Breaking News: Buhari appoints SGF, Chief of Staff, others

No boby actually made it from South East.

Abuja – President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr Babachir David Lawal as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) In a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said the president also appointed Alhaji Abba Kyari as his Chief of Staff ; retired Col. Hameed Ali as Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service, while Mr Kure Abeshi is the new Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service. It stated that the president also appointed Sen. Ita S. Enang as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) while Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu is the new SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives). According to the statement, the appointments are with effect from August 27. It will recalled that the office of Comptroller-General of Customs became vacant following the voluntary retirement of the former CG, Alhaji Abdulahi Dikko last week. Similarly, the replacement of Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service was squeal to the suspension of the former CG, Mr. David Parradang last week also. The Appointments Engr. Babachir David Lawal – Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. Alhaji Abba Kyari – Chief of Staff to the President Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd.) – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi – Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service Senator Ita S.J. Enang – SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu – SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) The new SGF hails from Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State. He graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979, with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree. The new SGF worked with the Delta Steel Company, Aladja, Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited and Data Sciences Limited, before establishing his own ICT and Telecommunications consulting firm in 1990. He is also a member of the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigeria Society of Engineers and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/breaking-news-buhari-appoints-sgf-cos-others/#sthash.aC8XJtn3.dpuf

Opposing Jonathan’s probe is desecrating Igbo traditions – S’East A

* Says S’East ‘ll produce Presidency after Buhari’s 8-year tenure
The South-East zonal chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, on Sunday accused Igbo leaders who are opposing the probe of former President Goodluck Jonathan of desecrating the traditions of the Igbos.

Jonathan and Buhari

The party said the Igbo leaders who are supporting the former president, have flouted the traditional admonition, which forbade Igbos from identifying with thieves or alleged thieves.
Several Igbo leaders, including Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Chairman of the Igbo Leaders of Thought, and the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Joe Nwaorgu, had in recent times faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s planned probe of the Jonathan administration.
They stressed that limiting the probe to Jonathan’s government was an indication that Buhari was being influenced in his anti-graft campaign.
Reacting to the development, however, the South-East APC, in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, told the concerned Igbo leaders to stop desecrating Igbo tradition by supporting Jonathan.
In the statement titled ‘Stop desecration of Igbo tradition’, the South-East APC spokesman wondered why Jonathan’s defence is being championed by Igbo leaders, rather than the ex-president’s Ijaw kinsmen.
The statement read in part, “The South-East Zonal Chapter of the All Progressives Congress calls on Igbo leaders, in the name of defending our dear ex-president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, to stop desecration of the long standing Igbo tradition and by extension, our revered ancestors.
“Our worry is that the timeless Igbo tradition, which admonishes us not to steal, and not to defend nor associate with rogues or even alleged rogues is being flagrantly breached by prominent Igbo sons, crying more than Ijaw sons and daughters.
“We are yet to locate any sentence where any of them, even our revered icon, erudite and constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, in any form denied the mindless, pervasive and unbridled corruption which governed ex-president Jonathan’s regime. We stand to be corrected. Then why splash us with the mud?”
Okechukwu also condemned the Ohanaeze Ndigbo scribe’s argument that Buhari should extend the probe to the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He accused Nwaorgu of deliberately blocking a planned meeting between Buhari and Ohanaeze Ndigbo before the elections.
According to Okechukwu, Buhari conveyed his request for the meeting, where he intended to “chart the way forward with Ndigbo”, in a letter forwarded to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo secretariat in November 2014.
“May we appeal to Chief Joe Nwaorgu and his cohorts, if actually the interest of Ndigbo is what they are fighting for, to climb down from their high horses, drop their ancient stereotypes and stop the hate narratives and embrace the true position that Ndigbo stands to gain more from
President Buhari’s regime, if ever we gained from our massive support to former president Jonathan.
“Failing which, Chief Joe Nwaorgu and his cohorts, may wittingly or unwittingly confirm the allegation that they – Ndigbo ultra-defenders of Jonathan – were beneficiaries of presidential campaign slush funds”, Okechukwu added.
The South-East APC argued that “Ndigbo like all hard working groups in the country”, stand to gain more from Buhari’s administration than Jonathan’s, which it accused of dispensing patronage to cronies.
The party added that the Igbos are more likely to realise their wish to have one of their own as president of the country through Buhari.
According to Okechukwu “The Igbo ethnic merchants and gossip-terrorists who bandy all manner of conspiracy hate theories against President Buhari must come to terms that an eight-year tenure of the man of uncommon integrity is the surest route to actualisation of president of Igbo extraction, given the zoning convention”.

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Jonathan not a corrupt leader – Babatope

 

 

 

 

Former Minister of Transport and member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, tells  why President Muhammadu Buhari’s corruption probe into the last administration led by former President Goodluck Jonathan may fail

The Peoples Democratic Party has said the probes being carried out by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration are selective. Why are they?

Any government is free to transact any business it wants to transact. So, Buhari is correct to say he wants to probe. But all that we are saying is that he must ensure that the probe is not coloured with injustice, bias and unfairness. Once he can do that, let him go ahead. He has not unfolded the programme; when he unfolds the programme, we will know.

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If he has decided to probe only the last administration, does it have any shortcomings?

He has the choice on whoever he wants to probe. If he wants to limit it to the Jonathan administration, he has the freedom. But what is important is that the probe must be free and must not be done against those that they want to persecute or humiliate because of their political affiliation. Nobody can question whatever method Buhari’s administration wants to use. It is his government and it is in his best interest to ensure that his government meets the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. If he says he wants to probe the administration of GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) alone, that is good for him but all we know is that he must endeavour not to turn the probe into a kind of witch-hunt. This is why we are appealing that he should allow justice and fair play to characterise all the exercises that will be carried out on the probe. I don’t care who wants to probe; he can probe anybody he wants to probe but at the end of the day, he should be careful not to endanger or destroy the integrity of innocent people.

With what you have seen or heard so far, does the campaign look like a witch-hunt?

I cannot substantiate the witch-hunt claim now, even though the civil servants that were said to be having their property confiscated by the government have raised their voices to say they did not do (commit) anything (crime). I want President Buhari to ensure that the security agencies do very thorough job, and should not do a hush-hush job that will amount to nothing but witch-hunt. We are waiting for when they will start to see or hear the names of those who are now being called looters. As it is now, almost every Nigerian is a looter unless you are proven not to be a looter.

Would you have called for the extension of the probe to the administrations before Jonathan’s, especially those widely believed to have been very corrupt, if you had your way?

I am not a supporter, really, of what is called probe. Our leader, my benefactor, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, warned against a country getting itself into the mess of probing; that there would be no end to it. That was why he said the current administration should erect a thick wall between the events of the past administration and the present. That he would rather strengthen the Nigeria Police to ensure that it is mobile enough to do its job properly; to arrest and prosecute. All we are saying is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Police and all other agencies who are to help the government must do their job well, bring culprits to book and ensure that they bring those guilty of looting to book.

But is it appropriate for a new government not to check the books of the previous administration, especially when government coffers have been looted?

At the end of the day, I hope that this probe on corruption will not end up being a mere illusion; when you say somebody has looted but establishing the looting is very difficult. Nobody is saying it is not good for the country to fight corruption, all we are saying – and I want to repeat it – is that in establishing new morality for Nigeria, we must not cast away justice and fair play in the manner we investigate all the cases. If we do so, we will subject Nigeria to a state of irredeemable despair, and that will be very bad for us.

What then is your take on Prof. Ben Nwabueze’s stance that certain administrations recorded corruption of threatening magnitude should be probed, especially those led by former military Heads of State, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo?

I am very convinced that no amount of probes on Jonathan will establish that Jonathan was a corrupt leader. He was not a corrupt leader. That is why I am proposing fairness and justice in this probe. Jonathan is not going to be found guilty of anything; I am telling you the fact. And if he (Buhari) says he wants to extend his probe to other regimes, it will be ridiculous. That was why Awolowo said any nation that goes deep into the ‘probe-probe business;’ that nation is jeopardising the future of its citizens because it can never get to an end. That was why Awolowo said he would erect a thick wall between the events of the past and of the present. All we need to do is to strengthen the Police. That is all.

If you think Jonathan was not corrupt and will be off the hook, would you admit that he had people whose activities should be probed around him?

If they are found guilty, they should be brought to book. But the way it is going; one governor was on the entourage of President Buhari to America, he came back and told Nigerians that one minister (under Jonathan) stole $6bn. This is a ridiculous thing to say. $6bn! We are talking of stones; we are talking of hard currency. All these comments are really making fun of what President Buhari is trying to do. Let them base their probes on concrete facts. It is not possible for a minister of any country to steal N6bn and stash it away in foreign banks. Which bank can accommodate that? Any of the banks that aid corruption abroad will be hesitant to take that kind of money. I know very well that Buhari’s probe will help us in this country but trying to implicate people who are innocent will be bad for Nigeria.

The PDP also said President Buhari should look inwards and prosecute corrupt persons in the All Progressives Congress and among those close to him to set an example. Does this really matter?

Of course (it does)! It will be foolhardy for anyone to think that there are no corrupt people in the APC. They also ran government (at the state level) either as Action Congress of Nigeria or any other party (before their merger). The PDP was right to say ‘place your binoculars of corruption probe on your men in the APC.’

Must the probe start from within the APC?

It can start from anywhere but make sure that you do a thorough job. If the leaders of the APC are said to be corrupt and you are investigating them, do a thorough job.

What about loyalists of the people who are accusing some leaders of the APC; are they not also expected to provide proofs?

Anybody who alleges must prove the allegation. If a PDP man says an APC man is corrupt, that PDP man must be brought forward to prove his allegation. And those accusing PDP leaders of corruption must prove their allegations against them.

What do you make of the National Peace Commitee’s meeting with the President and the advice given to him on his anti-corruption war?

We must examine what the committee said very carefully. There are many individuals in that committee who are very good ‘materials;’ like Bishop Mathew Kukah, he is a fine material; and to a great extent, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) is a fine character. All they are saying is that we must not, in the guise of fighting corruption, do things that will lead to impunity and criminality. That is all they are saying. Those who are blaming them (members) are very wrong; the committee is not saying it is begging for Jonathan or (for the President) not to deal with anybody; the hand that sins must pay for its sin. But then, we must be sure that we are punishing people who have really committed the crime. If you start punishing innocent people, you are jeopardising the future of this country.

 

NFF delighted to host Sierra Leone/Cote d’Ivoire Afcon qualifier

 

 

The country has everything to gain hosting the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the Elephants and Leone Stars according to the NFF president

President of the Nigeria Football President, Amaju Pinnick believes hosting the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations between Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone will be an occasion for the country to underscore its leadership role on the African continent.
Nigeria on Wednesday agreed to host the Afcon qualifier involving both teams after the Confederation of African Football compelled Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia to find alternative venues for their home game owing to the spread of the Ebola virus pandemic.
The NFF boss expressed his delight getting the go ahead from the Federal Ministry of Health to host the match fixed for September 6.
“We are delighted to announce that we have received the go-ahead from the Federal Ministry of Health to host the match,” Pinnick said.
“The Sierra Leoneans will come with a delegation of 32, made up of mostly overseas –based professionals, technical crew and officials of the SLFA, to be led by its president, Isha Johansen.

“We are happy about the go-ahead because, once more, our country has an opportunity to underscore its leadership role on the African continent, nay global sphere.
“The NFF has initiated discussions with the Lagos State Government and the Rivers State Government on preventive measures, such as keeping Sierra Leone’s small delegation in a special hotel where they can be monitored at all times.”
He also said that the country has nothing to lose agreeing to host the game; instead it will be a big boost for Nigeria football.
“We are talking of hosting the African champion team, with the likes of African Player of the Year, Yaya Toure and others, and this will certainly earn us commendation from Caf and Fifa,” he concluded.

Sierra Leone sit at the base of Group I after losing their first game 1-0 to Sudan courtesy of Ramadan Alagab’s strike in the 77thh minute at the Khartoum Stadium, Khartoum on June 14.

Saraki eats humble pie, reaches out to Tinubu

The battle of wills rocking the leadership of the All Progressives Congress may soon be over.

Multiple sources has confirm that contrary to his public posturing of defiance, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had started reaching out to some of the aggrieved leaders of the party.

Saraki is one of the gladiators in the clash of egos and wills that followed the Senate leadership election on June 9 and subsequent appointment of principal officers.

The Senate President had earlier visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help him beg President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also reportedly met with the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, on the same matter.

During the week, some emissaries sent by Saraki met with President Buhari and sought forgiveness for the Senate President for acting contrary to the dictates of the party.

The emissaries included Senate Leader Ali Ndume, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Senator Adamu Aliero, Senator Danjuma Goje, and Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

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A report in a national daily on Saturday also said the emissaries apologised to the President for the individual roles they played in the crisis.

However, sources in the party told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday that the emissaries also had a brief to meet with the party’s national leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu.

Many within the party see the crisis as a battle of wills with Buhari, Tinubu and some party leaders on one side of the ring and the Senate President and his backers on the other side. One of the prominent APC leaders that is believed to have backed Saraki is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

But sources told our correspondent that Saraki, of recent, had made strenuous efforts to meet and appeal to Tinubu to sheathe his sword.

Our correspondents report that Saraki’s olive branch to Tinubu may mark a turning point in the crisis as the Senate President, before now, had insisted that he would not ‘beg’ the APC leader.

But the sources added that Saraki might have changed his position when all his efforts to get President Buhari to forgive him for his defiance to the party and move on.

It has been widely reported that Buhari has refused all entreaties to host the Senate President at the Presidential Villa since the controversial election in the senate. The President had also said the leadership of the senate should tow the party line.

Two APC officials who spoke to our correspondent yesterday shed light on Saraki’s last two attempts to reach out to the APC national leader. They said that one attempt occurred three weeks ago while the other took place on Thursday in Abuja.

“Three weeks ago he tried to get across to Tinubu through one of his aides. Of course, the aide couldn’t have arranged the meeting. Tinubu’s disposition to the matter is well known,” the source said.

The APC national leader, sources said, had told some of Saraki’s emissaries in the past that the senate leadership should toe the party line.

Another source said the last attempt took place during the week when the APC senators, who met with the President at the behest of Saraki, also tried to get across to Tinubu. A source close to Tinubu said while the former Lagos governor was aware of the move, his position on the matter had not changed.

The source stated that Saraki needed a long-term strategy to pacify the aggrieved party leaders, adding that the Senate President’s is perceived as haughty by some of these leaders.

“It is a surprise that he is reaching out to Tinubu. Saraki has no respect for Tinubu. He is contemptuous of him. During meetings he refers to him contemptuously as “Bola”. In fact there was a time that Tinubu wanted to explain a point to him and he shut him up,” the source said.

The source may have alluded to the cultural norm in Tinubu and Saraki’s Yoruba ethnic group where an elder is not addressed by his first name. Tinubu is 63 while Saraki is 52.

But the source close to the APC leader insisted that the national leader had no ‘ego problem’ with Saraki.

“Tinubu’s take is that the senate should toe the party line. It is not a personal problem at all. If it were a personal problem, the President won’t be reacting the same way.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the APC believes in party supremacy.

He said, “I can’t comment on the story you are asking me about. However, the APC has made its position on party supremacy known.”

The spokesman for the Senate President, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, could not be reached on Saturday night. Calls and a text message sent to his line were not responded to.

The midweek arrival from Barcelona scored one and assisted another on his first outing for the Premier League champions, drawing special praise from his new manager

Jose Mourinho has compared Pedro to Diego Maradona after the new signing played a key role in Chelsea's first Premier League win of the season.

Mourinho on Pedro debut: It wasn't quite Maradona, but it was close

The £21 million arrival from Barcelona opened his account after less than 20 minutes, before assisting Diego Costa as the champions held off a resilient West Brom side to win 3-2 at the Hawthorns on Sunday.

Mourinho admitted to concern over how quickly Pedro would adapt to Premier League football, having spent his entire professional career with Barca, but never doubted the 28-year-old's ability.

"He wasn't quite Maradona but he was close," Mourinho told Chelsea TV. "He’s a very good player. There is always a question mark because of how many top players come to England and don’t perform immediately.

"We have examples in our club and there are lots of examples at other clubs, so it’s very nice for him to come and straight away perform the way he did.

"I expected him to perform like that because he had a good pre-season, and he played three competitive matches. He came with minutes, with intensity, so it was not a question of intensity and condition, it was a question of understanding.

"We worked tactically every day since he arrived for him to try to understand the team and for the team to try to understand what he wants and needs. It was a very good performance."

PDP approves nationwide e-registration of members

ABUJA – IN what appears to be a major U-turn, National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said Sunday that it has concluded arrangement to carry out an E- registration exercise of party members across the country.
In a statement yesterday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh,  the decision to resuscitate the e-registration project was part of the re- engineering efforts to rebuild the party.
According to Metuh,  Edo state would be used as a pilot for the project, a development that has resulted in the deferment of earlier scheduled congresses in the state.
It would be recalled that the project was conceived during the leadership of former National Chairman, Dr. Ezekwesili Nwodo, but it was thrown out by the party, just as  that eventually led to a team up by some leaders and stakeholders of the party and he was sent out as chairman of PDP.
Prior to Nwodo’s exit, the online registration project was  initially presented in the 52nd National
Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of PDP, August 12, 2010.
The project was aimed at harmonizing PDP’s  membership data, returning ownership of the party to the people and strengthening the various structures at all levels across the country.
Metuh said, “The National Working Committee (NWC), after very wide consultations
with critical stakeholders, and in line with the wishes and aspirations of our teeming supporters across the country, has approved the resuscitation of the e-registration project.
“This project, which was initially presented in the 52nd National
Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of our great party on August 12, 2010, is aimed, among other things, at harmonizing our membership data, returning ownership of the party to the people and strengthening our various structures at all levels across the country.
“The NWC believes that the e-registration is indeed a decisive step towards enthroning internal democracy and giving every member a voice in the party.
“While details of the process will be transmitted to our various
structures across the nation, the NWC announces that Edo state would be used as a pilot for the exercise. Consequently, the earlier scheduled Edo state congresses are by this announcement, deferred until the completion of the pilot e-registration exercise in the state.
“The national leadership, by this, charges all members in Edo state to make themselves available for the e-registration as well as work hard to win new members and more supporters for the party in the state.
“Finally, the NWC reaffirms its irrevocable commitment towards ensuring that the control of the party is returned to the people, in line with the ideals of the founding fathers, while urging all members to remain
focused and continue to work together in furthering the rebuilding effort.”