Nigerians are losing patience with us - APC

A member of the Board of Trustees of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Olisaemeka Akamukale has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly find solutions to the problems facing Nigerians as the people are beginning to lose patience with his administration.

He made the call while speaking with journalists at the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja.

He expressed regret that some people who did not believe in the change mantra of the party have now been appointed ministers under the Buhari administration.

“I agree that it is painful to see certain persons appointed. I know three current serving ministers who told me that Buhari would never be the President of this country.

“Today, they are benefiting from Buhari government, but they should be ashamed because it is only a dog that goes back to its vomit. I have nothing against them because people will tell you that after party, it is government, but they are political jobbers. They claim that the president went for technocrats, but the big question is, who is not a technocrat.

“The truth is that most of them are interlopers because it takes those within the party to understand where the party is headed. I agree that Mr President, perhaps, because of what he met on ground and style of leadership, has not been forthcoming with the distribution of leadership.

“There are lots of our members waiting to be compensated. It is natural all over the world. However, I am sure these things will soon be sorted out because we are getting there. I know we have to be patient but I know that some people are running out of patience.

“If by 2019, the dream is cut short by Nigerians, many people you see today, some who are ministers and others, will go back, but some of us will still remain. Many people will go back and look for a new government to take position. They will tell you that they are technocrats because they have nothing to lose.

“If you really ask me, I think Nigerians are becoming impatient with us because it is now about two years into this government. So, it is for Nigerians and not about me or about APC members. It is for Nigerians to know what this government will do to benefit them.

“I think the president should bring on board those who believe in the change mantra, those who yearned for change, those who could assist Mr. President in delivering the dividends of democracy to the masses of this country, because, at the end of the day, people that lose or gain are Nigerians. Nigerians voted for us and there are things they are expecting from us,” he said.

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Babangida clocks 75, calls for part time legislature

Former maximum ruler, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida recently celebrated his 75th birthday at the Hilltop Mansion in his home town, Minna, Niger State.

He used the occasion to call on President Buhari to reduce the cost of governance by making the National Assembly part time.

The former military president of Nigeria said that his administration could not conclude its work on part time legislature before he left office.

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Army/Shi'ite clashes: Buhari still studying report - Presidency

The Presidency has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is studying the report of the judicial inquiry into the clashes between soldiers and members of El-Zakzaky's Islamic Movement in Nigeria, before coming out with a definite pronouncement on the issue.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity , Mallam Garba Shehu,  assured international and local human rights groups that Buhari would respond appropriately to the report.

"The President is studying the details of the report before announcing appropriate response in due course.The President's commitment to human rights remains unchanged because it is a cardinal component of the democratic order.

"It would be recalled that when the clashes occurred in December, President Buhari had told the nation during the Presidential Media Chat that he was awaiting the outcome of the report of inquiry into the incident before making appropriate response.

"The present administration believes in due process and the rule of law; therefore any response to the report would follow this principle.

"The Federal Government will continue to act in the larger interest of the public to prevent such violent incidents."

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Day African automotive manufacturers visited PMB in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday received  a delegation from the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers,AAAM at the State House, Abuja.

The delegation was led by Jeff Nemeth, CEO, Ford SA.

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Boko Haram : Army releases Ahmed Bolori

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday night released Ahmad Bolori who had been detained for alleged links with terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Bolori had been arrested alongside two other suspects, Salkida and Wakil.

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Kerosene scarcity: FG begins massive importation

To tackle the skyrocketing price of kerosene and the prevailing scarcity of the product, the Federal Government has has opted for its massive importation.

This was disclosed in Abuja on Monday by the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Alhaji Sharif Usman.

Usman said that members of his association would have free access to the commodity when it arrives and would therefore bring down the price significantly.

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B'Haram recruitment in IDP camps: Saraki calls for probe

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, called for urgent investigation of rumours that Boko Haram terrorists have been recruiting members from Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps in the Northeast.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki urged security agencies not to disregard the rumors.

“Seeing that ISIS has been recruiting members from European refugee camps, and the Kenyan government recently had to shut down the world’s largest refugee camp because Al-Shaabab was using the place to train and recruit young people as extremists, it is important that we take the rumours about Boko Haram recruiting from IDP camps seriously,” he said.

Saraki also reiterated his call for a more holistic investigation of alleged diversion of materials meant for the IDPs last week.
He commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for investigating and arresting a contractor who allegedly diverted 60 trucks of grains  allocated to IDPs in Borno State by the Federal Government.

He noted that to secure aid and funding from international partners, there was a need for a better coordinated response by the Federal Government to the situation in the North East.

“What is clear right now is that we cannot do this alone. This is why we need to ensure that we put everything that we can in place to ensure that the international community is involved at maximum capacity.”

He denounced the actions of individuals attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of the IDPs, stating that it was unconscionable for anyone to attempt to defraud millions of displaced Nigerians in the North East that are on the verge of becoming malnourished.

“I have been to the zone twice in the past 14 months and I have experienced firsthand that the IDPs need as much food and health supplies as they can get. It is utterly immoral for someone to withhold food - in an attempt to enrich himself - while women and children are starving", he said.

The Senate wadded that he was  making consultations on the necessity of a Senate public hearing to deliberate on the government’s response to the IDP crisis, which many observers have called a looming humanitarian crisis - if not properly addressed.

“If we all have to sit down with the various stakeholders at the Senate to find out what the institutional and logistical hindrances are, that’s what we are going to do. It is not enough for us to say that there is a problem, we need to push out solutions quickly; hunger will not wait for anyone.”

He expressed optimism on the passage of the North East Development Commission, NEDC Bill, adding that the Senate was using the period of the recess to sort out the grey areas to ensure its smooth passage.

“I am confident that we are at the last stretch on the NEDC Bill - at least as far as the Senate is concerned. When we return from the recess, it will be very high on our list of priority legislative interventions,” he said.

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