Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Category: Politics

Buhari should pay 100bn to violent herders to stop kidnappings – Herdsmen
The National Secretary, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Mr Saleh Alhassan, has said his group indeed demanded from the Federal Government the payment of N100bn to herders but for the construction of ranches and not for amnesty as reported on social media.
He claimed former President Goodluck Jonathan promised to give them the money and that was what informed their decision to support his re-election in 2015.
The Miyetti Allah chief, however, said that after Jonathan left, the initiative was suspended, hence the decision of the group to present the matter to the President Muhammadu Buhari government.
Asked why N100bn should be paid to violent herders to stop kidnappings, Alhassan said, “That is a mischievous statement. Do they pay money like that? Have they ever paid any money like that? That N100bn has been on the table for mini-ranches since 2014 when (former) President Goodluck Jonathan was trying to address the lingering crisis between farmers and herders.
“So, part of that money was, I think, used by state governors under the committee chaired by the then Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam. But I don’t think the bulk of the money has reached the pastoralists, the herders.
“As part of that policy, they (the Federal Government) are trying to see how they can now assist livestock producers to address farmers/herders conflicts via a policy.”
He added, “So, people now saying they have given Miyetti Allah N100bn to stop kidnappings are just being mischievous because from what we have observed, there are certain people that are twisting narratives.”
Alhassan lamented that some Nigerians didn’t want any kind of support to come from the government for livestock development.
“If we are going to have ranches, definitely, some support would come from government,” he said.
‌
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, and some government officials had come under fire last week for allegedly promising to pay Miyetti Allah N100bn as amnesty to curb the rise in banditry, kidnapping and killings.
However, both the police and the Presidency denied ever discussing money with herdsmen.
Alhassan said there was nothing wrong if Buhari honoured a promise made by Jonathan to the farmers.
“If today, the Buhari government sees policy that was there since 2014 and wants to see how it can be implemented by supporting cattle breeders, not just Fulani but anybody that is breeding livestock, to access facility like the Anchor Borrowers you have with the Central Bank of Nigeria, I don’t think it’s something that calls for propaganda.”
January 24, 2021
APC Governors, Senators, Reps Want New Generation Chairman
A COALITION made up of 12 governors, influential leaders, Senators and House of Representatives members has emerged in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the national convention of the party in June.
The aim of the coalition, The Nation gathered, is to enthrone a new generation chairman for the party.
The governors and other stakeholders involved are said to be opposed to anyone older than 65 years leading the party.
The coalition is also seeking the understanding of APC leaders to concede the national chairman slot to the North-Central zone because both the North-East and the North-West have had their fair shares of political offices.
Some of the aspirants who fall in this category include a former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and former Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari; a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and former governor of Cross River State, Clement Ebri, among others.
The coalition is also not interested in any national chairmanship aspirant who has served in any executive position like governor, deputy governor, permanent secretary, ambassador, director-general or chief executive officer of a ministry, department or agency (MDAs).
They may also resist imposition by APC governors of any candidate as national chairman at the convention.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that members of the coalition tagged Movement for a New Generation of Leadership in APC have met secretly twice in Abuja on their proposed reforms at the convention.
During one of such meetings, they made a case for the North-Central to produce the next national chairman of the party because, in their view, the North-East and the North-West have had a fair share of political offices.
It was learnt that they have started lobbying for the buy-in of key APC leaders and stakeholders on the need for younger elements to lead the party.
According to a reliable source, the same group will soon reach out to President Muhammadu Buhari on its leadership template for APC.
The source said: “We are forming a coalition to effect sustainable reforms in APC. We will not leave the governors alone to lead the initiative of effecting changes in our party.
“We have formed a coalition comprising like minds, including governors, influential stakeholders, senators, members of the House of Representatives and others.
“We have met twice and we have resolved to form the Movement for a New Generation of Leadership in APC. We do not want any aspirant or candidate who has been a governor, deputy governor, minister, permanent secretary, ambassador, director-general or CEO of any MDA to lead the APC.
“We are seeking a clean slate. We will reject old aspirants like a former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari (ex-governor of Zamfara State); a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff and ex-governor Clement Ebri, among others.
“We believe that those who have held executive positions in the past should take the back seat. We want to try something new in APC.
“Also, anyone from 65 to 70 years and above has no business managing APC. We want a new national chairman without any baggage so that we can run APC like a normal party is run anywhere in the world.
“This is the main agenda we are selling to all APC stakeholders, including governors, in order that the party may outlive all of us.
“We are asking for a new generation chairman because those who have shown interest so far are old and cannot offer anything new to the party.
“Some of these aspirants have started having problems because APC leaders from their states are against their ambition.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “As I speak with you, we have 12 governors behind our demand for a young leader for our great party.
“We will not operate covertly. We will soon address the press to enable APC members know where we stand.
“We are consulting on a fast note and our idea is that we don’t want those who wielded executive powers in the past. We want a national chairman with an unblemished record.”
It was also gathered that the coalition may resist imposition of a new national chairman on the party.
The source said: “We are already encouraging members to come out for registration in order to press for change in the party.
“This coalition will not allow imposition of party leaders as being planned by some governors and a few stakeholders. We have had enough of that.
“We are happy that about 12 governors are backing this agenda. We are trying to get President Muhammadu Buhari to buy into this project for fresh hands and new thinking in APC.”
January 24, 2021
Incompetent leaders took over from military in 1999 – Governor Bello
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has linked the failures recorded in governance since the coming of democracy in 1999 to incompetent leaders who took over the leadership from the military.
Speaking at a youth summit organised by a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman Board of Trustees of Lead Generation Initiative (LGI) Shina Peller in Abuja, Bello said when the military decided to hand over power to civilians, a lot of competent people never believed in the process and therefore stood back and watched while the system was manipulated by incompetent people.
He said;
“For them (those who took power from the military), occupying political offices was business and they accumulated a lot of wealth.”
The Governor who insisted that “the position of a councillor or ward leader is fundamental and also very important for the development of the country”, told educated youths not to be ashamed of aspiring for leadership position in the country as their involvement especially at the grassroots level, will enable them to take leadership positions and effect the change they desire instead of just complaining on the sidelines.
January 23, 2021
Buhari reappoints Hadiza Bala-Usman as NPA MD
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Hadiza Bala Usman as Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), for additional five-year tenure.
This was announced in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, and made available to State House Correspondents on Thursday.
Also approved is the reconstitution of the Non-Executive Board of the NPA, with Mr Emmanuel Olajide Adesoye (from South-West zone) as Chairman.
Other members of the Board are: Prince Ekenyem Nwafor-Orizu (South-East zone), Akinwunmi Ricketts (South-south zone), Ghazali Mohammed Mijinyawa (North-East zone), Mustapha Amin Dutse (North-West zone), and Abdulwahab Adesina (North-Central zone).

The President has equally approved Board members for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), who will oversee the selection of a new Managing Director for the organization. They are: Muhammad K. Ahmad, OON, (Chairman), Chief Henry Okolo, Imamudden Talba, Ambassador Usman Sarki, Ali Haruna, Engr. Simeone Atakulu, Zubaida Mahey Rasheed, Dr Mustapha Abiodun Akinkunmi, Engr. Oladele Amoda, and Dr Nkiru Balonwu.
Other members of the TCN Board are: Representatives of Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Power, Bureau for Public Enterprise, FGN Power Company Limited, and Executive Management of TCN.
January 21, 2021
Restructuring Alone Will Not Solve Nigeria’s Problems – Jonathan
A former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, has said that restructuring alone can not solve Nigeria’s problems and cannot be done in isolation.
The former President called for the issues of nepotism, ethnic and religious bias to be addressed.
He stated this on Thursday while speaking at a dialogue on restructuring in Abuja.
He noted that Nigerians must restructure their minds because the issues at the national level still exist at the state and local levels.
The immediate past President General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo John Nwodo, while delivering his speech said that Nigeria must restructure before the 2023 general elections.
According to him, “We must change the constitution of the country as the 1999 constitution was not produced by the majority of Nigerians.”
January 21, 2021
If We Wait For Buhari, Herdsmen Will Kill All Of Us -Akintoye
The Worldwide Leader of the Yoruba global movement, Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, has accused the Presidency of supporting criminality by faulting Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s order asking herdsmen to vacate forest reserves in the state.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, the historian asked people of the Yoruba race and Nigerians to prepare to defend themselves against herdsmen.
He accused Fulani herdsmen of engaging in full-scale criminality since President Muhammadu Buhari became Nigeria’s president.
The Yoruba elder wondered why the Federal Government had refused to prosecute many Fulani herdsmen engaging in criminal activities.
He said, “The Presidency is now initiating a very dangerous doctrine of governance in Nigeria. The presidency is now saying that the state’s authority no longer includes the security of the people of the state.
“That is not only bad but dangerous to the existence of Nigeria. It is an assessment of the quality of governance in Nigeria by the rest of the world.
“All Nigerians who are being assaulted, raped, and killed by the Fulani must defend themselves; not only Yorubas or those living in Ondo. If we continue to wait for the Federal Government, these herdsmen will kill all of us. We must rise to defend ourselves.
“The Nigerian government has shown again that it is working for the Fulani. I don’t think anybody should be afraid to say that because it is the truth. The Fulani has been committing crimes on a massive scale since 2015 in Nigeria.
“The government has never owned up that they are committing the crime. They have been going around kidnapping, killing people, and destroying farms, properties, and villages on a persistent scale and those things are crimes under the laws of Nigeria. In some parts of the country, it looks as if the army is colluding with them (herdsmen).”
The Ilana Omo Oodua leader commended Akeredolu, urging Yoruba to support him.
“Akeredolu should be commended for his decision, for his courage and show of knowledge of the land. We support what he is doing. We are waiting for what government would come and do in Ondo State,” he added.
January 21, 2021
Atiku Writes Biden, Lists Nigeria’s Challenges, Seeks U.S Intervention
The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last General election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Thursday wrote a message of goodwill to the US President, Joe Biden, urging him to strengthen US-Nigeria relationship.
In a statement titled: ‘Message of Goodwill To President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’, the former vice President enumerated a whole lots of challenges bedeviling Nigeria and asked for his intervention.
His words: “As President Joe Biden begins his tenure as the 46th President of the United States of America, I am confident that this new era will mark America’s regeneration and her reaffirmation as the beacon of democracy to the world.
“As I congratulate President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, I urge them and their administration to strengthen US-Nigeria ties, and help our beloved nation’s war on terror by providing every type of support required to win our war against the insurgency we face and that threatens the peace of our sub region.

“I also look forward to the removal of every travel restriction on Nigerian citizens, in keeping with the good relations that has existed between our two nations, beginning with the July 27, 1961 state visit of our first Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, to President John F Kennedy, and continuing over the decades since then.
“As the playwright, George Bernard Shaw once said, America and Nigeria are two nations divided by a common language. And millions of Nigerians and I wish to see that relationship sustained to the mutual benefit of both our democratic nations.
“Congratulations once again and may God bless both our nations and bring about a beneficial tenure for your administration.”
January 21, 2021
2023: Buhari Will Not Support Tinubu’s Candidacy – Sule Lamido
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido said the days of the All Progressive Congress APC is numbered as President Muhammad Buhari will not support Bola Ahmad Tinubu’s candidature in the coming 2023 general.
Lamido stated this at the inauguration of the Jigawa State People’s Democratic Party PDP reconciliation committee in Dutse.
He claimed that in the near future, there would be no more APC because the whole of APC is made of two people Buhari and Tinubu.
“True of the matter very soon there would be no APC in Nigeria because it’s made up of two persons Buhari and Tinubu”
And I swear to God Buhari will not support Tinubu’s candidacy coming 2023 general election”
“So since they are the leaders of APC and they have issues everyone will find his way and that would be the end of APC in Nigeria”
Lamido, however, said the break up of the APC does not mean the PDP’s victory unless the members unite.
“We also have our own problems is either we correct or Nigerians would continue to suffer”
“We must forget all our grievances, set aside all our personal interest for us to win because it’s only PDP that can be able to rule this country” he stated.
January 21, 2021
2023: Reject Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition – Nnamdi Kanu warns Nigerians
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday, said Nigerians should reject the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC
Kanu warned that Nigeria will be doomed if Tinubu is allowed to sail through with his presidential ambition.
The IPOB leader issued the warning in a statement he signed personally.
In the statement, the separatist leader also insisted on referendum.
“If AMOTEKUN fails to drive away this Fulani army of darkness from Yoruba forests, as #ESN is now gallantly doing in the East, the whole of Yoruba land or what is left of it after the loss of Illorin to the caliphate will be lost to the Fulani conquistadors forever.
January 20, 2021
Buhari will be remembered like Trump for failures – Fayose
Ayodele Fayose, former Governor of Ekiti State, has said Nigerians would remember President Muhammadu Buhari like Americans will recall the distasteful administration of the outgoing President of the United States, US, Donald Trump.
Fayose made the remark while describing Buhari as a “low budget Trump.”
Trump’s tenure would expire in the next few hours as the US President-Elect, Joe Biden would be inaugurated.
However, Fayose said Nigerians can’t wait to see the end of Buhari’s regime just as Americans look forward to Trump’s exit.
In a series of tweets, the former governor wrote: “As Americans look forward to the exit of Trump, Nigerians too cannot wait to see the exit of Buhari.
“The two can’t be forgotten in a jiffy. Buhari will be remembered like Trump because he is the low budget Trump when compared to their countries.
“Everything that matters has been destroyed under the watch of Buhari. All the values that we share as a country – economy, security, human rights, the rule of law, credible elections and unity of the country have been destroyed.”
January 20, 2021