He commended President Akufo-Addo for his efforts in fighting the canker which he said had become endemic.

“I congratulate both the government and parliament for quick passage of the office of the special prosecutor act and its signing into law. Your Excellency can be assured that you have a good partner in me as I look forward to any form of collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana in tackling the menace of endemic corruption,” he said.

While delivering an address as a special guest at Ghana’s 61^st Independence Day celebration at the Independence Square in Accra on Tuesday, Buhari further said he was convinced Africa can successfully eradicate poverty and entrench democracy when its leadership is strengthened.

“Given all these public policies, it is reassuring that with the right leadership, Africa drives to eradicate poverty and entrench democracy is on course,” he added.

President Muhammadu Buhari who has defined corruption as the greatest form of human right violation has through various policies tried to root out corruption from his country especially within the public sector but analysts have described the progress as very slow.

In 2012, a local newspaper reported that Nigeria had lost close to $400 billion since independence in 1960.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Also in attendance are governors of Central Banks and foreign Ministers from the ECOWAS.

The Presidential Task-force meeting on a single currency for the West African sub-region in Ghana, will be chaired by President Akufo-Addo.

It will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre from the 21st of February. The Presidential Task-force meeting will be preceded by two meetings namely: The 6th Technical Meeting of the Presidential Task Force and the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Presidential Task Force.”

Representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Economy of Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, Niger and Nigeria, Central Banks of ECOWAS Members State and the regional institutions involved in the ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Programme (EMCP), namely the ECOWAS Commission, UEMOA Commission, West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), West African Monetary Institution (WAMI) BCEAO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), will be in attendance for the Technical Meetings.

The meeting will provide a platform to deliberate on issues related to the ECOWAS single currency Programme and review strategies to accelerate the single currency by 2020.

The single Currency programme is in line with the vision of ECOWAS to transform the sub-region into an economic and monetary union.

“ECOWAS was founded with the aim the transforming the sub-region into an economic and monetary union. This led to the adoption of the Community Authority of the ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Programme (EMCP) in July 1987.”

The last ECOWAS single Currency Programme was held in Niamey, Niger in October 2017.

Roads to be closed for 5th ECOWAS Presidential Task-force meeting

The Accra Regional Police Command has announced a temporary closure of some roads in Accra ahead of the meeting.

In a statement signed by the Public Relations officer for Accra Regional Police Command, the Police said there will be a temporary closure of the Osu Cemetary Traffic Light on the Castle Road to AU Circle, intermittent closure on the Independence Avenue through 37 interchanges to AU circle.

The Regional Police Command urged the general public to cooperate with the police for effective traffic management.

“The general public is urged to cooperate with the police to ensure effective traffic management.Any inconvenience that these arrangements would cause is deeply regretted”.
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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The president said he prefers to seriously reflect on issues placed before him and ensure that his conscience had been satisfied prior to granting approval.

“I decided to drop the uniform and come back here (to be President of Nigeria), so I have gone through it over and over again. This is why I am not in a hurry to do anything. I will sit and reflect, and continue to (operate) with my clear conscience,” Mr. Buhari said during a Thursday afternoon meeting with his party leaders and supporters which was covered by Channels TV in Abuja.

“I had to invite you to let us eat together and I tell you that I am sitting here very much aware of the problem in this country. I will always reflect on historical antecedents,” the president added.

Mr. Buhari regularly draws criticism for his snail-speed approach to national matters, including issues that may be deemed urgent by many, like reacting to tragic incidents or updating citizens about his government’s activities.

Mr. Buhari delayed setting up a cabinet for about six months after he assumed office, an outcome that analysts partly blamed for plunging Nigeria’s economy into recession in August 2016.

The country had since emerged from recession after posting growth for two consecutive quarters in a row.

Lawmakers alarmed by the historic delay immediately moved to curb such occurrences in future by passing an amendment to the Nigerian constitution.

The amendment, passed last year, gave a newly-elected president a maximum of 30 days to appoint ministers and get the federal cabinet running.

The amendment was part of the more than 30 areas of alterations that the National Assembly entered into the constitution as part of its ongoing measures to rework the governing document and make it more acceptable to the citizens.

The amendments have been pushed to the 36 states of the federation where at least two-thirds are required to concur with each amendment before pushing it to the executive for presidential assent.

A political analyst, Eluma Asogwa, said the president’s comments were laughable in the face of his activities within the last two years.

“A president that promised to hit the ground running took more than six months to set up a cabinet, saying he wanted get the best hands,” Mr. Asogwa said. “But when he eventually announced his ministers, we discovered that the majority were those that had long polluted our political space in this country.”

Mr. Asogwa said the president’s failings emanated largely from his inability to critically analyse issues and take prompt actions in line with the requirements of the modern age.

“Nigeria’s problems under President Buhari are largely about inactions than actions that were taken in earnest but wrongly,” added Mr. Asogwa, an Abuja-based legal practitioner.

Mr. Asogwa also cited the national embarrassment over the release of board appointments last month.

“He took more than two years to appoint board members only for him to end up with ‘dead people,”‘ the analyst said. “Even to remove the dead people and replace them with those still alive has taken him nearly one month and counting.”

Mr. Asogwa said he still believes that the president could still record significant achievements for the country within the remaining time in his tenure.

“I believe he could still do something even though many have written him off that he can’t do anything within the remaining one year of his government.

“The president means well for this country and I believe he could still deliver for those of us who believe in him,” Mr. Asogwa said.

The president’s supporters have asked him carry on with his style, which they described as “slow and steady” adding that it had made it difficult for would-be treasury looters to perpetuate their ignoble acts.

Channels reported that Mr. Buhari thanked his guests and assured them of unwavering thought of their loyalties and efforts.

“I thank you very much for honouring my invitation and I am telling you that if I don’t call you, it is not because, for a moment, I ever forgot how you supported me at one stage or the other over the years.”

–

Source: Premium Times

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“I am being regularly briefed, especially on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC’s) interventions to ensure that there is enough petrol available during this period and beyond. The fuel scarcity being experienced nationwide is regrettable. I sympathize with all Nigerians on having to endure needless fuel queues,” he said.

The president said he had the NNPC’s assurance that the situation would improve significantly over the next few days, “as new shipments and supplies are distributed across the country.“I have also directed the regulators to step up their surveillance and bring an end to hoarding and price inflation by marketers.

“Let me also assure that the relevant agencies will continue to provide updates on the situation. I thank you all for your patience and understanding.”

Struck by the pains following the fuel scarcity, Nigerians have taken to the social media to call on President Buhari, who is also the Minister of Petroleum, to address the issue.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Buhari yesterday came under attack from the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose.In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the nation’s economic hardship was largely caused by “sheer incompetence, gross insensitivity and shambolic policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.”

The PDP said it was disheartening that Nigerians could not merrily celebrate the yuletide due to the biting economic hardship worsened by an acute fuel shortage.It described the nation’s economic situation as a national embarrassment, which “cannot be glossed over with deceit, lies and propaganda.”

The PDP, however, urged Nigerians to overcome the very sordid situation by rallying around one another in true love as epitomised in the birth and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.The party said: “Indeed, this is the worst yuletide ever. There is no way one can sugarcoat the fact that the anguish Nigerians face today is because of the incompetence of the APC Government, which has also amply demonstrated that it does not care about the welfare and happiness of the citizens.”

The opposition party lamented that many families are completely stranded while much more could no longer afford basic needs.“Nigerians have become ravaged by economic hardship because the APC-led Federal Government has abandoned them and refused to channel the abundant resources available in the nation for the good of the people. Instead, they are heartlessly diverting such resources for their selfish political purposes while the people suffer.”

Similarly, Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose of the PDP said it was alarming that, under the APC government of Buhari, 7.74million Nigerians lost their jobs within the last two years. The governor said that instead of creating the three million jobs it promised Nigerians yearly, the APC government has created unemployment. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said in its latest unemployment report that 4.07 million Nigerians became unemployed between January and September this year. Also, the NBS said 3.67 million Nigerians became jobless last year.

In a statement yesterday by Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said he has been vindicated on his position that Buhari lacks the required capacity to perform. “By now, it should be clear to all Nigerians that President Buhari does not have anything to offer Nigerians other that sufferings and hardships,” the Ekiti governor said.

Governor Fayose in his reaction to the NBS report said: “One of the many effects of the president’s lack of the required mental and intellectual capacities to tackle the nation’s economic problems is the collapse of several companies and loss of 3.67 million jobs in 2016 and another 4.07 million jobs in 2017.

“Today, under a government that promised change, Nigerians cannot even celebrate Christmas and New Year in peace because of the fuel scarcity orchestrated by the Buhari’s government.”To reduce the effects of the current fuel scarcity in Ekiti State, Fayose yesterday directed that 80 percent of the petrol in the Government Fuel Dump be released to two petrol stations in Ado Ekiti, to be sold to the public at a controlled price of N145 per litre.

The governor, who made this known through his verified Twitter Handle, said, “The maximum a single individual can buy will be 25 litres. I cannot be keeping fuel in the Government House Dump while our people keep suffering,” he said.He said, “the APC-led Federal Government has turned the joy of Nigerians to groaning. People cannot travel to meet their families because of the wickedness of this APC government.

“This hardship is too much for Nigerians to bear at this time and it is obvious that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have a solution to the fuel scarcity,” Fayose remarked. Reacting to the PDP’s position, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr Bolaji Abdulahhi said, “almost every administration in the country had had to deal with this (fuel) problem.”

According to him, “What the current situation demonstrates is that we still haven’t found a lasting solution to the challenge of fuel scarcity as a country. As a party, we are confident that President Buhari will solve this problem. The last two years under him bears testimony to this. We can only continue to plead with Nigerians to bear with the Federal Government.”

For the PDP, Abdulahhi said, “We can’t recollect them advising previous presidents to resign in this kind of situation or any situation. Presidents are in office to solve problems. President Buhari will solve this one too.

“We, however, understand why PDP is seeing an opportunity for themselves to score political points with the hardship Nigerians are going through. Therefore, they won’t want it to end. But it will end very soon.”

Also expressing concern over the fuel scarcity, the Aare Ona Kankanfo-designate, Otunba Gani Adams, said it was unfortunate that the country, over the years has not been able to find a concrete solution to the challenge of steady fuel supply, particularly at this period of Yelutide when people were supposed to be rejoicing.

Adams, however, urged the APC government and President Buhari to reconsider their stand on the popular demand for restructuring of the country to true federalism, which he said would be a panacea to all protracted challenges Nigeria has been going through.According to him, “I sympathized with President Buhari because he is sitting and ruling on a system that would eventually affect his good image and of course he is already being affected within the last two and a half years he came into power.

“My message to Nigeria and particularly to President Buhari is that.Nigeria must be restructured if we really mean to progress.”The scarcity in the last two weeks has given rise to the proliferation of “black markets’ with the product selling for as high as N400 per litre and transport fares rising by as much as 100 percent.

Exonerating self from the lingering fuel crises, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) National Publicity Officer, Fortune Obi urged the DPR to ensure strict sanctions for filling stations hoarding products. “Virtually all filling stations have petrol but they are not ready to sell so as to exploit the people,” he added.

On measures taken by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to ensure retail stations comply with regulated price of petrol, Zonal Operations Controller, Lagos, Wole Akinyosoye, said that it has come to the notice of the department that some depot owners are selling PMS to unlicensed bulk buyers and some retailers at prices above the normal pump price.

Meanwhile, Nigeria may soon go back to the era of subsidy on petrol, as some oil marketers are accused by government officials of deliberately hoarding products to create artificial scarcity and arm-twist government to resume fuel importation.The Guardian learnt from a reliable source that some big marketers were not happy with the fact that the NNPC is now the sole importer after the Federal Government scrapped subsidy.

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, in a statement also blamed marketers, saying that the corporation has doubled the daily supply of premium motor spirit, from daily 700 trucks (about 27million-30million litres) per day supply to 80million litres per day since the current hiccup in the supply chain.Baru warned that any filling station found hoarding petrol would lose its entire products to motorists.

But the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) Thomas Olawore, told The Guardian that the marketers have not been importing products due to unpaid subsidy arrears. Olawore said that NNPC should be blamed for the scarcity.

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The decision comes after the emergence of footage showing migrants being sold at slave auctions in Libya.

Mr Buhari said they were being treated like goats, and vowed to do everything possible to prevent more Nigerians making the perilous journey to Europe.

The announcement was made hours after Libya’s UN-backed authorities said they were increasing repatriation flights.

About 240 Nigerians were voluntarily flown home in a joint operation by Libya and the UN migrant agency on Tuesday night.

The plight of those trapped in Libya – a major hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe – was highlighted by the footage, published by US news network CNN, which shows young men being auctioned for farm work.

The issue of people attempting to enter Europe illegally was already expected to be high on the agenda of this week’s African Union-European Union Summit, being held in the Ivorian city of Abidjan.

Mr Buhari, who was speaking on the sidelines of the summit, said he was appalled by what he had seen.

“Some Nigerians [in the footage] were being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya,” Mr Buhari said during the address to the Nigerian diaspora on Tuesday, before lashing out at Libya.

”After 43 years of [Col Muammar] Gaddafi, why are they recruiting so many people from the Sahel including Nigerians?” he demanded. “All they learned was how to shoot and kill. They didn’t learn to be electricians, plumbers or any other trade.”

Mr Buhari promised those who returned would be “rehabilitated”, and vowed to tackle corruption, defeat groups like Islamist militants Boko Haram and improve things like education to stop Nigerians leaving in the first place.

“For people to cross the Sahara desert and Mediterranean through shanty boats… we will try and keep them at home,” he said.

Exactly how the Nigerian government plans to enact the repatriation of its citizens is not clear.

–

Source: BBC

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Addressing a press conference after the visit, President Akufo-Addo noted that “all of us have been very anxious about his (President Buhari) well-being, and it was very good news to hear that he had returned. We are Africans, and it meant that I had to come and see things for myself.”

President Akufo-Addo added that “I am very delighted to see that he has come back, and is very vigorous, and, as always, very engaged in the issues of the day. We had a good half an hour together; reviewing matters, both in Ghana and Nigeria, as well as matters to do with what is going on in the ECOWAS community.”

President Akufo-Addo and President Buhari also discussed matters bordering on the rapid expansion and growth of their respective economies, and the fight against terrorism on the continent and in the world.

The two leaders President also reiterated their commitment towards strengthening the ties of friendship that exist between the two countries during their respective tenures of office, and in the years ahead.

The visit by President Akufo-Addo is the second visit paid to the Nigerian President by a foreign Head of State, following his return from London after his 3-month medical leave.

President Akufo-Addo, on his arrival, was made an honorary citizen of Abuja by Muhammad Musa Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital of Abuja, and was handed a symbolic key to the city.

President Akufo-Addo was accompanied by the Minister for National Security, Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah; Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Charles Owiredu; National Security Adviser, Gen. Emmanuel Otchere; and officials of the Presidency.
–
Source: Flagstaff House

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Aaron Motsoaledi condemned “health tourism” while speaking in Zimbabwe.

President Robert Mugabe, who frequently receives treatment in Singapore, had left the meeting of health ministers when Dr Motsoaledi made the comments.

Mr Mugabe’s spokesman has said that the president’s doctor “is not only Zimbabwean, he is actually black… He is very, very, very black”.

George Charamba made those comments to Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper in May, insisting that President Mugabe was not turning his back on Zimbabwean medical help.

Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari and Angola’s José Eduardo dos Santos have also been criticised for seeking medical treatment abroad this year.

At this week’s conference Dr Motsoaledi said:

“We are the only continent that has its leaders seeking medical services outside the continent, outside our territory. We must be ashamed of that.”

“This is called health tourism. We must promote our own,” he added.

Dr Motsoaledi also urged governments to increase funding to local facilities.

He has been praised by South Africans for using public hospitals instead of private facilities.

–

Source: BBC

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Muhammadu Buhari has just returned from three months in the UK, amid widespread concerns over his health.

But government spokesman Garba Shehu said the office required renovation after damage was done to the furniture and air conditioning in his absence.

He told the BBC the president had a “well-equipped” office at home that he could work “perfectly” from.

Mr Buhari returned to Nigeria on Saturday, but did not reference his health in his first speech.

Some Nigerians had called for him to resign during his prolonged absence, saying he was unfit to run the country.

Others were angered by officials’ refusal to disclose what Mr Buhari was being treated for.

He first travelled to London in June 2016 for what his office said was a persistent ear infection. He returned in January and May this year for an undisclosed illness.

Opposition politicians have claimed he was actually receiving treatment for prostate cancer – an accusation Mr Buhari denied.

“There’s nothing at all to worry about as to the condition of his own health. From everything we have seen from the president – we have a new Buhari: energetic, well focused and it is clear he is enjoying excellent health,” Mr Shehu told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.

“He has recovered, so there is nothing to talk about in any speech.”

Many users of Nigerian social media have cast doubt on the reason given for Mr Buhari working from home.

“I remember the group of rats that ate my mattress, drank my bottle of olive oil, ate the whole bottle and everything else in site but not the rat poison. So imagine what political rats can do…”

–

Source: BBC

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In a televised speech, Mr Buhari, 74, said he was “distressed” by calls for the dissolution of Nigeria, urging Nigerians to come together.

But the president failed to disclose his illness. It was his second spell of medical leave this year.

Many Nigerians had called for him to resign during his absence, saying he was unfit to run the country.

Others have called for more transparency over his condition, as speculation grows over whether he will be fit to seek a second term in 2019.

Vice-President’s Yemi Osinbajo has been in charge during his leave but Mr Buhari has now officially resumed his duties as president.

Speaking two days after his return, Mr Buhari said that comments around the dissolution of Nigeria had “crossed national red lines”.

“Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable,” he said. “We shall not allow irresponsible elements to start trouble.”

The president also made reference to ethnic violence in the country, blaming “political mischief-makers”.

Ethnic tensions – with some calling for a separate state in the south-east known as Biafra – surfaced during his leave, while the war against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram continued in parts of the north.

–

Source: BBC

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Officials refused to disclose what he was being treated for.

It was the president’s second spell of medical leave this year – leading many Nigerians to question whether he was well enough to run the country.

President Buhari, 74, walked unaided from the plane after landing in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

He was greeted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who has acted as interim leader, and was accorded a military salute.

He made no statement and immediately travelled to the presidential villa.

President Buhari, who took office in May 2015, handed over power to Vice President Osinbajo to allay concerns of a void at the helm of Africa’s biggest economy.

His absence sparked numerous protests, including demands that he should resign, as well as calls for more transparency about the president’s condition.

There has been speculation about his health since June 2016, when he first went to London for treatment of what his aides said was a persistent ear infection.

His spokesman said he will address Nigerians on Monday morning.

–

Source: BBC

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