Singapore News Channel, Singapore News Network

The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has decried the decline in school enrolment in Adamawa.

Buhari raised the concern in her remarks at the Adamawa state Indigenes Town Hall meeting held on Saturday in Yola.

She noted that the poor school enrolment was alarming, saying the trend spelled a gloomy future for the state.

”The declining rate in terms of school enrolment and performance, coupled with the growing number of unemployed youth spell a gloomy future for our dear state Adamawa,” the First Lady said.

She recalled that 40 years ago, the defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba states) was a beautiful and peaceful state with relatively good infrastructure, well established civil service as well as educational and health institutions.

She said the state needed coalition of like minded people to return to its glorious past by addressing the challenges of insecurity, inter-ethnic conflicts, the annual flood and influx of internally displaced persons.

The first lady advocated for the establishment of Adamawa Development Trust Fund through which prioritised development projects would be financed and implemented.

In his remarks, Governor Muhammadu Bindow said the meeting came at the right time when Adamawa’s concerned citizens were looking forward to a sustainable socio-economic growth of the state.

Bindow, represented by his deputy, Mr. Martins Babale, called on the incoming administration to continue with the meaningful developmental projects in the interest of the state.

He urged the incoming administration to also continue and develop the culture of tolerance among majority of the people.

Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, Dr. Halliru Bindir, said that 75 per cent of people in the state were living below poverty line.

Bindir stressed the need for gigantic empowerment approach and programmes to reduce the poverty level of majority of the people of the state.

(NAN)

Wife of the President has called on citizens of Adamawa state to unite and move the state forward, stressing the need for peace and love as necessary ingredients to steer the state to the path for accelerated socio-economic development and prosperity. She was speaking during a Town Hall meeting she organized in partnership with some concerned citizens of Adamawa state, on Saturday 20th April, 2019 at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yola.

Mrs, Buhari noted that Adamawa is at cross-roads due to recent political developments in the state that have left people in a state of uncertainty about the future. Issues of politics, security, influx of displaced people, declining rates of enrolment, coupled with a growing number of unemployed youth. The only hope and solution, she said, is for Adamawa people to join hands and form a coalition towards uplifting the state from its present predicament.

She advocated for the convention of regular town hall meetings across the different zones of the state to serve as a platform for engagement and exchange of ideas between government and the people. She also called for the establishment of an Adamawa state trust fund to finance prioritized developmental projects.

Also speaking at the event, Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, who represented the Governor at the event, Engr. Martins Babale commended wife of the President and the concerned citizens for convening the meeting urging the people of Adamawa state to embrace peace so that development can be achieved. He highlighted the efforts of the state government in bringing development to the state.

Keynote speaker at the event, Ambassador Fati Ballah, Nigeria’s former ambassador to Botswana, said Adamawa had produced brilliant minds and fearless soldiers all through the history of Nigeria and said history will be kind to the state because of this feat. She however noted the downward spiral being experienced in many aspects, noting specifically the fragmentation of the people along religious and ethnic lines, and called on the people to join hands and speak with one voice as well as spread the message of peace.

Facilitators spoke on various sectors highlighting the challenges and proffering solutions.

The event, which was well-attended by Adamawa indigenes from far and wide, was interspersed with musical entertainment from different parts of the state. 

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

Dr. Mrs  Aisha Mohammadu Buhari is the wife of Nigeria’s president and commander in chief, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR. She is acknowledged nationwide and globally as not only a delectable beauty, but endowed with brain and brawn Is inviting the public in collaboration with the  concern indigent of Adamawa to a first town hall meeting which would takes place tomorrow Saturday at Government House Conference Hall, Yola.

The meeting, which was summoned at the instance of the The wife of the President , in keeping with her husband  administration’s renewed vigor to enhance the wellbeing of the people of the nigeria through the sustenance of peace and good governance.

This town hall meeting is the first of it kind organized by an indigent of the state and indeed a stakeholder. It is a testimony of the love and development the first lady has at heart for the progress of the state.

It is therefore necessary and importance for public to attend.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and party state chairmen from the North-central geo-political zone on Thursday endorsed the two candidates of the party for the leadership positions of the 9th National Assembly.

According to a statement by Mark Longen, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau on Media and Publicity, the governor disclosed while addressing journalists after a closed-door meeting of stakeholders in Asokoro, Abuja.

Mr Lalong said: “a meeting of governors and the party chairmen from North Central today resolved to go along with the decision of the party’s endorsement of Sen. Ahmed Lawan as Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 9th National Assembly.

“Since it was a party affair, our decision is in line with the wish of the party and that is why we the governors and state chairmen of our party from the zone are in support of the decision of the party.”

When asked about what the zone will gain in the power-sharing formula, Mr Lalong said, “We are still deliberating.”

“We have not exhausted the positions with respect to zoning.

“Our decision and position are only on two issues, while the rest deliberations are ongoing.

“There is going to be a continuation of our meeting in respect of positions to the North-central with both Mr President and the party,” he said.

The meeting which lasted for more than one hour also had in attendance Governors Abubakar Bello of Niger State, Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa and Benue State APC governorship candidate, Emmanuel Jime.

The state APC chairmen in attendance were Jibrin Imam of Niger State, his Kogi counterpart, Abdullahi Bello, Nasarawa State’s Philips Shekwo, Letep Dabang of Plateau State, Abba Yaro of Benue, as well as the FCT’s Abdullahi Usman.

(NAN)

Youths from across the NorthEastern states of Borno , Yobe and Bauchi  converge under Northern Youth Awareness Forum in Abuja, Capital of Nigeria  to endorse the Senate Presidency  bid of Senator  Ahmad Lawan.

The conveyer chairman, Abdulsalam Ibrahim Bauchi who read the communiqué at the Rally  said they have  resolved to back the Senate Presidency  bid of Senator Ahmad Lawan.

He said the group decided to endorse him not out of sentiment but for the fact that he is most qualified for the job

“From 1999 to date Senator Ahmad Lawan has been securing employment for youths across his constituency, too numerous to mention.

“This achievement was not possible without his desire to empower the youths by securing for them the opportunity to excel in life. His intervention facilitated the award of contract for the Nguru-Gashu’a-Baymari road, which is the lifeline of the people of North and Eastern parts of Yobe.

“Senator 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 zone, 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 the zone, to boost western and Islamic education.

“Since 2008 Senator Ahmad Lawan has been giving scholarship to students of tertiary institutions across all the local governments in the zone, 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 available.

Abdulsalam urged all youths to supports Senator Ahmad Lawan Senate Presidency and  President Muhammadu buhari Administration .

 The wife of the president, Mrs Aisha Buhari and wives of governors have appealed to women and other relevant stakeholders to push for an end to the spate of kidnapping and banditry across the country.

Mrs Buhari made appeal through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration, Dr Hajo Sani, shortly after the wife of the President met with the governors’ wives and some security experts behind closed-door at the State House, Abuja yesterday.

Sani said Mrs Buhari was concerned about the security situation in the country.

“ Her Excellency decided to call this meeting for the women to brainstorm, proffer solutions and mobilise resources and relief materials to the troubled areas,” she said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was aimed at engaging women at all levels to proffer solutions to peace building and end the rising cases of kidnapping and armed bandits in Nigeria.

NAN also reports that they deliberated on how women can contribute to tackling social vices among women and youth especially with regards to cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and cyber crime.

She expressed concern over security situation in some states of Nigeria especially the rising humanitarian crisis among women and children in most of the internally displaced persons’ camps in Zamfara.

Mrs Nkechi Okorocha, wife of Imo State Governor told State House Correspondents after the meeting that Mrs Buhari is passionate about the security of lives and property of the citizens.

“ Wife of the President called security experts to talk to us as governors wive on what we can do to compliment the efforts of our security agencies and governors in our respective states, and how we can contribute to cushion the effect of the security challenges in our states” she said.

On her part, The President of National Council for Women Society (NCWS), Mrs Laraba Shoda, said women’s contributions are key to solving many security challenges in Nigeria.

Shoda stressed the need to engage women in the advocacy against spread of insecurity in the country.

“ You know that women are the owners of the homes, they know everybody from the family level and so, if we carry women along this security challenges at least a lot will be done to sensitise our children, our husbands and friends outside the homes and sensitise their friends on the dangers of this criminality.

” So, we are happy that wife of the President shows her serious concern over this security challenge because during the meeting we discuss the modalities on how women can be involved in this to help tackle this challenge” she said.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state.
Governor Kashim Shettima has said that the people of Borno will prevail on Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume to step down for Ahmad Lawan, the APC’s preferred candidate for the position of Senate President.

Shettima said he believed as loyal party members, they should respect the decision of the party in the adoption of Lawan to be the next Senate president.

Speaking to journalists when the Lawan campaign team visited him at his Abuja residence yesterday, Shettima said Senate Leader Lawan was the most qualified APC senator for the seat.

“We are not at war with Sen. Ali Ndume; he is my kinsman but we will continue impressing on him to align himself with the aspiration of the party. We are not at war,” Shettima said.

“Ordinarily, I am not even supposed to come here because there are three things to be combated. I hail from the same state with the distinguished Senator Ali Ndume, and I appreciate the fact that politics is local. But politics is also national.

“I believe the blood that binds us together supersedes whatever we might harbour. But I fully align with the aspiration of my party, to the aspiration of President Muhammadu Buhari and by the grace of God, we are going to mobilize all our goodwill to see that we are fully on board.

“We are for Sen. Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila and all other senators and other Reps members endorsed by the party. We are for party discipline that allowed everyone to aspire political offices. We believe that we must respect the party,” he said.

Asked if he had met with Ndume on the matter, Shettima who is a senator-elect for Borno Central, said “l am the first citizen of the state, I have made wide consultations with our leaders from Borno before resolving to back Sen. Ahmad Lawan.”

Source Daily Trust

The All Progressives Youth Forum on Tuesday in Abuja, endorsed Sen. Ahmad Lawan for Senate President in the 9th Senate.

The Chairman of the forum, Mr Ife Adebayo made this known when the group paid Lawan a courtesy visit in Abuja.

He said the group decided to endorse him not out of sentiment but for the fact that he is most qualified for the job.

“As far as the choice for president of the 9th Senate is concerned, Sen. Ahmad Lawan is the round peg that can perfectly fit into the round hole going by his track record of performance in the parliament in the last 20 years,” he said.

The chairman said besides Lawan’s parliamentary experience that could not be matched by any other contender, he stood out in intellectual capacity as a PhD holder in Remote Sensing.

“We identify with your aspiration and appeal to all senators-elect across party lines to rally round you for development driven leadership devoid of unnecessary rancour with the executive.

Responding, Lawan appreciated the group for its support and promised not to let it and other Nigerians down if he eventually emerge Senate President.

He assured that the Senate under his leadership would not be a rubber stamp.

He said the separation of powers is about specialisation of functions and not acrimonious competition or rivalry in governance.

He added the 9th senate would be an all inclusive one for all federal lawmakers–elect irrespective of parties.

“What matters most as practically demonstrated by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government within the last four years in terms of project execution, is Nigeria and Nigerians.

“It is not political party, or geopolitical zone anyone belongs to,” he said.

The Governor of Borno State,  Kashim Shettima has thrown his weight behind the aspiration of Senator Ahmad Lawan,  who has been adopted by the All Progressives Congress as its candidate for the Senate President of the Ninth National Assembly.

Shettima, who is also a senator-elect, is from the same state with Senator Ali Ndume,  who is also contesting the position.

The governor,  who addressed journalists in Abuja said the people of his state are behind the aspiration of Lawan.
He said, Ndume said his people asked him to contest. But I am the number one citizen of the state. I am not one of the people that asked him to contest. “
Details soon.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) has explained why it picked Ahmed Lawan, the current leader of the 8th Senate, as its candidate for Senate Presidency in the 9th Senate.

Mr Lawan was the preferred candidate of the ruling party when the formation of the 8th Senate was due in 2015. But the dream did not come true because another lawmaker, Bukola Saraki, who belonged to the party at the time emerged winner.

The emergence of Mr Saraki was against the wish of the APC with several attempts to oust the top lawmaker thwarted. He was elected Senate President due to an alliance he formed with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to carry them along.

The spokesperson of the ruling party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the APC settled for Lawan because just like Saraki, the lawmaker is able to carry his colleagues along.

“It is important to note that one of the key considerations for adopting him as the party’s candidate for the Senate Presidency is his ability to carry everyone along,” Mr Issa-Onilu said.

“On top of that, the party has confidence in him not to compromise the progressive ideology of APC. So clearly, Senator Ahmed Lawan is capable of conducting his negotiations within the prism of APC’s objectives,” he added.