President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night met with the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The duo as at the time of filing in this report are meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Although the reason for the meeting was not made know, this online newspaper understands that it may not be unconnected to Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition.
The APC leader was the first presidential aspirant in the ruling party to consult the sitting president about his political ambition.
The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has asked Nigerians to ignore one Olugbenga Olaoye, Co-Convener, ‘Osinbajo Think Thank’ over his comments during an interview.
Olugbenga while reacting to the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu in an interview with Arise TV said Nigerians do not want another sick president who would be embarking on foreign medical trips.
He said Nigeria needs a capable person like the Vice President who formally declared on Monday to run for the top political office in the 2023 elections.
Osinbajo while reacting to the comment through his spokesman, Laolu Akande, said Olugbenga does not represent the office of the VP and should be ignored.
In a tweet on his official Twitter page, Akande claimed that he is not aware of the Osinbajo Think Tank group
The tweet reads, “Indeed this gentleman does not represent the VP nor the Office. His views are completely & totally his own. This particular opinion he has expressed on TV is deplorable and in bad taste. I am not even aware of the so-called Osinbajo Think Tank he purports to represent. Pls IGNORE”
President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, on Saturday graced the birthday celebrations of former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim.
Anyim’s 61st birthday celebration was held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, was accompanied by aides and other government officials.
Also at the event are former Vice President, Namadi Sambo, former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara and ex-Sokoto state state governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, among others.
Speaking at the event, Jonathan described Anyim as a humble man who did well to serve Nigeria creditably when he was Senate President and SGF.
The former president also stated that Anyim can do better “if given the opportunity” having done well in previous positions.
This newspaper reports that Anyim has declared his intention to contest for the presidency in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the suspension of the management of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
He approved a new interim governing board to oversee the company’s daily operations.
It followed the industrial action embarked on by staff members over non-payment of arrears of pensions, allowances, salaries and promotion.
The dismissal, conveyed by the presidency to the Federal Ministry of Power, takes immediate effect, according to a statement by the Minister of State for Power, Mr. Goddy Jedy Agba.
The statement added: “The presidential directives as conveyed has also directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises to set up a new management team of the AEDC.
“However, in a memorandum of understanding MOU, jointly signed by the Minister of state power Goddy Jedy Agba, the chairman Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, Sanusi Garba, Director General Bureau of Public Enterprises, Alex Okoli, Comrade Joe Ajaero on behalf of the union, the Federal government has ordered the suspension of the strike, given 21 days within which the outstanding emoluments and entitlements of staff will be paid.
“Government has described the nonperformance and incompetence of the AEDC as a national embarrassment, saying the suspension of the management team subsist until further notice.”
The Senate on Wednesday approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s External Borrowing (Rolling) plan for the Federal Government to the tune of $16,230,077,718, €1,020,000,000.
The Senate also approved a grant component of $125,000,000.00 under the 2018-2020 External Borrowing (Rolling) plan for the Federal Government.
The approval was sequel to the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts.
The report was presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Clifford Ordia, PDP, Edo Central during the plenary.
The recommendation of the Committee reads, “That the Senate does approve the underlisted ongoing negotiation of external borrowing in the sum of $16,230,077,718, €1,020,000,000.00 and a grant component of $125,000,000.00 under the 2018-2020 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan.”
The recommendation was approved by Senators when it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Ahmad Lawan at plenary.
President Buhari and the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed had at various times been criticize on the country’s rising debt levels which the Debt Management Office said is N87.2trn or $33.1bn as of March 2021.
In the N16.39trn 2022 budget appropriation presented by the President, the deficit was put at N6.26trn and it’s to be financed through borrowing of N5.01 trn.
Nigeria’s debt service to GDP ratio had hit 73 per cent based on figures released by the Finance Minister earlier last month.
The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on his victory at the 2021 Anambra governorship election.
The President in a message on Wednesday by his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as security operatives for the roles played in ensuring the success of the polls.
It will be recalled that the Returning Officer of the election, Professor Florence Obi had in the early hours of Wednesday, declared Soludo of APGA as the winner of the election and governor-elect of Anambra State.
In his reaction, President Buhari called on Soludo to be magnanimous in victory and work with all stakeholders in ensuring the challenges facing the state and the entire southeast are overcome.
He told Soludo he looks forward to working with him in his new role.
The full statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as he emerges winner in the gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
“The President praises the security agencies for their determination to ensure that the election went on as smoothly as possible, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the successful conclusion of the exercise despite the initial challenges encountered.
“President Buhari enjoins Prof. Soludo, member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Committee, to rally other stakeholders to tackle the enormous challenges confronting the State and the Southeast in general.
“The President looks forward to working with the incoming governor for the peace, security and development of not only Anambra State, but the entire country.”
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari is not as powerful as he is made out to be.
The minister made the claim at a Yoruba Tennis Club’s Landmark public lecture.
He stated that some people have often said that the president of the country is very powerful even more than America’s president, revealing that the claim is absolutely not true.
According to the former Lagos governor, the president have limited powers which are subjected to the national Assembly.
He advised Nigerians to get acquainted with the 1999 constitution so they would really understand the limitations to the president’s capability.
He said: “Very often, I hear a general statement that the president of Nigeria is very powerful. Some people say he is more powerful than the President of the United States of America.
“I want a better life and I am sure we all do. I want to say that there is always a flip side to the powers of the president.
“I urge all of us to get a copy of the 1999 Constitution; we can find them online and just read to acquaint yourself, and read one page or two pages a day; perhaps it will help us understand why things are where they are and what can be done.
“This will help us to contextualise some of the over-generalised statements that we have made because they are not reality. So, these powers are not powers running all over the place.
“It seems to me that for a long time we have lived in anticipation that once the president comes, all our lives will be better.
“The heart of matter is why do Nigerians place their hopes and expectations for a better life on their president rather than on their governors and their local government chairmen?
“The answer lies in the level of our interactions with our Constitution. We are not fully and sufficiently familiar with our Constitution and roles that each of these offices is expected play.
“It seems to me that we have expected the right things from the wrong places. That is why I frame the question: what can the president do for me?’
“What we really have in our country instead of an all-powerful president is a political arrangement of shared powers and responsibilities, and in some cases it is just difficult to cross the line.
“It is actually something we are involved in. It seems to me it is the people of Nigeria rather than one man, the president, who truly have powers and responsibilities over our affairs.’’
The Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government has officially scrapped the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF).
This was made known by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, while speaking on the side-lines of the inauguration of the boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission.
He stated that the Buhari-led administration has also sacked the chief executive officers of the three agencies.
According to the minister, the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, the NPRA and NURC had taken over the functions of the DPR, PPPRA and PEF.
On the DPR’s fate following the inauguration of the board of NURC, Sylva said, “It is now a matter of law.
“The law states that all the assets and even the staff of the DPR are to be invested on the commission and also in the authority. So that means the DPR doesn’t exist anymore.
“And, of course, the law specifically repeals the DPR Act, the Petroleum Inspectorate Act, the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Act and the PPPRA Act. The law specifically repeals them. It is very clear that those agencies do not exist anymore.”
Speaking on what would happen to their CEOs, he said, “The law also provides for the staff and the jobs in those agencies to be protected.
“But I’m sure that that doesn’t cover, unfortunately, the chief executives, who were on political appointments.”
The minister revealed that the process of integrating the workers of the scrapped agencies with the new bodies has already started
“The authority has its staff coming from the defunct PEF, PPPRA and DPR. The commission has staff coming over from DPR and the process is going on for the next few weeks,” he said.
“Stop Accumulating Debt For Next Generation to Come, It Is foolishness to keep borrowing” – Obasanjo Begs Buhari Govt
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has fired the Muhammadu Buhari administration over its continuous borrowing to fund recurrent expenditure.
Obasanjo, in a recent interview with Channels TV, said that it was ‘foolishness’ to keep borrowing and creating debt for the future generation.
“If you want to build a commercial house and you go and borrow money, and you have 50 per cent of your own money and you borrow 50 per cent and in five years, you pay the 50 per cent that you borrowed. That is a wise thing to do. But if you have to go and borrow money for you to be able to feed yourself and your family, that is a stupid thing to do.”
“So, if we are borrowing for recurrent expenditure, it is the height of foolery. If we are borrowing for development that can pay itself, that is understandable; then how long will it pay itself? But we are borrowing and accumulating debt for the next generation and the next generation after them, it is criminal, to put it mildly. What are we borrowing for?”
“When I came into government and was elected President, we were spending $3.5bn to service debt, and even with that, our quantum of debt was not going down.”
The Buhari administration has borrowed a total of N21tn within six years.
According to the Debt Management Office, a at the end of March 2021, Nigeria’s public debt hit a total of N33.12tn, which means in the last six years under the President, the country’s debt rose by N21tn.
As of the end of June 2015, one month after the present regime came into power, the country’s debt profile stood at N12.12tn. The country’s debt profile has risen by 173.27 per cent within the six-year period.
Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, on Sunday claimed that there is no difference between President Muhammadu Buhari, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu and internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
Omokri in a post on his Twitter account alleged that while the Instagram celebrity is defrauding people and using their money to bribe a deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, he added that the source of the billions of Naira spent by the former governor of Lagos State for the presidential election of President Buhari in 2015 and 2019 remains unknown.
Recall that the United States Department of Justice claimed that Hushpuppi who pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against him allegedly bribed the Nigerian super cop to arrest one Kelly Chibuzo Vincent, one of his accomplices in Nigeria.
Kyari, however, denied the allegations levelled against him but noted that he referred the internet fraudster to his tailor which Hushpuppi allegedly made payments.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police on Sunday ordered the suspension of Abba Kyari to allow a thorough investigation into the matter.
Omokri in a post on his Twitter account wrote, “What is the difference between Abba Kyari and Buhari? Hushpuppi stole money and used it to bribe Kyari.”
“Where did Bola Tinubu get the money he used to instal Buhari? Until we deal with the crooks at the top, we will continue to be the laughing stock of the world.”
