2 news
May 27 , 2017
Knocks , Kudos for Buhari ’ s govt @ 2
John Alechenu , John Ameh , Gbenro Adeoye , Jesusegun Alagbe , Olaleye Aluko , Ihuoma Chiedozie and Godwin Isenyo
It was a mixed bag of knocks and kudos as sociocultural organisations such as the Arewa Consultative Forum , Ohaneze Ndigbo and Afenifere gave a mid-term assessment of the President Muhammadu Buhari ’ s administration .
Prominent Nigerians including lawmakers also scored the administration ’ s performance .
While commending the administration for its strides in tackling corruption and the Boko Haram menace ; the ACF knocked the administration over its failure to fix the power sector .
The ACF suggested that the administration should , as a matter of urgency , reverse the privatisation of the power sector because it had become glaring that those who bought the nation ’ s power assets lacked the capacity to deliver .
National Publicity Secretary of the Forum , Muhammad Ibrahim , said , “ ACF had earlier called on the Federal Government to take necessary and practical steps to improve the power supply including reviewing the privatisation .
“ The Senate has of recent taken the same position by asking the government to reverse the privatisation of the power sector in view of the inability of the private entrepreneurs to improve power supply and distribution .”
The ACF lauded the administration for degrading Boko Haram militants in the North-East and for the release of over 100 out of the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the terrorists three years ago .
It ’ s been two years of disappointment - Afenifere
However , National Publicity Secretary of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation , Afenifere , Yinka Odumakin , described Buhari ’ s first two years in office as disappointing .
He said , “ In the last two years , there have been clear gaps between promises and delivery , expectations and actualisation .
“ We have seen a situation where all indices today are worse than they were before the 2015 elections .
“ The economy is in a terrible and bad shape ; more and more people are losing their jobs and the rate of suicides has increased in the country . So many companies have died and Foreign Direct Investment has dropped .
“ Manufacturers are finding it difficult to cope because of the exchange rate regime .
“ The herdsmen used to rear their cattle using sticks but now they are armed with AK-47s and no one is there to caution them . They are killing people and raping women in the southern and middle belt communities .”
Nigerians are suffering-
Ohaneze Ndigbo
Deputy Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo , Mr . Chuks Ibegbu , while assessing the administration , said in terms of the economy , Nigerians are suffering , and hungry .
He said , “ There is hunger in the land and people are complaining yet not much has been done to address their sufferings . What we only get from the government are claims that things are getting better . The recession is still here , but the government has continued to tell us it will be over very soon .”
On the issue of security , he said , “ We all are aware of what is happening in this country . The government said Boko Haram has been defeated , but nearly every day we record Boko Haram attacks on soldiers , and suicide bombings . To a very large extent , the President has reduced the insecurity in the Niger Delta ; we are no longer recording attacks on oil installations , kudos to him .”
He also condemned the excessive use of force against MASSOB and IPOB agitators in the South East as well as “ the Shiites in Kaduna .
Nigeria ’ s economy is like that of a failed state- Ango Abdullahi
For elder statesman , Prof . Ango Abdullahi , President Muhammadu Buhari ’ s administration scored low in the areas of economy and infrastructure .
He said , “ Corruption , not insecurity , was the greatest problem this administration inherited in 2015 . People had stolen the country dry and the economy was near zero . But till now , this administration is still grappling with the economy .
“ The economic policies adopted by the Federal Government are not encouraging ; the economy is in dire need of a change of direction . Poverty is devastating our people and no matter what the Minister of Finance comes to talk about coming out of recession ; she has not her ears to the ground to hear the penury of Nigerians .
This economy is in a failed state , even though security has improved .”
Reps knock , praise Buhari
Some members of the House of Representatives knocked President Buhari over some of his policies , which they said failed Nigerians in the last two years . They however praised him in some areas .
A member from Lagos State , Mr . Oghene Emma-Ego , carpeted Buhari over his economic policies , particularly the restriction of access of certain Nigerians to foreign exchange .
He argued that the policy was counter-productive as it merely drove foreign currencies , especially the US dollar underground .
Emma-Ego , a Peoples Democratic Party member , said , “ Nigerians were made to suffer ; people with health challenges
• Acting President Yemi Osinbajo ( middle ); with some Federal Capital Territory school children during their visit to the Acting President at the Presidential Villa to commence the activities marking the 2017 Children ’ s Day celebration in Abuja ... on Friday . Photo : NAN couldn ’ t secure funds for medical trips overseas .”
Emma-Ego , who represents Amuwo / Odofin Federal Constituency , said on the anticorruption war , while Buhari could be rated to have made “ commendable strides ”, the fight remained lopsided .
However , his counterpart from Adamawa State , Mr . Adamu Kamale , gave kudos to Buhari for what he considered to be the ability of the government to stabilise the economy after the initial fears caused by recession .
Kamale , a member of the All Progressives Congress , said , “ At first , I must confess that we were very much afraid , especially with the way our naira fell to over N500 against the dollar . But , they have been able to gradually pull the economy out of recession within the same two years that it went into recession . That is commendable .”
Director-General , Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry , Mr . Muda Yusuf , said the government had a slow start after its challenges were compounded by the fall in global oil prices and militancy in the oil rich Niger Delta area of the country .
He said , the “ Absence of an economic blueprint was one of the concerns of the private sector in the early days of the administration . However , the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan , launched recently by the President , has provided a clearer economic policy direction of the administration .”
He , however , faulted the rising debt profile in the country , saying , “ Evidently , the debt profile of the government is not sustainable .”
Buhari should resign- Middle Belt group
The coordinator of the Federation of Middle Belt Groups , Mr . Manasseh Watyil , said , “ There is very low economic growth in the country as there is serious recession whereby people can hardly feed , parents cannot afford school fees for their children .
“ On security , to be fair to
Buhari ’ s government , peace has gradually returned to the troubled areas , especially the North-East Zone . Our people can now travel there with little fear . We can sleep with our two eyes closed . Normal businesses have fully returned .
“ When it comes to employment , there have been many anomalies in some agencies . The latest recruitment by the Department of State
Chukwudi Akasike , Port Harcourt
The frosty relationship between the immediate past Governor of Rivers State , Mr . Rotimi Amaechi , and his successor , Chief Nyesom Wike , took a fresh turn on Friday when the former announced his rejection of an award reserved for him as one of the contributors to the development of the state .
Amaechi is among prominent Rivers sons and daughters to be bestowed with awards on Saturday ( today ) as part of the celebrations to mark the state ’ s Golden Jubilee .
But the ex-governor , who is currently the Minister of Transportation , said through a statement from his media office
Jesusegun Alagbe
The Area Manager , Sub-Saharan Africa , Luxottica Group , Mr . Anil Agarwal , said the patronage of fake and substandard eyewear by Nigerians could lead to the destruction of the eyes .
Agarwal stated this recently in Lagos at the inauguration of a sales promotion of the Vogue Eyewear , a brand of the Milan , Italy-based Luxottica Group .
While speaking at the event , Agarwal said using fake eyewear could never help to prevent the eyes from contacting ultraviolet radiation which could cause
Services showed that there is no fairness .
“ Ultimately , the Middle Belt is of the opinion that President Buhari should resign since he is incapacitated . The government will continue .”
We are all going through the same thing- Yakassai
Elder Statesman , Alhaji Tanko Yakassai , who is also the Chairman , Northern Elders ’
that the award from the state governor would not be accepted .
According to the statement , “ The minister ( Amaechi ) was shown a publication of the Rivers State Government indicating his name as one of many others to be given awards by Nyesom Wike . But as of today , Amaechi has not received any communication from Nyesom Wike and / or Rivers State Government in this respect .
“ Be that as it may , we want to state categorically that whatever Wike claims to be giving to Amaechi is a poisoned chalice that has been unequivocally rejected by the minister .
“ First , the purported award itself is a contradiction of monumental proportions , a contradiction that can only
cataracts and other eye diseases , adding that that was why the company was promoting the Vogue Eyewear in the Nigerian market .
He said , “ Rather than allow the market to be populated by substandard products , we want the country to be at par with what ’ s obtainable in other advanced countries .
“ We want to discourage fake products in the market . The eyewear industry in the country is still disorganised and things have to be put in place .”
Also speaking at the event , Dr . Nkem Okoroafor , the Managing Director of TotalSpecs Limited ,
Council said , “ Of course , the country is now gaining the upper hand in the fight against Boko Haram , that is something that we should congratulate one another for and give credit to this administration for .
“ If the anti-corruption fight is going to be pursued , it should be done holistically because like they say ‘ Justice must not only be done but must be seen to have been done .”
Rivers @ 50 : Amaechi rejects Wike ’ s award
come from a warped and perverted mind . From day one as governor , Wike has made it his sole , one-point agenda to attack , abuse , insult and falsely denigrate Amaechi , his immediate predecessor and erstwhile benefactor .
“ Since he became governor , Wike spends most of his time making reckless , deeply irresponsible malicious , false allegations against Amaechi , as he attempts , albeit fruitlessly , to malign and destroy the outstandingly superb performance and legacy of Amaechi in Rivers State .
“ So , what is the basis or criterion for Wike to give an award / honour to a man he ( Wike ) has rashly attacked and called all sorts of unprintable names in the past two years ?”
Firm tasks Nigerians on eyes protection
a licensed distributor of the Vogue Eyewear , said Nigerians should not damage their eyes by shunning fake eyewear .
He said , “ There are always UV radiation , whether it is raining or there is sun , and it is important to protect our eyes from the radiation . Some of the UV rays are being trapped by the ozone layer but some pass through to us .
“ When eyes are exposed to the UV radiation , it can cause cataracts . However , people should avoid buying all sorts of fake eyewear in the streets . They should buy from reputable eye clinics .”