Buhari's Health: NASS Must Activate Section 144 of Nigeria's Constitution - AIED

Gentlemen of the Press,

A few hours ago, Mr. Femi Adesina, Spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari purportedly released what has come to Nigerians again as another shocker. He allegedly announced via a mere press statement that the President and Commander-in-Chief (emphasis please) of the Nigerian Armed forces will be extending his vacation by yet to be disclosed or undisclosed time duration or period.

It is instructive to note that the President had been on vacation since the 19th day of January, 2017, although in the letter transmitted to the Senate, the vacation was expected to commence on the 23rd day of January and it was for a period of ten days from that time.

FG HAS AN ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT, AND IT IS BEING FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER-ADESINA

Special Adviser on Media & Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, was recently a guest of Radio Continental,Lagos, where he responded to some germane national issues. Excerpts:

Q: Why has the Federal Government decided to shut out the private sector from economic recovery plans?

Ans: I won’t agree with you that the private sector was shut out. If you look at the presentation of the President to the National Assembly when budget 2016 was handed to them, working with the private sector was one of the goals. People keep saying, we don’t know the economic direction, maybe it was because they were not listening. When the budget was presented last year, the economic direction was also unfolded and part of it was that the country would curb importation, we would work with the private sector, and we would stimulate the economy through capital projects by releasing funds. These last five months, do you know how much has been released for capital projects? About N800 billion. That is more than the entire budget of some previous years. That shows you that the direction unfolded when the budget was presented to the National Assembly is being followed. There is an economic blueprint and the government is following it to the letter.

PRESIDENT PAUL BIYA OF CAMEROON ARRIVES FOR STATE VISIT TO NIGERIA TOMORROW

President Paul Biya of Cameroon, will at the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari, begin a two-day state visit to Nigeria tomorrow, Tuesday, May 3, 2016.

In a statement issued today by the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media & Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said President Biya, who will be accompanied by his wife, Chantal and senior Cameroonian government officials, will be received tomorrow afternoon at the Presidential Villa, Abuja by the Nigerian President.

Both leaders and their officials will confer on issues of common interest to Nigeria and Cameroon, including ongoing bilateral and regional cooperation against terrorism, violent extremism and cross-border crimes.

World leaders’ summit: Mu’azu, Obanikoro, others’ extradition tops Buhari’s wish list

Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party,
Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu

The diplomatic process that will ensure the extradition of suspected looters who have fled the country will dominate President Muhammadu Buhari’s discussions with his counterparts when 60 world leaders meet in the United Kingdom next month.
It was learnt on Friday that the President would at the summit explore ways of bringing to the country politicians who were being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

It was gathered that the outcome of the summit would speed up the extradition of individuals, including a former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro; a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; and a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina.

Others are the ex-Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; her son, Ugonna; and a former Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko, whose house was raided in Abuja in January by the EFCC.

Change will come, It is a process, and not magic - Femi Adesina

Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media & Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari was on Channels Television recently with Seun Okinbaloye , where he answered questions on the China trip of his principal.

Excerpts:
Q: How was the China trip Mr Adesina and what are the benefits for Nigeria?

A: It was a splendid trip. Very successful. Once again, Nigeria can be proud of its leadership, can be proud of its President because wherever our President turns up, he has tremendous respect and by extension, the country.

Q: Nigerians will want to know what we were able to get from China. We understand the Presidency has come out to say it is not about loans and getting money from China, that it is going to be a mutually benefitting relationship.

Buhari As Petroleum Minister, What he will do - Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina was guest on Kakaaki, a program of Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Thursday, October 1.

Here are excerpts from the interview:


Q: First of all, let’s look at the President’s October 1 broadcast. What do you make of it?

A: We must recognise that it is a National Day broadcast, and he started by reviewing the state of the polity, particularly our march towards nationhood 55 years after flag independence. Are we a nation yet? Are we just a conglomeration of ethnic nationalities? I think on a day like this, that is the most important thing, all the others are ancillary, though important. It was an efficient broadcast, it may be short but it touched a number of crucial issues.

Q: One issue that has been generating lots of reactions is the ministerial list. The President did promise sometime in July that he was going to name his ministers in September. But what we saw was a submission of ministerial list to the National Assembly.

A: We also need to mind the process and the procedure, Our federal lawmakers would be the first people to kick if the President just reeled out the names of the Ministers and their portfolios. That would not be in order. What he does is to nominate and send to the Senate and after clearance, the Ministers begin to work. At any given time, procedure must be followed.

PMB replaces Ade Abolurin with Abdullahi Muhammadu as new Civil Defence commandant

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday approved the appointment of Mr. Abdullahi Muhammadu as the new Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps. 

Muhammadu succeeds Dr. Ade Abolurin, who has retired from service. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the new NSCDC boss, who was an Assistant Commandant-General of the NSCDC before his new appointment, hailed from Muye in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.

Muhammadu holds a B.Sc in Sociology from the University of Sokoto, and a Masters in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.