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Tag: Theresa May

  • 2019: Buhari assures UK Prime Minister of credible, free, fair elections

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja assured UK Prime Minister Theresa May of his commitment to conducting free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, in a statement, said Buhari gave the assurance during a bilateral meeting with the visiting Prime Minister at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Buhari welcomed UK’s support toward strengthening democratic institutions in the country.

    ‘‘I assure you that I’m all out for free, fair and credible elections.

    “I’m very pleased that my party is doing very well. The High Commissioner will brief you more.

    “The recent successes in polls in Katsina, Bauchi, and Kogi have boosted our morale greatly.

    ‘‘Nigeria has accepted multiparty democracy and that is putting politicians on their toes, forcing them to work harder.’’

    On the anti-corruption campaign, the President applauded Britain’s support to the country, noting that the success of the fight was very important to ordinary people in the country.

    He recalled that Nigeria had great opportunities and resources between 1999 and 2014 due to high oil prices.

    “But when we came in 2015, oil prices plunged to as low as 37 dollars per barrel.

    ‘‘What we have been doing since 2015 is to focus on infrastructure development, despite low earnings. Work is ongoing on roads, rail, power, and many others,’’ he said.

    On Brexit, Buhari noted that it provided an opportunity to strengthen the historic ties between Nigeria and the UK.

    ‘‘We are nervously watching the development about Brexit because we know that the relationship had been on for a long time.

    “I assure you that I am prepared to strengthen the relationship between our two countries.’’

    The president also thanked the UK government for the support on security and the fight against insurgency in the North-East, as well as the improved trade relations between both countries.

    ‘‘I am very grateful to the British government under you leadership for the help in security, particularly your training team that is in our institution in Kaduna,’’ he said.

    Earlier in a remark before the bilateral meeting, Buhari underscored the need for UK support toward reviving Lake Chad, which is a source of livelihood for millions of people.

    The president told the visiting prime minister that Europe and China were already conducting an indepth study on recharging the Lake through inter-basin transfer from the Central African Republic.

    In her remarks, Prime Minister May said she was pleased to be in Abuja to continue the ‘‘excellent discussions’’ she started with Buhari in London in April, particularly on security, trade, asset recovery and the fight against corruption.

    May welcomed the assurance by the Nigerian government on credible elections in 2019.

    ‘‘Security and defence cooperation are very important steps to address Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa,’’ May said.

    On asset recovery, the prime minister said:‘‘We do not want to hold anything that belongs to Nigerian people; but we follow the judicial process which can be slow.’’

    She appealed to Buhari to use his position as ECOWAS Chair to keep the issue of human trafficking on the front burner in the sub-region.

    Buhari and May witnessed the signing of two agreements an Security and Defence Partnership and Economic Development Forum Agreement.

     

  • BREAKING: British PM, Theresa May arrives Lagos

    The British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on Wednesday afternoon arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Ikeja, as part of her visit to Lagos State, where she is billed to spend time with victims of modern slavery during her brief stay in the nation’s commercial hub.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the UK prime minister arrived at exactly 4:18p.m. at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, aboard an aircraft of the Royal Air Force.

    NAN reports that the prime minister’s visit to Lagos comes barely eight weeks after the French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron, visited the African Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos.

    Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, accompanied by his deputy, among other state officials, had earlier arrived at the presidential lounge, MMA to receive the prime minister.

    Also on ground at the airport were the top echelon of the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service.

    May had earlier arrived in the country and met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the New Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.

    Nigeria and Britain also signed two agreements on Defence and Security partnership as well as Economic Development Forum before she headed to Lagos.

    May’s visit to Nigeria is part of her tour of some Africa countries.

    The Prime Minister on Thursday is expected in Nairobi, where she will meet President Uhuru Kenyatta and see British soldiers training troops from Kenya and other African countries in the techniques needed to identify and destroy improvised explosive devices before they go to fight Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

    The prime minister is on a trade mission in an attempt to bolster Britain’s post-Brexit fortunes. This is her first visit to Africa since she became Prime Minister in 2016.

    She is accompanied by a 30-man business delegation as part of her efforts to “deepen and strengthen” partnerships around the world as the UK prepares to leave the European Union (EU) next year.

    Former Prime Minister David Cameron had in 2013 visited Africa for Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.

    NAN

  • PDP warns visiting Theresa May against endorsing Buhari for second term

    Opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party has warned the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, of an alleged plan by the Presidency to make her forcefully make endorsement statements for President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection in 2019.

    Recall that the British Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Nigeria today.

    The party urged May to use her state visit to Nigeria to uncover the alleged dismal state of the country by resisting what it called “choreographed plan by the Buhari Presidency to hoodwink her for an endorsement stunt.”

    The party also called on the British leader not to allow the Buhari Presidency to confine her to the parlours of the Presidential Villa, but to insist on visiting other parts of the nation to enable her to appreciate the alleged level of lies and false performance indices which it said the Federal Government had been dishing out to the world.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, that there were plans by the Federal Government to roll out inaccurate figures during the visit to deceive the international community.

    He said, “We have been made aware of plans by the Federal Government to use the visit to dish out more lies to the international community in an effort to cover its failures in governance in the last three years, for which Nigerians are clamouring for a new President under the PDP.

    “The PDP further charges the British Prime Minister, as a parliamentarian, to take the Buhari Presidency to task on its unabated interferences and violent attacks on the institution of the National Assembly, including threats to forcefully remove the elected presiding officers of the Senate, as well as the recent invasion and blockade of the National Assembly by the Presidency-controlled security forces.

    “The PDP also wants the British leader to put President Muhammadu Buhari to task on his widely condemned stand against the supremacy of the rule of law in addition to records of the violation of human rights in Nigeria.

    “This includes government’s disobedience to court orders, reported extrajudicial killings, torture, unlawful political arrests and detention, restriction of free speech and media freedom and lack of government’s accountability as detailed in the reports by various international bodies, including Transparency International, Amnesty International and the US Department of State.”

    Ologbondiyan said the British leader should also elicit discussions with the President on the recent report by Price Waterhouse Cooper which he said allegedly showed humongous corruption in his administration, including the circumstances surrounding the N4tn unremitted oil money in agencies under his direct supervision as a minister.

    He urged the Prime Minister to engage Buhari on the alleged violent rigging of elections under his watch and extract a commitment from him on his administration’s preparedness to organise free, fair and credible general elections in 2019.

    He said there “are apprehensions across Nigeria,” that the President’s actions, utterances and body language suggest otherwise.

    Furthermore, the party asked President Buhari to explain the whereabouts of the alleged Four trillon unremitted oil revenue and other “financial rots in the Presidency” as detailed in the audit report by the Price Waterhouse Cooper, a firm commissioned by the administration.

    The party said the report had further confirmed that Buhari had been presiding over what it described as a very corrupt administration, while at the same time posturing as Mr Integrity and pointing fingers at everyone else but himself.

    Ologbondiyan in a separate statement in Abuja on Tuesday, that Nigerians, particularly those who he said had been defending the Buhari administration, were shocked by the revelations.

    He said it was more shocking that the alleged theft of N4tn could happen under the direct supervision of ‘honest’ President Buhari, as minister of Petroleum Resources.

    He said, “Nigerians are also shocked to learn how some ministers under President Buhari stole N413m from agencies and parastatals using fraudulent imprests.

     

  • Over 87 million Nigerians live on less than $1 daily – Theresa May

    The British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on Tuesday said 87 million Nigerians live on less than $1.90 a day, making the country home to more very poor people than any other nation in the world.

    The statement is coming a day ahead of her scheduled visit to the Nigeria on Wednesday.

    The British PM will be hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja.

    Ms May made her latest statement in South Africa, according to the UK government.

    According to the statement published on the UK government website on Wednesday, at her visit to South Africa in Cape Town, Mrs May said most of the world’s poorest people are Africans.

    ”For example, much of Nigeria is thriving, with many individuals enjoying the fruits of a resurgent economy. Yet 87 million Nigerians live on less than $1.90 a day – making it home to more very poor people than any other nation in the world,” she said.

    The statement by the British leader could provide fodder for opposition politicians critical of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and his policies. Amidst dwindling resources, the government has embarked on massive construction projects and social investment programmes that it believes would lift millions out of poverty.

    On Wednesday, Ms May also spoke on inequality and the impact of terrorism on African countries.

    ”Most of the world’s poorest people are Africans. And increasing wealth has brought rising inequality, both between and within nations.”

    ”Extremist groups such as Boko Haram and al-Shabab are killing thousands. Africa’s ocean economy three times the size of its landmass is under threat from plastic waste and other pollution,” she said.

     

     

  • Theresa May to visit Nigeria on Friday

    British Prime Minister, Theresa May, will visit three African countries including Nigeria, on Friday.

    According to a statement by the UK government, May will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and also spend time in Lagos, where she is expected to visit victims of modern slavery.

    She would also visit Kenya and South Africa.

    May will be joined by a business delegation made up of 29 representatives from UK business.

    “The Prime Minister’s central message will be focused on a renewed partnership between the UK and Africa, which will seek to maximise shared opportunities and tackle common challenges in a continent that is growing at a rapid pace – from the Sahara to South Africa,” the UK government said in a statement.

    “As Africa seeks to meet the needs of its growing population the visit will also emphasise that it is in the world’s interest to help secure African stability, jobs and growth because conflict, poor work prospects and economic instability will continue to encourage migration and dangerous journeys to Europe.

    “Because nations cannot prosper without security, the prime minister will also use the visit to announce further support to tackle instability across the region.”

    May said she is proud to lead a delegation to Africa, expressing delight over being the first British prime minister to visit Kenya in 30 years.

    “Africa stands right on the cusp of playing a transformative role in the global economy, and as longstanding partners this trip is a unique opportunity at a unique time for the UK to set out our ambition to work even closer together,” she was quoted to have said.

    “A more prosperous, growing and trading Africa is in all of our interests and its incredible potential will only be realised through a concerted partnership between governments, global institutions and business.

    “As we prepare to leave the European Union, now is the time for the UK to deepen and strengthen its global partnerships. This week I am looking forward to discussing how we can do that alongside Africa to help deliver important investment and jobs as well as continue to work together to maintain stability and security.”

  • Gov’t reshuffle: May holds productive cabinet meeting

    Gov’t reshuffle: May holds productive cabinet meeting

    UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said she had a “productive cabinet meeting” following the departure of Brexit Minister David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

    “Productive Cabinet meeting this morning, looking ahead to a busy week and sending our best wishes to @England for tomorrow!’’ May tweeted.

    Johnson and Davis resigned over the disagreements with May in relation to the Brexit plan, which the cabinet approved last week at the prime minister’s Chequers residence.

    The 2016 UK referendum in favour of exiting the EU has left the UK divided almost equally between “Remainers” and “Brexiteer”.

    The economic partnership model and the Irish border issue have proven to be contentious matters both in talks with Brussels and debates within the UK cabinet.

    At a meeting with her Conservative Party lawmakers on Monday, she was cheered and applauded by many as she warned them that internal squabbling could pave the way for socialist opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to take power instead.

    “I think it is right that the cabinet backs the prime minister and speaks with one voice and if people don’t do that then they have to go,” Justice Secretary David Gauke told BBC radio.

    Senior lawmakers in her party said they did not expect the prime minister to face a vote of no confidence, although some Conservatives were still saying that she should go.

     

  • Ignore Theresa May’s advice on legalisation of same-sex marriage, CAN tells Buhari

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Sunday advised the federal government to disregard the counsel of British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on same sex marriage.

    The advice is contained in a statement issued by Adebayo Oladeji, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the CAN President, Olasupo Ayokunle, in Abuja.

    Recall that Ms May, while speaking at the first joint forum at Commonwealth Head of Government Meetings in Westminster, said there should be no laws criminalising same-sex relationships across the Commonwealth.

    She was quoted as saying: “As the UK’s Prime Minister, I deeply regret that those laws were introduced. As a family, we must respect one another’s cultures and traditions, but we must do so in a manner consistent with equality, as it is clearly stated in the Commonwealth
    charter.

    “Nobody should face discrimination or persecution because of who they are or who they love and the UK stands ready to help any Commonwealth member wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes such discrimination possible.”

    The CAN president, however, noted that the position of Ms May was ungodly, satanic, reprehensible, condemnable and should be rejected by all right thinking people globally, especially in Nigeria.

    He said that Nigerians had unanimously resolved to do away with same sex marriage.

    He added that Nigeria cannot return to its vomit mainly because of a view canvassed by the British Prime Minister.

    The statement reads: “If we may remind the British authorities, the same-sex marriage contradicts the position of the Scripture and any human law that contradicts the Bible cannot stand.

    “God is the author of marriage and He stated it clearly that it involves a man and a woman.

    “In addition, The Bible states: ‘A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.’ (Genesis 2:24).Jesus our Saviour confirmed that marriage should be ‘male and female.’—Matthew 19:4.”

    “The plan of God for marriage is very clear. Men and women are designed to complement each other so they may be capable of satisfying each other’s emotional and sexual needs and of providing children.

    “The Bible condemns homosexuality as an immoral and unnatural sin. Leviticus 18:22 identifies homosexual sex as an abomination, a detestable sin. Romans 1:26-27 declares homosexual desires and actions to be shameful, unnatural, lustful, and indecent. First Corinthians 6:9 states that homosexuals are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God. Since both homosexual desires and actions are condemned in the Bible, it is clear that homosexuals “marrying” is not God’s will, and would be, in fact, sinful.

    “This is the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and any government that dares to make same sex marriage lawful is not only asking for the wrath of God but that of the Christians and other well meaning Nigerians.

    “The fact that British authorities or all countries of the world practise or allow it does not make it right. Whatever that is ungodly is unacceptable to CAN and to Nigerians.

    “The British Prime Minister should take a lesson from all animals in the bush. As wild as beasts may be, they never contemplate till today indecent sexual relationship of same sex.

    “Same sex marriage is Sodomy and it was one of the major reasons God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible. No human right should set aside the commandment of God. Man cannot be God to himself/herself.

    “Same sex marriage is not acceptable in Nigeria because it is human madness and CAN is confident that our government will never contemplate introducing it.”

    “For the sake of emphasis, CAN stands by the moral situations according to the Holy Book. We contend that on no account should our government bow to pressure by making Nigeria capitulate while embracing strange culture that allows barren amorous relationship between same sex, not in tandem with mother nature.

    “The sovereignty of Nigeria allows it to stick fervently to its good law, morals and values and to reject any influence by strange cultures from other climes that is anti-human.”

  • CHOGM18: Queen Elizabeth pushes for Prince Charles succession

    Queen Elizabeth on Thursday while formally declaring open the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at Buckingham Palace in Central London, urged Commonwealth heads of governments to allow her son, Prince Charles, succeed her.

    TheNewsGuru reports Queen Elizabeth is pushing Prince Charles becomes the group’s next head in advance amid expectation that the 53 heads of government presently attending the CHOGM18 will discuss succession on Friday.

    “It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity to future generations, and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales [Prince Charles] should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949,” the queen, 91, told the leaders at the opening of a biennial summit.

    Although the Queen took over from her father, King George VI, who died of lung cancer in 1952, the position of the queen or king of England is said to be not hereditary.

    “We are one of the great convening powers… and we seem to by growing stronger year by year,” the queen told the 53 heads of government, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    She highlighted Commonwealth initiatives including a “blue charter” to protect the marine environment, saying the British royal family was “proud to play a part” in them.

    Earlier, May paid tribute to the queen’s “service and dedication” to the Commonwealth, which Elizabeth has headed since 1952.

    “You have been true to the deepest values of the Commonwealth – that the voice of the smallest member country is worth precisely as much as that of the largest; that the wealthiest and the most vulnerable stand shoulder to shoulder. For your service, for your dedication, for your constancy – we thank you,” May said in a speech.

    May earlier urged the other nations at the two-day summit to follow Britain’s plan to end the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds.

    “Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world, which is why protecting the marine environment is central to our agenda at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting,” she said.

    Most of the 53 states in the Commonwealth, which was formed in 1949, were once ruled directly or indirectly by Britain.

    The summit which was originally to be hosted by Vanuatu at the end of 2017 was moved to the UK as Vanuatu was no longer able to host the event due to the damage done by Cyclone Pam to the island nation’s infrastructure.

    The meeting was postponed to the spring of 2018 due to other international commitments.

    The position of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, held by the government leader of the CHOGM host country, will be transferred at the summit from the Prime Minister of Malta to the Prime Minister of the UK who will hold the post until the 26th CHOGM expected in 2020.

    The theme of the summit is “Towards a Common Future”.

    The British hosts have set out four main goals for the summit.

    These are prosperity; boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment security; increasing cooperation across security challenges including global terrorism, organized crime and cyber attacks fairness, and promoting democracy.

    Others are fundamental freedoms and good governance across the Commonwealth sustainability; building the resilience of small and vulnerable states to deal with the effects of climate change and other global crises

    Under consideration will be a Commonwealth Blue Charter on ocean governance, a Commonwealth connectivity agenda for trade and investment, a declaration on cybercrime, and revised Commonwealth guidelines on election observation in member countries.[

    This will be the first CHOGM held following the UK’s decision to withdraw from the European Union, a decision which has resulted in calls for Britain to strengthen its economic ties with and play a greater role in the Commonwealth.

    The Commonwealth currently is responsible for one-tenth of British trade compare to the EU with which the UK currently conducts half of its trade.

    Intra-Commonwealth trade, overall, is expected to increase by at least 17 per cent around 700 billion dollars by 2020.

    The summit ends on Friday.

     

  • Theresa May urges Buhari to allow same-sex marriages in Nigeria

    British Prime Minister, Theresa May, has called for same-sex marriages in Nigeria and all other Commonwealth Nations.

    The Prime Minister said this on Tuesday while speaking at the first joint forum at Commonwealth Head of Government Meetings in Westminster.

    According to her, there should be no laws criminalising same-sex relationships across the Commonwealth.

    May said that she understands that most of the laws against same-sex marriages in the Commonwealth were made by the United Kingdom, adding that those laws were wrong then, and are wrong now.

    She said, “Across the world, discriminatory laws made many years ago, continue to affect the lives of many people tens of millions of young people.

    “Criminalising same-sex relations and failing to protect women and girls.”

    “I am all too aware that these laws were put in place by my own country; they were wrong then and they are wrong now.

    “As the UK’s prime minister, I deeply regret that those laws were introduced…as a family, we must respect one another’s cultures and traditions, but we must do so in a manner consistent with equality, as it is clearly stated in the Commonwealth charter.

    “Nobody should face discrimination or persecution because of who they are or who they love and the UK stands ready to help any Commonwealth member wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes such discrimination possible.”

  • ‘I’m bothered about Nigeria not 2019 elections,’ Buhari tells May

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said that though his fellow politicians are currently preoccupied with the forthcoming general elections in 2019, he is more bothered about the need to provide security and revamp the economy.

    According to the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina, this was part of the discussions Buhari had with the British Prime Minister, Mrs. Theresa May, during their meeting in London on Monday.

    Adesina made this known via his Facebook wall on Monday.

    See the full text:

    The three-pronged focus of the current administration resonated through the conversation, as President Muhammadu Buhari held a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on Monday at 10, Downing Street, London.

    “We campaigned on three major issues: to secure the country, revive the economy and fight corruption,” said the President. “We have elections next year, politicians are already preoccupied with the polls, but I am bothered more about security and the economy,” he stressed.

    Recalling that Nigeria and Britain have a long history of cooperation on several fronts, President Buhari stated: “People ought to know how they arrived where they are, if they would move forward. It was a mistake for us to have stopped the teaching of history as a subject in schools, but we are returning it to the curriculum now.”

    He commended British companies like Unilever, Cadbury, and many others, “who have stood with Nigeria through thick and thin. Even when we fought a Civil War, they never left.

    “But like Oliver Twist, we ask for more investments. We are encouraging more British companies to come to Nigeria. We appreciate the support you have given in training and equipping our military, particularly in the war against insurgency, but we want to also continue to work with you on trade and investment.”

    President Buhari briefed Prime Minister May on the strides in agriculture, which he said has put Nigeria firmly on the road to food self-sufficiency.

    “I am very pleased with the successes in agriculture,” he said, adding: “We have cut rice importation by about 90%, made lots of savings of foreign exchange, and generated employment. People had rushed to the cities to get oil money, at the expense of farming. But luckily, they are now going back to the farms. Even professionals are going back to the land. We are making steady progress on the road to food security.”

    On education, President Buhari said more investment was being made, because “people can look after themselves if well educated. In this age of technology, education is very important. We need well-staffed and well-equipped institutions to move into the next generation.”

    Climate change and environmental issues also came up for discussion, and President Buhari brought up the necessity of inter-basin water transfer from Congo Basin to Lake Chad.

    According to him: “The Lake Chad is now about 10% of its original size, and it is perhaps one of the reasons our youths dare both the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean, to get to Europe. But if there is inter-basin water transfer, about 40 million people in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad, and other countries stand to benefit. I made the case during the Climate Change Summit in France. If Lake Chad is recharged, it will reduce the number of youths coming to Europe to increase social problems. We brought back about 4,000 people from Libya recently. Almost all of them were below 30, and Libya was not their final destination. They were headed to Europe.”

    Prime Minister May, in her remarks, said Britain would continue to work with Nigeria in the areas of training and equipping the military.
    She was particular about abduction of young schoolgirls by Boko Haram, noting that Britain would continue to give Nigeria needed assistance.

    The Prime Minister said the Buhari administration has “been making good progress on the economy,” and urged it to maintain the focus, despite approaching elections, and increase in political activities.

    On education and climate change, she declared: “Good grounding in education is good. It is important to equip young people for today’s world. It is also a good bastion and defence against modern slavery. The issue of the environment and climate change is very important, because of its impact on many countries in the Commonwealth. Stability at home is important, to curb illegal migration.”

    Prime Minister May, who commended President Buhari for the much he has been doing on improving trade and business for Nigeria, noted that it was also time to boost intra-Commonwealth trade.