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Tag: Presidency

  • 2023: I’ll soon declare for Presidency — Ngige

    2023: I’ll soon declare for Presidency — Ngige

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said he is making consultations with political leaders and would make his intentions on the 2023 presidency known by Easter.

    The minister who spoke at the Anambra office of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Awka at the weekend also distributed empowerment materials worth about N50 million to members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the three senatorial zones of the state.

    Ngige said: “We’ve started political talks again. Please, give me around Easter where we’re going to have another session like this to discuss your request.

    “I’m still consulting the political leaders in the country on your request. By that time I will decide, I know it’s my right to decide on that. I will take such a decision at the appropriate time.”

    A group of Anambra women led by Nancy Okafor had asked Ngige to declare for the presidency, adding that he was the right person from the South-East for the position. Okafor said, “We don’t want to wait for three months for you to decide whether to run or not, we’re mandating you to throw your hat in the ring for that position.”

    Items the Minister distributed to them included generating sets, grinding machines, sewing machines, hair-dressing machines, among others.

    Ngige said those empowered were trained at the skills acquisition centers at Alor in Idemili South local government area and Ifitedunu in Dunukofia local government area.

    He explained that before the end of the year, the target of the party is to touch close to 3,000 people from Anambra on blue-collar jobs, adding that the party would train them well, give them the skills and empowerment so that they can employ themselves.

    He added: “We will be having a series of training after which the participants will be given certificates as graduates. When you get certificates, you will either get our empowerment or you go to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and they will then do something for you.

    “Same goes for the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, which is our parastatal. NDE will start up its programmes too and you will also join the programme. These programmes are being facilitated by the Department of Skills in my ministry.

    “Today’s empowerment is phase two of that programme, which is monitored by people from my ministry. This empowerment programme is for those who will use these items here to further their businesses.

    “The generators here help those who have barbing salons to increase the number of barbing salons they have. If you have one, you are starting a second one now.

    “The women here who are also hairdressers, the generators will also help you in starting the second branch of your hairdressing salon; even if you’re going to combine with another person so that you can share the profits.

    “This generator will make you an investor and an entrepreneur. That is empowerment. Many people misunderstand empowerment. No. it is not a dash for you to go and carry the material and sell.”

  • 2023 Presidency:Cocodia urges presidency,Senate to pass electoral Act

    2023 Presidency:Cocodia urges presidency,Senate to pass electoral Act

    Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa

    As the 2023 general elections draws near, the Presidency and the National Assembly have been called to heed to the yearnings of Nigerians by passing the amended Electoral bill Act, as it will amongst other things, reduce the tension, and other electioneering malpractices that characterize elections in the country.

    The call was made by the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa Governor on Political Matters, High Chief Collins Cocodia, on a Glory FM audience participatory program, in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

    According to him, what nigerians are clamouring for is free, fair and credible elections that will be totally accepted by everyone, and is not too much to ask for, since the the country’s leadership has assured it will bequeath it to the public, as one of its legacies.

    Cocodia in a press statement made available to newsmen in Yenagoa by his press secretary, Patrick Ndubuisi frowned at the lethargic approach by the Presidency and the Senate towards the electoral bill despite feeling the pulses of the same Nigerians they swore to listen to and do their bidding as long since it is for their own interest, adding that the electronic transmission of results will help deepen the nation’s democracy, and entrench a new dawn in electioneering exercise in the country.

    He explained that the electronic transmission of results will reduce the level of radical attacks and other violent conduct during elections, stressing that the aftermath of elections witnessed, such as litigations will be reduced if transmission of results is allowed”.

    “If we are able to get this e-voting done, I am one hundred percent sure that leaders will become more responsible. Even the issue of vote buying will die prematurely, because where will you see who to give money to? The man sits in his house, takes his phone and votes, both during the primaries and even at the main elections, so if you decide to go to his house to give him money, you are given him free money, because he will still vote his conscience at the end of the day.”

    Reacting to the issue of primaries, the Special Adviser on Political Matters was of the view that although both primaries have their advantages, but the indirect primaries is easier and better to conduct, considering funds involvement and crowd control.

    High Chief Cocodia also reacted to a report on the huge amount of money spent during the 2019 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the various Political parties, stressing that the amount will increase, if direct primaries becomes the mode of primaries that is approved by the Presidency, as contained in the bill.

    “A report came out not long ago that INEC spent about one hundred and eighty nine billion naira (#189,000,000,000) to conduct elections, while political parties spent about two million dollars ($2,000,000). But if we allow direct primaries, it will amount to lots of security breaches everywhere and the cost will be much more than what we are seeing currently”.

    “A situation where we have delegate elections during indirect primaries, where you have the Ward delegates as statutory, and three adhoc delegates, and the local government executives, it’s easier to manage, but for direct primaries, everyone is involved, and believe me that the result you will see will not reflect the reality of the actual number of followers, or those that came out to vote”.

    “We have seen some parties sit down in a hotel or a particular house to write down results during primaries, and the figures are outrageous, such that it’s even more than the main elections”.

    The former Labour Employment and Productivity Commissioner, expressed worry that the National Assembly will find it difficult to veto the President, Muhammadu Buhari, as the body language of the leadership of the National Assembly shows it is dancing to the tune of the Presidency.

    He also charged the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan to exhibit more of a Nigerian character than a party man, and should use his office as the President of the ninth Assembly, to champion bills, such as the amended electoral act bill, for the benefit of the citizenry.

    Daybreak news report that, the Special adviser to Governor Douye Diri on political matters was a guest on the program, alongside a lecturer at the Niger Delta University, Engr. Ebipado Sapro-ebi and the President Bayelsa Comrade Family cum the Converner of Think Bayelsa First Campaign, Comrade Daniel Igali.

  • Visitors To Aso Villa Will Be Tested For COVID-19 – Presidency

    Visitors To Aso Villa Will Be Tested For COVID-19 – Presidency

    The presidency has announced that visitors to the presidential villa in Abuja would be required to take rapid COVID tests before they would be allowed to gain entrance.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu explained to Channels Television that the new development is not unusual, as it is a growing practise in government offices in other countries.

    Shehu said every visitor including state governors are required to take the COVID-19 rapid test before entry into the presidential villa.

    He explained that the test kits which are issued for free at the gate is a temporary measure against the backdrop of the recent spike in the number of cases of the COVID-19 virus in the country.

    “Yes, a new regime of COVID-19 regulation has been put in place for all visitors to the Villa, not for Governors alone.

    “Every visitor to the Villa, not just those seeing the president, is now required to do a rapid test at the gate.

    “The kits are freely issued so no one is required to make payment. This is purely temporary in view of the recent spike in cases and will be removed any moment the situation abates. It’s a growing practice in government offices in many countries.

    “Although some exceptions have been made for a few leaders in government coming from outside the Villa, they too are encouraged to do those tests.

    “This policy has rightfully been justified following the discovery of COVID-19 positivity in some of those tested since the last few days of the practice,” Shehu said.

    Last week, some aides of President Muhammadu Buhari were said to have tested positive for the virus.

    Shehu announced last week that he tested positive for COVID and subsequently went into isolation. He later announced in a Facebook post that he has recovered from the virus.

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mohammed Bello in a statement personally signed by him on Friday announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

    Also, Nigeria has reported a steady rise in COVID infections in what has been confirmed as the fourth wave of the pandemic by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

    Director-General of NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa in December said Nigeria has recorded a 500% increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks across the country caused by the Delta and Omicron variants.

  • 2023 elections: New electoral law now awaits NASS, Presidency – INEC

    2023 elections: New electoral law now awaits NASS, Presidency – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the onus of having a new electoral framework ahead of the 2023 general elections resides with the National Assembly and the Presidency.

    Festus Okoye, the INEC’s Commissioner, said this at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections on Monday in Abuja.

    According to him, as far as the electoral management body was concerned, INEC was still operating with the existing electoral legal framework because the new one was not ready.

    He said that there were some fundamental issues around the new electoral framework. One of the big issues as far as the electoral management body is concerned related to the deepening of democracy through the use of technology.

    Okoye said that INEC, from the beginning, made a determination that it is important in the national interest to reduce human interference in the electoral process, and based on that, decided to deepen the use of technology in the electoral process.

    “That explains why as of today, political parties file particulars of their nominated candidates electronically, they no longer come to our office with documents.

    “As of today, domestic election observers, international election observers and the media apply for accreditation electronically.

    “INEC is the first electoral management body in Africa to introduce online voter registration exercise and based on this you can see the astronomical rise in the number of young persons who have done their pre-registration before capturing their biometrics.

    “Now, what is it in the new electoral bill that is different? Prior to this particular period, the uploading of polling units results was just for public views.’’

    Okoye said that the second issue related to internal democracy in political parties had been very challenging and difficult to handle.

    He said that looking at the existing electoral legal framework, two methods of voting in primary elections have been imputed there, direct and indirect primaries.

    Okoye said that parties have conducted direct primaries prior to this particular period and the INEC had monitored both direct and indirect primaries.

    “What we must set aside is that the success or otherwise of the conduct of direct primaries resides with the political parties because it is the political party that will hire the venue for their own primaries.

    “INEC will not hire venues for them, they are going to print their own ballot papers and result sheets, they are going to get their own ballot boxes because we gave them ballot boxes in the past and most of them didn’t return them.

    “We are not going to give them ballot boxes this time around; they are the ones who are going to secure the electoral environment, our function is to monitor what they have said they are going to do.

    “Not until the political parties bring out their own design which the new electoral framework says they should bring out, there is no way we can put cost or even personnel to the number we are going to deploy,” he said.

  • Insurgency, Banditry Forcing Children Out Of School – Presidency

    Insurgency, Banditry Forcing Children Out Of School – Presidency

    The Presidency has lamented the impact of insurgency and banditry on school attendance in the country.

    Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari said this on Tuesday at the fourth International Conference on Safe Schools Declaration in Abuja. Gambari, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, blamed increased insurgency and banditry for the rise in the number of out-of-school children.

    “The incessant attacks on the country’s education system in the form of kidnapping, abduction of pupils; students through the increased activities of insurgents and general insecurity in our schools have been chief among contributing factors responsible for the growing number of out-of-school children.

    “These perpetrators of evil, having turned their attention to innocent children in boarding schools or institutions outside city limits, adopt young learners in large numbers,” Gambari said.

    He pointed out that fear of abduction and a traumatic experience from school children, who have been victims of kidnapping, has forced many children of school age to stay out of educational institutions, thereby increasing the problem of out-of-school children.

    The Chief of Staff, however, assured Nigerians that the government is mindful of the fact that, to record adequate achievements in the education sector, the system would require a total overhaul and changes to improve the education sector.

    Meanwhile, 12 million children are reported to have been affected by the rise in insecurity in the country

    The first mass school abduction in the country was in the northeast region in 2014, when Boko Haram members picked 276 girls from Chibok, triggering a global campaign called #BringBackOurGirls.

    Since then, attacks on schools “have grown in number and spread across the northern part of the country,” President Buhari’s Chief of Staff said during the conference.

    “There are more than 12 million children currently traumatized and afraid of going to school”. Girls were particularly affected, he added.

    Gambari said further that “even when the abducted students are released, the trauma of the incidences remain long in their minds.”

  • Blackmail Can’t Stop The Truth, Gov Ortom Replies Presidency

    Blackmail Can’t Stop The Truth, Gov Ortom Replies Presidency

    Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to focus on ending the increasing killings of innocent Nigerians instead of “using his foot soldiers” to attack him for saying the truth.

    Ortom told journalists in Makurdi that the statement released by the Presidency in response to his (Ortom) recent interview on Channels Television lacked substance.

    He said he spoke the minds of many Nigerians on specific areas of failure of the presidency.

    “The tone of the said statement shows the quality of Presidency Nigeria currently has. They abandoned the message and went for the messenger.”

    “To describe as ‘undistinguished’, the career of a man who has held many key positions at the state and national levels proves that those who penned the piece were under the influence of some negative substances.

    “We advise the Presidency to focus on ending the killing of innocent Nigerians, fix the economy as it promised and stop the stinking corruption under their watch.

    “They can’t run away from their responsibility. They were brought to power to serve the country not to oppress the people and suppress their freedom of speech. They are on record to have publicly promised during their campaigns before the 2015 elections that they would respect the rights and freedoms of Nigerians if elected. Sadly, what the people of this country have got from the current government is the opposite of that promise,” he said.

    The governor added that, “for the information of Garba Shehu and his cohorts, Governor Ortom rose to become a Local Government Chairman, State Publicity Secretary of National Centre Party of Nigeria; State Treasurer of All People’s Party, State Secretary as well as State Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Auditor of PDP, Minister of the Federal Republic and now a two-term Governor.”

    He alleged that the presidency is complicit in the heinous crimes committed against citizens by terrorists, stressing that, instead of taking him (Governor) on those points, Shehu went chasing vain and mundane matters in a desperate attempt to malign him.

    “We demand an apology from the Presidency for accusing Governor Ortom of stirring ethnic tensions and calling for genocide. The Presidency has never hidden its hatred for the Governor and its latest outing only confirms that fact.”

    “We are aware of the Presidency’s plot to cause crisis in Benue and make the state ungovernable and declare a state of emergency. Whenever each of their plans fails as it happened with the impeachment attempt on the Governor before the 2019 elections, they resort to cheap blackmail.

    “They accuse Governor Ortom of making a law to chase Fulanis out of Benue; a claim that lacks substance and only goes to prove that they have not read the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of the state. They can’t justify their narrative that Governor Ortom hates Fulanis when some of his appointees are Fulani.

    “The Presidency must realise that no amount of blackmail and media attack can discourage the Governor from speaking against the injustice and pain the present government has caused Nigerians. No amount of sponsored smear campaigns against the Governor can force him to repeal the law on open grazing of cattle in Benue State.

    “Governor Ortom stands by his words that this is not the first time a Fulani man is President of Nigeria, and also that it is the first time the country has been divided on ethnic lines with lopsided appointments in promotion and celebration of nepotism, marginalization and open repugnance of other Nigerians. At no time in the history of this country have impunity, blatant disregard for laws, sectarian as well as ethnic differences been fueled by the government as we now see,” he added.

  • Presidency Condemns ‘Brazen’ Attack On Travelers In Jos

    Presidency Condemns ‘Brazen’ Attack On Travelers In Jos

    The Presidency has condemned the Saturday attacks on travellers from a religious event in Bauchi, passing through Rukuba, near Jos, Plateau.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on Saturday in Abuja, regretted the reported deaths of at least 22 persons with several others injured as a result of the attacks.

    According to him, these kinds of attacks on innocent citizens are unacceptable, heinous, and stand in complete contradiction to the teachings of the great religions.

    Shehu said, “It is widely known that Plateau State has been one of the states affected by herder-farmer clashes, which have, in a significant way, been curtailed following the intense peace-building efforts of the administration of Governor Simon Lalong.

    “However, to be clear, this is not an agriculturalist-on-pastoralist confrontation – but rather a direct, brazen and wickedly motivated attack on members of a community exercising their rights to travel freely and to follow the faith of their choosing.

    “With the evident preparedness of their attackers, it is clear this was a well-conceived and prearranged assault on a known target, location and religious persuasion of the travellers not an opportunist ambush.


    “These kinds of attacks on our country’s citizens are unacceptable, heinous, and stand in complete contradiction to the teachings of the great religions of our nation.

    “The Presidency stands steadfast with both Christians and Muslims at this time in condemnation of this latest attack and expects and insists that justice is swiftly but fairly delivered to the perpetrators.”

    Shehu also quoted President Buhari as saying, “Make no mistake about it: in line with my commitment to protect all Nigerians, I have ordered our security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of this gruesome massacre of innocent travellers and bring them to justice.”

    The president commended the ongoing efforts by the Governors of Plateau, Bauchi, and Ondo; the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar III and Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi as well as a number of notable Christian and Muslim leaders as they intensified efforts to calm down the situation.

    The presidency offered condolences to the families of the victims.

    According to the presidential aide, the Federal Government will continue to liaise closely with the local authorities including security, the police, and governmental agencies as the facts of the sad incident continue to unfold.

  • Presidency set to construct new state house clinic within Aso Villa

    Presidency set to construct new state house clinic within Aso Villa

    By Williams Anuku Abuja

    The presidency has unveiled plans to construct a new State House clinic within the precinct of the Presidential Villa, but specifically to provide first class medical services to the first citizens.
    Plans for the construction follows an approval by President Muhammadu Buhari on where the clinic should be located within the villa.
    The state of the art clinic is expected to be completed in the next two years before the end of the Buhari-led administration.
    Already, the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter Governmental Affairs has visited the site during its oversight function to know the level of utilization of budgetary allocation to State House.

    This is as the Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijani Umar, has lamented that the non release of budgetary allocation to State House in full has become a challenge as some of the facilities at the nation’s seat of power have become obsolete.
    Umar, noted that out of about N8,699 billion budgeted for State House in the 2018 fiscal year, only about N5,083 billion which was about 58 percent was released, leaving an outstanding balance of about N3,616 billion.
    Umar told the committee that in 2019 out of about N6,955 billion budgeted, only about N2 billion which was about 38 percent of the total sum was released, leaving an outstanding balance of about N4 billion as the shortfall, While in 2020, the sum of about N4,878 billion was appropriated and fully released.
    Fielding questions from journalists, the Permanent Secretary noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has an adverse effect on the economy.
    Asked how the management of the State House was coping with the funding challenges, he said, “First and foremost, let me say that we are privileged to be in this position, to be able to discharge these huge responsibilities and I’m also happy that you raised the issue of funding challenges.
    ” I also want to use the opportunity to distinguish very clearly between appropriation and release. Just like you mentioned now, in 2018, about N8 billion was appropriated, out of which only about N5 billion was released. Definitely, looking at the enormity of the challenges that we are dealing with from day to day, that is affecting our performance.

    “However, we are in a tradition of prudence and we also have not lost sight of the challenges that we have internationally, especially with COVID in regard to how much money in the country in its entirety makes.
    “However, I would like to say that the State House needs quite a formidable level of support and improvement in the funding. Especially because we are dealing with phasing out a lot of infrastructure that have come to the end of their lifespan.
    “We have the issue of our ICT infrastructure, we have the issue of our equipment in the Conference Centre here, kitchen equipment, we have the issue of telecommunications, and operational and utility vehicles that are gradually coming to the tail end of their lives and we need to replace them.
    “But majorly, I think the biggest intervention we require is in building and construction of the Presidential wing of the State House Clinic, which is of a strategic national importance and it’s being done in form of a legacy project.

    “And by the time this administration leaves office, we would have the Presidential wing of the State House Clinic in place so that it will be very clear that all the observations and all the hopes and aspirations that the general public has expressed of the State House Clinic and its facilities have been achieved.
    “For now, we have already started in earnest with activities that are required for the construction, we have received the necessary approvals. We have received the no objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement.
    “We have already directed the contractor because he’s going to come in form of a turnkey project, in order to mobilise and take over the site, and to develop the necessary drawings, and the geo-technical survey reports that we have, so that the two years that we have set for ourselves to deliver this project can be achieved.”
    Asked how much the project would cost, he said, “It is going to be delivered over two budget years: 2021 and 2022, and we have not yet finalised being a turnkey project, we need the contractors to conclude the development of the drawings and other necessary documents that we need, and for them to give us an estimate that is conclusive for the building.
    “And then we also move forward to the issue of equipping the building after delivering it and then place it before the BPP for consideration.”
    Further asked whether there was a commitment by the senate committee to ensure that funds appropriated were released, Umar said,” I think, you know, during our meeting or interaction with the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, it has become very clear to the membership of that committee.
    ” You know, the entire delegation that came today, that what we need to do is not something just for the executive. It is a project of national proportion and significance and therefore, we need all the support that we can get from the National Assembly.”

    Present at the meeting were the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, members of the senate committee and the management staff of the State House.

  • Buhari Embark on Another Trip to London – Presidency

    Buhari Embark on Another Trip to London – Presidency

    President Muhammadu Buhari will be in London till the second week of August.

    Femi Adesina, Presidential spokesman, announced this in a statement on Monday.

    Adesina said the president will first attend a summit in the United Kingdom before seeing his doctors.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari will today Monday July 26, 2021, travel to the United Kingdom to participate in the Global Education Summit on Financing Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025.”

    “The Summit, which will be co-hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, will bring together Heads of State and Government as well as stakeholders and youth leaders, and provide a platform for partners to chart a way forward towards transforming education systems in partner countries, through exchange of best practices.

    “It will also offer the opportunity for leaders to make 5-year pledges to support GPE’s work to help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories.

    “Deliberations at the Summit will focus on: The Power of Education –A Conversation between Global Champions; Transforming Education for Girls; Financing for Impact and Recovery and; What Now? Priorities for Transforming Education in the Coming Five Years, among others.

    “President Buhari will also hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

    “After the Summit, the President will spend a few days for an earlier scheduled medical check-up. He is due back by second week of August, 2021.”

    The President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

    Buhari was due in London for medical checkup last week but the trip was postponed for an undisclosed reason.

  • Buhari Has Nothing To Do With Media Bills – Presidency

    Buhari Has Nothing To Do With Media Bills – Presidency

    The Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari has nothing to do with the ongoing attempt by the House of Representatives to amend the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act.

    The Newspapers Proprietor Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Guild of Editor and other media stakeholders had spoken against the proposed amendments seen as an attempt to muzzle the press.

    Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, while fielding questions from State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting, said only the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, could speak on the matter.

    When asked to comment on the issue, Adesina said: “That’s not strictly a Presidency thing because the president has nothing to do with that. It’s a government thing and it’s the Minister that can talk about it. So, thank you.”

    On the recent development over the action taken on the popular social media platform and the verdict of the sub-regional court, Adesina said the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, was studying the ruling issued by the ECOWAS Court to the effect that Twitter users cannot be arrested or prosecuted following the suspension of the activities of the microblogging site in the country.

    Adesina, who said the AGF would advise the federal government on the next step to take, added that the committee made up of ministers to engage with Twitter has commenced action.