Tag: President asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Categories
Entertainment News

Tinubu’s CSU Certificate: Lawmakers Move To Regulate Fake News On Social Media

According to reports, lawmakers in the country are reportedly plotting to bring up a bill to regulate fake news on social media.

The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, disclosed this while reacting to the viral claims on social media over the alleged Chicago State University (CSU) certificate forgery by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to Ogah, the National Assembly would soon adopt the bill and consequently sign it into law to regulate the spread of fake news on social media in Nigeria.

Ogah stated this while addressing journalists during the weekend in Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

“We at the National Assembly will soon enact a law on fake news essentially to control social media as it is in other countries. And that is to say that whatever people say or write will be regulated. You don’t sit in your room and post whatever you think to write.

“And from my own point of view, those people calling for the resignation of President Tinubu are doing it out of hatred. They have no facts. They believe what is posted on social media. Nigeria has rules; we have a constitution that the people are subjected to,” Daily Trust quoted the lawmaker as saying.

Recall that candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar is challenging the declaration of Tinubu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the February 25th poll.

Atiku alleged in his petitions that Tinubu forged his CSU certificate submitted to INEC for eligibility in the 2023 election.

Categories
Entertainment News

CSU Certificate: Presidency Twists Facts To Confuse Public, Atiku Alleges

Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, has alleged that the presidency twisted facts to confuse the mind of the public regarding President Bola Tinubu’s Chicago State University academic records.

The PUNCH reports that the CSU released Tinubu’s academic record to Atiku after weeks of legal tussle, and the former vice president on Friday filed the CSU documents as fresh evidence at the Supreme Court.

Atiku and Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had filed 86 grounds of appeal at the Supreme Court to nullify the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal’s judgment that affirmed Tinubu’s victory.

The former VP in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, on Sunday, alleged that some media aides to the president have come out openly to “push back on the narrative.”

He alleged further that some media houses have persistently slanted their story to justify a corrupted interpretation of the facts in the disposition.

He insisted that Tinubu falsified a document he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission and swore an affidavit under oath to back it up.

According to him, “On page 26 of the deposition which is publicly available, the Registrar of the Chicago State University, Caleb Westberg, under oath, was asked a simple question that, “CSU has determined that it does not have a true and correct copy of the diploma issued to Bola Tinubu is 1979, correct? To which the Registrar responded, That’s correct.”

“Also, on page 27, a similar question was put to Mr. Westberg: So, CSU, after going through every diploma, was unable to find an authentic copy of any diploma that CSU issued to Tinubu in 1979. Is that correct? The CSU Registrar, in his response, said: We did not find any diploma issued by CSU in 1979 to Mr. Tinubu.”

Atiku’s aide revealed that when asked whether the CSU is aware of or in possession of the diploma that Tinubu submitted to INEC,” Mr. Westberg simply said, “Correct, we are not aware of it.”

Categories
Entertainment News

Atiku Finally Approaches Supreme Court, Files Fresh Evidence Against Tinubu’s Victory

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has finally filed fresh evidence at the Supreme Court of Nigeria against the qualifications of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

Atiku, a former Vice President, said in the fresh evidence that he is categorically and authoritatively asserting that the Diploma Certificate of the Chicago State University (CSU) used by Tinubu to secure qualifications for participation in the election is fake, having been allegedly forged.

In a motion on notice filed by his legal team headed by Chris Uche SAN, Atiku asked the Supreme Court to invoke its Order 2 Rule 12 of 1985 to admit the fresh evidence of certificate forgery and perjury in support of his pending appeal before the Court to do substantial justice to his case.

Atiku, in the motion, marked SC/CV/935/2023, prayed the Apex Court to grant him leave to produce the additional evidence and for the Court to receive the fresh evidence from him.

Respondents in the motion are the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, as 1st to 3rd respectively.

The motion is predicated on several grounds but mainly on the release of academic records of Tinubu, evidence of the Registrar of the Chicago State University before a United States of America Court and the deposition of the same witness in respect of the Diploma Certificate President Tinubu presented to INEC for the purpose of eligibility for the election.

Other grounds in the motion are that “The 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) was not qualified at the time of the election to contest the election as required by Section 137 (1) (j) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

“Based on facts available to the Appellants/Applicants (Atiku) at the time of filing their Petition, the 1st Appellar Applicant (Atiku Abubakar,) through his United States of

American lawyers, Alexander de Cmmont and Argela M. Liu of the law firm of Dechert LLP o11900 K Street, NW, Washington DC 20006-1110, unsuccessfully applied to Chicago State University for the release of copies of the academic records of the 2nd Respondent.

“Given the strict privacy laws in the jurisdiction of Chicago State University, the request for the release of the academic records and certificate issued to the 2nd Respondent could not be granted without an order of court and for the purpose of use in pending court proceedings.

“The 1st Applicant through his said US-based Attomeys thereupon brought an action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois -In rc: Application of Atiku Abubakar for an Order Directing Discovery from Chicago State University Case No. 23-CV-05099 for an order for the production of documents and testimony for use in a proceeding in a foreign court, seeking documents and testimony from Chicago State University concerning the authenticity and origin of documents purporting to be the educational records of the 2nd Respondent, Bola A. Tinubu.

“The 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) applied and was joined in the matter as an Intervenor, vehemently opposed rhe application.

“On September 19, 2023, the Court issued an order granting the application and

thereafter, the 2nd Respondent applied for an emergency stay of the Court Order, claiming that he would suffer irreparable damage and injury if his educational records were released: which order of stay was granted.

“On September 30, 2023, the Court overruled the 2nd Respondent’s objections and ordered Chicago State University to produce tbe documents on October 2, 2023, and to produce a witness for deposition on October 3, 2023.

“On October 2, 2023. Chicago State University produced the documents pursuant to the Court’s Order.

“On October 3, 2023, also pursuant to the Court’s Order, Chicago State University provided a witness to give deposition testimony, in which deposition, Chicago State University disclaimed ownership and

authorship of the document that the 2nd Respondent presented to INEC, purporting to be “Chicago State University certificate” and also disclaimed issuing any replacement certificate to him.

“The deposition was not in existence or available at the time of filing the petition.

“The deposition sought to be adduced is, along with its accompanying documents, such as would have important effect in the resolution of this appeal.

“The deposition is relevant to this matter, having confirmed that the certificate presented by the 2nd Respondent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not emanate from Chicago State

University, and that whoever issued the certificate presented by the 2nd Respondent, did not have the authority of the Chicago State University, and that the 2nd Respondent never applied for any replacement certificate nor was he issued any replacement certificate by the Chicago State University.

“The deposition, which is on oath and deposed to in the presence of the 2nd Respondent’s Attorney, is credible and believable and ought to be believed.

“The deposition is clear and unambiguous, and no further evidence is needed to be adduced on it. The evidence is such that could not have been obtained without reasonable diligence for use at the trial, as the deposition required the commencement of the suit in the United States of America before receiving same. It is not possible to obtain the said evidence before the trial at the Court below.

“The deposition was made on October 03, 2Q23 after the conclusion of trial at the Court below, and was not available to be tendered at the trial.

“Presentation of a forged certificate to the lndependent National Electoral Commission by a candidate in an election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a weighty constitutional matter,

requiring consideration by the Courts as custodians of the Constitution.

“The original certified deposition has been forwarded to the Honourable Court by a letter addressed to the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court

“It is in the interest of justice for the Honourable Court to exercise its discretion in favour of the Appellants/Applicants.”

The motion was supported by several paragraph affidavit deposed to on behalf of Atiku and PDP by one Uyi Giwa-Osagie, a legal practitioner of Plot 120, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja.

It read in part, “That the 1st Appellant/Applicant contested the election to the ofiice of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the platform of the 2nd Appellant/Applicant, which election was conducted by the 1st Respondent on the 25th day of February 2023.

“That the 1st Respondent retumed the 2nd Respondent as the winner of the said election, and hence the Appellants, beirg dissatisfied with the retum, filed a Petition on the 21st day of March 2023 before the Court of Appeal sitting as the Presidential Election Petition Count.

“That the Court below had by a judgment delivered on 6th September 2023

dismissed the said Petition, whereupon the Appellants/Applicants appealed against the said judgment to this Honourable Court in September 2023.

“That the Record of Appeal has been transmitted to this Honourable Court and the appeal duly entered, and the said Record ofAppeal is now before this Honourable Court, running into over 9,000 pages in 11 Volumes, upon which the Appellants/Applicarts are relying in this application.

“That I know that one of the grounds of the Appellants/Applicants’ Petition before the Court below is that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) was not qualified at the time of the election to contest the election and did not meet the constitutiolal theshold to contest.”

Meanwhile, no date has yet been fixed for hearing of the motion.

Categories
Entertainment News

Tinubu’s Academic Records: Atiku Lacks Moral Justification To Talk About Integrity – Ajiboye

Abiodun Ajiboye, a member of the defunct All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC PCC) has tackled Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He berated Atiku over his quest to obtain the academic certificates of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Recall that Atiku is seeking to include the academic records of the president in his appeal of the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal at the Supreme Court.
The PDP flagbearer had alleged discrepancies in the certificate Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest in the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking during the press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Atiku stated that every Nigerian was embarrassed by the alleged certificate scandal of the president.
The former vice president asserted that he would only drop the battle against the president after the Supreme Court’s judgment, saying that the unravelling of the truth about Tinubu’s records is not personal.
Atiku also paid tribute to the late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, for inspiring him on the path of discovery, saying that he can truly rest in peace in the assurance that what he started about 23 years ago has come to fruition.
He also alleged that Tinubu also sent a delegation of APC governors to meet with him immediately after the election, but that he rebuffed them, saying that he was not indebted to Tinubu as believed by many.
The former vice president also accused the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari of revoking the contracts of his logistics company, Intells.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News on Thursday night, Ajiboye said the former vice president is the most corrupt human being on earth as described by his former principal, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The APC chieftain said Atiku cannot be talking about the morality of President Tinubu when he is highly immoral and corrupt.
He said: “Obasanjo said Atiku is the most corrupt human being. You cannot talk about morality when you are highly immoral.“
Categories
Entertainment News

CSU Certificate Saga: Why Supreme Court May Not Admit Fresh Evidence – Lawyer

It has been revealed that the Supreme Court may not admit fresh evidence in the appeal of the judgment of the presidential election petition tribunal.
The assertion was made by a former Chairman at the Nigerian Bar Association, Monday Ubani.
Ubani was reacting to the case initiated by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar in the United States.
Atiku had requested for the release of President Bola Tinubu’s certificate from the Chicago State University with claims that the certificate the President submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC may not be authentic.
Speaking on the development on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Ubani said, “Looking at the facts surrounding it, the issue of admissibility of fresh evidence by the appellate court is very rare, especially if that evidence was available to you while you were initiating the process.
 
“The Supreme Court will never, even the Court of Appeal will not admit fresh evidence because their job is to review the decision of the court below and not to now evaluate any evidence. 
 
“They don’t take any evidence but there are special circumstances under which fresh evidence can be admitted by the appellate court and that ground is maybe by the time you file the case that evidence was not available.”
President Tinubu, through his lawyers, resisted Atiku’s demand for his records to be released, but the US court eventually ordered CSU to release the President’s academic records to Atiku, who had told the court he needed them for his appeal in the Supreme Court.
Ubani said it will take a lot from Atiku’s legal team to convince the Supreme Court to admit fresh evidence in the appeal of the election tribunal judgment, as the apex court will only be reviewing the decision of the lower court.
The senior lawyer noted that Atiku’s legal team will be challenged by Tinubu’s team on the issue of admissibility of fresh evidence; adding that the court may be left to use its discretionary power to decide whether or not to admit fresh evidence in the case.
He said, “The issue of admissibility of fresh evidence is very critical, you must convince, and whoever is bringing it will be opposed by the other party. So, the court now exercises what is called discretionary power in either admitting or not allowing that fresh evidence to come in.”
Categories
Entertainment News

Why I Slumped During Ministerial Screening – Balarabe

President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominee, Abbas Balarabe, who collapsed during screening at the Red Chamber has given an update on his health.

Balarabe disclosed that he was exhausted while getting ready for his screening for a ministerial role.

According to Balarabe, he was informed of his nomination on Tuesday and had stayed up all night preparing for his ‘big day’.

The minister said, “It is basically exhaustion. I got the news of my nomination yesterday and I had to come from Kaduna.

“There were so many things to do which I attended to throughout the night.

“What happened today is as a result of pure exhaustion.

“I want to thank the Senate for their understanding particularly the senators from my State ( Kaduna) who have all gathered around me since yesterday and the medical team who took care of me.

“I am alright now, nothing is wrong with me. What I experienced was pure exhaustion which can happen to anybody.”

There was drama in the Senate earlier today when the nominee who replaced former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai suddenly collapsed during his screening.

Balarabe, the second nominee to face screening after Dr. Ibrahim, had just concluded recounting his experiences when the incident happened.

Categories
Entertainment News

Chicago State University Says Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu Presented Forged Certificate to INEC

A degree certificate President Bola Tinubu presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the presidential election did not come from Chicago State University, according to Peoples Gazette.
The paper reported that this was revealed at a deposition of school officials on Tuesday in Chicago.
Caleb Westberg, the registrar at Chicago State University, said Mr Tinubu’s certificate, dated June 22, 1979, and tendered to INEC on June 17, 2022, was not issued by the school and its administrators could, therefore, not be able to authenticate its source, The Gazette learnt.
Mr Westberg, CSU’s registrar since November 2020, also said, during the deposition that lasted about 5.5 hours, that Mr Tinubu did not apply for a replacement certificate, nor was he ever issued one.
The categorical statement capped a successful outcome for the monthslong legal strategy of Atiku Abubakar, Mr Tinubu’s main opponent, who approached the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago to ascertain the authenticity or otherwise of the document. Federal district judge Nancy Maldonado granted a final order for CSU administrators to turn over all documents relating to Mr Tinubu to the school and also sit down for deposition by an adversarial team of lawyers deployed by Mr Abubakar.

Mr Tinubu, sensing the intractable consequences of the proceeding, vigorously fought to thwart its successful outcome, with his lawyers warning the judge in a September 21 hearing that releasing the documents with deposition would inevitably inflict severe, irreparable harm against the Nigerian president.
The school had long insisted that Mr Tinubu was its student, entering in 1977 and graduating in 1979, but its inability to authenticate the certificate the Nigerian president submitted would ripple through Nigeria’s over 200 million population for the foreseeable future.
Previously in 1999, Mr Tinubu had lied under oath when he ran for governor of Lagos, claiming he obtained a degree from the prestigious University of Chicago. However, he managed to escape being held accountable for the breach because he had been elected before it was discovered, and he did not submit a certificate backing his claim, only an affidavit that was later found to be fiction, and the Nigerian Supreme Court said he could not be charged with crimes as a serving governor. He subsequently stopped claiming attendance at the University of Chicago, holding on instead to a claim that he attended Chicago State University, one of Illinois State University campuses traditionally popular among black people.
A spokesman for the president was not immediately available for reaction to the development on Tuesday night. But the president’s allies have suggested publicly that the evidence was inconsequential and propagated the Supreme Court’s readiness to throw it out.
The president’s allies are also banking on the muddled circumstances of the president’s certificate spiel, believing his Nigerian lawyers would be able to convince the Supreme Court to focus more on the school’s position that Mr Tinubu was a student rather than how he came about parading a forged certificate.

On Monday evening, shortly after the school dumped records into the electronic filing portal used by lawyers to all parties, Mr Tinubu’s team circulated a misrepresented account of the documents, successfully misleading some media outlets to run a claim that the school had authenticated Mr Tinubu’s certificate.
They also said a replacement was issued to Mr Tinubu on June 27, 1997, in what seemed to be a reference to the certificate the school had submitted following a 2022 subpoena obtained from a state court by Nigerian lawyer Mike Enahoro-Ebah.
Mr Enahoro-Ebah received the certificate, dated June 27, 1979, alongside all academic records of Mr Tinubu from CSU in August 2022. But the certificate was signed by Elnora Daniel and Niva Lubin, who were not at the school in 1979 and carried June 27, 1979, as its issuance date.
After comparing the certificate he was given by CSU to the certificate Mr Tinubu submitted to INEC, dated June 22, 1979, Mr Enahoro-Ebah promptly returned to Nigeria with the records and filed a criminal complaint against Mr Tinubu for forgery. But the case was stalled in an Abuja court for months before the election and has not been heard even months after the election.
Mr Atiku used the conflicting records to approach the federal court in Chicago for a subpoena as part of his ongoing case against Mr Tinubu in Nigeria, culminating in Tuesday’s deposition that established Mr Tinubu forged his certificate in violation of the Constitution.
Mr Tinubu was narrowly declared the winner of the February 25 presidential election, and he was only sworn in on May 29. But today’s development could all but mark a putative end to his presidency due to the constitutional proscription against the submission of a fake certificate to the electoral office.
Section 137 (1)(j) of the Nigerian Constitution (amended in 2010) specifically stated that no one would be legitimately elected president of Nigeria if the person “has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.”
The records obtained from the school, the deposition and other material collected through the U.S. legal system are now being prepared for onward submission to the Nigeria Supreme Court, where a final decision on the presidential election challenge would be made on or before December 6, 2023.
While the evidence may appear overwhelming to a plurality of Nigerians, its acceptance would still need to cross a formidable hurdle at the Supreme Court. This is because the court has conventionally rejected the introduction of new material at the top court level that was not previously argued during the initial trial.
Mr Abubakar himself admitted before two U.S. judges who heard his discovery application that it would be a daunting challenge to convince the Supreme Court to accept the files, yet not entirely improbable.
Mr Abubakar lost at the Court of Appeal, the initial court for presidential election disputes, when a panel of five judges on September 6 said his petition was too weak to overturn Mr Tinubu’s election.
Mr Tinubu’s lawyers, in the U.S., argued against granting Mr Abubakar’s application to extract their client’s records over an admissibility challenge. But Ms Maldonado, nonetheless, said in her September 30 judgement that the records should be released, and any questions about usefulness would be answered by the Nigerian Supreme Court.
Mr Abubakar filed the application to obtain Mr Tinubu’s CSU records and depose its officials on August 2, 2023, coming under Section 1782, the statute that allows the U.S. to turn over records “for use in a proceeding before a foreign tribunal.”
Categories
Entertainment News

Peter Obi Files Appellants’ Brief of Arguments Against Tinubu At The Supreme Court (Photo)

The Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have filed a brief of arguments at the Supreme Court, in furtherance of the petition challenging the win of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 polls.

The development was disclosed in a post via the X platform early on Tuesday morning by actor and chieftain of the party, Kenneth Okonkwo.

He wrote: “To God be the glory, we have filed our Appellants’ Brief of Arguments at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. We still trust in God to see us through. Great kudos to all the members of the Presidential Petition Legal Team of @PeterObi. God will bless all of them.”

According to a part of the document seen by Naija News, the filing is an appeal against the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on 6th September 2023 in the petition filed by Obi and the Labour Party against Tinubu’s victory.

It added that the appeal is predicated on the notice of appeal filed on 19th September 2023 containing 51 grounds of appeal.

Listed as respondents in the case are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

See the photo below;

Categories
Entertainment News

Full Text Of President Bola Tinubu’s 63rd Independence Day Anniversary Speech

Bola Tinubu

Dear Compatriots,

1.It is my unique honour to address you on this day, the 63rd anniversary of our nation’s independence, both as the President of our dear country and, simply, as a fellow Nigerian.

2. On this solemn yet hopeful day, let us commend our founding fathers and mothers. Without them, there would be no modern Nigeria. From the fading embers of colonialism, their activism, dedication and leadership gave life to the belief in Nigeria as a sovereign and independent nation.

3. Let us, at this very moment, affirm that as Nigerians, we are all endowed with the sacred rights and individual gifts that God has bestowed on us as a nation and as human beings. No one is greater or lesser than the other. The triumphs that Nigeria has achieved shall define us. The travails we have endured shall strengthen us. And no other nation or power on this earth shall keep us from our rightful place and destiny. This nation belongs to you, dear people. Love and cherish it as your very own.

4. Nigeria is remarkable in its formation and essential character. We are a broad and dynamic blend of ethnic groups, religions, traditions and cultures. Yet, our bonds are intangible yet strong, invisible yet universal. We are joined by a common thirst for peace and progress, by the common dream of prosperity and harmony and by the unifying ideals of tolerance and justice.

5. Forging a nation based on the fair application of these noble principles to a diverse population has been a task of significant blessing but also a serial challenge. Some people have said an independent Nigeria should never have come into existence. Some have said that our country would be torn apart. They are forever mistaken. Here, our nation stands and here we shall remain.

6. This year, we passed a significant milestone in our journey to a better Nigeria. By democratically electing a 7th consecutive civilian government, Nigeria has proven that commitment to democracy and the rule of law remains our guiding light.

7. At my inauguration, I made important promises about how I would govern this great nation. Among those promises, were pledges to reshape and modernize our economy and to secure the lives, liberty and property of the people.

8. I said that bold reforms were necessary to place our nation on the path of prosperity and growth. On that occasion, I announced the end of the fuel subsidy.

9. I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp. I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.

10. Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few. A Nigeria where hunger, poverty and hardship are pushed into the shadows of an ever fading past.

11. There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.

12. My government is doing all that it can to ease the load. I will now outline the path we are taking to relieve the stress on our families and households.

13. We have embarked on several public sector reforms to stabilize the economy, direct fiscal and monetary policy to fight inflation, encourage production, ensure the security of lives and property and lend more support to the poor and the vulnerable.

14. Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand naira per month.

15. To ensure better grassroots development, we set up an Infrastructure Support Fund for states to invest in critical areas. States have already received funds to provide relief packages against the impact of rising food and other prices.

16. Making the economy more robust by lowering transport costs will be key. In this regard, we have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the nation. These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares.

17. New CNG conversions kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process. We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs. This is a groundbreaking moment where, as a nation, we embrace more efficient means to power our economy. In making this change, we also make history.

18. I pledged a thorough housecleaning of the den of malfeasance the CBN had become. That housecleaning is well underway. A new leadership for the Central Bank has been constituted. Also, my special investigator will soon present his findings on past lapses and how to prevent similar reoccurrences. Henceforth, monetary policy shall be for the benefit of all and not the exclusive province of the powerful and wealthy.

19. Wise tax policy is essential to economic fairness and development. I have inaugurated a Committee on Tax Reforms to improve the efficiency of tax administration in the country and address fiscal policies that are unfair or hinder the business environment and slow our growth.

20. To boost employment and urban incomes, we are providing investment funding for enterprises with great potential. Similarly, we are increasing investment in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

21. Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programs to an additional 15 million vulnerable households.

22. My administration shall always accord the highest priority to the safety of the people. Inter-Service collaboration and intelligence sharing have been enhanced. Our Service Chiefs have been tasked with the vital responsibility of rebuilding the capacities of our security services.

23. Here, I salute and commend our gallant security forces for keeping us safe and securing our territorial integrity. Many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We remember them today and their families. We shall equip our forces with the ways and means needed to perform their urgent task on behalf of the people,

24. We shall continue to make key appointments in line with the provisions of the Constitution and with fairness toward all. Women, Youth and the physically challenged shall continue to be given due regard in these appointments.

25. May I take this opportunity to congratulate the National Assembly for its role in the quick take-off of this administration through the performance of its constitutional duties of confirmation and oversight.

26. I similarly congratulate the judiciary as a pillar of democracy and fairness.

27. I also thank members of our dynamic civil society organizations and labour unions for their dedication to Nigerian democracy. We may not always agree but I value your advice and recommendations. You are my brothers and sisters and you have my due respect.

28. Fellow compatriots, the journey ahead will not be navigated by fear or hatred. We can only achieve our better Nigeria through courage, compassion and commitment as one indivisible unit.

29. I promise that I shall remain committed and serve faithfully. I also invite all to join this enterprise to remake our beloved nation into its better self. We can do it. We must do it. We shall do it.!!!

30. I wish you all a happy 63rd Independence Anniversary.

31. Thank you for listening.

32. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. To

Categories
Entertainment News

Findings On Past Lapses In Central Bank Will Soon Be Released By Special Investigator, Says Tinubu

Nigeria’s number one man, President Bola Tinubu has said that findings on past lapses in the Central Bank of Nigeria will soon be out.

The president stated this on Sunday morning in his nationwide broadcast as part of the programme of events to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence anniversary celebration.

In July, Tinubu appointed a special investigator to probe the apex bank.

In a letter dated July 28, 2023, the president named the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Jim Obazee, as the special investigator.

The President asked Obazee to investigate CBN and key Government Business Entities.

The letter read, “In accordance with the fundamental objective set forth in Section 15(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), this administration is, today, continuing the fight against corruption by appointing you as a Special Investigator, to investigate the CBN and Related Entities. This appointment shall be with immediate effect and you are to report directly to my office.

“The full terms of your engagement as Special Investigator shall be communicated to you in due course but, require that you immediately take steps to ensure the strengthening and probity of key Government Business Entities, further block leakages in the CBN and related GBEs and provide a comprehensive report on public wealth currently in the hands of corrupt individuals and establishments (whether private or public).

“You are to investigate the CBN and related entities using a suitably experienced, competent and capable team and work with relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to deliver on this assignment. I shall expect a weekly briefing on the progress being made.”

The appointment of Obazee came over a month after Tinubu suspended Godwin Emefiele as the CBN governor.

Shortly after his suspension in June, Emefiele was arrested and taken into custody by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS).

In his address, Tinubu said, “I pledged a thorough housecleaning of the den of malfeasance the CBN had become. That housecleaning is well underway. A new leadership for the Central Bank has been constituted. Also, my special investigator will soon present his findings on past lapses and how to prevent similar reoccurrences. Henceforth, monetary policy shall be for the benefit of all and not the exclusive province of the powerful and wealthy.

“Wise tax policy is essential to economic fairness and development. I have inaugurated a Committee on Tax Reforms to improve the efficiency of tax administration in the country and address fiscal policies that are unfair or hinder the business environment and slow our growth.

“To boost employment and urban incomes, we are providing investment funding for enterprises with great potential. Similarly, we are increasing investment in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.”

About Us

626blaze is an entertainment and lifestyle website that brings you latest gist and scoops from the world of music, fashion, movies, sports and social commentary.

Categories

Subscribe to our Newsletters