The wedding of President Buhari’s son, Yusuf, to his bride, Zahra Bayero, is currently holding in Bichi, Kano state.
Among the many dignitaries that attended the wedding include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Nigerien president Mahamadou Isoufou.
A dowry of N500, 000 was paid at the ceremony.
SEE MORE PHOTS;
President Muhammadu Buhari has come under criticisms for violating the COVID-19 law.
President Buhari who went to his hometown to revalidate his membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Governors, government officials, several party loyalists and supporters accompanied him. The President had a mask on but removed it at some point.
On Sunday, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expressed dismay about Buhari’s flouting of the regulation which provides 6-months jail term for defaulters.
The PDP called it a huge national embarrassment and gross failure of leadership that the President “who ought to lead by example”. did not.
Its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said it was scandalous that while Nigerians were striving to obey the COVID-19 regulation, they saw reports of open violation of the law by the country’s leader.
“The media is awash with reports and pictures of Mr. President in public, discussing with his party leaders at the event without putting on a nose mask or maintaining social distancing as stipulated by the new law.
“Such disregard to law and rules, which have characterized the Buhari Presidency and the APC, is largely responsible for the failure of leadership.”
PDP noted that the development showed that the Buhari presidency and the APC were more interested in partisan politics than the wellbeing of the nation.
“We ask, with this violation, do the Buhari administration and its officials still have the rectitude to enforce sanctions on any other defaulter in the absence of necessary regrets by the President and his party, the APC.”
PDP said the onus lies on Buhari and the APC to clean up the mess by tendering an unreserved apology to Nigerians and take steps to observe necessary regrets over this violation.
The opposition advised Nigerians not to emulate such examples, but continue to exert themselves in observing all COVID-19 protocols placed to check the spread of the pandemic.
Nigerians on social media have also lambasted the President.
Below are some reactions;
@prince_ironsi: “If I calculate the face mask I use every month, it is more than minimum wage. And he’s not wearing. Make rules and don’t obey them.”
@lekanladepo: “We are in a country whereby the law and justice only favours the riches and poor suffering on the other side.”
@mr_sulaimon: “Presidency made the law and not Buhari. He’s not aware of any law.”
@adepejurahmon: “Na only rich Nigeria law dey favour, what a lawless country.”
@bashoruabiodun: “If the president did not use nose mask, that means no Covid-19. We are just being deceived.”
The eight virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting has commenced at the State House, Abuja, with President Muhmmadu Buhari presiding.
The meeting, which commenced at about 10am, with the arrival of President Buhari, also had the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha; National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd.); and the Chief of Staff to the President Ibrahim Gambari, in attendance.
There are also nine ministers physically present at the meeting, including those of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; Attorney-General and Justice, Abubakar Malami; and Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Others in the Executive Council Chambers, venue of the meeting are ministers for Environment, Muhammad Mahmood; Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouk; Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu; Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba; as well as the Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba.
Meanwhile, the meeting observed a minute silence in honour of one-time Federal Commissioner for Works, Major-General Orho Esio Obada (Rtd.), after the recitation of the National Anthem.
Obada, who died at the age of 81 years on June 13, 2020, after a brief illness, also served as the Commissioner representing Delta State in the Federal Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission in 2006.
Until his death, Obada was the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Urhobo Progress Union, the apex socio-cultural body of the Urhobo Nation.
Abuja—President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded to the House of Representatives three executive bills which seek to stop three aviation agencies from paying taxes to government and remitting funds generated from their operations to the Federation Account. The agencies include the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN; Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. The prayer of the NCAA Bill, especially, contravenes sections 162 and 80 of the 1999 Constitution, which compel all aviation agencies of government to remit revenue generated to the Federation Account.
Copies of the bills exclusively obtained by Vanguard, as sent to the House of Representatives and Senate, are to repeal Acts setting up the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN and the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority, NAMA and to reenact fresh laws to give the agencies more regulatory and financial powers. The bill that seeks to repeal the NCAA Act, titled “Civil Aviation Bill, 2019”, states in section 21(3): “Notwithstanding the provision of any other law, policy or circular in force, any fee imposed by or on behalf of the Authority, shall not be subject to any deduction by or remittance to any other body.’’ It goes ahead section 22(1) to state: “The Authority shall be exempted from the payment of tenement rates and income tax or any other tax in force”, adding that in section 2, “the provision of the law relating to the taxation of the income of any company or contribution to any trust fund shall not apply to the Authority.
” The new NCAA law also seeks to impose a 5% tax on sales of air tickets by airlines in the country. The proposed law states in section 23(1): “There shall be a 5% of airfare, contract, charter and cargo sales charge, payable to the Authority which charge shall apply on all International and domestic air transportation originating in Nigeria, irrespective of place of issuance of air ticket or execution of the contract of carriage.”
“The 5% of airfare, contract, charter and cargo sales charge shall be chargeable on the total amount paid by a passenger for an airfare, in a contract relating to carriage of persons or goods for hire and reward in the case of air transportation not involving the issuance of an air ticket, paid for charter flight, and of the cargo sales. “The Authority may delegate the power to