hundred thousand agricultural workers, nationwide. Finally, through the education grant scheme, we will encourage students studying sciences, technology, engineering and maths, and lay a foundation for human capital development for the next generation
I would like to pay a special tribute to our gallant men and women of the armed forces who are in harm’s way so that the rest of us can live and go about our business in safety. Their work is almost done. The nation owes them a debt of gratitude.
Abroad, we want to assure our neighbours, friends and development partners that nigeria is firmly committed to democratic principles. We are ready partners in combating terrorism, cyber crimes, control of communicable diseases and protection of the environment. Following on the paris agreement, cop 21, we are fully committed to halting and reversing desertification. Elsewhere, we will intensify efforts to tackle erosion, ocean surge, flooding and oil spillage which I referred to earlier by implementing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.
We are grateful to the international community notably france, the us, uk and china for their quick response in helping to tackle the recent ebola outbreak in our sub-region. We also acknowledge the humanity shown by the italian and german governments in the treatment of boat people, many fleeing from our sub-region because of lack of economic opportunity. We thank all our partners especially several countries in the EU.
We appreciate the valuable work that the un agencies, particularly unicef, icrc, the world food program have been doing. We must also appreciate the world bank, the gates foundation, the global fund and educate a child of qatar are for the excellent work in our health, education and other sectors.
Fellow citizens let me end on a happy note. To the delight of all, two of the abducted Chibok girls have regained their freedom. During the last one year, not a single day passed without my agonizing about these girls. Our efforts have centred around negotiations to free them safely from their, mindless, captors. We are still pursuing that course. Their safety is of paramount concern to me and I am sure to most nigerians. I am very worried about the conditions those still captured might be in. Today I re-affirm our commitment to rescuing our girls. We will never stop until we bring them home safely. As I said before, no girl should be put through the brutality of forced marriage and every nigerian girl has the right to an education and a life choice.
I thank you and appeal to you to continue supporting the government’s efforts to fix Nigeria.

Buhari to commence two-day working visit to Lagos on Monday

President Muhammadu Buhari will be embarking on a two-day working visit to Lagos starting from Monday, May 23, 2016, during which he is expected to commission several projects.
This was confirmed by the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode who tweeted that: “@NGRPresident going to Lagos on a two-day official visit starting from May 23”
The office of the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, Mr Steve Ayorinde had disclosed this to CKN News, adding that Buhari will also use the visit to have a one-on-one discussion with captains of industries.


The government spokesman stated that there will be some road diversion in the course of the visit and urged Lagosians to bear with law enforcement agents and traffic control authorities who will effect road diversions in some routes that the President’s motorcade will pass through during the visit.
He added that Lagosians are looking forward with excitement to receive the President in the state.

Buhari didn’t receive rescued Chibok girl, Amina Ali with her Boko Haram husband – Presidency

The Presidency has refuted reports that President Muhammadu Buhari received at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the rescued Chibok girl, Amina Ali alongside the suspected Boko Haram member claiming to be her husband.




This message was posted on the official Facebook page of the Presidency, Aso Rock Villa, on Friday.
According to the message, the man who accompanied Amina to meet Buhari was her brother and not her supposed husband, who is an alleged Boko Haram commander.


The message reads, “Our attention has been drawn to rumours and insinuations that the young man who accompanied Amina Ali to the State House to meet President Buhari is her alleged terrorist abductor.


“This is false; there is absolutely no truth to it. The young man who was in the State House alongside Amina and her baby and mother is her older brother.




“He is different from the man who appeared with her in photos released by the Nigerian military, in the immediate aftermath of Amina’s rescue.




“All insinuations alleging otherwise are false, mischievous, and should be wholly disregarded.

“Under no circumstances will a presidential welcome be extended to terrorists or abductors.”

Buhari appeals to Nigerians to be patient with him while he works on the changes needed to grow the economy

President Buhari through a statement by the Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu appealed to Nigerians to be patient with him over the difficulties in the land, adding that the change he promised will be achieved soon.
As part of the change, the President ordered the release of 10,000 tons of grains from the national strategic grains reserves to help alleviate hard times people were suffering.
The statement reads in full...
The Presidency firmly rejects the insinuations that poverty and lack are products of the Change mantra. This should be dismissed as an erroneous and misplaced opposition criticism. The President understands the pain and the cries of the citizens of this country and he is spending sleepless nights over how he can make life better for everyone.
Contrary to assertions by a faction of the opposition Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, the President’s energy and focus are on changing the lives of Nigerians, with a view to making it better than he met it.
“Change is a process. Change does not happen overnight. Change can be inconvenient. Change sometimes comes with pain. Over the past year, the government has been working night and day to deliver on its promise of change to Nigerians, and the painful process is still ongoing. “This is work in progress
. As life gradually returns to normal in much of the country and the northeast in particular, agriculture will resume and traders from neighbouring African countries will once again feel safe to do business with us. “It is estimated, for instance, that three Northeast states of Nigeria alone have so far lost about three trillion Naira (Nine billion US Dollars) to the Boko Haram insurgency.
The previous administration at the center said Federal Government losses amounted to about USD18 billion. “It would have been a miracle for our country’s economy not to feel the effects of this. And, in addition to the thousands of lives lost to the insurgency, thousands have also lost their means of livelihood.
The northeast region of Nigeria is a mostly agrarian society, which means Nigeria has lost billions of naira in agricultural produce. Many communities, which have had their yearly planting and harvesting cycle disrupted by Boko Haram attacks or occupation are still yet to return to their farms. In many of these communities, there have not been planting and consequent harvest for between two to five years.
“At the time this government came to power, about 600 billion naira was owed to fuel marketers in subsidy payments. Strategic fuel reserves were depleted and local refineries not functioning. “One of the President’s first steps was to pay off the marketers, leaving an outstanding of about N150 billion which is captured in the 2016 budget. The Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries are being brought back to life. Shortly, Nigeria will resume refining its own fuel rather than depending on imports.
” As part of the permanent solution of recurring cycle of petroleum products shortages, government is working on a plan to ensure that some of the newly-licensed independent refineries start coming on stream from 2018.” “Government is also turning its attention to the sabotage of the oil and gas infrastructure that has taken so much away from the generation and distribution of electricity.”
“These are just some aspects of the change that Nigerians voted for, a change that is happening and which will soon be felt by Nigerians in every nook and cranny of our country. “Nigerians are a people renowned for our inner strength and our ability to triumph. These are just the darkest days before the dawn. The change Nigerians voted has indeed begun.”

Children who live in IDPs are too many - Buhari

President Buhari said he will not be discouraged to rescue the future of the children, despite their huge numbers. He said this necessitated the need for data collation on the internally displaced children.

Nigeria’s number one citizen said: “We have frightening indices of the number of people and the situation in the IDP camps across the country. And in spite of the government’s efforts and the hospitality of individuals and organizations, the situation needs better handling. A large segment of the IDPs are mostly women and children. Some of the children are orphaned and don’t know where they came from.

“Now we are working on getting a comprehensive data of all the people in the camps so that the government and NGOs will be properly briefed on where and how to support them.”


The president said he has so much plan ahead for the displaced persons, in which integrating them into the Ministry of Agriculture, as local farmers, is one of the topmost plans, as he will leave no stone unturned, in order to see that none of them have memory of the Boko Haram insurgency, they suffer for some years.


Apart from re-integrating the internally displaced persons, there is good news regarding rescuing the Chibok girls because, the UN promised to support Nigeria by all means, adding that it will not rest until the girls are all freed.

Buhari should sign budget before review - Senate

The Senate has said President Muhammadu Buhari should sign the 2016 budget into law before reviewing the contentious areas.


The resolution was one of the highpoints of what an insider described as a stormy and rancorous closed session yesterday.

Most senators were said to have canvassed their opinions about the way forward for the controversial budget.


Senators were angry at the way and manner the budget was handled by the leadership of the National Assembly.


Some senators, it was gathered, sought changes in the leadership of the committees as part of the way forward.


Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the closed session, said: “The Senate in a closed session deliberated on issues relating to the 2016 Appropriation Bill and the way forward for the quick resolution of all matters related to the early
implementation of the budget in the best interest of our nation.”


Ekweremadu noted that the resolution to implore President Buhari to assent to the budget before the review was informed by
the need to beat time.


“We took cognisance of the fact that time is
ticking and to beat time we decided to approach Mr President to implore him to sign the budget and give it back to us for any corrections he may desire,” he said.

The deputy Senate president explained that the need to implore the President to sign the budget was necessitated by the fact that
the National Assembly could no longer alter the budget after it was passed and transmitted to the President for his assent.


He said they were also trying to avoid a situation where after 30 days, if the president failed to assent to the budget, it will be assumed that he has withheld assent.


“If that happens, the National Assembly may have no other option than to override the president’s assent,” Ekweremadu said.


The budget was transmitted to the president for his assent on April 7. senate President Buhari, seen here with embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki, is yet to sign the budget On changing the chairmanship of the Appropriation Committee, the upper chamber was said to have resolved that there was no need since the National Assembly was ready to correct identified
anomalies in the budget.


Besides, the lawmakers were said to have reasoned that changing the committee’s chairmanship might breed more trouble for the Senate.


Senate leader Mohammed Ali Ndume confirmed that the Senate was talking with President Buhari on ways to resolve grey areas in the budget.

The Borno South lawmaker told reporters that the National Assembly was prepared to address areas of concern to the President in the Budget.


“Nobody should expect me, on my honour, to
disclose details of what we discussed in the
closed session,” he said.

“It is not true that we asked the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Danjuma Goje, to resign. That is not what we discussed. Goje was appointed and he could only be removed by a vote of no confidence.

We can only ask elected officers of the Senate to resign not chairmen of committees.”

I will critically review budget passed by National Assembly before assenting- Buhari

Press statement from the Presidency .

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday in Washington DC that he will critically review the 2016 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly before assenting to it.

Speaking at a meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, President Buhari in a statement by his special adviser media, Femi Adesina, said that in view of the controversial alteration and padding of the budget proposals, he needed to review the appropriation bill to be certain that its contents tallied with the authentic budget proposal presented to the National Assembly.

“Some bureaucrats removed what we put in the proposal and replaced it with what they wanted. I have to look at the bill that has been passed by the National Assembly, ministry by ministry, to be sure that what has been brought back for me to sign is in line with our original submission,” the President said.

Declaring that his administration will continue to vigorously prosecute its war against corruption, President Buhari sought and received an assurance from Mr Kerry that the United States Government will facilitate the repatriation of all stolen Nigerian funds found within the American banking system.

“It will greatly help our country if you assist us to recover all our stolen funds which we can establish to be within your financial system,” the President told Mr Kerry.

Responding, the Secretary of State said that he has been told that the stolen Nigerian funds were in “billions of dollars”.

“It’s not easy to hide that amount of money and we are pretty good in tracing them,” Mr Kerry assured President Buhari, adding that relevant United States Government Officials will meet with the Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to discuss further cooperation in that regard.

Mr Kerry applauded the Buhari Administration’s success in rolling back the Boko Haram insurgency, saying that the United States will continue to give Nigeria all possible support to ensure that the terrorist sect is finally eliminated as a threat to national and regional security.

The Secretary of State also praised President Buhari’s clear order that Nigeria’s Armed Forces must show greater regard for the human rights of persons in the theatre of operations against Boko Haram.

Acknowledging that the United States has been of great help to his administration in the retraining and re-equipping of the Nigerian Armed Forces that has resulted in the significant success already achieved against Boko Haram, President Buhari said that the Federal Government was now working very hard to restore full normalcy in the North Eastern states.

“Boko Haram no longer holds any local government area. We are reconstructing damaged facilities and preparing the police to take over and reassert civilian control over areas affected by the insurgency,” the President told Mr Kerry.

President Buhari sympathizes with victims of Kano and Kebbi Fire | Calls for Adherence to Precautionary Building Standards

President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathized with the victims of the fire incidents in Sabon Gari Market, Kano State, and Birnin Kebbi Central Market in Kebbi.

A statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, said President Buhari commiserated with the government and people of the two states.

According to the statement, President Buhari shares in the pain of the victims knowing that the two fire incidents had created major setbacks for all those that had business outfits in the markets.

He also noted with sadness that the incidents had also affected the livelihood of the victims’ families and setting back economic activities in the states.

The President advised the Kano and Kebbi State Governments to find out the immediate and remote causes of the fire disasters in the states in order to forestall future occurrences.

President Buhari also called for strict adherence to precautionary standards in buildings and operations in all markets to avoid fire outbreaks.

He prayed that the Almighty God would comfort and replenish all those that incurred losses in the incidents. (NAN)

An Open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR

A Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

EPISODE ONE

EDUCATION

The place of education in any given society establishes the period in time the said people belong to. We all live in the same planet earth but not in the same period.

Most Nations still live in the 20th century while others, fortunately, have found themselves in the 21st century. This occurrence is not determined by the extent to which they are blessed with human and natural resources, but their level of Education/Enlightenment and how well they’ve been able to apply the knowledge acquired over time, to the development of their society, community, and Country.

It is an aberration to the development of a people for their government to relegate to the background, the relevance of Education. If Education has brought a glimmer of light to most continent, country and her people, then, it should be the basis for any country that so desire greater height amongst her people. Civilisation was said to have begun at the shores of Africa – Egypt. It is saddening enough to note that no African countries falls under the confines of the 21st century. Reasons for this tragic position are obviously traced to the lackadaisical manner with which governments at different times have undermined education. This was bore out of greed and a severe need to sustain the level of ignorance among the people so they don’t rise up against the powers that be. The fear that the people would someday question their policy, greed, misappropriation of public funds, etc was enough reason to kill and take education away from the people, destroying not only their future, but the country's place in the global picture.

My. President, to justify the level of attention education is given in Africa is to justify its position with recent evaluation and the place of Africa’s Tertiary Institutions in world’s ratings. It is tragic enough to note that no African university falls within the range of the world’s top 30 Universities. If this is a true mirror of Africa’s position in the World today, then the future of the African continent is a threat to itself.

Mr. President, at this juncture, we shall simply narrow our minds to our country of interest, Nigeria – the "giant" of Africa. We were, and will always be irrespective of the challenges that befall our great Nation, courtesy of our people and past leaders. Nigeria’s commitment to Education is largely depicted by the alarming rate of illiteracy in the country. Nigeria is a great nation, richly blessed and endowed, but our respective managers over the years have not been able to justify the essence of these resources to our country Nigeria. They have not been able to reflect the blessings of these resources. Instead, the people suffer as though they lived in a barren land.

Our universities are but a reflection of our respective leaders, while our graduates, a reflection of what the future holds. I do not wish to resuscitate the level of decadence and the atrocities committed over the years under the auspices of educational development. We shall for the sake of “National peace and development” stick to the vision this book holds for our great Nation Nigeria. But one thing is sure - for education to grow, a revolution would be a prerequisite.

My. President, an average Nigerian does not possess what it takes to acquire basic education. The level of starvation in our society kills the very zeal, and passion to acquire education. Parents strive to survive. Children, having felt the impact of suffering, feel a mandate to bail the family out of its poor state hence, education, not an option. In most developed countries today, education has been made compulsory and free from childhood to 18 years, or to a certain level they consider a dose for anyone to contribute positively and immensely to his or her immediate society. This is not because these countries do not have other areas that require development, but they realise the uncompromising essence of education. The above policy is to encourage the child, empower the child, protect the future of the child as well as protect the future of the country against darkness and internal threat. Above all, discourage parents from using their ward as an economic tool to empower the family as prevalent in Nigeria and other African countries where children are meant to hawk in order to sustain the daily survival of the family. Most annoying, these parents simply sit at home and make more babies.

My Dear President MB, amongst every ten (10) Nigerians, there is a common story from eight (8) of them on how they personally paid their way to-and-out of school. This is born out of the strong desire to acquire knowledge, a desire not friendly found especially with the economic hardship in the country. If an individual pays his/her way through school which is really the case in our schools, the question is; how much of his/her time has he/she got to devote to studies and lectures? And how much time is taken by the full or part-time job that provides the income which directly pays the bills? With the above situation, concentration and commitment to one’s study becomes a mirage, but Nigerians still scale through these hardship. Great people!

Education policies are made, bills passed all in the name of resuscitating our education and adding value to our graduates, no doubts, all efforts seem to have betrayed the very expectations of the Nigerian people. The very sound of another proposed policy ache the ear of an average Nigerian, knowing fully well it’s just another means by another brother to rob the Nation.

It is saddening enough to note that our political leaders realise the decadence of our education system.  Hence, the abrupt shoving-off of their wards to schools outside the shores and borders of our dearly beloved country. MY. PRESIDENT, if our education system was rated the best or among the very best, would you or the wards of our political leaders abandon our finest standard of education for anything lesser? Hell no! Our education system is left the way it is simply because our leaders are not patrons of the system. They send their wards to acquire the best education outside the country so they would be duly empowered, return to take over from where their fathers left-off politically.  Nigerians have come to realise that depriving them of the proper benefit of education is also an attempt to prevent them from rubbing shoulders with our leader’s wards in terms of credentials and the quality of education obtained by their wards. This is not a patriotic spirit neither does it project or propel a bright future for our dear country.

My President, the poor state of our primary, secondary and tertiary institutions is a far cry from what a decent education system should be. The incessant strikes by ASUU, primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, elongated 3 years program to 5-7 years before horsemanship in the case of medicine and the NYSC scheme, no doubt your colleague(s) who ventured into business would have been well represented in the society. All these frustrated years do not in any way spell or guarantee good job or success upon successful completion of the said program hence; the relegation of education to a useless state. The cry of parents on National TV and Radio does not impact enough to excite the ears of our political leaders.

A PATH TO AN END

PATRIOTISM

My President, Nigerians and civil servants by all means must or should be a “patriot” willing to serve and sacrifice whatever it takes to uphold the interest and values of our dear country. A patriot must believe in his/her country, must believe not only the present status of his/her country, but the future of the country. Drastic and immediate measures will be recorded if our political leaders have their wards at home on a regular basis like every average and common Nigerian, but this is not the case. The need for patriotism as a prerequisite for all civil servants and political leaders irrespective of their portfolio is crucial to developing our education. If we believe in our country, then we must believe in whatever is obtainable in the country, for a man who believes in his prowess does not falter in expressing it before the general public. If as a prospective leader or leader of this great Nation, your wards school abroad, how then do you justify your love for this country and what is presently obtainable herein?

Our dear President, the constitution should be reviewed to accommodate these positions that will take us to a positive end in our education sector:

• All civil servants including the PRESIDENT must have their wards “school” here in Nigeria and in our PUBLIC SCHOOLS. This is to obtain a reasonable interest from the office of the President, Governors, Ministers, Judiciary and other members of the executive. If the President and members of the National assembly, Minister as well as the governors have their wards in our schools, it will generate a direct supervision of our education system by our leaders through their wards.
• Nigeria as a country should embrace global position/practices in terms of funding education, providing groundwork and ensuring we produce quality and resourceful graduates.

Incessant strikes by educational bodies would also mean that our leaders' wards would grace their homes; this of course would instigate relevant questions by their wards to their parents who are at the helm of affairs in the country. We do not have access to our leaders, but their wards would most definitely relate the minds of the people to their parents. This again, will break the monster between our political leaders and their subjects in the education sector.

In order to create a befitting learning environment, and quality education for our children, subsequent Government would be left with no choice than to invest appropriately to enhance the standard of education in the country which becomes beneficial not only to their wards, but to all Nigerians.

President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, let us all eat from the same pot based on equal right to education and allow individual assimilation to spell a natural difference and status amongst us.

I fear the case of insecurity for the wards of our political leaders would be cited as a barrier hence; this position.

• Insecurity cannot be completely erased from any society, but can be managed; insecurity shall be addressed in subsequent episode. Presently, the wards of our political leaders who study in America, Britain etc still enjoy some sought of security benefit, so it shouldn’t be a barrier to their children schooling here in Nigeria as such adequate security will be provided.
• There must be leverage if excess is to be tamed; the fact that their wards could be in any form of danger based on their actions would naturally conscientise our political leaders to desist from corrupt practices, and further promote positive actions, decision, policies and governance that will not provoke public anger.

CONCLUSION

My President, building standards in our education sector to an appreciable status will definitely be a collective responsibility; a system where everyone shares the same and equal right to education. System where people are encourage to acquire knowledge for the well-being of not only themselves but also for the future of their country.

Our political leaders should not feel slighted by the notion that their wards must attend government owned schools, rather, they  should embrace patriotism, a patriotic spirit which connotes you strongly believe in the education system of your country. A spirit which drives your very soul towards positive development in every aspect of our education system, a spirit not beclouded by sentiments, greed, and personal interests but of sincerity and a sense of equality.

Thank you General Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. God Bless Nigeria!

CLICK HERE TO GET PDF VERSION

Godwin ‘oriaku

godotoriaku@gmail.com

APC NEC Meeting: Buhari Decribes Rivers Violence As Shameful

 


The President has expressed disappointment at the violence that marred the Rivers State re-run elections, describing it as shameful.
President Muhammadu Buhari said he would address the problem of election violence in subsequent elections.
The President made this known at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at its headquarters in Abuja.
President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as well as some governors and party leaders are present at the meeting.
This is the party’s second NEC meeting after the Buhari led administration came into power.
Speaking on the fight against corruption, President Buhari said efforts are being made to publish a list of funds recovered from corrupt politicians and public

Even if I have to leave the Presidency tomorrow, I want Nigerians to remember that I respect them- Buhari

President Buhari today said even if he leaves office tomorrow, he wants Nigerians to remember him as a leader who respected them. Buhari said this while speaking at the National Economic Committee meeting of APC in Abuja today March 24th. Buhari made the remark while speaking on the recent acts of violence during some elections particularly that of Rivers state where 7 people including a corps member was killed ;

“Of course, the leadership of INEC has been changed, but I appeal to the leadership of the military, security agents and INEC that what I want Nigerians to remember me for, even if I have to leave the Presidency tomorrow is that I respect them. I want all Nigerians to believe and hold their PVC as personal entitlement as Nigerians and use it the way the like, and vote for whoever they like at which ever election. If they voluntarily sold it, it is part of their right and so, let them sell it and remain at home and not participate in any election. But let the law enforcement agencies give them the confidence that nobody will come out and stop them from exercising their fundamental right. I think that more Nigerians are killed or killed themselves in Rivers than in any particular state. At this stage of our political development, to remain brutal is shameful and as a government, I promise we will do something by the next general election.”he said

'We'll fix power supply problems in 3 years,' President says

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his administration's commitment to providing a lasting solution to the age-long power supply problems in in the country within the next three years, Guardian reports.

Speaking at the National Economic Council retreat on the economy held at the State House Conference Centre, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Monday, March 21, 2016, the President admitted that the privatisation of the power sector has not changed anything in terms of performance.

“Nigerians’ favourite talking point and butt of jokes is the power situation in our country. But, ladies and gentlemen, it is no longer a laughing matter. We must and by the grace of God we will put things right,” Buhari said

He said his government would end power shortages which has become a monster of sort, as previous administrations have been unable to successfully surmount it.

As listed by the President, some of the problems of the sector includes, constant power cuts destroying economic activity and affecting quality of life; high electricity bills despite power cuts and low supply of gas to power plants due to vandalization by terrorists.

Others are obsolete power distribution equipment such as transformers; power fluctuations, which damage manufacturing equipment and household appliances and low voltage which cannot run an industrial machine.

Buhari also highlighted solutions to the problems - he said the government will fast-track completion of pipelines from gas points to power stations and provide more security to protect gas and oil pipelines; adding that the power companies will be encouraged to replace obsolete equipment and improve the quality of service and technicians.

He however charged the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to ensure consumers get value for money and overall public interest is safeguarded.

The National Economic Council Retreat. which ends on Tuesday, March 22, is aimed at generating immediate, medium and long-term viable policy solutions to the economic challenges facing the country.

Some Nigerians want magic but change is what Buhari promised- Femi Adesina

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari, Femi Adesina, was a guest on Radio Continental programme last week Friday March 4th where he spoke on the recent power drop, fuel scarcity and the dwindling hope of Nigerians in this administration.

In the interview, Femi asked Nigerians to be patient with Buhari as he promised them change and that the change will not be magical. Read excerpts after the cut...

Q: Fulani herdsmen have on several occasions been accused of ransacking places they pass through while they are herding their cattle. Nigerians are wondering and asking why there seems to be a very loud silence on the part of the federal government on the matter?

 

A: If anybody says there is a loud silence, it means that person has not been listening. At times, it is so very easy to say there has been silence, when that is not the case, because on this issue, last week in a major interview the President spoke on it. It was relayed on NTA for about two days running. He spoke on the Fulani herdsmen issue and a statement also came out from our office on the matter. So, if anybody says the President is silent or has been silent on the issue, it baffles me. The President spoke in an interview that was relayed on NTA and TVC, and he said it is a perennial problem, and something would be done about it. He talked about cattle grazing route, and he said between the federal government and the state governors, this matter would be looked at and tackled decisively. I also remember that Chief Audu Ogbe, the Agric Minister, has also indicated that quite soon, problem of herdsmen and farmers would be over in the country because they would do something about getting feed from Brazil for cattle rearers.

 

Q: How does the government intend to reach these herdsmen because they are not all in a place at the same time; the President has spoken as you said, but how do you get this information to filter across herdsmen so that they are aware?

A: That is the reason the President said it is going to be between the federal government and the state governors. The state governors are closer to these herdsmen, through the state and local governments, there is a way they would be reached. They are not spirits, they are humans and they operate in environments where people can reach them, and the President has said between the federal and the state governments, something can be done. In the past, there were grazing routes in the country, it is either we return to that, or there would be something else, but I know the issue would be dealt with.

 

Q: Nigerians are not happy about some things that we seem not to have gotten right. One of it is the issue of power supply. Service has deteriorated, yet people are made to cough out large sums of money monthly as tariffs. What is government policy direction to ensure constant and uninterrupted power supply? We seem to be hovering around on this issue of 2,000 megawatt, sometimes 3,000, sometimes it comes down to 1,000. We cannot over emphasize on the benefits of having constant supply. Is there any intention to review the contracts that the previous government entered?

 

A: On the issue of power, it seems Nigerians are their own problems. You can recall about four weeks ago, the power ministry came out to say that the megawatts we had was 5070, which is an all-time high in 16 years. A few days after, some people blew installations in Bayelsa, we lost about 1600 megawatts immediately. After that, installation was blown in Delta and we lost another 1,000 megawatts. What would the government do in that kind of circumstance? If the people who should be provided power are the ones sabotaging installations, they can’t turn round to say government is not providing power. Nigerians need to determine what they want. If South Africa has about 50,000 megawatts, it is because their own people are not sabotaging their installations, they are not going to blow up the lines. If Nigerians continue to blow up and sabotage, then they can’t come around to say that there is no power.

 

Q: Are you saying that government is helpless in terms of protecting this vital infrastructure, with the security agencies we have? Are we saying that we are helpless, so if they keep on blowing the pipelines, we can’t do anything about it?

 

A: Government is not helpless, and government should never be helpless. A government that is worth its’ salt should never be helpless, but there are so many things that the government can deploy attention to, and when the attention is focused on securing installation instead of what we can call other weightier matters of the law. It is just a waste of time. We are wasting our time as a country, because other countries don’t have that distraction, they don’t have to deploy troops to monitor installations, because nobody would sabotage installations since he knows the thing is for his own good. I think, in this country we need to get to a point where we should realize that when we do certain things, we are hurting ourselves and not the government.

 

Q: Now that we know the issue is there, what do we do to eliminate sabotage?

A: Government will do what it should do, but short of lining up soldiers from Lagos to everywhere, in fact it can’t stop. We Yorubas have a saying that you are never as smart as the person watching you, because he would find a time when you are distracted, when you are not alert and strike. That is what is happening. No matter the security that you put round these installations that cover several hundreds or thousands of kilometers, how do you monitor them and those who want to sabotage would not find a place where they can attack?

Q: Shouldn’t the government have a counter plan to make sure that these people do not have their way?
A: The government is not omnipotent or omniscient. The government cannot be everywhere at every time. That is the reason the onus is on Nigeria to see these installations as their own. When you blow up installations, who are you hurting? You are hurting the people and the society. That is what we should realize. Last week in Qatar, the president said vandalism is a disincentive to foreign investment, because potential investors hear and read all these things, that installations are sabotaged in Nigeria. So if investors refuse to come because of that, who gets hurt? It is not the government, it is the people. I think we need a lot more patriotism in that aspect.

 

Q: Is there no other source of getting power?

A: Don't forget that when the power ministry announced that we had 5070 megawatts recently, it also said that by December, another 2,000 megawatts would be added to it; giving us 7,070 megawatts. That brings a lot of hope, but that hope is dampened, when few days after, they begin to blow up installations, and you lose 3000 megawatts. Talking of alternative sources, a lot is in process. Because every country the president has visited, power has been an issue, and I know that a number of people have come up with alternatives, what they can do to help Nigeria, and talks are on-going. Very soon, I believe that those talks would yield results.

 

Q: What is the panacea to end recurring fuel queues, especially with the issue of building new refineries?

A: Let me try to put in perspective the fuel supply situation in the country. What caused the latest round of queues is that there is a breach in supply, which came from two ends. One, from the importation end and two, from the distribution end in the country. We have NNPC bringing in 70 per cent of fuel used in the country and the other 30 per cent is supposed to be provided by independent marketers. The independent marketers are not really doing much because of the differential in dollar rate currently. Before they can import, they expect government to do something in terms of dollar differential; but government is limited because we are not earning much dollar. The only way Nigerian government gets dollar is through sale of crude oil, and we know that price has gone continuously down, that is what caused the breach in supply, because everything is imported. We are not refining much most times; and added to that is the fact that Europe is in winter. During winter, you cannot predict importation as in other seasons of the year, because there are some parts of the world where the seas are virtually frozen and ships can’t sail. A ship that you could predict would arrive after 30 days during summer, would arrive at 40-45 days because of the vagaries of the weather. This is another thing that affected importation into the country. There is this third issue, which is very important because it links to what we have said earlier. All these ships that bring in fuel are insured internationally, and international insurers are refusing to insure ships going to Port-Harcourt and Warri because of the aggressiveness in the area. They follow all these things, all these pipelines that are vandalised and all of that, they follow. Therefore, those ships land in Lagos, and then you transport fuel by road to those areas. All these are complexities about our country that need to be looked at. I have said that Nigerians themselves must decide to address these complexities.

 

Q: What is government’s policy on new refineries?

A: You would recall that Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who is NNPC GMD and minister of state for petroleum, has said that our existing refineries are not better than scraps, and that already has foreshadowed the fact that there would be a new policy for refineries.

Q: What is your answer on the issue of stipend of N5, 000 to the vulnerables or graduates because there seems to be contradiction. Is government paying because it is included in the budget?

 

Q: There are two things we need to isolate. There is this notion that government was meant to pay N5,000 for unemployed graduates. That was the popular notion and that was what the President corrected, that instead of paying N5,000 to unemployed graduates, he would rather provide infrastructure, he would rather give them enabling environment to be useful than giving out dole to them. But there is one that is already captured in the budget, it is called the conditional cash transfer, which is going to be given to the poorest of the poor.
Q: Nigerians are complaining about many things. Is the government aware?

A: I think Nigerians have always complained, and we should learn to stop complaining and believe more. If you have elected a government because you believe it can bring change;(because these complains started from the first month), and you have not allowed them to isolate what the problems are, and articulate what the solutions would be, and you begin to have all these complaints, I think it is not natural. What government needs at a time like this, is cooperation and support. The President said this at an interview last week. He said things deteriorated over 16 years that PDP was in power, this is the ninth month of this government, and you want everything to have changed. It is not real. There must be realistic expectation, and realistic expectation will demand that people are patient, supportive, and encourage the government. This is a government that is working for the people. Somebody said two days ago that this is a government that is "pro-poor", which is true. Then, all these complaints would not do anybody any good. Rather than complaining, let us cooperate, support and encourage.

The promised change would come. Don't forget that our President said it would take a minimum of 18 months to revive the economy. Nigerians don’t listen to something like that, they want magic immediately. It doesn’t happen that way. This change will come, but it would follow a process, and it would be enduring.

Photos: Buhari receives outgoing President of ECOWAS commission

President Buhari received the outgoing President of ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, in the State house today March 1st...

I won’t pay N5,000 to those who don’t work – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has ruled out the possibility of his government paying N5,000 monthly allowance to unemployed youths in the country as promised by his party, the All Progressives Congress, ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

Buhari’s new position is contrary to the stand of many of his officials who have at different times claimed that the fund to implement the promise had already been provided for in the 2016 Budget currently before the National Assembly.
The President who is currently on a one-week official visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar however made it clear in Saudi Arabia during an interactive session that he could not be paying those who do not work.

He said he has a “slightly different priority” from the position of his party on the payment of the unemployed which he described as a “largesse.”
The President said rather than paying the unemployed, his administration would build infrastructure and empower able-bodied men to work.
"This largesse: N5,000 for the unemployed, I have got a slightly different priority.
“I would rather do the infrastructure, the school and correct them and empower agriculture, mining so that every able-bodied person can go and get work instead of giving N5,000 to those who don't work,” Buhari declared.
The APC, which defeated the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the March 28 presidential election, had promised during its campaign that if elected to the central government, it would pay N5,000 monthly to 25 million jobless youths as well as introduce a free school feeding programme.

Nigerians cheer President Buhari during meeting in Qatar

Photos obtained by Naij.com showed the Nigerians living in Qatar taking photos of President Buhari as well as cheering him after the meeting on Sunday.
The president charged Nigerians to rekindle the spirit of patriotism and selfless service to encourage more foreign investment in the country.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with members of the Nigerian community in Doha, President Buhari assured them that the federal government would continue to create the enabling environment for investments in the country, anchored on peace and security.


He said: “We have abundant natural and human resources in the country, including huge oil and gas deposit.
“But the challenge is securing those installations and to persuade some of our countrymen to be more patriotic and stop sabotaging the installations.
“When people are being abducted and some are being murdered, when installations are being blown up now and then, the incentive for people to invest in our infrastructure is quite slim.”
The president also vowed to look into the complaints of alleged blanket denial of visas to families and relatives of Nigerians intending to visit the state of Qatar.
“Like I tell other Nigerians living in other countries, you must be good ambassadors of the country because globally things are quite difficult in terms of security and the economy.
“If you have something doing, please hold it tight to your heart and try to improve on it because things are quite difficult all over.
“For us in Nigeria, we are trying to do our best to reduce unemployment and we realised this quite early enough, that was why we campaigned on the diversification of the economy,” President Buhari explained.


Below are photos from the event:

President Muhammadu Buhari acknowledging cheers from some of the Nigerians in Qatar after 

the meeting on Sunday, February 28.