Singapore News Channel, Singapore News Network

The 22 governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have begun moves to rally necessary support for the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, towards his emergence as the Senate president of the ninth National Assembly.

Already, the governors had met with APC senators-elect from their respective states and told them the need to support the ambition of Lawan in line with the directive of the national leadership of APC.

A senator-elect from North-central zone told THISDAY yesterday that his state governor last weekend met with him and his two other colleagues and canvassed for necessary support for Lawan in his ambition to become the nation’s number three citizen when the ninth Assembly is inaugurated in June.

The ranking senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his state governor told them at the meeting that he had strict instruction from the APC secretariat in Abuja that all senators-elect must work for the realisation of the Lawan project.

Another senator-elect from South-west zone spoke in the same vein when he told THISDAY that his state governor actually met with the two senators-elect from the state shortly before the Easter break last week.

He claimed that the governor informed them that Lawan for 9th Senate President is a task that must be done at the inauguration of the next Assembly in June.

“My governor told us that apart from voting for Lawan as the ninth Senate president, we must also be involved in the on-going consultations with stakeholders, including senators-elect from opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) towards ensuring that they see reason to accept the Lawan candidacy,” the legislator-elect further said.

 As part of moves to further rally support for Lawan, the APC Governors’ Forum has set up a five-man committee to meet this week in Abuja with Lawan and two other ranking APC senators, Ali Ndume and Danjuma Goje, who are also eyeing the Senate presidency.

Although Ndume has made his intention to run for the coveted office known via a two-page letter he wrote to the APC National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, Goje has been working underground but is yet to make public his interest although he is believed to have the support of PDP senators-elect.

The APC governors’ committee headed by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, also a senator-elect, will meet the three gladiators before the week runs out.

Sources told Thisday that the committee will use the opportunity of the meeting to tell the three aspirants to harmonise their position and work as a team.

The meeting, it was further learnt, will reiterate the stand of the party on the Senate presidency and ask both Ndume and Goje to queue behind Lawan, who is the preferred candidate of the party leadership.

Lawan had a fortnight ago met with some APC governors where he informed them of his ambition and sought the support of the APC governors for the project.

At the meeting attended by Governors Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Lawan engaged the governors and told them why he is the candidate to beat for the position.

Sources told Thisday that the governors gave an assurance at the meeting to work in line with the position of the leadership of the APC after listening attentively to the presentation of Lawan.

He had also enjoyed the endorsement of APC Youth Wing that visited him last week, while in the last few weeks, Lawan had continued to engage his colleagues on his ambition.

Last week, the governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, also openly endorsed Lawan.
Shettima, who is also a senator-elect and governor of the home state of Ndume, main rival of Lawan, said he was endorsing Lawan as a loyal party man since the leadership of the party had endorsed him.

During the Easter break, Lawan made personal telephone calls to the senators-elect across party lines and emphasised the need for them to key into the project by supporting him based on his pedigree having served at both the House of Representatives and Senate in the last 20 years.

Thisday

Further to the official visit by President Muhammadu Buhari to Lagos Wednesday where he commissioned a number of projects executed by the State Government, the President is scheduled to depart for Maiduguri, the Borno State capital for another official visit Thursday.

He is expected to commission developmental projects especially in the sectors of education, healthcare and roads.

At the end of the visit, President Buhari will be proceeding to the United Kingdom on a private visit. He is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5, 2019.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 25, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the acceptance of the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres to co-chair a Special Session to raise $50 billion to fund the inter-basin water transfer from Central Africa to revive the Lake Chad.

Receiving the response of the Secretary-General to his earlier letter through the President of the African Development Bank, ADB, Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday, President Buhari said such a Special Forum was necessary in view of the size of capital required for the project which was unavailable to the Lake Chad Basin countries.

Addressing issues directly related to the ADB, the President expressed delight with successes recorded in the four years of Dr Adesina’s tenure at the Bank.

President Buhari specifically cited the Bank’s contribution to the growth of Nigeria’s agriculture and infrastructure, and commended what he called “its critical gesture in 2016 during the difficult period of economic recession through the issuance of USD600 million budget support facility.”

The President used the occasion to highlight the successes achieved by the administration through the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP. He stressed that his focus will continue to be on diversifying the economy and making it more inclusive as well as the creation of jobs in critical sectors like the Information Communication Technology, ICT and manufacturing so that “young people will earn a decent living.”

While noting that a lot is being achieved in providing guaranteed off-takers for farmers, and in the provision of infrastructure that include airports, rail, roads and water ways, President Buhari admitted that “we still have significant work ahead in the provision of power, small scale cottage industries and promotion of the agro-industrial zones coming up in the country.”

He then asked for ADB’s continued support in this regard.

In his presentation, Dr Adesina thanked President Buhari for his support, without which, he said, he would not have been ADB president.

He listed his record of achievements in the last four years among which lending to critical sectors of the Nigerian economy grew to an unprecedented 4.3 billion US Dollars.

Dr Adesina told President Buhari that the fortunes of the Bank had significantly improved, earning global ratings in accountability and transparency, improved incomes and for making impact on the lives of millions of its target population.

The ADB president sought for the support of the Nigerian leader for a “general capital increase” to fast track the development of the Bank, to which President Buhari gave all assurances and directed the Ministry of Finance to engage and expedite action on the issues brought to the government by the ADB.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 23, 2019

Wife of the President, Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has commended Noor Dubai Foundation for implementing the visual care agreement it signed with Aisha Buhari Foundation in 2017. The agreement was aimed at accelerating access to visual healthcare in Nigeria. She was speaking during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Foundation and Katsina State Government on Tuesday, 23rd April, 2019 at the State House, Abuja.

Mrs. Buhari said she was happy that Noor Dubai Foundation has engaged the state to run a Katsina Comprehensive Eye Care Programme as part of its philanthropic activities to Nigeria, and called on Nigerians to take advantage of these services to improve their eye health.

Earlier in the programme, the Chief Executive of Noor Dubai Foundation, Dr. Manal Muhammad Omran Taryam Al Shamsi, said the choice of Katsina resulted from a survey, which revealed that there were at least 122,000 visually impaired people in the state, out of which 24,000 were blind, while only 25% of cases benefit from surgery services.

The partnership, she said, will yield positive results because 82% of visual loss can be treated or prevented “and that is why we engaged Katsina state to implement a 4 – year sustainable comprehensive eye care programme. Katsina state government has also expressed willingness to support and sustain the programme.” She said.

Speaking on the scope of the programme, she said it will include revamping of infrastructure in 3 main hospitals, setting up of 12 vision centers and 3 optical workshops as well as supporting and equipping 250 primary care centers. The programme will also recruit and train local ophthalmologists, optometrists and ophthalmic nurses.

Also on the cards are 11,000 free cataract surgeries, 36,000 screenings and treatment for other eye disorders as well as rehabilitation support for 1000 individuals with permanent visual loss.

Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu said the MoU marks a great milestone in the delivery of eye care services in the state and is aimed at improving the quality of life and the socio-economic status of the people of the state through reduction of burden of blindness and visual impairment. He described this as Katsina’s effort at supporting the attainment of Universal Eye Healthcare by the Year 2020.

Minister of Health, represented by National Coordinator for Eye Health, Dr. Oteri Okolo said the Ministry is in support of such partnerships and they should be sustained, believing that the outcome of this pilot would yield positive results across the country.

The event was witnessed by the Chief Medical Director of the National Eye Center, Kaduna and other stakeholders in the eye care support sector.

As a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, Noor Dubai aims to fulfil the objective of Vision 2020 – The Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness.

Suleiman Haruna
Director of Information
to Wife of the President
State House
Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that a top priority of his administration is to ensure that the efforts of hardworking Nigerian farmers are respected.

Speaking at an audience on Tuesday in Abuja with members of the United Kingdom-based Foundation for Good Governance for Development in Nigeria at the State House, the President said it is in this regard that he directed the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria to bypass the knotty issue of collateral which he described as “a terrible colonial legacy,” so that farmers will get easy access to capital.

President Buhari also identified smuggling as a threat to domestic agricultural production and processing, and promised to continue to fight the menace with all means available to government.

The President assured that in addition to the focus of his administration on security, economy and the war against corruption, the new administration in his second term will pay greater attention to education and health.

“I understand our problems. I am acutely aware of my duty to my God and country. I will continue to do my best,” he told the support group.

Earlier, the leader of the group, which is mostly made up of scholars and professionals, Dr Arabo Ibrahim Bayo, said they came together on the basis of a shared passion for the country’s development, and in the firm belief that President Buhari represents the best in terms of leadership that Nigeria can offer.

He commended the achievements of the administration in the last four years in implementing its three cardinal objectives of providing security, improving the economy and the war against corruption, and suggested the declaration of an emergency to tackle challenges in education and health sectors.

The group further pledged support to the President for a formidable and enduring legacy.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 23, 2019

Leadership and delegations of youths and women from across the 19 states of Northern region under the auspices of
Northern Region APC Media( NORAM) converged in Kaduna, the headquarters of Northern Nigeria and endorsed Sen Ahmed Lawal for the next level Senate President.

The chief convener and President of the group, Hon Comr Bashir Ya’u Katsina who read the communiqué after the National Working committee meeting said the leadership of the group resolved to support the candidature of Sen Ahmad Lawan for many reasons among which are his outstanding performance and legislative experience.

He further said the group decided to endorse Lawal devoid of sentiment but for the fact that he is most qualified and ably ready for the job.

Bashir further explained that “From 1999 to date Senator Ahmad Lawan has secured numerous employment for teaming youths across his constituency, He sponsored and support bills that has direct bearing on the lives of not only his constituents but the generality of Nigerians.
“These achievements bond out his desire to empower youths and to create enably opportunity for them to excel in life.

As focused and experienced legislature, his intervention facilitates the award of contract for the Nguru-Gashu’a-Baymari road, which is the lifeline of the people of North Eastern parts of Yobe.Sen Ahmad Lawan was instrumental to the all-important dredging of Kumadugu-Yobe, starting from Jaliyo in Guri local government, going through Nguru Bade, Karasuwa and Jakusko local governments.

Under ecological fund, the lawmaker brought flood control project that is right now on going in Nguru and Gashua. In many towns of his constituency, culverts were provided to end perennial flooding,.

Senator Lawan under his philanthropic foundation SAIL Foundation provided fully equipped two model laboratories and two dialysis machines in Federal Medical Centre Nguru. Already, he was instrumental to an investigation by experts from Federal Ministry of Health on the major causes of rising renal failure in the zone.

On the social realm, the senator is currently building a modern maternal and child hospital in Gashua. He also built Model Islamiyya schools in all the local governments in his constituency to boost western and Islamic education. However, since 2008 Senator Ahmad Lawan has been giving scholarship to students of tertiary institutions across the local governments within his jurisdiction, as well as providing free 3000 JAMB forms every year. He also provided additional computer-based test centre in Federal University Gashua to ease the burden on the only one existing, he added .

Finally, Comr Ya’u urged all youths,Nigerians and all senators elect to supports the ranking Sen Ahmad Lawan for Senate President to help and collaborate with the administration of President Muhammadu buhari to move Nigeria to the next level of prosperity. He thanks the members of the forum for the sacrifices, support and cooperation, He prayed God to return each of them to their various destinations safely.

Signed  publicity Secretary
For President

A group, comprised of media administrators and veteran journalists under the auspice of the APC broom platform have thrown their weight behind the candidacy of Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

The group made this known Monday, by its convener and National Co-ordinator, Dr Tom Ohikere.

Ohikere said, both men have the requisite experience and competence to lead the ninth National Assembly.

”We the members of the APC broom platform are committed to the task of ensuring that the APC is well perceived and acceptable to the Nigerian masses, so being stakeholders in the APC national transformation project, we have been keenly observing the development of issues surrounding the leadership of the next national assembly.

“we know what is at stake. We know the APC does not intend to take the goodwill of Nigerians for granted, so they are working diligently around the clock to pick individuals of tested and trusted credibility.

“We know what happened in the last four years and the impact it had on the governance of the country. It is because of the lessons learnt that our party is insistent on the caliber of men to mount the helm of the national assembly.

He said that both Lawan and Gbajabiamila are high ranking members of the national assembly and possess the character that can bring balance and order to the business of legislation in terms of harmonious working relationship with the executive as well as in carrying everyone along. So we believe their choice will give greater hope to the project of taking Nigeria to a new level of prosperity.

Investments in sectors like petroleum, power, aviation, agriculture, railways, and many others, featured prominently as President Muhammadu Buhari hosted the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-thani, at State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Also on the front burners was the recharge of Lake Chad with water from the Congo Basin, so as to grant succour to the more than 30 million people adversely affected by the shrinkage of the lake over the years.

“We invite you to invest in our refineries, pipelines, power sector, aviation, agriculture, education, and many others, so that you can have your management here to oversee the investment. We need your expertise,” President Buhari said.

On the receding Lake Chad, he said of the over 30 million people affected, more than half were in Nigeria, and it has contributed greatly to illegal migration, as innumerable youths dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, in order to find safer shores in Europe. A large number die in the process.

“We need help with the recharge of Lake Chad, as it is not a project that the concerned countries can handle alone,” President Buhari said, adding: “Recharging the lake will bring back fishing, farming, animal husbandry, and the youths won’t be attracted by insurgency or illegal migration. We want Qatar to be involved because of the humanitarian nature of the endeavour.”

Sheikh Hamad Al-thani said he was honoured and happy to be in Nigeria for the first time, stressing it was a reciprocal visit to the one paid to Qatar in 2016 by President Buhari.

“The relationship between our countries is very good. We just have to build on it,” the emir said. “We share a lot of similarities in different areas. We need to enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation. We are willing to do a lot more with Nigeria, and will continue to work on investment opportunities of mutual benefit,” he added.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

April 23, 2019

Picture, they say, is worth more than a thousand words.

Take a good look at the attached photograph and you will see why the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari is a political powerhouse, whose ability to mobilise people is phenomenal.

I was told that the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Yola, was full to capacity, as the who-is-who in Adamawa, devoid of ethnic, religion and political leanings, honoured her invitation for a Town Hall meeting.

Among the dignitaries that attended the meeting were the State’s serving Deputy Governor, Mr. Martin Babale, the Deputy Governor-elect, Seth Crowther, the SSG, Dr. Umar Bindir, Senator Silas Zwingina, Dr. Mahmood Halilu, Gen. Buba Marwa and many more.

Just two months ago, before the elections, some of these politicians were almost at daggers drawn as their parties compete for the political offices available from President down to state assembly members.

What magic the First Lady was able to use to bring together these eminent Adamawa politicians and sons and daughters of the soil, under the same roof, is beyond words. It is no exaggeration if I say that nobody else could have achieved that. The respect and admiration she commands is undeniably unprecedented.

Her contribution towards the success of the APC at the polls is immeasurable. She mobilised Nigerian women in 2015 to vote for President Buhari and repeated the feat In 2019 with a bigger impact when she formed the Women and Youths presidential campaign team which transversed the nooks and corners of this country that helped produce the record votes realised.

Mrs. Aisha Buhari has touched the lives of millions of Nigerians through her philanthropy. Future Assured, her NGO, is today among the country’s leading bodies that assist in the transformation of the lives of underprivileged women and children.

For this and much more silent contributions she renders to Nigerians in need, I am suggesting to His Royal Highness, Lamido Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa, to confer on her the title “Nana Adamawa.”

It is a new title I came up with, borrowed from the Alias given to Asma’u, the famous daughter of the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate, Sheikh Usman Bin Fodio. She was a teacher, poet and more. Of course, Nana is also a dignified alias given to all the wives of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Mrs. Aisha Buhari is more than just First Lady. She is a Nana. May the Nana Adamawa live long!

~khalid babalau hassan

Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has expressed her plan to establish a private university to be known as Muhammadu Buhari University.

She disclosed this on Saturday during a town hall meeting in Yola, organised by her in collaboration with Concerned Indigenes of Adamawa.

Aisha, who did not, however, reveal when or where the university would be sited, explained that the university would be established in collaboration with partners from Sudan and Qatar.

Aisha, who lamented the challenges facing education and various sectors in the state, called for active support of the state indigenes in complementing government efforts.

annot conclude without suggesting how we can complement the efforts of government in achieving some of its developmental goals.

“On this note, I would like to advocate for the establishment of Adamawa Development Trust Fund through which prioritised developmental projects can be financed and implemented,” she said.

Ambassador Fati Ballah also called for reconciliation and forgiveness among the people of the state and the setting-up of a committee to come up with a blueprint for the development of the state.

Sadiq Daware, who spoke on agriculture at the meeting, noted that 80 per cent of the state land was arable and suitable for farming.

Daware added that with River Benue which passes through the state, the state has the potential for massive irrigation and all year round farming programmes.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that other speakers at the meeting include Prof. Shehu Iya of Modibbo Adama University, Yola, who spoke on education; Prof. Auwal Abubakar of Federal Medical Centre, Yola, who spoke on health; and Mrs. Helen Mathias who spoke on women and youths.

Others are Mallam Umar Abubakar who spoke on security; Gen. Buba Marwa on drugs; Senator Silas Zwingina on good governance, and Dr. Umar Bindir who spoke on poverty.

The meeting was also attended by politicians, particularly APC, PDP and ADC members in the state.

(NAN)