The Senior Special Assistant to the President on social investment, Maryam Uwais, has defended the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programmes (SIP).
Uwais said Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari who criticised SIP, would have been able to find all beneficiaries of the project if she had access to available data.
Speaking on Channels Television, the presidential aide said about 290,000 beneficiaries from Adamawa, Aisha’s home state, were being paid under the initiative.
The Cable reports that Buhari’s wife had said the programme being coordinated by Uwais failed in the north.
But speaking during the live programme, Uwais said Aisha spoke without the knowledge of available records on SIP.
Uwais said, “I believe that if she (Aisha) were to listen to the information they have there, if she were to check our data, she would be able to find all the beneficiaries.
“Yes, she may not have met them. But we are in 12 local government areas for the cash transfer. We are also in 12 LGAs for loans. So, I think we have at least 290,000 beneficiaries directly that we are paying in Adamawa State.”
Uwais said the school feeding programme was also ongoing in over 1,000 public primary schools in Adamawa and that more could have been done with more funding.
“We have over 11,000 graduates recruited and working in her home state. We have non-graduates, 440; we started the school feeding programme in October 2018, we are in 1,054 public primary schools,” she said.
Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps in Bauchi, Mr. Abdulrazak Najume, said road mishaps through head-on collision of vehicles could be reduced drastically if road users always swerve to the right while trying to avoid potholes.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Bauchi, Najume observed that most head-on-collision of vehicles are caused by the grave error of ‘swerving to the left’ in attempting to avoid obstacles or potholes, thereby veering of into the path of incoming vehicles.
He described the mistake of veering off to the path of incoming vehicles as ‘most suicidal,’ noting that the collision of forces from opposite direction is often ‘ghastly’ and the chances of survival of occupants of vehicles involved ‘very slim.’
The Commander observed that most road users are in the habit of making this grave mistake, either out of ignorance, or due to sheer recklessness.
“Many drivers do dodge small potholes to their left hand side instead of entering it. If they must dodge potholes, they should dodge to their right hand side.
“It is suicide dodging potholes to the left hand side; but if you must go by the left, you must be sure that you are safe from vehicles that are coming from the opposite direction.
“Most drivers do not know this and those who are aware don’t adhere to the rules; this is why most of them end up in head-on collision because nothing can stop a vehicle on speed.
“Most alarming is that some road users, not only swerve to the left while avoiding obstacles, but do so at sharp bends where they cannot see anything coming from the opposite direction.
“This is why we always educate them to always keep and maintain their lane,” he admonished
Najume also observed that most of the commercial vehicle drivers in motor parks are not qualified to drive, with some of them being users of hard drugs.
The Commander, however, reiterated that the FRSC would not relent in making sure that road users abide by all safety rules to ensure the protection of lives.
American rap star Chris Brown failed to appear at a hearing Tuesday in Paris where he had been summoned to a face-to-face meeting with a Frenchwoman who has accused him of rape, her lawyer said.
The woman, 24, says Brown along with his bodyguard and a friend of assaulted her in the luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel on the night of January 15.
Brown and his associates were released without charge in January after being held for questioning after the allegations of aggravated rape and a drug offence.
But the woman has stood by the accusations and police summoned Brown to a “confrontation” with his accuser.
Gloria Allred, the high-profile American women’s rights lawyer representing the accuser, said that Brown’s failure to show up was a “scandal”.
“Why did he fail to come today? Does he think that he is above the law in France? Does he think that the French criminal justice system is a joke?” she told reporters outside the court.
The woman, who has not been identified by name, told police she met Brown in a nightclub near the Champs-Elysees avenue with a group of other party-goers.
She then agreed to go back to the hotel, which is on the glitzy Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore.
Lawyers for the Grammy Award-winning singer have said he is innocent and they are considering a libel lawsuit.
Allred has taken on a string of high-profile cases representing women, including some who claim they were abused by R&B star R. Kelly.
She has also represented a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted at Brown’s home during a drug- and alcohol-fuelled party in 2017.
“Did he learn that I was coming to Paris to support my client?” Allred said outside the court. “Was he afraid of me? And is that the reason that he chose not to show up?”
The singer, who according to Billboard has sold more than 100 million records, has been in the news more for his legal troubles than hit releases in recent years.
In 2009 he was convicted of beating fellow singer Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time, who missed the Grammy Awards because of her injuries.
Contacted by AFP, Brown’s French lawyer Raphael Chiche was not immediately available for comment.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday said all the decisions, plans, programmes and policies of his administration in the last four years were taken with the best interest of Lagos in mind and for the common good of all residents of the State.
Governor Ambode, in a farewell State broadcast to officially mark the end of his administration, said the driving force with respect to programmes executed was to lift more people out of poverty and make every part of the State economically viable and livable.
“For this administration, policies, programmes, and projects aimed at lifting more of our people out of poverty and making every part of the State safe, accessible and economically viable were always the priority; the driving force behind all our decisions and plans.
“A few of our policies might have been unpopular but these were decisions taken with the best interest of our State in mind. With the benefit of hindsight, maybe we could have done some things differently but our intention was always clear, for the good of Lagos,” Governor Ambode said.
He particularly commended the people for the constructive feedback to some of the policies of his administration which, according to him, helped to surmount challenges, saying it had been a remarkable journey to serve the State.
“With a heart full of gratitude, I address you today for the last time as your governor. It has been an honour and a privilege of a lifetime to serve you in the last four years.
“It has been a remarkable journey which has had a lasting impact in my life and I want to thank all Lagosians for the experience of these last four years.
“As, in the beginning when we visited every single corner of this state listening to you and asking for your votes, I have felt the power of your support, your collective energy and the endless goodwill that has propelled us to achieve many things,” he said.
Describing Lagos as a place where dreams come true and a home for everyone, Governor Ambode said it was the duty of all residents to continue to ensure that the State remained the true centre of opportunities and growth for all.
“From being just a commercial centre, our State has now become a prime destination for tourism, sports, entertainment, and culture. And the future is even brighter with more exciting prospects and possibilities. In the near future, with God on our side, Lagos will take its rightful place in the comity of major city-states of the world.
“Fellow Lagosians, it has been a remarkable journey. One in which we have pushed boundaries and moved our State to another level. A journey in which we have transformed many aspects of our State and set the ball rolling in other sectors. But there is still a lot more to be done.
“But it is a job not for only the government; it is a responsibility for us all. In Lagos, every one counts and we all have a part to play,” he said.
While appreciating the people for the support given to successive administrations in the State, Governor Ambode also urged all stakeholders to support the incoming administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, saying such would be in the best interest of all.
“By tomorrow, there will be a change of guard in our State. I will be stepping down and a new Governor will be sworn in. We will have a new Governor and a new administration with the same objective; achieving a better Lagos.
“Those who have had the privilege of serving our dear State in different capacities especially as Governors, owe their successes to your prayers, understanding, and support. The same courtesy and cooperation that you gave to my predecessors from the first elected Governor of the State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande to our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) to my humble self, I urge you to extend same to the next administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and ensure that he succeeds. It is in our best interest to do so,” he said.
Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool were feeling “pure excitement” ahead of the Champions League final against Tottenham but confirmed on Tuesday that Naby Keita will definitely miss out.
The German manager, who guided the Reds to last year’s final, which they lost to Real Madrid, saw his side narrowly lose out to Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.
But Liverpool can ease the pain of last year’s defeat to Real and finish the season on a high by being crowned European champions for a sixth time in Madrid on Saturday.
“We are all very excited about having the chance again,” Klopp told reporters at Liverpool’s training centre.
“It’s about dealing with the situation and so far we have controlled our emotions,” added the Anfield boss, who also tasted defeat with Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League final, when his side lost to Bayern Munich in an all-German clash.
“It’s pure excitement and we are looking forward to it.”
Guinean midfielder Keita will not feature in the match as he recovers from a groin injury but there was better news for Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino, who is also grappling with a groin issue.
“There’s no chance for Naby, but he’s progressing well. Bobby was part of training last week and will be a part again tomorrow and he’s looking good so he will be part of the final, I’m sure.”
On recovering from two near misses as a Champions League manager to try and make it third time lucky this weekend, Klopp said: “I don’t like to blame my other team — I love them all — but I’ve never been part of a final with a better team, that’s true.
“Our boy’s mix potential with attitude in the best way I’ve ever seen.
“After Barcelona (the 4-0 semi-final comeback at Anfield), nobody believes more in this team than the team itself. We wanted it really badly.”
Klopp described the match against Mauricio Pochettino’s men as a “proper European final” even though it is an all-Premier League affair.
“It will be very tight, no doubt,” he said. “The quality of us and Spurs is very similar. We know a lot about Tottenham but we have had three weeks since our last game and in three weeks I would have known the name of the groundsman of Barcelona, for example.”
Klopp denied that reaching successive European Cup finals was a personal career highlight.
“The biggest moment of my career was in 2004 in getting Mainz promoted,” said the Stuttgart-born coach.
“Winning the Champions League final with Liverpool would be (the) new (one).”
Guru Maharaj Ji, the founder of the One Love Family, has said that for Nigeria to thrive economically, political appointments, especially in the ninth republic should be based on merit and not religious sentiments.
Maharaj Ji made this known to newsmen on Tuesday while speaking on the forthcoming 26th Anniversary of Highest Spiritual Centre of the Universe Declaration as the New Holy Land at his Iju Ishaga Temple in Lagos.
He said that the undue pressure by religious bodies on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint their members was uncalled for and did not reflect the unity expected in Nigeria.
“Religious leaders should be fenced off decision-making on appointments and the appointments should be based on hard work, past records and merit.
“Appointments to high and sensitive government offices by quota is one of the several neo-colonial deity of backwardness in self-governing but pseudo-emancipated Nigeria.
“A competent person is fundamentally a human being, not a Christian, Muslim or religious person.
“As such, focus should be on setting standards that give proper access to competent Nigerians to run government agencies and institutions, irrespective of their religious and ethnic tilt,’’ he said.
Maharaj Ji said that the quest for a united and prosperous Nigeria is a patriotic strive that requires the hard work of patriots.
“Public officers appointed or elected on the premise of religious sentiment cannot but be loyal to the parochial and troublesome sentiments that got them the office they occupy.
“I urge President Buhari to ignore the effusion of religious leaders in midwifing the birth of the ninth republic, ” he said.
An Igbosere High Court in Lagos has again renewed the arrest warrant it issued nearly two years and 11 months ago against ex-Super Eagles captain, Augustine ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha, for alleged tax evasion.
Justice Adedayo Akintoye made the renewal following Okocha’s repeated failure to conclude an out-of-court settlement with the Lagos State Government.
Okocha has also failed to appear in court to answer to the charge.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari should blame himself and not the National Assembly for the delay in the passage of of the 2019 budget which was signed into law on Monday.
Dogara said since President Buhari assumed office, he ‘has been unable to present budget on time. His first budget was the 2016 budget, which was submitted on December 22, 2015, exactly nine days to the end of the fiscal year.’
He also said: ‘The minimum time the National Assembly requires to pass budget is three months. But he presented it just nine days to 2016’ and that ‘what Nigerians didn’t know and the President won’t say is that the Executive through the various ministries continued to propose additional projects to be included in the 2018 budget even as at April and May which further delayed the passage of the 2018 budget.
These were communicated officially and if anyone is in doubt the letters are there with the dates they were written and received. But here’s Buhari blaming the National Assembly.’
Dogara in a statement on Tuesday lamented that: ‘President Muhammadu Buhari a few days ago, in his usual characteristics of self righteousness, and buck passing blamed tardiness in the passage of budgets by the National Assembly for the delay in the completion of projects across the country by his government.
‘To be precise, the president said, “If the National Assembly takes seven months to pass a budget, then we should be commended for the much that we have achieved, and can still achieve. I personally feel very disappointed. I spoke with the leaders of the National Assembly on the issue that seven months is a long time to work on a budget.” A
‘Even though buck passing and blame game is not new to Buhari as it is now his stock in trade; in the past few days and weeks, there is no day that passes without the President blaming others in a desperate move to exonerate himself from any blame or failure of the Executive under his leadership to execute projects across the country.
‘In fact, very recently, Buhari blamed all his predecessors for failing to build infrastructure. And I wonder why? It was the general consensus that the former employees didn’t perform as expected and that was why Nigerians hired him for a job he has sought for four conservative time but here he is blaming the same people he replaced.
If you are the boss of ” Nigeria limited”, what will you do this employee? ‘Some weeks ago, he even blamed the media for failing to showcase his achievements. “ I’m very disappointed with the Nigerian press. They didn’t give this government the credit of the go back to land programme,” he said on 26 October. Time and space would not permit me to list all his “blamings”.
‘However, it is disingenuous for President Muhammad Buhari to blame the National Assembly for his government’s inability to implement budget and execute projects that affect the lives of Nigerians in the last three years.
‘To set the record straight, this is a President who, from inception of his government didn’t show any sign that he was well prepared and ready for the job he sought for four times in 16 years and for which we voted for him.
‘For instance, it took him six months, yes six months not six weeks to form his cabinet. It also took him two years to appoint board chairmen for most government agencies. This is was his greatest undoing and was principally responsible for plunging Nigeria into recession because activities in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government were brought to a half for the period since civil servants could not take decisions due to absence of political heads in a country where public sector spending drives the economy.
At a point, he even said he was happy working with civil servants because ministers or politicians were noise makers because “they are only there to make a lot of noises”, he told a French television station in September 2015.
‘Now, after three years, with election in three months, the President is at it again, exonerating himself from apparent failure of his government thereby throwing the blame right at the doorstep of the legislature. But facts don’t lie and they could be stubborn and here are the facts:
‘Late budget presentation’
Since his assuming office, the president has been unable to present budget on time. His first budget was the 2016 budget which was submitted on December 22, 2015, exactly nine days to the end of the fiscal year.
‘The minimum the National Assembly requires to pass budget is three months. But he presented it just nine days to 2016. ‘Again, the 2017 budget was presented on December 14,2016, just 17 days to the end of 2016.
‘The earliest he presented budget was on November 7, 2017 which was the 2018 appropriations bill. It was less than two months to the end of the year. ‘However, his ministers refused to appear before National Assembly committees to defend the budget for five months thereby delaying the passage.
‘It was after the leadership of the National Assembly sought the President’s intervention on March 16, 2018 that the ministers reluctantly appeared before the committees, an exercise that takes at least one month to complete.
‘In fact , some of them who felt they were super ministers sent in their permanent secretaries. ‘What Nigerians didn’t know and the President won’t say is that the Executive through the various ministries continued to propose additional projects to be included in the 2018 budget even as at April and May which further delayed the passage of the 2018 budget.
These were communicated officially and if anyone is in doubt the letters are there with the dates they were written and received. But here’s Buhari blaming the National Assembly.
‘Violation of Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007
‘Since the inception of the Buhari administration, it has been in constant violation of the Fiscal Responsibility Act which stipulates that budgets should be presented in early September. The wisdom or import of the FRA is that the National Assembly will have at least three full months to work on the budget bill.
‘Intact, the Executive admitted its failure and inability to abide by the law on August 24,2018 when former minister of Budget and National Planning, now minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed disclosed that the Federal government will present the 2019 budget in September in a bid to restore the budget circle from January to December but here we are in November without the budget estimates before the lawmakers.
‘Buhari’s Failure/Refusal to assent to budget submission Bill
‘In a bid to address the issue of late budget presentation and passage, the National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment bill that requires the President to submit the Appropriation Bill not later than 90 days to the end of the financial year but unfortunately, very unfortunately, the president has vetoed the bill.
‘Veto of National Assembly Budget Office Bill
‘In an effort to improve institutional capacity of the Parliament to process and pass budget expeditiously, the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) establishment Bill was passed into law. It was loosely modelled after the American Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Again, President Buhari has also vetoed the Bill.
‘Lack of Adequate Consultation
‘Under a Presidential system of government like ours where the doctrine of separation of powers and principles of checks and balances are well enshrined in our constitution, wisdom presupposes that the Executive at all time engages the legislature on all issues that requires legislation in order to have their buy in even before it is presented to the parliament formally.
‘The three President’s before Buhari, from 1999 -2015, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’adua and Goodkuck Jonathan despite their failings sustained this tradition which is necessary for a harmonious relations between the Executive and the Legislature and smooth running of government. Under this, it is expected that the President meet with the leadership of the two chambers (Body of Principal Officers including members of the opposition) and brief them on the details of the budget and key projects he would want to execute.
They, in turn would brief their colleagues while the MDAs will then engage the committees over sighting them in pre-budget session. President Shehu Shagari used to hold such meetings monthly. ‘Doing this, would have helped in reducing the time it takes to pass the budget because even before it is presented, the MPs would have been well informed about it and their inputs taken into consideration at the preparation stage by the various MDAs. Unfortunately, this too has not been done in the last three years.
“National Assembly Not A Rubber Stamp Parliament”
‘The National Assembly has repeatedly challenged the Executive to approach the Supreme Court to seek interpretation on the constitutional powers of the legislature over budget, but up to now, they have failed to do so. Until then, the judgement of the Federal High court in FHC/ABJ/CS/259/2014 delivered on March 9, 2016 which was not appealed by either parties stands.
‘This is what his lordship Hon Justice Gabriel Kolawole said in delivering judgment in the suit by Femi Falana SAN “the National Assembly was not created by drafters of the Constitution and imbued with the powers to receive ‘budget estimates’ which the first defendant is constitutionally empowered to prepare and lay before it, as a rubber stamp parliament.
The whole essence of the budget estimates being required to be laid before Parliament is to enable it, being the Assembly of the representatives of the people, to debate the said budget proposals and to make its own well informed legislative inputs into it.’
President Muhammadu Buhari has passed a vote of no confidence in the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in the passage of the 2019 Appropriation Act.
Buhari, who spoke during a taped interview broadcast on Nigerian Television Authority on Monday night, said he had conveyed his reservation directly to the legislative leaders while assenting the bill on Monday morning.
Asked to comment on the delayed budget passage, he said, “I think a culture was developed in the National Assembly that they should dictate the terms, which was wrong. It is the executive that dictates the terms and takes it before the legislature. It (the legislature) will examine it and agree or disagree with it.
“But when they go around posing that they are the government and not the executive, then that’s the problem. I felt and I spoke personally to the Senate President, Saraki, and the leader of the House, Dogara. They could not deny it.
“I asked them how they felt to hold the country at ransom for seven months without passing a budget. Unfortunately, they were not hurting me; they were hurting the country. So, really, in terms of patriotism, I think I rated them very low indeed.”
The President noted that constitutionally, he could not help that there were things that had to go through the legislature.
“But to hold a budget for seven months cannot be justified if you really bother about the country,” he added.
Real Madrid could sell as many as 11 players this summer to fund a squad overhaul.
According to Marca, Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, is set to bolster his squad ahead of next season and could let up to 11 players leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer’s transfer window.
Former Tottenham Hotspur star, Gareth Bale, tops the list.
Bale has been told that he will be frozen out of the Zidane’s first team, should he not be able to find a new club this summer.
The other 10 players include: Isco, Mateo Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez, Keylor Navas, Dani Ceballos, Mariano Diaz, Raul De Tomas, Borja Mayoral, Zidane’s son, Luca and Theo Hernandez.
Real Madrid were dumped out of the Champions League in the round of 16 by Ajax.
The Los Blancos have struggled in the La Liga this season. They finished in third position on the Spanish table behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
