We’ll never hang Buhari’s portrait in our offices –PDP

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has refused to hang the official portrait of President Muhammadu Buhari at the party’s national secretariat, checks by The PUNCH have revealed.

Over 100 days after the President assumed office, the PDP has yet to hang his portrait at any of the offices in its Wadata House national secretariat, located at Zone 5, Abuja.

The party has also said it would never put Buhari’s portraits on its walls though it has removed that of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who ruled on the platform of the PDP.

“We will never hang his portrait in this office, because President Buhari is not known to our party. He is not a leader of our party and therefore we will never put his portrait here. We are a political party, very partisan and therefore, we are not going to hide that,” National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, told our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday.

Jonathan was also the presidential candidate of the former ruling party during the last general election but he was defeated by Buhari, who was the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress.

The defeat was the first to be suffered by the PDP since the return of democracy in 1999.

Before now, the party has always been hanging the portraits of all the Presidents at the party’s reception area as well as the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee halls within the secretariat.

Metuh said the APC also did not hang the portrait of Jonthan in its offices before the former President was defeated in the March 28 election.

“Can you find out if the APC had the portrait of former President Jonathan in their office before he was defeated? That is just it,” he told our correspondent.

When asked whether the party was taking its own pound of flesh, Metuh said no but that since Buhari “is not a member of our party, we won’t put his portrait here.”

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, expressed shock at Metuh’s comment.

“This is ridiculous and we have no comment. Let Nigerians judge the PDP on this matter,” Mohammed said.

He said the PDP spokesman had a shallow understanding of the concept of opposition politics.

Meanwhile, work has stopped at the new secretariat of the PDP, located in the Central Business District, Abuja.

Investigations by our correspondent indicated that contractors handling the project were only doing skeletal jobs at the site.

When our correspondent visited the site on Tuesday, there was no visible job being done at the site.

It was gathered that the cost of the project was put at N11.5bn when it was awarded some years ago. At completion, the building is expected to have 12 floors, with two other floors serving as the car park.

The party had claimed that the project was being financed from levies and contributions from members.

When a fund-raising dinner was organised a few years ago, the party was able to realise about N5bn, and the project, which started more than four years ago, was to be delivered in 126 weeks.

The former National Chairman of the party, under whose leadership the project commenced, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, had then said that the complex, when completed, would strengthen the capacity of the PDP to discharge its role effectively in Africa.

The party had claimed on January 5, 2015 that it was going to spend part of the N21.8bn it realised from the party’s fund-raising on the party’s secretariat.

A former Minister for Information and the Chairman of the party’s Fund-raising Committee, Prof. Jerry Gana, had said the money donated to the PDP was not meant for the campaign of the defeated Jonathan alone.

Civil Servants Corrupt, Lazy, Inefficient Says President

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria’s civil service has a reputation for inefficiency, low productivity and corruption.

Buhari, who was represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, stated this on Monday in Abuja at the inauguration of capacity building programmes, tagged “Structured Mandatory Assessment-based Training Programme and Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme”, for public servants.

The President said that Nigeria’s civil service was declining due to its inability to articulate a vision and develop the required capacity to implement such vision.

Buhari said, “Many, who mourn the decline of the civil service today from its days as ‘primus inter pares’ in the Commonwealth to one which has earned a reputation for inefficiency, low productivity, corruption and insensitivity to the needs of the public, fall into the error of thinking that the problem is a poverty of ideas and capacity on the part of the civil service; whereas, it is the inability to clearly articulate a vision, ensure that the service develops the required capacity to articulate and implement the various components of the vision.

“The citizen, regardless of station in life, must be respected by the governing authorities and treated with dignity.

“Flowing from these is the imperative that our society must be governed by the rule of law, administered by a trustworthy, fearless, impartial and efficient judiciary”.

He described the federal civil servants as the foot soldiers in Nigeria’s march to a great destiny, saying he believed the federal civil service would not fail Nigerians.

“An army cannot afford indiscipline, inefficiency or lack of focus, especially because the hopes and aspirations of a whole society rest on your shoulders,” the President said to the civil servants.

Buhari said the civil servants must see themselves as servants and facilitators of commerce and entrepreneurship and that they must design policies and remove obstacles to doing business in Nigeria.

Buhari said the civil service should provide answers to questions such as “What are the strategic and financial planning initiatives important in a strong private sector led, free market economy but with a robust social protection system for the poor majority?

“What are the crucial communications to make to the people in a season requiring sacrifice and perseverance on account of falling revenues or for that matter communicate the position that our anti-corruption, zero tolerance stand, is not merely a moral or ethical stand but a developmental construct that recognises that corruption if not apprehended will destroy all institutions, the economy and eventually our society?”

Earlier, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, said the objective of the programmes was to address capacity and leadership challenges in the service.

He noted that the programmes were funded from the training budgets of the ministries, departments and agencies.

He said Buhari, in the absence of ministers, had helped to restore the confidence of the civil service by depending on it for support in governing the country.

He said the service would support the incumbent administration in its bid to bring about positive change in the country.

Kifasi identified effective leadership as one of the challenges facing the civil service.

He stated, “The Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme is one of the elements of the new Leadership Development Framework for the Federal Civil Service.

“ LEAD-P will help to identify potential leaders at the various levels in the service, nurture developing leaders and enhance the capacity and capability of existing leaders.”

“Our decision to restrict foreign training and promote home-grown capacity development is what has made SMAT-P and LEAD-P possible.”

“The programmes are funded primarily from the training budgets of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies and delivered mainly by Nigerian Management Development Institutes.

“This means that resources that could have been lost to foreign training institutions have been used to develop and strengthen Nigerian training institutions.’’

Buhari Has Committed Impeachable Offences — Senator Okon

One time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and member of the Akwa-Ibom State Elders Forum, Senator Anietie Okon in this interview, scores Governor Udom Emmanuel high in terms of performance within his first 100 days.

Okon

His assessment is anchored on the governor’s aggressive pursuit of industrialization, employment generation and wealth creation.

But the Senator is displeased with President Muhammadu Buhari alleging certain constitutional breaches which should provoke his impeachment. He is worried that the cardinal points that sustain Nigeria as one cohesive nation are being threatened by the President’s approach to governance.
Interview by Vanguards Tom Moses:

Given the uncertain economic situation in the country, do you think the programmes of Governor Udom Emmanuel would not be truncated?

That is rather a simplistic question. We are talking about resource management here and deployment of resources to the best advantage of our dreams and you do know that necessity becomes the mother of invention and not just invention but also the mother of initiatives.

What is your view on the alleged skewed appointments so far made by President Muhammadu Buhari?

Well, you know that is directly in breach of the constitution. The President maybe, heard what I said recently in an interview that he has been operating as a sole administrator and there is no provision in the Constitution of this country for the business of governance to be conducted in that manner.

Again; even in the attempt to people his administration, what we have had is a clear breach of the Constitution.

The very foundations of this country are very clear. The foundations demand a recognition of the differences that have ensured the emergence of a country and it is unacceptable where you fail to recognize the federal character of our make up as a country. This is not only condemnable but poses real danger for the future of this country.

So, what would you say generally of his first 100 days in office?

I have pointed out where there are fundamental breaches and failure in his approach to governance of this country. The cardinal points that ensure that this country remains one cohesive group, one cohesive nation are being threatened by the lopsidedness and cavalier approach to the appointments he is making into the federal system.

Given your position as a major stakeholder in the Nigerian project; what will be your advice to the President at this point in time?

I am waiting for him to fail but for the sake of the country; I hope not. I am waiting for him to continue to make mistakes so that we can find a window to begin to breathe the air properly and to rise up and create a viable alternative to the APC’s change mantra government.

With N30m Savings, Buhari May Be Africa’s Least Corrupt Leader

Following the declaration of asset by President Muhammadu Buhari, which puts his savings at $150,000 (N30m ), The Washington Post has said in one of its’ report that Buhari may be the least corrupt in Africa.

According to the reports which was tied to obtainable standards of other sub-Saharan African leaders, Buhari was described as being ‘dirt-poor’.

Recall that a statement released by  Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President,  Garba Shehu, reveals that Buhari has N30m ($150,000) in his savings account, owns five homes and two mud houses, an orchard and ranch with 270 head of cattle, 25 sheep, five horses and a variety of birds. He has bought two cars from his savings.

“President Buhari had no foreign account, no factory and no enterprises. He also had no registered company and no oil wells,” reads the statement released by the spokesman, Garba Shehu, describing the president’s assets as “Spartan.”

The Washington Post stated, “Corruption, after all, is a major problem in Africa’s largest economy. Buhari himself has publicly said that more than $150 billion is missing from the government’s coffers. Still, the public declaration appears to be an attempt to show some much-needed transparency. Buhari was elected in March largely by promising that he wouldn’t tolerate corruption.

‘What’s clear is that Buhari has done what his predecessors — and most other African leaders — have never done.’

However, It was stated in the report that the question on many minds is: Is Buhari, Nigeria’s former military ruler and ex-head of the oil ministry, telling the truth? Read the full report

 

Igbo Activist Sues Buhari Over Ali’s Appointment As Customs CG

An Enugu-based activist, Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo has filed a suit at the Federal High Court Umuahia, Abia state challenging the constitutionality of the appointment of Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd) as the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service by President Muhammadu Buhari.

New-Customs-CG-Hameed-Ali

However, Okonkwo’s suit is coming few days after Marcel Dim-Udebuani, a lawyer who hails from Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, filed a suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/732/2015, before an Abuja Federal High Court, accusing Buhari of allegedly breaching Nigeria’s federal character principle in his appointment of persons into key positions under his administration.

Dim-Udebuani who joined the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission as the co-defendant, contended then, that the 25 appointments made so far by the President were in breach of the spirit of federal character enshrined in section 14 (3) of 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He anchored his suit on the grounds “that the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country for all the citizens, South-East inclusive.”

Similarly, Okonkwo in the suit FHC/UM/CS/216 in which he joined the Attorney General of the federation and Ali, the plaintiff also sought the interpretation of Sections 5(1), 147(1), 148, 151 and 171(1) of the 1999 Constitution and the Custom and Excise Management Act, Cap. 45 Vol. 4LFN 2004 among others.

Okonkwo asked the court to declare that the appointment of Col. Ali (rtd) as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Services violated 5(1), 147(1), 148, 151 and 171(1) of the 1999 constitution as well as a declaration of the appointment as ‘ultra vires’ of the president’s executive powers and duties and breach of his Oath of Office.

He further asked for “a declaration that as at 27th of August 2015, when the President purportedly appointed the Col. Ali (rtd) Comptroller-General of the NCS; the President breached the statutory mandatory provision in section 147(1) of the 1999 constitution; having not appointed Minister of Finance, the 2nd defendant.

“A declaration that the appointment of Col. Ali (rtd) as the Comptroller-General of the NCS is not supported by any iota of law, and a clear violation of the Public Service Rules application to the NCS. A declaration that there is no enabling law made by the national Assembly as the authority for the appointment of Col. Ali (rtd) as the new Comp,troller-General, NCS, his appointment by President Buhari is unconstitutional, null and void”.

Buhari

Okonkwo told the court that the purported press statement by Mr. Femi Adesina, an aid of President Buhari was without due regard to Civil Service Rules, stressing that an appointment to the office of CG of NCS “shall not be made except with the recommendation of the Minister of Finance, and among Deputy Controller-Generals, Assistant Controller-Generals and or Controllers in the Service.

“The appointment was not in response to advertised vacancy, therefore the said appointment is of no legal consequence and as a retired Colonel in the Nigerian Army above 60yrs of age, a pensioner, he is not eligible for appointment into the federal civil service regarding the Nigeria Customs Service,” he stated.

Source: Vanguard

APC Leaders Angry Over Buhari's Appointment List.

The APC leaders are scared of the party becoming a northerners party, as majority of President Buhari's list are northerners.

Buhari, according to a statement by his Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Thursday approved the appointment of Babachir David Lawal from Adamawa State as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

He also named Mr. Abba Kyari from Borno state as his Chief of Staff.

Other appointments approved by the President, according to the statement, are those of Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (retd.) as the new Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service; Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi, Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service; Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate); and Suleiman Kawu as SSA on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).

Both Ali and Kawu are from Kano State and Abeshi is from Nasarawa. Enang from Akwa Ibom State is the only one from the south geo-political zone.

Adesina said all the appointments would take immediate effect.

It seems our president doesn't care about peoples opinion, He is just doing his thing. Hope this won't cause more dis-unity. We dey watch sha.