Abubakar Bukola Saraki

POLITICS

2019: Electoral Violence Looms As Group Laments Former INEC Commissioner’s Plans To Rig For Saraki Dynasty

The Harmony progressives’ forces has expressed concerns over possible electoral violence in Ilorin west constituency over the public declaration of a Former INEC commissioner, Dr Nasir Ayilara to rig for Saraki’s dynasty at the upcoming polls.

Mr Abdulwaheed Jabar, the group’s spokesperson disclosed that frustrations have been building up in the communities over the irresponsible and insensitive words credited to Dr Nasir who was known to be a core loyalist of the Senate President who is contesting for the Senate seat of Kwara central for the third time.

Jabar revealed that there were widespread confirmed report that Dr Nasir Ayilara being a former INEC commissioner for eight years and having recruited many of Saraki foot soldiers to the commission during his service years in Ilorin West was responsible for delisting many applicants for the INEC Ad-hoc staff while those who never applied were given appointment letter.

This unprofessional and awful act of Dr Nasir was made possible as he was believed to have high profile contacts at the state commission office. Jabar mentioned that Dr Nasir was strategically positioned to coordinate buying of PVCs in Ilorin West where PDP were banking on to win but the wave of the opposition party in the axis kept soaring higher which infuriates the state power to be more careful and watchful.

The spokesman revealed further that Dr Nasir Ayilara had to summon his personal AD-Hoc recruits last week where he promised them more money from Saraki fondly called “Leader” tasking them to ensure PDP victory at all cost.

To further heat up the polity, he declared full support vowing to deliver at the polls even with his life while opposition political parties have vehemently promised to resist the move. The political temperature has flared up in the communities which is brewing a looming violence if unchecked.

“It is therefore necessary to sound this to the entire world that Ilorin West may experience violent clashes as residents are now living in fears, the peaceful atmosphere have being overheated by umpires who are supposed to be neutral in the electioneering process while our political actors keep directing the tempo”

“We call on INEC to specifically investigate the nefarious act of its former commissioner, Dr. Nasir Ayilara who was also indicted by a police probe panel to have benefitted from the N23 billion bribe during 2015 elections and to beam searchlight on the activities of its AD-hoc staff with partisan interest at the upcoming polls”

Finally, Jabar called on the New Kwara Commissioner of Police to nipped this looming violence in the bud to forestall violence which if unchecked could lead to a state of emergency in the state”.

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NEWS

Offa Robbery: Lai Mohammed Releases Alleged Evidences On Saraki’s Lies

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that he is presenting to the public available evidences of how the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, lied that he donated N10 million to the victims of Offa bank robbery.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the minister said he is presenting to the public both the unedited version of a live radio interview as well as the doctored, re-broadcast version on the donated fund to show Saraki’s disdain for truth.

Specifically, the minister said that in the live radio interview on Christmas Day Saraki said he donated the N10 million to the robbery victims in Offa.

However, it was doctored before it was re-broadcast to remove any reference to the claimed donation of N10 million to victims of the armed robbery.

Mohammed said he is releasing the evidence for Nigerians to see the extent to which “some leaders can go to deceive the people and peddle lies just to shore up their dwindling fortunes”.

”In the unedited live version, Dr Saraki, speaking in Yoruba, said categorically that he donated N10 million when he visited Offa to commiserate with the victims of the armed robbery.

“He claimed he is donating N10 million, whereas about N7 million was stolen from the vaults of the banks that were robbed during the attack.

”However, the version for re-broadcast did not contain any reference to the Offa robbery.

‘Whereas they claimed to have re-broadcast the interview due to popular demand, the truth is that they decided to re-air it without the claim of N10 million donation due to the widespread derision that greeted that phantom claim.

“These people have a chronic disdain for the truth,” he said.

Mohammed challenged the Senate President to answer three critical questions or learn to keep his peace:

“The first one is did he not say, during the live interview, that the money in the vault was N7 million and that he dropped N10 million when he went to Offa on a condolence visit?

” The second question is did he really drop any money on that occasion?

“And the third, did he or did he not doctor the original broadcast?”

The minister said while he would not want to exchange words with Saraki on who is truly on ground in Kwraa, it is important to let him know that six weeks from now, the people of Kwara will answer that question.

”On Nov. 17 2018, the people of Kwara gave a hint of their determination to sack the rapacious leaders who have dominated their lives when they voted for the APC in the by-election for the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero federal constituency.

” That crushing defeat so devastated the political warlords, who hitherto claimed
invincibility, that they started doing what they have never done before: going from ward to ward to campaign!

”Unfortunately, the game is up for them, as they will soon learn, because the people have resolved that ‘O to ge’ (enough is enough). In the meantime, they are free to continue to revel in self-deceit,” the Minister said.

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NEWS

Saraki’s 2019 Budget Comments Immature, Reckless – BMO

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has described Senate President Bukola Saraki as immature and irresponsible for the position he is occupying. 

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke,BMO said it was the height of irresponsibility and recklessness for him to glibly dismiss the 2019 Budget proposal as “hopeless” 

it noted that Saraki’s comments at a meeting with supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party were a continuation of the conduct of the opposition members of the National Assembly at the budget presentation.

“It is barely two days after President Muhammadu Buhari tabled the budget estimates in spite of the worst efforts of a minority group to disrupt the session, and here we have the supposed number three citizen brushing aside a document he could not have thoroughly scrutinized in hours.

“This is the same individual that did not make the traditional opening remark because he was too cowardly to look the President in the eyes and present a speech that was laced with lies and half truths that were later posted on his Face Book page

“There have been several Senate Presidents since 1999 but none of them has been as immature and egoistical as Saraki who finds it hard to separate selfish interest from national interest”

The group said what Saraki did at the PDP gathering was to serve notice to Nigerians that the 2019 budget would be stalled with no hope that it would even be deliberated upon as soon as possible.

“If it was a matter before the courts, Saraki’s irresponsible comments would have been considered subjudice. And that is exactly the situation we have on our hands now. He has played his hands early and there is nothing the Executive would do during budget defence sessions that would be satisfactory to this usurper

“So Nigerians now have the benefit of an advance warning of the Senate President’s intention to make life difficult for all in the name of politics by his outright dismissal of a document that was pain-stakingly put together by a team of experts led by the Director General of the Budget Office Ben Akabueze”

BMO also urged more responsible members of the two legislative chambers to treat his comment as an abuse of their privilege.

“This is because as chairman of the National Assembly, he is seen as the chief spokesman of the Legislature and what he says in and out of the legislative complex could easily be viewed as the opinion of all members.

“So it may be a good idea for more responsible Senators and Members of the House of Representatives to dissociate themselves from the anti-people comment of the Senate President

“They should not allow him to continue to desecrate the hallowed chamber with his reckless comments which boil down to the bitterness he once expressed during an earlier political meeting in Ilorin where he accused President Buhari of not literally throwing open the nation’s coffers for those who spent personal funds to campaign for him in 2015

“It is against this backdrop that we reaffirmed our earlier position that Saraki is not fit to occupy the position of Senate President”,BMO said

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NEWS

BMO To Saraki, Dogara; Resign Now As You’ve Lost Control

The inability of Senate President and the Speaker of House of Representatives to call the two houses to order and present their after Budget addresses is a clear indication that they have lost control of the two Chambers of the Legislature.

Sequel to this revolt, the two leaders should toe the line of honour and rectitude and resign immediately, says the Buhari Media  Organisation.

This, according to the group, is because this is the first time the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives would not make speeches at a budget presentation

In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke , BMO said that it was a surprise that the duo were not allowed to make the traditional open and closing speeches

“This shows that majority of the federal lawmakers in the two chambers are not happy with the way and manner that Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara have been running the Legislature.

“It is a tradition for the Senate President to set the tone for the budget presentation but it was clear that federal legislators were not prepared to listen to Bukola Saraki.

We note that the duo of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara have abdicated the responsibilities of their office, hence the decision of majority of the legislators to reject their leadership by refusing them the opportunity to speak after the president’s budget presentation.

“This should have been a clear signal for a honourable man to bow out but it is a word that cannot be used in the same sentence with any of the leaders of the two chambers”

BMO consequently urged Saraki and Dogara to step down from the leadership position that they continue to usurp in spite of being members of a minority group in the National Assembly

“We also commend the president for presenting a realistic and forward-looking budget which we believe is capable of consolidating the achievements of his administration in the last three and half years. The President has, through the presentation of an inclusive and result- oriented budget, re-emphasized his vision for the rebuilding of Nigeria within the shortest possible time.

“We therefore enjoin Nigerians to continue to support the president and his administration in their efforts to reposition the country and put her on the path of sustainable development and economic growth.”

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NEWS

Unpaid Allowances: NASS Legislative Aides Writes EFCC, Buhari, Fingers Saraki, Dogara, CNA In Funds Diversion

The last has not been heard about the #WeAreAidesNotSlaves movement of Legislative aides of the National Assembly as some Legislative Aides to Federal Lawmakers have written a petition to the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, demanding an investigation into “criminal diversion of their budgeted legitimate entitlements.”

They also asked the EFCC chairman to bring the culprits to book and ensure the prompt payment of their allowances.

It will be recalled that Legislative Aides of the National Assembly has for some months been protesting the non-payment of allowances and their poor welfare in General since the inception of the 8th Assembly.

Also copied in the letter is President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, Director General of the State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi, and the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Bolaji Owansanoye.

In the letter which was made available to PREMIUM TIMES, nine of the aides, who do not want their names mentioned for fear of victimisation, signed on the endorsement page of the petition. The letter was dated November 19 and received by the anti-graft agency same day.

They accused the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Omolori, of diverting funds appropriated to them. They accused them of complicity in the management of the legislative aides’ account.

An investigation in 2016 revealed that no fewer than 2,570 aides are engaged by the 469 members of the 8th National Assembly. Out of the number, 700 aides work for lawmakers in the Senate, while the remaining 1,870 are engaged by House of Representatives members.

As provided in the National Assembly Act, each lawmaker, excluding principal officers, is entitled to five aides – one Senior Legislative Aide (SLA), two legislative aides, a personal assistant and a secretary.

Also, the President of the Senate is entitled to 45 aides, his deputy, 30, and 20 each for principal officers.

Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives has 35 assistants, Deputy Speaker, 15 and 10 each for the six principal officers of the House of Representatives.

The number of aides to each legislator, it was gathered, includes those in their constituency offices.

The monthly emolument of the aides, which ranged from N150, 000 to N250, 000, sources at the assembly said, has been reduced to between N75, 000 and N180, 000 by the current leadership of the assembly.

All the aides are paid from the coffers of the assembly.

The letter, dated November 19, is titled “Petition on criminal diversion of funds of legislative aides by the clerk and presiding officers of the 8th National Assembly.”

In it, they explained that aides are employed on a short-term basis and entitled to allowances as applicable to other public servants and a severance package of 300 per cent of their annual basic salary at the end of the four -year tenure of their principals. ‘

Part of the allowance, they said, is the Duty Tour Allowance (DTA).

“Each SLA from Level 15 to 17 is entitled to the sum of N100,000 while other category of aides receives the sum of N75,000 every quarter as. DTA allowances. In essence, each aide is entitled to between N300,000 and N400,000 yearly as DTAs.

“We are also entitled to be trained four times yearly which was later compressed into twice a year. At the end of each training, each aide is entitled to a honorarium of N50,000 making a yearly total of N100,000,” part of the letter read.

They said of the 13 quarters DTA owed legislative aides of the 8th Assembly since June 2015, only two quarters has been paid, adding that there has been no training activities for the past three and half years despite the budgetary allocations for these items, “which were neither used for the said activities nor were they returned to government coffers as unused funds.”

“The non-payment of these accumulated legitimate entitlements has turned legislative aides into legislative slaves. We have been pauperized to the extent that we are unable to meet our financial obligations like payment of school fees, hospital bills, house rents, debt serving, putting us into several embarrassing situations.”

   

 

The aides praised the past senate presidents for reportedly ensuring the payments of such allowances and accused the present leadership of fraud.

“It is pertinent to point that past Senate Presidents including Evan Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Adolphus Nwagbara, Pius Anyim, Ken Nnamani and David Mark were all diligent in ensuring that legislative aides receive their appropriated DTAs and training allowances.

“We are hereby alleging criminal diversion of these yearly appropriated legitimate entitlements by the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Senator Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Omolori because of their complicity in the management of the legislative aides account,” they said.

The aides said all avenues employed in appealing to Messrs Saraki, Dogara and Omolori were unsuccessful, hence the last recourse to the petition.

Referring to a PREMIUM TIMES’ report on how National Assembly mismanaged billions of Naira through illegal expenditures and fraud, the aides said instead of settling the accumulated entitled, Mr Omolori engaged in sundry white elephant projects which are not captured in the original plan-of the National Assembly. These projects, they said, served as a conduit pipe of diverting and misappropriating funds meant to settle our entitlements.

When contacted, Mr Saraki’s spokesperson, Yusuf Olaniyonu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the Senate President has nothing to do with the salaries and allowances of legislative aides.

He explained that payment of the aides is controlled by the “management committee” of the National Assembly and that the aides are speaking ignorantly.

“The salaries and allowances of National Assembly aides including me, is handled by the people they call the Management committee which is headed by the clerk, like the bureaucracy of the National Assembly. The Senate President does not have anything to do with it. In fact, I attended a meeting he held with them the other day, and he told them, “I don’t know a single thing about your salaries and allowances”

This alarm raised by the legislative aides is not the first. They had on October 9, staged a protest at the National Assembly Complex to demand allowances – a protest which the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazak Namdas, described as “uncalled for.”

This petition also comes days after hundreds of staff of the National Assembly shut lawmakers out of the complex to demand payment of their entitlements.

The workers held placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Omolori is a contractor’ ‘Killing staff with poor condition of service’ and ‘Constitute the National Assembly Commission Now.’

Mr Omolori had addressed the protesters and declared that the problem was not from him but that the federal government had not approved the money for payment of such entitlements.

 

Premium Times 

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OPINION

Saraki’s Greed And Imminent Abeyance, By Richard Tayo
Dear Senator Saraki,
I wrote a letter to you almost 2years ago titled “When does ambition go overboard?”
Whether you read that letter or not, I am determined to write you another letter. I am writing this letter as a citizen whose tax is used to pay you.
 I wrote in the letter and I quote “Remember that everything that has a beginning must surely have an end. Meaning a time will come when your highness will be dethroned. You will look back and you won’t find those urging you on now”. You should read the letter sir because that time seem near.
To say that you are gradually losing relevance is an understatement sir.  And this is a spoiler; You may not make it to the 9th Assembly by way of losing your bid just like you lost the PDP presidential primaries with your infamous 317 votes. Should you make it to the 9th Assembly your case may be worse than that of Senator David Mark who won himself the appellation “Chairman Senate Committee on Silence and sit down look”. The stunt you pulled to become the Senate President should be thrown into the trash bin because it won’t work again. Affliction won’t rise the second time.
To start with, does the recent bye election in Kwara State sound a warning note at all? I guess it doesn’t. You don’t give up easily do you? You are like the proverbial cat with seven lives. Your party the PDP lost the Ekiti, Irepodun/Isin/Okeero Federal Constituency in Kwara South Senatorial District to the candidate of the APC Raheem Olawuyi. Never forget that Prince Ayorinde Adedoyin the governorship candidate of the Accord Party is already making in roads too. Does Atunwa stand a chance? Time will tell.
However, either the bye election defines how 2019 general elections will go or not it sure gives APC and other parties a psychological boost. It also gives credence to the rumor making the rounds that Kwarans are tired of your Godfatherism, imposition and subjugation.
This is where I blame Abdulfatah Ahmed the incumbent Governor of Kwara state, he allowed loyalty to become slavery. He would have been one of the best governors Kwara has ever had with his level of intelligence but your overbearing influence on him has greatly taper off and abridged his popularity and performance that he allegedly has to give up his senatorial ambition because you said so.
Recently we heard you graciously approved the distribution of some tricycles , motorcycles, grinding machines and computer sets to various beneficiaries selected from across Kwara Central senatorial district. Another desperate move? Annie Macaulay Idibia just empowered 500 women in Ikorodu Lagos recently and she did not make a noise about it. She helped those indigent women without expecting votes or any form of gratification from them. You sir, couldn’t have done a thing like that except in exchange for votes.
It was reported that you Dr Bukola Saraki The de facto governor of Kwara State said you would start offsetting salary arrears owned certain categories of workers in Kwara state how thoughtful. Or another desperate move don’t you think? Are you familiar with the lyrics “No alert no sitting”?
The song was recently released by the national assembly workers in protest for their unpaid salaries and wages. You are obviously more concerned with the politics you intend to play with Kwara people’s salaries.
Pretending you are moral, saying you are moral is not the same as acting morally. More than half your day is spent not working on legislation. Instead they are essentially full of strategies on how to make Buhari government patronize you.
Yes! You read that correctly, we all listened to all you spew out during your meeting with your cronies. For 33minutes and 55seconds you spoke about patronage, appointments and sharing but not for once did you talk about infrastructure or development of Kwara State.The following are excerpt as transcribed;
 “I had already promised some of you here that you will be MD of federal agencies or incharge of road maintenance, Nigeria Ports Authority, SUBEB and so on”.
“I know if I put one amongst you from Kwara in the Federal agencies, at least you will be able to sign contracts of 1Million, 2million. For the first time that I have been in politics neither the Senate president nor Speaker can’t appoint a cleaner”.
“When David Mark was Senate President every confirmation, he made for the President came with something”.
“Now we have seen signs that if Atiku becomes President things will come to us”.
This means politics to you is about personal aggrandizement. The meeting is a pointer to your insatiable greed. To you, politics is not about service but patronage. Politics is about sharing, haba Mr Senate President. if Buhari’s government did nothing aside from making you and your cronies realize that it’s no longer business as usual, Nigerians will be satisfied.
I must close by saying everyone joins a party where his interest can be better served. People take a plunge into politics to make a difference, and therefore there is nothing like immorality.
So why should one continue to remain in a party that does not have one‘s interest at heart or make a difference in one‘s personal life? The answer to this question is what leads politicians to crossing the carpet. You may not know it, APC members may also not know it too but the best thing to have  happened to APC this year was your exit.
Your greed is calling for your political abeyance.
@richardtayo
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NEWS

20,000 Saraki Followers Dumped PDP For APC In Kwara

Not less than 20,000 political followers of Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Friday, dumped the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital.

The decampees were led by a former Commissioner for Youth and Sports development in the state, and ex-leader of the PDP in Kwara South senatorial district, Barr. Kayode Towoju.

The group made their decision known to the public and were received by the Vice-President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo during a town hall meeting organised by the Kwara APC Youth Stakeholders led by Mohammed Brimah the SA to the President on IDPs (Social Investment)

The leader of the decampees expressed their gratitude to the President Muhamadu Buhari Administration for the unprecedented attention given to Social Investments and infrastructure by the Federal Government in Kwara and other neighboring States which has had direct impact in the economy of the State, they also expressed their readiness to mobilize other people to rescue the State from political slavery and return it to the fold of Progressives, come 2019.

While receiving the decampees, the Vice President Osinbajo urged Kwarans to support the President Buhari administration to do more for the people of Kwara, and desist from a system that gives so much to few individuals and nothing for the people. He said the time has come to unite all progressives in the State to ensure victory for the APC in the 2019 general election.

In an interview with Mr Brimah after the event, he mentioned that while the APC in the State may have faced a few challenges of recent, the resolve of the party members and stakeholders to put the collective goal of Kwara State’s liberation above personal interests is glaring and undoubtedly one of the main reasons attracting the PDP and Saraki followers who have been living in fear to decamp, as they can now see for the first time the seriousness and sincerity of purpose of the party to achieve this liberation in the State. He also thanked the several youth groups and general public who turned out enmass for their rousing welcome for His Excellency the Vice President to the State of Harmony.

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POLITICS

Atiku Abubakar: A Political Prostitute – Tinubu

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, has vowed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would beat down the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2019 general elections.

Tinubu, stated this at the National Consultative Forum of the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups held in Abuja.

The former Lagos Governor flaying what he described as political prostitution by PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

He also criticised Senate President Bukola Saraki for allegedly riding on the ruling party’s mandate to give a lifeline to the opposition. “He left the PDP, joined us, got elected, got our mandate, our majority and sold it for a pot of pottage. God is honest, Saraki is not,” Tinubu said.

The former Lagos State governor reca

Recall that Atiku Abubakar formally joined the PDP in December 2017, a week after he dumped the APC. He served as Nigeria’s Vice-President from 1999-2007, under the PDP.

 

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POLITICS

Atiku Is The Man That Can Bring Food To The Table – Saraki Tells PDP Supporters

Senate President Bukola Saraki says the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is the one capable of bringing food to the table.

Saraki said this on Monday during the launch of the 2019 PDP presidential election campaign in Sokoto.

His words: “The man that can bring food to the table, the man that can fight security, the man that can unite Nigeria is Atiku Abubakar.”

He added that the PDP has come to make situations better and uplift the life of Nigerian citizens.

“Now, they will deceive you to say that this election is about Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari. But, the election is not between the two of them. The election is about you, it’s about you women, it is about you, the young people of Nigeria. It is about every Nigerian citizen who is suffering untold hardship on account of lack of leadership.

“So, we want to review a lot of things. For instance is your lives better now than in 2015? Is security better now than it was in 2015? Are we more united now in Nigeria than we were in 2015? So, these are the things that are on the ballot paper.

“It is not a contest between Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari.”

 

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NEWS

Social Investment Programmes: BMO Accuses Senate Leadership Of Acting Atiku’s Script
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has accused the leadership of the Senate of acting the script of the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar on the Social Investment Programme (SIP) of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
 
it said in a statement by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke that the probe ordered by the senate is a ploy to cast aspersion on  the social welfare scheme through unwarranted accusations
 
BMO wondered how members of a political party that claims to be interested in the well being of Nigerians would be keen on truncating series of programmes that have benefited millions of people across the country.

“For the avoidance of doubt,the programmes in questuom include N-Power, National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, National Cash Transfer Project, and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) which has three components-Trader Moni,Market Moni and Farmer Moni.

“We wonder which of these programmes that have cumulatively lifted millions of Nigerians out of poverty PDP senators want abolished!

“Is it the N-Power scheme that has employed 500,000 youth graduates who are paid a monthly stipend of N30,000 and deployed as volunteers in various sectors of the economy or GEEP which has so far reached over 1.1 Million Beneficiaries across the 36 States of the Federation, with N27.4 billion disbursed in interest-free loans, ranging from N10,000 to N350,000”

It however welcomed the move by senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC to ensure that the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (Sure-P) was included in the probe
 
This BMO argued would give members of the Senate panel especially those from PDP the opportunity to compare between the pro-poor initiative of President Buhari and a programme that was elitist in concept and practice.
 
“The probe would give the Senate ad-hoc committee led by Senator Ibrahim Gobir a better insight into one of Africa’s largest social welfare schemes which has touched lives in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory” it added
 
The group is convinced that Nigerians especially the millions of SIP beneficiaries would revolt against the conspiracy to abolish the scheme by giving President Buhari a resounding endorsement in next year’s election for the continuity of the programmes 
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NEWS

Kwarans Marginalization: Your Statement Is False, Unpatriotic, Buhari’s Aide Tells Saraki

Mohammed Brimah, Special Assistant on IDPs to President Muhammadu Buhari, has condemned Senate President Bukola Saraki’s statement alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), does not have the interest of Kwara and Kwarans in its agenda.

Saraki, while receiving defectors into the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his home state had stated that “ever since I left the party (APC) as your representative at the National level, who among those calling themselves APC members in Kwara today have been included in any National affairs of APC?”

“If you ask those following them what they have benefited, aside fighting Saraki, nothing tangible will they be able to point at. Is that a party that Nigerians need at the moment?”

Responding to the claims, Brimah, at a meeting with members of the Kwara State Chapter of the All Progressives Youth Forum (APYF), in Abuja, debunked Saraki’s claim and described it as figment of his imagination.

Brimah, who also hails from Kwara State, explained that the Buhari-led administration has stood its ground in committing to youth inclusiveness and participation.

In his words: “President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has spent a total of ?4,105,372,257 in positively impacting the lives of both the young and old in Kwara State.

“The Buhari-led administration has also empowered over 14,000 Kwara youths through one of the Social Investment Programmes – Npower. Another 13,067 beneficiaries are currently benefiting from the Government Enterprise & Empowerment Programme (GEEP). Presently, 13,809 Kwarans are beneficiaries of National Cash Transfer Programme (NCTP).

“In few weeks, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) will be visiting Kwara state to launch the Trader Moni scheme for another set of 35,000 petty traders in Kwara State. These traders will be supported with loans to strengthen the federal government’s commitment to financial inclusion.”

The presidential aide also enjoined the supporters of President Buhari in the state to always ignore the offensive speeches by Saraki, reminding them that he has shown that he is a very dangerous person who can go any length to promote his personal interests.

“One would think with the experience and position Saraki currently holds, he would managed to play the role of a nationalist and a statesman, but sadly, rather than protect the interest of Nigeria both locally and internationally, he has been at the forefront of frustrating the efforts of President Buhari to reposition the country and make things happen.

“Saraki’s ever failing integrity test and litany of corruption charges against him are now manifesting in his loyalists and aides,” Brimah said.

Recall that Saraki’s anointed candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election in Kwara State, Hon Razak Atunwa, is already engulfed in in certificate forgery scandal. Report has it that the PDP’s governorship Candidate, Mr. Atunwa did not participate in Nigeria’s compulsory national youth service scheme (NYSC). Instead, he procured a forged discharge certificate of NYSC which he submitted to the PDP to prove his eligibility for public office.

Similarly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Saraki’s aide, Gbenga Makanjuola, for an alleged fraud of N3.5bn. Also, documents revealed that Abiola Aiyegbayo, wife of Bamikole Omisore, Special Adviser on International Relations to Saraki, has been receiving monthly salaries of N151,788 from the Senate without rendering any service to the National Assembly.

Additionally, Saraki is having a running battle with the Nigerian Police over his alleged linkage to the wide-ranging robbery operation that resulted in the death of 33 people in Offa, Kwara State in April.

Brimah, in his closing remarks, urged the youths and support groups in the state to embark on an aggressive campaign for the APC and vote massively for all the party’s candidate in the 2019 general elections.

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POLITICS

Restructuring: Beyond A Necessity, By Eugene Bright

It is great that most parties have now identified their flag bearers for the 2019 Presidential Election. In that vein, I would love to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, and Alhaji Abubakar Atiku of the People’s Democratic Party as the two major contenders.

The debate is expected to be issue-based, and void of unnecessary propaganda (hopefully) from both camps.
One of such issues is that of #Restructuring which appears to be a major part of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku’s campaign of which, I am of the view, should be addressed.

#Restructuring, as an issue, is not new. Actually, it was a major part of the campaign of the All Progressives Congress back in 2014/15. Atiku was a member of the APC at the time.

After winning the 2015 Presidential Election, the All Progressives Congress did NOT jettison the topic of #Restructuring. Not at all. Rather, the APC went to the drawing board to identify the best way to go about the issue.

After months of painstaking assessment, the All Progressives Congress constituted the True Federalism Committee (@NGRTrueFed) headed by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. The committee consisted of 23 members, some of whom have recently moved to other parties… https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/239907-apc-inaugurates-el-rufai-led-23-member-committee-true-federalism.html

The True Federalism Committee got down to work and identified 12 major points that make up the general concept of #Restructuring, as defined by Nigerians from different walks of life.

What followed next was a Call for Memoranda from the general public, based on the 12 classifications, with a 13th option for any other issue anyone might relate to #Restructuring…

Following the Call for Memoranda was a series of Zonal Public Consultations across the country, covering all the geo-political zones. These consultations were structured to receive feedback from elders, women, the youth & CSOs.

The Public Consultations weren’t restricted to within the shores of Nigeria alone as the @APCUKingdom collaborated among themselves to host one for Nigerians in the UK…

While the consultations moved from zone to zone within Nigeria, some of us can still remember Alhaji Abubakar Atiku’s comments regarding the input from the North East zone, with particular reference to Gov. M.A. Abubakar’s contribution…

The seriousness of the consultations on #Restructuring (True Federalism) led to the invitation of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to discuss the issue at Chatham House back in September, 2017…

The True Federalism Committee were working closely with the leadership of the National Assembly at the time, hoping for immediate and rapid deliberations as soon as the consultations were done, and the report sent to #NASS.
Back then, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Sen. Bukola Saraki were (assumed to) still be members of the All Progressives Congress

At the end of the consultations, the Mallam Nasir El-Rufai-led @NGRTrueFed made the report of their findings public, and actually organized a public presentation for that.

For an extensive read on the report submitted by the True Federalism Committee, kindly click here to download a copy: https://www.proshareng.com/report/%20Elections%20/Summary-of-Findings-by-APC-True-Federalism-Committee/10931

With the amount of work put in by this All Progressives Congress administration regarding the issue of #Restructuring, I believe what Nigerians should know that we are beyond the conversation stage. Rather, focus should be on why National Assembly has never deliberated on it.

It is my hope now that Sen. Bukola Saraki is done with his games & gallivanting, he will reconvene the National Assembly, and get to deliberating on the tons of issues begging for their attention. Issues that would truly help to #GrowNigeria. Issues like the report on #Restructuring

While I also hope that Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and his people will put an end to bringing it up like it is something new. It isn’t, and the All Progressives Congress have already worked on it. We can move on to the issue of #Corruption whenever he is in the mood.

Thank you.

Eugene Bright C

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