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Post Date : July 23, 2021

We’ve not stopped Nigerians from using Twitter, FG tells court

The Federal Government has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it has not stopped Nigerians from using social media platform, Twitter, adding that many Nigerians are still using it every day. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Federal Government said this in a counter-affidavit they deposed to in response to an originating motion filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, which was obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday. The government had on June 4, 2021, suspended Twitter barely two days after the social media platform deleted a tweet by the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). However, many Nigerians have bypassed the Twitter suspension by using Virtual Private Network. Malami in a statement threatened to prosecute Nigerians still using the platform while the National Broadcasting Commission ordered all radio and television stations to stop using Twitter or picking content from the platform. Rights lawyer, Effiong, subsequently sued the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Malami, and the Federal Government for suspending the social media platform. In the fundamental human rights suit marked FHC/L/CS/542/2021, Effiong is seeking nine reliefs, including an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further suspending, deactivating or banning the operation and accessibility of Twitter or any other social media service in Nigeria because the act was in violation of his rights. Effiong asked the court to declare as illegal the threat of criminal prosecution by Malami and Lai Mohammed against Nigerians who ‘violate’ the suspension or ban of Twitter, despite the absence of any written law. In an affidavit deposed to by Mr Ilop Lawrence on behalf of the Federal Government and the AGF, it was stated that the suspension of Twitter was not an abuse of human rights because Nigerians were still using Twitter despite the suspension. It read in part, “The applicant (Effiong) and the class he seeks to represent can still operate those Twitter accounts from anywhere in the world and even from Nigeria. Nigerians are still tweeting, even at this moment as the ban on Twitter is not aimed at intimidating Nigerians or an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to express their opinion. The respondents (Federal Government and AGF) have never stopped the applicant (Effiong) and the class of persons he seeks to represent from voicing their opinions to access government information and offer criticism where necessary.” The government told the court that Nigerians are still free to use other platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Tiktok and others. The Federal Government also denied knowledge of Twitter deleting Buhari’s tweet on the Biafra civil which offended many Nigerians. It said Twitter had made its platform accessible to elements like Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra; and had supported the #EndSARS protests of October 2020 which was later hijacked by hoodlums. The government further stated that Nigerians should direct their anger at Twitter and not the government because Twitter would not have been suspended if it complied with Nigeria’s laws. It told the court that the Twitter suspension would be lifted once the platform registers with the NBC and the Corporate Affairs Commission.

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Post Date : July 23, 2021

IPOB’s bank account in US closed ‘over fraud

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says it closed its bank account domiciled in the United States. According to a statement issued on Thursday by Chika Edoziem, IPOB head of directorate, the account served as a “worldwide” platform for members of the group to pay their monthly contributions. Edoziem said IPOB closed the account after it received a report from the bank that some “yet to be identified persons” accused it of fraudulently operating the account. He said another account has been opened to serve the same purpose, adding that members are advised to comply with the new platform. “That the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide, Nnamdi Kanu, authorised the opening of the IPOB USA, families were instructed to pay in their monthly contributions,” the statement reads. “That this same USA national account was also designated by our leader as the account for ESN worldwide contributions. “Following a report to the bank by yet to be identified persons that this account is fraudulent, the bank requested that the account be closed.” IPOB was declared a terrorist organisation in 2017 by a federal high court in Abuja which proscribed it on the request of the federal government. Nnamdi Kanu, its leader, is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony over his campaign for a ”Republic of Biafra”. He is in the custody of the Department of State Services pending the continuation of his trial on July 26.

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Post Date : July 23, 2021

REPORT: Only seven out of 5,349 medical labs in Nigeria meet International standard

Only seven out of the over 5,349 medical laboratories in Nigeria meet the ISO 15189 international accreditation standards of the International Organisation for Standardisation’s Technical Committee for medical laboratories. The ISO 15189:2012 is an internationally regulatory standard for medical labs that accredits a laboratory as meeting quality management systems and a standard used by regulators, accreditation bodies and customers to confirm or recognize a laboratory’s competence. Heads of Regulatory and accreditation bodies to include the Director-General, Nigeria National Accreditation System (NINAS), Dr Celestine Okanya; Director, Laboratory Programme Group, GHMS, United States Pharmacopeia (USP), Mr Ade Adekoya, disclosed the Nigerian situation while presenting the ISO 15189 laboratory accreditation certificate to Access to Basic Medical Care Foundation, in Ibadan, on Thursday. Speaking at the event, DG, NINAS, Okanya said the ABC foundation was joining the big league of less than 10 medical laboratories in Nigeria whose laboratory results are acceptable anywhere in the world. While noting that more laboratories in the country only had the ISO 17025 certification, Okanya said the government must encourage and support private laboratories for them to meet the yearning of Nigerians for quality health service delivery. Speaking in the same vein, Director, Laboratory Programme Group, GHMS, USP< Mr Ade Adekoya described the fact that there were less than 10 out of over 5,349 medical laboratories in Nigeria, with ISO 15189, as unacceptable. He noted that the ABC foundation was the third to be accredited by NINAS to ISO 15189 and the second in Oyo state. Adekoya charged the government and owners of private laboratories to take steps towards having accreditation of international standards. Responding to the charge, Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora identified public/private partnership in health as crucial to providing health security for Nigerians. He lamented that the fact that there were less than 10 out of over 5,000 laboratories with ISO 15189 certification was evidence that the nation had a long journey ahead in strengthening medical and public health laboratory science capacity in Nigeria. Stressing the importance of quality diagnosis, Mamora decried several medical errors by a lot of laboratories due to the incompetence of medical personnel or/and the use of expired reagents to carry out tests. “We have a long way to go and it is a challenge for us in the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health cannot do it alone and that is why Public/Private partnership in health is encouraged so that we can do more together. “A lot of laboratories does not tell the right thing usually due to the incompetence of the personnel in the medical facility or people using expired reagents to carry out tests. It is important to make very right diagnosis. “The ISO certification highlights the importance of right diagnosis. With this accreditation of ABC, we are even more confident in the services of public health laboratories and we want to highlight that the ABC laboratory is one of less than 10 laboratories in Nigeria with the ISO 15189 award. We have over 5,000 laboratories and less than 10 have this accreditation. “While this should give you a sense of pride, it is also a stark reminder that we have a long journey ahead in strengthening medical and public health laboratory science capacity in Nigeria,” Mamora said. In her remarks, Director General, National Agency for Food and Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye charged the ABC Foundation to sustain the quality culture that made them get the ISO accreditation. He, especially, charged the ABC foundation on transparency, customer satisfaction, continual process improvement, continual improvement of service delivery, continuous training. Former Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who chaired the occasion, acknowledged that the continent was far behind in providing quality laboratory services. He lauded the provision of a quality lab by the ABC foundation as a major effort in repositioning health care in the country. He urged the ABC foundation to maintain standards and its reliability, noting that scientists, clinicians around the world would be confident to use the facility that has a certificate of quality and authoritative recognition by the International Organisation for Standardisation’s Technical Committee. Founder, ABC Foundation, Dr Florence Ajimobi assured that the laboratory will remain committed to quality systems and improvement of its service delivery that will provide the basis for better customer satisfaction, staff motivation and continuous improvement. She assured that the laboratory will continue to uphold validity and appropriateness of test methods, improve sample handling and testing across the process workflow, further motivate team members with improved morale to touch more lives. Furthermore, she assured of continued improvement and review of policies, conformity with global best practices, satisfaction with full conditions of law and regulatory agencies and ensuring that clients have confidence that the services received at the facility are assuring and safe. Other dignitaries at the event included: former Minister of Industry, Chief Onikepo Akande; Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr Gambo Aliu; former Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge; Chief Medical Officer, UCH, Professor Jesse Otegbayo; former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Joseph Tegbe; Rochee Representative, West Africa, Taofeek Olorunoba; Senator Sola Adeyeye representing Osun Central; Senator Fatai Buhari representing Oyo North; Vice-Chancellor, First Technical University, Professor Ayobami Salami; Dr Wale Falana of the Oyo State Ministry of Health; Honourable Tolulope Akade-Sadipe representing Oluyole federal constituency.

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Post Date : July 23, 2021

Irabor visits Imo, says military won’t allow violent secession agitations

Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff, says the army will not condone violent secession agitations. Irabor said this during a meeting with retired senior military officers in Imo on Thursday. He said the military has no business with those who follow the law but will not condone anyone instigating violence. “It is not the job of the military to stop anyone from agitating for whatever he so wishes. It is a political thing,” he said. “What we are against is having to use the instrument of violence to bring about the agitation. “We have a constitution that enables us to present whatever grievances that we have. So, if anyone is going outside the provisions of the Constitution, of course, we as military and other security agencies won’t allow that. Why do you have to kill to achieve your desires?” He said the military will withstand any attempt by individual, group or anybody wielding violence against the state. “That we will not allow, ”he said. “Again, there are provisions for anyone who believes that he has certain desires within the confines of the arrangement as enshrined in the constitution to ventilate such views. “So, this is the reason we think that violence is not the way to go. We are appealing to everyone to seek the course of rule of law to bring about whatever his agitations are,” he said. Irabor said the parley is designed to tackle security menace ravaging the country. “I am happy to note that the civil-military cooperation department which I established as the Chief of Army Staff has grown and is today playing a major role in interfacing between the military and civil society,” he said.

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Post Date : July 23, 2021

Kebbi Gov: Efforts At Improving Nigeria’s Security Are Paying Off

Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State says the government’s efforts at securing the country and improving agriculture are yielding dividends. The governor spoke on Thursday when some Progressives Governors visited President Muhammadu Buhari in his Daura country home in Katsina State. “I drove from Kebbi State to Daura, and stopped to pick the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, and realized that for the eight hours of coming here, we didn’t see more than 10km of land that was not cultivated,” the Kebbi leader explained. “It goes to show that the efforts to improve security are also paying off. Farmers are taking advantage and planting.” Governor Bagudu equally lauded President Buhari for providing vision and strong leadership to the APC. “In six weeks, Your Excellency, you have commissioned projects in Lagos, Kano, Katsina and Borno States, and also launched some projects virtually,” he said. “We appreciate the projects the federal government is doing in every state of the country and supporting governors, even those that are not so progressive.” President Muhammadu while addressing the governors, called on historians and intellectuals to be fair in documenting his government, asking them to reflect on the level of insecurity in Nigeria before he assumed office. The 78-year-old noted that it would be unfortunate to mislead the electorate with lies, and personal bias, emphasising the need to put the larger interest of the country beyond other considerations. “For the time remaining, and for those who have one more term in office based on the provision of the constitution, the elections are important to the parties,” Garba Shehu, one of his media aides, Garba Shehu, quoted him as saying

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Post Date : July 23, 2021

Two brother brutalise pregnant woman in Ebonyi

Police in Ebonyi have arrested two siblings for allegedly attacking an expectant mother and inflicting injuries on her. The police gave the name of the arrested brothers as Sunday Nnabu and Chidera Nnabu. They allegedly attacked Mrs. Anna Nwonu at her home in Ndufu Ezzama, Ezza South local government area of the state. Her husband, Pastor Benjamin Nwonu told The Nation that the suspects came into his compound with their mother and brutalised his pregnant wife, inflicting injuries on her. Police spokesperson, Loveth Odah confirmed the arrest of the suspects by the command, describing their cases as stealing, malicious damage and assault occasioning harm”.

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Post Date : July 23, 2021

Lagos NURTW generates N123bn annually – Report

The Lagos chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, locally called agberos, generates about N123.08bn annually, which could service the annual budget of Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states put together, a statistical report by the International Centre for Investigative Report has shown. The data, which was released on Thursday, showed that the money was realised through levies on passenger vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles. Other sources of income not included in the report were money levied on hawkers, articulated vehicles, and persons who visited certain markets to buy goods. The report recorded a total of 75,000 buses; 50,000 tricycles; and 37,000 motorcycles. It showed that on a daily basis, N3,000, N600, and N1,800 were levied on buses, motorcycles, and tricycles respectively. These levies sum up to N82.1bn for buses; N8.1bn for motorcycles; and N32.9bn for tricycles yearly; making a total of N123.078bn yearly. Speaking on how the union could generate such money, a close associate of the NURTW who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, “It is a highly connected and well-organised syndicate. “Take Idumota, for example; some agberos work in the office, others work on the streets; some work in the morning, some are constantly on afternoon shifts. “Some also have days that they work. Although, there is a fixed price, the rule of the game is that the agberos charge the drivers based on the amount they charge the passengers.” He added that in Idumota, there were over seven chairmen who get deliveries from the boys that work on the streets. “The boys have delivery targets, which is the reason they act rudely to drivers and passengers alike,” he added. He narrated further that to work with them, one must know one NURTW chairman or another renowned hoodlum on the street. He mentioned the case of a young man who went to Badagry to get diabolic fortifications so that he could be effective on the job. A passenger, Emmanuel Francis, expressed concerns over the activities of NURTW members. He urged the Federal Government to regulate their activities. When contacted, a spokesperson for the Lagos Internal Revenue Service, Monsurat Amasa, said she could not comment on the amount the NURTW generates, but added that as a part of the informal sector, the body pays taxes to the government.

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Post Date : July 22, 2021

Sunday Igboho back to custody, wife released as Beninese court resumes today over immigration offences

Ibe Pascal Arogorn The case involving Sunday Adeyemo, Yoruba nation agitator popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has been adjourned till Friday (today). The Cour De’appal De Cotonou in Benin Republic adjourned hearing till Friday, July 23. The separatist activist is believed to have been arraigned on immigration-related offences. After the adjournment, neither Igboho’s lawyers nor the Beninese counsel spoke on what transpired in the court, BBC Yoruba reports. Igboho and his wife have been in custody since their arrest at Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou, as they attempted to board a flight to Germany on Monday. They were interrogated by Beninese security operatives at the Brigade Criminelle facility between Wednesday and Thursday. Olayomi Koiki, media aide to Igboho, had earlier said the outcome of the court hearing will be favourable. “Benin Republic respects its laws and we have to appreciate that instead of listening to distractions. We all know that Igboho is not a criminal or terrorist,” he had said. “Let us therefore allow the lawyers to do their work. We all want to know the outcome of the case but let us be patient for now. Maybe, there will be more update today or tomorrow. Whatever happens will be in our favour.” While the hearing lasted, Igboho’s supporters milled around the court premises awaiting the outcome. Beninise court orders release of Igboho’s wife Cour D’Appel De Cotonou, Benin Republic has ordered the release of Ropo, the wife of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho. The court ordered her release after a hearing on Thursday. However, Igboho was returned to the custody of Brigade Criminelle in Cotonou, Benin Republic. This is as the court adjourned the case involving the Yoruba rights activist till Friday, July 23, 2021. Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested at the Cardinal Bernardin International Airport, Cotonou while trying to catch a flight to Germany. The PUNCH was told that Ropo was released after the court found out that she had not committed any offence. “Yes, she has been released,” the National Chairman of Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Wale Adeniran, said while confirming her release to The PUNCH. After the hearing, the government lawyer didn’t address journalists. Ìgbòho’s lawyer, Yomi Aliyu (SAN), explained that “this is not the best time to say anything on the case”. Sunday Igboho to be tried for immigration offence before extradition hearing Spirited efforts by the Federal Government to fast track the extradition of Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Ighoho may have hit the rocks as he will be tried for obtaining fake Beninoise international passport in Cotonou, capital of the Republic of Benin, Nigerian Tribune has authoritatively gathered. Though details of what transpired in the court on Thursday when Igboho was brought, alongside his wife, Ropo were still sketchy, our sources informed Nigerian Tribune that authorities in the neighbouring West African nation insisted on a fair trial for Igboho on immigration offence before considering the demand of Nigerian government over his extradition. According to the source, the Beninoise government said it will not handle a request for extradition without first trying him for the local offence he was arrested for. Igboho was arrested on Monday night in Cadjèhoun Airport, Cotonou with a “fake” Beninoise passport while trying to flee to Germany. The Nigerian government, through its Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Tukur Buratai, had mounted pressure on the Beninoise government on extraditing Igboho to Nigeria. It was gathered that the former Chief of Army Staff wrote two letters to the government of the West African country and insisted on the arrest and extradition of Igboho. Buratai had in the letters described the activist as a terrorist and murderer. “Nigeria had written two letters to the West African state, describing Igboho as a terrorist and murderer. The first letter was written on July 7th. A second letter describing his bodily features was passed on to the Benin Republic on Wednesday. He is expected to be arraigned for immigration-related offences in Benin Republic on Thursday after a deft move by the Buhari government to bring him back to Nigeria. Meanwhile, Igboho hired a Beninoise lawyer identified as Rafael Huvehnou. Huvehnou is currently an attorney to the President of the Benin Republic. “Igboho had given a statement to the police. He was travelling with a Beninoise passport adjudged to be fake. Falana to FG: Igboho’s extradition must follow due process — he can’t be deported Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the federal government cannot extradite Sunday Adeyemo, a Yoruba youth better know as Sunday Igboho, from Benin Republic without due process. Igboho was declared wanted by the Department of State Services (DSS) early in July after his Ibadan house was raided by the operatives of the security agency. He was arrested at Cotonou Airport with his wife on while on their way to Germany on Monday, and he’s currently been held by security operatives in the country. In a statement on Thursday, Falana said the request by Nigeria to extradite Igboho must be supported by a statement of offences. “Contrary to speculations in the media, it is submitted that Igboho cannot be expelled from Benin and deported to Nigeria on the basis of his arrest by Interpol without due process as prescribed by Article 12(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights which provides that ‘A non-national legally admitted in a territory of a State Party to the present Charter, may only be expelled from it by virtue of a decision taken in accordance with the law,’” he said. “Thus, the Federal Government cannot bring back Igboho to the country without first making a request for his extradition and prosecution in Nigeria pursuant to the provisions of the ECOWAS Convention A/P.1/8/94 on Extradition, which is applicable in the 15 member states of the ECOWAS. “It is pertinent to note that the 1994 ECOWAS Convention has superseded the 1984 Extradition Treaty between Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Ghana pursuant

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Post Date : July 22, 2021

INEC To Procure 200,000 e-Voting Machines, Invites 49 Vendors

Amid the angst across Nigeria following the rejection of obligatory electronic transmission of election results by the National Assembly during its amendment of the Electoral Act, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has hinted it is working on procuring at least 200,000 electronic voting machines. The commission said by its own processes and procedures, it is dealing with four components of Electronic Voting System (EVS): Electronic Voter Register (EVR), Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), Electronic Voter Authentication (EVA) and Electronic Transmission of Results (ETR). Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP in Abuja, INEC’s national commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye, said the commission had invited 49 companies for a Request for Information (RFI) demonstration and that it was yet to shortlist any company for the purposes of supplying any of the machines. Okoye said, “The commission is working on the estimates for these machines and we are working at procuring at least 200,000.’’ He noted that the commission had been uploading Polling Unit Results with its Smart Card Readers, the Z-pad and other electronic solutions. “The commission is embarking on the Continuous Voter Registration exercise using a new Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) that captures fingerprints and facials and also has the capacity for authentication,’’ he said. Okoye, who did not mention the cost of the machines, stated that the commission was working on a package that contains the four elements of the electronic voting system. A report by the New York University School of Law, Brennan Centre for Justice on the ‘Cost of Replacing Paperless, Computerised Voting Machines in the United States said it would fall in the range of $130 million to $400 million. However, the Brennan Centre said this estimate is specific to the cost of the machine itself and does not include other items related to using and maintaining machines over time that may be included in a voting machine contract. LEADERSHIP reports that INEC had already acquired many these machines and their appurtenances and used them in Edo and Ondo governorship elections, and in several other off-season legislative elections across the country. If electronic transmission of results is not approved in the new electoral act, the machines would become redundant and waste away, with all the investment in them, running into hundreds of millions of dollars The National Assembly had in 2018 approved the sum of N189 billion for the 2019 poll, and some Nigerians are of the view that INEC might spend about $300 million or more to purchase at least 200,000 electronic voting machines for the 2023 elections. So far, a handful of companies including Smartmatic, Dominion and Election Software and Systems create and sell the hardware and software that tally and tracks votes and the lucrative support contracts to keep them going. The companies are a sizable global business that Wintergreen Research estimates will be worth $8 billion by 2026. This is because, although elections are ultimately a public affair, the mechanics of democracy are, in practice, powered by private enterprise. LEADERSHIP reports that the passage of the 2021 electoral amendment bill by the National Assembly, especially clause 52(3) seeking electronic transmission of election results by INEC, has continued to generate controversy among Nigerians who see the process as one of the ways of ensuring free, fair and credible elections. All 52 senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) voted against the obligatory transmission of election results, while 28 voted for it during the clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021. A total of 28 others were absent during the voting process. Meanwhile, the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, has expressed fear that the recent rejection of electronic transmission of election results by INEC as proposed in the new amended Electoral Act by the National Assembly would spark a revolt by the masses ahead of the 2023 general election. He also accused the federal government-controlled All Progressives Congress (APC) of having designed a scheme to shore up its numerical strength by coercing all corrupt politicians to join the party, or face prosecution. Chief Nwosu told LEADERSHIP in Awka, the Anambra State capital, yesterday that by rejecting the proposal in the new amended Electoral Act, as passed recently by the Senate for INEC, to adopt electronic transmission of election results, members of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly have shown that they are against allowing the votes of the electorate to determine the outcome of elections. electronic transmission of election results, members of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly have shown that they are against allowing the votes of the electorate to determine the outcome of elections. New Bill Unbundles INEC, Creates Electoral Offences Commission He said, “I will not be surprised if there is a revolt by the masses tomorrow because people are watching what they are doing and a lot of people are not happy.” He told LEADERSHIP that his party ranked the third most popular political party in the country after the ruling APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but lamented that his party had lost some of its lawmakers to the APC because the ruling was coercing political officeholders to join the party so as to be saved from corruption prosecution. He said: “During the 2019 general election, we came third in terms of the number of votes cast for political parties in the entire country. ADC is the party that got the third highest votes. “We got 15 House of Assembly members, and save for the crooked nature of our system, ADC should have gotten about five governors. We also got seven House of Representatives members, but unfortunately, we lost two. “You know the Nigerian system, politicians go into office and the corrupt ones among them soil their hands, and the next thing is, they want soft landing, and APC is ever ready to provide that. “This advert APC is doing everywhere – saying once you join their party, your sins are forgiven, I find it very

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Post Date : July 22, 2021

Be Fair In Documenting Us, Buhari Tells Historians And Intellectuals

President Muhammadu is calling on the country’s historians and intellectuals to be fair in documenting his government, asking them to reflect on the level of insecurity in Nigeria before he assumed office. He said this on Thursday when some governors under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) paid Sallah homage to him in his hometown in Daura, Katsina State. The 78-year-old noted that it would be unfortunate to mislead the electorate with lies, and personal bias, emphasising the need to put the larger interest of the country beyond other considerations. “For the time remaining, and for those who have one more term in office based on the provision of the constitution, the elections are important to the parties,” Garba Shehu, one of his media aides, quoted him as saying. “Intellectuals and historians should be fair to us so that those who are looking for leadership positions will not exploit the political ignorance or lack of knowledge of the people.” President Buhari recalled that oil prices fell from more than $100 dollars to less than $38 under his government, with the output that was 2.1 million barrels a day dropping to about 500,000 barrels. In spite of these, he said his government was able to achieve much. When compared to what his admiration met on the ground in 2015, Buhari argued that his government has done credibly well to secure the nation. “The subsequent development in the North West is the most amazing, where people who lived together, spoke same language and shared common faith started killing each other and rustling cows,” the Nigerian leader added as he called on the governors to be steadfast in delivering quality governance to their people. “I had to change the security chiefs and we had to get down to the fundamentals of providing security. If you look at the situation in relation to time and resources, you will find out what we have been able to achieve.” Governors who visited Buhari’s country home included Prof Ben Ayade of Cross River, David Umahi of Ebonyi, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, John Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, who is Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina, Solomon Lalong of Plateau and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano. Others are Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger, Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa States.

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