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Tag: President Muhammadu Buhari

The Federal Government considers reopening Seme border for vehicle importation.
The Nigerian Federal Government is contemplating the reopening of the Seme land border for vehicle imports, following its closure in August 2019 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.During an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting between Nigerian and Benin officials, Ibrahim Musa, the Director of Road Transport in the Ministry of Transportation, announced on Wednesday that the Federal Government has decided to reopen the Seme border. The decision was prompted by complaints from freight forwarders operating in the area.
According to Musa, he and the former Minister of State for Transportation received pleas from freight forwarders to reactivate the border for the free movement of goods and services. They prepared a memo on the matter, which was considered and sent to the government.
Additionally, Dera Nnadi, the Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, acknowledged a decline in revenue for the service since the ban on vehicle importation through land borders was implemented.
Nnadi said; “The former Minister of Transportation, responding to some of our requests and from the stakeholders, promised to take them to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, one of them is how to fully open this border.
“The Ministry has informed us that the memo has been written to FEC and it was adopted and that it would be given to the new government, he assured us that all the requests were adopted.”
June 22, 2023
Tambuwal Meets PMB, Seeks Declaration State Of Emergency In Terrorists’ Enclave
By Muhammad Goronyo, Sokoto
Pursuant to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and to further give effect to the process of proclaiming bandits as terrorists by the President, Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state a while ago called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a full scale state of emergency in all areas where criminals, so determined, are domiciled.
This, according to Gov. Tambuwal who met with President Buhari at the Presidential villa Monday evening for about thirty minutes, would be to enable the Armed Forces to carry out their operations without let or hindrance in all enclaves affected by the declaration.
According to his media aide in a release issued to newsmen, Muhammad Bello said these operations, once conceived and ready for execution, “should be carried out simultaneously in the states where the terrorists have strongholds, such as , Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi; as well as elsewhere, where the criminals have hideouts,” he said.
Gov. Tambuwal also called on the President to give premium to the deployment of more manpower to all beleaguered areas just as he advocated for the procurement of sophisticated equipment, particularly, modern technology- which use is now centered around the deployment of drones globally.
He also appealed to the President, to consider popular opinions suggesting the recall of retired personnel for engagement in the war against terrorists and the recruitment of more personnel in all the security services.
In view of the security situation in the Sahel, which has escalated tension in the sub-region, the need to ask the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to seek extensive cooperation with the United Kingdom, France and the United States of America on security issues was also suggested by the Governor.
December 14, 2021
Adamawa: Police deploy Surveillance Ahead Of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Visit
By Musa Isa Ahmed
The Adamawa State police command has deployed its men for patrols and surveillance across all the nooks and crannies of the state ahead of president Muhammadu Buhari’s visit tomorrow, Friday, August 20, 2021.
The purpose of the President’s visit, the Periscope gathered, is to register condolence over the demise of the nationalist, elder statesman, technocrat and former Super Permanent Secretary, Sir Ahmed Joda.
A statement Thursday, issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Sulaiman Yahaya Nguroje revealed that the Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Adamu Alhaji has ordered the deployment of patrol teams and surveillance assets to ensure a hitch free visit of the President.
According to the statement, “in an effort to sustain the existing public order and public safety in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Adamu Alhaji, psc, has ordered the deployment of additional operational assets including Police Surveillance and Operational teams, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and Crowd/Traffic Control Units.
*The teams are expected to carry out convert surveillance as well as confidence-building patrols within the state in conjunction with sister security agents.
”The CP is assuring the good people of Adamawa that the synergy among all security agencies will be put into play and that the NPF is committed to working with other patriotic stakeholders toward ensuring public order in the state before, during and after the visit of Mr President.
“Meanwhile, the CP, being the head of internal security in the state, is already on ground to coordinate the security deployment and ensure all things being equal, the visit of Mr. President is hitch-free .
“The CP therefore, calls on members of the general public to coordinate themselves and cooperate with the security agents in the course of discharging their constitutional duty”.
August 20, 2021
Buhari congratulates Olusegun Awolowo as he leads ECOWAS TPOs
President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, on his election as President of National Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) from ECOWAS member States.
The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, believed Awolowo’s unanimous election was testament to the confidence reposed in him, and in Nigeria, by Chief Executive Officers of TPOs in West Africa.
He urged Awolowo to serve to the best of his ability, and do the country proud.
Buhari noted that an ECOWAS TPO Network holds great possibilities for Nigeria and the sub-region in the areas of exchange of commercial information and business opportunities.
He expressed the hope that the domiciling of the Secretariat in Abuja would open vistas of opportunities for Nigeria.
The president wished Awolowo well in his new assignment, expressing confidence that Nigeria and ECOWAS would benefit a lot from his expertise in trade promotions.
July 16, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari Enjoins Political Leaders To Emulate Governor Zulum In Providing Dividends Of Democracy To The People
By Dauda R PamMaiduguri
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on elected political leaders to emulate the sterling leadership qualities of Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, for his selfless service to the people, as opposed to buck-passing and game blame syndrome.
He made the call on Thursday, during a one day state visit and security assessment of Operation Hadin Kai theatre command headquarters in MAIDUGURI, where he took time-off, to commission seven out of the 556 capital projects executed by the Borno state Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum’s two years in office.

Hear him, “I am highly impressed by the very dynamic leadership that, Governor Babagana Umaru Zulum, has been providing in Borno State in the last two years.
He is very selfless and has been taking a lot of personal risks in order to guarantee the safety and welfare of his people.
I wish that every other person who has responsibility for the people at various levels will emulate Governor Zulum, instead of squandering so much time on unhelpful buck-passing and blame games. I have gone round to commission some of the capital projects executed by the Zulum Administration in two years. I am very happy with what I saw”.
At the Muna Vocational Training Institute, the President described it as, “a very dynamic answer to skills acquisition and job creation efforts” which has the potentials to drastically reduce youth unemployment in the state.

The institute, it was gathered, was designed to train about 1,500 persons annually, it has 14 workshops for Automobile and Mechatronics, Electrical Installation, Solar Installation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Leather Works, Barbing and Cosmetology, Plumbing and Pipe Fitting, GSM Repairs, Welding and Fabrication, Maisonry and Building, Carpentry and Joinery; Tie and Die, ICT, as well as Tailoring and Fashion design.

It also has, six hostels of about 200 rooms, a kitchen and common room, as well as an Auditorium, administrative building, and sporting facilities.
The President commissioned the Borno State University, which was completed by the Zulum administration including the senate building, two large hostels with 150 rooms for 1,200 students,34 units of duplexes and bungalows for Professors, senior and intermediate staff.
Other projects included, seven kilometers of road and drainage network, landscaping works across the University, just as, the major infrastructural works were earlier done by the Kashim Shettima’s administration, the founder of the state university.

Also commissioned, were two mega-size Government Day Technical Secondary Schools in Njimtilo and Goni Kachallari and a higher Islamic School, near the Shehu’s palace, all of which have 60 air-conditioned classrooms for at least 2,400 students; vocational workshops, laboratories for sciences and ICT, auditoriums and sporting facilities.

It will be recalled that, Zulum, has built 16 of such schools across Borno State within the two years in office..

Others commissioned were Abbaganaram Maternal Healthcare Centre, which has 50-bed spaces, theatres, diagnostic equipment, blood banks and laboratories and another replicated in Gwange.

Roads and drainages were not left out, as the President also commissioned roads and drainages constructed in Jiddari Polo and first phase of 10,000 resettlement houses he had approved for Borno State from which 4,000 have been completed.

In another development, President Buhari has directed the Federal Ministry of Health to work with Borno Government in identifying areas through which the FG can support on-going construction of Borno State University Teaching Hospital through intervention, equipment and manpower.
The support, according to him, is to compliment the state government which, in two years, executed 58 capital projects on health, which included establishment of 74 primary healthcare centres, new doctors quarters, and the overhaul of eight hospitals.
Also delivered were, 10 capital projects on security; 13 capital projects on Agriculture; 15 capital projects on commerce and industry and 28 capital projects on Jobs creation, Youths Empowerment and Humanitarian support.

As well as 53 capital projects executed on Reconstruction Rehabilitation and Resettlement which involved more than 6,000 resettlement houses for IDPs and Refugees in 15 towns.

On capital projects,59 delivered on water and environment; 63 capital projects on governance, and another 63 capital projects on roads, transport, rural and urban development, with education having the highest number of 194 capital projects including rehabilitation, completion and fresh construction of Mega-size government technical colleges and primary schools in different communities.
June 18, 2021
Buhari regime Borrows $2.02bn from China in six years
The Buhari’s administration has borrowed $2.02bn as loans from China from 2015, data obtained from the Debt Management Office on Monday showed.
According to the statistics obtained from the DMO, Nigeria’s total debt from China as of June 30, 2015 stood at $1.38bn.
However, as of March 31, the country’s debt portfolio from China had risen to $3.40bn.
According to the DMO, loans from China are concessional loans with interest rates of 2.50 per cent per annum, a tenor of 20 years and grace period (moratorium) of seven years.
The debt office said that the terms of the loans were compliant with the provisions of Section 41 (1a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.
The loans from China are tied to project. The projects, (eleven in number as at March 31, 2020), include the Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project (Idu-Kaduna section), the Abuja Light Rail Project, Nigerian Four Airport Terminals Expansion Project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt), Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project (Lagos-Ibadan section) and the Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi Road Project.
The DMO said the low interest rates on the loans reduced the interest cost to government while the long tenor enabled the repayment of the principal sum of the loans over many years.
However, as of March 31, a total of $719.61m had been made as debt service payment to China since the third quarter of 2015.
Of the amount paid as debt service, 46.15 per cent ($332.03m) was paid to service the interest on the loans.
In the first quarter of 2021, $102.19m was used to service debt to China. This is about 11 per cent of the total $1.0bn used to service external debts within the period.
The DMO recently disclosed that Nigeria had more than $5.83bn foreign loans that had been approved but not yet disbursed as of December 31, 2020.
Out of this amount, $1.25bn is supposed to come from the Export-Import Bank of China. Apart from multilateral agencies, China has remained the nation’s largest creditor.
There had been fears among Nigerians that the country may forfeit some of the projects in case of loan defaults.
The fear grew when the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in August 2020, confirmed that the country waived its sovereign immunity to obtain Chinese loans.
The minister, however, added that as long as debts were repaid, there would be no need for China to claim any infrastructure.
“We must learn to pay our debts and we are paying, and once you are paying, nobody will come and take any of your assets,” he had said.
Despite the assurance, fear persists that the Chinese loans contain some obnoxious clauses that could breach the nation’s sovereignty especially as the loan agreements are not available in the public domain.
Amaechi denied knowledge of any clause that hands over a national asset to China in case of any default in an AriseTV interview on Monday.
He disclosed that the administration of Major General Muhammed Buhari had paid $150m out of the $500m borrowed by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for the Abuja-Kaduna Rail project.
The minister also commented on other issues such as the suspension of Bala-Usman and the impacts of the country’s Deep Blue Project on every Nigerian.
When asked about the plans of the Federal Government to pay back the loans so as to avoid the Zambian experience where some national assets such as the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and the National Power and Utility Company were reportedly used to settle Zambia’s financial obligations to China, Amaechi said borrowers should meet their obligations.
He said, “When you take loans, you are expected to pay back. Today we are paying back. Under the regime of President Goodluck Jonathan, the loan for Abuja-Kaduna was taken. It was about $500m. Today, we have paid about $150m on that loan.
“Nigeria has never defaulted when it comes to repayment. I do not also expect that we should default on any other loan that we have taken.”
While commenting on the status of the suspension of Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman from the Nigerian Ports Authority, he said, “I am not aware that I suspended Hadiza. I am not the president, and I do not have such powers. That power rests with the president.
“I am not aware that Hadiza was actually suspended. I suspect she was asked to step aside, to enable investigation to be carried out on NPA, not on her. We are investigating NPA.
“At the conclusion of the investigation, all the reports will be sent to the president who will then make a decision on the way forward.”
The minister also said that he was not aware of when the panel would finish and that it was in the hands of the panel.
Responding to how the $195m Deep Blue Project will affect all Nigerians who are not seafarers, he said, “What we have done with the Deep Blue Project is that we will reduce the cost of producing oil in Nigeria.
“By the time we provide security on the waters, the economy would improve because there would be more money coming into the economy. That is the impact it will have.”
He added that the company that handled the project guaranteed to refund of the money spent on the project if there was no improvement in the economy six months after the project.
June 15, 2021
Buhari inaugurates Lagos-Ibadan railway operation, calls it milestone achievement
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, inaugurated the commercial operations of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project, describing it as another milestone in the Nigeria’s railway revival.
The president spoke at the inauguration, which took place at the Mobolaji Johnson Railway Station, Ebute Metta, Lagos.
Buhari described the feat as “another milestone in the drive of this administration to revitalise the railway system and establish it as a choice mode of transportation for both passengers and freight’’.
He pledged that his administration would continue to prioritise the railway system as a transportation backbone that could transform industrial and economic activity in the country.
On the benefits of the Lagos-Ibadan corridor as well as other on-going railway projects across the country, the President said that “this vital line establishes an end-to-end logistic supply chain in railway transport within its short corridor, Lagos – Ibadan’’.
He said that goods coming into the hinterland would now be transported by rail directly from the Apapa port Quayside straight to the Inland Container Depot located in Ibadan from where it can be distributed to other parts of the country.
“In clear recognition of the challenges posed to our economic growth by absence of strong and effective infrastructure, we have embarked on the completion of the outstanding segment of the Lagos – Kano railway, which is Ibadan – Kano.
“The Lagos – Kano railway project, when completed, will link the Kano – Maradi line at Kano and a rail link from the Nigeria southern ports of Lagos to Maradi in Niger Republic will be achieved.
“The connection through rail would position Nigerian ports as the choice for import and export business of the people of landlocked Niger Republic.
“This will be beneficial to the economy through employment from new business opportunities and wealth creation,’’ the President said.
He expressed delight that his directive to the Federal Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Finance, on reaching financial agreements with appropriate co-financiers to partner with the Federal Government for the development of the Ibadan – Kano railway, was yielding results.
He noted that Ibadan – Kano project would have a connection to the Tin Can Island port and the West – East Coastal rail line from Lagos to Calabar linking Onitsha, Benin, Warri, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Aba and Uyo.
“From the beginning of this administration, railway infrastructure development has been given the priority it deserves.
“Various milestones have been reached, right from when the Abuja – Kaduna railway was flagged-off for commercial operation in 2016 to this Lagos – Ibadan railway project being commissioned today, for full commercial operation,’’ Buhari said.
While commending Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for his drive and tenacity in achieving the milestone recorded today, the president praised the ‘‘wonderful team in the ministry’’ for a job well done.
Shortly after he inaugurated the project, Buhari took a ride from Ebute Metta Station to Energy Nature Light (ENL), Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos.
He was joined by the Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Governors of Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun and the Deputy Governor of Ondo.
Others in the train were the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of State Transportation, Sen. Gbemisola Saraki and other ministers as well as some government officials
June 10, 2021
Deal ruthlessly with terrorists, Buhari orders military
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the military and police to deal ruthlessly with insurgents and other criminals across the country.
The president made this public on Thursday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists on a live television programme.
Buhari, who expressed the confidence that the order would yield positive results within weeks, recalled that he had in the past visited Chad, Niger and Cameroon as part of efforts to promote good neighbourliness and security at the nation’s borders.
Warning that the country might experience food shortage, Buhari said that there was the need to decisively tackle insurgents who are keeping farmers away from their farms.
The president also defended the administration’s appointments, insisting he made them on merit.
Specifically, he said the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya as Chief of Army Staff was well deserved having passed through the ranks and emerging a former Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole
“They trained in Zaria or Abeokuta, they come through the ranks and because they served under all the circumstances, the crises and everything and they gradually rise to the status.
“And you think, you will just pick somebody just to balance up.
“These positions have to be earned. There are people who have been there for 10 to 15 years,” he said.
The president, who expressed the hope that Nigerians would be fair to him while assessing his administration, also urged them to question previous regimes on what they did with the nation’s humongous earnings.
June 10, 2021
BREAKING: Buhari returns to Abuja after Paris summit
President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja from his four-day official trip to Paris, France where he attended the African Finance Summit.
The President’s aircraft torched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja around 3:50pm along with the Minister and some of his aides who travelled with him.
He was welcomed by his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS) Yusuf Bichi and acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, among others.
While in Paris, Buhari participated fully in the Financing Africa Summit at Grande Palais Ephemere on Tuesday with the theme: “External financing and debt treatment”.
The President also engaged in various bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
At the opening of the summit on Tuesday, Buhari called on European countries and global financial institutions to consider reducing the devastating effects of COVID-19 pandemic on African economies by restructuring debt portfolios and providing complete debt relief.
He observed that many African countries were already experiencing debt distress and the debt service suspension by France and the G-20 was not far-reaching enough.
Buhari also stressed the needs for more sustainable and affordable financing solutions, including debt relief and further debt restructuring.
He also called for release of vaccines to Africa which, he said, had been left behind in the protection of majority of its citizens.
On May 19, Buhari and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, engaged in bilateral talks where they agreed to cooperate in fighting insecurity.
May 20, 2021
BREAKING: Buhari approves new security measures for S/East, S/South
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved new security measures for the Southeast and South-South regions of the country.
This was one of the outcomes of the series of security meetings held in the last eleven days and concluded on Tuesday in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the meeting.
He, however, declined to give details.
The president also approved a memo presented by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), on the control of drugs, which he said are enablers of Insecurity, but did not also elaborate.
The NSA said the meeting stressed the need to address the security challenges in the country particularly those that have arisen in the last few months.
May 11, 2021