Ahmed Idris Now Accountant-General Of Federation

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Idris as the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

In a statement by Haruna Imrana, Director of Communications for the Head of Civil Service of the federation, Mr Danladi Kifasi, who announced the appointment, said that the appointment is with effect from June 25, 2015.

Idris who hails from Kano State, was born on November 25, 1960 and was until this appointment, the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

More Crisis Looms In APC As Presidential Spokesman Faults Lai Mohammed's Stance On Buhari

Contrary to insinuations by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that President Muhammadu Buhari is not the leader of the party but a product of the APC, Presidential spokesman, Mallam Shehu Garba, has disagreed, saying the president, without gainsaying, is the leader of the party.

Shehu also gave reasons why President Buhari decided to steer clear of the leadership crisis rocking the National Assembly if governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, do not ask him to do so.

Garba Shehu stated these on Thursday while featuring on Channels TV Sunrise programme.

According to Shehu, Buhari would only step into the matter at the point when the APC state governors inform him that they cannot fix the problem, adding that it was necessary because the governors had during a meeting they had with the President on Tuesday night promised to handle the issue.

He said: “When the governors met with the President, they told him that ‘we are the leaders in our states and we have influence over all of these senators. They come from our places and from us and we can handle it.’

“The President will step into the crisis at the point when the governors say they can no longer fix it.”

Shehu however insisted that even if the President steps in, he would not do that to the level of imposing leaders on the lawmakers, adding that Buhari’s position on the matter had remained that the National Assembly is an independent arm of government and he would not be seen meddling in their affairs.

The presidential spokesman equally hinted that what was currently playing out in the National Assembly does not suggest that the situation had gone out of control.

“The President has a responsibility to the party, the President has a responsibility to the nation and as far as we are looking at the situation it has not gotten out of control. It is still within manageable parameters, it is a little storm we will overcome and Nigerians better get used to it,” he added.

On the leadership of the party, Shehu, in apparent reaction to a statement made by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, that Buhari is not the leader of the party, said the President was the leader.

“Does it need to be said? I don’t think it needs to be said that the President is the leader of his party. There’s no question about it,” he declared.

He said there is need for Nigerians to understand the basics of politics as the country is no more in the military era when decrees are made by a single leader.

• David Mark sacks son, younger brother, 120 personal assistants

“Politics, as its theory says, is basically about contest for interests and these interests may be fully defined by political party programmes, while some of these things may be outside political party programmes,” he said.

HOUSE LEADERSHIP RACE: ‘RT HON. AHMAN PATEGI IS THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE RIGHT JOB’ – CENTER FOR PARLIAMENTARY REFORM

After thorough deliberation and extensive consultations cutting across the length and breadth of the nation, the Center for Parliamentary Reform (CPR) has unanimously endorsed Rt Hon Ahman Pategi, representing Edu/Moro/Pategi  Federal Constituency of Kwara State as their choice for Majority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives. ‘We believe that at this critical juncture in our nation’s political evolution and given the pivotal importance of the National Assembly, nay the House of Representatives in engendering the much touted political and constitutional reform process as well as fashioning out laws and statutes that will guarantee national stability and development, we unhesitantly and unequivocally endorse Rt Hon Ahman Pategi for the pivotal position of Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. Indeed Rt Ahman Pategi has the in depth experience, legislative acumen, intellectual sagacity, political dexterity and technocratic suavity urgently required to pilot the affairs of the House to safer and sounder shores. The CPR has not an iota of doubt that Rt. Hon. Ahman Pategi will if given the opportunity to serve, carry along all and sundry in his daily conduct of House business and we therefore urge his colleagues, both new and returning members to give him the crucial support necessary to clinch the strategic legislative position in order to take parliamentary process and procedure to the next level in our nascent democratic continuum. Time is not on our side and we cannot afford the luxury of ineptitude, incompetence or inexperience this time around. A word is enough for the wise-the CPR communiqué signed by its national chairman, Dr Festus Okoye concluded.

Corrupt public officers should be killed, Anglican bishop says

The Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese in Zaria, Kaduna State, Rt. Rev. Ali Buba-Lamido, on Saturday advocated death penalty for corrupt public office holders.

He made the call at the Sixth Synod of the Wusasa Diocese of the Anglican Communion, held in Zaria, Kaduna State.
He said the death penalty option is the only way to put public officers in Nigeria in check.
Mr. Buba-Lamido said the call became imperative in view of the fact that corruption could kill more people than a conventional weapon.
“If our leaders know that they would be prosecuted if found corrupt they would be on their toes to avoid corrupt practices.”
He appealed to politicians to do everything possible to fulfil their campaign promises with a view to bringing succour to the electorate.
The bishop described the level of unemployment in Nigeria as alarming, appealing to the new administration to adopt proactive measures to tackle the problem.
Expressing confidence in the ability of the administration, the cleric said he had no doubt that President Muhammdu Buhari would deliver.
On the security situation in the country, the bishop said it was bad for a country like Nigeria to have lost up to 11,000 people to Bako
Haram.
“However, I am satisfied with the approach taken by the new administration to tackle the menace of Boko Haram,” he said.
The synod featured presentation of awards to distinguished Nigerians, comprising Muslims, Christians, politicians and non-politicians.
The awardees include the Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris;  a former Head of state, Yakubu Gowon; a former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed
Makarfi, Theophilus Danjuma and Abbas Tajuddeen.
(NAN)

Every Nigerian Owes The Duty To Fight Corruption

Home / Opinion / Every Nigerian Owes The Duty To Fight Corruption

By Idris Usman

President Muhammadu Buhari cannot fight corruption effecively when the majority of the citizens are not ready to fight corruption. Corruption is not a vice that affects only the President, it affects all of us. It is not the duty of the Police or the EFCC to combat alone. Everyday, we see people who live with us and around us whom we probably know the kind of work they do and have an idea of how much they earn. But we see them living far above their means; everyday we see our public office holders living flamboyant lives and showing off at every opportunity and we do nothing except sing their their praise, saying how smart they are while expecting a dagger to come from above and strike them. We should ask ourselves: what are we really looking for? Buhari is not a spirit or super-human, the little he can do he will do, but the bulk of it all lies with the masses.
It is in our hands to ensure that corruption is wiped out completely because Buhari only has four years as President, unless he chooses to run for another term and wins. In which case, he will be President, at the most,for eight years, which is not enough for an individual to wipe out corruption even if he was a magician. But when we all join forces to give him all the necessary support, I believe we can eradicate corruption for good. When people in various establishments can speak up against their superiors who they know their integrity has been compromised, when we ensure that our women are not used as sex objects/slaves in the hands of public office holders and politians, when we begin to speak out against all the injustices going on around us everyday and not looking the other way and acting as though it doesn’t concern us at all…then and only then, can we be heading the right direction towards eliminating corruption entirely. But as long as we continue to turn a blind eye to our politicians living irresponsible lives like entertainment stars, gangsters or even mafias, we are not only destroying our beloved country Nigeria, we are equally mortgaging the future of our children and our grand children for generations to come and then we will all be to blame and not President Buhari. He will do his best not to fail Nigerians, but l fear that Nigerians will, on their part, not live up to responsibility by doing their part in all of this.
So if we are really sincere and ready to walk the path that will take this country to greatness and stamp out corruption for good, we shouldn’t hesitate to question any public officer holder that is found wanting in whichever way.
Lastly, l would like to add that there is strength in numbers and if we will come together to condemn all that is wrong around us then we will be heading in the right direction for once. President alone cannot fight corruption.

Idris Usman, a grass-roots politician, good governance crusader and leadership mentor, wrote in from Kaduna

Corruption highly pervasive in Nigeria – Joda

Chairman of the Transition Committee instituted by President Muhammadu Buhari to interface with former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s team for smooth takeover of government, Malam Ahmed Joda has advised Nigerians to be ready for the effect of corruption perpetrated by previous administrations as the scourge is highly pervasive in the system, Daily Trust reports.
He noted in an exclusive interview that “There is no department, no ministry that can be said to be free of corruption. There is nowhere that fraud does not take place on a daily basis. It has become embedded in the minds of the people because the rule books have been thrown away and everybody is doing what they like. Nobody follows the rules anymore”.

Wondering what would have been the fate of Nigerians had President Goodluck Jonathan won the March 28

election, he said, “It would have been more difficult for them to face the challenge because they had been telling people that everything was good; the roads are good. They were not talking about the absence of light in the house, but they were talking about the capacity to produce electricity is 12,000 megawatts out of which only 5,000 could be released.

“But even out of this 5,000 at the time they were doing the handing over notes only 1,300 megawatts were being generated, but they were talking about 35,000 kilometers of distribution lines and so on, but nobody told us the real problem – that there is no gas, or there is no capacity to transmit the electricity that could be generated; that even when it is delivered at the point of distribution the distribution system is so weak that it can’t take it. I personally didn’t know that until I got into this exercise”.
Giving further insight into some of things
his team experienced in the course of the assignment, Joda, who earlier served as chairman of the 1979 transition committee of Shagari, said “We were told at the beginning of the exercise that the government was in deficit of at least N1.3 trillion and by the end people were talking about N7 trillion; everything is in a state of collapse. The civil service is bloated and the military and police, if you are a Nigerian, you know what they have been facing for a long time; everywhere is in a mess and these things have to be fixed.
“Now back to your question about the delay of appointment of ministers and other key officials. These are large numbers of people; in my experience as a civil servant one of the most difficult tasks is to get a list of names to appoint to existing appointments. Buhari, as a politician, knows a large number of people but not intimate
“They have come and joined the political party in which there is Buhari and his knowledge of them can only be superficial. The only people he will know intimately are his friends, his relations and colleagues at work. But when you are forming a cabinet the Constitution says the entire country must be represented,” he said.
copyright: Dailypost

We Will Fight Any Plot To Blackmail Olejeme – Youth Group

A non-governmental organization the Youth Say Yes Initiative has stated that it will fight any plot from any quarter or quarters to tarnish the good image of the Chairman of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund NSITF Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme.

The group in a press statement signed by its National Secretary and legal adviser Barr. Kingsley Frank said Dr. Olejeme remains a pride to the country and must be accorded the respect she deserves. The statement said it is imperative that Nigerians understand the need to give credit to hard work instead of dwelling on bringing people down.

The group said the fortunes of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund NSITF has increased over the years as a result of the positive contributions of Mrs. Olejeme since she took over as Chairman of the board. “since Mrs. Olejeme took over as Chairman of the board of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund, the fund has witnessed an unprecedented upward turn in its activities culminating in the passage of the employees compensation act which has been well celebrated by Nigerian workers all over the country”. The group said in its statement.

It said in recognition of the positive contributions of Dr. Olejeme to the development of the society, several groups and organisations have continued to recognize her querying why some microscopic elements will fail to see what she has done for this great country.

The group urged Nigerians to be vigilant of the scheming of opportunistic elements who want to catch into any situation to make monetary gains. It said it will not hesitate to seek legal address against any person or group that fails to heed its warning.