The Things You Are Not: An Open Letter To President Buhari

Mr. President:

Greetings and best wishes!

Now, let’s get to it. Right off the gate, I want to advise you of a few things you are not. First, you are not an intellectual. Stop acting like you are one; you are not. Second, you are not a great communicator, at least not in the medium of English language. Stop pretending like you are a great communicator. To be honest, many people don’t understand a word of English that comes out of your mouth. Third, you are not a charmer. How can you be a charmer when you can’t communicate? So, quit trying.

Now, let me advise you of the many things you are (not a few, as was the case of the things you are not). First, you are a very intelligent man (not to be confused with being an intellectual). You see, intelligence comes naturally; intellectualism comes with learning. It is your intelligence that has kept you afloat where many of your peers have sunk. Second, you are tenacious, almost stubborn. It is this quality that has brought you back from what many had thought was a political sunset. Third, you are (can be) funny. You have a brutal sense of humor (except that your communicative deficiency often gets in the way and neutralizes the zing of your zingers). Fourth, you command an imposing presence, a function of your uncommon height. Your almost 7-footer height sets you shoulder higher than most of your peers. With that height, you would have been a natural charmer, but, alas, you are not a great communicator! Fifth, you have an unquestionable love for your country. You are a patriot, determined to navigate your country back to glory. Sixth, and above all else, you are a man of integrity.

So, you see, Mr. President, you have more positives than negatives. The things you are outnumber, and might even outweigh, the things you are not. The issue now is how might the things you are not be competing with, and possibly undermining, the things you are? How might your not being an intellectual be undermining your intelligence? Is it possible that people are looking for intellectualism where intelligence should be just enough? Is it possible that your communicative deficiency might be blocking and imperiling your quality of humor? With a towering 7-footer height, why can’t you be a charmer? Is it possible that your communication challenge might be having a negative interaction with your physical attractiveness? All these are possibilities, and they are real possibilities. Question now is: what are you doing about them? What are you going to do about them? How many social psychologists do you have working with you? What are the qualifications of your public relations team? Have they pointed these out to you? Do they have the courage to tell you when you embarrass yourself and the nation? Or do they tell you only what you want to hear?

Has anybody on your team pointed out the severity of plagiarism as both a moral and a social offense? Assuming nobody has, let me break it down to you, Mr. President: plagiarism is intellectual theft – Period! When you repeat President Obama’s speech almost word-for-word, without attribution to him, you steal from President Obama. Did you know that plagiarism is considered theft? Of course, you do. Did you intentionally go out of your way to steal President Obama’s speech? Not at all. But you stole President Obama’s speech. You stole President Obama’s speech because you read a speech written for you by some lousy moron, who is just one out of the many morons you have surrounded yourself with. Yes, I call your speechwriter a moron. How can he or she not be a moron who copies President Obama’s speech for you to read barely one month after the whole world was shocked by a similar atrocity when Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, at the Republican National Convention, plagiarized Michelle Obama’s speech?

Now, you must sack that speechwriter, if you have not done that already. But you must not end there. There are too many incompetents and borderline deplorables in your government. I get it; your hands were forced to reward your campaign financiers and party loyalists with governmental appointments. For a nation where party trumps patriotism, such things happen. They have always happened. The problem this time is that you are faced with a dire economic situation that does not leave you enough margin for error. A collapsing and recessing economy is not one that offers the luxury of political settlements, especially when it is too obvious that such settlees are crassly incompetent.

Mr. President, it is now part of your record that you are a plagiarizer. It is a development that you must take very seriously. It must rankle the hell out of you, especially given that somebody created that mess for you. I want you to go crazy over this, so crazy that you must now use this opportunity to clean your house with deliberate thoroughness. If this embarrassment does not move you to meaningful action, then nothing will. And it will be the end of hope for Nigeria under you. Just in case you need to be reminded, Mr. President, the change you promised to deliver is becoming too incremental for comfort. Yes, I get it; change does not happen overnight. But signs of change do. Plagiarizing the speech of an outgoing American president in the second year of yours is not by any means a sign of change.

How many of your ministers can you vouch for their competency? I say almost none; otherwise, how come things are getting progressively worse in every department of government by every indicator? Jobs are not getting created; poverty rate is rising; the national currency is plummeting geometrically; businesses are stymied; unemployment rate is unprecedentedly high; Fulani herdsmen have turned into an armed gang of marauders and murderers; roads continue to be death traps; electricity continues to shine more darkness than light. Yes, you have been in office for only one year, but there are no signs that things are about to, or will, change. And it is not because you do not have good and great intentions for change. It is because you have surrounded yourself with 20th century men for 21st century challenges. You have appointed men and women who were socialized on the Earth being round. You have as ministers and advisers men and women who should be ministered to and advised. Here is a trick, Mr. President: you should not have as advisers people whom you are smarter than they are. Unfortunately, you are smarter than many of the men and women you have surrounded yourself with.

It is time to clean house, Mr. President!

When you clean house, things change. Get rid of all the men and women whose only qualification for service in your government is their contribution to your presidential campaign. They are not doing you any good; certainly, they are doing the nation and its people a great disservice. Get rid of them – all of them! Look for young Nigerians with digital brains and 21st century minds. They are all over the world, making great and phenomenal contributions in their countries of sojourn. Go and bring them to help you move Nigeria forward. The dinosaurs you have surrounded yourself with will continue to run that great nation aground.

When you clean house, you will bring in someone who understands your shortcomings and knows how to manage them. Look, I am dead-serious about your communicative deficiency. Let me be blunt for emphasis: it sucks! But it does not create a hopeless conundrum for either you or the nation. Not at all. All that is needed is for someone to manage you well. Managed properly, you should only speak when, and only when, it is unavoidably necessary. A major part of the derision and disrespect, which many Nigerians have for you, derives from your barely understandable spoken English language skill. But you are not required to be Brian Williams. You are the president of Nigeria, not an anchor on BBC.

The presidency of Nigeria requires that you roll up your sleeves and work from behind the glares of the camera, getting things done. It is not showbiz. This does not mean that you can no longer communicate with your countrymen and women. No, it means that you now engage in strategic communication, utilizing modern tools that save you from the camera, yet get your message out. Some presidents acquire the toga of intellectualism when they write opinion editorials (op-eds) in newspapers and magazines. You see, the writing does not have to be yours – presidents should be too busy to write. That’s why you have speech writers. They should know where your opinion on an issue lies; script together an opinion piece for your vetting and eventual publication. When you recede from public media space; publish occasional op-eds; yet, get the work of the nation on the upswing, you create for yourself an image of mystery. Every leader needs a dose of mystery about them. In your own case, it could come by way of public and media scarcity. Let Nigerians look for and long to hear from you at the same time the wheel of the nation is making a progressive turn.

Do you have a tweeter account, Mr. President? No? Get one. Have a team of PR practitioners manage your tweeter account on your behalf. If President Obama tweets something you like, your tweeter account managers can retweet Obama’s message on your behalf, rather than plagiarizing the same message. This is the 21st century, Mr. President. It is a digital world. Many of the things you grew up with have become too analog already. You must now retool and upgrade. And you don’t have to do it yourself; you do it with the right team of 21st century compatible ministers and advisers.

Mr. President, I wish you well. I will continue to pray for your success. Nigeria is a difficult project. I get that. What I don’t get is surrounding yourself with morons and incompetents who continue to run the country to the ground and subject you to national and international ridicule. You must get rid of them immediately! This plagiarism scandal is a blessing disguised as a blemish. It offers you the opportunity to be angry at everyone. It gives you an exit ramp on a party highway that seemed like a bridge to nowhere and a dead-end at the same time. You must grab that opportunity and re-staff your government with the right caliber of minds in a 21st century world. When you do that, I will come back to see where the quality of decisiveness falls on your leadership profile ledger. Is it something you have or don’t have? It remains to be seen.

Good luck, Sir, and God’s blessing +

Vitus Ozoke (Odenigbo)
09-18-2016/Maryland, USA.

‘Change Begins With Me’ Is Solely The Idea Of Minister Of Information & Culture – Consultant

By Brian Ebden

Change Begins with Me Logo

I read with utter shock and disbelief the reported claim by some people that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stole their concept of ‘CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME’, which was launched by the President on Thursday, 8th Sept. 2016. This is nothing but sheer lies and blackmail.

The facts are that as a marketing communications consultant, I, together with the advertising agency Centerspread, were contacted a week after Alhaji Lai Mohammed was nominated as Minister by the President to attend a brainstorming workshop on Thursday 8th October 2015 at the White House Hotel in Ikeja.

At this briefing, Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s first statement was that once he has taken office, he wishes to launch a change campaign entitled, “Change begins with me.” It was Centerspread and my task to develop the communications campaign and strategy, following an in-depth briefing which we received at this session. I have irrefutable evidence in the form of emails that two days later (10th October 2015), I sent the entire strategy document to Alhaji Lai Mohammed detailing the first stage of the communications plan. In this email (and I am more than happy to send it to anyone who so wishes), it is entitled (in capital letters, CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME).

By 30th October of 2015, the entire 1st generation creative work was sent to Alhaji Lai Mohammed which included the first created logo, artwork, jingles and TVC concepts. A month later, both agencies attended a presentation session at Radio House in Abuja where two campaigns were presented to a contingent of more than 100 people of the Ministry of Information and Culture which included NTA, FRCN and NOA and again it was clearly and unambiguously stated that the campaign was “Change begins with me.” Over the ensuing weeks following this initial presentation, the Honourable Minister repeatedly mentioned the impending campaign by its name and it was duly reported in the media. Further still, on Sunday 24th January 2016 at the Southern Sun Hotel in Ikoyi, the Honourable Minister presented the campaign to all major artists and personalities who included King Sunny Ade, Pasuma, MI, Don Jazzy, P Square, Mo Abudu and many others. This again was public knowledge and can be verified here: https://www.facebook.com/FMINigeria/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1062296580489916

Having said this, what is conspicuous by its absence is any form of complaint or utterance by anyone whatsoever to the plethora of public information espoused directly by the Honourable Minister to argue that the concept of ‘Change begins with me’ belongs to him or her. However, they waited for the campaign to be launched officially by the President before making spuriously claims that the Honourable Minister plagiarised their so-called concept and appropriated their supposed intellectual property.

NOTHING WAS PLAGIARISED BECA– USE NONE OF THOSE MAKING THE RIDICULOUS CLAIM ADMITTED MEETING ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED ON ANY PROPOSAL BEFORE HE WAS NOMINATED AND SWORN INTO OFFICE. YET, IT IS ON RECORD, AS I STATED IN THE STATEMENT, THAT THE WHOLE ‘CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME’ CONCEPT WAS FORMULATED AND CONCLUDED LONG BEFORE THE MINISTER WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE IN NOVEMBER 2015.

The irrefutable evidence to attest to all these facts are available and only confirms this position. The facts speak for themselves and, in my opinion, all those who are making these specious claim need to urgently apologise to the Minister.

Brian e Ebden
Marketing Communications Consultant
Lagos
Sept. 10th 2016

After Ye Have Suffered For A While….

By Femi Adesina

Here comes the preacher. What does he want to tell us? Doesn’t he know that we are hungry, and the din of hunger makes one deaf to reason? The rumble in our tummies, as the worms compete for the little food left there, will surely be louder than what anybody can say now. True? Not exactly. Come, let us reason together.

Father Ejike Mbaka, that fearless Priest of the Catholic Church, gave an illustration recently, which I believe was not revealed to him by flesh and blood. There is hunger in the land, with people severely famished. And there is ululation, loud enough to deafen the deaf all over again, and wake the dead from his eternal sleep. The wailers are wailing so loud, as if Bob Marley had resurrected with his band, the Wailing Wailers. But hear Fr. Mbaka: somebody came, looted your kitchen, carried away all the food. He did not even leave you crumbs to console yourself with. And then comes another person, trying to replenish your pantry, trying to restock your kitchen. And then you begin to shout; we are hungry o, we are hungry o, to the point of distracting and discouraging the new man. Who should you rather wail and rage against? The man that looted your kitchen, of course.

That is the exact similitude of the position of Nigeria. There is hunger, lack, and deprivation in the land. But is it a death knell? Not when the kitchen is being restocked, and we will soon feed till we want no more.

But what if we are dead before our kitchen gets replenished? What if we had been knackered by hunger, before the days of plenty come? That is the purpose of this piece. “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, established, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10).

Christianity is the religion I am most familiar with. But every religion must surely preach the virtue of godly patience. “After ye have suffered a while…” Let’s look at it closely. You give a single thing, you get four in return. What a huge return on investment. You put in suffering (patience, if you like), and you get this cocktail of blessings: perfect, established, strengthened, settled. Buy one, get four free.

Hear who is preaching patience, from the cosy confines of the Presidential Villa. He has moved up, and from obscene comfort, he can preach. That was the insinuation my own brother, Dele Momodu, made in his Saturday column in Thisday a couple of weeks ago. He did not mention my name, but I knew he was talking of me. And I laughed. Obscene comfort, in a Muhammadu Buhari administration? Funny. Well, I do not know about those who can hustle, and gain advantage from holding public office. But I can speak for myself. The day God was distributing the ability to hustle, I probably was not at home, so I have not been given that ability. And the Good Book says no man does anything, except it is given to him from above. The sum total? I am on a national assignment that has cut my legitimate annual income by one third, so when there is hunger in the land, I go hungry too. Well, almost. When people talk of lack of money, I penny-pinch, too. Well, almost. Let nobody think those in government are insulated from what is happening in the country. At least, those who have truly come to serve. But those precious promises hold true any day. “In the days of famine, my people shall be satisfied.” “The young lion may lack, and suffer hunger, but those that trust in the Lord shall not suffer any good thing.” (Ride on, preacher!).

In Benin on Monday, President Buhari spoke at campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He declared: “I assure you that we are going to get out of our economic problems. We are almost out of our security problem and we are going to make Nigeria great again. We are going to be very proud of our country once again.” I believe it. Implicitly. If I don’t, I am then simply wasting time in government, when I could fare a lot better outside it. But the Daura man needs people to believe in him. Count me in the number. I had always been, and will always be a believer in integrity, probity and accountability. It is good for our country.

The economy has fallen into recession, and after recession comes depression. Really? Why are some people too eager to believe negative projections, while shunning the positive? Yes, when you have negative economic growth for two consecutive quarters, there is business contraction, and the economy falls into recession. Depression is even worse. But recession is not Armageddon. It is not a death sentence. Leading countries of the world had fallen into economic recession at one time or the other, and they came out of it, to become strong and sturdy again. Why not Nigeria? The projection is that by the end of the fourth quarter, we would be on our way out of recession. I believe it. I do not spend my days expecting a thunderstorm, and render myself unable to enjoy the rain. “After ye have suffered a while…” Better days will come again, and under this Buhari administration. Yes, we shall soon be proud of our country again.

Do we forget so easily? No, we shouldn’t. Buhari and his party rode to power last year on the wings of three main promises, among others: security, anti-corruption, and economic restoration. The first promise is being roundly and soundly fulfilled. You can’t administer a country you have not secured, the President keeps saying. And so, from Sambisa to Sango, in Ogun State, from the creeks of Ikorodu to those of Niger Delta, even the crocodiles are smiling, knowing that the country is being secured. From Ogbunike, to Okigwe, and to Okporoza, the security agencies are proving their mettle. In the North East, internally displaced people are returning home. Ask people from Konduga, in Borno State. Roads that had been closed for five years are reopening. Emirs, who had fled their palaces for many years, have returned. “After ye have suffered for a while…”

Corruption is being given a bloody nose! You do the crime, you serve the term. A Daniel has come to judgment. In Nigeria, not only are officials corrupt, but corruption has become official, said Shehu Musa, a former Secretary to the Federal Government. Well, not anymore. Do the crime, serve the term, is the new singsong. Stealing has now become corruption, and the battle has just started.

The economy is the third promise. But just as the promise is being kept on the security and anti-corruption fronts, the economy will also be turned right side up. After ye have suffered a while…

It is inevitable that we pass through this rough patch in which we currently find ourselves. Up to the end of 2014, we made an average of three billion dollars monthly from oil. We whacked everything, officially and unofficially, nothing put aside for the rainy day. It was a bazaar. Now the rain is falling, and it is beating us almost mercilessly. Monthly income from oil has dropped to as low as five hundred million dollars. From billions to millions. We are running soaked. But after rain comes the shine. Nigeria not only has a thrifty and prudent leadership, but also one that will not steal our money. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, so goes the saying. Some people are so rapacious that if you keep a boiled egg in their care, and knowing that a bite on the egg would be quite visible, they then lick it, so that the egg never goes scot-free. But the good news for us is that a man who did not bite our egg in his 30s, would not lick it in his 70s. Our treasury is safe, and we will beat recession. Better days are surely coming, “after ye have suffered a while…” We trusted Buhari and gave him our votes in 2015. Let us keep the trust, the confidence, and ride the storm. In quietness and confidence shall be our strength, not in wailing and throwing of tantrums.

In private, and in public, President Buhari has acknowledged the tough times in the land. But he is not throwing up his hands in helplessness. Problems are meant to be solved, and the government is doing just that. It’s a time of national emergency that calls for cooperation, goodwill, best wishes, encouragement, even prayers. But some people rejoice, thinking the government would fail. Why do the heathens rage, and the people imagine vain things? Wasn’t the siege on Samaria so terrible that they began to boil their children to eat? And then came Prophet Elisha, who told them, “Tomorrow about this time, shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel.” Did it happen? It did. But the scoffers, the unbelieving, did not partake of it. Things will turn in Nigeria, and it would be for our good. (I can see everything turning around, turning around, turning around for our good).

If you faint in the days of adversity, your strength is small. Good Nigerians will not faint, rather, they will trust, pray and encourage the man restocking their kitchens. As sure as day follows the night, better things will come, and will not delay. The troubles of the present are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed, “after we have suffered for a while…”

Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari

Why Nigeria Is Facing Economic Crisis – UN Report

Kaduna (Nigeria) – A new report released by the United Nations has pointed out that Nigeria is deeply divided along ethnic, religious and regional line – contributory factors to woes face by the country.

According to the report, most of the development and social indices in the country were below acceptable standards.

The report read in part: “Nigeria, with a population of over 75 million, is the most populous nation in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world. Her population will be approximately 200 million by 2019 and over 400 million by 2050, becoming one of the top five populous countries in the world.

“Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world, with over 80 million or 64% of her population living below poverty line. The situation has not changed over the decades, but is increasing. Poverty and hunger have remained high in rural areas, remote communities and among female –headed households and these cut across the six geo-political zones, with prevalence ranging from approximately 46.9 percent in the South West to 74.3 percent in North West and North East.

“In Nigeria, 37% of children under five years old were stunted, 18 percent wasted, 29% underweight and overall, only 10% of children aged 6-23 months are fed appropriately based on recommended infant and young children feeding practices. “Youth unemployment which is 42% in 2016 is very high, creating poverty, helplessness, despair and easy target for crime and terrorism.

Over 10 million children of school age are out of schools with no knowledge and skills.

“Nigeria’s economy is currently in a recession and it is estimated that government revenues have fallen by as much as 33 percent, which has further resulted in the contraction of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, by 0.36 percent in the first three months of 2016.

“The vulnerable macroeconomic environment in Nigeria is affecting investors’ confidence in the domestic economy.”

When contacted last night to react to the report, federal government officials said they were not aware of it and couldn’t, therefore, react.

“Despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to a number of protocols on sustainable and renewable environment, the country had, over the decades, failed to protect the environment, ecosystem and natural resources. Over-exploitation of natural resources and pollution of the environment, desertification is exposing the population to vulnerability and risks caused by climate change, among others.

“Nigeria is well-endowed with forest resources, accounting for 2.5% of GDP. But Nigeria has one of the highest rates of forest loss in the world. Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria lost an average of 409,700 hectares of forest per year on average deforestation rate of 3.5% per annum.

“Increase in population, human activities like farming, construction and cutting of trees, use of wood and effect of climate change lead to environmental destruction across Nigeria.” This in turn leads to unpredictable weather, drought and floods. The implication of destruction of the environment includes reduced agricultural productivity, destruction of property and loss of lives.

“Nigeria faces humanitarian and emergency crises of considerable proportions fueled by a combination of factors including climate change, inter-communal conflicts and violence, insurgency, recurring floods, heavy handed tactics of security forces in combating crime and insurgency. The overall consequence is the situation of systematic and chronic internal displacement that has given rise to different humanitarian crises that include the most egregious and dehumanizing human rights abuses.

“Over 80 million Nigerians live in poverty and are affected in one way or the other by the current humanitarian crisis. Available reports indicate that there are over 3.3 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, which is Africa’s largest, ranking behind Syria and Columbia on a global scale.

“The major challenges Nigeria is currently facing that constrain her economic growth and social development are lack of good governance, general increased insecurity across geo-political zones in North East, Niger Delta and Lake Chad region in particular.

The situation is exacerbated by the existence of systematic accountability challenges, limited capacities of independent institutions/ commissions and limited accountability at the federal, states and local government levels.

“Nigeria is a deeply divided society considering the plurality of ethnic, religious and regional identities that define her political existence. Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled to build and sustain national integration. For decades, different segments of Nigeria’s population had, at different times, expressed feelings of marginalization, of being short-changed, dominated, oppressed, threatened, or even targeted for elimination.”

Video Counters Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Adeosun, Confirms She Dismissed Recession As ‘A Word’ – Premium Times

Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, indeed said Nigeria’s current economic recession is just “a word”, PREMIUM TIMES can confirm today, two days after the minister denied making such statement.

The confirmation, based on video evidence, counters Mrs. Adeosun’s denial on Thursday, after the comment became controversial, with many condemning it as insensitive to the sufferings of Nigerians.

In denying the comments, the minister had also rejected a Twitter handle that for months posted messages in her name, with its tweets frequently reported by the media.

In its latest post on Wednesday, the account, @Mrskemiadeosun, responded to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics showing that the Nigerian economy contracted for another quarter and was effectively in recession.

But as distraught Nigerians reacted to the verdict, the handle appeared to downplay it.

“The strongest of all warriors are these two, time and patience. I know people are concerned about the recession. Recession is a word,” the handle tweeted.

The tweet generated backlash from many Nigerians, including the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The post was later deleted.

But the criticism intensified on Thursday morning, with the comment making the headlines of some national dailies.

On Thursday afternoon, Festus Akanbi, spokesman for Mrs. Adeosun, told PREMIUM TIMES the account was fake and the statements did not reflect the position of his principal.

belong to the Honourable Minister of Finance. At no point did she make that kind of statement in her interaction with the media after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday. The fake handle does not belong to her,” Mr. Akanbi said.

Mr. Akanbi also said Mrs. Adeosun had no presence on Twitter. The office later issued a statement, expressing the same position.

However, a video recording shows Mrs. Adeosun made a similar remark at an earlier event, although with a slightly different context.

Mrs. Adeosun spoke at a town hall meeting organised by the Alumni Association of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies on August 9, 2016.

She spoke alongside the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, Minister Power, Works and Housing, Tunde Fashola, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

The minister used her speech to explain why Nigeria should diversify its economy.

“The diversification agenda is not a rhetoric. The diversification agenda is an economic objective that we would achieve with what we’re doing with the budget, with our implementation and with how we’re managing our finances.

“So, yes, we’re borrowing. We need to borrow because we cannot wait for the oil prices to recover. We have to invest in this large infrastructure projects that are needed to unlock the competitiveness in our economy and create jobs for our people. That’s the objective of this government and that’s what we’re working towards. I’m also extremely confident that we would get there.

“The one thing Nigerians have in abundance is probably our greatest intangible asset is the spirit of the Nigerian people. The entrepreneurship of the Nigerian people. And their hard work. If we can combine those with an enabling environment created by government, I believe this economy can turn around,” Mrs. Adeosun said.

Then the minister moved on to the part where she attempted to allay the fears of Nigerians about the recession at the time.

“I know people are concerned about recession. Recession is a word,” Mrs. Adeosun said. “We can come out of recession. We can make sure it’s as short as possible by sticking to the prescription which is we must be disciplined with our expenditure, we must invest in capital and we must diversify our economy.

After the video emerged, some of Mrs. Adeosun’s supporters said she made a mistake by denying ties to the Twitter handle in the first place.

At the height of the controversy on Thursday, the handle changed its status from being an “official Twitter account” of the minister to a “parody account”.

Italy Earthquake: Nigeria Condoles Italy Over Tragedy

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari

Abuja (Nigeria) – Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his sympathy with Italy over the deadly earthquake that has claimed more than 120 lives in the central parts of the country which occurred at the early hours of Wednesday.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant ‎on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that, President Buhari told the Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Matteo Renzi, that his family, the government and the people of Nigeria shared the grief of the Italian people over this deadly disaster.

“My heart and prayers go out to the people of Italy at this time of national mourning, caused by the devastating earthquake”, said the President.

The President prayed God to comfort the families of the victims and grant them the fortitude to overcome their grief at this emotionally challenging time.

IMN Accuses Nigerian Government Of Gradually Killing El-Zakzaky

Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ite has accused the Nigerian government of gradually killing its leader, Shiekh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.

Leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria

IMN also demanded for the immediate release of their leader to enable him secure a better medical attention elsewhere than what is been offered by the government.

Briefing newsmen in Kaduna, representative of the group, Abdullahi Danladi said El-Zakzaky is gradually losing his sight having been in detention for over a long period without charges.

According to Danladi, what is obvious is that his health condition in general, particularly his eye sights are gradually deteriorating.

He said, “We would like to strongly appeal to those that are holding him hostage illegally in violation of his basic rights, to release him as a matter of urgency to enable him seek medical attention in any place of his choice”.

The group also said, releasing Elzakzaky should be done unconditionally and in the interest of the Nigerian state and those holding him.

They said the earlier surgery done on El-ZakZaky’s left eye by a doctor from the Department of State Security (DSS) has failed; noting that, the doctor who carried out the operation confessed, the case was beyond him now.

He however called on all human rights groups, rights activists,  well-meaning Nigerians and Journalists to join hands in demanding for justice for IMN’s leadership and its members who languishing in Kaduna prison, and other security formations across the country.

Nigerian Police Announces Constitution Of Management Team

By Iliya Kure

Kaduna (Nigeria) — Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has announced the constitution of the Force Management Team.

A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, says formation of the Team came two weeks after the ascension of Idris to the office of Inspector-General of Police, and is sequel to the promotion of the named senior officers to the rank of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police.

The newly promoted Deputy Inspectors-General of Police are

1. DIG Shuaibu Gambo, now heads the Department of Finance and Administration.

2. DIG Joshak Habila is in charge the Department of Operations.

3. DIG Maigari Abatti Dikko is the head, the Department of Logistics and Supply.

4. The Department of Criminal Intelligence and Investigations is DIG H. M. Dagala.

5. DIG Emmanuel T. Inyang takes charge of the Department of Training and Development.

6. The Department of Research and Planning is DIG Ntom Chukwu.

7. DIG Foluso Adebanjo is in charge the Department of Information and Communication Technology.

8. AIG Abdul Bube is now the Force Secretary.

The statement further says the Inspector-General congratulated them and “enjoined them to see their promotion as a national call to duty that requires utmost loyalty and sincerity to the nation and people of Nigeria, directing them to report immediately to their new areas of responsibilities.”

One Year In Office: Full Text Of President Buhari’s Speech To Nigerians

My compatriots,

It is one year today since our administration came into office. It has been a year of triumph, consolidation, pains and achievements. By age, instinct and experience, my preference is to look forward, to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead and rededicate the administration to the task of fixing Nigeria. But I believe we can also learn from the obstacles we have overcome and the progress we made thus far, to help strengthen the plans that we have in place to put Nigeria back on the path of progress.
We affirm our belief in democracy as the form of government that best assures the active participation and actual benefit of the people. Despite the many years of hardship and disappointment the people of this nation have proved inherently good, industrious tolerant, patient and generous.

The past years have witnessed huge flows of oil revenues. From 2010 average oil prices were $100 per barrel. But economic and security conditions were deteriorating. We campaigned and won the election on the platform of restoring security, tackling corruption and restructuring the economy. On our arrival, the oil price had collapsed to as low as $30 per barrel and we found nothing had been kept for the rainy day. Oil prices have been declining since 2014 but due to the neglect of the past, the country was not equipped to halt the economy from declining.

The infrastructure, notably rail, power, roads were in a decrepit state. All the four refineries were in a state of disrepair, the pipelines and depots neglected.

Huge debts owed to contractors and suppliers had accumulated. Twenty-seven states could not pay salaries for months. In the north-east, Boko Haram had captured 14 local governments, driven the local authorities out, hoisted their flags. Elsewhere, insecurity was palpable; corruption and impunity were the order of the day. In short, we inherited a state near collapse.

On the economic front, all oil dependent countries, Nigeria included, have been struggling since the drop in prices. Many oil rich states have had to take tough decisions similar to what we are doing. The world, Nigeria included has been dealing with the effects of three significant and simultaneous global shocks starting in 2014:
A 70% drop in oil prices.
Global growth slowdown.
Normalization of monetary policy by the United States federal reserve.

Our problems as a government are like that of a farmer who in a good season harvests ten bags of produce. The proceeds enable him to get by for rest of the year. However, this year he could only manage 3 bags from his farm. He must now think of other ways to make ends meet.

From day one, we purposely set out to correct our condition, to change Nigeria. We reinforced and galvanized our armed forces with new leadership and resources. We marshaled our neighbours in a joint task force to tackle and defeat Boko Haram. By the end of December 2015, all but pockets and remnants had been routed by our gallant armed forces. Our immediate focus is for a gradual and safe return of internally displaced persons in safety and dignity and for the resumption of normalcy in the lives of people living in these areas.

EFCC was given the freedom to pursue corrupt officials and the judiciary was alerted on what Nigerians expect of them in the fight against corruption. On the economy, in particular foreign exchange and fuel shortages, our plan is to save foreign exchange by fast tracking repair of the refineries and producing most of our fuel requirements at home. And by growing more food in Nigeria, mainly rice, wheat and sugar we will save billions of dollars in foreign exchange and drastically reduce our food import bill.

We resolved to keep the Naira steady, as in the past, devaluation had done dreadful harm to the Nigerian economy. Furthermore, I supported the monetary authority’s decision to ensure alignment between monetary policy and fiscal policy. We shall keep a close look on how the recent measures affect the Naira and the economy. But we cannot get away from the fact that a strong currency is predicated on a strong economy. And a strong economy pre-supposes an industrial productive base and a steady export market. The measures we must take, may lead to hardships. The problems Nigerians have faced over the last year have been many and varied. But the real challenge for this government has been reconstructing the spine of the Nigerian state. The last twelve months have been spent collaborating with all arms of government to revive our institutions so that they are more efficient and fit for purpose:
That means a bureaucracy better able to develop and deliver policy
That means an independent judiciary, above suspicion and able to defend citizen’s rights and dispense justice equitably.
That means a legislature that actually legislates effectively and
Above all; that means political parties and politicians committed to serving the nigerian people rather than themselves.

These are the pillars of the state on which democracy can take root and thrive. But only if they are strong and incorruptible. Accordingly, we are working very hard to introduce some vital structural reforms in the way we conduct government business and lay a solid foundation on which we can build enduring change.

An important first step has been to get our housekeeping right. So we have reduced the extravagant spending of the past. We started boldly with the treasury single account, stopping the leakages in public expenditure.

We then identified forty-three thousand ghost workers through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information system. That represents pay packets totalling N4.2 billion stolen every month. In addition, we will save Twenty-Three Billion Naira per annum from official travelling and sitting allowances alone.

Furthermore, the efficiency unit will cut costs and eliminate duplications in ministries and departments. Every little saving helps. The reduction in the number of ministries and work on restructuring and rationalization of the MDAs is well underway. When this work is complete we will have a leaner, more efficient public service that is fit for the purpose of changing nigeria for the good and for good.

As well as making savings, we have changed the way public money is spent. In all my years as a public servant, I have never come across the practice of padding budgets. I am glad to tell you now we not only have a budget, but more importantly, we have a budget process that is more transparent, more inclusive and more closely tied to our development priorities than in the recent past. 30% of the expenditure in this budget is devoted to capital items. Furthermore, we are projecting non-oil revenues to surpass proceeds from oil. Some critics have described the budget exercise as clumsy. Perhaps. But it was an example of consensus building, which is integral to democratic government. In the end we resolved our differences.

We have, therefore, delivered significant milestones on security, corruption and the economy. In respect of the economy, I would like to directly address you on the very painful but inevitable decisions we had to make in the last few weeks specifically on the pump price of fuel and the more flexible exchange rate policy announced by the central bank. It is even more painful for me that a major producer of crude oil with four refineries that once exported refined products is today having to import all of its domestic needs. This is what corruption and mismanagement has done to us and that is why we must fight these ills.

As part of the foundation of the new economy we have had to reform how fuel prices had traditionally been fixed. This step was taken only after protracted consideration of its pros and cons. After comprehensive investigation my advisers and I concluded that the mechanism was unsustainable.

We are also engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: significant amount of assets have been recovered. A considerable portion of these are at different stages of recovery. Full details of the status and categories of the assets will now be published by the Ministry of Information and updated periodically. When forfeiture formalities are completed these monies will be credited to the treasury and be openly and transparently used in funding developmental projects and the public will be informed.

On the Niger Delta, we are committed to implementing the United Nations Environment Programme report and are advancing clean-up operations. I believe the way forward is to take a sustainable approach to address the issues that affect the delta communities. Re-engineering the amnesty programmes is an example of this. The recent spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and power installations will not distract us from engaging leaders in the region in addressing Niger Delta problems. If the militants and vandals are testing our resolve, they are much mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators and their sponsors and bring them to justice.

The policy measures and actions taken so far are not to be seen as some experiment in governance. We are fully aware that those vested interests who have held Nigeria back for so long will not give up without a fight. They will sow divisions, sponsor vile press criticisms at home and abroad, incite the public in an effort to create chaos rather than relinquish the vice-like grip they have held on Nigeria.

The economic misfortune we are experiencing in the shape of very low oil prices has provided us with an opportunity to restructure our economy and diversify. We are in the process of promoting agriculture, livestocks, exploiting our solid mineral resources and expanding our industrial and manufacturing base. That way, we will import less and make the social investments necessary to allow us to produce a large and skilled workforce.

Central Bank of Nigeria will offer more fiscal incentives for business that prove capable of manufacturing products that are internationally competitive. We remain committed to reforming the regulatory framework, for investors by improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the first steps along the path of self-sufficiency in rice, wheat and sugar – big users of our scarce foreign exchange – have been taken. The Labour Intensive Farming Enterprise will boost the economy and ensure inclusive growth in long neglected communities. Special intervention funds through the Bank of Agriculture will provide targeted support. Concerns remain about rising cost of foods such as maize, rice, millet, beans and gari. Farmers tell me that they are worried about the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and the absence of extension services. The federal and state governments are on the same page in tackling these hurdles in our efforts at increased food production and ultimately food security.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the increasing role that our women are playing in revitalizing the agricultural sector. Modern farming is still hard and heavy work and I salute our Nigerian women in sharing this burden. In this respect I am very pleased to announce that the government will shortly be launching the national women’s empowerment fund, which I have approved to provide N1.6 billion in micro-finance loans to women across the nation to assist in rehabilitating the economies of rural communities, particularly those impacted by the insurgency and conflict.

With respect to solid minerals, the minister has produced a roadmap where we will work closely with the world bank and major international investors to ensure through best practices and due diligence that we choose the right partners. Illegal mining remains a problem and we have set up a special security team to protect our assets. Special measures will be in place to protect miners in their work environment.

For too long, ours has been a society that neglects the poor and victimizes the weak. A society that promotes profit and growth over development and freedom. A society that fails to recognize that, to quote the distinguished economist Amartya Sen “ poverty is not just lack of money. It is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential as a human being.”

So, today, I am happy to formally launch, by far the most ambitious social protection programme in our history. A programme that both seeks to start the process of lifting many from poverty, while at the same time creating the opportunity for people to fend for themselves. In this regard, Five Hundred Billion Naira has been appropriated in the 2016 budget for social intervention programmes in five key areas. We are committed to providing job creation opportunities for five hundred thousand teachers and one hundred thousand artisans across the nation. 5.5 million children are to be provided with nutritious meals through our school feeding programme to improve learning outcomes, as well as enrolment and completion rates. The conditional cash transfer scheme will provide financial support for up to one million vulnerable beneficiaries, and complement the enterprise programme – which will target up to one million market women; four hundred and sixty thousand artisans; and two hundred thousand agricultural workers, nationwide. Finally, through the education grant scheme, we will encourage students studying sciences, technology, engineering and maths, and lay a foundation for human capital development for the next generation

I would like to pay a special tribute to our gallant men and women of the armed forces who are in harm’s way so that the rest of us can live and go about our business in safety. Their work is almost done. The nation owes them a debt of gratitude.

Abroad, we want to assure our neighbours, friends and development partners that Nigeria is firmly committed to democratic principles. We are ready partners in combating terrorism, cyber crimes, control of communicable diseases and protection of the environment. Following on the Paris Agreement, COP 21, we are fully committed to halting and reversing desertification. Elsewhere, we will intensify efforts to tackle erosion, ocean surge, flooding and oil spillage which I referred to earlier by implementing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.

We are grateful to the international community notably France, the US, UK and China for their quick response in helping to tackle the recent Ebola outbreak in our sub-region. We also acknowledge the humanity shown by the Italian and German governments in the treatment of boat people, many fleeing from our sub-region because of lack of economic opportunity. We thank all our partners especially several countries in the EU.

We appreciate the valuable work that the UN agencies, particularly UNICEF, ICRC, the World Food Program have been doing. We must also appreciate the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, the Global Fund and Educate A Child of Qatar for the excellent work in our health, education and other sectors.

Fellow citizens let me end on a happy note. To the delight of all, two of the abducted Chibok girls have regained their freedom. During the last one year, not a single day passed without my agonizing about these girls. Our efforts have centred around negotiations to free them safely from their mindless captors. We are still pursuing that course. Their safety is of paramount concern to me and I am sure to most Nigerians. I am very worried about the conditions those still captured might be in. Today I re-affirm our commitment to rescuing our girls. We will never stop until we bring them home safely. As I said before, no girl should be put through the brutality of forced marriage and every Nigerian girl has the right to an education and a life choice.

I thank you and appeal to you to continue supporting the government’s efforts to fix Nigeria.

Why Nigerians Should Support Removal Of Petroleum Subsidy — Rights Group

By Mohammad Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – A group, under the auspice of Right Without Violence has asked Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s removal of Petroleum subsidy in Nigeria.

According to the group, it’s the first time Nigerians have a government that they have voted into power, not by elitist rigging and so, they must support its decisions.

This was contained in a statement signed by Pioneer Coordinator of the group, Barrister Suleiman Garun Ali made available to newsmen in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria.

He said Nigerians have a government whose body language, budget implications and policies seems to be tilted towards the interest the common man.

“President BUHARI, have in spite of everything, being proved to be a man of integrity. Therefore, our stands here is based on all the above that some of us have taken the careful position and urge all who will listen that It will be better to support the government.

“For the meantime to see how far the change efforts would come to fruition. We have come a long way and made so much sacrifices that it will be unwise to loose faith prematurely.

“It will be better to rid our system of opportunistic sources of corrupt enrichment by some oil marketers who take subsidy on the one hand and nevertheless sale the fuel surreptitiously through the black marketers at exorbitant price.

“We earnestly draw the attention of this government to open its eyes to the harsh reality that Nigerians are seriously suffering and the public support and confidence is clearly eroding.

“This call for urgent palliative intervention and quick implementation of the bugdets and policies expected to bring succour,” he said.

He explained that four years ago when the government of GoodLuck Jonathan embarked on subsidy removal, he along with some colleagues risked their lives, by leading the youth on peaceful demonstration, through what they tagged Occupy Kano, at popular Kano Line junction (Eagle Square), inspite of intimidation by armed mobile Police and Military then bent on suppressing their Fundamental Human Rights.

“We remain grateful to fearless Kano populace who turned up in thousands, courageous and alert journalists who gave us adequate coverage and above all the Almighty Allah who answered our, then incessant, alqunut prayers at the TAHRIR SQUARE. At the end we won and the government caved In- for in democracy, the people are always the winners,” he said.