Press Release: NEC 83rd Meeting

An update of the ongoing forensic audit of revenue accrued from revenue generating agencies and meant for the Federation Account was given today at the National Economic Council, NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.

The Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee of NEC on the audit, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, of Gombe State said the forensic audit is ongoing and assured Council that the full detail of the report would be ready in January, 2018.

He mentioned the Nigerian Customs Service and the National Communication Commission as the two agencies that are now being audited in a review that has included other agencies including NNPC.

The report is expected to detail the extent of revenue meant for the Federation but never made it to the Consolidated Account under the past administration.

This was one of the highlights at the monthly NEC meeting earlier today at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Also the details of inflows and outflows of special accounts of the Federal Government would be provided beginning from 2015 to date, according to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

The Minister also disclosed that several States have not been complying with conditions for the Budget Support facility as agreed under the Fiscal Responsibility Plan.

She added that particular states are yet to publish the mode of their financial disbursement, while some others have also not completed the Biometric Data of their staff list as agreed by the Council.

The Fiscal Responsibility Plan endorsed last year by NEC details the conditions State governments are expected to meet to qualify for FG’s Budget Support Facility which ranges from N800m to over N1B per State, per month.

BELOW ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF TODAY’S NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL MEETING PRESIDED OVER BY VICE PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN

(10TH IN 2017) 83rd NEC MEETING – THURSDAY, 14th DECEMBER, 2017

UPDATE ON FORENSIC AUDIT OF REVENUE ACCRUED FROM REVENUE GENERATING AGENCIES (RGAS) INTO THE FEDERATION ACCOUNT, EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT AND CONSOLIDATED REVENUE FUND BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE,

His Excellency the Governor of Gombe State, and Chairman of the Forensic Audit Committee, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo, informed Council that the audit firm Messrs. KPMG, is still conducting the forensic audit of some establishment and that a full report will be ready by January 2018.

UPDATE ON THE BALANCE IN THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT FUND

Council was informed by the Accountant-General of the Federation that the balance in the Natural Resources Development Fund Account as at 13th December, 2017 stands at N106.984 billion.

REPORT ON EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT (ECA)

The Accountant-General of the Federation also informed Council that the balance in the ECA as at 13th December, 2017 stands at $2.317 billion.

UPDATE ON THE CURRENT BALANCE OF THE STABILIZATION FUND ACCOUNT

The Accountant-General of the Federation informed Council that the balance in the Stabilization Fund Account as at 13th December, 2017 stands at N7.78 billion.

UPDATE ON BUDGET SUPPORT LOAN FACILITY

Council was informed that payment for the months of June, July and August to States has been effected, and that preparations are underway to do same for the month of September, 2017.

GENERAL COMMENTS ON SPECIAL ACCOUNTS

Council would be furnished with details of inflow and outflow beginning from 2015 to date regarding some of these special accounts: stabilization fund Account and Natural resources development fund

The Honourable Minster of Finance informed Council that the Budget Support facility to States is based upon certain conditions as agreed to under the Fiscal Responsibility Plan. But most of the States are yet to comply, she added. She said most of the States are yet to publish the mode of disbursement and most of them also have not completed the Biometric Data of their staff list as agreed in Council.

A. PRESENTATION ON CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WATER RESOURCES SECTOR BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES

The Honourable Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu, presented a memo to Council, asking for urgent steps and action in the water sector if the country is to overcome the challenges of water supply, sanitation and water governance issues, as well as achieve the 2030 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water supply and sanitation.

He informed Council that Nigeria is lagging behind in terms of water supply, with access to pipe-borne water dropping from 32% in 1990 to less than 7% in 2017, with a corresponding increase of 25% in open defecation and the

prevalence of water-borne diseases.

He told Council that an estimated investment of N1.9 trillion is needed in the next 15 years to meet the SDGs by 2030.

He outlined a three-phase Action Plan to revitalize the water, sanitation and hygiene sector to include the following:

(a) A 12-month emergency plan beginning from the 2nd quarter of 2018 to April 2019.

(b) A five-year recovery programme to last up to 2022

(c) A 13-year revitalization strategy that will last till 2030

These plans, he said, will involve the urgent establishment of an institutional and funding framework for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services, and the engagement of Urban and Rural (WASH) sectors on an accelerated development path towards 2030.

The plan also calls for tripling the current investment in water supply, establishment of a WASH fund, fast-tracking the development of the National policy on Sanitation and the presidential launch of a National Sanitation Campaign to eliminate open defecation.

Furthermore, the plan is seeking the massive rehabilitation of existing infrastructure in the sector, and sectoral reform towards cost recovery and promotion of private sector participation in the sector, all aimed at taking care of the estimated 182 million population.

The National Water Reserves Bill now before the National Assembly provides for the establishment of Catchment Management Committees, with representatives of States within each hydrological area as permanent members.

In a similar development, the Minister informed Council that Nigeria requires an average annual investment of N59 billion to attain 78,000 hectares of planned irrigation by 2019, and a total of N1.5 trillion to attain 500,000 hectares of irrigation by 2030.

Council was also informed that the River Basin Development Authorities across the country are undergoing structural reforms towards partial to full commercialization.

Council thanked the Minister of Water Resources and urged collaboration between stakeholders in the approach to National Water Supply.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS (AOB)

SECURITY

The Chairman Governor’s Forum, Alhaji Abdullazeez Yari, informed Council that Governors have offered to contribute over $1 billion to support Military Operations in the North East. Governors said money should be taken from the ECA.

SGF/SSG’S RETREAT

The SGF informed Council that there will be a retreat in the coming days, 18th – 19thDecember, between the SGF and all Secretaries to the State Governments for better collaboration on issues of security and governance in all tiers of government.

FUEL SUPPLY

Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, told Council that fuel queues will disappear nationwide in the next 48 hours. All logistic arrangements to this effect have been concluded. He assured that there is enough fuel in the strategic reserve to last till the end of January.

In his closing remarks at the meeting, His Excellency, the Vice President, wished the Governors and the people of their States Merry Christmas holiday as the meeting is the last in the year.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
14 December, 2017

Speech: President Buhari’s Address at the International Climate Change Summit in Paris

I would like to thank His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France, the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank Group for convening this high-level Summit on the issues of financing climate actions and aligning financial flows in order to reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The adverse impacts of climate change such as temperature rise; erratic rainfall, sand storms, desertification, low agricultural yields, drying up of water bodies like Lake Chad, gully erosions and constant flooding are a daily reality in Nigeria. This reality is most felt by the highly vulnerable communities who lack the capacity to cope.

Excellencies
Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, we have been strengthening our national efforts towards the implementation of the Agreement and the Marrakech Call for Action. We have already ratified the Paris Agreement in May 2017 and, thus, we have pledged, under the Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce our emission by 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030.

In our efforts to deliver on these pledges, we are tightening the existing governance structure in Nigeria for more effective implementation of climate change activities, including the additional responsibilities that are consequent on the adoption of the all-encompassing climate change treaty.

In collaboration with the European Union, we have also developed a robust National Monitoring, Reporting and Verification framework to meet the Agreement’s requirements. Further, Nigeria has developed the Sectoral Implementation plans for some priority sectors; namely: Oil and Gas sector, Agriculture and Land use, Power, and Industrial Energy Efficiency. For each of these sectors, we have assessed and selected key policies and measures that would enable the country to meet its commitments based on their cost effectiveness, poverty reduction and mitigation, and job creation potential.

We have considered the feasibility of implementation, potential to deliver short-term results, gender and social inclusiveness, enhancing healthy environment and minimal impact on land use and deforestation, as well as environmental benefits.

Actualising these plans over the next 15 years, Nigeria on its own will achieve 20% emissions reduction below Business As Usual. With international support, we can achieve 45% emission reduction by 2030.

Excellencies
Nigeria recognizes that ensuring sustainable funding is a major constraint in efforts to implement the Nationally Determined Contribution. To respond effectively to climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges, critical mass of financial resources beyond what we can provide from our national resources will be required.

We have embraced the issuance of the green bond as an innovative and alternative source of projects funding that would help reduce emissions and provide robust climate infrastructure, such as renewable energy, low carbon transport, water infrastructure and sustainable agriculture in line with the Paris Agreement.

But we cannot do this alone. While we have ambitious plans, having just come out of recession, we are under no illusion of the challenges that we face in Nigeria. Recalling that the success of COP21 was hinged on the strategic“$100 billion by 2020”, it is therefore pivotal for countries like Nigeria for the promise be kept if we are to meet our Nationally Determined Contribution obligations. Simply, we cannot implement our Nationally Determined Contribution without adequate financial, technical and capacity building support from the developed countries.

And this support must be sustained on a long term basis. The changes that Nigeria, and other developing countries need to make cannot be undertaken overnight. Indeed, we require some fundamental restructuring of our economy. In this process, technology will be a powerful tool to simultaneously address climate change and advance development.

In Nigeria, Government is actively promoting technologies and practices such as sustainable land management, climate resilient agriculture, water efficiency, clean energy, and skills for reducing greenhouse gas emissions among others. Sustaining these efforts will also require external support.

We need to accelerate Research and Development on facilitating Access to Climate Friendly Technologies, through technology pooling and collective approach to financing Research and Development, regulating restrictive practices in licensing agreements and anti-competitive uses of Intellectual Property and International Declaration on Climate Technologies.

In Nigeria, we are looking at insurance-based proposals to deal with loss, damage and adaptation to the poor, vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups. Risk mitigation through insurance must benefit those groups who currently have negligible access to any form of indemnity coverage. Vulnerable groups will also benefit from new technologies and ways to make insurance schemes affordable, including through long term premium support.

In the circumstances, Nigeria would require support from the international community on the following:

1. A long term solution for a source of clean power, which can be achieved through private investments to create economic competitiveness for industrialization, job creation and agricultural programmes throughout the country;
2. The inclusion of Nigeria in Climate Regional Programmes, especially strong financial support to our planned project for the replenishment of the Lake Chad. This long term solution will ensure sustained livelihood for rural and urban communities, and permanently address the conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism and terrorism, and stem illegal migration especially of our youths abroad.

Excellences, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I look up to the developed countries to jointly take a leading role in mobilising support for this action plan. However, addressing the challenges of climate change should be pursued within the framework of the General Assembly of the United Nations by anchoring efforts on assisting developing countries to meet their Sustainable Development Goals aspirations and Nationally Determined Commitment.

I thank you.

Press Release: Nigeria Requires International Support To Mitigate Effects of Climate Change – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Paris appealed to the international community to support Nigeria’s commitment to reducing the negative effects of climate change.

In a submission to the One Planet Summit in the French capital attended by over 60 Heads of State and Governments, as well as representatives of non-governmental and private organisations, with the theme, “Climate Change Financing,” the President said, “we cannot implement our Nationally Determined Contribution without adequate financial, technical and capacity building support from the developed countries.”

While noting that “since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, we have been strengthening our national efforts towards the implementation of the Agreement and the Marrakech Call for Action,” and Nigeria had already ratified the Paris Agreement in May 2017, President Buhari, however, said the country’s “Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce our emission by 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030,” cannot be attained alone.

According to him, “having just come out of recession we are under no illusion of the challenges that we face in Nigeria.”

President Buhari said “Nigeria recognizes that ensuring sustainable funding is a major constraint in efforts to implement the Nationally Determined Contribution,” adding that “to respond effectively to climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges, critical mass of financial resources beyond what we can provide from our national resources will be required.”

On steps Nigeria has taken to meet its national goal in this respect, he said the country has “embraced the issuance of the green bond as an innovative and alternative source of projects funding that would help reduce emissions and provide robust climate infrastructure, such as renewable energy, low carbon transport, water infrastructure and sustainable agriculture in line with the Paris Agreement.”

In furtherance of efforts to deliver on the country’s pledges, the President said the government was “tightening the existing governance structure in Nigeria for more effective implementation of climate change activities, including the additional responsibilities that are consequent on the adoption of the all-encompassing climate change treaty.”

He also stated that “Government is actively promoting technologies and practices such as sustainable land management, climate resilient agriculture, water efficiency, clean energy, and skills for reducing greenhouse gas emissions among others,” noting that sustaining these efforts will also require external support.

Other measures required, he said, included “accelerating Research and Development on facilitating Access to Climate Friendly Technologies, through technology pooling and collective approach to financing Research and Development, regulating restrictive practices in licensing agreements and anti-competitive uses of Intellectual Property and International Declaration on Climate Technologies.”

According to the President, “In Nigeria, we are looking at insurance-based proposals to deal with loss, damage and adaptation to the poor, vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups. Risk mitigation through insurance must benefit those groups who currently have negligible access to any form of indemnity coverage. Vulnerable groups will also benefit from new technologies and ways to make insurance schemes affordable, including through long term premium support.”

Recognising that “the adverse impacts of climate change such as temperature rise; erratic rainfall, sand storms, desertification, low agricultural yields, drying up of water bodies like Lake Chad, gully erosions and constant flooding are a daily reality in Nigeria,” President Buhari admitted that highly vulnerable communities lack the capacity to cope.

He said Nigeria would require external assistance in the following areas: “A long term solution for a source of clean power, which can be achieved through private investments to create economic competitiveness for industrialization, job creation and agricultural programmes throughout the country; and the inclusion of Nigeria in Climate Regional Programmes, especially strong financial support to our planned project for the replenishment of the Lake Chad.”

The President noted that “this long term solution will ensure sustained livelihood for rural and urban communities, and permanently address the conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism and terrorism, and stem illegal migration especially of our youths abroad.”

In acknowledging that the external support must be sustained on a long term basis, President Buhari emphasised that “the changes that Nigeria and other developing countries need to make cannot be undertaken overnight.”

He said some fundamental restructuring of our economy was required, adding that “in this process, technology will be a powerful tool to simultaneously address climate change and advance development.”

The President said he looked up to the developed countries to jointly take a leading role in mobilising support for this action plan on addressing the challenges of climate change within the framework of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

In their remarks, the three co-chairmen of the plenary session, the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, stressed the imperative of a global comprehensive and speedy action, including private sector financing against the devastating impact of climate change.

President Buhari had before the summit, attended a luncheon hosted by his French counterpart in honour of visiting Heads of State and Governments at the Elysee Palace.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 12, 2017

Speech: VP Osinbajo’s Address at the Commissioning of the Petrolex Mega Oil City in Ibefun, Ogun State.

May I on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, congratulate Mr. Segun Adebutu and his team for bringing to reality this vision for an integrated Petroleum Complex, here in Ogun State.

What he and the Petrolex team have done, what they have accomplished here is an impressive testament to the power of vision and dedication, and it really is a special pleasure to be here today to see for myself and commission this one-of-a-kind facility.

From the point of view of government’s downstream objectives in the petroleum sector, this investment is of special significance.

It ticks the boxes of strengthening our distribution infrastructure for petroleum products and meeting the target for reducing the importation of petroleum products and PMS to less than 20% by the end of 2018 and first quarter of 2019.

We expect that this space will be filled by investments in facilities such as this and this is why we are delighted this facility with a capacity to store 300 million litres of petroleum products – the largest of its kind in the country and am told, the largest in Africa and conveniently holding 4,000 trucks at a time, and a jetty capable of berthing 30million metric tons of cargo. This will substantially improve retail distribution in Nigeria and increase domestic storage capacity for petroleum products and the cargo coming in on barges from larger vessels for now will be stored and loaded from the gantry right here, this will decongest the Apapa and Ibafo tanker traffic and facilitate distribution from here to practically anywhere in the country.

But more cheering is the fact that this facility is still work-in-progress. The Tank Farm that we are commissioning today represents only the first phase of a much grander project: a ‘Mega Oil City’ which will include a 250,000 barrels per day Refinery, and this clearly, to date, will be the largest single line refinery in the country.

But perhaps of greater importance as a feature of our national economic objectives is that this facility again bears out a philosophical plank of our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which is that private capital must lead Nigeria’s economic revolution. And this is trite as the private sector is the nation’s major economic force and that the primary business of government is to create the environment that enables commerce to thrive unhindered.

And of importance also is the fact that significant local investments such as this send the strongest possible signal to foreign investors that not only is government saying that Nigeria is the investment destination in Africa, local smart money like Petrolex is also saying the same thing.

And may I also say that there is credible independent third party evidence that we are on the right track. A month and half ago the World Bank adjudged us to be one of the ten most improved economies in the world this year, from the point of view of our business and investment climate.

This facility also represents jobs – 10,000 direct and indirect ones. Each of these jobs will support not just the workers, but also their dependents, aside from the significant impact on the local economy here – by way of increased incomes traders, farmers, artisans, and landowners. There is of course the fact that economic activities moved to a place where no economic activity was hitherto.

The Federal Government is absolutely clear in its belief that industrialization is the key to achieving sustainable economic growth and creating jobs for millions of young people. The petrochemical industry is a logical and crucial component of this plan and we are doing all we can to provide an incentive regime that will drive investments in this sector. And we certainly would like to see credible investors like Petrolex prominently in this crucial space as well. And speaking to Mr Adebutu, already, there is a plan for a fertilizer facility here and also for the production of several other elements of the petrochemical industry.

We have recently published through the NIPC, Nigeria’s full list of business incentives and barely two weeks ago the President asked that I chair a committee to look into how to provide lower interest rates for the manufacturing industry. We understand clearly that without some kind of preferential interest rates for the manufacturing industry in Nigeria, we will not be able to make much progress and for that reason we are now looking very closely into how we can provide cheap credit for the local industries and I hope we will be able to achieve this in a short period of time.

Let me again express the Federal Government’s full support for this project and our pledge is that we will be with you every step of the way, supporting in every way we can.

I must congratulate the patriarch of the Adebutu business dynasty, Sir Kensington Adebutu on this special day, where you have seen the future of your progeny in your lifetime. This is a great blessing indeed for which we join you in giving thanks to the Almighty God.

Segun and the management and staff of Petrolex Oil and Gas deserve our commendation and congratulations on this landmark achievement and we all pray for the speedy and successful completion of the next phases of this project.

Nigeria eagerly awaits the full manifestation of this “Mega Oil City Project” and in a few minutes it will be my pleasure to commission the Petrolex Mega Oil City project.

Thank you all.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
December 12, 2017

Press Release: Buhari’s Presidency Begins National Consultation on Farmers-Herders Conflict

Following his visit to Adamawa State on the 5th of December 2017 in the wake of the communal clashes in the area, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has today, Monday, 11th December 2017, commenced a series of national consultations with all relevant groups designed to find a lasting solution to the farmers-herders conflict in parts of the country.

Today’s meeting, the first in the series, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and had in attendance the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II; the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa; elder statesman, Mallam Ahmed Joda; and other leaders of the Fulani communities. Subsequent meetings would focus on other interest groups.

At the meeting, previous reports on the conflict were presented by the delegation and causes of the conflict were analysed. The meeting unequivocally condemned the acts of violence that has occurred, especially the killing of children and women, and highlighted the need for Law Enforcement and other Government Agencies to dutifully and objectively perform their Constitutional roles.

The Vice President assured the delegation of the Federal Government’s resolve and commitment to the entrenchment of lasting peace in all communities across the country and the resolution of all legitimate grievances.

He said “There is nothing much more important now, in showing our leadership, beyond preventing tragedy and destruction of everything we have built as a nation. The entire Nigeria enterprise is bigger than other interests. The overall objective is ensuring that our nation is not enveloped by another crisis.”

According to the Vice President, “We now have an opportunity to do something. We have the opportunity to resolve the issues and to build a nation where we and our children can live in peace.”

Already, following the Vice President’s visit to Adamawa State last week, several food items and relief materials have been distributed to all the affected communities in the State, including Shafaron, Kodomti, Tullum, Mzoruwe and Mararraban Bare in Numan Local Government Area. Others communities that have received relief materials are Dong, Lawaru and Kukumso in Demsa Local Government Area of the State.

In the next series of meetings, the Vice President will meet with the Batta, Bachama and other groups from Adamawa State; while meetings with stakeholders from other conflict-affected States would follow.

Also at the meeting were Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
11 December 2017

Press Release: Massive Reception In Kano, Clear Message To The Opposition – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night declared that the massive reception that greeted his arrival in Kano for a 2-day working visit “is a message to the opposition’’ that his popularity in the region remains unshaken.

Speaking at state dinner held in his honour, President Buhari was full of thanks and gratitude to the government and people of Kano for the very warm and peaceful reception.

”I am overwhelmed with the massive reception I have received and definitely since this is partisan politics, I think it has sent a clear message to the opposition.

‘‘Even going by the details of the election results in 2003, 2007 and 2011, it was very clear that nobody could even dare to rig my scores from the elections in Kano.

‘‘It has been so consistent and I don’t think I have the vocabulary to express my thanks to the people of Kano.

‘‘I am very grateful to God and the people of Kano for the complete trust you have in me,’’ he said.

The President noted that during his drive around the city on Wednesday to commission several projects, he observed that many of those who thronged the road to welcome him were very young people.

He pledged that as a person in a position of authority, his priority is to provide a meaningful future for the teeming youths in the country through education, and the faithful management of the economy and resources.

The President congratulated Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on his development strides in the state and urged other political office holders to emulate and support the state governor.

‘‘He is a great politician and I am afraid I am still learning,’’ the President remarked.

President Buhari reaffirmed that his message at his inaugural address, “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,’’ will continue to guide his stewardship to the Nigerian people.

‘‘My problem is Nigeria and I have been involved in almost all the instability Nigeria experienced: the civil war, the coups, and counter-coups. That was why I said during my swearing-in that ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.'”

‘‘Nigeria is my target and I will continue to maintain focus,’’ he said.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 7, 2017

Press Release: President Buhari Pledges To Reform and Decongest Prisons, Witnesses Release of 500 Inmates in Kano

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Kano reaffirmed that prison reforms and decongestion will be pursued with greater vigor by his administration.

Speaking at a ceremony in Kurmawa Central Prison Kano, at which 500 inmates were either pardoned or set free upon the payment of fines by the State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, President Buhari lamented that some of the freed inmates were young and charged prison authorities to make every effort to make better citizens of prisoners.

President Buhari pledged that prisons reforms and decongestion would continue to receive prompt attention from his administration.

The President stressed the need for prisoners to receive proper care, support and rehabilitation to make them better citizens after serving their prisons terms.

“I am pleased with this visit and I have learnt a bit more about the conditions of the prisons and inmates.

“This building in front of us was built since 1910. Rehabilitation of prisoners and training of inmates is very important to us and we would continue to invest more on this.

“I asked one of the inmates (released) how old he was and he told me he is only 19 years old.

“If we have people of 18 and 19 years in the prison, and there is no continuous training, then their lives will be completely destroyed. We will invest more in education and vocational training,’’ he said.

The 500 inmates granted pardon, including men and women, were drawn from various prisons in Kano state, including Kurmawa prisons, which has 1,398 inmates as opposed to 750, the established capacity.

Earlier, the President who arrived Kano to a tumultuous welcome by the Government and people of the State at the start of a two-day state visit paid homage to the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

At the Emir’s place, President Buhari recounted his fond memories of Kano, as a symbol of peace, trade, commerce and industry in Nigeria.

‘‘If there is a problem here, the whole country has a problem. I remember the industry and employment people get in Kano.

‘‘Before the problem in the North East, I remember the number of articulated vehicles that leave this city to Maiduguri and the Cameroons, and the number of vehicles that come in from Chad and Niger, providing millions of jobs to Nigerians.

‘‘A lot of people in Nigeria didn’t realise how much the instability in the North East have cost the people and the industry here ’’ he said.

President Buhari, therefore, assured all Nigerians that the fight against the degraded Boko Haram will be sustained, in addition to the positive trends in the economy and the fight against corruption.

‘‘The three things we said in our campaign on security, economy and fighting corruption, nobody will be able to successfully disabuse the minds of Nigerians on our clear intentions for our country and our people,’’ the President declared.

Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President for Media & Publicity
December 6, 2017

Press Release: President Buhari Signs Three Bills

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 assented to the following Bills:

1. Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy (Establishment) Bill, 2017. The college to be sited in Enugu, is to provide courses of instruction leading to the award of degrees, diplomas and certificates in dental technology, dental therapy and related courses.

2. Air Force Institute of Technology of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2017. The Institute to be situated in Kaduna, is to give technical training to the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force and other services of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Nigerians and citizens of other African countries.

3. National Intelligence Agency Pensions (Establishment) Bill, 2017, is to administer the pensions scheme for personnel of the Agency, sequel to the exit of the Agency from the application of the Contributory Pension’s Scheme under the Pension’s Reform Act, 2004.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity)
December 6, 2017.

Press Release: Buhari Commends Guards Brigade For Professionalism

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja commended the Guards Brigade for demonstrating a high-level of discipline and professionalism expected from officers and men of the Nigerian Army.

Speaking at the decoration ceremony of the Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig-Gen. Musa Yusuf as Major-General, President Buhari said it was instructive that the senior officer displayed a high level of discipline during his two-year stint as Commander.

‘‘I congratulate the Brigade Commander for his achievements these past two years.

‘‘I never received any serious report of indiscipline in your formation that is in-charge of my security.

‘‘I hope you will get a command that will complement your experiences in the political headquarters.

‘‘I congratulate you very much for making it to this new rank at a very competitive time. I know there are so many Generals but when you go to the records you pick the best and place them at very strategic appointments,’’ he said.

The President expressed confidence that Major General Yusuf will bring his experience in the field as a former Guards Brigade Commander to his next posting, as directed by the Defence headquarters.

Recounting his days as a military officer, President Buhari said officers earned the respect of their colleagues because of their intellectual disposition and experience in the field.

‘‘An officer is what he is when he gets into the field. Certainly, there was the need for intellectual officers but then what you do in the field is what earns you respect from those who are under you,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Yusuf while reaffirming his “unalloyed loyalty and that of his troops to the President and Commander-in-Chief,’’ thanked President Buhari for the honour of decorating him with his new rank.

He conveyed the appreciation of his troops in Keffi, Nasarawa State and those at Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory to the President for the renovation works in the barracks.

In Keffi, this is the first time in the last 25 years that 14 blocks of accommodation for soldiers are being renovated; he said adding that in Gwagwalada, the Chief of Army Staff approved funds for renovation works in the barracks to make it habitable.

Born on November 6, 1966, Major General Yusuf had served as a member of Nigerian contingent to UN peacekeeping missions abroad including United Nations Mission in Eritrea-Ethiopia (UNMEE) and United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNAMID).

He also served in ECOMOG and Operation Harmony in Bakassi, among several other appointments in army units and formations in the country.

A graduate of Chemistry from the Nigeria Defence Academy, he holds Master’s Degree in Transport Management and additional Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
Media & Publicity
December 5, 2017

Press Release: President Buhari Congratulates Wizkid, Davido On Awards

President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates renowned hip-hop artistes, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, WizKid, and David Adedeji Adeleke, Davido, on their awards at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO).

President Buhari joins the teeming fans of the artistes in Nigeria and all over the world in celebrating the highly deserved and meritorious recognition, which saw WizKid winning “International Best Artitse’’ award, while Davido picked the “Best African Act’’.

The President affirms that both singers have showcased the rich talents in the country, and brought pride to the nation through their many songs and performances, commending their dedication, hard work and charity works.

President Buhari also calls on the upwardly mobile artistes to be cautious and mindful of likely distractions to their careers, urging WizKid and Davido to serve as ambassadors of the country and role models to upcoming musicians.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President (Media& Publicity)
December 1, 2017