Governor of Edo State and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 19 governorship election in the state, has promised to tackle the unemployment situation in the state by encouraging private sector investment in the state if elected for second a term.

Obaseki was speaking Sunday night in the Channels Television-organised governorship debate, promising to create 157,000 jobs for indigenes of the state.

He said his administration has opened up the airport in the state which was attracting about eight flights daily to the Benin airport.

“I will create 2,000 jobs in the next four years. We hope to create 157,000 jobs and creating an enabling environment for the private sector,” Obaseki said.

“We are not competing with the private sector but aim to open up the state. Since we came on board, we have opened up the Benin airport, now we have about eight flights to Benin airport daily,” he said.

On his part, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), promised to revitalise the security architecture in Edo State and increase funding to them to enable the creation of 10,000 jobs in the sector for indigenes of the state.

He lamented the poor state of security in the state, stressing that if elected, his administration would give it a priority

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https://abntv.com.ng/2020/09/buhari-prevented-nigeria-from-becoming-failed-state-lai-mohammed/

In an apparent response to criticism by a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s information minister, Lai Mohammed, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts prevented Nigeria from becoming a failed state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported Mr Obasanjo’s Friday statement that Nigeria was “fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state.The presidency in a separate statement Sunday replied Mr Obasanjo, describing him as Nigeria’s ‘Divider-In-Chief’.

In his statement sent by his spokesperson, Segun Adeyemi, Mr Mohammed did not mention Mr Obasanjo’s name but said, “Those who genuinely love Nigeria will support, rather than subvert,” Mr Buhari’s “committed leadership.”

Read Mr Mohammed’s full statement below.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s assumption of office in 2015 prevented Nigeria from becoming a failed state, after a long stretch of rapacious and rudderless leadership, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the minister said President Buhari came into office at a time that a swathe of the country’s territory was under occupation, a period when many Nigerian towns and cities, including the capital city of Abuja, were a playground for insurgents and a moment that the nation’s wealth had been looted dry, with little or nothing to show for the nation’s huge earnings, especially in the area of infrastructure.

He said it is, therefore, a cruel irony that those who frittered away a great opportunity to put Nigeria on a sound socio-economic footing, at a time of financial buoyancy, and those who planted the seed of the insecurity in some parts of the country today, are the same ones pointing an accusing finger at a reformist government.

Read Also: You Are Nigeria’s Divider-In-Chief – Presidency Replies Obasanjo

”Nigeria today faces a lot of challenges. But whatever situation the country has found itself in, things would have been much worse but for the deft management of resources, unprecedented fight against corruption, determined battle against insurgency and banditry as well as the abiding courage of Mr President in piloting the ship of state,

”Nigeria today is not a failed state, but a nation that is courageously tackling its challenges and building a solid
infrastructure that will serve as the basis for socio-economic development, a nation that is unrelenting in battling insecurity and working hard to ensure greatest prosperity for the greatest number of people,” Mr Mohammed said.

He said no government in the history of the country has done so much with so little, as the Buhari Administration is doing presently adding that with 60% less national income, the administration is making progress on all fronts and setting the country on the path of sustainable growth and development.

The minister said while naysayers are hyping the instances of insecurity in the country, they have conveniently forgotten that the country could have been overrun by insurgents and bandits if President Buhari had not rallied regional and international allies to tackle, headlong, the Boko Haram insurgency that saw bombs going off like firecrackers before his assumption of office, and an estimated 20,000 square miles of the nation’s territory occupied by insurgents

”They tout the downturn in economic fortunes without putting things in context. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a global shutdown and a drastic fall in global oil demand, Nigeria lost 60% of its earnings, yet the administration has ensured that not a single worker has been retrenched, has paid salaries as and when due and has continued to build infrastructures like roads, rails, bridges and power, among others, that will serve many generations.

”They aggravate the national fault lines with their angry and unguarded actions and rhetoric, forgetting that while national fissures are amplified at a time of dwindling economic fortunes, what is needed to foster peace and unity is not reckless elocution but responsible and responsive leadership, the kind being offered by President Buhari,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said Nigeria is on the road to greatness, despite the challenges confronting the nation, citing the hard push towards food sufficiency; the modernization of the rail system; the nationwide construction of roads and bridges; the reform in the oil and gas sector; the unprecedented anti-corruption battle, the diversification of the economy and the renewed effort to ensure a steady power supply, anchored on a three-phase project that is expected to deliver 25,000MW of electricity in the next few years.

The minister thanked Nigerians for their perseverance and understanding, especially against the backdrop of the stifling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, and appealed to them to continue to support the administration, as it seeks to lift 100 million people out of poverty in the next 10 years.

”In one of the most difficult moments in the nation’s history, Nigeria is fortunate to have at the helm a leader who is not only dedicated, selfless and patriotic, but one who is globally acknowledged for his discipline, integrity and vision. Those who genuinely love Nigeria will support, rather than subvert, this committed leadership,” he said.

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The presidency has replied former President Olusegun Obasanjo, over his recent comment against President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Obasanjo had at an interactive session with some socio-cultural groups in Abuja on Friday, said that Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state, noting that the country is economically becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world.

According to him: “Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state, economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world, and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country.

“And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country.

“Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost everywhere”

Reacting on Sunday, Presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said: “In his most recent statement former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempts to divide the nation while President Muhammadu Buhari continues to promote nation building and the unity of Nigeria.

“The difference is clear. From the lofty heights of Commander-in-Chief, General Obasanjo has descended to the lowly level of Divider-in-Chief (to adapt the coinage of Time).

“Before responding further to the unfair attacks on President Buhari and his administration by the former President, it is important that we categorically state that contrary to the assertions by a few analysts, the recent speech in which President Buhari advised West African Presidents against tenure elongation beyond constitutional limits has been consistent with his long held views on the need to adhere to the rule of law.

Read Also: Woman Jailed For Cutting Her Own Hand For Insurance Fraud (Photos)

“Even though he tried it and failed, the recent uptick in the number of such leaders proposing to do, or actually carrying on in office beyond term limits is sufficient to cause concern among democrats in the sub-region given its prospects of destabilizing the states and the region.

“President Buhari’s advocacy is consistent with his principles and in line with the current policies of his administration and indeed that of the ECOWAS Charter which is that term limits must be respected and that the change of government is only permissible through the ballot box.

“Having cleared this misperception, we hope that Chief Obasanjo would once again sheath the sword and rest the pretentiousness about the Messiah that has (mis)led him to pronounce often wrongly, as he disastrously did in the 2019 elections, about the life and death of Nigerian governments.

“As some commentators are already suggesting, Chief Obasanjo should, in accordance with his mantra as a statesman, get involved with problems solving, when and where they exist instead of helping the mushrooming of a poisonous atmosphere of ethnic and religious nationalism.

“Surely, he must have disappointed many of his local and foreign admirers by showering commendations on a few extremist groups who have vowed to shun the invitation to the National Assembly to participate in the process of constitutional amendment.

“No doubt, he must have left those admirers confused in announcing the support for the boycott of a democratic process of changing the constitution, at the same time calling for dialogue and engagement.

“The fact that the process he ushered in under his administration with the dubious intention of amendments that sought tenure elongation failed-as did two other attempts by the successor administrations of the same political party- does not in any way justify his dismissal of the exercise by the 9th Assembly as a another waste of time and resources.

“To the credit of the All Progressives Congress-led 8th Assembly, the process of constitutional amendment was kickstarted and carried through, paving the way for, among other benefits, the financial independence of local government councils, States Houses of Assembly and the country’s Judiciary. These changes have already been signed into laws by the President as mandated by the constitution.

“The recent decisions by the administration as they relate to subsidy withdrawal, helping to plug some of the most horrendous notorious holes and release of scarce resources for the more pressing needs of the people has also not escaped the ire of the former president.

“It’s a known fact that the withdrawal of subsidies had been on the wish list of the Obasanjo-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. They failed in achieving these measures because, one there was a shared greed. They plundered the treasury as much as anyone could in the name of either subsidy or waiver with reckless impunity.

“Two, is to say it takes courage and rare statesmanship on the part of a leader to do as President Buhari to shun populism and seek the best interest of the people and the state, providing the kind of reform and development that Nigeria urgently needs.

“This President has run an administration focused on infrastructure and development. He has repaired our damaged relations with neighbours and our traditional allies such as the UK, US, China, Russia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the others with lots of benefits to the country.

“It is a pro-business administration that has used diplomacy to unlock bilateral trade and investment.

“He leads a government that has liberalized the investment climate and market access by achieving reforms that have placed the country in the list of the world’s top reforming economies.

“Nigeria, which other nations had mocked and ridiculed for so many things that were wrong is today progressing at a pace reflecting its size and potential.

“With so much to show and many more coming, it is little surprise that President Buhari would be the object of envy and harsh unfair challenges by politicians who failed to deliver, but continue to nurse ambitions of delighting the audience long after their curtain has been drawn.”

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Otunba Henry Ajomale is the immediate past Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos state chapter. In this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he speaks on current developments in the polity. Excerpts

What is your take on the uproar trailing the recent increase in price of fuel and electricity tariff?

I believe the timing is wrong for us to be having this increment on virtually everything. The federal government is taxing people and the state governments are also imposing taxes on the people. If you want to build a house, they ask you to pay for permit before it can be built. Even if you have a house already, the federal government wants to collect stamp duties on the rents collected by agents. The question we should ask is, was the building located on federal or state lands? How can you pay the federal and state governments at the same time? Once the federal government charges you for stamp duty, there is no way you are still not going to pay your tax to the state government. It’s unfair for the federal government to take out of people’s rent. I have travelled far and wide and have not seen where that is done. I don’t know where that is part of the federal government’s constitutional duties; trespassing on the duties of the state governments. If the federal government should take over everything the way they are doing now, what do they want to leave for the states and local governments for their own development? That to me is unfair especially coupled with the fact that we have been on lockdown for about 7 months.

Many people have lost their jobs while many companies that are still in operation can barely afford the payment of salaries for their staff. So, this is not a good time for the government to come up with all these policies because this period is not a good time for the average Nigerian. The government is supposed to defend the interest of the common man and not to churn out policies that will deepen their poverty level. People are already overwhelmed and adding more to their problems can make them run mad. We have seen cases of people jumping from the bridge into the lagoon because of debts and other problems. The government must take things easy except they want to create more mental homes.

Many Nigerians are saying restructuring will get us out of this quagmire. Why is your party not doing anything in this regard?

I believe the APC should implement the El-Rufai report on True Federalism. When (Goodluck) Jonathan set up the 2014 national conference, many of us felt it was a waste of time. We believed that it was another trick by Jonathan to keep the leaders busy. Once they are busy with the conference, they won’t be able to criticise some policies of the government. He was not after the implementation of the confab. Now, the present government rejected that report and set up another one headed by Governor El-Rufai; I think we should look at it. Honestly, I don’t believe in all these patch-works the government is doing in the name of constitution amendment. It is like using a new cloth to patch an old cloth, there is no way it won’t cause more damage. Let another constitution be drafted and submit it to the people. Let Nigerians decide on it, not the National Assembly. That is only time we can say ‘We the people’. The present constitution we are using now was handed over to us by the military and it is unitary in nature. I think we should make use the El-Rufai true federalism report and also bring it for referendum. A constitution must be submitted to the people for approval. Let Nigerians make input and criticise it where necessary. That is when we can rightly say ‘We The People’.

Some Nigerians have criticised the silence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on the issue of restructuring despite their influence in APC. What do you think is responsible for this?

I don’t think they are silent on it. If there is opportunity for them, they will able to do it. But now, it is only the man there now who can say yes or now; and that is the President. So, it has nothing to do with Asiwaju or Osinbajo. It is the President’s game. The bucks stop on his table and he is the only one who can say let us restructure the country and revise the constitution. I don’t think the President does not believe in restructuring because it was on the basis of that that a lot of people voted for us. They voted for APC on the basis of the promise to restructure the country. But it is unfortunate that that has not been done. Maybe the President saw something wrong which makes it difficult for him to implement it. I don’t know. I cannot answer for him. It is him alone who can answer that question.

What advise will you give to the President on calls by Nigerians for the replacement of the Service Chiefs?

It is not about whether we replace the Service Chiefs or not. We need to be fair in our assessment and ask whether they are being provided with the logistics support needed. Is it the Service Chiefs that are incapable or the system itself? Have they been able to satisfy the demands of the Service Chiefs or do they expect them to fight insurgents with bare hands? Will fighter jets or armoured vehicle come from heaven? Before Buhari became President, there was a time it was even worse when our military were running away when they run out of bullets. Do you expect them to wait and be killed? How do you expect a soldier whose salary has not been paid to be motivated? What about their welfare? Do they have life insurance? Even if they are going to sacrifice their lives, they know their families will not suffer in vain. If an American soldier is going to war today, he knows he is secured because everything must have been provided. Some people joined the military today because of unemployment, not because they are committed. For Christ’s sake, let us stop putting blames on the Service Chiefs. Whether you replace Service Chiefs ten times, it is the same result you are going to get.

Even though he is yet to formally announce, some Nigerians are already mobilising for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to contest in 2023. What is your take on this?

I am in support of the fact that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is the best man to succeed President Buhari in 2023. I will support that without any hesitation because Asiwaju Tinubu has traversed the whole country. He knows where the problems of each constituent are and the solution to it. These problems are diverse because the problem they have in Ondo is not the same as the one in Kano state.

Tinubu was a governor and we know the role he played in the development of Lagos which makes it envy to other states. If a man can develop IGR from N600m to billions of naira, I believe if given the opportunity, he will turn Nigeria around for better. If people like Babachir Lawal from Adamawa and Tanko Yakassai can be rooting for Asiwaju, it goes to show you that the man is a pan-Nigerian.

I am not saying he is a saint or he is perfect. There is nobody who is perfect except God. You may not like his face but you should like the idea and experience he has to make Nigeria better. He is a financial expert and so there is nothing the Minister of Finance can tell him that he doesn’t know.

He knows where the money Nigeria needs is hiding and he can bring it out. That is the type of person Nigeria needs now.

We should not make the political mistake of putting somebody who has been contesting for the presidency for more than 20 years and he knows he cannot do it. He just wants to acquire power and after getting it, he has no idea about what to do. Let’s settle for somebody who has the interest of the people at heart, who can turn things around and make Nigeria become one of the best nations in the world. That person is no other than Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

There is also a school of thought who believe Buhari should allow Osinbajo succeed him having understudied him as deputy so as to continue with the policies of the administration. Do you think that argument is logical?

I don’t have any problem with the Vice- President of Nigeria. He is also a great man; very intelligent. Yes, Osinbajo is also capable and qualified of doing it. It not one person that has monopoly of knowledge. Everybody is good in his own ways. To me, Osinbajo is also good but experience matters a lot. That is where Asiwaju comes in.

A political movement, BAT 23, has been flagged-off in Abuja to canvas support for the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, ahead of the 2023 general election.

Tinubu is said to be warming up to contest the number one seat in the country on the platform of the APC.

The National Coordinator of the Movement, Umar Inusa, said, during its flag-off at the weekend in Abuja, that the BAT 23, consisted of Tinubu’s supporters who were drawn from across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Inusa explained that the movement was formed to root for Tinubu, ahead of the 2023 presidential election.He said that Tinubu is a highly experienced leader with the required political tact to take over from where President Muhammadu Buhari would stop in 2023.

“Tinubu is a leader who transforms nothing into something and feeds his people from the riches of what has been so transformed.

“In his time as Lagos state governor, staff salaries, developmental projects, philanthropic activities never stopped.Now, think about the bigger picture here.”

“If he did that in Lagos and we never heard Lagos state going into recession at the time, what if he had the whole country struggling to manage her abundant resources? Let us ponder upon that.

“That is the man of calibre and pedigree, a charismatic and selfless leader we pray to canvass support to pilot the affairs of this nation and take it to the promised land,” he added.

Read Also: We’ll Resist Attempts To Declare State Of Emergency In South East, Ohanaeze Vows

Tinubu, from the Southwest region of Nigeria, has been strategising to become the President of the country for a while.

He has supported the present government all through and is expecting to be compensated with the top position in the country by his party come 2023.

His party, APC, is contemplating zoning the position of the president to the Southern part of the country after a two-term tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is from Katsina State in the Northern part of Nigeria.

Zoning has been adopted by political parties in Nigeria over the years to ensure that the presidency rotates between the Southern and Northern parts of the country.

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