"Sometimes I am ashamed to be called a Nigerian "- Peter Okoye reacts to FG's plan to stop entertainers from shooting their videos abroad

Peter Okoye of P-square has reacted to plans by the Federal government to stop entertainers from shooting their music videos abroad. Lai Mohammed disclosed this during a meeting with Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON)  House in Lagos yesterday, July 15th.

President Buhari absent from FEC meeting again,VP Osinbajo presides

President Buhari is absent from the Federal Executive Council meeting currently holding at the cuncil chambers in Aso Rock Abuja. This would be the third week Presidnet Buhari has not attended the meeting. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who is prsiding over the meeting, started off proceedings with the call for the recitation of the National anthem at exactly 11am.

President Buhari might however attend the meeting before it closes.

Last week, Lai Mohammed informed Nigerians that Presidnet Buhari needed some time to rest and would be working from home. He is yet to address state house correspondents on why President Buhari failed to attend the meeting again today.

Federal Executive Council approves N4.6 billion contract for purchase of fire fighting equipment

The Federal Executive Council FEC, yesterday approved a N4.6 billion contract for the purchase of fire fighting equipment. Speaking to statehouse correspondents after the meeting, Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said the last time fire fighting equipment were bought in Nigeria by the government was in 1996. "The Federal Executive Council has approved the procurement of some fire fighting equipment. The last time such equipment were procured was sometime in 1996 and so equipment in the inventory were those procured between 1985 and 1996 and since then there was no procurement"he said.

Orji Uzor Kalu explains why he joined APC ; something about President Buhari fulfilling his promises to him

Read what he shared on Facebook this morning below... As an Igbo man who have seen it all, trained in business by the Hausa Fulani and started business in the South West. I sincerely believe it is better for the Igbos to sit where other Nigerians are sitting. I recall that on complaining of how the bad roads in the South East has been a great source of worry to me and our people, President Muhammadu Buhari personally promised me that all the contractors in the South East will return to sites before the end of November. Today, contractors are fully back to the many abandoned Federal roads in Eastern Nigeria. These are part of the reasons for joining the party. I joined the APC because President Buhari has fulfilled the promise he made to me and we are hopeful he will do more.

President Buhari in Ondo state for APC governorship campaign

President Buhari arrived Akure, the Ondo state capital today to campaign for Rotimi Akeredolu, the APC governorship candidate in the state's guber election slated for November 26th.

President Buhari reacts to the killing of 40 miners by gunmen in Zamfara

President Buhari has condemned the killing of 40 miners at a mining site in Zamfara state on Monday night. He says the Federal government will work with the state government to find a lasting solution to the killings. 

Group drags Buhari to court, insists Ameachi, Onu must be investigated and sacked

A Non-Governmental Organisation known as Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International yesterday filed a suit at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, asking the court to issue an order of mandamus compelling President Buhari to immediately sack Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart in Science & Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.

According to the group, the sack of both Ministers is important after two Supreme Court judges, Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, who are currently being investigated for corruption, accused both men of offering them bribe some years ago, Vanguard reports.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/857/2016, the group also asked the court to compel the Department of State Security Service, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to investigate the allegations of bribery. Cited as 1st to 5th Defendants in the suit were Amaechi, Onu, the DSS, EFCC and President Buhari, respectively. 
Specifically, the group through their lawyer, Okere Nnamdi, asked the court to determine 
“Whether or not the allegation made by two Justices of the Supreme Court namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their houses by agents of the State Security Service on alleged allegation of corruption, which matter is already in public domain should be investigated and those accused arrested and prosecuted by the 3rd and 4th Defendants. 
Whether or not the allegation made by two Justices of the Supreme Court namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their houses by agents of the State Security Service on alleged allegation of corruption, which matter is already in public domain, is a reasonable ground to warrant the 5th Defendant who is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and who claims that his administration is fighting corruption, to sack or compel the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from office as Ministers, pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption. 
Whether or not the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants have failed to perform their constitutional and statutory mandates by failing to: (a) for the 3rd and 4th defendants to commence investigation, arrest and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants in this suit based on the allegation by two Justices of the Supreme Court, namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta; and (b) for the 5th defendant by refusing to sack the 1st and 2nd defendants as Ministers pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption”. 
Upon determination of these questions, the group wants a declaration that the allegations made against Ameachi and Onu are “grievous enough to warrant their arrest, investigation and prosecution by the 3rd and 4th defendants. 
A declaration of the court that allegations against the Ministers are grievous enough to warrant their removal from office without any further delay by the 5th Defendant (President Buhari) who was also accused to have sent the 1st defendant (Amaechi) on the mission to ensure that the All Progressives Congress, APC, wins all their governorship election cases at all costs and by all means. 
A declaration that the allegation made against the 1st and 2nd defendants by the two Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as deposed in the affidavit in support of this application, and the refusal of the 5th defendant to sack the 1st and 2nd defendants are grievous enough to conclude that the 5th defendant’s fight against corruption is window-dressing, witch-hunt, selective, high handed, vindictive, malicious and prosecuted with gross disregard to the rule of law. 
An order of mandamus compelling the 3rd and 4th defendants (DSS and EFCC) to immediately and without further delay whatsoever, arrest, investigate and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants in this suit, based on the allegations of corruption and attempt to induce or bribe the Justices of the Supreme Court, in other to influence/induce them to subvert the cause of justice. As well as, “An order of mandamus compelling the 5th defendant to immediately and without any further delay whatsoever sack or cause the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from offices as Minister of Transport and Minister of Science and Technology (respectively) without any further delay on the ground of public interest, public morality and to unable the 3rd and 4th defendants speedily carry out their statutory responsibility of arresting and prosecuting the 1st and 2nd defendants, based on the allegations of Hon. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta and Hon. Justice Inyang Okoro”. 
No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.

President Buhari's new son-in-law allegedly under investigation by the EFCC over 3bn fraud

This is according to Sahara Reporters...

Investigate alleged sexual assault on female IDPs by police, soldiers, others -President Buhari instructs IGP

Following the damning report published by the Human Rights Watch about the alleged sexual assault by some police soldiers, vigilante, and other government officials on female IDPs in various camps in the North.  President Buhari yesterday instructed the Inspector General of Police and governor of the states with IDP camps, to investigate the allegations. President Buhari's instruction is contained in a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba. Read the statement after the cut...
President Muhammadu Buhari is worried and shocked by the recently released Human Rights Watch (HRW) report which alleges sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls in camps for those displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.The welfare of these most vulnerable of Nigerian citizens has been a priority of his government. Nigerians and the international community can rest assured that the allegations raised in the HRW are not being taken lightly.President Buhari has instructed the Inspector General of Police and the state governors of the affected states to immediately commence investigations into the issue. Their findings will determine the next course of action for the government and define an appropriate response.While the Nigerian military continues to work hard so that these unfortunate victims of Boko Haram terrorism can soon return safely to their homes, the government will do its best to ensure their protection and welfare in the temporary IDP camps.GARBA SHEHU
Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media and Publicity)
October 31, 2016

Read Washington Post's article on President Buhari's comment on Aisha belonging to his kitchen

Washington Post has written an article on President Buhari's recent comment that his wife, Aisha Buhari, belongs to his Kitchen. Read the article below...

If you think Donald Trump has problems, consider those of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Elected last year as a no-nonsense candidate to clean up Africa's biggest democracy, his popularity has fallen amid various spiraling crises — a faltering economy, a deadly insurgency, a devastating famine. And now, even his wife is skeptical.
In an interview with the BBC's Hausa language service, Nigerian first lady Aisha Buhari suggested that she might not back her husband's potential reelection in 2019 if he didn't shake up his government. Without naming names, she said a whole host of people in senior ministerial posts didn't share her husband's values or the vision of the ruling party. The first lady's admission reinforces accusations made by critics that Buhari's government has been hijacked by a cabal operating behind the scenes.

“The president does not know 45 out of 50 of the people he appointed and I don't know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years,” she said. “Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position.”According to the BBC, some in Nigeria speculate that the first lady went this route after her own chosen figures did not win the posts they desired in government. Whatever the case, it deepens the gloom around Buhari's presidency, which he won in part on a platform that promised an end to nepotism and cronyism in the country.

Then came Buhari's response. Speaking to reporters while on a trip to Germany, the Nigerian president offered up a tasteless jibe: “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room,” he said.
His remarks were made in front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who according to reports, glared and then, briefly, laughed.

Source: Washington Post

President Buhari departs for Germany, arrives in Abuja

President Buhari arrived back in Abuja this evening after a 3-day official visit to Germany.

Ekweremadu to Buhari: Tell police to stop intimidating PDP members

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, has asked President Buhari to prevail on the police to stop intimidating members of the opposition party, PDP, particularly those in Edo state who are meant to go to the polls this Saturday to elect a new governor.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu accused the police of arbitrarily arresting and intimidating some PDP members and supporters.

He urged President Buhari to urgently intervene and maintain the standard of a free and fair election that was established by the PDP before they lost to APC during the last election.

“I am deeply distressed by the development, not just because I am a member of the PDP, but more importantly, because the PDP had taken our electoral process beyond where it is being dragged back to today. The greatest gift of democracy, which makes other blessings of democracy feasible, is the inalienable right of the people to elect their leaders of their own freewill in a free, fair, and credible electoral process that must be devoid of all forms of intimidation. As a beneficiary of the electoral reforms and policy of non-interference in the electoral process, exemplified by the immediate past PDP administration, led by former President Goodluck Jonathan, I expect the APC-led federal government to immediately call the security agencies to order. If the APC-led FG cannot improve on the electoral process, I expect them to, at least, maintain the standard set by the PDP, “he said.

Give Buhari more time - Former Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu begs Nigerians

Former Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, has appealed to Nigerians to give President Buhari more time to address our economic challenges. Kalu made the call when he hosted Catholic Bishops and the diplomatic community at his Abuja home yesterday.

He said Nigeria was in recession in 2014 and was able to come out of it and that hopefully this administration will bring Nigeria out of this current economic recession. He noted that President Buhari had spent just one year out of his four year term in office.

"I'm calling on Nigerian youths to be of good use to themselves. Let me be honest with you, I cannot judge Buhari. He has a four-year mandate to turn things around. He still has time and I expect that he will do something. Young people might be feeling frustrated. Government must not do everything. The only thing is that government is not paying enough attention to the manufacturing sector. If I am government, I will pay attention to manufacturing and agriculture. You pay attention through the entrepreneurs by giving them single digit loans and opportunities. All the enterprise done by government will not work until they see us as partners. When Dangote was starting his cement factory, he was encouraged by the government. Today, he is all over Nigeria. The problem is people are envious and jealous; they see Orji Kalu who is rich, but they do not know what I have gone through to get to this level. They want to be like me, and that is not possible. Government should grant more incentives to the entrepreneurs. In June 1999, I told President Olusegun Obasanjo how to solve the power sector by doing something differently. We brought people and they promised to fix the power problem up to 75 percent. But Obasanjo refused. The amount needed was N14 billion. If Nigeria can fix power and insecurity, the country will move forward”.

Bughari - Charly Boy writes open letter to President Buhari

Read his piece below... 

Mr President Sir, I trust that this meets you well. 
I know it has not been easy since you came on board, so many wahalas, so much yawa, frustration and hopelessness. First rule of leadership: everything is your fault. Sir, Nigerians are surely dying and, quickly. They can no longer see the light, they feel the Heat.
The welfare of the common man must be your top priority henceforth or God forbid, Nigeria and Nigerians will die in your hands.
Since you assumed office as President of Nigeria, there has been a remarkable dissonance within your government. I wonder who is in charge.
Sometimes I wonder whose thoughts you're thinking or whose agenda you're executing; while at other times, I wonder if you are held hostage by the gangsters called The Cabal.Can you say you are oblivious of the hardship and suffering we all are going through?I remember two years ago when I visited the Aso villa, then occupied by your predecessor. During our discussion and my lamentation about the nigerian youths I was not particularly shocked by a reaction that seemed like one throwing both hands in the air and saying "Charly, I am held hostage here, I am surrounded by enemies".

Sir, are you the one in charge or like your predecessor, are you being held hostage by the cabals and obnoxious sycophants, so much so that our plight and cries as Nigerians are none of your concern?Na wa o, this is certainly not the change we thought you promised or do we just assume that your words don't mean much?Oga mi, abegi check the matter, you cannot ignore the five percent of voters who did not vote for you but whose resources the country depends on as alarm don blow, to cater for the 97 percent who voted for you. This kind "one chance" is sending a wrong signal to the whole country. Sometimes I just wonder how things can function properly when the formation and the foundation of the ruling party is not based on any sound ideology, but on frustration, bitterness, divisive politics and a gathering of strange bedfellows.

We expect better eceonomic outlook for the second half of the year - Presidency

The Presidency says it expects a better economic outlook for Nigeria during this second half of the year. Read a statement released from the presidency below...

 The just released GDP figures for the 2016 second quarter by the National Bureau of Statistics while confirming a temporary decline, has also indicated an hopeful expectation in the country's economic trajectory.

Besides the growth recorded in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors, the Nigerian economy in response to the policies of the Buhari presidency is also doing better than what the IMF had estimated with clear indications that the second half of the year would be even much better.

The Buhari presidency will continue to work diligently on the economy and engage with all stakeholders to ensure that beneficial policy initiatives are actively pursued and the dividends delivered to the Nigerian people.

The following statement was made by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu on the latest NBS report:

"The just recently released data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Gross Domestic Product declined by -2.06% in the second quarter of 2016 on a year-on-year basis.

A close look at the data shows that this outcome was mostly due to a sharp contraction in the oil sector due to huge losses of crude oil production as a result of vandalisation and sabotage.

However, the rest of the Q2 data is beginning to tell a different story. There was growth in the agricultural and solid minerals sectors which are the areas in which the Federal Government has placed particular priority.

Agriculture grew by 4.53% in the second quarter of 2016 as compared with 3.09% in the first quarter. The metal ores sector showed similar performance with coal mining, quarrying and other minerals also showing positive growth of over 2.5%. Notably also, the share of investments in GDP increased to its highest levels since 2010, growing to about 17% of Gross Domestic Product.

The manufacturing sector though not yet truly out of the woods is beginning to show signs of recovery while the service sector similarly bears watching.

Nevertheless, the data already shows a reduction in imports and an increase in local produced goods and services and this process will be maintained although it will start off slowly in these initial stages before picking up later.

The inflation rate remains high but the good news is that the month-on-month rate of increase has fallen continuously over the past three months.

Unemployment remains stubbornly high which is usually the case during growth slowdowns and for reasons of a structural nature.

The picture that emerges, barring unforeseen shocks, is that the areas given priority by the Federal Government are beginning to respond with understandable time lags to policy initiatives. Indeed, as the emphasis on capital expenditure begins to yield results and the investment/GDP numbers increase, the growth rate of the Nigerian economy is likely to improve further.

As these trends continue, the outlook for the rest of the year is that the Nigerian economy will beat the IMF prediction of -1.8% for the full year 2016.

The IMF had forecasted a growth of -1.8% for 2016, however the economy is performing better than the IMF estimates so far. For the half year it stands at -1.23% compared to an average of -1.80% expected on average by the IMF.

What is more, it is likely the second half will be better than the first half of 2016. This is because many of the challenges faced in the first half either no longer exist or have eased.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant-Media & Publicity
August 31, 2016
In the Office of the Vice President

Presidency reacts to reports of Buhari seeking emergency economic powers

Special Adviser to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, took to his twitter handle to make some clarifications on the reports of President Buhari proposing to seek emergency powers from the National Assembly members to revamp the dwindling economy.

The media was yesterday awash with reports from sources within the presidency that President Buhari will next month send a bill to the National Assembly to seek for sweeping powers to, among other things, set aside some extant laws and use executive orders to roll out an economic recovery package within the next one year.

The bill is reportedly the recommendations from the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. According to Akande, the National Economic Council has indeed made some recommendations which may include legislative amendments and presidential orders but that such recommendations by NEC have not been forwarded to President Buhari or the Federal Executive Council.

I stopped collecting allowances paid to Former Head of State when i assumed office in May 2015 - Pres. Buhari

President Buhari yesterday said he stopped collecting his allowances as a former head of state immediately after he assumed office as President on May 29th 2015. In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba on twitter, President Buhari also stated that he never collected cars, calendars and diaries from the Nigerian Army that were being distributed to former Heads of State. Read the statement below ...


"The President has never received pension from the army or car as had gone to former Commanders-in-Chief. After his overthrow, they didn't remember him even in the annual distribution of diaries or calendars. If anyone is laying his/her hand on any such payment, they should face criminal investigation. President Buhari stopped collecting allowances paid to former Heads of State the moment he took office as elected President last year. This is verifiable from the the SGF's office. Since his overthrow as Military ruler, the army never instituted a pension for him.
The army is known to supply cars to former heads of the army. President Buhari never got any of that. On the other hand, there is a directorate in the SGF's office paying allowances to all ex-Heads of State. This is not pension. President Buhari stopped collecting this from last year. The cars he got came from the former President through the ONSA. This was after the bomb attack on his convoy in Kaduna. Before this time, the presidency did not supply cars to him as they did the formers Heads of State. Please be guided. Thank you".

"When i warned our people about Bihari and what he would do with power, no one listened " - FFK reacts

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi-Fani-Kayode, shared this on Facebook in reaction to Police sealing the proposed venue of the PDP Convention in Port Harcourt this morning. Read below.
"When I warned our people about Buhari and what he would do with power no-one listened. When I warned Pdp Nigeria and particularly our PDP governors about the dangers of making Ali Modu Sheriff National Chairman they would not listen. I also told them that the government would NOT allow the convention to hold because Sheriff is working for them.
Now look at what they are doing in PH in collusion with some corrupt judges just to destabilise, destroy and silence the opposition. Governors put under house arrest. Convention venue sealed off. It is shameful. Let me make a another prediction: this is just the beginning of their tyranny. It will get far worse. That is "mai chanji" for you! The sooner the leaders of the PDP wake up, smell the coffee and appreciate the kind of monster they are dealing with and the sooner they elect and select leaders that are prepared to risk their lives and liberty to confront this government the better. If you want democracy and freedom you must be prepared to confront the dictator and fight for it. Where there is no justice there can be no peace."

President Bihari assures Human Rights groups of appropriate response in relation to the Judicial inquiry on Army/Shirts clash

President Buhari has assured international and local human rights groups of appropriate response over the report of the judicial inquiry into the clashes between soldiers and members of the Shiite movement in Nigeria, led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

A statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu said the President is studying the details of the report before announcing appropriate response in due course.

The President's commitment to human rights remains unchanged because it is a cardinal component of the democratic order.

It would be recalled that when the clashes occurred in December, President Buhari had told the nation during the Presidential Media Chat that he was awaiting the outcome of the report of inquiry into the incident before making appropriate response.

The present administration believes in due process and the rule of law; therefore any response to the report would follow this principle.

The Federal Government will continue to act in the larger interest of the public to prevent such violent incidents.

President Buhari will become one of the best Presidents of Nigeria till date - Shehu Garba

President Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, yesterday released an opinion article where he stated that the change Nigeria so longed for is the one the Buhari-led administration is currently offering. In the article, Garba stated that the currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents Nigeria will ever have. Read the article after the cut...

 
The last couple of weeks have witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari administration since he came to power after inflicting a heavy defeat on the Peoples Democratic Party and their candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Much of it has been on account of the unresolved social and economic problems facing the country.Unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially on account of escalating prices of foodstuff and the liberalization of the currency exchange needs to be challenged before it overshadows the commendable job the President has done in fighting terrorism as part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and yes, arresting the economic slide before it sinks the the nation.The Hausa have a saying: "Ba zomo na kashe ba, rataya a ka bani," meaning literally "I killed no rabbit, I am helping to carry the prey."Wherever they go these days, in London, Dubai, Beijing, Washington, New York or Tokyo, Nigerians get the good feeling of being asked the question, how is President Muhammadu Buhari?It is a proud moment for many citizens that the country is being perceived differently now that it has a different kind of leader creating a positive buss abroad, the kind of sentiment that can lead to foreign investments when properly capitalized upon.The lavish praise the President gets abroad and the wide public support he enjoys among the lower segment of the local population is, by contrast, given a short shrift in the local press, mainstream and online. At its lowest point, this unambiguous media rebuke has created a wave of sympathy for anyone with a view that runs counter to the President's.Boko Haram terrorist leader, Shekau or the pipeline vandal from the Delta region is more likely to get newspaper front pages today than the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige or the Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun talking about jobs creation in the economy.I don't say that media criticism is not reflective of the feeling of the citizens.President Buhari has himself on numerous occasions admitted that the change mantra has brought with it pain and suffering which he likened to the pains of labor. It is a passing phase.When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far we have come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP rule.How many people have given a thought to the possibility of Nigeria doing something that the combined strength of Europe and America have failed to do?There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.Victory over Boko Haram has brought peace not only to Nigeria but to the countries in the Lake Chad region.The world leaders are still at work trying to contain the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, ISIS, which threat sadly continues to become more potent.Everyone living in Nigeria knows that there is a major movement against corruption as part of the ongoing change. This war has forced the return to the treasury of billions of Naira and millions of Dollars stolen by past officials.On account of this war, government suspects that the biggest trigger of the opposition to the change agenda is the army of the corrupt. With the enormous resources at their disposal; money that is unearned, these forces are ready to throw in everything to gag the Buhari administration.When he assumed office, President Buhari said he understood the outcry of Nigerians and was determined to right those wrongs. I will remind you of his inaugural speech where he said: "At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems."(Emphasis added).He has said times without number that his government is dedicated to the poor. As can be seen from the 2016 budget, this is a government that is determined to hugely empower the disadvantaged groups- the poor, the jobless, the widows and the orphaned children including those of the North-East.As a listening government, the President was prepared to open the door to additional food imports but given the processes involved, the turn around in any such import of commodities would have taken a long time as to coincide with the harvest of home grown grains and cereals now in progress. The market would have been deluged and the local grower given the short end of the stick.Calls on Hausa radio by a rabble-rousing section of the opposition for the "reopening of borders" to "allow food come in" are redundant and mischievous because all the county's borders remain open till date.Following the budget, the administration has begun rolling out several social welfare programs. The direct cash transfer to the poorest of the poor, the school feeding and the recruitment/skills training of about one million jobless citizens are such an example.In addition to hard work, all leaders need luck on their side to create what is sometimes seen as economic miracles. As leader, President Buhari never had the luxury of high oil prices as did his predecessors in office.When he first emerged as the military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari saw oil price, the mainstay of the nation's economy sank to as low eight Dollars a barrel.He rolled up his sleeves, worked on diversification strategy of the economy only to be eased out of power just as they began to take hold. Thereafter, his successors abandoned these efforts.On his second coming, this time as a democratically elected leader, the collapse of oil prices has challenged President Buhari to quicken efforts towards the diversification of the economy with emphasis given to agriculture and solid minerals mining. Every crisis, it is said, is an opportunity. Not so in Nigeria. This is a county that inherited massive technological inventions from Biafra, yet failed to take it forward. We must not lose this opportunity to diversify the economy and our foreign earnings presented by the present oil crisis.As the country hopes for a bumper harvest this year, government is taking steps to ensure that no farmer will sell at a loss or fail to find markets for their harvests. Grain silos are being readied nationwide to receive excess produce for warehousing to ensure food security, avert market glut and price collapse. By this, government will ensure a minimum guaranteed price.In dealing with challenges of the economy, the administration is devoting attention to ridding the country of its notoriety as a difficult place of doing business.The government has been making quiet but significant progress in this area, thanks to the leadership given by the National Economic Council under the Vice President and the combined efforts of the Ministries of Trade and Investment, Finance, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Budget and Planning and the Customs under new leadership.Everyone in this sector is doing everything in their power to boost up Nigeria.President Muhammadu Buhari's infrastructure initiatives will see country making progress with intractable projects such as the Second Niger bridge, the East-West expressway, the green field Lagos-Abuja expressway and important national railway projects, Lagos-Calabar and Lagos-Kano which had been on the drawing boards for as long as anyone can remember.These projects will be counted among the accomplishments of the administration alongside the 4,000 MW Mambila power plant which the President has declared a national priority. Government has also taken several bold steps to boost renewable energy. It has opened the door for a new conversation on the environment with decisive steps towards the clean-up the Ogoniland in the Niger Delta.The currency liberalization and the deregulation of the petroleum products sale will make President Buhari one of the best presidents till date. The removal of subsidies on the petrol products has saved the government more than two trillion Naira annual expenditure in this respect.President Buhari's foreign trips have brought many things to the country. He has energized our foreign policy. Beyond the enormous goodwill reaped from "resetting" age-old but damaged relations with neighbors and distant partners and friends, the President has attracted foreign development assistance and direct investments (FDI). It is generally accepted that good foreign relations bring foreign direct investment. So much is currently being done one year into the administration. This is in spite of the world economy being sluggish and recession-stricken.It bears repeating that President is a different kind of leader, who just happens to be a victim of the tyranny of high expectations. He has brought positive intention, commitment, honesty and personal integrity into governance. This is why the country's poor hold him so dear; this is why the world is in love with him.His knack for prudent spending and effective management of resources is in the belief that this country can only prosper when there is transparency, reduced corruption and a drastic cut in bureaucratic red tape.His decision to have a small cabinet, reducing government ministries from 46 to 24 has the effect of relieving the treasury of the burden of salaries, allowances and miscellaneous expenses now being counted in billions of Naira.President Buhari should be credited for the the unblemished record of his ministers. This is a government that has stayed above scandal for a year.If all of these are not desirable changes, to be appreciated and adored, it is hard to know or determine what some of our critics want.These reforms certainly represent major milestones in change which have led to a decline of corruption at the top.As to the question of these leading to a resurgent economy, it all means that in a democracy everything takes times. The President needs our support with understanding and patience. No matter how hasty a president wants to bring changes, there is no magic wand in that office to make everything change from bad to good or make all of us prosperous with a wave of the hand. This change is on course. It requires patience.The change is working for the nation and sooner than later, the testimony shall be given.Garba Shehu.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.