In a statement released on Sunday by Amb. Suleiman who doubles as the State Coordinator, North Central APC State Youth Leaders Forum wrote: “We must always remember that we have no other country but Nigeria. Away from it, our status changes from being owners of the most populous black nation on Earth to mere “foreigners.” We must protect it at all costs. Anything less would be a great disservice not only to our country but to the generations yet unborn.

He acknowledged that the struggle and undeniable socioeconomic challenges caused by the removal of fuel subsidies and other related policies by the president’s government have led to calls for a nationwide protest tagged “EndBadGovernanceProtest.”

He said: “While this is a concern, the planned mass appeal, which is our constitutional right, comes at a time when our frustrations and grievances are immeasurable.

“I am certain you agree that our collective emotions could easily escalate into violence with any small confrontation by law enforcement or be hijacked by “shadows” who are enemies of Nigeria, much like the hijackers of the “#EndSARSProtest.” That protest initially intended to end the brutality of SARS police officers, turned into a theatre of destruction, claiming innocent lives and causing property damage worth billions of Naira in Abuja and Lagos State.

“Recent events in both new and conventional media show President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, engaging with religious and traditional leaders. This is a clear indication that our cries are not only being heard but are being strongly communicated. Therefore, on behalf of the State Youth Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central Region of Nigeria, I urge you all to explore more effective means of bringing the central government to agree with our terms. Let’s put the protest slated for August to rest completely in the interest of all Nigerians, particularly the innocent ones.

“We ask this of you as we mobilize key government officials in charge of the youth constituency for a roundtable discussion. Our goal is to articulate and advance our grievances before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for a possible solution.

The post Youths In North Central Call For Dialogue, Fear Protest Could Be Hijacked appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

The meeting was part of consultations by the President on the situation in Niger Republic.

The governors, who met the President at Aso Rock are Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Idris Nasir (Kebbi) and Dr Dikko Radda (Katsina).

Though details of the meeting held at the State House in Abuja were not made public, the meeting is coming as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other member states have imposed a border ban on the Niger Republic.

President Mohamed Bazoum was deposed on 26 July in a coup led by his presidential guards.

The post Tinubu Meets Governors of States Sharing Boundaries Niger appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

Rising from an extraordinary summit in Abuja, Nugeria, the sub-region leaders said they would not rule out taking military and financial actions against the unconstitutional takeover of government in that county last week.

Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission said that the authourity has agreed that a military action would be taken against the military junta of Niger Republic if they failed to restore President Bazoum within one week.

Touray said that the authourity also agreed on the closure of all land and air borders between 15-member ECOWAS nations and Niger.

The Niger military and anybody backing the coup would no longer enjoy any financial transaction within the region either as government or individuals, he said.

Similarly, travel ban was placed on the junta, its officials and families until the restoration of democratic institutions.

Touray said that the Heads of State and Government applauded President Bola Tinubu for his steadfastness and robust manner of handling of affairs since he assume office as the ECOWAS Chair last month.

Tinubu tasked the members to stand firm on the tenet of democracy in Africa and to stand by all decision reached at the meeting.

He said that the situation in Niger was an affront to one of them and must be confronted with all necessary available options open to the community.

He also stressed the need to restore Bazoum back to power as the democratically elected representative of the people of Niger.

The post ECOWAS Isolates Niger, Insist Military Must Step Down appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Malam Zakari Abubakar stated this while addressing journalists on the 2023 budget breakdown tagged: “Budget of Consolidated and Transition of over N238 billion presented before the state House of Assembly.

The Commissioner stated that the new jobs will gulp the sum of N300m monthly, explaining that relevant government agencies charged with the recruitment portal have already started work on the employment processes.

He said ” the gesture is in line with the Niger State government’s commitment to providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths. Government is determined to solve the problem of unemployment in the state and this is the reason for making enough financial provision for the exercise in our next year’s budget “.

He explained that the total estimated revenue of the 2023 budget was derived from five sources including; statutory allocation, value-added tax, internally generated revenue, capital receipt and other sources like refunds and donors among others.

The post Niger Govt Sets Aside N3Billion To Pay Prospective 3,000 Civil Servants appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

Speaking on the issue, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, argued that even though Nigerians have the right to question, President Muhammadu Buhari, who approved the purchase also has the right to make his own assessment on situations and act accordingly.

Answering reporters’ questions after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Buhari at the State House, Abuja, the Minister said Nigeria has a policy of assisting its neighbours to strengthen capacity to deal with insecurity.

The Finance Minister said: “Let me just say that overtime, Nigeria has had to support its neighbors especially the immediate neighbors to enhance their capacity to secure their countries as it relates to us. This is not the first time that Nigeria had assisted Niger Republic, Cameroon or Chad.

“The President makes an assessment as to what is required based on the request of their Presidents. Such requests are approved and interventions are provided.

“It is to enhance their capacity to protect their countries, as it relates to security and also to Nigeria.”

Report had indicated that the President had approved the release of the fund on the 22nd of February, 2022 while the contract to supply the 10 units of Toyoya Land Cruisers was awarded to IFO Kaura Motors Nig. Limited.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have taken to the social media to condemn the gesture describing the procurement as a total disregard for citizens.

N1.4billion for the purchase of 10 Land Cruiser V8 vehicles to fight insecurity in Niger Republic, the same thing Nigeria is plagued with. ASUU should just continue their strike for extra 3years until their demands are met. I can authoritatively confirm that there's money. https://t.co/RYnBptQdi7

— 𝔸dekunle 𝕊ulaimon (@su_providence) August 3, 2022

This clearly means that there's money to solve the ASUU issue , their problem has actually been that education is Haram. May APC never happen to us again #PeterObiForPresident2023 pic.twitter.com/vskVwoswbc

— YORUBAYOUTHS4PETEROBI (@adebayorufaii) August 3, 2022

The post Why We Purchased N1.4bn Security Vehicles For Niger Republic – FG appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

Read his full speech:

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF COMMEMORATION AND CELEBRATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY ON 12TH JUNE, 2021

Fellow Nigerians,

I join you all today to commemorate and celebrate our Democracy Day. It is a celebration of freedom and a victory for one people, one country and one Nigeria.

2. As with all democracies we will always be going through improvement processes in our desire to reach the goal of a mature democracy, a strong, evolved and integrated nation state to be reckoned with globally.

3. In the last two years we have witnessed and overcome a good number of testy challenges that would have destroyed other nations especially relating to our collective security.

4. The indefatigable CAN DO Spirit of the Nigerian has sustained us and would keep pushing us to put these challenges behind us.

5. Unfortunately some of these challenges came in the shape of violent outrages leading to the loss of lives of many of our dear compatriots and the destruction of some of our infrastructure, including those devoted to improving our democratic processes.

6. Once again, I want to render my sincere and heart-felt condolences to the families and friends of our gallant service men and women who lost their lives in the line of duty and as a sacrifice to keep Nigeria safe.

7. I extend the same condolence to the families and friends of our country men, women and children who were unfortunate victims of such senseless arsons, kidnappings and murders.

8. I also share the pains of families and direct victims of ransom-seeking, kidnaped victims who went through unimaginable trauma in the course of their forced imprisonment.

9. Let me assure my fellow citizens that every incident, however minor gives me great worry and concern and I immediately order security agencies to swiftly but safely rescue victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

Fellow Nigerians,

10. When you elected me as your President in 2015, you did so knowing that I will put an end to the growing insecurity, especially the insurgency in the North East, but the unintended consequences of our scattering them in the North East pushed them further in-country which is what we are now facing and dealing with.

11. We will, by the Grace of God put an end to these challenges too.

12. Unfortunately, like in most conflict situations, some Nigerian criminals are taking undue advantage of a difficult situation and profiteering therefrom with the misguided belief that adherence to the democratic norms handicaps this Administration from frontally and decisively tackling them.

13. We are already addressing these obstacles and we will soon bring some of these culprits to justice.

14. We are, at the same time addressing the twin underlying drivers of insecurity namely poverty and youth unemployment.

15. Interventions led by Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria driving economic growth over the past 6 years are targeted mostly to the agricultural, services, infrastructure, power and health care sectors of the economy.

16. In the Agricultural sector, for instance, the Anchor Borrowers Programme resulted in sharp decline in the nation’s major food import bill from $2.23billion in 2014 to US$0.59billion by the end of 2018.

17. Rice import bill alone dropped from $1 billion to $18.5 million annually.

18. This initiative supported local production of rice, maize, cotton and cassava. Government financed 2.5 million small-holder farmers cultivating about 3.2 million hectares of farmland all over the country and created 10 million direct and indirect jobs.

19. Several other initiatives, namely AgriBusiness/Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme, the Non-oil Export stimulation Facility, the Targeted Credit Facilities operated across the 774 Local Governments.

20. In the manufacturing sector the CBN – BOI N200 billion facility financed the establishment and operations of 60 new industrial hubs across the country, creating an estimated 890,000 direct and indirect jobs.

21. The CBN’s N50 billion Textile Sector intervention Facility increased capacity utilization of ginneries from 30% to nearly 90%.

22. The Economic Sustainability Plan – our rebound plan for the COVID-19 pandemic developed in 2020 is currently being executed. The plan is primarily focused on the non-oil sector, which has recorded phenomenal growth contributing over 90% to the GDP growth in Q1 2021.

23. Though marginal we have recorded GDP growth over two quarters; Q2 2020 and Q1 2021. This is evidence of a successful execution of the ESP by the Federal Government.

24. My vision of pulling 100 million poor Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years has been put into action and can be seen in the National Social Investment Programme, a first in Africa and one of the largest in the world where over 32.6m beneficiaries are taking part. We now have a National Social register of poor and vulnerable households, identified across 708 local government areas, 8,723 wards and 86,610 communities in the 36 States and the FCT.

25. Our conditional cash transfer program has benefited over 1.6 million poor and vulnerable households comprising more than 8 million individuals. This provides a monthly stipend of N10,000 per household.

26. I have also recently approved the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy Plan that augments existing plans to further reduce poverty in Nigeria.

27. As at the end of 2020, the Development Bank of Nigeria had disbursed 324 billion Naira in loans to more than 136,000 MSMEs, through 40 participating Financial Institutions. I am to note that 57% of these beneficiaries are women while 27% are the youth.

28. We are able to do all these and still accelerate our infrastructure development through sensible and transparent borrowing, improved capital inflow, improving and increasing revenue through capturing more tax bases and prudent management of investment proceeds in the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Fellow Nigerians,

29. Our infrastructure revolution continues with key projects attaining critical milestones under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund; The Second Niger Bridge, The Lagos- Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway.

30. I have also approved the establishment of Infraco Plc, a world-class infrastructure development vehicle wholly focused on Nigeria with a capital structure of N15 trillion.

31. The rail system is not left out as the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge rail was completed and commissioned 33 years after construction began. The Lagos-Ibadan double track railway line which I have just commissioned has commenced operations.

32. We are focused on ensuring that our infrastructure drive is key to economic growth and one that can be felt by every Nigerian. Building critical infrastructure in our ports is also opening up opportunities for the Nigerian economy.

33. My approval for 4 new seaports using a Public-Private-Partnership approach is hinged on growing the Nigerian economy. These four sea ports; Lekki Deep Sea Port, Bonny Deep Sea Port, Ibom Deep Sea Port and Warri Deep Sea port will create massive job opportunities and foreign investment inflows.

34. We have worked at deepening our Eastern ports leading to success like having three container ships berth at Calabar port, a first in 11 years. Similarly, on October 30 2019, an LPG tanker operated by NLNG berthed in Port Harcourt, the first time an LPG ship is berthing at any of the Eastern Ports.

35. As we invest in these new assets, we have also made strides in ensuring that they are secured and protected. In this regard I am also pleased to note the launch of the NIMASA Deep Blue project – which is an Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure that I recently commissioned. This initiative is designed to add to the layer of security we have to safeguard our maritime sector.

Dear Nigerians,

36. I will be the first to admit that in spite of our efforts and achievements which are there for all to see, there is still much more to be done and we are doing our best in the face of scarce resources and galloping population growth rate that consistently outstrips our capacity to provide jobs for our populace. Our over-all economic target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years is our goal notwithstanding COVID-19.

37. In the last two years we lifted 10.5 million people out of poverty – farmers, small-scale traders, artisans, market women and the like.

38. I am very convinced that this 100 million target can be met and this informed the development of a National poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy. The specific details of this accelerated strategy will be unveiled shortly.

39. In the last one year, Nigeria and the whole world faced COVID-19 for which no one was fully prepared.

40. Our response to the pandemic involved making hard choices in balancing livelihoods and public health concerns. You are all living witnesses to how successful this has been due to a number of pro-active measures put in place. Our response to COVID-19 is globally acclaimed.

41. We were able to ensure that the various lockdown measures did not impact too negatively on the ability of ordinary Nigerians to continue sustaining their livelihoods.

42. During the pandemic, we disbursed N5,000 to 1 million Nigerians using a Rapid Response Register and advanced N20,000 to 750,000 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Progamme and provided 1.37 million Nigerians with palliatives from CACOVID.

43. At the same time the Federal Government released 109,000 metric tonnes of food reserve stocks and 70,000 metric tonnes of grains to the poor and vulnerable in all 36 states of the federation.

44. In addition, Government reduced interest rates from 9% to 5% for struggling businesses and extended credit facilities to 548,345 beneficiaries.

Fellow Nigerians,

45. When this administration decided to change our Democracy Day from 29th May to June 12th in my first tenure, it was not only to honour the sacrifices of the men and women of our country who fought for the return to democracy but also to demonstrate our commitment to satisfy the aspirations of the people and creating an environment for democracy to be an accepted way of life.

46. As your President, I remain committed to providing an enabling environment for a free, fair and credible electoral system under my tenure.

47. However, you need to play your part by getting involved at any level you can supporting a democratic system that works for all and not for a section or a select few and demand accountability from your elected leaders.

48. My commitment to bequeathing a sustainable democratic culture remains resolute, my pursuit of a fair society remains unshaken and my desire to see that Nigeria remains a country for each and every one of us has never been stronger.

49. In responding to the challenges that this period imposes on us, Government also recognises the need to acknowledge notions of marginalisation and agitations for constitutional amendments among various segments of our population.

50. While this government is not averse to constitutional reform as part of our nation building process, everyone must understand that the primary responsibility for constitutional amendments lies with the National Assembly.

51. This body which, as I said, is the arm of government responsible for constitutional changes has concluded the preliminary stages of amending and improving our constitution in a way that the majority of Nigerians will be happy with.

52. Government is, however, willing to play a critical role in the constitutional amendment process without usurping the powers of the National Assembly in this regard.

53. As a nation we have come very far from where we started and we are getting incrementally closer to where we ought to be.

54. Overcoming the present challenges is but one of a necessary process that we have to undergo as a nation so that we can come out stronger. The day I joined the Nigerian Army I was prepared to lay down my life for Nigeria.

55. As your President I remain ever committed to upholding and defending Nigeria’s Corporate existence.

56. In adhering to the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy notably section 14(2)(b) I shall do all within my power to ensure that the Security and welfare of the people remain the primary purpose of government.

57. I have, throughout my tenure, provided the security agencies with all they require relative to available resources and will be providing more as the dynamics unfold to put an end to our security problems.

58. My strong belief in the Nigerian spirit gives me comfort that we are facing these challenges with renewed commitment to keep our country one.

59. I thank you for your patience and attention and more importantly your resolve to join hands in making Nigeria the country of our dream.

Happy Democracy Day! God Bless us All, God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The post Democracy Day: Buhari Addresses The Nation, Read His Full Speech appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.