BREAKING NEWS, Political Briefs
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GENERAL Muhammadu Buhari, president-elect, will get the handover notes from President Goodluck Jonathan on May 28, 2015. He will also be conducted round the Presidential Villa, Abuja, alongside Yemi Osibajo, vice-president-elect by President Jonathan on the same day.
These were parts of the transition programmes approved on Tuesday, May 12, at a meeting of the Council of State, presided over by President Jonathan.
Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting on the transition programme. Aliyu said the Council approved a template that would henceforth be used during subsequent transition programmes in the country.
He said the process leading to the takeover of government by Buhari would commence with a Jumat service which would be held on Friday, May 22, and followed by a church service that would be held on Sunday, May 24. He did not give details of where the services would hold.
Aliyu further disclosed that a presidential dinner would be held on May 28, during which the handover notes prepared by ministries, departments and agencies would be presented to Buhari.
Apart from the president’s inauguration, a presidential luncheon and gala night would also hold on May 29.
For the inauguration, Aliyu said leaders of all African countries, as well as presidents and prime ministers of G8, had been invited for the inauguration.
Suswam, on his part, said Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel and national security adviser, delivered a comprehensive presentation on security situation in the country, especially the successes being recorded against Boko Haram, to the council. He said the NSA assured council members that with the feat being achieved by the nation’s troops, the incoming government would not be contending with insurgency.
He quoted Dasuki as saying that before May 29, Sambisa Forest would be properly combed and the insurgents’ camps annihilated.
He added that the NSA told the council that it took a while to win the war because since civil war, the country had not witnessed such a security challenge.
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Corrupt Politicians Must Return Stolen Wealth – El-Rufai
ANY corrupt politician who thinks that he or she can get away with the ill-gotten wealth had better be ready to refund or face the music. Nasir El-Rufai, governor-elect of Kaduna State and former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, said on Tuesday, May 12, that the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari would ask corrupt politicians to return every kobo stolen by them or be ready to go to jail.
He, however, assured those (politicians) who were not corrupt that they had no cause to fear. El-Rufai said the measure had become imperative because the incoming All Progressives Congress-led government would be in a dire financial strait on assumption of office. “We will politely ask those who stole government money to return the funds. This is because the people, who are in government now, are there to work for themselves. But the APC government is made up of people who are ready to work for the masses and the betterment of the country,” he said.
The governor-elect who hosted executive members of the National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, in Kaduna, said that politicians who looted the treasury must be ready to return all the ill-gotten funds after May 29.
The former minister, who decried the poor state of the textile industry in Kaduna State, gave an assurance that his administration would revamp it. “We will work with the textile unions to ensure that the lives of the average Nigerians get better.”
Speaking earlier, Oladele Hunsu, president of the union, recalled el-Rufai’s feat as minister of the FCT and urged him to take steps towards reviving the textile industry.
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Blair Assures Nigeria of Global Support
TONY Blair, a former British prime minister, said that Nigeria’s peaceful elections and transition of power have earned the country international respect throughout the whole world.
Speaking shortly after a meeting with General Muhammadu Buhari, president-elect, Blair said Nigeria’s image had gone up since the last election, especially with the clear signs of a peaceful transition by May 29.
Blair, however, assured Buhari of the goodwill and support of the international community to help Nigeria based on the peaceful transition of power. “There is enormous support for Nigeria now in the international community. The support takes into consideration the challenges that lie ahead and there is great confidence in the country,” Blair said.
While reminding the president-elect of the challenges that lie ahead, the former British prime minister expressed the hope that if the government could maintain the same momentum of goodwill that guided the election, then the country was sure of surmounting any difficulty in the coming years.
“Obviously, the future and destiny of Nigeria lies in the hands of its people. I just want to say to the president-elect that there is tremendous support for you and the country at this moment and all of us, in whatever way we can stand ready to support you and help you.
“It is a moment of great challenges which borders on the life of the people as well as their security and so on. If the same spirit and character that defined the election can be taken through these coming years to address the challenges, I think we can all have great confidence in the times ahead,” he said.
In his short remark, Buhari commended the United States and “other Western nations for making it possible for Nigeria to conduct a free, fair and credible election.”
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24-Hour Curfew Imposed On Maiduguri
THE Nigerian military on Wednesday, May 13, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Maiduguri, Borno State capital, following the deadly attack by Boko Haram on the city. According to media reports, sporadic gunshots and multiple explosions engulfed city from 5:00 pm into the night forcing many residents to flee their homes but were trapped as the military blocked major roads and streets in the metropolis to avoid further attacks by the insurgents.
The imposition of the 24-hour curfew was contained in a press statement signed by Tukur Gusau, a colonel and deputy director Army public relations and made available to the press on Thursday, 14. The statement said in part: “In view of the recent development within Maiduguri metropolis a 24-hour curfew is hereby imposed in the city. This is done to protect lives and property of innocent and law abiding people of Maiduguri.”
— May 25, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT
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Tags: Babangida Aliyu Boko Haram corrupt politician Council of State Federal Capital Territory Gabriel Suswam Global Support Goodluck Jonathan Muhammadu Buhari Nasir el-Rufai National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria Oladele Hunsu Presidential Villa Sambisa forest Sambo Dasuki Security Challenge Tony Blair Tukur Gusau Yemi Osibajo
