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Buratai Defends Buhari In Osun
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen TY Buratai has defended President Muhammadu Buhari’s policies and efforts at ensuring that the nation enjoys peace and security. The military Chief made this known while speaking at the Osun State Government House in Osogbo during his visit to the state to commission a bailey bridge and hospital constructed by the Nigerian Army Engineers in collaboration with the Army HQ Department of Civil- Military Affairs for Owu Kuta and Asamu communities in the state. The Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola had hosted Buratai in September 14 after the commissioning at Owu Kuta. He said some Nigerians, whom he described as enemies of the country, have wrong perceptions about the Buhari led Federal Government and have been using the social media to spread this fake and unfounded projections. He debunked the rumour that there might be famine in Nigeria owing to the security challenges in the North East and appealed to Nigerians to ensure they verify news before believing it. Lt Gen Buratai was reacting to the goodwill message of Lt General Alani Akinrinade (rtd), a former Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, at the State Government Banquet Hall. In his message, Akinrinade commended the COAS for building a bridge at the Osun River that links Kuta, Ikoyi and Ede Communities of Osun State. He also appreciated Buratai for graciously complimenting the efforts of the State Government who has given public health care priority in the development of the State. He asked Buratai to look into some matters which he said are rampart on social media and that have throwing him into distress, of which he wnated Buratai to convey to the President Buhari. The first matter according to him “is the pervasive public perception/believe (which does not necessarily represent the true position of Mr President) that the President was an ‘ethnic bigot, an irredeemable religious fundamentalist that firmly subscribes and promotes the possibility of his ethnic Fulani to take over the country, which was the reason why he does not interfere in curbing the brigandage of the Fulani herdsmen. Furthermore, the elder statesman concluded that going by the perception or belief of the public, the President has performed woefully in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists and that he cannot rise to the occasion when it comes to reflecting the heterogeneous composition of the country in appointments to sensitive positions in his government. He therefore called on the president to read the riot act against the perpetrators of this mischief. The second matter according to the former CDS is that sometimes, he hears that there are Fulani mercenaries from outside Nigeria being sponsored by some Nigerians. From what he heard, the situation is so dire that in collaboration with unexpected bad weather this year, a famine is imminent as the country is “already burrowing grains from the ECOWAS countries” because farmers are being forced to abandon their farms”. He therefore suggested that the President should “read the riot act to the Fulani herdsmen” adding that it is not acceptable for any foreigner by whatever name to enter Nigeria illegally and molest Nigerians because “they are not welcome”. According to General Akinrinade, the country should not, by mistake of omission or commission allow Nigerians to degenerate to self-help which is a sure route to anarchy and perdition that will not go away”. The former military Chief thereafter accepted that these difficult matters cannot be addressed in abstract as the whole buck stops on the President’s table. He therefore suggested that the President “needs to shape up, read the riot act to our people and enlist them in unwavering cooperation to participate fully in the redemption of their country “. According to him, since he was sure the President is aware of the hues and cries from all corners and crannies of the country for secession as if the country has not been there before, there is a need for him to “stand on his table against the motley crowd of advisers and take a firm stand on the restructuring of the country, physically, politically, economically and socially”. He also advocated for the reorganization of the Armed Forces “which is long overdue and over flogged as if it is such an impossibility because it is what is required to move the country out of the doldrums into modernity and cannot afford to pass it on”. “We may end up without a country, as no country has been known to survive two civil wars. He (Buhari) can take better counsel in the appointment to the sensitive parts of his government. There are capable loyal men and women from every village in the country,” Akinrinade advised. Reacting, Buratai thanked Gen Akinrinade (Rtd) for identifying the negative impacts of the social media in spreading falsehood and fake news in the country. The COAS also said the retired General has identified the wrong perceptions being projected by the enemies of the country noting that people should not rely on social media reports which are mostly fake and largely unfounded. He further advised the Retired General on the need for statesmen of his caliber to take the pains of verifying information before making conclusions on them. On the perception of likely famine in the country this year, the COAS Lt Gen TY Buratai assured the gathering that there is no cause for alarm as there won’t be any famine in Nigeria because farmers have gone back to their farms. Gen Buratai said “I just left the North West where Exercise SAHEL SANITY is ongoing and many farmers have so far returned to their farms. Our troops are providing security to farmers and the bandits are being dealt with decisively. From all indications we are expecting a bumper harvest this year”. Gen Buratai further informed that the Nigeria Army and other security agencies are doing everything possible to ensure that the terrorists and bandits are never allowed to cross over to the southern parts of the country. He also observed that the issue of restructuring is a political matter and he only commented on security issues raised by the retired General. He further reiterated the apolitical stance of the Nigeria Army. The Army boss then implored all to continue to cooperate with the Federal Government and support the ongoing efforts to rid the country of all forms of insecurity. |
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, says Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has no case to answer regarding the contract awarded to a company linked to him by suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu.Sani, in a chat with The Whistler, said Tunji-Ojo did not violate any public service law since he resigned from the company years ago.
” It could have been a conflict of interest if he hadn’t resigned.The senator further said it is “not his ministry (that awarded contracts), and companies have the right to pursue businesses anywhere.“Edu’s case is very clear and can’t be equated with that of a company associated with Hon Ojo.“Legally, he can’t be held to account on this matter.“Let’s not be distracted,” Sani said.“The extant provision of the law under the 1999 Constitution is that anybody who is a public servant cannot engage in any business other than farming,” said Nelson Kebordih, a senior lawyer whose interest is in public policy.He said the implication of the law is “that a person must be in active control and directorship of the company in the management of any enterprise.“You are permitted to own shares because owning a share does not put you in the day-to-day management of the company or any enterprise.“If he (Tunji-Ojo) has resigned from being a director, the law does not stop him from owning shares in the company,” he stated.The former lawmaker’s position aligns with the 2008 Federal Service Rules on Chapter 4 which states that “Public officers are not prohibited from holding shares in both public and private companies operating in Nigeria or abroad except that they must not be Directors in private companies, and may only be Directors in public companies if nominated by Government.”
Following the suspension and quizzing of Edu, concerning alleged financial sleaze, the Minister of Interior has come under pressure to resign or equally be suspended by the president after it emerged that his company, New Planet Project Ltd, also received a contract from Edu.Edu had awarded some companies contracts, some of which were unregistered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) raising concern of fraud and illegality.Tunji-Ojo is also being pressured to step down with many commentators saying he has flouted the Public Service Rules which barred public servants from being awarded contracts or contracting any business except farming.But the Minister while speaking on television explained that he had resigned since 2009 from the company.“Almost five years ago, I resigned as director of the company, so I’m not a director. I resigned on 1st of February, 2009, you can take that to the bank,” the minister had said.
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”Your mentorship, humility, and resilience was exemplary” Oando Boss, Wale Tinubu Mourns Barkindo
Oando Clean Energy Limited has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (referred to as LAMATA), the Lagos State Government agency tasked with planning, implementing, regulating and franchising sustainable integrated public transport in Lagos.
The MoU establishes a partnership between OCEL and Lagos State in her journey to becoming a sustainable city via the rollout of electric mass transit buses, supporting charging infrastructure and service centres (EV Infrastructure Ecosystem).
The statement obtained from the NGX noted that with over 25 million residents, Lagos is the most populous city in Africa and among the top ten of the world’s fastest-growing megacities.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Commissioner for Transportation, Lagos State, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde said the MoU represented the State Government’s commitment to cutting greenhouse gases by replacing them with cleaner sources of energy.
Oladeinde said, “With an understanding that transportation is a key emitter of greenhouse gases in Nigeria, we developed a strategy to cut greenhouse gases by 50%. A key component of this strategy was identifying and developing a more robust mass transit system for Lagos that would include rail and waterways amongst others. Using electricity to power mass transit is a step in the right direction, and from there we would gradually transit to private cars.
“This is just the beginning, there is still a lot more to come on stream. I commend LAMATA and Oando on this MoU signing, and both parties can be rest assured that they have my full backing to ensure success,” he added.
Commenting on the MoU signing, the Managing Director, LAMATA, Engr. Abimbola Akinajo said: “We began this journey late last year, and for us, this has been a rapid development. It speaks to the energy and zeal of both organizations, and that is commendable. Oando Clean Energy came to us with a comprehensive solution that went beyond electric mass transit buses to include supporting infrastructure, and this was key for us, as the full remit of an EV support ecosystem is the only way to achieve success.
“This initiative will not only accelerate the Government’s transportation agenda, but also positively impact the health of Lagosians and the environment. The magnitude of its impact is far-reaching, and when you start to look at it as more than a transport initiative, you will see how laudable a project it is. The Oando brand comes with know-how and experience, and we are relying on this to successfully move from MoU signing to actual implementation that will in the medium to long term benefit over 22 million Lagos commuters. We look forward to a very robust and fruitful partnership.”
In his response, the Chairman, Oando Clean Energy, Adewale Tinubu, who was represented at the MoU signing by Dr. Ainojie ‘Alex’ Irune said: “Oando Clean Energy was born out of a need to curate the best energy mix to propel Nigeria and indeed Africa, to its full potential.
As a company, Oando has always championed Public-Private Partnerships as fundamental to Nigeria’s industrialization. Through the signing of this MoU, we are revolutionizing the landscape of mobility by pioneering e-mobility in Lagos. Furthermore, we remain dedicated to achieving our national commitment to net-zero by 2060, ending energy deficiencies and further propelling the country to an industrialized phase through decentralized and sustainable energy systems.
We are excited to be embarking on this journey with Lagos State and must commend their foresight and willingness to forge a template for others to follow. It’s easy to be perturbed by the perceived challenges that come with the mega-city status tag, but by taking this bold step, Lagos is showing the continent what is indeed possible and giving other cities the impetus to redefine today how to build a public transport system for the future.”
Over the last decade, the number of vehicles on Lagos roads has quadrupled, yet studies suggest that Lagos could become the world’s most populated city by 2100 with as many as 100 million residents; and as the city grows, so will the number of vehicles.
This upward trajectory in vehicle numbers poses a significant challenge as transportation has been identified as the key contributing sector at circa 23% to 30% in annual CO2 emissions.
Against this backdrop, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between LAMATA and OCEL will enable the successful fulfilment of the objectives of the Lagos State Government through the deployment of an EV Infrastructure Ecosystem towards the attainment of a sustainable road transport system in the State.
Furthermore, this initiative will bridge the existing gap in available mass transit buses for the increasing number of Lagos commuters.
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