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Buhari Not Fit For Presidency -PDP …Fani Kayode, Fayose Mock President
The Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council has decried the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme entitled: “The Candidates”, describing his performance as “scandalous.”
The PDP Presidential Campaign Council said in a statement, yesterday, held that “President Buhari lacked both mental and physical capacity to run a local council not to talk of a country of about 200 million people.”
A statement by the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Lere Olayinka, claimed that “the president talked off-point throughout; answered no question appropriately to the extent that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tried to help him answer questions that were asked him.”
He challenged those still supporting the president’s second term bid to, “in all honesty tell Nigerians why the same Buhari that they saw on NTA on Wednesday night should continue as president.”
According to him, “they should tell Nigerians how a man who could not comprehend anything on that live programme except when it had to do with promoting nepotism should keep running the affairs of Nigeria.
“In saner climes, after his disastrous performance on the Candidates last night, President Buhari will be asked to go home and rest. But because they are selfish and wicked, they will pretend that the NTA programme never happened.”
He added that “they also saw him in 2015 when he was talking about Deutsch Mark that was last spent in Europe in 1999 as currency being used in Germany, referring to Angela Merkel as President Michelle and Germany as West Germany. But they will never mind the international embarrassment that he has become as long as their hold on power is sustained and their 2023 presidential ambition is guaranteed.”
According to Olayinka, “the only reason the cabal running the country wants him to remain in office is to guarantee their 2023 presidential ambition and access to the national treasury.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, PPCO, has reacted to the flop made by President Muhammadu Buhari during his presidential rally in Warri, Delta State.
Buhari had yesterday referred to the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer in Delta, Great Ogboru, as “presidential candidate”.
Buhari had told his audience, “I have this pleasure of handing over this flag of honour to our Presidential candidate”, while giving the flag to Great Ogboru.
Reacting, PPCO urged the president to “voluntarily hand over” because he has “foreseen his defeat” at the polls.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PPCO said “Buhari has foreseen his defeat and already switched into a handing-over mode. The whole world watched as President Buhari, apparently overwhelmed by thoughts of his defeat, ended up declaring the APC Governorship candidate in Delta State, Great Ogboru, as the Presidential candidate.
“It is clear that President Buhari, worried by the shunning of his campaign by Nigerians, mistook the Warri Rally for the May 29, 2019 handing over ceremony that is four months ahead.
“President Buhari is already in the mood of his May 29, 2019 handover of mantle of leadership to PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, following the national consensus to return the PDP back to power in the February 16, 2019 Presidential elections.
“President Buhari had continued to display that he did not have the intention of seeking for a second term in office. It is evident that he is only being compelled by the cabal in his Presidency, who the First
Lady, Aisha Buhari, had confirmed are manipulating the President for their pecuniary interest while the nation suffers.
“We therefore call on all Nigerians to note that there is no need casting any vote for President Buhari who has overtly shown that he is not prepared for the election.”
Also, Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Minister of Aviation has reacted to a viral video of President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday referring to the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer in Delta, Great Ogboru, as “presidential candidate”.
Our correspondent had reported that Buhari made the error as he was about to present APC flag to Ogboru at the party’s rally held at the Warri Township stadium.
Buhari said: “I am handing over this flag of honour to our presidential candidate.”
A man to his left corrected him, saying “gubernatorial”, Buhari responded with “to our senatorial candidate”.
Again, the man attempted to correct the president, who then said: “governortorial candidate”.
Reacting, Fani-Kayode took to his Twitter page, expressing disappointment.
Alongside the video, Fani-Kayode wrote: “Can you believe this? May God deliver us of this terrible affliction.”
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose yesterday reacted to a viral video of President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday referring to the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer in Delta, Great Ogboru, as “presidential candidate”.
A man to his left corrected him, saying “gubernatorial”, Buhari responded with “to our senatorial candidate”.
Again, the man attempted to correct the president, who then said: “governortorial candidate”.
Fayose, while mocking Buhari, wondered if his supporters have no shame.
He tweeted, “Presenting flag to the Presidential candidate of APC in Delta State? Is it that those promoting this man do not have shame?
“Embarrassing outing on NTA yesterday, another embarrassment in Delta state today, shouldn’t this man be allowed to go home and rest?”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.