President Buhari To Depart For Iran For The 3rd Gas Exporting Countries' Forum

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Sunday for Tehran where he will participate in the 3rd Gas Exporting Countries' Forum (GECF) opening in the Iranian capital on Monday, November 23, 2015.

President Buhari and the leaders of Iran, Russia, Qatar, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Oman, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Bolivia and other member-countries of the GECF are expected to review the current market outlook on gas and discuss strategies for boosting gas production during their meeting in Tehran.

Nigeria and other GECF members currently account for 42 percent of global gas production, 70 percent of global gas reserves, 40 percent of pipeline transmission of gas and 65 percent of the global trade in Liquefied Natural Gas.

President Buhari who is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with other participating Heads of State and Government on the sidelines of the GECF summit, will also meet with Nigerians resident in Iran.

The President will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.).

He is due back in Abuja on Tuesday, November 24, 2015.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
Media and Publicity
November 20, 2015

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Atiku Abubakar wishes GEJ a happy birthday

Our former president is 58 years old today...

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Buhari Trekker Commits Suicide Over Unfulfilled Promises

Nigerians are no longer smiling, yet refused to complain but prefer to die having made the worst mistake of their lives in supporting the present Buhari government.
The situation is practically getting excruciatingly unbearable even worse than envisaged with untimely deaths happening here and there.

First it was in Abuja, then Port Harcourt, and now this…
Learnt from a reliable source that one of the trekkers for the purported electoral victory of Buhari has hung himself to death, in fulfilment of the promise he made before the trekking competition.

The man here, it was alleged, made some promises to friends and family members in Jalingo, to trek from Jalingo to Abuja if Buhari wins, but will not fail to hang himself in the event that Buhari fails to perform or things goes worse than before.
This man went on the trekking business with every hope that Buhari is the messiah to turn around Nigeria , especially when he (Buhari) preached about “stabilising the global oil market” and many other things like free foods.
Having waited for well over 5 months and no sign of improvement as the reverse becomes the case, the promising young man had to take his life by hanging to avoid political taunts and mockery from his friends and neighbors, coupled with an unbearable hunger and starvation flogging his entire household.
What a world!
Fellow Nigerians, my humbly advise is that as much as mistakes have been made of which the consequences are staring at every Tolu, Dike, and Haruna. Let’s make it a point of duty to stop taunting those who did the unimaginable in support of the failure we have in Nigeria today.

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PDP woos Saraki, Kwankwaso for 2019

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has opened discussion with notable political leaders from the northern part of the country on the need for them to return to the former ruling party.

The discussion was aimed at convincing them that they could be the party’s presidential candidate come 2019.

The party recently announced that it had zoned its presidential ticket to the northern part of the country.

The party believes that it lost the last general election because it fielded former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan, who hails from Bayelsa State, was defeated by President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.

Buhari, a former Head of State, is from Katsina State.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that some members of the National Working Committee of the party had been having meetings with notable politicians who defected from the PDP to the APC.

Among those being wooed are the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki; a former Governor of Kano State, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso and many others.

Apart from Saraki and Kwankwaso, it was also gathered that the PDP was looking at the direction of a former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogora as its possible presidential candidate in 2019.

Saraki and Dogara were elected into their current positions with the help of members of the PDP in the Senate and the House.

Both men, who were former members of the PDP, have also decided to pay members of their former party back with headship of committees considered to be juicy and strategic at the Senate and in the House respectively.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, confirmed the secret meetings the leadership of the party had been having with its former members.

Metuh, who also confirmed that he was partaking in such meetings, said it would be premature to mention those who were contacted to return to their former party.

But he said the party was only considering those he said have electoral values and had yet to constantly condemn the party and everything it stood for in the past.

Metuh said, “Yes, I can confirm that we have opened discussions with our former members who left us due to misunderstandings and were aggrieved. We are already having meetings with them and I can assure you that the discussions are going to yield positive results.

“But for the fact that some of these gentlemen are holding sensitive positions in the APC and in government, we won’t be able to mention their names.

“They are not happy with the Federal Government and some of its policies and they have decided to team up with us come 2019.”

He said the PDP was sure that if it could bring back majority of its members who left the party for the APC, it would win the Presidential election in 2019.

While shopping for its presidential candidate from the north, our correspondent gathered that the party might have settled for the Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu as its vice presidential candidate.

Ekweremadu is the party’s highest ranking political office holder.

This, it was gathered, was the major reason why he was being considered for the position.

Also, his zone, the South-East and the South-South, are the major base of the PDP.

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Photos; Gov Fayose And Other PDP Leaders Storm Kogi State Ahead Of Forthcoming Gov Elections

PDP leaders including Governors Fayose and Mimiko charging people of Kogi State to Vote Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada in the forthcoming governorship election slated for Saturday 21st of November 2015 at a Mega Rally which took place at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja earlier on Monday.

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Photos; Nyesom Wike Cheered By The Crowd As He Embarked On Road Inspection Tour In Port-Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike today embarked on road inspection amidst celebration by residents of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs.

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Buhari to PermSecs: My govt won't condone corruption, incompetence.

Swears in 16 of 18 newly appointed PermSecs

By Levinus Nwabughiogu
ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, issued a stern warning to the Permanent Secretaries and the entire civil service that his administration would not tolerate corruption, incompetence and excesses.

The president spoke while swearing in the 18 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in Abuja.
He said: “I must, however, sound a note of warning. It is within public domain that ministers as chief executives of their ministries as well as other government officials involved in policy formulation and implementation often complain of the intolerable levels of incompetence, indifference or even suspected sabotage by some of the top echelon of the civil service.
“Even where Permanent Secretaries, in some instances, are exempted from these accusations, they are still responsible and liable for failing to provide the required leadership, control and direction.

“This administration will not condone any excesses, indifference, incompetence, and corrupt practices in any form. Permanent Secretaries are, therefore, advised to note these words of caution and disseminate them to all civil servants accordingly.
“I am sure the Permanent Secretaries and all other civil servants appreciate the fact that I have always considered the civil service as an indispensable reservoir of experience, expertise and loyalty. I, therefore, consider the service as a dependable ally in my quest to change this country for the better.”
The President, who congratulated the Permanent Secretaries on their appointments, also tasked them on the financial prudence. He reminded them that the expectations of Nigerians from the government were high, restating his resolve to create jobs and diversify the economy.”
Meanwhile, 16 of the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries took oath of office. They are: Ayotunde Adesugba, Taiwo Abidogun, Dr. Bukar Hassan,  Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka, Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, Mr. Sabiu Zakar,  Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi, Mr. Aminu Nabegu.
Others are Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu, Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa, Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa, Mr. Bassey Akpanyung, Mr. Louis Edozien and Dr. Ugo Roy.
However, two other Permanent Secretaries, who were absent at the inauguration, were said to have travelled out of the country on official assignment. They are Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele and Alhaji  Mahmoud Isa-Dutse.

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‘Ambode Has Reduced Poverty In Lagos State’

A Lagos-based group, Asiwaju National Forum, says the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has been able to reduce poverty in Lagos State in just three months.

The group, therefore, lauded Ambode’s style of governance which has given more power to the civil servants in the state.

The coordinator of the group, Seyi Bamigbade, said this in a statement, on Monday.

He said through the revival of dilapidated infrastructure in Lagos, Ambode had moved Lagos closer to attaining the Lagos Vision 2020.

The Lagos Vision 2020 a 10-year development plan which is aimed at rapid social and infrastructural development, provision of employment and poverty reduction.

According to the coordinator of the group, Seyi Bamigbade, it important for Lagosians to continue to keep faith with the man who is already fulfilling his campaign promises.

He said Ambode’s approach to governance in relation to the civil service is better than that of his predecessor, Babatunde Fashola.

He added, “Ambode’s style of governance is significantly different from his predecessor’s because unlike Fashola, Ambode allows heads of agencies to take initiatives and react to issues as professionals. He is also engaging the civil service more than what we saw in the administration of the former governor.”

“He has also demonstrated his commitment to the development plan of the state anchored on social development and security, infrastructural and economic development as well as sustainable environment.”

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Buhari likes Fulani herdsmen – Fani-Kayode

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, says President Muhammadu Buhari, who is a Fulani man, is sympathetic towards Fulani herdsmen.

The former minister said this in a Facebook post titled, ‘Herdsmen from hell’ while reacting to the abduction of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Fani-Kayode said Buhari had in the past referred to Fulani herdsmen as ‘my people’. He, therefore, argued that he was not surprised that Fulani herdsmen were hardly arrested despite their many acts of violence.

He said, “In the last few years the Fulani herdsmen have attacked, ravaged and pillaged many rural communities south of the River Niger and they have slaughtered and raped thousands of innocent people in the South-South, the South-East and the South-West.

“We recall how, after a violent clash between them and some Yoruba farmers in Oyo State in 2000, General Buhari (as he then was) led a strong delegation of northern leaders to see the late Governor of Oyo State, Lam Adeshina. On arrival, Buhari put the question to him: ‘Why are your people killing my people?’ This was a classic case of a Freudian slip.

“The Bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The general had spoken his mind. Governor Adeshina was shocked with disbelief and he responded by telling Buhari that he was rather surprised that a former Head of State would refer to one ethnic group as his people while referring to another as someone else’s.”

Fani-Kayode, who was the spokesperson for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign organisation, said Buhari had never shown concern for the plight of the people of the South.

He said this was why it took Buhari 48 hours to react to Falae’s kidnap.

Fani-Kayode said it was possible that Buhari knew those behind the abduction Falae because the herdsmen released Falae 24 hours after the presidency condemned the abduction. He noted that no one had since been arrested for Falae’s kidnap.

He added, “Another curious twist to the tale is the fact that it took the Buhari administration two days to make any formal announcement on Falae’s abduction and just the day after they (Presidency) finally did so, the elder statesman was suddenly released.

“The question is this: who is pulling the strings from behind the scenes and who is attempting to test our resolve and test the waters?”

The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain said Falae’s claim that the Fulani herdsmen had links with Boko Haram should not be ignored.

He said the Fulani herdsmen were a security threat and could easily cause crisis in the South-West having populated the entire region under the guise of selling cattle.

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President Buhari Appoints His Self As Petroleum Minister

President Buhari while addressing some select reporters in New York on Tuesday, after addressing a Global Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism, he will remain the Minister of Petroleum.
He said the step is being taken as part of efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry which is said to be plagued by corruption, massive fraud, and crude oil theft.

He said: 

“I will remain Minister of Petroleum.

“I will appoint a minister of State for Petroleum”.

Buhari restated his determination to sanitise Nigeria’s oil industry and free it from corruption and create more transparency.
He said that his first step in sanitizing the petroleum sector has already begun with the appointment of a new management for the NNPC and said that the prosecution of those who misappropriated NNPC’s funds is already in the works.

Buhari, who took office at the end of May promising to fight corruption, has made it clear he wants to overhaul the oil sector in Africa’s biggest economy, which provides the government with about 70% of its revenue.

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