North/South Youth Campaign For Buhari 2015

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday confirmed that he will not appoint ministers until September.
Mr. Buhari, who made this known in an opinion article published in the Washington Post, also expressed strong commitment to tackling corruption and institutionalizing good governance in Africa’s most populous country.
About seven weeks after his inauguration, Mr. Buhari said many have started questioning the change he promised during the election, but insisted that the process of change cannot and should not be rushed.
“When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office,” President Buhari said.
“It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim.
“In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.
“I cannot stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried out correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct leadership of the military and security services before we fully take the fight to Boko Haram.”
Since its independence, he said, Nigeria has too few examples where it can be said that good management and governance were instituted at national level.
He said it was lack of governance framework and real checks and balances that allowed many past leaders to plunder the country.
Mr. Buhari said the fact that he now seeks Mr. Obama’s assistance in locating and returning $150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of former corrupt officials is testament to how badly Nigeria had been run.
Mr. Buhari, however, vowed that the era of corruption and impunity in the conduct of government business in Nigeria was over.
On the ongoing war against insurgency in the country, the president said the world is moving closer to the defeat of Boko Haram, the jihadist group that has terrorized hundreds of thousands in the northern states of Nigeria.
In one of his first actions after taking power, Mr. Buhari replaced the heads of the country’s army, navy and the air force in a process that was based on track records and qualifications.
“These new military leaders will be based in Borno State in northern Nigeria, where the headquarters of the armed services has been relocated,” the President said.
“This shift of resources and command directly to the front line, in addition to the replacement of the head of the State Security Service, Nigeria’s intelligence organization, and a new emphasis on working in partnership with our neighbors, has equipped us to take the fight directly to Boko Haram.”
Already, he noted, the country was beginning to see a degrading of Boko Haram’s capabilities as a fighting force.
Instead of confronting the military directly, he said, the insurgents have increased their attacks on civilian population.
The President, however, assured that the new twist in the operations of the insurgent group is a sign it is losing the war.
“While we work to defeat the terrorists, I ask the people of Nigeria and the world for resolve and fortitude,” he said. “The campaign we will wage will not be easy; it may not be swift.
“We should expect stages of success and also moments when it may appear that our advances have been checked. But no one should have any doubt as to the strength of our collective will or my commitment to rid this nation of terror and bring back peace and normalcy to all affected areas.”
Mr. Buhari said during his meeting with President Barack Obama and other U.S. leaders, he would discuss plans for critical reforms, including why he is yet to form a cabinet.
He attributed Nigeria’s inability to defeat Boko Haram as part of the failure of governance, stressing that even the military is not immune to the problem .
To tackle the situation, he said, his government would first instill rules and good governance, followed by the installation of experienced and capable officials to manage state agencies and ministries.
Thirdly, he said his administration would seek to recover funds stolen under previous regimes so that they could be invested in Nigeria for the benefit of the citizenry.
While seeking the support and partnership of the United States, President Buhari said the importance of the fight against terrorism and corruption in Africa’s most powerful economy and largest country, cannot be underestimated.
He said Nigeria required military training and intelligence as its soldiers take the war to Boko Haram insurgents.
He appealed to U.S. business leaders and the Obama administration to help develop governance initiatives that would ensure that Nigeria’s wealth benefits its people, not just a few.
By taking these steps, he said, Nigeria would be positioned to benefit from increased investment – particularly in energy and electricity – from the United States.
“I was elected on a platform of change. I know this is what the people of Nigeria desire more than anything else,” President Buhari said.
“I know they are impatient for action. I realize the world waits to see evidence that my administration will be different from all those that came before. Yet reforming my country after so many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight.
“In our campaigns against both Boko Haram and corruption, we should remain steadfast and remember, as it is said: Have patience. All things become difficult before they become easy.”

$182m Halliburton Scandal: Buhari orders preparation of case-file

As President Muhammadu Buhari travels to the United States (US) today to engage President Barack Obama in talks on economic, security, financial and anti-graft issues, it has emerged that he has ordered the preparation of the case-file that would lead to the prosecution of the indicted persons in the $182 million Halliburton bribery scandal.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the President’s directive followed the requirement by the US government of evidence to show that Buhari was ready to prosecute the suspects in Nigeria for their roles in the bribery scandal before it could partner other European countries in releasing the $141million dollars allegedly looted from Nigeria and lodged in various overseas banks.
According to top security sources, Buhari, based on the outcome of investigations by the panel set up to look into the scandal, is scheduled to tell Americans officials during this week’s visit that all those indicted, including former Heads of State, a former Vice President, two former Group Managing Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, will face prosecution to defend themselves.
To further convince the US officials that the kangaroo trial that took place during the Jonathan administration, which saw a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the President being arraigned and then let off the hook following alleged connivance of certain government institutions, will not re-occur, the President will tell them that private legal practitioners, who cannot compromise because of past government patronage, will be commissioned to handle the case.
It will be recalled that the recent directive by Buhari to reopen the Halliburton bribery case led to the discovery that the $26.5 million plea bargain money released by the oil servicing firm as part of efforts to shield the company from prosecution was not in any government account.

The South African government has returned the $15billion arms money it reportedly seized from Nigeria.

The government of South Africa has reportedly returned $15 million to the Nigerian government. The South African border authorities had on September 5, 2014 seized $9.3 million meant for the procurement of arms for the Nigerian military, from two Nigerians and an Israeli who arrived the country in a private jet.
Custom officers discovered the money stashed in three suitcases after the suitcases were put through airport scanners.

The money was concealed in two black plastic suitcases, filled with 90 blocks each containing US$100,000 in notes.

The NPA said it found with the suspects, an invoice for a helicopter and armaments meant for Nigeria.
While the furore created by the cash seizure was yet to settle, South African authorities again seized another $5.7 million transferred by Societe D’Equipments Internationale of Nigeria, to South African arms company, Cerberus Risk Solutions, for the procurement of arms.

President Buhari Directs Rebuilding of Azikiwe's Historic Mausoleum

According to a Vanguard report, President Muhammadu Buhari isn't going to overlook the South-East in appointments and ex*****on of capital projects because the zone did not give him maximum support in the last election.

According to an official, Buhari "has directed a committee, which has former Senator Chris Ngige and some Igbo leaders as members to assess the Zik’s mausoleum and speed up the reconstruction of the historic site.”

”The president is out to Ndigbo that he does not hate them. Remember, he ran with late Dr Chuba Okadigbo and Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke for the presidency in 2003 and 2007. Now, he has agreed to be part of the burial of Owelle Chukwuma Azikiwe, the first son of Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe," someone familiar with the matter said.

“President Buhari is the President of all Nigerians and will continue to treat all citizens on the basis of fairness, equality and equity,’’ an official says.

Indeed, a delegation from the Azikiwe family met the president recently to brief him on their preparedness for the Chukwuma Azikiwe’s burial.

At least N11.55 trillion or $84.52 billion expected revenue into the coffers of the nation’s Excess Crude Account for the eight-year period from 2007 to 2014 are unaccounted for, according to findings by PREMIUM TIMES based on now available data from multiple government agencies not made public until now.
The ECA accounting has remained perhaps one of the most opaque public fund mechanisms in the country, puzzling even state governors who repeatedly challenged former Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for lack of transparency and accountability regarding the organization of the fund.
After a recent National Economic Council meeting in Abuja, a committee of state governors angrily lashed at Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala, accusing her office, as supervisors of the fund, of arbitrariness and probably illegality in the management of a fund meant for the three tiers of government but which the ministry of finance apparently ran as a sole federal government fund.
PREMIUM TIMES arrived at its computation based on differentials between expected accruals and actual withdrawals from the ECA honey pot.
Based on their reporting, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] and the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] claim that for the eight years in review, no fewer than N23.79 trillion was deposited into the ECA fund.
In its own accounting, the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee [FAAC] reported that for the same period, N10.58 trillion was withdrawn from the fund.
Although no where in the FAAC reporting was the N1.3 trillion ad-hoc domestic infrastructural investment and capital-intensive spending on the National Integrated Power Projects [NIPP] indicated, PREMIUM TIMES accommodated it in its analysis to arrive at the N11.55 trillion unaccounted ECA revenue.
Our estimate can even be said to be conservative given that we did not compute what could have accrued to the ECA from crude allocated to the NNPC for domestic refining, but which almost always ended up being sold abroad because of the bad shape of Nigeria’s four refineries.
It is instructive to note that for the first 41 months from January 2007 to May 2010, there was no single public record of transfers into the ECA by FAAC.
After the questionable 41-month silence on ECA reporting, the FAAC curiously resumed reporting in June 2010 till the end of the review period during which N7.16 trillion accrued to the national coffers.
It remains unknown if this unaccounted funds were stolen or mismanaged and if federal law enforcement authorities are currently reviewing the process.
The spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, said he had no information about any ongoing investigation regarding the ECA.
But concerned by what appeared a lack of accountability in the management of the account, the National Economic Council [NEC] on June 29 raised a four-man committee to examine accruals into and withdrawals from the Federation Account and the Excess Crude Account from 2012 to May 2015.
Members of the committee are Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe and Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna.
The panel’s report is still being awaited.
Repeated suggestions by the new Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that public funds were poorly and corruptly managed in the recent past appear to necessitate a deliberate, serious and careful look into the management of public funds by past administrations.

Buhari, Osinbajo to take 50% pay cut — Presidency

On july 10, 2015 at 9:42 pm in news
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President Muhammadu Buhari will take only half of the salary paid to former head of state Goodluck Jonathan, his office announced on Friday.
“President Muhammadu Buhari will only receive 50 percent of the salary paid to his predecessor,” the head of state’s spokesman Garba Shehu said in an emailed statement.
“The president’s decision to take a 50 percent cut was conveyed to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation yesterday (Thursday),” he added.
The annual salary of Nigeria’s president is currently set at 14,058,820 naira ($70,000, 63,500 euros), including allowances, according to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Shehu said Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo would also draw only half of his salary of 12,126,290 naira per annum.
The announcement comes as Africa’s leading economy faces the fall-out from the slump in the global price of crude oil, which provides most of Nigeria’s government revenue, and a public outcry over the remuneration of lawmakers.
His move is likely to add pressure on members of parliament and state governors to follow suit.
This week Buhari approved a package of measures to bail out cash-strapped states to enable them to pay public sector workers, some of whom have not received salaries since the end of last year.
Buhari has accused Jonathan’s government of leaving the treasury “virtually empty” while figures showed debts totalling some $63.5 billion at the end of March.
The 72-year-old is unusual among Nigerian politicians for eschewing the trappings of power and has earned a reputation for austerity, with apparently little personal wealth.

SERIOUS TENSION AMONG THE SERVICE CHIEFS AS BUHARI DEMANDED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

There is palpable uncertainty in the Nigerian Army as President, Muhammadu Buhari, is said to have ordered the military chiefs to furnish him with documents detailing how monies released for arms procurement to fight Boko haram were spent.

The president, Abuja Metro authoritatively gathered was also said to have ordered the military hierarchy to make available the records of total amount of money it received from the federal government to curb the insurgents.

Top military sources that revealed this development hinted that these and many other decision were taken after the president met with the service chiefs comprising of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS),
Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Adesola Amosu, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase.

The source that does not want to be mentioned said the president may have taken the decision due to grumbling in the military by some personnel, who feel that their bosses and other of their colleagues occupying strategic appointments might have taken advantage of the operations counter terrorism to make huge money and deny the juniors fighting the war their basic benefits.

This they insist was not unconnected with the huge amounts released by the government, while others met their untimely death in the counter insurgency war.

The sources say many of their colleagues who are now six feet below, would not have died if those responsible for the disbursement of funds did so sincerely.

This is seen as being responsible for troops poor morale that makes them not give their best in confronting the terrorists.

The attitude is said to have discouraged most personnel and officers who do everything in their powers to avoid being posted to the north region Our sources said that shortly after President Buhari was declared winner of the presidential election, top serving and retired military officers began to bombard him with complaints of misappropriation of fund by the military authorities and taking advantage of the war to make huge monies.

The complainants went as far as revealing the names of some of the officers allegedly involved in the blood money, who no longer hide the money they make from the operation.

These senior officer from our findings had nothing before the commencement of the counter terrorism war, but have suddenly become millionaires overnight and have acquired choice properties in the Federal Capital Territory and drive the latest and expensive cars to the detriment of their colleagues.

According to the source, those that took part in the deal now run around to gather whatever they can get to make refunds before nemesis catches up with them.

The source said: “I can assure you that the president has given them a definite order to produce the records of how they spent the money allocated to them for the Boko Haram war, this in in terms of weapons purchase, kits, logistics and others.

We decided to reach the president on this because a lot of our officers and soldiers who were not supposed to have died lost their lives while most of those that were lucky to be alive are now deformed, while the big bosses, at the expense of the young soldiers enjoy their ill wealth.”

“Some of us who are aggrieved decided to use our means to reach the president and tell him how our big men looted the money meant for the war.

To buttress how bad the situation degenerated, he revealed that: “Most of our personnel have no bullet proof jackets, no uniforms, prompting the soldiers to wear all manner of shades of camouflage. They are poorly fed and most times denied payment of operation allowances.”

Rather than provide troops with the things meant for the operations, they claims to receive condemnation from their commanders instead, and so many have been prosecuted, thereby dampening their morale.

“Most of our bosses, see the operation as an avenue to make money and lobby to get posted to the region,” another source told Abuja Metro.

“Unlike in the past when soldiers lobbied to go for International Peace Keeping Operations, because of the foreign currency we made. But people don’t lobby to go for peace keeping again, what they do is lobby for counter terrorist war in the north east because the profit is very huge.

“I can tell you authoritatively that one of our officers that occupied a strategic position and got killed by Boko Haram had over N90m in his bank account in one of the new generational banks, and that was just after only about five months that he got posted there. They are many such officers we know.

“And that is why we are happy the president, who is also commander in chief has asked them to make the financial records of the operations available and not only that, they have been asked to refund whatever money that they did not spend.”

www.kevindjakporblog.com/2015/

WE ARE READY TO NEGOTIATE WITH BOKO HARAM FROM A VERY STRONG POSITION- SAYS BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government would only negotiate with the Boko Haram sect from a position of strength and not of weakness.

Buhari had in his inaugural speech on May 29 said priority of his government was to tackle the sect and put an end to insurgency in the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina in a statement issued yesterday said the government would not be averse to negotiation with the sect.

According to him, most wars, however furious or vicious, often end around the negotiation table.

“So, if Boko Haram opts for negotiation, the government will not be averse to it. Government will, however, not be negotiating from a position of weakness, but that of strength”, he said.

He explained that the machinery put in place, and which would be set in motion soon, can only devastate and decapitate insurgency.

Adesina stated that the approach was multinational in nature, stressing that relief was on the way for Nigeria and her neighbours.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is resolute. He has battled and won insurgency before; he is poised to win again. It is a promise he made to Nigerians, and he is a promise keeper.

“But I say again, if the insurgents want to negotiate, no decent government will be averse to such. Didn’t the Taliban and Americans also negotiate in Afghanistan?”, Adesina asked.

He maintained that the machinery put in place would work in order to overcome the challenge of insurgency.

Adesina had in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Friday disclosed that the Federal Government would be open to negotiations with the Boko Haram sect if the group was willing to dialogue.

While speaking about the recent attack by the sect, Adesina said it was so sad that scores of people were killed in the vicious attack.

He said the killings by the sect would never break or weaken the resolve of the Buhari’s administration to overcome insurgency in the country

“You will notice that his first two weeks of administration were dedicated to tackling the insurgency. He visited Chad and Niger Republics and the following week, the Presidents of those countries also visited him in Abuja.

“The President of Benin Republic and the Defence Minister of Cameroon visited him; machinery is being put in place and once we’re through, we will see the end of the group. The target time for the deployment of the multinational force is July ending; that is in a couple of weeks”, Adesina said.

Buhari Orders Arrest Of His In-law Over 300 Million Fraud

Musa Yola who happened to be the younger brother of Aisha Buhari of President Buhari was arrested by SS based on Mr President ordered.

The young man duped a business man of N300 million naira with the promise of helping him secure oil block from the Buhari’s administration.

After telling the businessman that he was stupid to part with such significant cash when he should know that he, Mr. Buhari, would not participate in fraud, the president ordered agents of the State Security Services (SSS) attached to A*o Rock Villa to thoroughly investigate the scam. He also ordered the SSS operatives to ensure that the businessman recovered his money from his brother-in-law.

Alhaji Musa Yola was said to have refunded the money on Wednesday after which he was released on bail.

It is developmental to us as a people that Buhari led Government continued to gained international support many international countries especially United States of America have vowed to refund funds stolen by corrupt politicians to the country's treasury.

It is interesting that Buhari government continued to gained international support as international countries especially United States have vowed to refund funds stolen by corrupt politicians to the country's treasury.