Singapore News Channel, Singapore News Network

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, Chairman, Ahmad Lawan Campaign Organisation, has assured that Senator Ahmad Lawan will emerge the President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly.

Abdullahi, (APC-Kebbi) told NAN in Abuja that the group was working hard to prevent loose ends that might affect Lawan’s emergence.

He said the group was impressed with positive responses from senators-elect so far, adding that they were just waiting for the appointed date.

“We are sure we will have the day by the grace of God and support of majority of our colleagues.

“So far, we are happy and encouraged by the support we have received from our colleagues.

“They have shown confidence in Sen. Ahmed Lawan’s capacity to deliver and unite the Senate.

“We repose confidence in the capacity of Sen. Ahmad Lawan to steer the ship.’’

On meeting with Sen. Ali Ndume and other contenders, the lawmaker said Lawan was engaging with them.

He, however, dismissed insinuations that Lawan’s group was at daggers drawn with other contenders, pointing out that they were friends and not enemies.

“They are our colleagues. At least for me, I have spent at least four years with them and they are highly respected colleagues of mine.

“This contest is not between enemies, it is between friends and I assure that going forward, all these issues will be resolved.

“In fact, recently we were all present at the wedding of Sen. Danjuma Goje’s daughter, so, I feel people are only exaggerating what is happening in the build up to the election’’, Abdullahi said.

Ahmad Lawan, senate leader, says he expects all senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to endorse him for office of senate president.

Lawan was reacting to the support Peter Nwaboshi, a PDP senator, declared for him.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, the senate leader said Nigerians only care about the betterment of their lives and not the political parties lawmakers represent.

The senator said Nwoboshi’s endorsement is not a crack in the fence of the PDP but a show of patriotism.

“We are expecting the PDP senator-elects to – all of them, have an understanding with us and endorse me as a caucus,” he said.

“Let me first pay tribute first to senator Ifeanyi Uba of the YPP.

 Senator Ifeanyi Uba identified with our aspirations the first day the idea of running for this office [came to being] and he has been with us all through. We are campaigning together and sometimes he goes alone to spread our vision for the ninth assembly.

“Particularly to the endorsement by senator Peter Nwaboshi who is a serving senator and also a PDP senator, what the endorsement means is not a crack in the fence of the PDP but in the senate, what the endorsement means is that feeling of patriotism, that feeling of the necessity of all of us that will be in the ninth Senate  to work together in the national interest.

“That feeling that Nigerians don’t care what platform you represent in the senate, what Nigerians care for will be what the ninth is able to do to better their lives.

“What Nigerians care for is the improvement in the security of their lives and properties. What Nigerians care about is how the economy will be improved and enhanced and revitalised so that it is an all inclusive economy.

“An economy that will work for those at the lowest level of the ladder and those at the highest level. Those who will great the businesses and those who will need to be employed.”

Lawan said although, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has brought the country out of recession, a lot more needs to be done.

“We know that this administration has done a lot in the last four years, getting out recession to a growth percent of between two and three percent of the GDP today but we are still faced with that challenge if expanding the economy, diversifying the economy or providing employment of our teeming youth who need to have an accomodation in the economy,” the senate leader said.

“That is what Nigerians expect the national assembly to do with the executive arm of government.”

The cable

The Senator representing Oyo North District, Senator Fatai Buhari has said Senator Ahmad Lawan is cruising towards emerging as the next chairman of the National Assembly in the capacity of Senate President.

According to him, Senator Lawan (Yobe North) already has 51 endorsement signatures from 66 senators-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Fatai Buhari, while responding to questions from journalists in Ibadan, said: “51 out of the 66 Senators elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress have signed an endorsement list and pledged to vote for Senator Lawan.”

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu has thrown his weight behind the aspiration of Senator Ahmad Lawan, who has been adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its candidate for the Senate President of the Ninth National Assembly.

Kalu, who is also a Senator-elect on the APC platform, formally endorsed Lawan on Sunday night at his (Kalu) Abuja residence.

The Forbes-rated billionaire, who addressed journalists in Abuja said he is fully behind the aspiration of Lawan.

Minister of Labour, Sen. Chris Ngige, Sen. Barau Jibrin, Prof Benard Okor and Prof A. U Akpan, were in attendance and witnessed the event.

Kalu, who had earlier indicated interest in the Senate Presidency post, said he was withdrawing to contest Deputy Senate President position.

“I am going to be withdrawing from the (Senate Presidency) race to run for Deputy Senate President because party is supreme,” he said.

The Senator-elect, while making case for the South-East, argued that the Federal Government cannot afford to edge out the region out of distribution of positions in the new dispensation.

He said it was only fair that the position was retained in the South-East, stressing that it would be against the doctrine of equity and fairness to deny the zone a principal position in the Ninth National Assembly.

He further maintained that he was qualified for the position having being a former member of the Federal House of Representatives from 1991 to 1993 and also a two-time governor.

Recall that the South-East caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had demanded a review of the zoning arrangement ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.

The South-East APC, while endorsing Kalu for Deputy Senate President at its zonal meeting held in Enugu, called on the national leadership of the party to review the current sharing formula which does not favour the zone.

The meeting presided over by the National Vice Chairman of the party, South-East, Chief Emma Eneukwu, had in attendance Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, his Labour counterpart, Dr. Chris Ngige, former Gov. and Senator-elect, Dr. Orji-Uzor Kalu, former minister, Chief Emeka Worgu, serving and incoming members of the National Assembly, among others.

Similarly, the Abia State APC has endorsed the former governor for the position of Deputy Senate President.

The endorsement came at an enlarged meeting of the Abia State APC executive barely 24 hours after the South-East caucus meeting held in Enugu.

Moving the motion for the endorsement of Kalu, Chairman of Abia APC caucus, Senator Chris Adighije, said the adoption of Kalu was not only popular, but was in tandem with the yearnings of people of the South-East.

Adighije advised the APC national leadership not to forget that Nigeria stands on a tripod, and stressed that for this to be acknowledged and respected, the South East should be given what was due it.

On his part, the state APC chairman, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, said the endorsement of Kalu was the collective demand of all APC members in the South-East and Abia State.

The wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, has re-assured Nigerian women and youths of her determination to champion their course for active participation in governance.

Mrs Buhari said this on Saturday in an interaction with some women leaders ahead of 2019 Presidential inauguration at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The session was aimed at charting a new course for Nigerian women in the politics and governance of the country.

The issues discussed includes women and youths empowerment, maternal and child health, girl-child education as well as the stake of women in federal government programmes.

She appealed to government to review the role of women in the socio-economic and political environment by adopting the affirmative action necessary for the advancement of women in governance.

”It is only realistic if the efforts of Nigerian women and youths are compensated through both elective and appointive positions at all levels.

”Let me appeal to those concerned at this important period when the administration is commencing its second term to make concerted efforts toward ensuring that Nigerian women and youths are given their fair share in decision-making body.

”It is my conviction that the role of women will become more pronounced as time goes on,” she said.

The wife of the President also pledged to ensure the advancement and protection of the rights and privileges of Nigerian women.

In her remark, the former Speaker of House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, called for proactive measures by women leaders to attain the requisite number of women representation in government.

Etteh emphasised the need for effective legislation to support the quest for women to achieve thirty five per cent affirmative action for women.

On her part, the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Woman Leader, Mrs Salamatu Baiwa, urged women to exercise patience, adding that the future is bright for them in the party.

Baiwa appealed to women to keep pushing for greater involvement.

The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari has criticised the $16 million spent by Nigeria as counterpart funding for the purchase of mosquito nets.

She expressed reservations on the $16m counterpart fund expended on mosquito nets during an interactive session with women at the State House, Abuja on Saturday.

“I have heard about mosquito nets, Nigeria paid its counterpart fund, $16m. I asked them to give my own share of the net to send it to my village people. I didn’t get it.

“They have spent, $16m on buying mosquito nets, I did not get it, maybe some people have gotten it. But I feel that that’s my personal opinion, $16m is enough to fumigate mosquitoes in Nigeria. That’s my opinion,” she said.

Senator Ahmad Lawan, majority leader of the senate, says the national assembly will not become President Muhammadu Buhari’s “rubber stamp” if he is elected senate president.

Lawan told journalists in Abuja on Saturday that although he is a fan of Buhari, his support for the president will not jeopardise the upper legislative chamber under his leadership.

Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had endorsed Lawan to succeed Bukola Saraki as senate president.

The Yobe lawmaker said he will ensure that the decisions of his colleagues be carried out without any fear or favour.

“I won’t deny it; I am a president Buhari man. I believe in him and I believe in my party because of the ideals they stand for. But if you believe in someone and they have an issue that you think can be carried out in a certain way other than the way it was presented, suggesting you go the other way demonstrates that you are really for that person.” he said.

“So my support for the president, for example, must not be misconstrued as going to make the national assembly a rubber stamp if I am senate president.

“The function of the legislature is for the members of the legislature in majority to take a decision after a debate or whatever; then the minority would have had their say and the decision goes to the majority. You cannot as a presiding officer say no, I am not going to go with that position. Else you will be sacked.”

‘I WON’T ENCOURAGE FIGHTING BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND EXECUTIVE’

Lawan also said that the legislature and executive must ensure they work harmoniously for the common good of Nigerians.

“If you choose to fight, the two arms suffer and the country suffers even more because it is not possible for you to fight and get something done for the country. I don’t belong to the school of thought of encouraging fighting between the two arms,” he said.

“When you have to work together, you will disagree, and by the design of the constition, the legislature has been given some functions that will naturally make the executive sit up.”

The cable

In what appeared to be an indictment of Federal Government Social Investment Programme, SIP, wife of the President, Dr. Aisha Buhari on Saturday said that the programme meant to help the poorest of the poor has not yielded the required results in the north.

The President’s wife stated this at an interactive programme for women at the Presidential villa, Abuja.

She disclosed that she was assured that 30,000 women will benefit from the programme from Adamawa but as the administration winds down, she was yet to hear from them.

The Social Investment Programme is under the control of Mrs. Maryam Uwais, who is the Special Adviser to the President.

According to her: “Concerning the N500 billion voted for SIP, that was part of 2015 campaigns where they promised to give out N10,000, feed pupils in primary schools and give N5,000 to the poorest of the poorer.

“The SSA to the president on social investment is a lady from Kano and I’m sure that my husband decided to put somebody from Kano because of the population and political impact it made.

“I have never asked how the money is being used or is being given out. I met Barrister (one of the President aides on SIP) once and he promised me that for my state (Adamawa) we should get 30,000 women to be given N10,000. Up till now I haven’t heard from him.

“I don’t want to raise alarm that my state do not benefit from it, where SGF came from, I kept quiet because I don’t want people to say that I talk too much.

“Recently I saw a 74-year-old man selling petty things in Kano, I asked him how much is his capital, he told me between N3,000 and N4,000. Don’t forget that we have campaigned to give the poorest of the poor, N5,000 every month ..

“So I don’t know where the social investment… Maybe, It worked out in some states. In my own state, only a local government benefited out of the 22. I didn’t ask what happened and I don’t want to know but for it fail woefully in Kano, it’s not a good sign and it’s not a good thing.

“We have a lot of women that do business locally due to the cultural thing in the north, that are at home doing their businesses. Some are millionaires, some have thousands of naira, they need the assistance but they do not get it. Most northern women do not belong to any market association

“I was expecting that N500 billion to be utilized in different methods in the north for the aim to be achieved. I don’t know the method they used but most of the northern states do not get it. My state do not get it,” she said.

“How many of you get it in your state? My state did not benefit from it.” Women in the hall answer overwhelmingly.

Mrs. Buhari added, “It worked out well in a situation whereby they have market associations but I was thinking different methods should be used in the North.”

She also expressed reservations on the $16 million counterpart fund expended on mosquito nets.

“I have heard about mosquito nets, Nigeria paid its counterpart fund, $16m. I asked them to give my own share of the net to send it to my village people. I didn’t get it.

“They have spent, $16 million on buying mosquito nets, I did not get it, maybe some people have gotten it. But I feel that, that’s my personal opinion, $16 million is enough to fumigate mosquitoes in Nigeria. That’s my opinion,” she said.

Mrs. Buhari, however thanked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha for including women in the inaugural activities of the president for second term.

“I will also like to use the opportunity to thank the SGF for including women in the inaugural activities of Mr. President, this is what is called next level. They didn’t allow us to participate in politics but now they have started given us hope that we can be involved in certain things,” she said.

She also disclosed how she managed to include herself in an anti drug committee chaired by a former military administrator of Lagos, Buba Marwa.

She said, “I also managed to put myself as member of the committee and wife of the Vice President. The wife of the Vice President has worked very well, it took her one year to go round schools in Abuja because of the level of abuse. Many girls don’t go to school because they are afraid of being raped while returning from school or when their parents are away.

“You know most of their parents are farmers. The revelation is beyond comment. I asked her to publicize her discovery but she didn’t, if she had done so, it would have served as lesson. ”

The wife of the president, disclosed that the president has provided N12 billion for the treatment of trauma cases in across the country.

“Over N12 billion has been released by the president to take care of trauma cases in across the country. Can you please monitor the money? The ministers are going very soon and the money are being released,” she said.

She pleaded to the All Progressive Congress, APC, to refund the money women used in purchasing nomination forms in the last 2019 elections.

She said women were marginalized in the elections despite their effort to get elected.

She advised the women not to relent in the pursuit of their dreams and promised to continue to champion their course.

The Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari on Saturday said that the implementation of Social Investment Programmes (SIP) has failed in the north.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had introduced the programmes towards eradicating poverty in the country.

Speaking at an interactive session with women at the State House, Abuja, she said “ Concerning the N500bn voted for SIP, that was part of 2015 campaigns where they promised to give out N10,000, feed pupils in primary schools and give  N5,000 to the poorest of the poorer.

“The SSA to the president on social investment is a lady from Kano and I’m sure that my husband decided to put somebody from Kano because of the population and political impact it made.

“I have never asked how do money is being used or  is being given out.  I met Barrister (one of the President aides on SIP) once and he promised me that for my state (Adamawa) we should get 30,000 women to be given N10,000. Up till now I haven’t heard from him.

“I don’t want to raise alarm that my state do not benefit from it, where SGF came from, I kept quiet because I don’t want people to say that I talk too much.

“Recently I saw a 74-year-old man selling petty things in Kano, I asked him how much is his capital, he told me between N3,000 and N4,000. Don’t forget that we have campaigned to give the poorest of the poor, N5,000 every month.

“ So I don’t know where the social investment. Maybe, It worked out in some states. In my own state, only a local government benefited out of the 22. I didn’t ask what happened and I don’t want to know but for it fail woefully in Kano, it’s not a good sign and it’s not a good thing.

“We have a lot of women that do business locally due to the cultural thing in the north, that are at home doing their businesses. Some are millionaires, some have thousands of naira, they need the assistance but they do not get it. Most northern women do not belong to any market association

“ I was expecting that N500bn to be utilized in different methods in the north for the aim to be achieved. I don’t know the method they used but most of the northern states do not get it. My state do not get it.”

Asking the women in the hall, she said “How many of you get it in your state?

‘My state do not benefit from it”, the women in the hall answered

Aisha Buhari went on “It worked out well in a situation whereby they have market associations but I was thinking different methods should be used in the North.”

She also expressed reservations on the $16m counterpart fund expended on mosquito nets.

“ I have heard about mosquito nets, Nigeria paid its counterpart fund, $16m. I asked them to give my own share of the net to send it to my village people. I didn’t get it.

Read also: Aisha Buhari appeals to Muslims to assist needy
“They have spent ,$16m on buying mosquito nets, I did not get it, maybe some people have gotten it. But I feel that, that’s my personal opinion, $16m is enough to fumigate mosquitoes in Nigeria. That’s my opinion,” she said.

She, however, thanked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha for including women in the inaugural activities of the President for second term.

“I will also like to use the opportunity to thank the  SGF for including women in the inaugural activities of Mr. President, this is what is called next level. They didn’t allow us to participate in politics but now they have started given us hope that we can be involved in certain things,” she said.

She also disclosed how she managed to include herself in an anti-drug committee chaired by a former military administrator of Lagos, Buba Marwa.

“ I also managed to put myself as member of the committee and wife of the Vice President. The wife of the Vice President has worked very well, it took her one year to go round schools in Abuja because of the level of abuse. Many girls don’t go to school because they are afraid of being raped while returning from school or when their parents are away.

“ You know most of their parents are farmers. The revelation is beyond comment. I asked her to publicize her discovery but she didn’t, if she had done so, it would have served as lesson,” she said.

She disclosed that the President has provided N12bn  for the treatment of trauma cases in across the country.

“ Over N12bn has been released by the president to take care of trauma cases in across the country. Can you please monitor the money? The ministers are going very soon and the money are being released,” she said.

She appealed to the All  Progressive Congress (APC) to refund the money women used in purchasing nomination forms in the last 2019 elections.

She said women were marginalized in the elections despite their effort to get elected.=

She advised the women not to relent in the pursuit of their dreams and promised to continue to champion their course.