President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday arrived Sokoto State to condole with the family, people and government over the death of former President Shehu Shagari.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the president was received at the airport by the state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, his deputy Manir Dan-Iya, Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, and Sen. Aliyu Wammako.
Also on ground to receive the president were traditional and religious leaders as well as his admirers and supporters.
NAN reports that Buhari, who had earlier paid tribute to the late president, went to the family compound of the deceased in Sokoto metropolis to offer his condolences
The president had on Saturday directed that the national flag and other flags should fly at half-mast in military and para-military formations as well as public buildings for three days, starting from today.
The president gave the directive in a statement personally signed by him and issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.
“The late President represented almost the last link with the government of our founding fathers under Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He was also the first elected President of Nigeria.
“The late Alhaji Shagari was a man of many parts, teacher, local authority administrator, politician, minister, and finally President. He served his country with dedication and moderation.
“Over the years through interaction at the Council of State, he and I came to understand and appreciate each other whatever the differences we may have had in the past.
“On behalf of the Federal Government, myself and family, I send my condolences to the people of Nigeria, particularly to the late President’s family and the government and people of Sokoto State. May his soul rest in peace.”
The remains of the former president, who died at the age of 93 on Friday at the National Hospital Abuja, was laid to rest at his village, Shagari on Saturday, according to Islamic rites.
Shagari was president from 1979 to 1983 and won second election before being dethroned by a coup d’etat that brought in Muhammadu Buhari as military head of state.
As existence draws curtains on the year 2018, TheNewsGuru (TNG) takes a look back at some unforgettable top trend moments of the year.
With President Muhammadu Buhari emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2015 and as 2018 ushers in another election year to determine if he serves second tenure as a democratic president or is replaced, the years seems to be 3 years in one.
It seems 2018 is the year of the mother of all politics, especially as coalition such as the one seen pre-2015 general elections cropped up, however rickety, in earnest expectations to oust seating president Buhari, whom many in some quarters have judged to have performed below par.
From Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s recent stuttering at the vice presidential debates to former governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose’s ‘I’m in pains, I can’t take this anymore’ gimmicks to small girls who have big gods, 2018 seems to be the year of assurance; assurance?
The unforgettable trend moments in the year 2018 were just dropping, one by one, gbagam, and we bring them to you in this list ‘gbagamly’.
I’m in pains, I can’t take this anymore; EFCC I’m here
2018 would be incomplete without the mention of former governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who many have judged, alongside Senators Dino Melaye and Ademola Adeleke, as the clowns of Nigerian politics.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlIYyZTHq6M/
While Senator Melaye is the all time musical politician Nigeria has known, and Senator Adeleke won the prize for the best dancer politician, former governor Fayose won the award for Nigeria’s best actor politician.
The year was dramatic when Mr. Fayose appeared on TV donning a neck gear and weeping accusing the Nigerian police to have beaten him up during a rally organised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state capital.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlGFwFSjCeT/
Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the polo t-shirt the former governor put on when he appeared at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja.
Let’s not forget that our all time musical politician jumped off a moving vehicle in a ‘james bondic’ manner and then went on to spend 11 hours on top of a tree, escaping people, he said wanted to assassinate him.
The lawmaker, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP alleged that his attackers were policemen.
PDP’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in APC, Yemi Osinbajo both stole the show as they battled each other at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja in the vice presidential dabate.
The internet was abuzz with uploads of memes, quotes, short videos, other form of excerpts from the debate session and of course Osinbajo’s stuttering caught the attention of Nigerians, who themselves also took over the heated conversation by citing some of the statistics doled out by the several vice presidential candidates to support their arguments who should be Nigeria’s next VP.
Candidly, I did not know how to spell out Osinbajo’s famous stuttering at the debate. Whether it is “why we were where were where” or “why we where were we were”, I really don’t know. But, what we all know is that our amiable VP said what he said. Thats all!
The police is your friend, so if we laugh over a transmission joke, they will understand. The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Kpotun transmitted in the course of the year while trying to read his speech during a commissioning event.
President Muhammadu Buhari in April did not take it easy on the Nigerian youth at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London he attended.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s young population he said just want government to hand them everything on a platter.
While the president did not explicitly say Nigerian youths are lazy, Nigerians felt bad by the comments he made that implied so.
One Anthony Okolo questioned the president about the Northeastern region of the country, which actually prompted Buhari’s reaction.
https://youtu.be/zzsxim-q-eo
Iberiberism
Okay, so, if anyone wants a statue of himself at any location of choice in Nigeria, we probably now know who to contract by now. In Imo State, it seems Governor Rochas Okorocha might be having the statue of every Nigerian in the locker room to erect somewhere. Lets not forget this is our happiness governor and the crooner of iberiberism.
What if you come to my state, I have collected N500 billion and the only thing I could show to you is borehole… for me that is what I call iberiberism, Okorochas said in an interview with Channels TV.
Whatever iberiberism meant in that syntactic structure, the term stood among the top trend moments of the year.
NYSC certificate
2018 might not be the best of years for former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun as reports emerged she allegedly skipped the compulsory one year National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) programme and forged her exemption certificate.
Adeosun, who is one of the best ministers, if not the best, President Buhari had was forced to resigned after investigations into the matter. The Adeosun certificate moment is one of the most powerful moments of the year.
Assurance
Of course, it seems 2018 is the year of assurance. If 2018 is not the year of assurance for you, it definitely was for Chioma Avril.
Nigerian music superstar, Davido orchestrated this unforgettable 2018 moment gifting Chioma, his girlfriend, a Porsche car which reportedly costs N45 million.
The 2018 lover boy also took to his Twitter handle to announce a N60 million endorsement deal for Chioma, and it did not end there.
The Nigerian pop star released a high-life mid-tempo song with a follow up Chioma-dedicated music video, in which Davido shows his romantic side, heaping praises on Chioma his lover.
Nigerians sure caught the fever, and 2019 may be the year of insurance.
Sweet Boys Association
Many know him as a rapper and actor, but Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana now loves to be called president of the Sweet Boys Association (SBA).
The entertainer calls SBA a prestigious league of well-mannered, well-clad and purposeful, ambitious gentlemen.
According to Falz, the inaugural members of the Sweet Boys Association are BBNaija star Tobi Bakre, media personality Noble Igwe, fashion designer Mai Atafo, singers Ric Hassani, Adekunle Gold and Banky W, actor Timini Egbuson, among others.
If you have not been living under a rock, the Sho mo age mi ni trend won’t be alien to you. ‘Sho mo age mi ni’ meaning ‘do you know my age?’ is a Yoruba jargon that trended on Nigerian social media platforms especially on Instagram.
The slang, made popular by budding Nigerian actor, Abimbola Kazeem a.k.a Jiganbabaoja, spread like wildfire with celebrities creating comedy skits from the trend.
2018 was the year of stew, as well, and this may echo forth into the year 2019.
Everywhere stew is a slang that can be attributed to Freedom Atsepoyi popularly known as Mr. Jollof, with stew becoming viral after Wizkid released his hit song titled ‘Fever’, in which he featured Tiwa Savage in the video.
Celebrities like D’banj and Don Jazzy also leveraged on the trend by using the slang to talk about their songs and activities.
Personally, I think Naomi Campbell won the ‘small girl, big god’ contest, if it were to be a contest actually. Campbell and Buhari allegedly stumbled upon each other at the launch of the Eko Atlantic City, and it was the talk of the town for a period of time in the year.
Campbell took a snapshot with Buhari and tweeted, “Was a pleasure to be invited by his Excellency, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, to the private launch of Eko Atlantic @NGRPresident @MBuhari”.
When a typical Yoruba man says “I deserve some accolades”, it sounds like a person’s full name, like Adisa Sam Akolade, just like Toke Makinwa found out that “Able God” was not actually “Ebuka”.
Mr. Spellz
Internet sensation, Dede Nne aka Mr. Spellz gained prominence over a viral video he featured in where he misspelt ‘Buhari’, with Nigerians on social media in a bid to imitate his spelling errors created a trend from his mistakes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqJ1zZmDM2Y/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqJymLPDy7n/
The year 2018 was important, 2019 is importanter.
Did we miss out on any moment that should make TNG’s unforgettable top trend moments of 2018, drop it with a comment below… it’s importantest!
All the 774 local government areas in Nigeria will be provided fibre connectivity in order to increase broadband penetration in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
He said that in 4 years all the 774 LGAs in the country would have been provided with fibre connectivity.
“Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind in the digital age. To create jobs for our young people, we will build a digital economy around the technology and creative sectors.
“In partnership with the states and the private sector, we are working on a project to increase broadband penetration across all geopolitical zones of the country, such that over the next four years, all the 774 LGAs will be provided with fibre connectivity,” he said.
The NCC had issued license to seven infrastructure companies to deploy the needed infrastructure to facilitate the required penetration in the 774 LGAs in the country.
The InfraCos licenced by the NCC are Raeanna Nigeria Ltd for South South, O’odua Infraco Resources Ltd for South West (excluding Lagos), Fleek Networks Ltd for North West, Brinks Integrated Solutions for North East, Main One Ltd for Lagos zone and Zinox Technologies Ltd for Southeast.
President Muhammadu Buhari says a bill on implementation of the New Minimum Wage would soon be sent to the National Assembly for passage.
Buhari made this known while presenting the 2019 Budget before the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday.
He assured that he was committed to addressing the minimum wage issue, saying he had directed the setting up of a technical committee to look at mode of implementation.
“To avoid a system crisis on the Federal Government and states, it is important to device ways to ensure that its implementation does not lead to an increase in the level of borrowing.
“I am accordingly setting up a high powered technical committee to advise on ways of funding an increase in the minimum wage and attendant wage adjustments without having to resort to additional borrowing.
“The work of the committee will be the basis of finance bill which will be submitted to the national assembly alongside the minimum wage bill.
Buhari, said the committee would recommend modalities for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
According to him, the move is to minimise inflationary impact as well as ensure that its introduction does not lead to job losses.
he News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Amal Pepple Tripartite Committee on the Review of National Minimum Wage, had on Nov. 6, submitted its report to Buhari.
The committee recommended N30, 000 as the new national minimum wage.(NAN)
After the outing of Yemi Osinbajo, Peter Obi and other candidates in the vice presidential debates, immediate past Commissioner for Works in Lagos State has played down importance of the debates.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the former commissioner, Ganiyu Johnson, on Sunday said the debates would not determine who would win the 2019 presidential elections in Nigeria.
Johnson, who recently resigned to run as the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate for Oshodi Isolo II Federal Constituency, made the assertions at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos.
He spoke against the backdrop of the debate between vice-presidential candidates of five political parties on Saturday and the upcoming Presidential debate scheduled for Jan.19.
It was organised by the Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).
Johnson argued that though, debates might have counted in other climes, in Nigeria majority of voters do not watch such debates, but vote based on benefits from governance.
He was, however, optimistic that that President Muhammadu Buhari would have a landslides victory at the polls.
Johnson said: “Debates are good for the enlightened, but you cannot use it to judge.
“Most of the viewers are not voters. You can make statistical judgment from it, but it doesn’t affect results or show voting patterns.
“How many market women or ordinary Nigerians tuned in for the debate?
“The elites who did are the ones crediting or discrediting the contestants based on their affiliations and these group of Nigerians hardly vote. Their criticisms and choices end on the internet.
“This is not to say that such debates are bad as it gives an idea of the performances of the present administration and an opportunity for the opposition parties to tell Nigerians who watch and the International community what they could have done differently.
“In this case, it was obvious that there is no alternative to the present administration, having watched the debate and realising that no other party has better plans than the APC.”
Johnson said that the achievements of the Buhari-led administration were being felt by Nigerians across the country and the administration have scored over 80 per cent in performance in less than four years.
“It is the elites that are exaggerating what is not. If you benchmark us today, you will see that our performance is so high in spite of the fact that we met the problems we are tackling.
“We met 16 years of rot, and we have tried to contain them and move the country forward. APC will take Nigeria, not only to the next level, but the desired level,” he said.
On the Wharf Apapa road gridlock, the former Commissioner of Works, said that the only solution was an alternative route.
“While there is need for expansion and serious rehabilitation of the road, only a dedicated route that will run from the port via Snake Island , through Mowe to the Lagos-Ibadan can resolve the gridlock.
“We have already identified this, but it is capital intensive. There must be financial backing to implement such projects,” he said.
Explaining why he resigned to run for election, GAJ said his people clamoured for it, saying “they want me as their representative based on my pedigree of having their interest at heart.
According to him, I also cater for them through my foundation which provides scholarships, support for widows and the elderly, among others.
Johnson said he would bring his experience to bear at the lower chamber of national assembly, if elected.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday challenged African youths to champion the fight against corruption, saying their involvement is critical to winning the anti-graft crusade in the continent.
Buhari gave the challenge while declaring open the 2018 Africa Youth Congress Against Corruption (AYCAC) at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, their involvement will help in reversing the negative trends of corruption and its implications for Africa.
“To the young people of Africa, this fight against corruption is yours to lead and to win in order to reverse the negative trends of corruption and its implications for Africa.
“The Youth of Africa must pool their energies to effectively ensure that our natural and mineral resources remain on the continent for value addition, job and wealth creation as well as to create affordable health-care and quality education for our people.
“Winning the fight against corruption is very much in your hands!
“Of particular interest to the youth, as reflected in the Nouakchott Declaration, is the emphasis on the imperative of investing in the demographic dividends through anti-corruption, education and sensitization campaigns, targeting young people as a means of bringing about behavioral change.
“I thereby encourage young Africans to use this Declaration as motivation to achieve greater resource investment in developing anti-corruption curricula and anti-graft campaigns in schools, businesses and the general public space.
“African Youth must remain the front and centre of restoring traditional African values of probity, integrity, honesty, diligence and hard work.
“It is only when the youth drive this change, that corruption will be eliminated!,’’ he said.
The president, who was appointed by the African Union (AU) in January as the 2018 AU Anti-Corruption Champion, emphasized that the youth must rise up to the occasion in order to check the rising trend of corruption in the continent.
He noted with delight that the youth regional consultative forums were informative and rewarding for the over 600 young people from across the continent who sharpened their strategies and skills to fight corruption.
While observing that youth meetings serve as vital platforms for young people to engage, the president recognized and commended some young African leaders who had demonstrated the zeal and determination to build the “Africa We Want”:
He said: “First, I wish to recognize Mr Moussa Kondo from Mali for his Accountability Lab in the Republic of Mali. He blazed the trail on how to build sustainable coalitions of “Accountapreneurs”.
“Secondly, I recognize, Mr Maxence Melo, from the United Republic of Tanzania, founder of JamiiForums for strengthening the viability of whistleblowing policy tools.
“I also enjoin us to celebrate our very own Nigerian – Damilola Olawale, founder of Code IT for using technology to give young people the tools to demand transparency in the management of public resources.’’
The President, whose administration’s three cardinal principles include the fight against corruption, also advocated for the introduction of anti-corruption curriculum and campaigns in schools.
He expressed optimism that the Abuja Congress of AYCAC would take adequate stock of policy and institutional mechanisms in the fight against corruption as well as the role of technology, among others.
He also hoped that the Congress would give due support to the continental strategies to stem illicit financial flows out of Africa and expedite stolen assets recovery and return as well as strengthen the capacity of national anti-corruption institutions.
Buhari also enjoined the Congress to explore the link between corruption and conflicts and strengthen oversight by citizens on budget performance.
“You should also strongly advocate the universal signing and ratification of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption by all Member States of the African Union.
“At the end of your deliberations in this Congress, I am confident that you will come up with an Agenda for Action on Winning the Fight against Corruption that will serve as the rallying cry of the African Youth towards a corruptfion-free Africa.
“Strive for an Agenda for Action that will be results-oriented and serve as a roadmap for our continent.
“Let me share with you what I believe are the A, B, C of fighting corruption:
“(A) stands for ACTION. Let us all move from talk to action. I urge you to develop tangible projects in your community to instill transparency and accountability of the highest standard. I look forward to receiving your Creed of Transparency from this Congress with a view to forwarding the recommendations to the next Summit of the African Union in February next year.
“(B) stands for BUILDING BRIDGES. The youth have a unique opportunity to spearhead the building of inter-generational and cross-sectoral bridges in our various communities. Often, fighting corruption requires partnerships with unlikely allies. Be open to exploring constructive partnerships with a wide base of actors. Again, I look forward to all of you joining the Transparency Champions Network that was created following the Regional Youth Consultations.
“(C) stands for CULTURE. So, let us cultivate and equip ourselves with African culture, right attitude and mindset change that will enable us to stand firmly against corruption. By so doing, accountability and change will begin with you and me.”
According to the president, while symbolic year may be ending, the campaign against corruption must not end, as the common future is even brighter.
He added that “as Africa promotes regional integration and global prosperity, corruption remains a major stumbling block to the realization of the seven aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We must therefore fight it from all angles and avenues without ceasing.
“And only a united front led by the African Youth can change this present narrative to a great story of African transformation.’’
Buhari, therefore, urged the youth to challenge corruption in their different countries as “we are doing in Nigeria and DO NOT COMPROMISE!!’’
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, noted that the level of corruption in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is unacceptably high and warrant urgent action.
He listed some of the measures taken by the Buhari administration to fight corruption to include the implementation of the whistle-blower policy, Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Bank Verification Number (BVN).
He disclosed that the agency had embarked on continuous audits to ensure public funds were spent judiciously.
He, however, stressed the need for the support and cooperation of the youth in the anti-corruption battle, and pledged never to betray the mandates of the agency.
According to Magu, the EFCC will redouble its efforts in the battle until corruption is wiped out.
The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, noted that the youth are the future leaders of Africa and they must go all out against corruption.
According to him, corruption is injustice against Africans and must be resisted vehemently, adding that “the time to kill corruption is now”.
Representatives of United Nations (UNODC) and Chairperson of the African Union delivered goodwill messages at the event, which was attended by cabinet ministers and participants from across the African continent.
The Majority Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Saturday said there was nothing to worry about in President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withhold assent on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018.
Lawan told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja that the Electoral Act (2010) was good enough for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.
He said the President’s decision should not be misinterpreted, adding that it was done in the interest of the country.
“That the President declined assent to the bill was no big deal.
“We can still use the Electoral Act, 2010, that was used in 2015 general elections.
“This is to allay the fears of the citizens, who might think that the 2019 elections would not be well conducted without the amendment.
“What we need to do is to look at the few lapses, especially in terms of administration which does not need any legal backing.
“INEC conducted a very good election in 2015 with the existing act.
“So, I believe that we can use that and nobody should start thinking that the elections will not be free and fair.
“The 2015 elections were free, fair and transparent. All over the world, we were commended for conducting such a credible election.
“It is not like the current act is so defective that we cannot use it, ” he said.
The leader said the bill could be worked on, to be used in elections beyond 2019.
He pointed out that: “If we cannot use the current amendments in 2019, who says we cannot use it in the 2023 elections and elections in between 2019 and 2023.
“So, national interest is of utmost importance and not the noise being made by some people. So, there is no reason for worry or agitation.”
Lawan said the president, as an elderstatesman, had the interst of the country at heart and his action should not be misconstrued to mean selfishness.
According to him, the President cares for the masses, the progress, stability and development of the country and would not take any decision that would impact on the nation negatively.
“The President believes in due process and as such he will do anything possible to ensure that our election processes are transparent.
“For me, Mr President took his time with his advisers to study the bill before coming up with the decision.
“We are all working in the interest of the nation and as such nobody should claim to be more patriotic than the President.
“The president has his track records. This is a president that his whole life has been devoted to public good.
“He has never shown selfishness or done anything to enhance his personal status.
“All he does is for Nigeria to be better. So, I want to say that he cannot be forced to sign something as important as the electoral bill,” Lawan said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged his government will not rest until the remaining Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in April 2014 are safely released.
According to a statement issued by President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Tuesday, Buhari made the pledge on Monday in Katowice, Poland, during a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, on the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP24.
The Presidential aide said Buhari had spent the whole day at the International Conference Centre, Katowice, where he delivered his national address at the opening of the 12-day meeting of COP24.
Shehu said the president had also met with several world leaders and visited the impressive Nigerian pavilion at the climate summit.
During his meeting with the Swiss President, the Nigerian leader thanked the Swiss Confederation for its efforts and important role as intermediaries to secure the release of some Chibok girls.
He assured him that the issue of the remaining kidnapped girls and other abducted persons would remain a ‘key priority’ for the Nigerian government.
President Buhari and his Swiss counterpart, according to the statement, discussed joint strategies to ensure the safe return of the girls, building on the past successes of securing the release of some of the Chibok girls and other abducted persons in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.
The President also welcomed the Swiss President’s commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and to ensure the safe release of the abducted school girls.
”We will continue to make the safe release of the remaining Chibok girls a priority and will welcome any kind of support from any quarters to make this happen, ” the President said.
In separate bilateral meetings with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda and the Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, President Buhari commended the country for a successful outing at the opening of the COP24 meeting in Katowice.
The President told his Polish counterpart that Nigeria was facing serious climate change challenges, particularly the receding Lake Chad, which had been a source of livelihood to some 40 million people living in the region.
”Nigeria is totally committed to global efforts to mitigate and adapt to effects of climate change,” President Buhari told the Polish leader, whose country is the president of COP24.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Morawiecki, the President lauded the plan by the Polish Government to open a Trade Office in Lagos soon, promising that “investors who look to Nigeria can be ‘guaranteed’ of safe returns on their investments.’’
He said: ”We have a vibrant and active young population and our government is doing so much on the Nigerian economy, including diversifying to non-oil sectors.
”We welcome increased cooperation with Poland and will encourage investments in other sectors of the economy like solid minerals and information technology.’’
Morawiecki told President Buhari that traditionally 96 per cent of oil imports to Poland came from Saudi Arabia and Russia, adding ”but now we are looking at importing oil from Nigeria.”
The Prime Minister noted as the fastest growing economy in the European Union, Poland had identified Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, as three top investment destinations in Africa.
”We want the hub of our investment destination to be in Nigeria,” he added.
The Polish Prime Minister welcomed the pledge by the Nigerian leader to immediately put in place a framework to encourage more Polish investments in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the President’s bilateral meeting with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Van der Bellen, focused on the challenges of Lake Chad and what was required to recharge it.
While noting that the Lake faced the two challenges of technology and financing, President Buhari told the Austrian leader that enormous financial resources and technology were required to transfer water to Lake Chad from the Congo Basin.
Van der Bellen, who indicated his country’s interest to cooperate with Nigeria on recharging the Lake Chad, talked about climate change challenges in Austria including drought, glaciers melting, among others.
President Buhari also met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and both leaders followed up on their past discussions, during their last meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, in July, which centred on trade, investments and partnerships in agriculture.
The President welcomed the proposal by the Dutch Prime Minister to visit Abuja soon and promised that the Nigerian government would continue to provide a conducive business environment for existing and prospective Dutch investors.
On the sidelines of COP24, President Buhari also met with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Jüri Ratas.
The Prime Minister of the Northern European country sought Nigeria’s support on its bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020 to 2021.
“The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation and climate change mitigation,’’ the statement read.
President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Krakow, Poland, ahead of the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP24) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The conference is slated for between Dec. 2 and 4.
Buhari’s aide on New Media, Alhaji Bashir Ahmad, confirmed this development on his tweeter handle in Abuja.
However, a report reaching the News Agency of Nigeria indicated that President Buhari and members of his entourage, who arrived at a Military Base Balice International Airport, Krakow, on Saturday evening, were `welcomed’ by snow as temperature dropped further to -3 degrees Centigrade.
COP24 Summit is being held at the International Conference Centre (MCK), Katowice, an industrial hub, about 100 kilometers from Krakow.
President Buhari’s first official engagement will be a town hall meeting in Krakow on Sunday evening, where he would meet and interact with Nigerians living in Poland.
The President will, during the Leaders’ Summit at COP24 on Monday morning, deliver a national statement, highlighting Nigeria’s commitment to addressing climate change by implementing the goals set out in its National Determined Contributions.
According to the organisers, the conference is expected to finalise the rules for implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) – the rule book for implementation.
President Buhari’s spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, had on Friday in a statement, disclosed that during the Summit at COP24, Buhari would deliver a national statement highlighting Nigeria’s commitment to address climate change by implementing the goals in its National Determined Contributions.
He said the president would also use the occasion to accentuate Nigeria’s willingness to work with international partners to reverse the negative effects of climate change in Africa and the world over.
Adesina said the president would also highlight the need for developed nations to scale up their emission reduction activities, to limit the increase in average global temperatures to well below 2 degrees centigrade between now and 2020.
The Leaders’ Summit is expected to adopt a ‘‘Declaration on Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia,’’ – named after the region of Poland where this year’s climate conference is taking place.
He observed that Nigeria, as a member of the Committee of the African Heads of State on Climate Change, would continue to address the challenges occasioned by climate change.
The committee is a group of 10 African countries that meets and takes positions concerning issues of climate change on behalf of the continent.
“Nigeria has been at the forefront of advancing policies and initiatives aimed at addressing significant challenges occasioned by climate change such as reviving the Lake Chad, halting and reversing desertification, flooding, ocean surge and oil spillage.
Adesina, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said that President Buhari would continue to champion these pressing issues at COP24 in Katowice, among others.
He also said the president would reiterate Nigeria’s position on the need for African countries to access financial resources, especially the Green Climate Fund to draw up climate change adaptation policies and actions for implementation.
“The Nigerian delegation will also showcase the policy measures and actions of the Federal Government at ensuring environmental sustainability and effectively combating climate change through several side events within the Nigerian pavilion.
“While in Poland, President Buhari will hold an interactive session with the Nigerian community in that country.
“The Nigerian leader is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the President of Poland Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki,’’ the statement added.
Bugatti will be accompanied on the trip by governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Yahaya Bello and Abubakar Bello of Enugu, Kogi and Niger States.
Others on his entourage include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, and the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibrin.
Segun Onibiyo, Presenter and Producer at Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), has explained alleged hate speech made against President Muhammadu Buhari and Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Segun gave the explanation in a statement lodged at a Kaduna Police station, following his arrest last week for allegedly making malicious posts on Facebook about the late Agom Adamawa curfew in Kaduna state.
He denied making any malicious posts against President Buhari, Governor el-Rufai or any other persons, stressing that he understands full well the implications of attacking public figures.
Segun’s statement to the Police reads: “My name is Onibiyo, Segun Mike Gbenga, born on the 20th of August, 1974 in Ife-Olukofun, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State. I am the 3rd in a family of 7. I grew up in Kaduna where I went to school – Kaduna Polytechnic and studied Mass Communication.
“I am married with 2 children and I currently work as a presenter/producer with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria from 2012 till date. My parents are late Elder Jeremiah ABoyomi Onibiyo and Mrs. Roseline Onibiyo.
“I have read line for line the malicious, injurious (allegations) post made against me about posts on the late Agom Adamawa curfew in Kaduna and others attacking the person of his excellency, the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam NAsir El-Rufai, the President of the federal republic, general Muhammadu Buhari and others.
“I wish to state categorically that I have nothing to do with the post. My Facebook account with the name SMG Onibiyo was hacked pre-2015. I had since reported same to Facebook and while I could not recover the account, I opened another in the name Segun Onibiyo, which was equally hacked. I had since stopped using Facebook in those aforementioned names and instead continued the use of 2 other accounts – MrJejeSupreme and Miongs Communications – as medium of facebooking.
“I am a journalist and understand full well the implication of attacking public figures or individuals in private or public space. I may have my opinion on issues but I will never in any way attack anyone in such injurious manner, especially on Facebook or anywhere else.
“I want my name cleared for any form of attack on personalities as I do not have access to the FB account where these allegations were posted. Family members and friends have always called to ask if I sent them pictures and even pornographic image, which I have always explained I did not. I am an upright individual and family and friends can attest to my character, even on my program on radio – Oga Jeje.
In conclusion, once again, my account SMG Onibyo was hacked pre-2015 and I have since then moved on and not on Facebook in that name. I reported the hack to Facebook but not to any security agency as I did not envisage the threat it could pose”.
