The List

The much talked about “list” is out and the ministers have been designated to their portfolios.What’s your view on it…
Kemi Adeosun (Ogun) –
Finance
Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers)–
Transportation
Chris Ngige (Anambra)–Labour
and Employment
Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti)–Solid
Minerals
Babatunde Fashola (Lagos)–
Power, Works and Housing
Abdulrahman Dambazau
(Kano)–Interior
Aisha Alhassan (Taraba)–
Women Affairs
Ogbonnaya Onu (Ebonyi)–
Science and Technology
Abubakar Malami (Kebbi)–
Justice
Hadi Sirika (Katsina)–State for
Aviation
Suleiman Adamu (Jigawa)–
Water Resources
Solomon Dalong (Plateau)–
Youths and Sports
Ibeh Kachikwu (Delta)–State for
Petroleum
Osagie Ehanire (Edo)–State for
Health
Audu Ogbeh (Benue)–
Agriculture
Udo Udo Udoma (Akwa Ibom)–
Budget and National Planning
Lai Mohammed (Kwara)–
Information
Amina Mohammed (Gombe)–
Environment
Ibrahim Usman Jibril
(Nasarawa)— State for
Environment
Anthony Onwuka (Imo) – State
for Education
Muhammadu Bello (Adamawa)
— FCT
Adamu Adamu (Bauchi) —
Education
Okechukwu Enelamah (Abia) –
Industry, Trade and
Investment
Aisha Abubakar (Sokoto) —
State for Trade, Industry and
Investment
Khadija Bukar Abba (Yobe) –
State for Foreign Affairs
Claudius Daramola (Ondo) –
State for Niger Delta
Geoffrey Onyeama (Enugu) —
Foreign Affairs
Monsur Dan-Ali (Zamfara) —
Defence
James Ocholi (Kogi) – State for
Labour
Zainab Ahmed (Kaduna) – State
for Budget and National
Planning
Mustapha Shehuri (Borno) —
State for Power
Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)–
State for Agriculture
Isaac Adewole Folorunsho
(Osun) — Health
Usani Usani Uguru (Cross
River) — Niger Delta
Abubakar Bwari Bawa (Niger)
— State for Solid Minerals
Adebayo Shittu (Oyo) —
Communications
Muhammadu Buhari —
Petroleum

President Muhammad Buhari’s Independence day broadcast

Being text of speech by President
Muhammadu Buhari to mark
Nigeria’s 55th Independence
anniversary.
OCTOBER 1 is a day for joy and
celebrations for us Nigerians
whatever the circumstances we
find ourselves in because it is
the day, 55 years ago; we
liberated ourselves from the
shackles of colonialism and
began our long march to
nationhood and to greatness.
No temporary problems or
passing challenges should stop
us from honoring this day. Let
us remind ourselves of the gifts
God has given us. Our Creator
has bequeathed to us Numbers –
Nigeria is the ninth most
populated country on the
planet. We have in addition:
• Arable land
• Water
• Forests
• Oil and gas
• Coastline
• Solid minerals
We have all the attributes of a
great nation. We are not there
yet because the one commodity
we have been unable to exploit
to the fullest is unity of purpose.
This would have enabled us to
achieve not only more orderly
political evolution and
integration but also continuity
and economic progress.
Countries far less endowed have
made greater economic
progress by greater coherence
and unity of purpose.
Nonetheless, that we have
remained together is an
achievement we should all
appreciate and try to
consolidate. We have witnessed
this year a sea change in our
democratic development. The
fact that an opposition party
replaced an entrenched
government in a free and fair
election is indicative of the
deeper roots of our democratic
system. Whatever one’s views
are, Nigerians must thank
former President Jonathan for
not digging-in in the face of
defeat and thereby saving the
country untold consequences.
As I said in my inaugural
speech, I bear no ill will against
anyone on past events. Nobody
should fear anything from me.
We are not after anyone. People
should only fear the
consequences of their actions. I
hereby invite everyone,
whatever his or her political
view to join me in working for
the nation.
My countrymen and women,
every new government inherits
problems. Ours was no
different. But what Nigerians
want are solutions, quick
solutions not a recitation of
problems inherited.
Accordingly, after consultations
with the Vice President, senior
party leaders and other senior
stakeholders, I quickly got
down to work on the
immediate, medium-term and
long-term problems which we
must solve if we are to maintain
the confidence which Nigerians
so generously bestowed on us
in the March elections and since
then.
As you know, I toured the
neighboring countries, marshal
a coalition of armed forces of
the five nations to confront and
defeat Boko Haram. I met also
the G-7 leaders and other
friendly presidents in an effort
to build an international
coalition against Boko Haram.
Our gallant armed forces under
new leadership have taken the
battle to the insurgents, and
severely weakened their
logistical and infrastructural
capabilities. Boko Haram are
being scattered and are on the
run. That they are resorting to
shameless attacks on soft targets
such as IDP camps is indicative
of their cowardice and
desperation. I have instructed
security and local authorities to
tighten vigilance in vulnerable
places.
On power, government officials
have held a series of long
sessions over several weeks
about the best way to improve
the nation’s power supply in the
safest and most cost effective
way. In the meantime,
improvement in the power
supply is moderately
encouraging. By the same token,
supply of petrol and kerosene to
the public has improved
throughout the country. All the
early signs are that within
months the whole country
would begin to feel a change for
the better.
Preliminary steps have been
taken to sanitise NNPC and
improve its operations so that
the inefficiency and corruption
could be reduced to a minimum.
Those of our refineries which
can be serviced and brought
back into partial production
would be enabled to resume
operations so that the whole
sordid business of exporting
crude and importing finished
products in dubious
transactions could be stopped.
In addition to NNPC, I have
ordered for a complete audit of
our other revenue generating
agencies mainly CBN, FIRS,
Customs, NCC, for better service
delivery to the nation. Prudent
housekeeping is needed now
more than ever in view of the
sharp decline in world market
oil prices. It is a challenge we
have to face squarely. But what
counts is not so much what
accrues but how we manage our
resources that is important.
We have seen in the last few
years how huge resources were
mismanaged, squandered and
wasted. The new APC
government is embarking on a
clean up, introducing prudence
and probity in public financing.
At an early stage, the Federal
Government addressed the issue
of salary arrears in many states,
a situation capable of
degenerating into social unrest.
The APC government stepped in
to provide short-term support
to the owing states and enabled
them to pay off the backlog and
restore the livelihood of
millions of Nigerians.
Fellow Nigerians, there have
been a lot of anxiety and
impatience over the apparent
delay in announcement of
ministers. There is no cause to
be anxious. Our government set
out to do things methodically
and properly. We received the
handing over notes from the
outgoing government only four
days before taking over.
Consequently, the Joda
Transition Committee submitted
its report on the re-organisation
of Federal Government
structure after studying the
hand over notes. It would have
been haphazard to announce
ministers when the government
had not finalised the number of
ministries to optimally carry the
burden of governance.
Anyway, the wait is over. The
first set of names for ministerial
nominees for confirmation has
been sent to the senate.
Subsequent lists will be
forwarded in due course.
Impatience is not a virtue.
Order is more vital than speed.
Careful and deliberate decisions
after consultations get far better
results. And better results for
our country is what the APC
government for CHANGE is all
about.
I would like to end my address
this morning on our agenda for
CHANGE. Change does not just
happen. You and I and all of us
must appreciate that we all
have our part to play if we
want to bring change about. We
must change our lawless habits,
our attitude to public office and
public trust. We must change
our unruly behavior in schools,
hospitals, market places, motor
parks, on the roads, in homes
and offices. To bring about
change, we must change
ourselves by being law-abiding
citizens.
Happy Independence
celebrations. Long Live the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

APC WELCOMES TAMBUWAL

APC has succesfully infiltrated into the ranks of the federal government,they officialy now have the number four citizen in the country in their party,as he was presented to party faithfuls yesterday in an extra ordinary national convention held at abuja.
Top party faithfuls and leaders graced the occasion including four of five presidential aspirants of the party,(General Muhammadu Buhari,Rochas Okorocha,Rabiu Kwankwanso,Tony isaiah) while former vice president Atiku Abubakar was conspicuously absent on the claims that he was on a trip outside the country.
In all,the party leaders also adopted the amendment of the party’s national constitution with a promise to also present the party’s manifesto in an unnamed south-eastern state after the completion of the party gubernatorial and presidential primaries.
The race for the 2015 General elections is gradually getting to it’s feverish height,even as GEJ is expected to pick his presidential nomination today at the pdp party secreteriat in abuja.

‘Tambuwal can’t be impeached if he defects to APC’

‘Tambuwal can’t be impeached if he defects to APC’.
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives, Kamil Akinlabi, has said Speaker Aminu Tambuwal will not be impeached if he dumps the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.
The lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Youth Development, told our reporter that such a development, if it happens, would not cause a disjunction in the House.
He said the Speaker’s ascendance to the position was a testimony of the overwhelming goodwill and support he enjoyed from his colleagues.
Akinlabi said: “I can tell you confidently that the Seventh House of Representatives is a family. And I can tell you that when the Speaker defects, nothing will happen on the floor of the House.
“There may be some issues, but everything on the floor is determined by number. Numerically, if he’s in the PDP, he’s secured; if he’s in APC, he’s secured. That’s because the two parties are having members of almost equal strength…”
Courtesy: The nation online.

Breaking news

It was an atmosphere of jubilation as well as mourning on the floor of the House of Representatives today as the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal declared for the All Progressives party, APC.
At exactly 12:24pm Tambuwal In a short speech at the end of plenary, said he was defecting to the APC for political reasons adding that the yearning of his people in Sokoto State necessitates the decision.
This puts to rest the avalanche of speculations on if or when he would defect. Some members of the PDP were in tears yesterday as Tambuwal declared.
However, the APC Caucus in the House led by Femi Gbajabiamila said they would be stimulated into doing more by Tambuwal’s defection, adding that nothing has changed in the House as all members would work together for the advancement of the Parliament and greater good if the Nigerian people.
Courtesy :The nation online

No more bye elections in adamawa

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal Hugh Court, Abuja has sacked the Adamawa State Acting Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri on the grounds that the former Deputy Governor , Bala Ngilari did not resign from office in accordance with the Constitution.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday morning, Justice Adeniji said Ngilari did not resign in accordance with Section 306 (1) (2) and (5) of the country.
The Judge declared Fintiri’s occupation of the Governor’s office as illegal and ordered the State’s Chief Judge or President of the Customary Court of Appeal to swear in Ngilary forthwith.
He stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting bye-election into the Governor’s office.