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Tag: Buhari

  • Buhari to sign 2023 budget Tuesday – Lawan

    Buhari to sign 2023 budget Tuesday – Lawan

    Barring any last-minute changes, President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the 2023 appropriation bill on Tuesday (Jan. 3, 2023).

    Senate President Ahmed Lawan confirmed this to State House correspondents on Friday after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Lawan revealed that he discussed some national issues with Buhari, including the president’s recent additional loan request, the legislature’s support to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the general elections and the 2023 Appropriation Bill.

    He said: ”We are looking forward to Mr President signing the Appropriation Bill 2023, by the grace of God, on Tuesday.

    “This because we signed the document yesterday (Thursday), having lost some time because of some anomalous figures we had in the bill presented to the National Assembly (NASS).

    “But thank God, the NASS in both chambers have passed the Appropriation Bill 2023 on Wednesday, and I’m sure that Mr President and his team, on the executive side, will work on what we have done.

    ”And the first thing on Tuesday, the first official working day of the year, I believe that Mr President will be signing the Appropriation Bill 2023.”

    He lamented that the NASS would have passed the bill a week earlier had it not been for irregularities spotted in the bill.

    “We are very pleased that we have been able to, in the last four years, ensure the passage of the appropriation bills in record time before every Christmas, and Mr President had always signed before the end of the year.

    “This year, particularly, is because of the anomalous, very undesirable and unfortunate situation that we had to delay a little bit.

    “You will recall that the NASS had to cut down its Christmas recess to come back on Wednesday for the sole purpose of passing the appropriation bill which we could have passed a week before. So all the same, there’s nothing that we missed,” he further stated.

    According to him, the seamless working relationship between the executive and the legislature has regularised the signing of the appropriation bills since 2018, resulting in a “predictable January to December” budget for our country.

    On the 2023 general elections, Lawan pledged that NASS would continue to assist and support INEC to enable it deliver credible elections.

    “We also discussed the 2023 general elections. The current NASS has always supported the executive in terms of ensuring that INEC gets whatever is necessary for it to work to ensure that elections are supported, that INEC doesn’t lack in anything.

    “So we have committed ourselves to ensuring that we give INEC whatever it needs for it to conduct a very free, transparent and credible 2023 general elections.

    ”We are here at all times between now and June 11 when our term will also expire as a legislature in the NASS.

    “But before then, whatever INEC needs for 2023 to be a success, we will surely and certainly provide such support,” he said.

  • Buhari reappoints Adeyeye as NAFDAC DG

    Buhari reappoints Adeyeye as NAFDAC DG

    President Muhammadu Buhari has reappointed the Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye.

    A statement issued by NAFDAC Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, on Friday in Abuja stated that Adeyeye re-appointment was for the second tenure of five years.

    Jimoh said that the re-appointment by the president was conveyed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha.

    He said: “Adeyeye’s tenure renewal took effect from 1st December 2022.

    “The DG’s reappointment came closely on the heels of her track record of monumental achievements and successes in the last five years, especially in the attainment of World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 3.”

    Abubakar said that Adeyeye who assumed duty on Friday was received by some staffers at the corporate headquarters of the agency in Abuja.

  • “The world will never forget him”, Buhari mourns Pele

    “The world will never forget him”, Buhari mourns Pele

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the death of Brazilian soccer legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known professionally as Pelé, saying “the world will never forget him”.

    According to a statement issued by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari recalled some of the moments in history that defined Pele’s indelible contributions to the world of soccer.

    The world’s greatest-ever football player succumbed to death after suffering a debilitating bout of cancer.

    He also built bridges across nations, races and even religions

    He won three World Cups and scored over 1,281 goals, becoming the original football icon in a long career for which he was named the “Player of the Century” in the year 2000.

    In a tribute to the football legend on behalf of all Nigerians, President Buhari said: “May he rest in peace. He led a good life and made a huge contribution to the development of global football in particular and world sport in general.

    “He had an enormous generosity of spirit and humility despite his greatness as a footballer and sportsman. He also built bridges across nations, races and even religions. He was a UN Ambassador of goodwill. Pele is gone but the world will never forget him. RIP.”

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) gathered that Pele, who lived from 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022, was a Brazilian professional footballer and played as a forward.

    Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled “the greatest” by FIFA, he was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century.
    "The world will never forget him", Buhari mourns Pele
    What you need to know about Pele
    In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century.

    In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.

    Pelé began playing for Santos at age 15 and the Brazil national team at 16. During his international career, he won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970, the only player to do so.

    He was nicknamed O Rei (The King) following the 1958 tournament. Pelé is the joint-top goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games. At the club level, he was Santos’ all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 games.

    In a golden era for Santos, he led the club to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores, and to the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup. Credited with connecting the phrase “The Beautiful Game” with football, Pelé’s “electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals” made him a star around the world, and his teams toured internationally to take full advantage of his popularity.

    During his playing days, Pelé was for a period the best-paid athlete in the world. After retiring in 1977, Pelé was a worldwide ambassador for football and made many acting and commercial ventures. In 2010, he was named the honorary president of the New York Cosmos.

    Averaging almost a goal per game throughout his career, Pelé was adept at striking the ball with either foot in addition to anticipating his opponents’ movements on the field. While predominantly a striker, he could also drop deep and take on a playmaking role, providing assists with his vision and passing ability, and he would also use his dribbling skills to go past opponents.

    In Brazil, he was hailed as a national hero for his accomplishments in football and for his outspoken support of policies that improve the social conditions of the poor. His emergence at the 1958 World Cup, where he became the first black global sporting star, was a source of inspiration.

    Throughout his career and in his retirement, Pelé received numerous individual and team awards for his performance in the field, his record-breaking achievements, and his legacy in the sport.
    "The world will never forget him", Buhari mourns Pele
    Pele’s early years
    Born in Três Corações in Minas Gerais state in Brazil in 1940, Pelé has a street named after him in the city – Rua Edson Arantes do Nascimento. A statue of Pelé is also prominently placed in a plaza near the city’s downtown.

    Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on 23 October 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born João Ramos do Nascimento) and Celeste Arantes.

    He was the elder of two siblings and was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison. His parents decided to remove the “i” and call him “Edson”, but there was a mistake on the birth certificate, leading many documents to show his name as “Edison”, not “Edson”, as he was called.

    How Edson was nicknamed Pelé
    Pele was originally nicknamed “Dico” by his family. He received the nickname “Pelé” during his school days, when, it is claimed, he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favourite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke, but the more he complained the more it stuck.

    In his autobiography, Pelé stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends.[6] Apart from the assertion that the name is derived from that of “Bilé”, and that it is Hebrew for “miracle” (פֶּ֫לֶא), the word has no known meaning in Portuguese.

    Pelé grew up in poverty in Bauru in the state of São Paulo. He earned extra money by working in tea shops as a servant. Taught to play by his father, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with string or a grapefruit.

    He played for several amateur teams in his youth, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, São Paulinho, and Amériquinha.

    Pelé led Bauru Athletic Club juniors (coached by Waldemar de Brito) to two São Paulo state youth championships. In his mid-teens, he played for an indoor football team called Radium. Indoor football had just become popular in Bauru when Pelé began playing it. He was part of the first futsal (indoor football) competition in the region. Pelé and his team won the first championship and several others.

    According to Pelé, futsal (indoor football) presented difficult challenges: he said it was a lot quicker than football on the grass, and that players were required to think faster because everyone is close to each other in the pitch.

    Pelé credits futsal for helping him think better on the spot. In addition, futsal allowed him to play with adults when he was about 14 years old. In one of the tournaments he participated in, he was initially considered too young to play, but eventually went on to end up top scorer with 14 or 15 goals. “That gave me a lot of confidence”, Pelé said, “I knew then not to be afraid of whatever might come”.

  • I’ll be far away from Abuja after handing over – Buhari

    I’ll be far away from Abuja after handing over – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says he will not be hanging around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), after May 29, 2023, in order not to meddle in the affairs of the office of his successor.

    The president gave this indication when he hosted residents of  FCT, led by the Minister, Malam Mohammed Bello, who paid him the traditional Christmas Day homage on Sunday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    At the last Christmas Day homage with the FCT community, the president reiterated that he would return to Daura, Katsina State, his hometown, at the end of his tenure.

    According to him, his decision not to make Abuja a permanent abode is to allow his successor a free hand to operate and run the affairs of the government.

    The President also told members of the FCT community that he had not built a new house in Daura or anywhere and hoped to live in his same house, of many years.

    President Buhari also used the occasion to commend the FCT Minister, saying he retained the cabinet position for so long because of his honesty and hardwork.

    According to the president, he is aware that the office of the Minister of the FCT is burdened with requests for land allocation from highly placed Nigerians, who often disposed of their allocations for financial gains and other priorities.

    He shared an anecdote of how someone close to him asked him to speak to the FCT Minster to allocate him a plot of land; quoting the person as saying ”I will sell it and use the money to marry another wife”.

    The president said: ‘‘I was overwhelmed by the priority of some people who need a plot of land not to develop it but to sell it and marry another wife.

    ‘‘I don’t know how the Minister copes with such people who are extremely serious about such things.

    ”And I think about 45 per cent of those who have been given land allocation in the FCT have sold it and didn’t develop it according to the laid down criteria (master plan).’’

    Buhari thanked Nigerians for supporting his administration, recounting that during electioneering campaigns in the build-up to the 2015 and 2019 elections, he had travelled the length and breadth of the country seeking their support.

  • President Buhari’s 2022 Christmas Message to Nigerians

    President Buhari’s 2022 Christmas Message to Nigerians

    I heartily rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters on the occasion of this year’s Christmas.

    Many of us look forward to this festive season as a time to travel, share gifts, spend quality time with family and friends, attend special carols and events, and generally relive the good moments of the year.  In whatever circumstances we find ourselves, Christmas is a period when we come together to rejoice and set aside our differences.

    For me and my family, this year’s celebration is unique. It is my last as your elected President. Twenty-two weeks from now, this administration will hand over to another.

    In the last seven years, I have had the privilege of receiving members of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) community on Christmas homage, except the year the COVID-19 pandemic denied us that opportunity. I will fondly remember them as my benevolent landlords and friendly neighbours.

    It is crucial that I remember this about my closest neighbours because there is no better way for us to celebrate Christmas as a people than showing genuine love, care, compassion and empathy for one another.

    We must never lose sight of the symbiotic relationship between Christmas and hope; Jesus Christ and humility, Christianity and grace.

    In this season of love, joy and peace, let us not fail to remember those who really wish to celebrate but are constrained in one way or the other by reaching out to them.

    Together we can make this celebration a spectacular one by renewing our pledge and common resolve to work for the unity and prosperity of our dear country.

    Until my last day in office, I will continue to provide political and material support to sub-national governments, the Armed Forces, institutions and individuals working wholeheartedly for the peace, unity, stability and progress of Nigeria.

    The advances we have made so far on the economic front, especially in infrastructure; food security, anti-corruption, security, energy sufficiency, among others, will need to be built on.

    This joyous season has coincided with the period of campaigns to usher in a new administration. I urge you to be circumspect and vote for those that will maintain the momentum we have created for the greater good of the country.

    It is another opportunity to show the rest of the world that Nigeria is indeed ready to consolidate its democratic credentials as has been noted in international circles. Let the peace and joy that pervade this period continue well into the new year up to the elections in February and beyond.

    I want to assure Nigerians that those who violently seek to disrupt the peace of our nation have lost the battle.

    Our country is blessed with a wealth of human and material resources. Let’s celebrate our blessings this season with the trust that a better dawn awaits Nigeria.

    I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

    Muhammadu Buhari
    December 24, 2022

  • I’ll campaign for Tinubu, APC candidates with energy – Buhari

    I’ll campaign for Tinubu, APC candidates with energy – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates that he will ensure electoral victory for the party’s presidential and other candidates in the 2023 general elections.

    The president gave the assurance in a statement by his media aide, Malam Garba Shehu, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    According to him, he is ready at all times to campaign for the presidential candidate and all party candidates with “full energy and conviction.”

    The president stated that the assurance was meant to dispel expressed concerns in certain quarters that he had not featured in campaigns since the national launch in Jos, Plateau.

    He, however, stressed that while he remained committed to party politics, the functions and duties of the president would equally be upheld at times.

    Shehu recalled that the president while speaking to the Nigerian community in Washington DC in the course of his recent visit to the United States, stressed what he said all the time that he was ready to campaign for the party’s victory in the general elections next year.

    The president said that the APC campaigns had so far been the most aggressive in recent history.

    “They have been impressive and of a high voltage, ” compared to the opposition that seems to be playing catch-up.”

    Buhari expressed strong optimism that the party would win all the elections fairly and squarely.

  • Buhari-led FG wants to sell our five power plants – Shehu Sani

    Buhari-led FG wants to sell our five power plants – Shehu Sani

    Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has claimed President Muhammadu Buhari wants to sell five power plants to raise N260 billion to fund the 2023 budget.

    Sani disclosed this on Wednesday in a post via his verified Twitter handle.

    He also alleged that the administration wants to sell public assets to itself.

    He wrote, “After piling up N44 trillion debt; With less than six months to go, the Buhari-led FG wants to sell our five power plants to raise N260 billion in the name of funding the 2023 budget.

    “When they want to sell public assets to themselves, they will hide themselves & send their business friends to ‘bid’. After buying the assets, they will appoint their children, Brothers or inlaws to chair the Board. After 5 years or more, the identity of the real buyer will be known.”

  • Lekki Port ready for commercial operations – Official

    Lekki Port ready for commercial operations – Official

    The newly-completed Lekki Deep Seaport is ready for inauguration and for commercial operations.

    Managing Director, Lekki Port Lagos Free Trade Zone Enterprises Ltd. (LPLEL), Mr. Du Ruogang, told a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday that arrangements had been completed for its inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “The terminal operator, Lekki Free Port Terminal (LFT) is putting everything in place to give a world-class port experience.

    “All relevant agencies have been sensitised to undertake their roles in the new port,’’ he said.

    Ruogang applauded the media for its support in the port’s success and urged practitioners to extend the same support to the container terminal operator, Lekki Freeport Terminal, as it prepares to begin operations.

    He noted that as the Lagos State Government began work on the construction of access roads to the port, there was the need for more infrastructural development to ensure easy cargo movement.

    He also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Transportation and other relevant agencies, including the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC).

    He equally expressed appreciation of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its contribution to making the port a reality.

    In his remarks, the Chief Operating Officer, Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Ltd. (LPLEL), Mr Laurence Smith, said full commercial operations would begin at the end of the first quarter of 2023.

    He added that the terminal operator, Lekki Free Port Terminal would carry out trial operations once it completed the installation of necessary port equipment and infrastructure.

    Smith hinted that Lekki Port had already opened up discussions with potential operators of the Liquid Berth Terminals, critical to the commencement of the construction of Phase II of the port.

    The LPLEL is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that was awarded the Concession Agreement for the development and operations of the Lekki Deep Sea Port by the Nigerian Ports Authority.

    It was required to develop, build and operate a common user multipurpose port.

    The company sub-concessioned the container terminal operations to Lekki Freeport Terminal (LFT), a subsidiary of CMA/CGM, the world’s largest container shipping company.

    Lekki Port is a multi-purpose deep seaport at the heart of the Lagos Free Trade Zone, one of the most modern ports, supporting the burgeoning trade across Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

    The shareholders are the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Lagos State Government, China Harbour Engineering Company, and Tolaram.

  • Why Northern APC govs chose Tinubu to succeed Buhari – El-Rufai

    Why Northern APC govs chose Tinubu to succeed Buhari – El-Rufai

    Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has revealed Northern governors of the All Progressives Congress, APC, decided to support the party’s flag bearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He disclosed this during a town hall meeting with some Northern Christian groups in Kaduna.

    El-Rufai said the Northern governors settled for Tinubu because of his track record when he was the Governor of Lagos State.

    According to El-Rufai: “In the spirit of unity, fairness and justice in the country, after President Buhari’s tenure, it is fair that the Presidency should go to the South.

    “And we converged in Katsina Lodge before Governor Aminu Bello Masari said that among all the presidential candidates, we should go for Ahmed Tinubu because of his track records while he was governor of Lagos.”

  • Stamp Duties Controversy: Reps Speaker meets Buhari, says Kazaure ‘on his own’

    Stamp Duties Controversy: Reps Speaker meets Buhari, says Kazaure ‘on his own’

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed door with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the speaker said he discussed various national issues with the president, including next year’s general elections, associated rising violence and the controversies trailing recently introduced cashless policy.

    Gbajabiamila, who also reacted to the Gudaji Kazaure/Stamp Duties funds controversy, said the matter the member was involved in had nothing to do with the National Assembly.

    Kazaure, a member of the House of Representatives from Jigawa, in a viral video, had allegedly accused Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, of attempts to cover-up facts surrounding the collection of the controversial stamp duty funds.

    He also alleged that he was deliberately being denied access to present preliminary Report of a committee set up by Buhari to look into the alleged stamp duty funds being withheld by the CBN.

    Also in the viral video, the Kazaure urged the president to either allow him to present his Report to him or immediately order thorough investigation of the alleged stamp duty funds.

    Gbajabiamila also ruled out an intervention from the House of Representatives, saying that would only happen if it becomes necessary, saying the matter had nothing to do with the legislature.

    He said: “Kazaure, from my understanding, is working with whoever he’s working with. If it necessitates the House coming in, we will come in.

    ”If he has an official function, he should go ahead and do his work, but this has nothing to do with National Assembly. Not that I know of.

    “It was not based on a resolution of the National Assembly. It was not based on a motion from the National Assembly.

    ”I believe he said he had executive authority to do what he’s doing. If that be the case, then it’s got nothing to do with the National Assembly.”

    Gbajabiamila said that the House can only call Kazaure to order if he was impugning on the integrity of the House, individuals or leadership of the House that have nothing to do with what he was doing.

    He said: ”I think it’s important to separate the two. If he has a mandate to do something, that’s on him.

    “When it came up, we have asked members of the executive, they said they were not aware of any mandate, or such mandate has been withdrawn.

    ”I don’t want to get into it, except to the extent that he attempts to impugn on the integrity of members of the House and that’s a no no. We have nothing to do with this.”

    The presidency had on Dec. 11 dismissed as fake and untrue that Emefiele, could not account for about N89.1trillion the CBN allegedly collected as Stamp Duty charges.

    On his meeting with the president, Gbajabiamila said his visit was routine, adding that they had discussions on critical national issues.

    They included issues around the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent cashless policy and the issue of political violence in different parts of the country.

    Gbajabiamila said: “We discussed things that came up in the last few weeks, things come up every day in Nigeria, every day and in the last few days, some things have come up.

    ”I’m sure you know some of these things, and I just wanted to get his perspective on them and give him mine and that of the National Assembly’s perspective and position on those matters. We had a fruitful discussion.”