Buhari receives DG of IAEA in Aso Rock

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria after his two-day state visit to Equatorial Guinea.

 DG of International Atomic Energy Agency Mr Y. Amano and President Buhari during the meeting in Aso Rock. Photo: Femi Adesina.
The president was received Tuesday night, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by his senior assistants. The leader of the nation had left Abuja for Malabo to hold bilateral talks on regional security with President Nguema Mbasogo. On March 16, Wednesday, Buhari has received first giuests after returning to the country.
Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano visited the president in Aso Rock presidential villa. Buhari’s frequent foreign trips have come under scrutiny and criticism as the country is facing many problems, from continual fuel shortages to terrorist attacks in the northeast.

The last deadly attack of the Boko Haram sect that occurred today, March 17 uring prayers at a mosque in the Umurari area of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, killed at least 25 people. Pressident Buhari in a statement has condemned the suicide attack describing the Boko Haram as a mindless and godless group that in no way represents true Islam. Minister of Health Isaac Adewole, Minister of Works, Power & Housing Babatunde Fashola, DG of International Atomic Energy Agency Mr Y. Amano, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige, Minister of Solid Minerals Kayode Fayemi and others in a group photo shortly after President Buhari received in audience Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency in Statehouse. Photo: Femi Adesina.

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How Obasanjo's third term agenda failed – Mantu

– Obasanjo’s staunch supporter reveals details of the ex-president’s third term bid
– He stated that the Nigerian leader was very popular and didn’t want to cause confusion in the country

 Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Ibrahim Mantu, a former deputy senate president, has disclosed how the former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term agenda failed in 2006. Mantu, in an interview with Premium Times, said that Obasanjo was unhappy that the plan to extend his tenure beyond the two terms approved by the constitution failed. According to him, the Senate in 2006 overwhelmingly declined an offer to amend the Nigerian constitution, which would have made Obasanjo entitled to contest again for president, after eight years in office.  

 The former politician was one of Obasanjo’s henchmen in the Senate and was the chairman of the constitution review committee.

He said: “I don’t want to say much about that. All I know is that he was not happy.” “But he knew a tree could not make a forest.” Meanwhile, Mantu, former deputy Senate president, stated that Obasanjo should be praised for subjecting himself to a constitutional process when he wanted a third term, unlike other African leaders who forcefully stayed in office beyond their tenure. “If Obasanjo had wanted to cause confusion, he was still the incumbent president, he could have caused a lot of problem,” he noted. “He could have even asked the military to stage a coup against him.
   “Then, United Nations would come and say we should negotiate and that Obasanjo should be there for two years and all sort of things.”
Mantu added that Obasanjo was a popular president. He said the third term agenda “failed because most of the senators bought into the campaign of those people who did not want Obasanjo to have another tenure.”

“The truth is if I had known Nigeria would find herself where we are today, I would have even taken the last drop of my blood to ensure it happened because it would have been in the greatest interest of the nation.   “We never envisaged we would be here. Since Obasanjo left, the way this country has been run up to this moment, I weep for Nigeria.” Obasanjo had never publicly acknowledged plans to run again, but the effort to amend Nigeria’s constitution was widely viewed as engineered by him and his top aides. He had said in interviews that more years in office would allow him to complete initiatives. The Nigerian leader repeatedly said he would comply with the constitution, which limits presidents to two four-year terms. The ex-president said last year that he would never be a politician again in his life, announcing that he remains a “partyless” Nigerian.

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Buhari is a good man and doing his best- -PDP lawmaker

Honourable Hakeem Sokunle, has said that the country is going through challenges but expressed optimism in things getting better
– The PDP lawmaker said being a member of the opposition does not mean anti-progress Honourable Hakeem Sokunle, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 1 at the Lagos state House of Assembly has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is trying in his capacity as the country’s leader.
 In an interview with naij.com, the PDP lawmaker admitted that the country is going through hardship but expressed optimism that things will get better.

Honourable Hakeem Sokunle, “He is trying his best. He is good. There is sacrifice for anything that is good and hardship is the sacrifice.” “You can’t quantify it (the hardship). Nobody can say but I know very soon things will get better.”
 On the issue of members of the PDP not providing enough opposition in the House, Sokunle said being an opposition does not mean being anti-progress.

 “Don’t let us deceive ourselves; it is not when you are against them before people can recognise you. If they are doing something nice, you don’t need to go against it, rather you support it. It is for the betterment of people living in Lagos state. If because you are in opposition party you want to go against what they are doing, you are not doing good to the people of the state, rather you are causing more havoc to them. “If the lawmakers do something good, raise good motions for the good of the people by your own assessment, you don’t need to do anything contrary to that. Opposition does not really mean you should go there and negate what is good.”
As a first term lawmaker, Sokunle admitted that he has been facing challenges but leaning alongside performing his duty. “This is my first term in the House as you have rightly observed. We still have the challenges at our constituencies. So I have the challenge of time factor, trying to balance the two. In trying to do that you might be a little late for plenary.”
“We have done some programmes, we still have more to do for them. In the past, we have done free computer training to the constituents, we have doled out about N150,000 to the youth, we also organised free lessons for JAMB candidates for three months, I doled out about N500,000 for a blind man to start up a business, N200,000 as medical bill for somebody that had stroke for more than five years. Presently we are working on our water project. After this, we are going to organise quiz competition among public and private schools in my constituency."

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Senate reveals those behind Agatu massacre

– The Nigerian Senate made the revelation in a resolutions that followed a motion moved by Emmanuel Bwacha – Several communities in Taraba South constituency had fled because of Boko Haram consistent attacks – The Senate made a resolution on killings, kidnappings and destruction of property.

Floor of the Nigerian senate 

The Nigerian Senate has revealed those behind the brutal killings that ensued in Agatu communities of Benue state. Premium Times reports that the red chamber on March 9, revealed that the crimes of mass murder across Nigerian communities were carried out by “overpowered” Boko Haram terrorists, not Fulani herdsmen as earlier alleged.

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Aregbesola renames Uniosun, other institutions in the state

– Governor Aregbesola announced the new names of higher institutions in the state
– He urged the institutions to prepare the students for post graduate life
 – Mrs Alakija was made chancellor of the new renamed Bola Ige University Governor Rauf Aregbesola has announced that the Osun state university has been renamed Bola Ige University in honour of the late former minister of justice and attorney general of the federation. Vanguard reports that the governor made the declaration at the convocation of the university.
Apart from the state university other institutions in the states were also renamed.
 Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke was changed to Bisi Akande College of Technology while Osun State Polytechnic Iree was renamed Sunday Afolabi Polytechnic.
The College Of Education, Ila Orangun, will now be referred to as Adeyemi Oyeduntan College of Education and the College of Education Ilesa was changed to as Lawrence Omole College of Education.
UNIOSUN college of law, Ifetedo becomes Kayode Esho college of law;‎ college of social sciences and management Okuku, was renamed Olagunsoye college of social sciences while college of Agriculture Ejigbo is now Isiaka Adeleke college of agriculture. The College of Education, Ipetu Ijesa, was renamed Hezekiah Oluwasanmi College of Education while the College of Humanities and Culture, Ikire, was changed to Eniola Atanda College of Humanities and Culture.
Aregbesola said: “I, therefore, want this university to affect our society at three levels. “The first is at the level of teaching which should prepare the students for post graduate life by equipping them with life sustenance skills, especially technical and entrepreneurial education.
 “Secondly, the university should tailor its researches into immediate and prospective challenges of mankind in health, food, housing, infrastructure, societal organisation and the seemingly unknown aspects on nature”
 “The essence of the education enterprise is for man to be able to conquer nature and dominate the environment.
“Thirdly, the universities should also be engaged in society through public service, by bringing their knowledge and research findings to bear directly in needed areas. Mrs Folorunsho Alakija who is one of the richest women in the world and the founder of Rose of Sharon Foundation was named the chancellor of the newly renamed Bola Ige University.

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Kachikwu speaks about unbundling of NNPC

– Kachikwu says that the government haven’t unbundled NNPC – The government promises to resolve issues very soon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu has revealed President Muhammaddu Buhari’s plans for the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC). He stated that the federal government has not unbundled the corporation. The minister, speaking with state house reporters on March 9, said the government only restructured the corporation for the sake of efficiency.
 “We have not unbundled NNPC. We had a press conference yesterday where I explained this. What we have simply done is reorganisation,” Kachikwu said. “We have five business entities focused on business: upstream, downstream, refineries, gas and power that are there before. There is also ventures that capture all our little companies that were not having proper stewardship. “They are run by individuals who report to the GMD.
The NNPC is still a whole. There is nothing new that has happened. “I have tried to explain this and I am sure the NNPC workers are members of the family; they will understand. We are going to have a meeting, and they will be made to understand. Perhaps the engagement has not been good enough. “NNPC has not been unbundled in the sense of breaking up NNPC into distinct institutions. I am concerned. I don’t want the industry shut down. I am sure we are going to resolve the issues very soon.”

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