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Sunday 31 December 2017

Change Your Attitude In 2018 ~Tambuwal Urges Nigerians


Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has urged Nigerians to have positive attitude in 2018, saying
available indices indicated that the country would be great.
Tambuwal, in a statement by his media aide, Malam Imam Imam, said that the prospect of a great nation
would manifest, if Nigerians could cooperate and work together for the betterment of the nation.
He said:“2018 will be a year of great significance for Nigeria, as working together with a united purpose will
guarantee success for our nation.
“This is imperative, not just for our wellbeing, but for the benefit of the future generation of Nigerians.”
Tambuwal said that the coming year would continue to impact positively on the lives of people of Sokoto State.
“We are expecting increased output from our farmers and with crops like rice, sorghum and wheat.
“We hope to maintain our position as one of the leading producers in Nigeria.
“We have expanded our industrial base into fertiliser production.
“We are hopeful that other industries will come on stream to provide employment opportunities for our
people, and subsequently improve on the economic situation of the state,”

SERAP To Buhari: Withdraw Board Appointment.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “withdraw without further delay the list of appointments to the boards of agencies and parastatals in order to remove a clear and recognizable danger to the integrity of these bodies, and allow the civil service systems to carry out the appointments, in strict conformity with established rules and Nigeria’s international anticorruption obligations and commitments.”

Buhari had on Friday approved the constitution of the governing boards of agencies and parastatals, appointing 209 chairmen and 1258 members to fill the board positions. However, it has been discovered that at least 8 members on the list have since passed away.

Among others, Buhari appointed Rev. Christopher Utov as a Member of Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research. Rev Utov, the proprietor of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko passed away on March 17, 2017.
In a statement today by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale the organization said, “Appointing at least 8 dead people as board members would seem to suggest that the 1,467 appointments approved by Buhari were unscreened for competence, merit, equity, aptitude and conflicts of interest. Going ahead with these appointments would neither advance due process nor Buhari’s oft-expressed commitment to prevent and combat corruption. It would create a lack of trust and confidence among the general public.”

According to the organization, “Taking partisan politics out of the appointments to boards of agencies and parastatals is one surest way for Buhari to show that his government is truly one of change, that would do things differently from successive governments that apparently handed out board appointments to reward party members, supporters and cronies.”

The statement read in part: “Withdrawing the appointments and directing and allowing the civil service systems to follow due process to reappoint chairpersons and members to the boards of these agencies and parastatals would bring the government’s practices and operations into conformity with Nigeria’s international anticorruption obligations, particularly the UN Convention against Corruption. Nigeria has ratified the convention.”
“It’s absolutely important for Buhari to ensure that the process through which board appointments are made is transparent and merit-based.

A merit-appointment system would produce a better qualified board, and ultimately improve the governance architecture and access of Nigerians to essential public services. It should be the practice of this government to make board appointments on the basis of ability, and not because of political influence or connection.”

“Taking these appointments out of the hands of a small elite group and strengthening the civil service systems and allowing them to deal with board appointments and other similar appointments in a professional, efficient and effective way would greatly decrease political influence or bias in the appointment process, and make the operations of these agencies and parastatals less dependent on partisan politics, which would in turn help improve the ability of the government to deliver effective policies and the much-needed good governance, growth and development to Nigerians.”

“Letting the civil service systems get on with board appointments would also assure basic bureaucratic ‘hygiene,’ and help to facilitate the establishment of strong boards that would be better placed to ‘deliver the goods’ to Nigerians in the democratic context. It would ultimately bring about higher effectiveness and improved government legitimacy.”

“Specifically, Article 8 of the convention makes it mandatory for the government to promote integrity in public administration and to synchronize systems, measures and mechanisms for handing out public jobs.

Similarly, Article 7,Buhari had on Friday approved the constitution of the governing boards of agencies and parastatals, appointing 209 chairmen and 1258 members to fill the board positions. However, it has been discovered that at least 8 members on the list have since passed away. Among others, Buhari appointed Rev. Christopher Utov as a Member of Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research. Rev Utov, the proprietor of Fidei Polytechnic, Gboko passed away on March 17, 2017.

In a statement today by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale the organization said, “Appointing at least 8 dead people as board members would seem to suggest that the 1,467 appointments approved by Buhari were unscreened for competence, merit, equity, aptitude and conflicts of interest. Going ahead with these appointments would neither advance due process nor Buhari’s oft-expressed commitment to prevent and combat corruption. It would create a lack of trust and confidence among the general public.”

According to the organization, “Taking partisan politics out of the appointments to boards of agencies and parastatals is one surest way for Buhari to show that his government is truly one of change, that would do things differently from successive governments that apparently handed out board appointments to reward party members, supporters and cronies.”

The statement read in part: “Withdrawing the appointments and directing and allowing the civil service systems to follow due process to reappoint chairpersons and members to the boards of these agencies and parastatals would bring the government’s practices and operations into conformity with Nigeria’s international anticorruption obligations, particularly the UN Convention against Corruption. Nigeria has ratified the convention.”

“It’s absolutely important for Buhari to ensure that the process through which board appointments are made is transparent and merit-based.

A merit-appointment system would produce a better qualified board, and ultimately improve the governance architecture and access of Nigerians to essential public services. It should be the practice of this government to make board appointments on the basis of ability, and not because of political influence or connection.”

“Taking these appointments out of the hands of a small elite group and strengthening the civil service systems and allowing them to deal with board appointments and other similar appointments in a professional, efficient and effective way would greatly decrease political influence or bias in the appointment process, and make the operations of these agencies and parastatals less dependent on partisan politics, which would in turn help improve the ability of the government to deliver effective policies and the much-needed good governance, growth and development to Nigerians.”

“Letting the civil service systems get on with board appointments would also assure basic bureaucratic ‘hygiene,’ and help to facilitate the establishment of strong boards that would be better placed to ‘deliver the goods’ to Nigerians in the democratic context. It would ultimately bring about higher effectiveness and improved government legitimacy.”

“Specifically, Article 8 of the convention makes it mandatory for the government to promote integrity in public administration and to synchronize systems, measures and mechanisms for handing out public jobs.

Similarly, Article 7, paragraph 1, requires the government to establish and strengthen systems for board appointments based on the principles of transparency, efficiency, and objective criteria such as merit, equity, and aptitude. The government is equally obligated to establish systems to prevent conflicts of interest and influence peddling in board appointments.”

“The president also appointed Chief Donald Ugbaja as a Member of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC). Chief Ugbaja, a former DIG of the Nigerian Police, died on November 29, 2017. Another person, Senator Francis Okpozo, was appointed as Chairman of the Nigerian Press Council. But Okpozo, a Senator in the Second Republic, died on December 16, 2016.”paragraph 1, requires the government to establish and strengthen systems for board appointments based on the principles of transparency, efficiency, and objective criteria such as merit, equity, and aptitude.

The government is equally obligated to establish systems to prevent conflicts of interest and influence peddling in board appointments.”

“The president also appointed Chief Donald Ugbaja as a Member of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC). Chief Ugbaja, a former DIG of the Nigerian Police, died on November 29, 2017. Another person, Senator Francis Okpozo, was appointed as Chairman of the Nigerian Press Council.

But Okpozo, a Senator in the Second Republic, died on December 16, 2016.”

Thursday 28 December 2017

FINALLY! Channels TV Presenter, Maupe Ogun Is Taken!

One of Channels TV’s Top Presenters, Maupe Ogun is married to her hubby, Mohammed Bamidele Yusuf, 
The Traditional Wedding Took Place in #Lekki Lagos. December 28th

CONGRATULATIONS Maupe!

Tuesday 26 December 2017

TheLATEST: Atiku Set To Leave PDP, Complains That A Governor Have Hijacked The Party.

The former Nigerian Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has decried the situation in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which he claimed is now controlled by handful of people.

He said that, “Goodluck Jonathan assured me in one of our meetings,that the leaders of the party has resolve to endorse and support me as PDP 2019 Presidential candidate unopposed bcoz it was zone to the North and I accepted the request.

"Due to the respect I have for Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and my love for Nigeria, but I'm surprise over what is happening in PDP today,a Governor is now in Total control of the entire structure of the Party.

“PDP is under the control of a small boy and he does what he likes without respect for the Founding fathers of the party", the former Nigerian Vice President concluded.

Feelers in the party are suggesting that he may leave the party if it becomes clearer that he will not get the party’s ticket for the 2019 Presidential election.

Atiku Abubarkar’s political associates formed a political party last year, which may serve as a contingent for the former VP if PDP decides to give the ticket to loyal members. -

Sunday 24 December 2017

The OTHER Side Of Buhari: "We Use To Laugh & Roll On The Floor"~ El-Rufai Reveals

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has admitted that he and some other people he did not name can no longer be laughing with President Muhammadu Buhari as they were doing when they were in opposition.
He said in those days, he and others would be laughing and rolling on the floor of Buhari’s living room.
The governor who apparently was talking about the funny aspect of
the President spoke in a documentary, “Buhari: Beyond the Iron and Steel” put together by the President’s media team.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr.
Femi Adesina, made excerpts of the interviews in the documentary,
meant to show the other side of Buhari, available on his Facebook
page on Sunday.
“When we were in the opposition, you needed to see how we rolled on the floor in his (Buhari’s) living room, as we laughed. Of course,
we can’t do that again now,” Adesina quoted El-Rufai as saying in the documentary.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was also quoted as confirming that Buhari cracks jokes and still keeps a straight face.
Gov. Nasir El Rufai
“He gives you things to do and leaves you strictly to do those things. No interference at all, once he has confidence in you… And he cracks those jokes, and manages to still keep a straight face,” Osinbajo said.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters,
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said she wished Nigerians know Buhari’s “softer side.”
“How I wish Nigerians know his softer and accommodating side.
Very jocular. But it is our duty to tell them,” she said. Ogun State Governor, Ibikunke Amosun, who is an ally of the President described him as a “reformed democrat.”
“I wish I had his patience. He would listen to everybody and then take a decision. He is a reformed democrat,” the governor said. On his part, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr.Babatunde Fashola, said, “He gave me some priority projects: Mokwa/Jebba road, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, and Second NigerBridge… He never appends his signature to anything, unless you’ve
explained, and he understands it.”
The documentary is billed to be aired on the Nigerian Television Authority on Sunday and Monday at 8 pm and on ChannelsTelevision on Monday.

STILL ON TEACHERS’ SACK: PROGRESSIVES BACK Mallam Nasir El-Rufai

The Director General of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu
Mohammed Lukman has cautioned stakeholders of the Kaduna
State All Progressive Congress (APC) against politicizing the planned sack of over 21,000 teachers by the state government for incompetency.
A letter addressed to Kaduna state APC stakeholder titled ‘State of
education in Kaduna: Issues and Politics’ says that politicizing the
issue is synonymous to politicizing the future of the children.
Lukman who was a governorship aspirant for Kaduna State (APC) in
the 2015 general elections stressed the need to exercise caution as far as the issue of the teachers is concerned.
He made known that he resolved to write to Kaduna state APC stakeholders in order to further stress his call for caution against
politicizing the future of the children.
“We can disagree with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on many issues but
on the issue of fixing public education, we need to be cautious.
Many of us wouldn’t have been where we are if not for the privilege of access to good quality public education.
"We are all products of public education on accounts of which we
are globally competitive but this is not the case with our children.
Our children are mostly products of private education and thus, hardly competitive locally,”

STILL ON TEACHERS’ SACK: PROGRESSIVES BACK Mallam Nasir El-Rufai

The Director General of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Mohammed Lukman has cautioned stakeholders of the Kaduna State All Progressive Congress (APC) against politicizing the planned sack of over 21,000 teachers by the state government for incompetency.

A letter addressed to Kaduna state APC stakeholder titled ‘State of education in Kaduna: Issues and Politics’ says that politicizing the issue is synonymous to politicizing the future of the children.  Lukman who was a governorship aspirant for Kaduna State (APC) in the 2015 general elections stressed the need to exercise caution as far as the issue of the teachers is concerned.

He made known that he resolved to write to Kaduna state APC stakeholders in order to further stress his call for caution against politicizing the future of the children.

“We can disagree with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on many issues but on the issue of fixing public education, we need to be cautious. Many of us wouldn’t have been where we are if not for the privilege of access to good quality public education.

"We are all products of public education on accounts of which we are globally competitive but this is not the case with our children. Our children are mostly products of private education and thus, hardly competitive locally,”

Saturday 23 December 2017

Why Kaduna Must replace 22,000 unqualified Teachers, – El-Rufai

On Sunday, October 29, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna fielded questions on his monthly media chat.
The governor spoke on diverse issues, from early budget preparation, to unqualified teachers and the planned $350 million loan.

Here are excerpts from the interview.

Q: Your government has set a pattern for presenting budgets early and getting the budget signed before the year ends. This is new in the history of the state. How do you do it?

El-Rufai: Thank you for this question. It is important to impose a sense of order in the budgeting process. That enables the government to make proper choices in spending decisions, and to have a proper window for implementing our pro-people programmes. So, we decided that our budget year must run from January to December, just like the Gregorian calendar.

By God’s grace, we have been able to prepare, present and sign each of our budgets before the new year begins. This is made possible by several factors. One is the hard work of the members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly who have been very diligent in examining, discussing and passing the budget. When they were considering the 2017 Budget in 2016, they even slashed it by N1 billion. Another factor that helps is the regular budget retreats that our state executive council holds every quarter. That way we know how the budget is performing and we are able to make adjustments. Then our Planning and Budget Commission issues the call circular early and our MDAs respond promptly. It is all team work.

Q: Why is the 2018 budget described as the Budget of Consolidation?

El-Rufai: No state government has published as many tenders for capital projects like Kaduna State. That is because we are committed to open, competitive bidding. We have started so many projects in sectors like Education, Health, Roads, Water Resources, Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development. We have not had the resources to push some of them as strongly as we would wish. But we have had the courage and the vision to start them.

Therefore, we have decided that priority will be given to completing these multiple projects, to consolidate on the practical things we are doing to make change real for our people. There are schools renovated, hospitals being rehabilitated, built and equipped, roads being constructed, mining communities being given infrastructure, water works being rehabilitated or retrofitted.

Q: In your 2018 budget speech, you said your administration will be prioritizing the completion of projects. What are these projects?

El-Rufai: As I said in response to your previous question, we have to complete the equipping of 255 Primary Health Centres and 23 secondary health facilities. Across the state, we are renovating our secondary schools. Some, like Queen Amina and Government College, Kaduna, have been completed. Many more and ongoing across the state.

For instance, as at mid-2017, there were 443km of township roads and 16 intercity roads with a distance of 414.8km at various stages of completion. In addition, 17 rural feeder roads with distance of 172 km are being constructed. There are many schools being rebuilt, hospitals being upgraded and equipped, water works being refitted, rehabilitation centres being fixed. We are very proud to have initiated these projects in the interest of our people. And we have been clearheaded enough to take on inherited projects that we consider feasible and viable!

Q: KADRA seems to have replaced KAPWA. What is KADRA’s job?

El-Rufai: KADRA is the Kaduna State Roads Agency. As their name implies, KADRA has responsibility for our roads. We are confident that it will do well. The agency has an energetic leader, and we have high expectations that KADRA will help to deliver and maintain decent roads across the state. As you can see, they have started filling potholes and grading roads. They would and must do a lot in this dry season.

Q: When will payment for the previous drainage works start? Will there be fresh drainage works?

El-Rufai: As I said at the budget town hall meetings, payments will be made on certified drainage works. And KADRA will initiate new drainage works when and where necessary.

Q: The World Bank loan issue has been generating so much controversy. But Senator Kabir Gaya has now assured that the Senate will approve it. Is the matter now settled?

El-Rufai: Thank you for this question. On 20 June 2017, the World Bank announced that it has decided to provide a budget support facility of $350m to Kaduna State. The Bank did not just wake up to this. Let me tell you how it started. During the general election campaign in 2014 and early 2015, my colleagues and I campaigned about the poor state of our schools. We said many schools did not have roofs, doors, windows, water and toilets, and we promised to fix it.

Once we won the elections, the things we had complained about became our responsibility to correct. But as prepared as we were with our Transition Committee report, we still got a few shocks when we took office. In our first week, we took briefings from all MDAs in the state. That is when the then chairman of SUBEB told us that at least 50% of our school children sit on floors because there was no school furniture.

We declared a state of emergency in education and started to fix schools and buy furniture. After fixing almost 10% of our over 4200 primary schools, we realised we would need a lot of money to fix everything and to actually build new schools that can have enough classrooms, staff rooms and other facilities. So, we compiled the pictures of our schools into an album, and I took it to Abuja and showed it to the Minister of Finance to explain the level of investment we would require. Then I shared the photos with our development partners, including the World Bank. That is how the conversation that led to the loan started.

The World Bank has scrutinised Kaduna State and they are convinced we meet their standards. We have healthy Fitch ratings B” Credit Rating with Stable Outlook. (In November 2016, Fitch Ratings assigned Kaduna State a long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) of “B” and a National long-term rating of A+ (nga) with stable outlooks).

The World Bank checked our laws, our accounts and our performance, they are convinced we merit their support.

Our commissioners have appeared before the relevant committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and presented detailed explanations for the rationale and the purposes of the loan. Our delegates were commended for the quality of their presentations. Nobody in those committees of the National Assembly can honestly claim not to be aware of the justification and the purpose of the loan.

So, we are grateful for the assurance Senator Kabiru Gaya gave us that the Senate will approve the federal government’s borrowing plan so that we can begin to access this very low-interest loan. The World Bank facility is critical to achieving our governance objectives in the short to medium term.

Q: Your government has issued notices to recruit 25,000 teachers to replace the 22,000 teachers that failed the competency test. How is the administration going to avoid the mistake of the past in employing new teachers?

El-Rufai: Unqualified teachers entered the system because the recruitment of teachers was politicised. The local government council chairmen and other senior politicians and bureaucrats saw teaching as a dumping ground for their thugs, supporters and other unqualified persons.

Teachers were employed at local government level without adherence to standards. In many instances, no examinations or interviews were conducted to assess the quality of recruits. Political patronage, nepotism and corruption became the yardstick, thus giving unqualified persons a way in. Teaching jobs were given as patronage to those connected to politicians and bureaucrats.

The Kaduna State Executive Council has approved the recruitment of 25,000 primary school teachers. Recruitment notices have already been advertised by the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). This time around, there would be standardised tests for the recruits and a further training programme before the new teachers take over the classrooms. No unqualified person will scale through. And we will vet certificates very closely and very often. The future of our children is so important that we will not take chances. We will be vigilant in ensuring that only good people teach in our public schools.

Q: Commentators across the country have praised your decision to sack and replace the 22,000 teachers that did not meet the grade. But some people in Kaduna said that you promised sometime in the past that government will not sack anyone but will train those that need training and place the ones that those not need training in other places? What can you say on this?

El-Rufai: Many people don’t realise that the June 2017 competency test was administered to measure the impact of several training and retraining efforts by ESSPIN and the Teacher Development Programme. Teacher training is about improving the capacity of a teacher to impart knowledge. What the competency test showed is that many of the teachers do not have the knowledge, so how can they impart what they do not have? Are they saying we should send primary school teachers back to Primary Four? If you have knowledge but are deficient in teaching skills, we can train you to acquire the skills of a teacher. But when there is no knowledge, what is there to teach?

In 2012, the previous government gave all primary school teachers a five-year grace to acquire NCE. That expired this year, but many teachers still don’t have it.

Q: The Nigerian Union of Teachers has threatened to strike over the matter of the failing teachers. How will your government respond?

El-Rufai: Everybody knows that we will not be deterred in doing what is right for the future of our children. This is not about politics, or people making a public show of opposing what they know to be right. Shouldn’t everybody be embarrassed by the test results. Where is the sense of shame? I hear some people say the pass mark for teachers in a Primary Four exam should be 60%; the same people say the state government has no right to test the competence of its employees. One evidence of the crisis in our society is that a union whose members failed a Primary 4 examination thinks it can create problems over the issue rather than be a part of the solution.

We are not people that bow to threats. We will respond appropriately. What will be point of the threatened strike? To force us to violate our oath of office and knowingly retain as teachers those that are not qualified? That will not happen!

We will recruit as many qualified teachers as we can find. We will not keep unqualified teachers on our payroll.

Q: There is a perception that the Kaduna State House of Assembly is dragging its feet on passing the laws to make the local government election possible. The local government election was even postponed after SIECOM had announced a date. Are the honourable members scared of elections?

El-Rufai: We in the Executive branch have fully supported SIECOM with the resources it needs to organise local government elections using the electronic voting machines. That is why SIECOM was able to announce the dates for the elections. SIECOM then postponed the elections after the House of Assembly said the enabling laws had not been passed. We urge our legislators to pass these laws so that we can have local government elections promptly. We here are ready for elections.

Q: When you came in to office, you reduced ministries from 19 to 13 and you now have 14. You also reduced commissioners from 24 to 15. We learnt that you have extended this cost-cutting to local governments. What is the position?

El-Rufai: This government is committed to reducing waste, eliminating fraud and cutting costs wherever we can. We believe that most of the resources of government must be devoted to serving the needs of ordinary people, building schools, hospitals, roads and delivering other public goods.

You cannot do this except you reduce the cost of running government. We started from the Executive branch. We inherited 19 ministries, but now we have only 14. The previous government had 24 commissioners, but we have only 15. We have fewer special advisers and special assistants than the government before us.

Next, we verified state civil servants. We gave each ministry what its maximum establishment can be and signed an Executive Order to effect this. Surplus staff above the establishment of each Ministry have been posted to the office of the Head of Service pending subsequent steps in our public service reform and renewal programme.

We have now moved to the local government level. Remember that we reduced districts from 390 to 77, so that our local government councils will have fewer district heads and staff to pay and have more money for development.

Part of the reason why many local governments are broke is that they are overstaffed. The admin department of Zaria local government has 300 staff. For what? This overstaffing is why many of the local government councils cannot pay salaries without the support of the state government.

So, we have prescribed personnel figures for all the 23 local government councils in Kaduna state. Direct council staff will now be less than 7000 in total. This excludes teachers under SUBEB and primary health centre staff who have been moved to the State Primary Health Care Development Agency.

I have signed an Executive Order directing the Administrators of the 23 local government councils to comply with the prescribed personnel levels.

Q: The Kaduna State APC Caucus and Executive Committee met this week and backed all your decisions regarding teachers and the World Bank loan. How is the party maintaining its unity?

El-Rufai: The APC in Kaduna State is united around its manifesto. Its leadership does not view power as an excuse for a bazaar focused on sharing offices among politicians. The reason for being in politics is to influence policies and programmes, not to share appointments. 1.1 million persons voted for the APC in the governorship election. We must serve this people, and that is what we are doing.

Some people joined the APC late in 2014 and in 2015 because they knew we would win, and they thought that after winning it will be business as usual. They are unhappy and disappointed that it is not business as usual.

The APC in Kaduna State will stay together to deliver concrete change for our people.

Q: KADFAMA, KADGIS, KASUPDA, Water Corporation, SUBEB, Ministry of Works, Pension Bureau and KSMC are all recruiting new staff. Where are you getting the resources for fresh recruitments?

El-Rufai: These agencies need additional personnel to serve our people better. We must find the resources by reducing waste, raising more IGR and encouraging investments.

We are proud of our record as a job-creating government. We will create as many direct jobs as are necessary for our MDAs to work well, inject youth and be more efficient in achieving results. But all the direct jobs will be smaller than what the private sector can create.

That is why we are pursuing multiple initiatives to attract private sector investments. Apart from the successes already recorded in agriculture through Olam, Sunseed, Vicampro and others, we are bringing Mahindra to assemble tractors. Peugeot France is also coming to build a brand new factory in Kaduna to assemble cars. They have already cleared the site in Chikun Local Government Area. We are guided by the need to find jobs, jobs and more jobs for our teaming youth.

Q: How is the state doing with IGR this year? In the budget speech, you mentioned the N100 annual development levy payable by every adult. How would this be collected?

El-Rufai: In 2016, Kaduna State raised a record N23 billion as IGR. We hope to do better in 2017. I urge our people to pay their Land Use Charge and Ground Rent.

The law of this state requires every adult to pay an annual N100 development levy. This is a small sum that helps to grow a sense of civic responsibility. We believe that every adult resident can afford to pay N100 every year and insist on accountability.

WHY I DID NOT LET ATIKU SUCCEED ME AS PRESIDENT - OBJ

"His propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.........'I also stumbled upon a damning report of inquiry carried out on Atiku' - I asked one of my predecessors why he did not inform me of how bad the report was and he said that he thought I knew.  He said 'this was a man I wanted to dismiss and jail but for the intervention of Shagaya and Shehu Yar'Adua.'......And knowing all that I discovered about him, what would have been an unpardonable mistake and sin against God would have been to foist him on Nigeria"

Culled from MY WATCH (2) by Olusegun Obasanjo.

Monday 11 December 2017

Amaechi Break Silence: “To win 2019, we must go back to God in prayers”

Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has urged everyone in his political
circle to rededicate themselves and restore their commitment to God ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Amaechi spoke while testifying of his ‘miraculous’ emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2007 during a special thanksgiving service to mark the 10th anniversary of the Supreme Court judgement that declared him Governor of Rivers State.
“The truth is that we believed God. Some who didn’t believe left us just as they are leaving now. God told me
that what he will do in Rivers State will tingle the ears, and I believed.
“We were so broke, we could not pay legal fees or children’s school fees. My wife prayed every day and night.
“I was fasting and praying for 3months. I told God ‘I have a friend who has money, please make him
remember me.’
“I called my friend and he told me he has been looking for me. I told him I was in Ghana and he asked for my
account… He sent me Two hundred million naira. This is just to tell you that I believed God and he answered
me,” Amaechi said.
On the 2019 elections, he continued, “if we don’t pray, 2019 will be very far from us. If we don’t win 2019, it would be our fault, not anybody else’.
“We go to God because he answers. We pray, then go home and work. Back then, even in my fathers house in the village there was a prayer team…”
During his sermon, General Overseer of ALEM, Apostle Eugene Ogu recalled the travails of Amaechi in 2007, how he cried at the altar and how God used him to make a statement in Rivers State.
He said, “making a man who did not participate in elections governor is one act of God that can not be
erased in the history of Rivers State. God is in charge of this state, that is why the conspiracy of evil ones cannot stand.
Apostle Ogu admonished the congregation to do good and avoid evil communications, because “what you sow, you shall reap. If you are paid to kill people, somebody
will kill you without collecting money. If you use your pen to lie against people, if you blackmail people, one
day somebody will ‘blackpaint’ you.”

Friday 8 December 2017

How I was Shot Out of Obasanjo's administration~Atiku explains

- Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku has revealed how he was frozen out of the Obasanjo's administration during the second tenure
- Atiku said Obasanjo's fight with him stemmed from his refusal to support the ex-president's intention to elongate the presidential tenure
- He added that his fight against the bill to elongate the presidential tenure has given Nigerian youths a chance at leadership
Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku has shed light into the
disagreement between him and ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo during the second tenure of their administration.  Atiku revealed that he was frozen out of the administration after he kicked against Obasanjo's wish to elongate the presidential tenure during his second term in office.
Atiku made this revelation while replying to an open letter
written to him by comedian, Francis Agoda, popularly known
as I Go Dye. Atiku in his reply to the comedian, listed his achievement and effort during the Obasanjo tenure.

He however said he couldn't do much because the former president froze him out of the administration during the second term.
He said: "I know many of these have been forgotten because it
was a long time ago, and successive administrations did not follow up on the progress we made. But that is also not to say we were blameless.
"I was largely frozen out in the second term of our tenure, and I
regret that we had that disagreement with my boss. Some say I was disloyal, but I looked at the events in Zimbabwe recently, and it gives me confidence that I did the right thing fighting the attempts to elongate the presidential tenure beyond eight years.
"If I did not win that fight, do you think we would be having a
discussion on young people getting into leadership today?"

Only recently Atiku has sent a
message to President Muhammadu Buhari saying Nigerians will
decide who will be president between them by 2019.
This was in response to President Buhari’s remark that his popularity was waxing stronger.
The president made this statement when he went on a two-day trip to Kano.

Thursday 7 December 2017

Psquare, Paul Okoye Gives Birth To Twins

I had four miscarriages, before giving
birth to twins-Paul Okoye’s wife

Beyond the glamorous life celebrities live, they are not exempted from the hard knocks of life.
Anita Okoye, the wife of one half of the separated group, Psquare, Paul, has said that she endured four
miscarriages before giving birth to twins in July.
The elated mother-of-three opened up on Instagram on Thursday and articulated her gratitude to friends and family members who stood by her during the tryingtimes. Anita said shewas not expecting a set of twins after the miscarriages.anita_okoye

Who would have thought after 4
miscarriages, I’d be dancing and singing and dedicating TWINS to God almighty!! This God is too good o!!! God has really turned my mourning into dancing again and has lifted my sorrows. I am so grateful to God, my family and friends for standing by me through it all, for remembering me in your prayers, for every ounce of support...God bless every single
one of you!! May the good Lord grant all your hearts’ desires and as you have always been available to pray, laugh, cry, dance and rejoice with me... May God’s blessings never leave you. I wish I could tag every
single one of you... More pictures coming soon from Nathan & Nadia’s dedication.
#tbt #doublerainbow #blessings #hope
#miracleworker #nathanandnadia #okoye
#God #blessed #joy #family #friends
#friendship #twins #doubledouble
#theokoyes #twinbabydedication
She wrote: “Who would have thought after 4 miscarriages, I’d be dancing and singing and dedicating
TWINS to God almighty!! This God is too good o!!!
“God has really turned my mourning into dancing again and has lifted my sorrows. I am so grateful to God, my
family and friends for standing by me through it all, for remembering me in their prayers, for every ounce of support…God bless every single one of you!!

Wednesday 6 December 2017

Bombshell: Joke Silva Reveals How She Was Adopted From Childhood

Every day there’s a new opportunity to learn more about your favorite celebrities.Unknown to many, celebrated actress and thespian, Joke Silva popularly called Mummy Jay is an adopted child.The 56 year old actress was adopted by the late Chief E.A Silva, a respectable lawyer, and his wife late Dr Abimbola Silva, a pioneering female doctor who died in
July 2015. The revered actress made this known at the recent first annual conference of Heritage Adoption Support and Advocacy Group (HASAAG).
Joke Silva recounted her experience at the event which had the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo
in attendance According to her: I remembered going out with my
cousin and we met a big cousin .She introduced me as ‘my cousin’s daughter and this is Dr Silva’s daughter.’ Then, the older cousin was like, ‘Dr. Silva ke? Se Doctor
Silva bimo ni? (meaning does Dr. Silva have a child?) . I was so confused and when I got home I told my mum, ‘I met this lady that says you never had a child.’ My mum froze and she said, ‘Don’t mind them, they are used to rubbish talk.’
But I got to know years later when I wanted to travel and was looking for my passport where my mum kept it.
Since she was not around, I opened the box in her absence and I saw my adoption papers. I never discussed it with my mum because I felt it was
something that would hurt her that was why, it was kept secret from me”.
Speaking further, she shared how she told her husband she is an adopted child. Hear her: “Several years later, I brought home the one I
wanted to marry and my mum asked my husband, if he knew I was adopted and he answered in affirmation that I had already told him. Many years later, there was another memory of a very nasty member of our family. My mummy always very supportive of her relatives sat on our balcony and said
my aunty would never be supportive of her because in the Yoruba language, ‘won o kuku bimo’ (she never supported her because she didn’t have a child of her own.) When I heard about it I did what Pastor Rapu called the unchristian thing. (May God forgive me. I dealt with her,
till today, she never believed what I did that day to her, but I dealt with her by being so cold towards her. She would never forget it.
She also revealed how she told her children she is an adopted child
“I then realized that I needed to tell my children about my adoption. I don’t want anybody to tell them in a way it wouldn’t be supportive. I called my children and I told
them the ABC of my adoption story. They now told me that grandma had already told them. It was then I learn
that somebody in my son’s school had told him about
his mum being adopted. He told grandma and grandma told him everything. Little wonder, my mum and Soji, my son were very close. Till she died, my mum my son remained inseparable”.

Monday 4 December 2017

7 Nigerians Who Can Do The Job Better Than Buhari

Donald Duke, Emir Sanusi, Okojo Iweala, Tony Eluemelu Top list,

The furious and spirited political activities in recent times suggest that the race for 2019 has begun in earnest. There has been series of alignment and realignment, politicians considering where their interest is best served, while old
enemies are quickly turning into new friends.
New promises are being made, frayed nerves are being soothed, massaged or even cajoled. Permuations and weighing of political options has become the hallmark of the moment.
President Buhari is a prime candidate, as he seeks a second
term, but I believe the way forward is for him to step aside after having ensured that he leaves the country in the hands of an astute, much younger leaders who will protect his
anti-corruption, economic and security legacies. There are more than enough young, cosmopolitan, visionary, well- educated and very vibrant people who can still take over
power in whatever combination.
Buhari at 76, by 2019, and 80, by 2023, when and if he completes his second term, age would no longer be on hisside,. The President should kindly attend more to his health
from now onwards.

Here’s a list of 7 Nigerians who can do the job better, Donald Duke
Donald Duke born 30 September 1961 in Calabar was the Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He received LLB degree in 1982 from Ahmadu Bello, Zaria , the B.L in 1983 from the Nigerian Law School Lagos and the L.L.M. in Business Law and Admiralty in 1984 from University of Pennyslavania.
Among Governor Duke ‘s notable achievements as the Governor of Cross River state are the upgrading of the Cattle Ranch in Obanliku into a Ranch Resort, the transformation of
Cross River State into a world tourism destination, real investment inflow, job creation, reform of the State Civil Service, computerization of the nominal and payroll system
for the public service and cultivation of Banking culture for Public/Civil Servants, etc. Agriculture took centre-stage with the establishment of export-oriented agricultural projects for the cultivation of such crops lines as pipe-apple, castor oil, cashew and oil palm.
He created the idea of the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race and the race grew to become one of the most lucrative mountain running competitions in the world under
his stewardship. Donald Duke initiated the Tinapa Resort project as a way to boost business and tourism in the state. Over $350 million was spent on initial development
before phase 1 opening in April 2007.
Donald Duke announced that he would run for president in the 2007 presidential election, but stepped aside in favour of the eventual winner, Umaru Yar’adua. A widely travelled young man and a member of leading Social Clubs and
philanthropic Organizations, Governor Duke is happily married to Owanari Bob Manuel Duke (nee Bob Manuel) an accomplished Legal Practitioner in her own right. The first
couple of the State is blessed with three highly promising children.
It remains a mystery why, and how, Donald Duke , was abandoned, and wasted, by his Party, PDP. But I’m very certain that Donald Duke would have performed and delivered once more with his uncommon vision, zeal and the determination to succeed where others failed.
This charismatic, cosmopolitan, suave, visionary, audacious and cerebral gentleman can be the answer to Nigeria’s hope of good governance.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II (CON) was born Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; 31 July 1961 is the 14th Emir of Kano.
He was crowned on 8 June 2014 after the death of his grand
uncle Ado Bayero (who died on 6 June 2014). Emir Sanusi was a successful banker and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. He was appointed on 3 June 2009 for a five- year term, but was suspended from office by President
Goodluck Jonathan on 20 February 2014 after claiming that a $20 billion fraud was committed in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
As the CBN Governor, Sanusi anchored his reforms agenda
in the Nigerian banking and financial sector, on four pillars: enhancing the quality of banks, establishing financial stability sector, enabling healthy financial sector evolution,
and ensuring that the financial sector contributes to the real sector of the economy.
In August 2009, the Sanusi led the Central Bank rescued Afribank, Intercontinental Bank, Union Bank, Oceanic Bank and Finbank by bailing them out with 400 billion naira of
public money, and dismissed their chief executives.
The global financial intelligence magazine, The Banker, published by the Financial Times, conferred on Sanusi two awards, the global award for Central Bank Governor of the
Year, as well as for Central Bank Governor of the Year for Africa.
The TIME magazine also listed Sanusi in its TIMES 100 list of
Most Influential People of 2011. In 2013, Sanusi was also awarded a Special GIFA award at the third Global Islamic Finance Awards held in Dubai, for his advocacy role in
promoting Islamic banking and finance in Nigeria during his stint as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.In 2015,
Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II was awarded Global Leadership in Islamic Finance Award 2015 by Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA) to become the fifth GIFA Laureate,
It is believed that this cosmopolitan, suave, visionary, audacious and cerebral hausa man will perform brilliantly as the President of Nigeria, but his position as the Emir of Kano
may hamper that reality.

Tony Elumelu
Tony Elumelu Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu born 22 March 1963 is a
Nigerian economist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman of Heirs Holding, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation.
In his early career, Elumelu acquired and turned Standard Trust Bank into a top-five player in Nigeria. In 2005 he led the acquisition of United Bank For Africa and later transforming it from a single-country bank to a pan-African institution with more than seven million customers in 19
African countries.
In 2010, Elumelu founded Heirs Holdings, which invests in the financial services, energy, real estate and hospitality, agribusiness, and healthcare sectors. In the same year, he established the Tony Elumelu Foundation. As a premier pan-African-focused not-for-profit
institution,the Tony Elumelu Foundation is dedicated to the
promotion and celebration of entrepreneurship and excellence in business leadership across the continent, with initiatives such as The Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship
Programme (TEEP).
Elumelu holds the Nigerian national honours, the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and Member of the order of the Niger (MFR). He was recognised as one of
Africa’s Most Influential People in 2012 by Forbes Magazine
In 2013, Elumelu received the Leadership Award in Business
and Philanthropy from the Africa-America Institute (AAI) Awards.He was also named African Business Icon at the 2013 African Business Awards.
It is believed that with Elumelu’s depth of knowledge and experience as a successful businessman both qualities could serve as a recipe for Elumelu’s unprecedented success as
Nigeria’s Preisdent. But it remains to be seen if Elumelu would fancy the responsibilities of public service.

Aliko-Dangote
Aliko Dangote GCON is a Nigerian billionaire and owner of the Dangote Group, which has interests in commodities in Nigeria and other African countries, including Benin,
Ethiopia, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Togo, Tanzania, and Zambia. As of February 2017, he had an estimated net worth of US$12.5 billion. Dangote reportedly added $9.2 billion to his personal wealth
in 2013, according to the Bloomberg Index, now making him the 30th richest person in the world, in addition to being the richest person in Africa.
Dangote has expanded to cover food processing, cement manufacturing, and freight. The Dangote Group also
dominates the sugar market in Nigeria and is a major supplier to the country’s soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners. The Dangote Group has moved from
being a trading company to being the largest industrial group in Nigeria including Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote cement and Dangote Flour.
In November 2011, Dangote was awarded Nigeria’s second highest honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by the President, Goodluck Jonathan,
In May 2015, Dangote expressed interest in purchasing the English football team Arsenal. He stated that if he was able to make the purchase he would fire the club’s long-standing
manager Arsene Wenger. Dangote was named as the Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2014.
Dangote’s cosmopolitan disposition, visionary and charismatic qualities could be a major positive for him, if he eventually becomes the president of Nigeria. But it remains to be seen if Dangote would fancy the responsibilities of public service.

Akinwumi Adesina
Akinwumi Adesina Akinwumi Adesina is the President of the Africa
Development Bank. He previously served as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Until his appointment as Minister in 2010, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). In 2015, he was elected as the President of the African Development
Bank. He was the first Nigerian to hold the post.
Adesina was named as Forbes African Man of the Year for
his reform of Nigerian agriculture. He introduced more transparency into the fertiliser supply chain. He also said that he would give away mobile phones to farmers but this
proved too difficult. One of the reasons was the lack of a mobile network in country areas.
He was recently named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate. Announcing the new Laureate, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn , the President of the World Food Prize
Foundation , described Adesina as “someone who grew out of poverty, but whose life mission is to lift up millions of people out of poverty’’.
The prestigious $250,000 prize is given annually to a person
who has worked to advance human development by “improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world”.
Over a 31-year existence, the award has become known as
the “Nobel Prize’’ for Food and Agriculture.

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian Economist and its first female minister of Finance.
Okonjo-Iweala served twice as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and also as Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was the first female to hold both positions. During her first term as
Minister of Finance under President Obasanjo’s Administration, she spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club of Creditors that led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright cancellation of US $18 billion
Following her first term as Minister of Finance, she returned to the World Bank as a Managing Director in December 2007. Okonjo-Iweala had also previously spent the first 21 years of her career as a development economist at the World Bank.
As Managing Director, she had oversight responsibility for the World Bank’s $81 billion operational portfolio in Africa, South Asia, Europe and Central As
In 2011, Okonjo-Iweala was reappointed as Minister of Finance in Nigeria with the expanded portfolio of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy by President Goodluck Jonathan. Okonjo-Iweala has received recognition and a number of
awards. She was named one of the “50 Greatest World Leaders” by Fortune magazine in 2015, one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by Time magazine in 2014, and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers” in 2012.
Okonjo Iweala’s sound Knowledge and understanding of the Nigerian Economy will be a major positove for her, if she decides to contest for the presidency. With Increasing
Opportunity Gap, Income Inequality, Poverty and massive Unemployment. Okonjo Iweala is certainly one of many Nigerians who can get the job done.

Nasir El Rufai
Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State.   He was the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja from 16 July 2003 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of All Progressives Congress (APC). As the Governoor of Kaduna state On 6 August 2015, El-Rufai in one of his first acts as governor announced that Kaduna
State will adopt the Treasury Single Account policy by 1 September of the same year. At the end of the exercise, 470 accounts belonging to different ministries, departments and agencies were closed and a sum of N24.7 billion was recovered and remitted to the Kaduna State Government TSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria. El-Rufai also reformed the civil service in Kaduna State and reduced the number of ministries from 19 to 13 and the
number of permanent secretaries from 35 to 18. In a bid to reduce the cost of governance, El-Rufai appointed only 13 commissioners, 10 special advisers and 12 special assistants as against the 24 commissioners, 41 special advisers and about 400 special assistants appointed by the previous administration. By blocking leakages and cutting the cost of running government, it is estimated that the El-Rufai administration was able to save N1.2 billion in just two months.
In January 2016, El-Rufai launched the School Feeding Programme, aimed at providing one free meal per day to 1.5 million pupils in public primary schools within the state.  He
also abolished the collection of fees and levies in public primary and junior secondary schools in Kaduna, thereby removing a financial burden of N3 billion from the parents.
This charismatic, cosmopolitan, suave, visionary, audacious and cerebral gentleman can be the answer to Nigeria’s hope of good governance.

By Oluwaseun Awogbenle
Published November 30, 2017

Sunday 3 December 2017

As Saraki Plans To Reveal 2019 Ambition Next Year

Senate President Bukola Saraki has disclosed that he will come forward with his political plan for 2019 in two months.
He said there was enough time to talk about 2019, adding that the topics for discussion now should be how to develop the country.
Speaking on the Osasu Show, Saraki said: “You are like the tenth person who has asked me, so there is a
queue. I promised the first person that when it is time to talk about 2019, I would answer the questions.
“Anytime next year from February, you can ask us about what are my intentions in 2019 or whether I want to come back to the senate.
“You want to talk about development and how we are going to get the country going, yes. We have a long time to talk about 2019.”

DANGER LOOMS, Yuletide: Terrorists may bomb Abuja, other parts of Nigeria where crowds gather – UK, US warn

British and the United States governments have warned their citizens of terrorist groups’ threat to carry out bomb attacks in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during the Yuletide.
In its latest foreign travel advice to British nationals, the country’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that it would raise the terrorism threat alert in Nigeria during the festive periods.
Around 117,000 British citizens visit Nigeria each year, according to the FCO.
The US government warned its citizens not to travel to Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe till the end of the year.
“The risk of terrorist attack increases around religious festivals; so (the threat alert) will be elevated in the
run-up to and throughout the Christmas and New Year
holiday period. Terrorist groups have threatened to conduct bombings and attacks in the Federal Capital
Territory (Abuja) area during this period.
“You (British nationals) should avoid places where crowds gather, including religious gatherings and places of worship, markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, transport hubs and camps for displaced people,” the United Kingdom said in a statement posted
on the FCO website.

Last week, the United States Embassy in Nigeria issued a similar warning titled, ‘Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Holiday Security Reminder’.
“The US Mission urges all US citizens to exercise caution in and around shopping centres, malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, and other
places where crowds gather in and around the Federal Capital Territory, from now through the Christmas and
New Year’s holiday season. Terrorist groups have threatened to conduct bombings and attacks in this area
during this period.
“The US Mission remains concerned about potential attacks in the states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno,
Gombe, Jigawa and Yobe. Travellers are urged to avoid those states through the end of the year.
“Review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor
local news stations for updates. Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security,”
the US Embassy warned.
Comments

Saturday 2 December 2017

2019: I will defeat Buhari this time… he has wasted his massive goodwill – Atiku

I left APC because it has become Buhari’s property –
Atiku Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is confident he will defeat President Muhammadu Buhari come 2019 presidential election in Nigeria.
Atiku who made the observation in an interview he had with Dele Momodu said it would be easy for his to defeat Buhari this time because he [Buhari]has wasted
his massive goodwill
His words, “I will definitely beat him this time. He has wasted a lot of his massive goodwill. A lot of people are
disgruntled but keeping quiet and lying low. Our youths are suffering terribly and now they are being sold into slavery. Everyone knows my track record of inviting and
attracting a good team and giving them the opportunity to work professionally. Nigerians are tired of leaders who cannot think big and work big. Dele, I will be ready from day one…”
“No, definitely not. Buhari is free to contest and I’m free to contest. And Nigerians will make their choice.

“After Buhari won the election, he was no longer interested in the Party that made him President. Every
activity stopped and not even the Party Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, could take any decision. I called Chief Oyegun a few times to tell him our Party was dying slowly but he told me he would not do anything unless he got clearance from the President.
“At a stage, I gathered about 18 prominent members and began to meet in the hope that we can re-energise Party activities, but some people lied to the President
that I wanted to use the forum to launch my Presidential campaign. That forum became simply dead on arrival.
No BOT, no NEC meetings, as stipulated in our Constitution. The Party became a one-man property.
Everyone grumbles behind the President’s back but they are too timid to raise a voice against the illegalities being perpetuated. I should be bold enough to know
what I want, and can do so at my age, so I decided to
leave…”
When asked about his chances of getting the PDP ticket, the former Vice Presidfent said “He told me why
he should get it: “Nothing is absolutely certain in this
life, but PDP needs a candidate with the brightest chance and that can only come from someone who has
major experience, exposure, knowledge about running an economy, who is a Nationalist and not a sectionalist and whose brand cannot be intimidated in anyway by
that of the current President. If PDP picks a weak candidate, then the Party is doomed. Some of those
whose names are being touted and bandied about have not grown beyond their immediate domains.”

Reasons why Buhari was denied access to US for 15 years ~Atiku reveals

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed the reason President Muhammadu Buhari was banned from entering the United States.
Atiku said Americans had reservations about his religious views, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said Friday. Recall that critics have long accused Mr. Buhari of holding extreme religious views that antithetical to modern democratic principles.
In 2001, Mr. Buhari drew nationwide backlash when he declared his total commitment to Islamic doctrine of
Shari’a and called on Muslims to only vote for their fellow Muslims during elections.
But the president has denied being an extremist, saying he tolerates other religions as much as he does his Muslim faith.
“For about 15 years, Buhari could not enter America on account of religious considerations,” Mr. Abubakar said in an interview with Dele Momodu which was published
in The Boss Newspaper Saturday.
Mr. Momodu had asked Mr.Abubakar why he had not been able to visit the United States for many years, amid speculations that he is wanted in that country for a slew of sharp practices.
Mr. Abubakar, who is expected to run for president in 2019, said the U.S. authorities have nothing against him.
He said he was able to visit Europe regularly without being arrested for onward extradition to the U.S.
The former vice president said if Nigerians elect him president, he would be allowed into the United States just like Mr. Buhari and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, both of whom are now being accorded red carpet treatments in the U.S. after becoming leaders of their respective countries.