Nigeria showing appreciation for strong partnership with Germany as President Buhari bid farewell to Ambassador Michael Zenner on Thursday in Abuja.
Thursday, 21 July 2016
21 July 2016 | STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
FG IN TALKS WITH NIGER DELTA MILITANTS - PRESIDENT BUHARI
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja said that his administration is talking to Niger Delta militants through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies to find a lasting solution to insecurity in the region.
Speaking at a farewell audience with Mr. Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria at the State House, President Buhari said that government is studying the instruments of the Amnesty Programme inherited from the previous administration with a view to carrying out commitments made that were undelivered.
“We understand their feelings,” the President said. “We are studying the instruments. We have to secure the environment, otherwise investment will not come. We will do our best for the country," he affirmed.
The President used the opportunity to thank the government of Germany for its continuing support to Nigeria in the efforts to tackle insecurity and the on-going rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced citizens in crisis areas in the North-Eastern parts of the country.
President Buhari also thanked Nigeria’s neighbours for their firm and unflinching support in the war against terror.
The outgoing German Ambassador noted that bilateral relations between Nigeria and Germany “had improved very much in the last 12 months of this administration.”
He expressed the readiness of Germany to assist Nigeria in the rehabilitation process in the North East to help displaced persons return to their villages. He also expressed the eagerness of German businesses to invest in the country, now that “conditions for investment have been put in place”.
The German Ambassador reiterated the standing invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel to President Buhari to visit Germany.
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 21, 2016
The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun has said that Nigeria is in recession but measures are being taken to kick-start economic growth.
Adeosun said this in Abuja on Thursday while briefing the Senate on measures taken by the administration to ease the hardship Nigerians are going through.
She stressed that government was committed to addressing the issues currently facing Nigerians while noting the release of N248 billion from the 2016 budget as part of efforts to get the economy going.
"Technically, in economic terms, we have had two periods of negative growth; we are in a recession but I don’t think we should dwell on that.
"The most important thing is that we are going to get out of it.
"Our social intervention projects have been funded to provide relief to the poorest. Every local government will be touched by that programme and we will continue to get out of it.
"While Nigeria lives in one of the toughest times, we are confident that the strategies we are deploying will get us out of the problems we inherited.
"Those strategies are about being disciplined about government spending to reduce wastage and leakages to ensure that we invest in infrastructure that is needed to create jobs and growth in this economy.
"On capital releases done so far, N248 billion has been released so far, with another N16 billion to be released imminently.
"Ministry of works has received N74 billion in the last two months, compared to N19 billion for the whole of last year.
Agriculture, which is the strategic focus of this government has received N22 billion compared to just N4 billion the whole of last year.
Transport has received N22 billion compared to just N6 billion for the whole of last year.
"The extent of our release shows government’s seriousness about reviving this economy and we are confident that the work we are doing will bear fruit; we are already beginning to see increased production in agriculture,’’ she said.
She added that government was making efforts to reposition the economy despite the huge drop in oil prices in line with promises made at the inception of the administration.
A security guard, George Bitrus was on Thursday sentenced to 1 month in prison by a Grade 1 Area Court in Lugbe, Abuja for stealing 18 pieces of corrugated iron sheets.
The 32 years old security guard who is a resident of Jeddo Estate, Abuja was convicted after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of stealing.
He begged the court for leniency, pleading that his employer had not paid him for several months.
"I am sorry, very sorry for stealing the zinc; I am pleading with the court not to convict me.
"I stole the zinc because I don’t have money to take care of myself and my family in the village. I am working but my boss has not paid me since September last year till date,
"My boss said I should wait until he sales his house,’’ he pleaded.
Bitrus explained to the court that the woman he sold six pieces of the roofing sheets to denied buying the said items.
After considering his plea for leniency, the presiding officer, Garba Ogbede sentenced the accused to 1 month in prison with an option of N5,000 fine.
Ogbede ordered that the recovered roofing sheets be returned to the owner.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Miss Oporomo Vivian, had told the court that one Anthony Mmuofunanya of Jeddo Estate had on July 8, lodged a complaint at Iddo Police Station, Abuja.
The prosecutor alleged that the convict who was attached to a building site along Jeddo Estate to protect properties dishonestly converted 18 pieces of roofing sheets to his own use.
She said that during police investigation Bitrus admitted committing the offence while 12 pieces of the roofing sheets were recovered from him.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 288 of the Penal Code, and prayed the court to try the accused summarily under Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
The convict could not pay the N5,000 fine and was taken to Kuje Prison to serve the sentence.
Following the furore generated by the alleged padding of the 2016 budget proposal, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin has resigned his position.
The lawmaker told a press briefing on Wednesday that he took the decision after thorough consultation with his family.
Jibrin had been accused of allocating 20 projects worth N4.3b to his constituency without the consent of his committee members.
Furthermore, and leadership of the National Assembly appropriation committees was said to have cornered N40 billion worth of projects to themselves
without the consent or knowledge of other members.
Although some members had called for Jibrin's resignation at the time, he said that his decision to step down was a personal one.
"Whether I like it or not, I was the Chairman of Appropriations and my signature was on all the documents even though I know that I am not at fault.
“Of course we are all aware of a lot of issues that took place during the process of the 2016 budget. I have always maintained one position, that as the Chairman Appropriations, i did my very best. Until date, I have said that if anybody has anything that I have done that amounts to an abuse of my office, or amounts to an illegality, that it should be brought forward.
“I’ve said it severally, that I can be reported to the authorities or the relevant arm of government, or the internal disciplinary measure of the House. Should take its course. And as it is until date, nobody has raised any issue against me.
“And that has been the case even while I was Chairman Finance. For four years, I was chairman Finance and I executed my responsibility diligently and I left an unblemished record.
"There were a lot of “obstacles here and there “during the 2016 budget appropriation.
“Even if I’m not at fault, it’s only proper that I take the responsibility. I believe that the best thing I should do under the circumstances is to step aside so that the committee can move forward.”
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government to investigate the December 12, 2015 Zaria clash between the Nigerian Army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has indicted the Nigerian Army for the killing of at least 347 members of the Islamic sect.
Those indicted included the General Officer Commanding, 1st Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade who was said to have authorized the operation against the Shi'ite sect.
The commission said that although it could not get the cooperation of military officials to establish the actual number of those killed, it was able to confirm the death of 349 people, among whom was a soldier.
“All the officers who testified were not forthcoming in providing full disclosure on the number of the dead, wounded and missing persons.
“There was no evidence that there was the requisite delegation by the president to the officer who issued oral order for the deployment of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army for the cordon and search operation,” the report said.
The commission recommended that the indicted persons be brought to trial before a court of competent jurisdiction.
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