PRESS RELEASE

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has charged Nigerians to use the forthcoming National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) Festival as an opportunity to galvanise Nigerians and project unity in the country.

He implored Nigerians to see their diversity, ethnicity and religious tolerance as an opportunity to unite without allowing politics and other things to divide them.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the appeal when the National Technical Committee of the National Festival of Arts and Culture led by the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, paid him a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Ikeja on Thursday ahead of the NAFEST Festival holding in Lagos in November.

He said: “We believe that bringing the NAFEST Festival to Lagos at this very difficult time in our country would be used as a means to galvanise the country. The NAFEST 2022 in Lagos by the grace of God will be used to heal this country. It will be used to bring together our diversity in unity.

“If sports can bring us together, arts, culture and entertainment can do better. And if we do it and package it very well before we go into the general elections in 2023, we would have used that platform to heal the country. We would have used it for people to see that we don’t have any other place to go to. We have a responsibility to fix it (Nigeria).

“We should see the NAFEST not just as a festivity but as an opportunity for us to come together, heal and project unity for our country. And ensure that if we can go into next year with all of the tribulations and fears that we have; we will suppress them, surpass them and have elections that will be free, and peaceful, and we can build a better and bigger nation that would be the envy of the world. That is what I am looking forward to.

“Let us see our diversity as an opportunity to unite us. Let us see our ethnicity as an opportunity to unite us. Let us see our religious tolerance as an opportunity to unite us. We should not allow politics and other things to divide us. I am a strong believer of arts, culture and entertainment as a unifier and simple language that knows no tribe, ethnicity and religious bias.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu said Lagos will continue to be a pride for all and a rallying point for Nigeria. “For us as a government, it is really about ensuring that we can use every breath that we have to better the lots of our people; that we can use the opportunity God has given us to recreate a tomorrow for citizens and we can only do that by ensuring that everything that has to do with good governance is the things we are doing.

“Lagos will open its arms to ensure a spectacular and hitch-free event and most importantly ensure that we can heal our country; we can stop the bleeding in the country and we can use it (NAFEST festival) as a platform to unite Nigeria,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that Lagos State apart from hosting the NAFEST Festival in November, will also commission the biggest and best African museum, the JK Randle Museum for Arts and Culture and host the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and art exhibition in November.

Speaking earlier, Runsewe commended Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to promoting tourism, arts and culture, noting that the decision of the government to make Entertainment and Tourism a fifth pillar in the six-pillar THEMES developmental agenda for Greater Lagos is commendable.

Runsewe, who noted that no development could take place in Nigeria without Lagos State, called Nigerians to join hands with Lagos to move the country.

He said the NAFEST Festival taking place in Lagos in November will be used to unite the nation and preach love among all the citizens of the country.

SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
28 JULY 2022

Iyorcha Ayu: A political reformist aiming at rescuing, rebuilding Nigeria.

By Bisi Ezekiel

The emergence of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu on Sunday, October 31st 2021, as the National Chairman of the largest political party in Africa and Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) did not come as a surprise to political pundits.

The quiet but great political achiever was thoroughly sorted out for the job of rescuing the PDP from collapse following the crisis that resulted in the suspension of his predecessor in office, Prince Uche Secondus as national chairman.

No wonder his acceptability as a consensus candidate for the party’s position.

He made it clear from the onset that his mission was to reform PDP and set the party currently in opposition on the path of rescuing the country from maladministration of the APC and rebuilding the nation back to her past glory.

Ayu, a former Senate President and 20 others, elected members of the National Working Committee (NWC) hit the ground running by promising to allow every organ of the party to function effectively without usurpation of functions by the other.

To further strengthen membership drive across the nation, the NWC said it will back the Governor Godwin Obaseki led Membership E- Registration Committee in generating a comprehensive party register of all PDP members in Nigeria.

The Ayu led NWC desirous if accountability inaugurated a committee to do staff auditing to enable it know number of actual staff of the party, their designation and remuneration.

A Tender Board was inaugurated to track every contract involving the party to block financial leakages.

In a very rare bold step, Dr. Ayu led other members of the NWC on an assessment visit to the uncompleted PDP national secretariat at the Central Business District of Abuja.

He promised completion of the project, to generate funds for the party in terms of rents and to provide enough office space for staff.

To achieve this, Ayu said many options would be explored which may include but not restricted to collaborating with private estate developers.

He said the party will give its all to the Bukola Saraki led National Reconciliation Committee saddled with the responsibility of fixing crisis in state chapters and bringing old members back to PDP family.

Ayu displayed his dispute management ability in the just concluded Ekiti governorship primary election by cancelling previously conducted ward election by some aspirants, thereby leaving contestants to rely on statutory and automatic list of delegates for the primary.

This goes a long way to avoid further crisis a d made the outcome of the primary election largely acceptable.

With his mission of Rebuild and Rescue Nigeria, there is a renewed hope that come 2023, the Peoples Democratic Party will rescue power at the centre from the ruling APC.

The convention which took place at the Eagle Square, Abuja, began on Saturday and lasted till the early morning of Sunday.

But you need to know the man, Iyorchia Ayu, the new national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Dr. Iyorchia Ayu was born in Gboko in Benue State. He served as sociology lecturer at the University of Jos, including courses on the art and science of Marxism. He was the Chairman of the Jos University chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

As a new entrant into politics, Ayu was influential among the majority Tiv people in his home state of Benue and was elected Senator in the Third Republic on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and was elected President of the upper chamber of the National Assembly (1992–1993).

In November 1993, the senate impeached Ayu, who was a strong opponent of the Interim National Government established after the elected president Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola had been prevented from taking office.
However, he later became the Minister for Education in General Sani Abacha’s military government. In March 1994 he chaired a workshop on Technical Education in Nigeria, seeking ways to learn from Germany, the United States, Britain and Japan.

He is reputed to be the political godfather of George Akume, governor of Benue State from 1999 to 2007 who is now in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Minister for Special Duties.

Ayu assisted in the 1998-1999 campaign to elect President Olusegun Obasanjo on the PDP platform, and Obasanjo in return, appointed him as Minister for Industry from 1999 to 2000.

Ayu was also appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs in July 2003. In September 2003 Ayu announced that Nigeria was negotiating security pacts with its northern neighbours Niger and Chad to clamp down on smuggling, human-trafficking and cross border banditry.

During a cabinet reshuffle in June 2005, Ayu was reassigned to become Minister of Environment. At a meeting in Rotterdam in September 2005, Ayu called for an effective, sufficient and predictable financial mechanism to provide the technical skills and infrastructure needed for African countries to handle chemicals safely.

He later served in various Ministerial positions in the Cabinet of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007.

By Bisi Ezekiel.

PRESIDENT BUHARI CONDOLES WITH AMBASSADOR IGALI OVER MOTHER’S DEATH
President Muhammadu Buhari commiserates with the family of Ambassador Godknows Igali, Chairman, Governing Council, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) on the passing of their beloved mother, Ma Fanny Igali.
The President joins them in mourning the foremost professional Caterer and Hotel Manager, who at various times served as a Catering Officer, Government House, Old Rivers State, Borno College of Basic Studies (BOCOPS) and former Manager, Lake Chad Hotel, Maiduguri.
Eulogising the late community leader and educationist for her lifelong commitment to discipline, kindness and generosity and for the wide-ranging impact of these values on her children, students and members of her community, the President prays God Almighty to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.
President Buhari also wishes the family divine comfort as they go through this period of grief.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 29, 2022

July 29, 2022
Press Statement
Replicate ICNP Success in 2023 General Elections- PDP Charges INEC
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) charges the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replicate the success recorded in the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal (ICNP) technology to ensure transparent, fast, credible polling and transmission of results in the 2023 general elections.
The PDP commends the ICNP technology which allows political parties to use specified and dedicated Access Codes issued by the Commission to log in and electronically upload the names and particulars of their candidates onto the INEC Web Portal in a manner that guarantees promptness, safety of materials as well as the integrity and transparency of the submission process.
The PDP notes the effort by INEC to train Mobilization staffs of political parties for seven days; an initiative that played key role in the success of the ICNP process. The Party urges INEC to organize more capacity building trainings for its officials ahead of the 2023 general election.
Our Party believes that the success of the ICNP is a further pointer that technology can be effectively deployed to enhance the credibility of sensitive electoral processes such as rapid uploading, transmission, collation and final declaration of election results at all levels.
The PDP, a critical stakeholder in the Nigerian Democratic System, applauds the deployment of technology in the electronic transmission of results in the Osun State Governorship election but urges the Commission to expand its capacity so as withstand the expected pressure in the large-scale transmission of results from across the country in the 2023 general elections.
The PDP also charges INEC to ensure the security of its electronic system to prevent infiltrations and manipulations especially in the 2023 general elections.
INEC must know that the process of the 2023 general elections is crucial to the people and Nigerians expect nothing short of free, fair, transparent and credible elections that will reflect only their expressed Will and aspiration to rescue our nation from the current misrule.
Signed:
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
National Publicity Secretary

PRESIDENT BUHARI HAILS KING ALFRED DIETE-SPIFF AT 80
President Muhammadu Buhari sends warm greetings to Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff, on his 80th birthday, July 30, 2022, congratulating the elder statesman for many years of service to his community, nation and humanity.
The President felicitates with King Diete-Spiff on the auspicious occasion of turning an octogenarian, joining family, friends and associates to celebrate with the first military Governor of Rivers State, 1967-1975, who was appointed at the age of 25, with the rank of a Naval Lieutenant Commander, and provided strong and visionary leadership that laid a good foundation for the state.
President Buhari notes the growing positive influence of the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass in the Niger Delta region over the years, playing a pivotal role in the peace, harmony and growth of the people, and most significantly guiding negotiations for improvement of livelihoods and betterment of the environment.
The President acknowledges the wise counsels of King Diete-Spiff to leaders at different levels, willingly putting his wisdom and experience at the service of the nation.
President Buhari prays for longer life, good health and strength for the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 29, 2022

PRESIDENT BUHARI CONGRATULATES ARCHBISHOP DANIEL OKOH, NEW CAN PRESIDENT
President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the General Superintendent of Christ Holy Church (Odozi-Obodo), on his election as the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The President notes that the election of Most Rev’d Okoh by the very important Christian body is a testament to his devotion to the Church of God in the country and beyond, distinguished vocation as a Christian leader and abiding commitment in promoting ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue.
Acknowledging the role CAN plays in fostering religious unity and harmony, the President trusts that the incoming President will continue to provide the needed leadership for the Church, affirming the Scriptural truth: ‘‘That they all may be one.’’ (John 17:21a)
President Buhari, who has fond memories of his interactions with CAN leadership, values the counsel and spiritual contributions of Christian leaders to nation building by encouraging, advising, strengthening, correcting and criticizing those in authority.
The President prays that the tenure of Archbishop Okoh, in this new phase of ministry, will be marked with success, urging the blocs that make up CAN to kindly give the cleric every needed support to excel.
He also wishes the outgoing President, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle best wishes in his spiritual and secular endeavours.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
July 29, 2022

OUR BENEFITS FROM JOINING OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP, BY PRESIDENT BUHARI
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday received a delegation from the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Support Unit, led by the Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sanjay Pradhan, during which he itemized the benefits Nigeria has derived from joining the transparency body in 2016.
He said when he committed Nigeria to the membership of the Open Government Partnership at the London Anti-Corruption Summit, he was very clear about the role that the initiative would play in the fight against corruption, and since that time, “we have developed and implemented two National Action Plans on the Open Government Partnership.
“By next month (in August), I will sign the third Action Plan, which is in the final stages of development. I am eager to sign the document so that we can continue to sustain the progress of reforms that we have recorded in the past six years of implementation.”
Speaking further, the President outlined some of the successes that the country has recorded since it began to implement the Open Government Partnership in 2016 as follows:
“Our budgeting processes have become more open, citizens-centred and participatory. In accordance with the objective of fiscal transparency, all stakeholders, including the public are involved in the country’s budget making process, have access to the details of our budgets, and have opportunity to make inputs into it. As a proof of our progress, Nigeria was ranked among the best improved countries for transparency in the latest global Open Budget Survey.
“We have made significant progress in the beneficial ownership transparency in Nigeria. We produced a roadmap of Beneficial Ownership Reporting in 2016. By December 2019, we established Africa’s first Beneficial Ownership Register in the extractive industry. In 2020, we amended our laws to expand Beneficial Ownership Reporting to all sectors of the economy.
“We are currently building a robust national Beneficial Ownership Database, which will be deployed to combat global criminal activities including illicit financial flows and terrorism financing. We are equally convinced the Beneficial Ownership disclosure policy will support our domestic resource mobilization.”
President Buhari said as a government, “We are encouraged that, at the last OGP Global Summit in Seoul, South Korea, Nigeria won the OGP Impact Award for our commitment and progress on Beneficial Ownership Transparency.
“As part of our commitment to sustain the progress, I have just approved Nigeria’s membership of the Beneficial Ownership Leadership Group.”
On extractive industry transparency, he said Nigeria as a leading member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, was appointed recently to chair the global network of 20 countries implementing contract transparency.
“Also, as part of a broader commitment to extractive industry transparency, we passed the Petroleum Industry Act which introduced sweeping reforms to enhance transparent and accountable governance of the oil and gas industry.
“In public procurement, we have established the Nigerian Procurement Portal, where citizens can monitor all government procurement processes in a transparent manner. We are currently improving this system to achieve greater effectiveness,” he added.
President Buhari said one of the reasons the country has made this much progress is because “we have backed our verbal commitments with deliberate action, by including OGP implementation in the national budget to ensure sustainability of the partnership in Nigeria.
“With these steps we have taken, our administration will bequeath to the next government a culture of transparency, accountability and citizens’ participation in governance. We have worked hard to institutionalise the OGP by mainstreaming open government practices across our governance systems.”
The President commended the national OGP team led by Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, who is the Government Co-Chair, and the Civil Society Co-Chair Dr. Tayo Adeloju for their relentless efforts in advancing transparency and accountability in governance processes.
OGP CEO, Pradhan, recalled that he was there in London in 2016, when President Buhari committed to the 77-member organization as Number 70, and described Nigeria as “an excellent performer, one of the most open across the partnership.”
He lauded Nigeria for opening up its budget processes, contracts, procurement, and the extractive sector.
He advocated more reforms in disclosure of audit, establishing an E-procurement platform, and institutionalization of OGP, among others.
Pradhan described Nigeria as a country “with open hearts, open arms of friendship and partnership.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
July 28, 2022

PRESIDENT BUHARI: WE WILL EASE THE DIFFICULT CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH JUDGES WORK
President Muhammadu Buhari says the degenerate welfare and working conditions of the nation’s judiciary, are “serious and would be treated as such,” even as he cautions on the dire state of the country’s economy “currently battling insecurity, corruption and economic challenges,” aggravated by the COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.
Speaking Thursday at the State House, on the occasion of a visit by the chairman and representatives of the Body of Benchers, a body of legal practitioners of “the highest distinction in the legal profession” President Buhari says a democratic government like the one he leads, “standing on a tripod comprising the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, cannot stand where one of its three pillars, the Judiciary is not properly nurtured, maintained and sustained to deliver on its very pivotal constitutional duties.”
He therefore promises to act quickly on the report of the committee he set up on his own back in 2018 to review the welfare and working conditions of the judiciary:
“Let me assure you that the issues would be given due and urgent attention within the resources available to government.”
The President congratulates the Body of Benchers on the successful completion of the “Benchers’ complex at Jabi,” a building described as impressive that would house the body and provide conference facilities and accepted their invitation to personally commission the structure.
In his presentation, the chairman of the Body of Benchers, Wale Olanipekun, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, described the condition under which judges, especially the Justices of the Supreme Court work as pathetic, appalling and below the minimum standards that are required:
“We want to plead with you. We need to bail out the Judiciary. The situation is bad. Let us sympathise with the Judiciary. I know you to have respect, feelings for the Judiciary. You have sympathy, empathy and consideration. The Body of Benchers as elders of the legal profession makes these recommendations to Your Excellency, with a plea that they should be attended to urgently.”
In his introductory remarks, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, made a case for collaboration of the Executive and the Judicial arms, to “open the books to enable both sides see the depth of the decay and know how far to go in putting in place the necessary remedial measures.”
Garba Shehu
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media and Publicity)
July 28, 2022