Urhobo News

Delta Governor and Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Tuesday, called on the Federal Government to build new dams and desilt major rivers in the country to check flooding, especially when neighbouring countries open their dams.

He also urged the government to make efforts at desilting River Niger and River Benue to deepen the depths of the rivers to accommodate high volume of flood water.

Okowa made the call when he visited flood victims at some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state.

Camps visited by the governor included those at Ogbe-Afor Primary School and Oneh Primary School in Asaba and Ewulu Mixed Grammar School, Ewulu in Aniocha South Local Government Area.

He told journalists in an interview at the end of the visit that the best way to end the loss of lives and valuables to flood was for the government to take proactive steps towards stalling perennial flooding each time neighbouring countries opened their dams.

While commiserating with families that lost persons and property to the flood, Okowa disclosed that five persons died in various communities, adding that 11 holding camps had been established to take care of those displaced by the flood.

To make the camps comfortable, he said that daily feeding of the IDPs was a priority, and that medical facilities and personnel were in various camps to take care of medical needs of the inmates to avoid possible outbreak of diseases.

“I was informed by the SSG when the team briefed me yesterday that as a result of the flood, five deaths were recorded, although not inside the camps but across the state, and that is very unfortunate.

“We have 11 camps that are currently in place and some of them are in schools and some others are in high places in some locations where the schools have been overrun by the flood water.

“Climate change, obviously, is becoming very impactful globally and it is beginning to affect a lot of issues. The sea levels are rising and so is the water level.

“Another issue is the dam in Cameroon. It always causes a major overflow in our river. From the preliminary information I have, what could be done is to build our own holding dams here in Nigeria and a regular desilting of our rivers.

“And, that is not going to be the state government’s function. It is that of the Federal Government because of the type of dam that will be built across the river. So, it is going to be a major dam.

“So, I believe that it is important that the Federal Government will look into it very quickly and begin to start the process,” he stated.

Okowa affirmed that the PDP government that would, by the grace of God, be headed by Atiku Abubakar from 2023, would spare no effort in ensuring that the construction of dams and desilting of Rivers Niger and Benue got the desired attention because of the sufferings of Nigerians occasioned by flood.

“When we look at the pains that come to our people cumulatively as a result of the flood and the destruction it brings, it is so huge and runs into several billions.

“So, I think that it is something that the Federal Government would consider building a dam across River Niger to prevent this from happening and I believe that the PDP government under the watch of Atiku will truly take that as a priority.

“We are immediately taking care of the people in the camp, which is the first thing to do by providing food, security and healthcare for them here.

“They have been organised into groups and they are cooking for themselves and we ensure that there is regular supply of food items to cook. So, we are sure that they are not suffering from any form of hunger.

“We can see doctors and nurses here, living under the same conditions as the IDPs just to provide health care. In two of the camps, some pregnant women have already been delivered by the medical personnel.

“You can see that they are well taken care of. In previous years, after their return to their homes, we have always provided some form of assistance and we will also do so this year. We are always compassionate,” the governor said.

He called on donor agencies and well-spirited individuals to partner government in alleviating the plights of those affected by the flood, adding that his administration would give assistance to those in IDPs’ camps as soon as the flood was over.

Ogbe-Afor Primary School camp has 1,548 IDPs, Oneh Primary School,1,684 IDPs and 1,475 in the camp at Ewulu.

Highpoint of the visit were primary school children among the IDPs seen receiving lesions from teachers in an improvised classroom at Ogbe-Afor Primary School camp in Asaba.

Remarks by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at the commissioning ceremony of the OCP Africa fertilizer blending plant, located at the Green Agro-allied Industrial Zone, held on Tuesday, 18th October 2022

PROTOCOLS

1. I am pleased to be here today for what I consider to be another milestone in the sustained quest of the Kaduna State Government for development. We welcomed with gratitude OCP’s decision to locate a fertilizer plant in Kaduna. You can therefore imagine our delight that the factory is ready for commissioning today, months after construction of the plant and installation of equipment were completed.
2. Every new factory, every new shop, every new park implies more jobs, bringing incomes that help to feed families and reduce poverty in our state. OCP locating a fertilizer blending plant within Kaduna State also expand the access that our farmers have to fertilizer supplies. It helps to improve the availability of a very essential ingredient for farming.
3. I recall the partnership between the Kaduna State Government and OCP back in 2016 on fertilizer supplies for our farmers. That partnership helped to demonstrate that it was possible to get fertilizer into the hands of farmers without an expensive and inefficient subsidy regime. It was apparent when we took office in 2015 that the interests of our farmers were not the priority of the fertilizer subsidy arrangement.
4. Since the fertilizers for the 2015 farming season had already been bought before we took office, we had to wait till 2016 to take action for a new way forward. We approached OCP and together delivered fertilizer without subsidy at almost the same price as the subsidized fertilizer of the previous year.
5. At the time, OCP had no blending plant in Kaduna, so we brought in Flour Mills to help. The inauguration of the Kaduna blending plant today means that Kaduna State can, going forward, has greater scope for making affordable fertilizer available to our farmers.
6. Kaduna State has comparative advantage in agriculture. We have leveraged this endowment as a priority sector for our investment drive. OCP is joining Olam and Tomato Jos in investing in our agriculture sector. We are grateful to Olam for being the first major company to respond to our investment push. They have had a major impact on our farmers and our state. OCP is a neighbour to Olam. We wish you similar success.

Thanks for listening.

Remarks by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at the presentation of the 2023 Draft Estimates of Revenues and Expenditure to the Kaduna State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, 18th October 2022.

PROTOCOLS:

The Right Honourable Speaker,

Principal Officers of the Kaduna State House of Assembly

Honourable Members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly

Members of the Kaduna State Executive Council

Permanent Secretaries, Clerk of the House and

Gentlemen of the Press

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Let me begin by expressing my profound gratitude to the Honourable Members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly for the opportunity to address you today. I recall vividly the warmth of the reception when I first entered this chamber as governor on June 10th, 2015, less than two weeks after we took office.
2. During that first visit, I was able to update this House on the preliminary findings from the briefings we began receiving from ministries, departments, and agencies in our first week in office. I concluded my update by requesting a constructive partnership between the three arms of the Kaduna State government in the important task of improving the wellbeing of our people and delivering progressive outcomes for them.
3. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to say that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has been a positive partner in the last seven years. There may have been a few storms and stresses along the way. But the honourable members of this House have been supportive of our efforts to reform governance and build the foundations for a new era of progress and development in Kaduna State. We have sent many executive bills over the last seven years, and this House has commendably discharged its duty of enacting vital legislation. I wish to register the gratitude of the government for the 140 laws so far enacted by this House.
4. I stand before this House for the final time as governor with immense gratitude to Almighty Allah for the work He has enabled us to do to uplift Kaduna State. We have since May 2015 erected the platform for Kaduna State to takeoff. Rooted firmly in new laws and a robust approach to governance, our reform efforts have been about putting people first. That is by prioritising the delivery of public goods that build human capacity, that improve public wellbeing and that promote equality of opportunity for all the residents of our dear state.
5. In 2015, we committed ourselves to develop human capital by investing in education, healthcare and social welfare; institute a good governance system that is founded on a competent and responsive public service; foster security; maintain, rebuild and expand Infrastructure (including water supply, electricity and road networks) to accelerate economic growth that will create jobs, jobs and more jobs; promote agriculture and food security and reform land administration as a basis for wealth creation and capital formation, while preserving and enhancing environmental management.
6. We have been successful in accomplishing much of our governance agenda. Our governance attainments were achieved amidst considerable hurdles. Fiscal challenges threatened our ambitions, but we tapped into other funding sources to enable us implement some of our projects. Security challenges and the consequences of a pandemic and two national recessions have also proven to be severe limiters, but we have persevered in doing the work needed to make the future of Kaduna State more glorious than its past.
7. This government has worked to make healthcare more accessible. Each of our 255 wards now has a staffed and equipped primary health care centre. We have installed solar power in some of them, enabling those ones to offer 24-hour services. All our Primary Health Centres are run by the same board to help standardise the level of care that residents can expect.
8. We have upgraded secondary health facilities and rural hospitals and staffed them. We made the necessary investments to secure accreditations for Barau Dikko Hospital as a teaching hospital and for the clinical programme of KASU. This enabled KASU to begin graduating medical doctors, rather than having to send medical students elsewhere for clinical training.
9. These improvements in health care have helped to make pregnancy less hazardous for mothers and children alike. We are reducing maternal and infant mortality and enabling more women to give birth with trained personnel in attendance. Immunisation coverage has been expanded to protect more children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
10. We have supported the Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency (KASHMA) to provide our health facilities with the required medicines and other consumables. Hard to reach areas are already being served through delivery by drone, courtesy of our partnership with Zipline. The contributory health insurance scheme we introduced in 2018 is helping enrolees to access healthcare without incurring out of pocket expenses.
11. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to inform you that Kaduna State is poised for recognition as a centre for specialist medical services, including cancer treatment. We have signed an agreement for an international firm to manage the 300-bed specialist hospital which is nearing completion. We have persuaded the Islamic Development Bank to provide funding for a cancer centre there, and we have no doubt that this will help reduce medical tourism.
12. This government has undertaken similar efforts to expand access to education. We introduced free basic education for the first 12 years of schooling, from Primary 1 to the completion of SS3. We launched a programme to renovate schools, provide furniture and sanitation, increase the number of classrooms, and build new schools where necessary. We have not reached all the 4,250 public primary schools in the state, but we have mitigated the worst instances like in Rigasa where in one primary school over 20,000 pupils were being taught in tents.
13. We are consistently trying to improve teacher quality and teaching standards in our public schools to ensure that pupils graduating from our schools have the skills and knowledge to enable them to successfully climb the ladder of opportunity and social mobility.
14. Mr. Speaker, this focus on human capital development explains why education and health have consistently had the highest allocations in all the budget estimates we have presented to this honourable House. We have accompanied this with social welfare initiatives like the Kaduna State Women Empowerment Fund (KADSWEF), the Kaduna State Start-up Entrepreneurship Fund (KADSTEP), the school feeding programme, and collaboration with the Federal Government through our Social Investment Office on various social programmes. Kaduna State has so far enrolled into the state social register almost 3m poor and vulnerable persons from 778,662 households.
15. Our programme to register the residents of Kaduna State has so far registered 5.3m persons. This is slightly more than half of the estimated population of Kaduna State, but it is one of the highest rates of identity registration in the country.
16. Mr. Speaker, we are especially delighted that our investment drive has been successful in bringing new businesses to the state. Private investors have poured billions of dollars into our state in businesses like hatchery and feed mill, livestock ranching and dairy iron and steel, tomato processing, fertilizer blending, pharmaceuticals, automobile assembly, ICT, housing, shopping malls and markets. These businesses are creating direct and indirect jobs and bringing new skills to the state.
17. As you are aware, the African Development Bank has selected Kaduna as one of the eight states in which a Special Agro-Processing Zone will be built and run. This will help to further leverage on our endowments in agriculture in developing our state.
18. This investment drive has been accompanied by massive investments in infrastructure to improve the wellbeing of residents and encourage economic competitiveness. The urban renewal programme we launched in 2019 is an unprecedented investment in infrastructure upgrade and expansion in our three major cities: Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria. Many of the urban renewal projects have been completed and commissioned. Several other projects await completion, and we seek the cooperation of this House to enable the completion of as many of them as we can.
19. With the support of this House, we have enacted laws to create metropolitan authorities to manage each of these three major cities as organic entities, maintain the municipal infrastructure and build more as required. The urban renewal programme extends the investments in rural trunk and feeder roads we made in the first term.
20. Mr. Speaker, we have completed the Zaria Water Project. We have signed an MoU with the Federal Government for the Greater Kaduna Water Supply Project. This entails the FG building the Itisi Dam, while KDSG will build the water treatment plant and the infrastructure to deliver the treated water to homes and businesses.
21. We hope to complete an 84MW thermal power plant before leave office next year. The two gas turbines required for the project are being expected from the UAE. Kaduna State is also part of the project to build 100MW solar power plant in each of the 19 northern states and the FCT.
22. One of our earliest decisions was to establish the Kaduna State Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) to land administration in the state. KADGIS has digitised the land registry, and enabled residents to get valid land titles through systematic property registration and the recertification programme. The work done by KADGIS has enabled me to sign over 50,000 certificates of occupancy since 2016.
23. We have done all these in an environment that has compelled us to spend more money on security than a subnational would under normal circumstances. It is our earnest hope that ongoing military operations will be sustained to enable our people to live in peace, farm in peace, do their business in peace, worship in peace and relax in peace.
24. As a progressive government, we have promoted women and young people into positions of responsibility. Our State Executive Council has more female commissioners than men. We have enacted laws for child welfare and protection, initiated public service reforms, paid inherited arrears of gratuity and death benefits and tried to run a decent contributory pension scheme. We are the first government to pay the new national minimum wage following which we also raised to N30,000 the minimum monthly pension for retirees on the old defined benefit system.
25. Our government has structured a mortgage and foreclosure system for the state. We are implementing an unprecedented transfer of wealth to traders at the Sheikh Gumi market. Across the state, we are building new markets and empowering traders with single-digit interest mortgages to pay for them.
26. Mr. Speaker, a review of budget performance since our first full budget in 2016 indicates that the 2021 budget performed at 97%. This is the highest ever in the history of the state. In fact, our second term budget performance has not been less than the 73% recorded in 2020. Budget performance was 92% in 2019, dipped to 73% in 2020 due to Covid-19, before recovering to 97% in 2021.

The Draft 2023 Budget of Continuous Growth and Development

27. Uncertainties persist in the global economy. Promising signs of a sustained recovery from Covid-19 have been replaced by fears of inflation and recession in the major economies. This economic climate may affect demand for Nigeria’s main export, petroleum, with consequences for the exchange rate, prices and general economic performance. The proposed 2023 budget estimates assume that crude oil prices will stabilise around USD70 per barrel and that the official exchange rate will be around N435.57 to the dollar. Considering these economic parameters, the draft 2023 estimates are based on the following considerations:
28. Making provisions for funding of ongoing vital infrastructure projects.
29. Maintaining the minimum budgeting baseline model of 60:40 ratio of capital to recurrent.

iii. Education and Health sectors holding a minimum of 26% and 15% of the total proposed budget respectively.

28. Mr. Speaker, Honorable Members, as we present for your consideration our eight and final draft budget, it is with a consciousness that this government will continue to discharge its responsibility to the people of this state as vigorously in these final months as we did at inception.
29. The revenue and expenditure estimates that we present today for your consideration conforms to the governance agenda that we have expounded since 2015. The draft 2023 budget prioritises the Education and Health of our people. It maintains the capacity of the government to fund significant infrastructure to improve citizen wellbeing and retain economic competitiveness.
30. The proposed N370.33bn 2023 Draft Budget is a 21.82% increase from the 2022 revised appropriation of N303.99bn. The sum of N242.21bn is proposed as capital expenditure, and N127.7bn as recurrent expenses in the 2023 estimates. The capital to recurrent ratio of 65.5% to 34.48% reflects our consistent commitment to investment over consumption.
31. The 2023 estimates maintain our focus on human capital development. Our proposal allocates 45.34% of the budget to Education and Health. The allocations of 29% to the Education sector and 16.05% to Health leave no doubt about our abiding commitment to human capital development.
32. Mr. Speaker, the 2023 budget estimates make provisions for continued pro-poor interventions in nutrition, health care, skills acquisition and empowerment funds for women, youths, and vulnerable groups. Along with provisions for the Social Investment Programme, these pro-poor interventions are costed at N11.32bn, representing about 3% of the proposed budget size.
33. Mr. Speaker, we shall shortly be forwarding the Finance Bill for 2023, to reflect proposed amendments to the Tax Code. The Finance Bill is a flexible mechanism to enable annual adjustments for raising revenues that would be required to implement the Budget. Its enactment does not require a reenactment of the Tax Consolidation and Codification Law.
34. This final budget concludes eight years of determined effort to make lives better by putting people first. We have implemented empowerment policies, respecting people our enough to free them from dependence on those who insert themselves between the treasury and the people. We have diligently sought to promote equal opportunity, improve human capital development, build infrastructure, attract new businesses, support existing ones and run a system that promotes the ease of doing business. We have reformed government, while celebrating what was good in the past, honouring people and completing inherited projects. We have done our best amidst the continuum that disciplined governance should be.
35. Mr. Speaker, our governance journey since 2015 has had smooth phases as well as rough junctions. We have been sustained in sadness and joy by faith and our commitment to our sacred oath to do our best for the people of Kaduna State. We are proud of our record of governance. We have charted a new path forward. We will be leaving it to our successors to further extend, build on and expand our efforts to deliver progressive outcomes for our people. The roadmap is clear, anchored on the State Development Plan and a relentless focus on robust policies and capacity to implement through an efficient public service.
36. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to inform you that we shall be proceeding to commission the OCP fertiliser blending plant after the budget presentation today. This will improve fertilizer availability for our farmers. It will also enable us to resume the partnership with OCP that helped us exit the inefficient fertilizer subsidy regime in 2016.
37. We have made Kaduna State better and giving our successors a strong base from which to carry the baton still further to achieve more for our people.

Thank you for listening

2023: ARTISANS IN SOUTHWEST, NORTH CENTRAL MEET GOV AKEREDOLU, DECLARE SUPPORT FOR TINUBU/SHETTIMA

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the South West Coordinator of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, CON on Tuesday played host to the leaders of South West and North Central Artisan’s Association of Nigeria (AAN).

The artisans, who gathered in their large numbers declared their support for the Tinubu/Shettima joint ticket.

They pledged to work for the victory of the APC Presidential candidate come 2023 presidential election.

At the meeting were the President-General of Lagos, Alhaji Chief Nurudeen Buhari; Oyo, Alhaji Kolayode Amsat; Kwara, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina; Kogi, Comrade Emmanuel Gimbo; Ogun, Comrade Anthony Ayodele; Osun, Comrade Adetunji Ezekiel; Ondo, Comrade Daisi Komolafe; and Ekiti, Comrade Julius Oluwadara.

Speaking, the President General, United Artisans Group of Ondo State, Comrade Komolafe Daisi, lauded Governor Akeredolu over his commitment to the wellbeing of artisans in the state.

Comrade Daisi used the occasion to congratulate Governor Akeredolu on his appointment as South West Coordinator of Tinubu/Shettima Campaign.

He assured that all the leaders and members of professionally skilled workers across the South West and North Central would give the Governor all necessary support to ensure overwhelming victory for Tinubu at the polls.

Comrade Daisi disclosed that the artisans across the South West and North Central came together under the umbrella body of Artisan’s Association of Nigeria (AAN), to work with Governor Akeredolu to ensure the success of Tinubu/ Shettima joint ticket.

The President General expressed happiness that Ondo State is the first state to officially host the group.

“Our coming together is to make sure we work with you as the Coordinator of Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Group for the South West in making sure our candidate, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu becomes the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria by next year.” He said.

In their separate goodwill messages, the President, Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans, Alhaji Nurudeen Buhari and his counterpart from Kwara State, Alhaji Jimoh Adeshina commended Governor Akeredolu for providing leadership in the South West and the country at large.

They also assured the Governor of their readiness to give their best for overwhelming victory of Bola Tinubu.

Receiving the artisan leaders, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, appreciated them for their belief in the Nigeria’s project, describing their support as a sign of good thing to come.

Governor Akeredolu, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr Dare Aragbaiye, said Tinubu/Shettima joint ticket is a collective project which everybody must support for a better Nigeria.

He equally called for unity and togetherness among members of the group to achieve a common goal, saying that the present administration gives priority to the welfare of all including artisan groups.

“Ondo State Governor and Ondo State government appreciate you. And I want to assure you that we need the support of all and sundry. We believe that with the support of the Almighty God, victory is assured.

“We thank you for your determination to support Mr Governor in the task ahead so that we can achieve success together.“ He said.

October 17, 2022

Press Statement

PDP Condemns APC’s Attack on Its Kaduna Presidential Campaign Rally

…Insists It is Undeterred

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the violent attack on its Presidential Campaign Rally in Kaduna, Kaduna State capital today, Monday, October 17, 2022 by heavily armed hoodlums sponsored by the liquidating All Progressives Congress (APC).

This unprovoked attack is not only reprehensible but also exposes the desperation of the APC which is overwhelmed by the continuing popularity of the PDP and our Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar for which they have now resorted to violence.

The aim of the APC for this attack is to frustrate the PDP Presidential Rally, trigger tension, violence and cause bloodletting in Kaduna State. This is contrary to the undertaking in the Peace Accord signed by political parties on September 28, 2022 in which the Presidential Candidate of the APC was conspicuously absent.

The attack today by the APC must give well-meaning Nigerians concern as some report allege that the vicious assault on the PDP Presidential Campaign was spearheaded by the APC governorship candidate in Kaduna State.

The frustrated APC having realized that it cannot legally and legitimately sponsor candidates for the 2023 general elections has now resorted to violence and attacking our party members and innocent citizens with the aim of derailing the entire democratic process.

The APC is intimidated by Atiku Abubakar’s popularity and acceptance among majority of Nigerians following their confidence in Atiku Abubakar’s practical experience, record, capacity, broad-mindedness, Pan-Nigerianism and willpower to unite our nation, revamp our devastated economy and guarantee security of lives and property in our country.

In any case, our Party is undeterred by such cowardly attack as Nigerians are already connected with our issue-based campaign and Atiku Abubakar’s message of hope which is already resonating throughout the nooks and crannies of our country.

The PDP salutes the courage displayed by the people of Kaduna State in coming out enmasse to resist and overwhelm the APC and its agents, ensure the success of the PDP Rally, reinforce their support for Atiku Abubakar and re-emphasize the fact that Kaduna State is home to PDP, which gave Atiku Abubakar the highest votes in the 2019 Presidential election.

These desperate elements should be reminded that from history, the people of Kaduna State have never been cowed or subjugated and cannot now especially in their present resolve to vote in Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria.

The PDP acknowledges the massive inflow of new members into our Party, especially from the fizzling APC in Kaduna State and throughout the country because of APC’s failures in governance.

Kaduna State is a Melting Pot State and such inflow into the PDP denotes the confidence and trust Nigerians, irrespective of ethnicity, religion and political affiliation, repose in Atiku Abubakar as the next President of the country.

It should be recalled that the PDP, on Sunday, October 16, 2022 alerted on the plot to disrupt our scheduled Presidential Campaign in Kaduna State today. Our Party therefore charges security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of this attack are brought to book.

The PDP calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to call his partymen to order and ensure adequate security for a free, fair and credible electoral process in our country.

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba

National Publicity Secretary

October 18, 2022

Press Statement

PDP Congratulates Governor Ikpeazu on his Birthday

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congratulates the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, as he marks his birthday today.

Governor Ikpeazu is a courageous leader who remains unwavering in his commitment towards the unity, stability and economic development of the nation in general and Abia State in particular.

Our Party recognizes his roles with other PDP leaders especially in the mission to Rescue and Rebuild our nation from the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP celebrates Governor Ikpeazu on this auspicious occasion and pray to God to continue to protect and grant him many more years in his service to our nation and humanity at large.

Signed:

Hon. Debo Ologunagba

National Publicity Secretary

2023: Tinubu Cannot Be Trusted With Power – Ologbondiyan

…Says Presidency Not for Selfish Entitlement Seeker

Spokesperson of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan, has said that the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cannot and should not be trusted with power as the President, given his overtly exposed selfish motives.

Ologbondiyan asserted that from Tinubu’s persistent self-centered assertions, haughty claims, annexation and brazen entitlement messaging, which he further displayed during his interaction with stakeholders in Kaduna on Monday, it is clear that the APC Presidential Candidate is being driven by the lust to appropriate the nation as his personal estate and not for the national interest.

Nigerians watched with utter dismay as Tinubu, as usual, avoided questions and discussions on critical and imperative national issues, which confirms that he is in the Presidential race for reasons other than the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The APC Presidential Candidate has not been forthcoming on issues of transparency, accountability and answerability in government, devolution of power, state police, federal character and other key issues that will enhance democratic tenets for the benefit of Nigerians; a development that further confirms a selfish intention against the inclusive interest of our nation.

Perhaps this explains why the APC Presidential Candidate has not composed a campaign organization; a foretaste of exclusionist agenda.

Even his proposed economic policies were generalised without addressing the specific problems of galloping inflation and its attendant unbearable rising costs, unemployment, high interest rates and the abysmally low purchasing power of Nigerians.

Nigerians must therefore resist such tendencies as any government built on what the APC Presidential Candidate ostensibly represents will amount to creating a fiefdom for a self-conceited ruler over our nation.

Never in our national history have Nigerians seen a politician with this level of self-entitlement.

It is laughable that since he became the APC Presidential Candidate, Tinubu has sought for endorsement under every guise forgetting that 2023 election is a referendum against the mass failures of the APC in governance.

Nigerians must note that it will be a disaster for our country, Nigeria, if we allow a Presidential Candidate that will ‘alphabetize’ our revenue generating agencies such as Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Plc among others to take over the reign of governance.

DON’T ABANDON GOVERNANCE FOR ELECTIONEERING, PRESIDENT BUHARI WARNS MINISTERS, TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

• DIRECTS SGF, MINISTERS TO START PREPARING TRANSITION DOCUMENTS

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja warned Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Government Agencies not to abandon the business of governance for electioneering, saying ”any infraction will be viewed seriously.”

The President issued the directive at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Ministerial Performance Review Retreat, preceded by his signing of Executive Order 012 on Improving Performance Management, Coordination and Implementation of Presidential Priorities.

The President told participants at the Retreat that with the commencement of campaigns towards the 2023 general elections, the business of governance must continue to receive the needed attention during this period.

”Consequently, all Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Agencies must remain focused in the discharge of their duties, as any infraction will be viewed seriously.

”Our collective goal is to map out a transition plan for the incoming Administration to ensure proper documentation of all the Policies, Programmes and Projects of Government with up-to-date status of implementation,” he said.

President Buhari noted that the lessons learned in the last three years of implementing the administration’s policies, programmes and projects would serve as the needed tool to propel every Ministry to remain committed, towards the achievement of developmental objectives.

He, therefore, charged all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to step-up, double their efforts and work in synergy toward total delivery of the Administration’s set targets.

On Executive Order 12, the President explained that it would institutionalize a culture of accountability and transparency in the pursuit of good governance.

President Buhari also directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to continue with the quarterly review process and assessment of ministries for the third and fourth Quarters of 2022, saying the reports will form part of transition documents of his administration to the incoming government.

To achieve this objective, the President ordered all Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to ensure that the performance reports of their Ministries are submitted on a quarterly basis to the Office of the SGF for review by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit.

”The outcome of these reviews would be made available for my consideration,” the President said.

The President also declared that following discussion and recommendations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been directed to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure the completion of all large-scale integrated Rice Processing Mills before the end of this Administration.

”This will help our country to maintain sufficiency in the local production of rice as the ban on the importation of foreign rice will be sustained, ” he said.

On electricity, President Buhari directed that all hands must be on deck to ensure timely realization of the increase in electricity generation to 25,000 Megawatts in six years.

He recounted that the plan on electricity generation, through the partnership between the Federal Government of Nigeria and German Siemens AG, is on course as the first batch of the transformers has arrived Nigeria already.

Considering the huge investment made in the rail sector, the President directed the Ministry of Transportation and relevant security Agencies to ensure the provision of maximum security along the railway corridors.

”We must ensure the safety of our rail users and strive to achieve the intended economic goals. We must at the same time ensure realizable schedules and first-class maintenance.

”Following the milestones recorded in the road sector, coupled with the innovative ways of funding road infrastructure, the Ministry of Works and Housing has been directed to compile a list of all completed roads, bridges and other infrastructure for commissioning before the end of this Administration, ” he said.

Furthermore, the President directed that the Federal Government’s investment in the reconstruction of 21 selected on-going Federal Roads totaling 1,804.6km, under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Policy must be closely monitored and tracked to ensure the roads are completed on schedule.

”In line with the outcome of the Panel session on Priority 4 (Improve Transportation and Other Infrastructure), the Ministry of Aviation is hereby directed to conclude and ensure the take-off of the National Carrier Project before the end of the year.’’

In order to expand the fiscal space and improve the nation’s revenue generation efforts, President Buhari directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to ensure effective implementation of the Strategic Revenue and Growth Initiative.

”In the same vein, we must also build synergy between the fiscal and monetary authorities in order to avoid unnecessary drawbacks in our economic planning and performance, ” he said.

On the implementation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, the President directed that a monitoring and evaluation framework be put in place by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with relevant agencies and partners to track the disbursement and utilization of the Fund.

On humanitarian issues, the President noted that in the three years of existence of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the ministry has provided substantial support and assistance to vulnerable citizens through various programmes.

He, therefore, directed the Minister to facilitate and work with the Attorney General of the Federation in transmitting the Federal Executive Council’s approved National Social Investment Programme Establishment Bill (2022) to the National Assembly.

This, he said, would ensure the sustainability of this important programme which leaves a lasting legacy for the vulnerable Nigerians by this Administration.

On industry, trade and investment, the President directed the Ministry to engage relevant stakeholders to secure privatization of the six Special Economic Zones as approved by the Bureau of Public Enterprise.

To complement the current efforts in the Oil and Gas Sector, the President announced that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been mandated to ensure the completion of the reorganization of the new Agencies unbundled from the defunct Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation in line with their mandates.

”This should be completed by the end of the 1st Quarter of 2023, ” he said.

President Buhari also used the occasion to appeal to the National Assembly to fast-track the consideration and passage of key legislative bills as agreed during the Panel Session at the Retreat.

According to him ”this will serve as our collective legacy towards entrenching key reforms that will serve as a springboard for the next Administration.”

President Buhari, who described the two-day retreat as time well-spent, said it has provided an opportunity for ‘‘reflection and lesson learning aimed at reviewing progress and agreeing on key actions that will ensure we finish well by the end of our Administration come May 29th, 2023.’’

”We have used the opportunity provided by this Retreat to carry out an objective assessment of our commitments in line with the contract we signed with the Nigerian people at the inception of this Administration in 2019.

”I am glad to note that we have sustained this yearly stock-taking innovative initiatives introduced in 2019 by holding three consecutive Performance Review Retreats in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. This has helped us to clearly identify what we have done, what needs to be done and how best to get it done.

”From the assessment report and discussions at this Retreat, it is evident that we have made appreciable progress through collective efforts in setting the Nation on the path of sustainable development while improving the well-being of our people.

”Notwithstanding these achievements, there are still unfinished businesses that we must speedily complete to ensure we finish well. We must, therefore, endeavour to close every gap in our implementation efforts to ensure the attainment of set targets by 2023, ” he said.

The Nigerian leader thanked former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, the Keynote speaker at the Retreat, for sharing his wealth of experience during his tenure in Office.

He wished the former President a productive retirement and expressed the hope that he would continue to serve his people and the African continent in every way possible.

He further thanked the Kenyan delegation led by the former President for their support and contributions during the Retreat.

Commending the efforts of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and his team for successfully organizing four Retreats in the life of this Administration, the President acknowledged the support of the technical partners and resource persons for adding immense value to the process.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 18, 2022

PRESIDENT BUHARI REJOICES WITH GEN. YAKUBU GOWON AT 88

President Muhammadu Buhari sends warm felicitations to former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), on the occasion of his 88th birthday, October 19, 2022, celebrating with the elder statesman, whose words of wisdom, prayers and sacrifices continue to bring goodwill to the country.

President Buhari notes the dedication of the former Head of State to pursuing unity, peace and progress of Nigeria, West Africa and the African continent, playing a major role in the structural, economic and social growth of the country, and paving way for a regional bloc, Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

The President rejoices with Gen. Gowon on his 88th birthday, knowing that most of his years, which include working as a military officer and Head of State, were committed to building the nation, with policies like the creation of states, National Youth Service Corps and Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration (3Rs) forming the core for inclusive development.

President Buhari joins family and friends in thanking God for His mercies and favour upon the life of the former Head of State, who is the youngest to lead the country at 32 years and has consistently championed a movement to always pray for Nigeria.

The President prays for good health, strength and longer life for Gen. Gowon and his family.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

October 18, 2022

PRESS RELEASE

IT’S A WASTE OF TIME CONTESTING AGAINST SANWO-OLU IN LAGOS – WIKE

• Rivers Governor hails Lagos for lifting women

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike may have set a new precedent in the nation’s political culture with his open endorsement of an opposition Governor in an electoral contest in which his political party has a candidate.

Wike, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor, on Tuesday, openly pitched his tent with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, endorsing the Lagos Governor for second term.

It was at the 22nd National Women’s Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO). The event with theme: “Spring Forth, Stand Out”, was held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Another PDP leader and former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose accompanied Wike to the event.

The Rivers helmsman rated Sanwo-Olu high in performance, noting that the Lagos Governor had raised the standard of governance with quality of projects being delivered across Lagos.

Wike said any political party contesting against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos would be wasting time, as Sanwo-Olu’s performance would outshine anyone campaigning against him.

The Rivers State Governor said he had no regrets for openly endorsing Sanwo-Olu, stressing that his endorsement of his Lagos colleague was borne out of his personal conviction about good governance.

Wike said: “If Sanwo-Olu is not doing (well), even if he belongs to my party, I will not come here. If you belong to my party and you are not doing well in governance, you won’t see me. If you don’t belong to my party and you are doing well, you will see me. Good governance is what I stand for. I will not regret to say that I am in support of you (Sanwo-Olu) for second term. Others should not waste their time.

“Look at the kind of project coming from this women’s group. Why would any reasonable person not support the Government that is encouraging this. Let’s also look at the kind of physical infrastructure being delivered in Lagos. This confirms Lagos as a State of excellence. There are some people who will come here; instead of them to continue to make Lagos improve, they will bring Lagos down. For me, I’m satisfied with what Sanwo-Olu has done and it doesn’t matter the party he belongs.”

Sanwo-Olu responded to Wike’s endorsement, describing it as another example of “politics without bitterness”. He said Lagos and Rivers states had learnt from each other in terms of projects and development, adding that both states would continue to cooperate on shared interest.

He said: “There is no better person that is fit as a guest speaker at the conference other than the hardworking Governor Wike of Rivers State. We brought him here to share in his experience and also for him to see what we are doing in Lagos.

“We are encouraging collaboration without bitterness and without talking about our parties or political differences. If you are doing well, it doesn’t matter where you belong. We should encourage peer review across parties. Gov. Wike had invited me to Rivers for projects commissioning in the past. We have challenged ourselves in a positive way; this is good for the growth of our politics and the nation.

Gov. Wike also spoke about the qualities that the next president must bring forward, saying the nation deserved a president that would have the interest of Nigerians at heart.

He urged Nigerians to queue behind someone with vast experience in governance, who has the capacity to turn around the economy and confront insecurity.

Wike said: “We are looking for a president that has the capacity and experience in governance, who can put food on the table for everyone and fight insecurity. That’s the person we are looking for; not some people who are talking about ethnicity.”

The Rivers Governor said he would be going back home with lessons of the Lagos’ National Women’s Conference, stressing that Lagos had set the standards on how to empower women for growth and development. He promised to replicate the idea in his State to further empower women in Rivers State.

SIGNED

GBOYEGA AKOSILE

CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

18 OCTOBER 2022