Osinbajo Meets Ministers, Govs Over Rice and Wheat Production

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday presided over a meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Rice and Wheat as part of the Federal Government’s efforts aimed at enhancing food security.

Those who attended the meeting included four state governors — Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa); and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi).

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, also attended.

Bagudu later told State House correspondents that the meeting reviewed the government’s wheat programme and what could be done to increase production.

He said, “This is the meeting of the Presidential Task Force on Rice and Wheat and we reviewed the wheat programme and what we can do more to support states in order to increase production of wheat.

“We also want to ensure that our farmers who have responded to the call are supported in terms of getting good price for their output in order to sustain their interests.

“We reviewed where we are with rice production. The Acting President noted with satisfaction all the efforts by different stakeholders to attain sufficiency in the shortest possible time.

“The Acting President assured us that the Federal Government would continue to support the drive towards self-sufficiency in food security. He said the government, of necessity, would support the farmers, the millers and other stakeholders involved in the value change.”

When asked to confirm the claim that Nigeria is the second largest producer of rice in the world, the governor said he did not have the data.

He, however, said farmers had responded and about 32 states had shown readiness to increase production.

“I think we have done very well. We have remarkable increase in the number of states that have produced wheat from the last season.

“Last season, we had about five states but today we are hearing reports from about 11 states and the increase in output per state is quite significant as well.

“So, we believe that with sustained trajectory that we are seeing, we will be able to achieve our self-sufficiency,” he added.

Copyright : The Punch

BREAKING : I Need Longer Period of Rest - Nigerian President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said results of the series of medical checkups he carried out in the cause of his medical vacation had shown that he needed longer period of rest.

He said this necessitated his staying back in London, United Kingdom longer than initially planned.

The President said this in a four-paragraph made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

Adesina did not disclose how long the President’s “longer period of rest” will take.

He however thanked Nigerians for their prayers and good wishes while assuring them that there is no cause for worry.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari thanks millions of Nigerians who have been sending good wishes and praying for his health and well-being in mosques and churches throughout the country.

 

“The President is immensely grateful for the prayers, show of love and concern.

 

“President Buhari wishes to reassure Nigerians that there is no cause for worry.

 

‘”During his normal annual checkup, tests showed he needed a longer period of rest, necessitating the President staying longer than originally planned."

Copyright: The Punch

Tonto Dikeh Celebrates Son's Birthday, Releases Pictures

Just as Tonto, her name means warrior, the beautiful Nollywood actress channels being a warrior queen in latest pictures she released to celebrate her son's first birthday anniversary.

The profoundness of the symbology is underscored by the rocky relationship she currently is embroiled in with her husband. Tonto Dikeh moved out of her husband's house recently following allegations of infidelity and domestic violence by Oladunni Churchill, her hubby. The two former lovebirds have been  battling it out on social media.

Buhari is healthy - Saraki

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has said President Muhammadu Buhari, who he met with at the Abuja House in London on Wednesday night, is healthy.

According to him, there is no cause for alarm.

Saraki, in a statement he personally signed, which was sent to The PUNCH through the Media Office of the Senate President, said Buhari was “himself” when he met with the President.

The statement read, “Delighted to see that President Buhari is doing well; was cheerful and in good spirits.

“The President I saw today is healthy, witty and himself.

“The President’s absence and imminent return shows that there is no vacuum in government and our system of democracy is working with all organs of government fulfilling their mandate. And let me use the time-tested cliché, there is no cause for alarm!”

Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had travelled to the United Kingdom on Wednesday to meet with Buhari, who is in the country for medical vacation.

Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, was also on the trip.

The National Assembly leaders had a late-night meeting with the President.

After the meeting on Wednesday night, Buhari thanked the leadership of the National Assembly for the visit.

Buhari, in his Facebook post at about 9:30pm on Wednesday, expressed his appreciation to Nigerians for their prayers and kind wishes.

The post, which was accompanied by a photograph showing Buhari in a handshake with Saraki while Dogara and Lawan standing close, read, “I thanked them for visiting. I’m also grateful to Nigerians, Christians and Muslims alike, for their prayers and kind wishes for my health.”

Earlier in a tweet through his personal Twitter handle, @MBuhari, the President said he was pleased to receive Saraki, Dogara and Lawan on Wednesday night.

Buhari had embarked on a medical vacation to the UK and extended his initial 10-day leave.

The visit by the National Assembly leadership came few days after the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; and former Interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, visited the President.

Earlier, Governor of Ogun State, Mr. Ibikunle Amosun, had visited Buhari in London.

The release was, however, not issued as of press time on Wednesday.

Saraki had last week Wednesday said he spoke with Buhari and the President was hale and hearty.

In an attempt to douse the growing tension over the state of Buhari’s health, Saraki, in a tweet, said he spoke with the President and he was not only in good spirit but also cracked a joke with him.

Saraki, through his Twitter handle, said he was happy to have communicated with Buhari.

The tweet read, “Happy to have spoken with @NGRPresident @MBuhari tonight. He was in good spirit and joked about my working late into the night, as usual.”

By the announcement, Saraki joined the shortlist of Nigerian who have claimed to have spoken to Buhari since he left the country.

There have been growing concerns about the president’s health status since January 19, 2017, when he hurriedly left the country earlier than the initial schedule to proceed on a 10-day vacation on January 23, 2017.

The fears on his medical condition heightened when the Presidency announced that a letter informing the National Assembly about the extension of the vacation had been transmitted.

The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had also last week Monday said Buhari was hale and hearty.

While answering questions from journalists on the medical condition of the President, Osinbajo said he spoke with Buhari and the President was fine.

The Acting President denied the reports that he was under pressure to resign over Buhari’s health status.

He said, rather, Buhari was concerned about the ongoing work by the National Assembly on the 2017 Appropriation Bill as well as the moves by the Federal Government to bring the country put of the current economic recession.

Osinbajo, who declined to declare Buhari’s health status, stated that it was the President’s exclusive preserve to declare his health status.

Nigeria Polls 2019: Atiku, Lamido May Battle Opposition PDP Ticket

There are indications that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, are making moves towards clinching the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2019 election.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that both politicians had been discussing with the leaders of the party with the hope of gaining their support for the ticket.

It was gathered that Atiku, though a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, was already tinkering with the idea of returning to his former party if he would not be allowed to contest the ticket in his current party.

He is said to be considering other options on the premise that President Muhammadu Buhari might want to run for a second term.

In the event that he would not, the President would also be expected to “anoint” his successor in the party.

Though Atiku had denied plans to leave the APC, sources in the PDP, however, said Atiku’s hand could be felt in the current moves to reposition the former ruling party.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said Atiku was neck-deep in the activities of the party.

He explained that it was wrong to assume that the current travails of members of the party were rubbing off on its acceptability across the country, adding that Nigerians would be surprised with the calibre of people currently speaking with the leadership of the PDP.

The source added, “Atiku knows that he may not have the chance to contest the APC ticket, and that’s why we have been talking.

“He wants to be President and as it is, nothing is sure for him in his new party. He still believes that his former party, which is the PDP, is a formidable party on which platform he can realise his age-long ambition.”

Atiku recently visited a former dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), in Minna, who recently returned to the country from his medical trip to Switzerland.

It was believed that the former Vice-President used the occasion to discuss his 2019 presidential ambition, but the former presidential aspirant denied such insinuation.

Media aide to Atiku, Mr. Paul Ibe, said Atiku was not the first person to visit Babangida, who annulled the June 12, 1993 presidential election, believed to have been won by the late businessman, Bashorun Moshood Abiola, since his return to the country.

Apart from the former military dictator, he said the former Vice-President could not be said to have visited any other person of recent.

Babangiga, who reluctantly “stepped aside” from office after eight years in the saddle as military President, is believed to still be a member of the PDP.

“He just came back from a medical trip abroad. Atiku isn’t the only person that has visited him,” Ibe said.

Ibe declined comments on whether the former Vice-President would run for the Presidency in 2019 or on which platform.

He said Atiku had yet to make up his mind on whether to run for the nation’s number one seat, stressing that until such a decision was taken, it would be too early to talk about which platform.

Ibe added, “I can’t say whether he would contest now. The desire to contest has to be there first before we can talk about the platform.

“Until when the decision to run is taken, the issue of which platform remains secondary.

“I’m aware that there is pressure on him to run in 2019, but no decision has been taken yet.”

He added that the Turaki Adamawa like other Nigerians, is disappointed with a lot of things going on in the country.

It was also gathered that the national leadership of the PDP, headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, was planning to visit Atiku with a view to wooing him back to the party.

A member of the Strategic Review and Inter-Party Committee of the party, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, said the party would visit all those who had left the party.

Adeniran, a former Minister of Education and an aspirant to the office of the national chairman of the party, would, however, not disclose if and when his committee would visit Atiku.

He told The PUNCH on the telephone on Wednesday that the PDP was desirous of returning to power in 2019, adding that those who could be instrumental in its success at the polls, would be visited.

The former minister stated, “We are meeting everybody. We are going to have meetings with all those who are ready to open up and return to the PDP.

“Everybody is important; so, and we will not mention the names of those we are going to visit, but let me say that those who share in the vision of the party’s founding fathers will be visited.

“We know that the PDP remains a popular party across the country. Therefore, we will also do our own homework in order to make sure that we return to power in 2019.”

It was gathered that the party’s hierarchy was divided over the likely return of Atiku to the party as some leaders were said to be of the opinion that only those, who had stood by the party from inception, be trusted with its presidential ticket.

The former vice-president had left the PDP twice.

Lamido, who is also said to be eyeing the party’s ticket, was believed to be engineering subtle moves against Atiku.

The former governor had stated publicly that he would run for the Presidency in 2019.

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the party has said it will not react to the gale of defection in the party.

It also said it would not comment on the defection of Senator Andy Uba from the party to the APC.

Spokesperson for the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Dayo Adeyeye, stated this in an interview with our correspondent on the telephone on Wednesday.

Adeyeye also refused to comment on the rumours making the rounds that some governors in the party from the South-East were also planning to ditch the former ruling party for the APC.

 “No, it is not an issue I would like to comment on,” the former Minister of State for Works told our correspondent on Wednesday.

 Copyright PUNCH.

Afenifere, Ohaneze Hold Historic Meeting

It is being lauded as the best thing to have happened between the two groups in a long time.

The new President General of Ohanaeze Chief Nia John Nwodo led a powerful delegation of the group on a historic visit to the Pan-Yoruba organisation,Afenifere at the weekend in Lagos. 

The meeting was significant as being the first outing of Nwodo to any socio-cultural group in the country since his election.

Nwodo, received by an equally powerful group of Afenifere led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo representing the Afenifere leader,Chief R.F Fasoranti, said the decision to make Afenifere his first  place of touching base arose from the fact that it was the first organisation that  openly congratulated him and followed with phone calls from its prominent leaders .

Afenifere on the other hand reiterated it's congratulations to Nwodo for his choice to lead Ndigbo at this crucial period.

The meeting of long associates was full of reminiscences, back-slappings and reflections on common issues of concerns to the Igbo and Yoruba nations within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

At the end of the meeting, a resolution was taken that the two groups should work together in protecting the interest of the two nations and the progress of Nigeria.

On Ohaneze's delegation are the Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Rtd DIG Hillary Opara,Vice-president General for Delta State,Dr Sylvanus Ebigwei,Vice-president General for Anambra State, Mr Charles Odunukwe,Chief Guy Ikokwu and Chief Ben Onwugalu.

In a press release by Afenifere's national publicity secretary,  Yinka Odumakin, on the Yoruba socio-cultural team comprised Adebanjo, the Chairman of its Political Committee, Prof. Banji Akintoye, Chairman of Committee on Restructuring, Dr. Amos Akingba, National Treasurer, Chief Supo Sonibare and Odumakin.

Already, the historic meeting has been receiving rave reviews across social media platforms and chat groups.

BREAKING: President Buhari's Hospitalisation: Nigerians in UK protests

Nigerians in the United Kingdom demand for a five-minute speech from President Buhari to reassure a tensed polity back home of his well-being.

The protest is being held in front of the Nigerian High Commission in London.

More to follow...

BREAKING: Nigerian President Extends Medical Vacation

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari just wrote to  the National Assembly today, February 5, 2017, informing the Congress of his desire to extend his leave  in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.

According to Femi Adesina,  the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, President Buhari had planned to return to Abuja on the evening of 5 February, but had a change of plans upon the advice of his medical doctors in order to facilitate the completion of the test cycle before returning to Nigeria.
The notice has since  been dispatched to the Senate  President, and Speaker, House of Representatives.

"Mr. President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes," Adesina said in the statement.

Ojajuni, Umoh Get Accolades For Aiding Nigerian Army, Police Unity

It was the day Nigeria hosted this year’s edition of the West African Conference on Security Communications and Public Information Management (WAFCON 2017).

It was a gathering of leading international experts, who had converged to discuss the various approaches to fighting terrorism in Africa and how to manage information during crisis.  

The project was a brainchild of the Peace & Conflict Resolution Resource Centre (PEACREC), the promoters of Military, Police and Paramilitary Public Relations Officers Forum (MILPOPPROF).

MILPOPPROF is an association of public relations managers of security agencies, who make up primary stakeholders of the forum. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies, public information managers, the civil society, media organisations, the judiciary, emergency response groups, non-governmental organisations, corporate affairs managers, the academia and consumers of security services constitute its secondary stakeholders.

“A team of officers, who had passion and vision for Nigeria, established the forum in 2006 to stop rivalry between uniformed officers,” said Steve Okonmah, the Chief Facilitator of the forum.

Recent activities show that MILPOPPROF, a war-child born 11 years ago, has come of age. It was born shortly after the 2006 bloody clash between soldiers and the police at Ojuelegba in Lagos.

It was the initiative of Bode Ojajuni, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), who was then a Superintendent of Police in charge of Police Public Relations in Lagos, and then Major Kingsley Umoh, now a Colonel and Executive Director, Defence Information at Army Headquarters. To a large extent, MILPOPPROF appears to have achieved its objective of ending the rivalry between the military and the police.

When soldiers descended on the Area ‘C’ Headquarters of the Police at Ojuelegba and set it ablaze in 2006, three officers displayed great courage while trying to contain the military incursion. One of them was the then Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations in Lagos, Mr. John Haruna, who later died as a DIG in a helicopter crash, during another dangerous mission in Jos.

Another is the then Area ‘C’ Commander, Mr. Sam Dam Adegbuyi, who is now the Oyo State Commissioner of Police. Adegbuyi was seen at that time as a supernatural being, because rain began to fall, when fire got to him, as he was trapped in a burning building.

And there was Ojajuni, who was captured and seriously battered before the soldiers made him a prisoner of war at Abalti Military Cantonment in Surulere.

It was the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) at Zone 2 then, Mr. Israel Ajao, who sent a mobile police commander, Kingston Orutugu, to secure the release of Ojajuni from Abalti Military Cantonment.

Ojajuni’s courage earned him awards in Nigeria and Ghana then.

Ojajuni also set up the Human Rights Desk in Lagos, which has been replicated, nationwide. The MacArthur Foundation later identified him in October 2008 as a well-informed person on policing issues in Nigeria in a letter signed by its Director, Africa Office, Dr. Kola Shettima, inviting Ojajuni for a meeting with Mr. Paul Evans of the Foundation.

The January 23 event was described by one of the participants, Mr. Igwe Chibueze, as a grand debut and a rich experience.

The conference brought together 150 delegates across the stakeholders’ spectrum within Nigeria and West Africa. Among the topics discussed was “Crisis and Information Management: A Perspective on West African Security.”

The experts shared ideas, perspectives and experiences on security communication and public information management in the ever-evolving global security environment. And the latest trend in security communication and gadgets were showcased.

Okonmah noted that the objectives of the conference included helping participants to get better equipped with vital information on crisis management.

The major challenge before the military, the police and other security agencies today is how to manage crisis with proactive techniques that are consistent with modern public relations models.

US's Visa Policy Towards Nigerians Won't Change - US

TheUnited States has said that the recent executive order on immigration by President Donald Trump will not affect Nigerians, noting that visa applicants will continue to get two-year multiple entry visas as before.

It assured apprehensive Nigerians that the order on “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” would not also affect the validity of visas held by Nigerians, noting that its visa policy to Nigeria had not changed.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, and the US Embassy Consular Chief, Meghan Moore, explained to journalists on Friday in Abuja that the US visa policy was based on reciprocity, stressing that Nigerians would not be discriminated against.

The envoy stated that the way US treats Nigeria is reflected in its visa policy to Nigerians.

Responding to questions about apprehension that Nigerian Muslims might be singled out for visa restriction over their religious belief, Symington stated that America does not discriminate against people on the basis of their belief or race.

He said, “No place has opened doors to people more than the US. We haven’t said we have closed the doors and locked it, what we said is that we are going to take a pause and conduct checks and ensure the safety of the people in the United States. The door would be opened again. “I want to reassure by our actions starting from our consulate reception in Abuja and in Lagos that we would not discriminate on the basis of religion. If anyone didn’t get a US visa because they said their name was Paul or something, then they would be wrong.”

He disclosed that Nigerians whose visas had expired would not need to wait till 48 months to renew, noting that they could now renew their visa within 24 months, stressing that the US as a nation of immigrants desires to bring people together.

Moore said the US issued visas to Nigerians on the basis of reciprocity, stressing that US visa policy to Nigeria would not change.

The diplomat explained that the new rule requires a holder of US tourist visa to pay the fee and schedule an appointment for interview using the DHL Dropbox.

“Generally speaking, we issue two-year multiple entry visas to Nigerians based on reciprocity from Nigeria and this has not changed; there is no plan to change it to one year,” Moore emphasised.

She stated that the goal of the embassy was to facilitate legitimate travel to the US which she said was important for trade, education and family ties.

Elaborating further on the changes in the visa policy, she said the new rule requires Nigerians who wish to renew their visas to use the DHL renewal programme.

This, she said, entails paying the necessary fee, filling up the application and then scheduling an appointment to the embassy for an in-person interview.

 Copyright PUNCH.