Buhari does things in spartan way – Tinubu

The National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari does things in a spartan way.
Tinubu who used the opportunity of the launch of a book on President Muhammadu Buhari also said that Buhari has always been and is still on a mission to fix Nigeria.
The APC leader was one of the four reviewers of the book, titled; “Muhammadu Buhari – The challenges of leadership in Nigeria.’
The book in three parts and 24 chapters was written by Prof. John Paden, who had also written a remarkable book on Sir Ahmadu Bello, first premier of Northern Nigeria.
The former governor of Lagos State, described Paden’s latest book as “educative and informative reading and timely narrative.’’
He described President Buhari “as a true democrat, a disciplined and focused person right from his youthful days till his present position.’’
Tinubu said that Buhari was in haste to bring changes as a young leader, while “Buhari as an older leader is now slow and steady.’’

Buhari’s opponents vowed he would never occupy Aso Rock –Gowon

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has revealed how President Muhammadu Buhari was told by his opponents that he would never see, enter and occupy the Aso Presidential Villa as the President of Nigeria.
Buhari ran for the highest position in the country for four consecutive times before defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election to occupy the seat.
Buhari contested against President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003. In 2007, he lost to late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Gowon spoke yesterday at the public presentation of the president’s authorized biography written by Professor John Paden, an American author with special interest in the economic and political development of Nigeria.
The former head of state, who served as chairman of the event, also told the audience that Buhari deserved every commendation and criticism.

Jega urges Buhari to fulfil campaign promises, re-examine policies

Executive Secretary, National Mosque, Abuja, Alhaji Ibrahim Jega, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to re-examine his administration’s policies and ensure he fulfilled the promises he made to the electorate during the 2015 election.
He also advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) to go back to the drawing board and look critically at its manifesto to find out the level to which they have fulfilled the promises made to Nigerians.
Speaking in Abuja, Jega reminded the APC that the mandate was given to them by the people and by extension, God Almighty.
He said: “If you are not accountable to the people now, they will be accountable to God Almighty. A promise is a debt they must fulfil. For somebody to be religious or Godly, he must match his words with action. If you say I will give you water, give the people the water. If you say I will give you road, give people the road”.

Wike, PDP responsible for insecurity in Rivers – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has alleged that Governor Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are responsible for the high level of insecurity in the state.
The party insisted that the immediate past administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was not responsible for present security challenges facing the state as claimed by Wike during a thanksgiving church service at Okrika last Sunday.
APC, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday by its state chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, regretted that both the governor and the PDP have refused to accept responsibility for their actions and ask for forgiveness from men of God.
Ikanya said, “Of late, we have watched as Gov. Nyesom Wike amuses himself about taking away the guns he gave to his foot soldiers to kill and maim for him to become governor. But what he is doing is the height of dishonesty. We ask: how do you grant amnesty to a people before retrieving arms from them?
“The truth remains that governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP created the Frankenstein Monster of insecurity troubling innocent Rivers people and residents of the State and they are too dishonest to accept responsibility for their actions and ask for forgiveness from God – not even when they

Why Ekiti can’t access N4bn UBEC fund – Fayose

Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has explained that the state cannot access over N4 billion from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) because of the diversion of N850 million by the previous administration in 2012.
Speaking during a meeting with members and leaders of the Ekiti State chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Fayose said that the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) lack the resources to execute most of its projects due to the diversion of the funds which led to the suspension of the state from UBEC activities.
The governor said that a Parents’ Summit would soon be held in the state to further sensitise parents on their roles in the provision of quality education for their children.
Describing parents and teachers as the two most critical stakeholders in the sector, the Governor added that all critical stakeholders in the education sector must be alive to‎ their responsibilities to

PDP factions to meet Jonathan, governors on peace deal

In furtherance of the new peace efforts embarked upon by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee (NCC) and the faction led by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff have resolved to meet with former President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors elected on its platform to intimate them of the reconciliation plans.
The meeting with the former president and governors is scheduled to take place between Wednesday and Thursday and will be followed by consultative engagements with other key organs of the party including the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the party’s National Caucus.
It was gathered that the meeting, which is at the instance of Senators Makarfi and Sheriff, is meant to brief the party’s key stakeholders on their new understanding, to solicit their support and input on the best way to achieve a lasting peace in the party.
Discussions on a fresh convention to elect a national leadership for the party will also be on the

Nasarawa govt proffers solution against recession

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, said his administration has designed a “pragmatic action” to save the state from the present economic recession.
The governor said the challenges the nation is facing on account of recession required a pragmatic approach, by adopting strategies that involve engaging meaningfully with the private sector.
Governor Al-Makura disclosed this at the weekend in Lafia during a media chat to mark the 20th anniversary of the creation of the State.
“This is why we have embarked on measures and actions that will open up new opportunities. In

Run Nigeria as business – Gov. Umahi tells FG

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, has said unless Nigeria is run as a business, it will be far from its desired goal of being one of the top economies in the world.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, Umahi said government should play less politics and focus on growing the economy through polices targeted at industrialization of the country.
Umahi noted that the country cannot be great if it is still divided along religious and ethnic lines neither will it be able to achieve technological advancement if it does not focus on the education sector.
On the economy, Umahi said the instability of the naira at the parallel market has made it difficult for businesses to plan. The naira had in the space of two week dropped in value from N420 to N480 to the dollar.

How we plotted PDP’s ouster – Tinubu

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Monday in Abuja gave a historical account of how the ruling party came to being and brought to a sudden end the reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Reviewing the book, “Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria” written by Professor John Paden, during its launch in Abuja, Tinubu provided a rare insight into the challenges faced by political parties that came together to form an alliance that produced the APC, which eventually ended the reign of PDP.
According to him, to defeat PDP, which had boasted it would rule Nigeria for 60 years, a political alliance had to be formed.
He said: “In forming the ‘new’ party, we had three challenges. The first was learning the right lessons from the aborted attempt at political cooperation in 2011. Fortunately, both the ACN and CPC regretted our inability to conclude a pact in 2011.
“We agreed that there would be no recrimination over what did not happen before. We agreed there would be an intensified effort to forge the united effort that eluded us in 2011.

Rivers Gov. Wike pardons 6 life-sentence criminals

Rivers State governor, Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, has granted pardon to six inmates who are serving life imprisonment imposed on them upon conviction by a Court of Law.
A statement issued by state attorney-general and commissioner for Justice, Emma Aguma, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, also stated that the governor granted pardon to three condemned criminals, who were awaiting execution in Port Harcourt Prisons, in pursuant to the powers conferred on him by section 212 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The statement gave the names of the those on life imprisonment who were pardoned as Chukwuemeka O. Emeka, Akara Etteh, Emmanuel Ihenebiri, Samuel Amadi, Sgt. James Mordi and