Soludo, Fayemi visit Buhari"s CoS ahead of ministerial appointments

ABUJA—Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Charles Soludo, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, were yesterday sighted at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, filling visitors’ forms on their way to the office of Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Charles Soludo

Soludo entered the Chief of Staff’s office around 5:30p.m., followed by Fayemi about 30 minutes later.

They were visiting the Villa when expectations were high that President Buhari would soon make his ministerial list public.

It will recalled that the President had repeatedly assured Nigerians that he will form his cabinet before the end of this month.

Soludo, who was the CBN governor during the administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umar Yar’Adua, was critical of the immediate past government of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on the financial management and the handling of the economy, which he said was brutally raped.

Fayemi was the Director of Policy, Research and Strategy in All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaign organization.

I’m not available for

public service—SOLUDO

Many believed that Soludo’s critical outbursts on the eve of the presidential election in March helped to sway sympathy and votes for President Buhari even as the former CBN governor, in an interview with an online media, Premium Times, on June 7, said he was not prepared to work for the government, saying he was preoccupied with other engagements

He had said: “Nigerians and their rumours! I am glad you said they are rumours and such rumours are normal.

“For sure, I wish the new government success and for the sake of Nigeria, everyone must contribute to assist President Buhari succeed.

“I will contribute in whatever way I can. However, everyone cannot sit in government in order to serve: some will be there on full time basis, while others can contribute from outside.

“For me at this point in time, I am not disposed or available for full time public service. Perhaps in the future it could happen, but not now.

 

‘My hands are full’

“For now, my hands are full with several other experiments I am involved with (especially abroad) in the private sector, charity, think-tanks, and the international community.

“I am part of a major initiative in Africa’s mining and solid minerals sector, and this takes me through several African countries, among other engagements.

“I am having great fun exploring totally new vistas of opportunity that are central to Africa’s great leap in the 21st century.

“I read that President Buhari will give priority to solid minerals. We can provide free advisory services and perhaps assist to mobilize investment in the sector or in any other areas if our advice is needed.

“In effect, there are several ways we can assist the government to succeed but not necessarily to take up full time appointment. No, not now,” he was quoted as saying in the interview.

Meanwhile, it was not known whether both men later met with President Buhari as they waited for the Chief of Staff, who was in the President’s office when they arrived the State House.

Soludo, Fayemi visit Buhari"s CoS ahead of ministerial appointments

Alleged Muslim marginisation: Imams, Alfas order Muslims to reject Fayose stomach infrastructure

The League of Imams and Alfas in Ekiti has ordered Muslims in the state not to collect rams and other food items for Sallah celebration, if presented to them in any form by the government.

The league reached the decision at a meeting held on Tuesday at Ansar-u-deen Society Central Mosque Odo – Otu,  Ado Ekiti, where it reviewed the “deliberate marginalisation of Muslims in  Ekiti State government political appointment.”

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and National Council of Muslim Youth Organisation, Ekiti State, had respectively issued statements condemning Governor Ayodele Fayose for neglecting Muslims in appointments.

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, had also described “Fayose’s treatment of Muslims in terms of appointment in the state” as “the worst since the state was created.”

The party claimed Ekiti muslims were not given up to one percent of the appointments made by the Fayose administration.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the league said, “Based on the above, the League, Ekiti State Council hereby resolve that: No Muslim in the State should collect rams and other food items if presented to them in any form by the government.

The communique was signed by the state’s Assistant Secretary, League of Imams and Alfas, Alhaji Quadri Oguntuase; a Representative of Ansar-u-deen Missioner, Fatai Jimoh and Chief Imam, Ilogbo, Imam Abdul Rasak.

Alleged Muslim marginisation: Imams, Alfas order Muslims to reject Fayose stomach infrastructure

Key position or not, it"s no issues; Buhari will balance appointment - Aide

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Friday assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari’s political appointments will balance out very soon.

Adesina spoke while featuring on a radio programme, Political Platform, on RayPower 100.5FM, monitored by our correspondent.

He was reacting to criticisms that have trailed the President’s appointments, which are believed to favour the Northern part of the country.

Adesina said the President was aware of federal character and expressed the believe that there would be balance by the time he made more appointments in September.

While saying appointments were Buhari’s prerogative, the presidential spokesman also said nobody can fault the fact that those named  so far ‎were appointed on merits.

He also said it would not be fair for the President to be blamed for positions that were filled as a result of elections, like those of the National Assembly and appointments made as a result of next in command, like those of the acting Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission  and that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

He assured all stakeholders that the President would keep to his promise of appointing the remaining aides and ministers ‎in September.

Adesina said, “Nobody can fault the fact that the persons appointed were appointed on merits.

“In terms of the spread, the President has prerogative to appoint  and he knows there is federal character. I am sure that there will be balance in the future. These are still early days. At the end of the day, we will have a balance.

“By the time more appointments are made, it will balance out. The President is trying to get the very best of Nigerians. The issue of key positions and no key positions should not be the issue.

“He gave a deadline of September for the appointment of ministers ‎and he will keep to it.”

Key position or not, it"s no issues; Buhari will balance appointment - Aide

Buhari names SGF, Chief of Staff, others

President  Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed Engr. Babachir David Lawal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

President Buhari

Buhari, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also announced the appointment of  Alhaji Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff to the President, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd.) as Comptroller-General, of the Nigerian Customs Service, Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi  as the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Other appointments include Senator Ita S.J. Enang as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), and Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu   –  SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives).

The appointments, the statement said, are with effect from today, August 27, 2015.

It reads: “Engr. Lawal, the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation hails from Hong Local Government Area, Adamawa State.

“He graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979 with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree and worked with the Delta Steel Company, Aladja,  Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited and Data Sciences Limited before establishing his own ICT and Telecommunications consulting firm in 1990.

“He is also a member of the Nigeria Computer Society, the Nigeria Society of Engineers and the  Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

“Alhaji Abba Kyari, the new Chief of Staff to the President holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Warwick in Law and Sociology.

“He has worked with the New Nigeria Development Company, New Africa Holdings, African International Bank, United Bank for Africa, Unilever, and Mobil in various capacities over the years.

“The new Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Ali holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Criminology. He was  military administrator of Kaduna State from 1996 to 1998.

“The new Comptroller- General of Immigration, Mr. Abeshi hails from Nasarawa State.

“He joined the Nigerian Immigration Service in 1989 as an Assistant Comptroller. His educational qualifications include a Masters Degree in Public Administration.” It stated

Buhari names SGF, Chief of Staff, others

Cleric Cautions Buhari Against Lopsided Appointments

As Nigerians await announcement of more appointments by the Federal Government, an Anglican Bishop, Rt. Rev. Innocent Ordu has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to avoid lopsidedness in the composition of his cabinet.

President Buhari

Ordu, who is the Bishop of the Diocese of Evo, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), gave the advice on Saturday in Port Harcourt while delivering his Presidential Address/Bishop’s Charge at the Third Session of the Second Synod of the diocese.

Speaking on the theme, “Recapturing the spirit of excellence and integrity in service: The Daniel example”, the cleric urged the president to respect the principle of Federal Character in choosing persons to serve with him.

He said, “Ethnic, regional or religious biases must be avoided. Merit, competence and even-spread of positions should be considered first and foremost.

“Every Nigerian and groups of Nigerians are constitutionally at liberty to vote for any person or political party of their choice, even if that person or party ends up losing at the polls.

“That preference by an individual, ethnic groups or geopolitical zone should not make them suffer marginalisation in the distribution of political offices and other dividends of democracy to the various sections of the country”.

Ordu, who declared that Nigeria belonged to all, also made a case for the people of the South-East and South-South zones, saying they did not commit any sin against the Nigerian State by their voting pattern in the 2015 general election.

The Bishop said, “They must not be made to stand by and helplessly watch the other parts of the country scramble for key positions in the country just because they voted differently. Once again, we say Nigeria belongs to all of us and so key offices in the land must be equitably distributed.”

The cleric also described as embarrassing and deplorable the leadership crisis that engulfed the National Assembly.

> He said the federal lawmakers were ” shamefully soaked in the battle for who occupies what office in the National Assembly” at a time when they should settling down to the serious business of law making and oversight functions.

Ordu blamed the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the situation, saying it was borne out of desperation to share the spoils of election victory.

The Bishop said, “They appear visibly to undermine the independence of the second arm of government by insisting that certain key offices be occupied by some already anointed members of both Houses.This, in our opinion, is totally wrong and will not make for the healthy growth of our young democratic process.”

Ordu affirmed that the National Assembly had come of age and called on President Buhari and the APC leadership to allow the wishes of the federal lawmakers to stand without any further interference.

Cleric Cautions Buhari Against Lopsided Appointments