Tag: Administration

‘I Stand By The Truth,’ Aisha Explains Why She Criticised Buhari’s Govt

Aisha Buhari Asks Nigerians To Support Girl Child Education
File photo

Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha has explained why she criticised her husband’s government stating that she stands by the truth.

In her acceptance letter on Saturday to Vanguard Newspaper which recognised her as Vanguard personality of the Year 2017, she said her 2016 interview which was considered as a critic of her husband’s administration was based on her sense of justice.

She clarified that she was brought up to stand by the truth and this will always be her position adding that she did not intend to confront or disrespect the president.

“I wish to thank the management of Vanguard Media Limited for this unexpected award, in recognition of my humanitarian efforts towards improving the health and welfare of Nigerians particularly women, children and less privileged.

“One of the reasons adduced for honouring me was the interview I granted which some people saw as criticism to a government that I am part of.

“I need to state that my position was a result of my sense of justice and not confrontation or disrespect. I was brought up to stand by the truth and this is how I have always been,” she said.

Mrs Buhari explained further that Nigerians elected her husband as President based on their trust in him.

“As we are all aware, Nigerians elected this administration based on the trust and confidence they have on my husband; I, therefore, feel that we are here to serve Nigeria to the best of our ability,” she added.

READ ALSO: Support Group Visits President Buhari In London

She also pledged unflinching support to her husband’s administration.

“Let me use this opportunity to state that I support my husband in this call to service and will continue to do so.

“On this note, I hereby dedicate this award to the people of Nigeria, especially women. Thank you sincerely for this award.”

Mrs Buhari had in the 2016 interview with BBC warned her husband that she might not back him at the 2019 election unless he shakes up his government which she claimed was veering from its mandate to the people.

She had said, “The President does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years.

“Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.”

Also in January 2018, the President’s wife using her official Twitter handle @aishambuhari reposted videos of two senators criticising the Federal Government.

Senator Isah Misau representing Bauchi Central at the National Assembly in the video criticised the appointment of the Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) questioning if he is qualified for the position.

“Today, the DG NIA that was just appointed, is he qualified to be there? He’s not qualified. This is the person that failed two exams, we know. He failed two exams and just because he is close to people taking decisions, he was appointed.”

“So many incompetent people are holding so many positions. Fifty percent of the ministers are not performing. Since the president assumed office he has not taken any decision to move this country. Today we are seeing it and everybody is avoiding it, nobody wants to say anything,” Misau said in the video.

Previous Govts Initiated ‘Most Of The Things This Administration Is Doing’ – Adesina

A majority of the projects the Muhammadu Buhari administration is working on was inherited from previous administrations, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity has said.

Mr Femi Adesina said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s special Independence anniversary programme on Sunday.

“Most of the things this administration is doing – 60 to 70 percent of them – were initiated by previous governments,” he said.

“That shows you that in the past a government will come and say ‘this is not our project’ And it will discard what was being done and start fresh ones.”

As a result, Mr Adesina said there are many half and quarter-completed abandoned projects.
But rather than abandon the project, he explained that the current administration will complete it.

An example is the Abuja-Kaduna rail project which the Presidential aide said was up to maybe 60 to 70 percent complete when the last administration left.

“This administration came, completed it and inaugurated it. Then you will still find some people shouting, ‘they are claiming credit for what the past administration started,” he said.

“It shows there is a mentality in Nigeria that makes governments not want to complete what previous governments have started. But this administration is not going that way at all, it is just doing what needs to be done for the good of the country.”

Another example is the Mambilla power project, which has been in the works since 1972, but has now started taking shape under this administration.

In going about its activities, Mr Adesina said the Federal Government follows due process in the awarding of contracts, stressing that projects worth above N50m will require the permission of the Federal Executive Council before such a contract can be awarded.

“One thing this government does scrupulously is to follow due process in the award of all these contracts and projects.

“Anything that is above N50m must come to the Federal Executive Council. Before the FEC will endorse any project or contract, the Bureau of Public Procurement must have signed off on that project that it is worthy to be done and the projections are good, that this government does not joke about.”

Internal Security: FG To Set Up Committee On Prison Reform

DanbazzauThe Minister of Interior, Abdulrahaman Danbazau, on Monday said that a committee on the reformation of prisons will be soon inaugurated.

This according to him, is part of efforts by the federal government to decongest and secure such facilities across the country.

Mr Danbazzau disclosed this at Kaduna Government House during a meeting with the state governor, Mr Nasir El-Rufai.

He explained that the committee will come up with ways of rehabilitating the prisons in line with global best practices.

He also disclosed that the ministry will collaborate with Kaduna State Government on the decongestion and rehabilitation of the Convict Prison that was built more than 100 years ago.

On security, Danbazau said the Ministry of Interior under his leadership, will partner with the state government to tackle the menace of cattle rustling, kidnapping and herdsmen attacks.

On his part, Governor El-Rufai, while commending the support and contribution of para-military agencies in the fight against crime in the state, requested for the relocation of the Kaduna Convict Prison from its present locationto a more suitable place in the outskirts of town.

He also disclosed that his administration has been conducting periodic jail delivery and granting of amnesty to prisoners with minor offenses as part of efforts to decongest the prisons in the state.

OAU VC Says Increase In Charges Is Inevitable

Prof Bamitale OmoleTwo weeks after students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife took to the streets to protest the recent hike in their school charges; authorities of the institution have finally broken the silence over the issue.

Vice Chancellor of OAU, Prof Bamitale Omole, who addressed journalists in Ile-Ife town, Osun State, said that the increase in the charges was inevitable if the institution was to attain the international standard.

He said that the current economic reality could no longer accommodate students paying as little as #7,000 per session, hence the regime of a minimum of over #60,000 per fresh student.

He also disclosed that the inflation that has eaten deep into the university’s allocation from the Federal Government has made the charges paid by the students in the last ten years unsustainable, hence the need for the new charges.

In the analysis given by the Vice Chancellor, the Faculty of Arts, Administration, Education, Social Sciences and Law which before now was paying 5,300 Naira for old students would begin to pay 19,700 and fresh students would pay 43,700.

For Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, it has moved from 12,800 to 33,700 while fresh students would be required to pay 57,700.

That of Faculty of Science from 7,800 has become 30,700 and fresh students are to pay 54,700.

In all these, the University said that it was however not oblivious of indigent students and the Senate had made adequate provision for it by setting up a Student Education Relief Committee to provide scholarships and grants for this set of students.

This explanation, however, does not seem to go down well with the student leadership. They still want the charges to be reduced.

Niger Government To Speed Up On-going Projects

The Niger state government has promised to complete all on-going projects in the state before the tenure of the present administration expires in 2015.

The state commissioner for information, Professor Yahaya Kuta made this promise while leading community leaders and journalists on an inspection tour of some of the projects across the state.

The first port of call for the inspection team is the proposed headquarters of the Niger state emergency management agency. The building is expected to house all relevant disaster management agencies in the state.

The team also inspected two housing estates in Bida and Mariga where the permanent secretary in the state’s ministry of land and housing told the team that the estates will help reduce the housing deficit in the state.

Several other projects were also visited by the team, as the state government has vowed not to leave any project uncompleted by the end of the tenure of the present administration.

The commissioner appealed to the residents in the state to take ownership of the projects in their areas by ensuring that they are vandalised.

Ogun NULGE To Embark On Indefinite Strike

This may not be the best of time for the local government administration in Ogun State; south west Nigeria as its umbrella body, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees; NULGE has announced an indefinite strike to press home their demands.

The indefinite strike action was announced   by the President of the union Mr. Tajudeen Olusesi in Abeokuta the state capital, saying that an agreement reached with executives of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, was not implemented, hence, their decision to embark on the industrial action

According to him strike began after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued by the union for government to address all the issues.

The union said that all the local governments in the state were being confronted with various challenges ranging from non- payment of salaries as at when due, funding of primary school education, unpaid deductions from workers’ salaries among other issues.

The association however decried the state government unwillingness to place local government workers salaries and allowances on first line charge as it is being practiced in some South West states.

The union emphasized the need for the state government to share the burden of payment of primary school teachers instead of shifting it on the local governments.

Jonathan angered by media reports – Former NUJ President

A former president of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Sani Zorro said the remarks made by President Goodluck Jonathan that the media is politicised is ‘a demonstration of his annoyance’ over some press releases about his administration.

Mr. Zorro who was a guest Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday said there is nothing sacrosanct about the media so criticism from top government officials including the president is very welcome.

University don debunks Jonathan’s claim that Nigeria media is politicised

Against the background of President Goodluck Jonathan’s assertion that the media in Nigeria is politicised, Olubunmi Ajibade, a senior lecturer of the department of mass communication of the University of Lagos said it is the politicians who are trying to buy journalists for their selfish interest.

In a telephone interview with the anchors of Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily, Mr Ajibade said journalists are professionals and follow professional ethics.

President Jonathan had said that the media is no longer the voice of ordinary people, but “the voices of their ‘rich owners’.”

The Senior lecturer debunked the president’s claim saying journalists in Nigeria will report what they consider important to their audience – the public.

Dana Air was not indicted for any wrongdoing – Aviation Minister

Re-visiting the Dana Air re-instatement by the authorities, Nigerians reacted sharply towards the move as Nigerians expressed shock and surprise in a vox-pop done by the ‘Station of the Decade’ to sample the opinion of Nigerians about the re-instatement of the Dana Air.

The Minister of Aviation; Stella Oduah was our guest on Sunrise daily this morning as she reacted to the lifting of the ban saying the ban was something that was not supposed to be done in the first place as it not an aviation practice as it has laws and procedures guiding the sector internationally.

She said further that the panel that was set for the technical and administrative audit for Dana Air and other airlines have completed their reports and Dana Air was not indicted for any wrongdoing.

Lagos introduces community sentencing/new traffic laws


Criminal justice administration in Lagos is set to get better, fairer & faster.

That’s according to the Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Mr ade ipaye.

In a chat with our judiciary correspondent, Shola Soyele recently, the Attorney General shared some measures taken recently to ensure sanity on the roads.