President Buhari: Tell Me If I Should Change Ministers

President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that Nigerians should pass a verdict on the performance of his appointed officials during the administration’s first year in office so that he will know if he should change them. Asked if Nigerians should expect changes in his team during this anniversary period Buhari said, “I am waiting for the newspapers to tell me the performance of my ministers and whether I should make changes.”

President Buhari explained why his government took off rather slowly. He said former President Obasanjo, who had experience with hand over and take over, recalled that in 1999 outgoing Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar made each ministry to prepare handing over notes and then brief the president-elect, for him to choose what he wanted out of it. He said President Goodluck Jonathan agreed to do the same and asked all his ministers to prepare handing over notes and brief Buhari but they protested at the last minute that Buhari should not be allowed to take over the government before he was sworn-in.

As a result, he said no proper transition took place and after his inauguration he had to take briefings from two ministries a day in order to make up for lost time.

The president also spoke about budget padding. He said though he had been in public life since 1975, he never heard of budget padding until when he saw Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adeoye on television defending his budget before a National Assembly committee.

Buhari said he was shocked when the minister told the committee that he could not defend what he did not propose because the budget had been padded.

He said, “I went [to the National Assembly] and bowed and delivered [the budget] but I did not know that what I delivered was a shell. They removed what they wanted and added other things.” He said when the budget as passed by the National Assembly was brought to him, he refused to sign it because throughout his life he never signed anything that he did not understand.

At one point, he said, Minister of Budget and National Planning Udoma Udo Udoma persuaded him to sign it and he said “I will sign it because I trust you.”

However, he said before he could sign, Udoma read the budget thoroughly and rushed back to him and advised him not to sign it unless amendments were made.

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Nobody Can Arrest Jonathan, Ijaw Youths Tell Buhari

Ovie Okpare, Warri

The Ijaw Youths Congress on Thursday warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government not to contemplate arresting former President Goodluck Jonathan over the ongoing probe of massive fraud and embezzlement alleged to have taken place under his administration.

The youths, who converged at the Wellington Hotel Effurrun, Delta State, for the 2016 annual Major Isaac Boro anniversary celebration with the theme, “The ideals of Adaka Boro and the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta: The way forward,” criticised the present administration for limiting its anti-corruption campaign only to the Jonathan regime.

The IYC president, Udengs Eradiri, urged the APC-led Federal Government to probe the Halliburton bribery case under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, if it wanted Nigerians to take its anti-corruption campaign seriously.

On the renewed militancy in the region, Udengs, said the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, for academic activities was the first condition for a roundtable discussion with the Federal Government towards ending ongoing militants’ onslaught in the region.

Eradiri said, “People have started discussing. There was a meeting in Abuja yesterday (Wednesday) but I told them that such a meeting would not work.

“If they want us to talk, they must first open the Maritime University and start admitting students, then we would now sit and talk. The same issues for which Adaka Boro and Ken Saro-Wiwa were killed are the same issues the Avengers are raising.

“There are no Avengers anywhere. Settle these issues and the avengers would fizzle away.”

Prominent rights activist, Tony Uranta, who also spoke at the occasion said, “Isaac Boro and Ken Saro-Wiwa died fighting for the emancipation of the Niger Delta, later we had Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and others. But because Tompolo was taken out, new faces have come up.”

Uranta called on Buhari to reassure Niger Delta youths that the amnesty programme would not be cancelled if the peace in the region was to be sustained, noting that there were many beneficiaries who had not gone on training.

He said the cancellation of the programme would further throw the region into another rounds of militancy which would negatively affect the nation’s already dwindling economy.

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Photo: Plateau United player dies in car accident 6 days to his wedding

A Plateau United player, Sabole Shehu died in a fatal accident along Kaduna expressway on Sunday May 22nd, exactly six days to his wedding which was scheduled for this Saturday May 28th.

According to Plateau United media officer, Albert Dakup Shehu was excused from Sunday’s game against Kano Pillars to go and prepare for his wedding ceremony and was on his way to meet his parents when the accident that claimed his life occurred. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

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Woman who killed her husband in Oyo state to appear in court today

Yewande Oyediran, the woman who stabbed her husband, 38 year old Oyediran Ajanaku to death at their Akobo estate home in Ibadan, Oyo state on February 2nd after a domestic dispute, will appear in court today May 24th. Yewande who is a lawyer and a Staff of the Directorate of public prosecution at the Ministry of Justice, Ibadan, Oyo state, is being tried for the murder of her late husband.

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BREAKING!!! Manchester United Sack Louis Van Gaal As Jose Mourinho Prepares To Take Charge

Van Gaal has been made to pay for United’s poor Premier League campaign and will be replaced by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

His Dutch coaching staff – including United assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg and goalkeeper coach Frans Hoek – have also left the club with immediate effect.

LVG gone…. Mourinho to be announced next?! #MUFC

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) May 23, 2016

Crikey! Manchester United have sacked Louis Van Gaal. Who saw that coming? Next thing you know they'll appoint José Mourinho.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 23, 2016

Jose Mourinho (left, pictured with Van Gaal) will take over the reins at Old Trafford following Van Gaal’s sacking

Van Gaal’s last act at Manchester United was lifting the FA Cup following his side’s win over Crystal Palace

Goalkeeper coach Frans Hoek (far left) and Albert Stuivenberg (far right) have also left the club along with Van Gaal, while Ryan Giggs (second left) could stay at the club

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Police Seals PDP National Headquarters In Abuja

The Nigeria Police has explained why it sealed the the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, national office in Abuja.
Force spokesperson, Bisi Kolawole, in a statement yesterday said intelligence at the disposal of the Force leadership indicated that some aggrieved factional leaders and members of the party had perfected plans to engage thugs from across the country to join them in threatening public peace and security in Abuja.

This, she said, was sequel to the on-going intra-party leadership crisis in the party and further fallout of the recent political engagements of the Party.
The statement said plan of the brains behind the development was to infiltrate Abuja and attack the Headquarters of the PDP with intent to forcefully occupy the facility.

Continuing it said, “Towards perfecting this criminality, credible Police sources confirm that the actors will mobilise into Abuja with effect from Monday 23rd May 2016 and they intend to march through major streets in Abuja before proceeding to the PDP Secretariat to manifest their intention.

“Consequently, the Inspector-General of Police has directed the deployment of Police assets to secure the PDP Secretariat and protect the staff until the threat to internal security that is being occasioned by the intra-party crisis within the PDP is stabilised.

“The police action is a proactive initiative which is being placed in furtherance to the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Police to prevent breakdown in law and order and protect lives and property.”

Arase, however, warned all actors in the crisis as well as their loyalists to refrain from any act that may threaten public order as the police shall deal promptly, firmly and decisively with such persons or group in line with their legal obligations.

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Photo: Students Write Their Exams On The Floor In Akwa Ibom

Pictured are some students of Community Secondary School, Ikot Ewang, Nsit Ubim L.G.A, Akwa Ibom State, writing their examinations on their classroom floor.
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