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Don’t Abandon Governance For Electioneering, Buhari Tells Ministers

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Alex Enemanna
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Emulate Late Saraki Virtues – Preident Buhari Tells Nigerian Politicians
President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned ministers, permanent secretaries, and heads of government agencies not to leave governance for electioneering.

He issued the warning in Abuja on Tuesday at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ministerial Performance Review Retreat, cautioning that ”any infraction will be viewed seriously”.

According to Buhari, with campaigns for next year’s elections on the way, governance should not be abandoned.

”Consequently, all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and Heads of Agencies must remain focused in the discharge of their duties, as any infraction will be viewed seriously.

READ ALSO: Tinubu: I’ll Build On Buhari’s Legacy 

”Our collective goal is to map out a transition plan for the incoming Administration to ensure proper documentation of all the Policies, Programmes, and Projects of Government with up-to-date status of implementation,” he said, according to a statement by his media aide Femi Adesina.

Buhari said the lessons learned in the last three years of implementing his government’s policies, programmes, and projects would serve as a platform to propel every ministry to stay committed to the achievement of development goals.

The Nigerian leader is therefore calling on ministers, permanent secretaries, and heads of government agencies to step up, double their efforts and work in synergy toward total delivery of the administration’s set targets.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

DON’T ABANDON GOVERNANCE FOR ELECTIONEERING, PRESIDENT BUHARI WARNS MINISTERS, TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

· DIRECTS SGF, MINISTERS TO START PREPARING TRANSITION DOCUMENTS

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja warned Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and Heads of Government Agencies not to abandon the business of governance for electioneering, saying ”any infraction will be viewed seriously.”

The President issued the directive at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ministerial Performance Review Retreat, preceded by his signing of Executive Order 012 on Improving Performance Management, Coordination, and Implementation of Presidential Priorities.

The President told participants at the Retreat that with the commencement of campaigns towards the 2023 general elections, the business of governance must continue to receive the needed attention during this period.

”Consequently, all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and Heads of Agencies must remain focused in the discharge of their duties, as any infraction will be viewed seriously.

”Our collective goal is to map out a transition plan for the incoming Administration to ensure proper documentation of all the Policies, Programmes, and Projects of Government with up-to-date status of implementation,” he said.

President Buhari noted that the lessons learned in the last three years of implementing the administration’s policies, programmes, and projects would serve as the needed tool to propel every Ministry to remain committed, towards the achievement of developmental objectives.

He, therefore, charged all ministers, permanent secretaries, and heads of government agencies to step up, double their efforts and work in synergy toward total delivery of the Administration’s set targets.

On Executive Order 12, the President explained that it would institutionalize a culture of accountability and transparency in the pursuit of good governance.

President Buhari also directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to continue with the quarterly review process and assessment of ministries for the third and fourth Quarters of 2022, saying the reports will form part of transition documents of his administration to the incoming government.

To achieve this objective, the President ordered all Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to ensure that the performance reports of their Ministries are submitted on a quarterly basis to the Office of the SGF for review by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.

”The outcome of these reviews would be made available for my consideration,” the President said.

The President also declared that following discussion and recommendations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been directed to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure the completion of all large-scale integrated Rice Processing Mills before the end of this Administration.

”This will help our country to maintain sufficiency in the local production of rice as the ban on the importation of foreign rice will be sustained,” he said.

On electricity, President Buhari directed that all hands must be on deck to ensure the timely realization of the increase in electricity generation to 25,000 Megawatts in six years.

He recounted that the plan on electricity generation, through the partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and German Siemens AG, is on course as the first batch of the transformers has arrived in Nigeria already.

Considering the huge investment made in the rail sector, the President directed the Ministry of Transportation and relevant security Agencies to ensure the provision of maximum security along the railway corridors.

”We must ensure the safety of our rail users and strive to achieve the intended economic goals. We must at the same time ensure realizable schedules and first-class maintenance.

”Following the milestones recorded in the road sector, coupled with the innovative ways of funding road infrastructure, the Ministry of Works and Housing has been directed to compile a list of all completed roads, bridges, and other infrastructure for commissioning before the end of this Administration,” he said.

Furthermore, the President directed that the Federal Government’s investment in the reconstruction of 21 selected ongoing Federal Roads totaling 1,804.6km, under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Policy must be closely monitored and tracked to ensure the roads are completed on schedule.

”In line with the outcome of the Panel session on Priority 4 (Improve Transportation and Other Infrastructure), the Ministry of Aviation is hereby directed to conclude and ensure the take-off of the National Carrier Project before the end of the year.’’

In order to expand the fiscal space and improve the nation’s revenue generation efforts, President Buhari directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning to ensure the effective implementation of the Strategic Revenue and Growth Initiative.

”In the same vein, we must also build synergy between the fiscal and monetary authorities in order to avoid unnecessary drawbacks in our economic planning and performance, ” he said.

On the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the President directed that a monitoring and evaluation framework be put in place by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with relevant agencies and partners to track the disbursement and utilization of the Fund.

On humanitarian issues, the President noted that in the three years of existence of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the ministry has provided substantial support and assistance to vulnerable citizens through various programmes.

He, therefore, directed the Minister to facilitate and work with the Attorney General of the Federation in transmitting the Federal Executive Council’s approved National Social Investment Programme Establishment Bill (2022) to the National Assembly.

This, he said, would ensure the sustainability of this important programme which leaves a lasting legacy for the vulnerable Nigerians by this Administration.

On industry, trade, and investment, the President directed the Ministry to engage relevant stakeholders to secure privatization of the six Special Economic Zones as approved by the Bureau of Public Enterprise.

To complement the current efforts in the Oil and Gas Sector, the President announced that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been mandated to ensure the completion of the reorganization of the new Agencies unbundled from the defunct Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation in line with their mandates.

”This should be completed by the end of the 1st Quarter of 2023, ” he said.

President Buhari also used the occasion to appeal to the National Assembly to fast-track the consideration and passage of key legislative bills as agreed during the Panel Session at the Retreat.

According to him ”this will serve as our collective legacy towards entrenching key reforms that will serve as a springboard for the next Administration.”

President Buhari, who described the two-day retreat as time well-spent, said it has provided an opportunity for ‘‘reflection and lesson learning aimed at reviewing progress and agreeing on key actions that will ensure we finish well by the end of our Administration come May 29th, 2023.’’

”We have used the opportunity provided by this Retreat to carry out an objective assessment of our commitments in line with the contract we signed with the Nigerian people at the inception of this Administration in 2019.

”I am glad to note that we have sustained this yearly stock-taking innovative initiatives introduced in 2019 by holding three consecutive Performance Review Retreats in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. This has helped us to clearly identify what we have done, what needs to be done and how best to get it done.

”From the assessment report and discussions at this Retreat, it is evident that we have made appreciable progress through collective efforts in setting the Nation on the path of sustainable development while improving the well-being of our people.

”Notwithstanding these achievements, there are still unfinished businesses that we must speedily complete to ensure we finish well. We must, therefore, endeavour to close every gap in our implementation efforts to ensure the attainment of set targets by 2023,” he said.

The Nigerian leader thanked former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, the Keynote speaker at the Retreat, for sharing his wealth of experience during his tenure in Office.

He wished the former President a productive retirement and expressed the hope that he would continue to serve his people and the African continent in every way possible.

He further thanked the Kenyan delegation led by the former President for their support and contributions during the Retreat.

Commending the efforts of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and his team for successfully organizing four Retreats in the life of this Administration, the President acknowledged the support of the technical partners and resource persons for adding immense value to the process.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 18, 2022

Abia South: You Can’t Beat Abaribe, PDP Chieftain Tells Ikpeazu

By
Alex Enemanna
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0
Abia At 31: Ikpeazu To Address State On Saturday
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu

A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in Abia State, Dr Sampson Orji, has advised the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, to step down for incumbent senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance because he (Ikpeazu) cannot defeat the senator.

Orji, who was a former commissioner for Trade and Commerce, had during a live radio programme, “Open Parliament,” monitored in Umuahia, advised Governor Ikpeazu, who is the PDP’s candidate for the Abia South Senate District, that Abaribe had, based on his antecedents, proved to be the most qualified for the red chamber.

Orji, who was a governorship aspirant in the May 25 primaries of the PDP and is currently in court with the PDP and Prof. Uche Ikonne, said that if allowed to choose between Governor Ikpeazu and Senator Abaribe, he would “vote for Abaribe against Ikpeazu” as “it is like asking one to choose between “experience and lack of experience.”

Orji said he would mobilise support for Obi not because the Labour Party candidate is his fellow Igbo but because of his antecedents.

Wike Morally Wrong To Endorse Sanwo-Olu — Chidoka

By
Alex Enemanna
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0

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Osita Chidoka has questioned Governor Nyesom Wike’s endorsement of his Lagos State counterpart Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saying it is morally wrong.

The Rivers State governor, who is a member of the main opposition PDP, had on Tuesday endorsed Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Chidoka, a member of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), said that while Wike is free to associate with anyone, the moral burden lies with the Rivers leader. He said the party’s leadership will have to review the governor’s actions.

“Governor Wike has the liberty to do most of the things he’s doing because he has no skin in the game,” the former aviation minister said.

He, however, noted that “if he wants to support the presidential candidate of any party, he is free to do so but he has a moral responsibility not to be sitting on a PDP seat as a governor and be talking about another candidate.

“That moral burden is more on Wike than it’s on PDP to justify why he is taking that position for a party that has been good to him from local government chairman to being the governor of a state.”

Wike has been at loggerheads with the party after losing the PDP presidential primary to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in May. While the governor insists on the resignation of the party’s National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, efforts to resolve the conflict have thus far failed.

And according to Chidoka, Wike’s stance portends a risk for the next chairman of the PDP.

“The discussion about whether the chairman of the party will leave has been a consistent conversation in PDP with Governor Wike,” he maintained.

“He wanted Makarfi to leave, he wanted Secondus to be chairman, Secondus became, he wanted him to leave at some point. He brought Sheriff as chairman of the PDP, he wanted him to leave and he went all the way to the Supreme Court.

“He brought Iyorchia Ayu as the chairman and now he wants him to leave. Even the next chairman is at risk if he continues to be the governor that at some point he may want the chairman to leave.”

Halima Abubakar Quits Acting

By
Alex Enemanna
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0

Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar has decided to call an end to her acting career as she battles an undisclosed illness that has kept her out of job for more than three years.

She appreciated her fans for their love and prayers and made the announcement to allow her to focus on getting adequate medical attention.

Her management team announced this on Monday via her verified Instagram page.

The statement read: “Halima Abubakar quit acting. We are so grateful for all the prayers.

“God bless you all but as from today, she will no longer act. It is her wish.

“We love you all. Thank you for the support. She is so downcast. She really did love acting. Thank you.”

Buhari Has Made Meaningful Achievement In Fighting Insecurity — APC

By
Alex Enemanna
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0
Abdullahi Adamu

The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has done well in fighting insecurity.

Morka, who admitted that the Buhari government has been faced with an upsurge in insecurity in different parts of the country, said that the government is trying its best to bring that under control just like it managed to do in the North Eastern part of the country.

He was responding to questions on Buhari’s performance in office in the last seven years when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.

“I would say he (Buhari) has fared quite well (in tackling insecurity)before the next word, for us to understand that in spite of the very best effort of this government, of any government in the world, those who want to do harm would attempt to do harm, now we put them on record when they do harm,” he said,

This government has had to contend with an upsurge of harm perpetrated by those who deliberately, needlessly without any justification try to do us harm.

“You rightly noted that in the North East of Nigeria prior to this government, we had certain places under the command and control of external forces who are not legitimately and constitutionally authorized government of that region, but this government has managed and deliberately with the mobilization of resources pushed back to reclaim some of these territories that were lost to the control of these external forces under the previous government. It is a continuing struggle.”

The APC chieftain also challenged those questioning President Muhammadu Buhari’s assessment of himself in office for the past seven years.

He said that any information the President provides as his achievement should be taken as the official record even if data from the media, individuals or opposition parties are saying otherwise.

“When Mr President speaks and provides information, data, analysis or even a summation or an impression of what he feels his government has achieved that is the official record that is easily verifiable.

“Of course, citizens, whether the media or individuals, political parties or people who are in the opposition have a right to a conjecture, you can’t take that from them, people can develop information and data to challenge official records,” he noted.

Asked about President Buhari’s promise in 2016 to deliver 10,000 megawatts of distributable power in three years which has not been met, the APC Publicity Secretary said only God may be able to deliver 100 per cent of promises made.

“Promise is a statement of aspiration; it is not a divine covenant which even God only may be able to deliver. There is a difference between having a promise of 10,000 megawatts with good intentions and committed energy to make that happen.

“This government is diligently seeking to deliver that promise. At the peak of distribution, we have hit over nearly half of that promise even when it has not been sustained as the president would like,” Morka said.

China Sets Up Police Station In Nigeria

By
Alex Enemanna
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0
China Warns Of Retaliation Over US Tariffs

The Chinese government has opened police stations in Nigeria and in over 20 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa in its effort to tackle the increasing criminal activities of its citizens abroad.

This was contained in an investigative statement titled, ‘110 Overseas Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild.’

It was widely reported that the police stations are created to bring “down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities involving overseas Chinese.”

Lesotho and Tanzania are the two other African countries apart from Nigeria that have Chinese police stations.

The report by Safeguard Defender revealed, “Rather than cooperating with local authorities in the full respect of territorial sovereignty, it prefers…to cooperate with (United Front-linked) overseas ‘NGOs’ or ‘civil society associations’ across the five continents, setting up an alternative policing and judicial system within third countries, and directly implicating those organisations in the illegal methods employed to pursue ‘fugitives’.”

It further said that as part of a massive nationwide campaign to combat fraud and telecommunication fraud by Chinese citizens living abroad, Chinese authorities claimed that from April 2021 to July 2022, 230,000 nationals had been, “persuaded to return” to face criminal proceedings in China.

China’s official statements clarified the use of depriving suspects’ children of the right to education back in China and other actions against relatives and family members in a full-on “guilt by association” campaign.

The rights group revealed that China selected nine countries as having serious fraud, telecom fraud and web crimes, and Chinese nationals were no longer allowed to stay in those countries without “good reason.”

“While establishing these operations to hunt down those accused of fraud and telecommunications fraud, China identified nine countries particularly prone to hosting Chinese nationals engaging in such criminal activities, the ‘nine forbidden countries’,” the Safeguard explained.

However, the setting up of overseas police ‘service stations’ was a worldwide phenomenon, with the majority of such being in western democratic nations, with a particular focus on Europe, and not in the ‘nine forbidden countries’.

The group also noted that forsaking any “pretext of due process or the consideration of suspects’ innocence until proven guilty, targeting suspects’ children and relatives in China as ‘guilty by association’ or ‘collateral damage’, and using threats and intimidation to target suspects abroad, is now itself becoming an endemic problem.”

“Whether the targets are dissidents, corrupt officials or low-level criminals, the problem remains the same: The use of irregular methods — often combining carrots with sticks — against the targeted individual or their family members in China undermines any due process and the most basic rights of suspects,” Safeguard Defender further stated.

ASUU: UNN To Resume Academic Activities

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ABN TV EDITOR
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UI, UNN, Others Make List Of Global Varsity Ranking
University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN

Against the backdrop of the suspension eight-month old strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the University of Nigeria Nsukka chapter of the union on Tuesday officially agreed to resume academic activities.

Dr Christian Opata, the Chairman of ASUU-UNN said this while speaking with newsmen in Nsukka on Tuesday shortly after the union’s congress in UNN.

Dr Christian Opata
Dr Christian Opata

Dr. Opata said that the aim of the congress was to inform lecturers to resume academic activities following the suspension of the nationwide strike by ASUU National leadership on October 14.

READ ALSO: Sen. Kalu Receives Dr. Umeonyirioha, First Igbo Language Lecturer In Oxford University

According to him, “after this congress, members of ASUU-UNN are free to engage in any academic activity in the university.

“The agreement to resume academic activities is in respect of directive from our national headquarters that suspended the strike on October 14 to enable students to return school,” he said.

Speaking further, the ASUU boss however, urged Federal Government to do its own part now that lecturers have done their own part by resuming academic activities, to ensure industrial harmony in public universities.

However, in an interview with our correspondent, some lecturers who attended the congress said they would resume academic activities as agreed in the congress.

Prof Rose Onah, Lecturer at the Department of Public Adminstration and Local Government Affairs, urged government to ensure that what was agreed between government and the union that led to the suspension of the strike were implemented.

Dr Chinedu Ejezie, Lecturer at the Department of Political Science said that, lecturers in UNN agreed to resume academic activities was in respect of ASUU national leadership that suspended the nationwide strike on October 14.

“Now ASUU has done its own part by suspending the strike embarked on February 14. All eyes are now on government to play it’s own part,” Ejezie said.

According to academic time table released by UNN Management after the suspension of the strike, lectures would resume in the university on Monday, October 24, as students were expected to return to campus on October 22.

Recall that ASUU National leadership suspended its 8-month old nationwide strike in public universities on October 14.

Tinubu Meets Osinbajo At Aso Villa (PHOTOS)

By
Alex Enemanna
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0

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Tuesday visited the Aso Rock Villa, where he met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

It was gathered that the meeting between the duo was held in Aso Villa shortly before Day 2 of the ongoing Ministerial Retreat.

Osinbajo had contested the primary election that produced Tinubu as presidential candidate.

Tinubu is believed to be instrumental in making Osinbajo the vice president in 2015.

Sen. Kalu Extends Constituency Project To Abia Central (PHOTOS)

By
ABN TV EDITOR
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Sen. Kalu Extends Constituency Project To Abia Central
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

The people of Uratta Amaugwu in Isialangwa North Local Government Area of Abia State have commended Senator Orji Uzor Kalu for attracting the construction of the road in their community.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is the Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, while Isialangwa North is in Abia Central Senatorial District, the senatorial district of Sen. T.A Orji.

The community hailed Kalu’s magnanimity and astuteness in facilitating a project outside his Constituency. They therefore pledge to continually support him in his political endeavours.

Chief Emmanuel Afone, the President General, Urratta Progressive Union in a statement signed by him on behalf of the community appreciated Kalu for the gesture and promised to always support him in his political endeavours.

Recall that Orji Uzor Kalu, had built 67 roads in the senatorial district since he assumed office in 2019.

Kalu confirmed the works in an apology message to the people of Ohafia Local Government Area of the state over his inability to commission some road projects as scheduled.

He explained that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, whom he invited earlier this year to commission some of the road projects facilitated by him, ran out of time.

Some of the projects commissioned by Lawan during his visit to Abia North include the Agbaja Nkporo road (7.5KM) in Ohafia LGA, Uturu road (2 KM) in Isuikwuato Local LGA, Obi Chima road (2 KM) in Isuikwuato LGA, Umu Imenyi road (2KM) in Bende LGA and Amankalu Alayi road (2 KM) in Bende LGA.

Others were three Boreholes in Agbaja, Amuri and Enugwu Nkporo in Ohafia LGA and 4 KM Ukwu Rubber Amaokwe-Item road and another road at Igbere in Bende LGA.

Kalu wrote on his Facebook page on the night of the visit “With a heavy heart and heartfelt concern, I apologize to the great people of Nkporo community in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state for not meeting up with the commissioning of my constituency projects in Nkporo. The Nkporo projects were among the projects to be commissioned by the Senate President today but we ran out of time.

“We left for home around 10:30 pm after seeing the Senate President off at the airport . With God’s grace and support of my constituents I was able to build about 53 roads in Abia North in the three years I have been a senator but only six roads were commissioned today . It would definitely not be possible to commission all the roads but we will open up as many as we can . We shall fix a new date for the good people of Nkporo for a visit . See you soon,” he said.

The Senate Chief Whip added, “I am glad that all the communities in Abia North have a project built in my honour and these facts are verifiable by the good people of Abia North . We will continue to be realistic and focused on our intentions for the people.”

Speaking earlier during the commissioning of one of the projects, Lawan described Kalu as an asset to the Abia North Senatorial District and the South East region at large.

The Senate President also bagged the “Nwanne di na mba” chieftaincy title during his visit to Item town in the Item Ancient Kingdom of the state.

Tinubu: I’ll Build On Buhari’s Legacy

By
Alex Enemanna
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0

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has assured that will build on the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari if elected Nigeria’s President in 2023.

Tinubu made this assurance while addressing participants at the third Ministerial Performance Review Retreat at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

He restated that he will not relent until terrorists are completely diminished in the country.

If elected, Tinubu said he will identify with the legacies of Buhari and work in the spirit of unity, national purpose.

Tinubu said his government will be devoted to continuity, particularly of projects that will bring prosperity to the citizens, adding that his guiding principle will be hinged on providing the best of progressive governance and reform the nation.

He added that these three promises will be in furtherance to the nine priority areas of the Buhari administration.

Meanwhile, Buhari is expected to attend the closing ceremony later, where he will sign the Executive Order on improving performance management, coordination and implementation of Presidential priorities of the Federal Government.

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