Seven months after inauguration, Buhari achieves one of 222 Campaign Promises – Report

Seven months after inauguration, Buhari achieves one of 222 Campaign Promises – Report

Seven months after taking over government, the Muhammadu Buhari administration has succeeded in achieving only one out of the 222 campaign promises made to Nigerians, according to a report by Buharimetre, a civil society monitoring report tracking the implementation of the president’s campaign promises.

The report, which covers the activities of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government from May 29 to December 31, 2015, observed in its assessment that the achievement was in the area of the fight against corruption, even though a lot was still left undone in that regard.

“PMB has only achieved 1 out of the 222 tracked promises, which constitutes 0.5 percent of the promises,” Buharimetre reported.

“ More so, it reveals that while the government is taking action to achieving only 27 (12.2 percent approximately) of the tracked promises thus ongoing, 194 electoral promises are still ‘Not Rated.’
“ The latter constitutes 87.3 percent of the tracked promises.”

The electoral promises not rated, it says, is because there is “no tangible related activities being implemented.”

The 2015 report is the fourth on the series of report on the assessment of the performance of President  Muhammadu Buhari  and the governing party, the APC, on the delivery of its 222 electoral promises.

The report examined and focused on issues around insecurity, the economy, oil and gas, corruption, agriculture and social sectors, with emphasis on the environment.

It also provided useful insights into the current state of key sectors as a way of establishing the basis of measuring outcomes.

Assessing the fight against corruption, the report noted that there had been visible efforts to combat corruption since the inauguration of the present administration, naming the arrest and prosecution of some notable persons and the efforts to recover looted funds.

“PMB anti-corruption efforts have been commended as a step in the right direction,” the report noted.
“ Positive opinions in this regard are due to the possible positive impact of the efforts on development and democracy in the country.

“However, the government has been accused of politics of selection in the fight against corruption. A delay in the prosecution of the accused people has been a major criticism of the government. Moreover, while the government has shown unmatched commitment to curbing corruption, such effort should be institutionalised.”
The report observed that one of the promises of the current administration was to strengthen the capacity of anti-graft agencies, particularly EFCC and ICPC, by guaranteeing their prosecutorial and financial independence as well as security of tenure.

“Despite the fact that the anti-grant agencies have shown renewed efforts in the fight against corrupt practices, there has been no effort by the government to amend relevant laws to guarantee their independence in these areas,” states the report.

“Moreover, nothing has been done to enact the Whistle Blower Act, as promised by the administration. We believe that through these interventions, the performance of anti-graft agencies would not rely on the personality and political will of President Buhari, but rather the campaign against corruption would be institutionalised and thereby would extend beyond the current administration.”

While stating that it was aware of government’s commitment to fighting corruption and blocking leakages in both the civil service and the oil and gas sector; and exhibiting a strong political will to fight corruption irrespective of who is involved,  Buharimetre observed that the fight against corruption must not be devoid of strict adherence to the rule of law.

“In the last few months, several of the people accused of corruption have been detained against the law, which stipulates that all accused must be brought before the court 48 hours after arrest,” it stated.

“Some people granted bail have since been re-arrested and detained. The fight against corruption must be pursued in line with due process and never in abuse of the law.

“It is also imperative for the government to acknowledge that the fight against corruption should not be confused as sufficient to address all governance challenges in the country.

“Essentially, fighting corruption is and should remain one of the policy priorities of government but not the only overarching intervention necessary to strengthen governance, especially in a country like Nigeria where democracy is still transitioning.

“The campaign against corrupt practices should simultaneously exist with interventions such as social provisions that could discourage people from engaging in corrupt practices, and to a large extent, galvanize support for the campaign. This may also help institutionalise the anti-corruption process in the country.

“ Allegations of perceived bias continue to be made against the PMB administration in several parts of the country. For instance, the South Eastern part of the country continues to claim marginalization on the part of the government.”

Boko Haram
Although, Buharimetre noted the efforts of the Nigerian military in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the north east of Nigeria and to ensure security in the entire country, it said the rising wave of violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, militancy in the Nigeria Delta and the activities of Biafra separatists groups were posing even greater danger to the security of life in the country.

The report acknowledged the achievements in decimating the capabilities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North East and the reorganization of the entire structure in the anti-terrorism project, but noted that the sect continues to display strong resilience and shocking adaptability.

“Members of the group, who formerly travelled in armoured personnel carriers (APCs), now ride horses, motor bikes and bicycles to carry out their nefarious activities,” said the report.

“ These range from poisoning water when fleeing villages and adopting soft target attacks using suicide bombing, executed mostly by young girls.

“The insurgents have also carried out attacks in Nyanya and Kuje, on the outskirts of the capital city, Abuja.”
It faulted the government’s responses to the increasing number of internally displaced persons whose living conditions had become life threatening.

The report also underscored government’s failure to officially unveil its accountability plans for resolving the Boko Haram insurgency.

“This may be partly because the problem is not Boko Haram alone. Amnesty International recently issued a report titled Stars on Their Shoulders, Blood on Their Hands indicting the Nigerian military for its wanton killings in the war against the insurgency,” it said.

“The ICC-OTP has also established eight possible cases of crimes against humanity in relation to the North East of Nigeria. This includes six possible cases against Boko Haram and two possible cases against the Nigerian security forces.”

The report also drew attention to the fact that the remote and immediate causes of violent extremism are still very much alive in the polity.

“There are smaller, less popular Islamic radical groups present in several parts of Northern  Nigeria,” says the report.

“For instance, Yanlabaiku in Kebbi state is preaching against Western education and Westernisation, and Niger state is pervaded by different radical Islamist groups. Most of these groups live in seclusion, preaching and practicing radical Islam.”

It also cited armed banditry which had continue to terrorise rural communities, rustling cattle, raping and abducting women and girls, killing people and committing highway robbery and thus increasing tension in Northern Nigeria.

Also citing the Biafra struggle, the report noted that the state approach, and particularly the security sector approach in handling the conflicts remained a cause for concern across the country.

“There are fears that if the IPOB is not properly managed, it may degenerate into a low level insurgency, further compounding current security challenges,” it said.

“Soon after the security agents clampdown on the Biafra separatist movement, there were reports that the Nigerian Army, in preventing an alleged attempted assassination on the Chief of Army staff, General Buratai, killed twenty Shia members in Zaria.

“The Shia are said to have put up barricades and blocked the road to be used by General Buratai. The Army went to the sect’s enclave Husainiyyah, the residence of sect leader Ibrahim Zakzaky in Gyallesu, and the DarurRahma mosque, where many unarmed people were killed.

“Human Rights Watch (HRW), has alleged that no fewer than 300 members of the Shia sect were killed and secretly buried by members of the Nigerian army,” the report stated.

Fire kills mother, seven children in Ebonyi

Eight members of a family have been burnt to death in a fire outbreak in Ebonyi state.
Premium Times reports that the tragedy struck on Friday, January 29, in Ohufu village, Ogboji community in Ishielu local government area of the state.

A horrible inferno killed a woman and seven children, while the husband, Sylvanus Nefuru, and one of the children, Ukamaka Nwefuru, escaped death.

It was gathered that the incident happened at 3 a.m., when the family members were sleeping.

A 80-year-old Sylvanus Nweferu said that he heard a loud noise while in deep sleep which woke him up.
The survived girl said that her mother rescued her and went to save another member of the family when she was caught by the fire and died.

Confirming the incident, Henry Eze, the caretaker committee chairman of Ishielu local government area, lamented the death of the family and urged security agencied to investigate the matter.

In December 2015, a similar tragedy happened in Ogun state, when a family-of-five met with an ill-fate, after a night fire engulfed their residence at Abule Ake.

Residents within the Idi Aba area of Abeokuta metropolis were thrown into mourning as none of the Oloruku family was saved from the inferno.

Photo: 33-yr-old woman delivers baby from 4yr-old pregnancy

– Woman delivers baby after being pregnant for four years
– The baby was said to have “got lost” in the womb
– A consultant on naturopathic gynaecologist said it was an abnormal medical record

A 33-year-old woman identified as Oluwabunmi Ogidan was delivered of a baby on Wednesday, January 27 after reportedly being pregnant for four years.

The town of Ikugbomire in Obafemi Owode local government area, Ogun state became a sort of Mecca as people trooped to Alayo Vantage Hospital from far and near for a glimpse of the miracle baby, The Nation reports.

She had gotten married to her husband, Bankole Ogidan on August 27, 2011 and in 2013, there were signs that she was pregnant.

Woman delivers baby from four-year-old pregnancy in Ogun

Narrating what happened, her husband said: “We went for pregnancy test and it was confirmed positive. A few days after, my wife complained that she was feeling pains in her womb. We went to a midwife who told us that the pain was not a problem; that the pregnancy was intact. I was not satisfied, so I took her to another hospital (name withheld) where we did a scan but the doctor said he didn’t see any pregnancy. The doctor said there had been a miscarriage. I asked him that shouldn’t there be an outflow of blood if she had a miscarriage? The doctor said yes. I told him that we had not witnessed anything like that and he was shocked.”

He said they ran to their pastor, Prophet Emmanuel Ogbara, who assured him that God had told him the pregnancy was intact.

They returned to the hospital and were told that she had multiple fibroid in her womb with no chance of conception.

“All this while, my wife’s menstruation had ceased. It was only once after the pregnancy was sighted that we observed that little blood came out but stopped almost immediately. We left there for the Government Hospital in Owode, Ogun state,” Bankole said.

Meanwhile, Oluwabunmi’s stomach had protruded as if she was due for delivery and she had become the gossip of the town’s people.

Bankole explained that on September 10, 2015, his wife became ill with labour signs and he took her to the hospital. She was treated and asked to go for scan.

To the glory of God, the doctor here said he had seen a baby; that my wife was carrying four months pregnancy. At the church, the prophet confirmed again that the child had all along been there; only that scan could not pick it. So the hospital continued to nurture the baby for antenatal. But here again, they still saw fibroid in the womb. But to the glory of God 27th January this year, our baby finally arrived,” he said.
But before the baby was born, it was said to have “got lost” in the womb.

The hospital’s matron said: “We had to do an operation. When we did, we found that contrary to scan reports, we met a different thing in the womb. It was a sac with pus inside. It was not fibroid. And looking inside, we didn’t see any baby. But I remembered that I used to hear sound inside Mrs Ogidan’s womb, so the doctor searched further; the baby was hidden in the uterus.

“We thank God. It’s a miracle. The sac was so big that it swallowed up the uterus where the baby was. The sac was so big that the uterus could not be easily found. The doctor said he had never seen such a thing before.”

Dr Sam Akinyemi, a consultant on naturopathic gynaecologist described the situation as “an abnormal medical record.”

'We are not deterred, we are not dismayed' – Peterside

– Dakuku Peterside accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court
– He noted that the blood of those who were killed during election in the state will demand for justice

“We are not deterred, we are not dismayed. Our first position is that we have accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court, if though, with some form of reservations.”

Dakuku Peterside, the Rivers state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has stated that the blood of those who were killed during election in the state will demand for justice.
Leadership reports that Peterside said this on Saturday, January 30, while addressing supporters of the APC who were at the Port Harcourt International Airport, to receive him on his arrival from Abuja.
Speaking about the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the election of Governor Nyesom Wike, the APC candidate said:

“We are not deterred, we are not dismayed. Our first position is that we have accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court, if though, with some form of reservations. But, we have not alternative. So, that verdict has been accepted but we also know that the blood of all those people who were killed on the 11th of April; all those people who were killed will be crying for justice.

“You may have gotten the judgement of man, but wait for the judgement of God. In the judgement of God, there is no appeal. So, please, don’t be discouraged; you have always known that we are greater together. One thing is definite, and the only thing we are certain about is that God’s judgment is coming and when it comes, there is not any man can do about it.

“We have not heard the end of this matter. If you serve a living God, you have no cause to worry, unless nobody died in the cause of the election, unless they did not use violence on our people, unless, the did not soil their hands, then, they will go scot free. But if they killed one life, if they killed people, if people died, if blood was spilled in his land, nobody who had a hand in it, who participated in the meeting will ever go scot free.”

Speaking earlier, Peterside had promised to offer help to the government of Wike through the provision of virile opposition. He also expressed hope that the Rivers state governor and his team would appreciate the suggestions and proposals that were made in the interest of people of the state.

FA Cup: Iheanacho bags a hat-trick, Ighalo strikes again

– Iheanacho scored a hat-trick for Manchester City
– Ighalo scored for Watford
– Van Gaal is a relieved man
Naij.com sports reviews the fourth round of the English FA cup with Iheanacho scoring his first hat-trick for the Etihad outfit and Ighalo came on as a substitute to make the difference in Watford’s away victory.
Rooney, Blind and Mata eased the pressure on their manager, Louis Van Gaal.

Derby 1-3 Manchester United

A sigh of relief at last for Van Gaal as Rooney, Blind and Mata put a smile back on the face of their beleaguered boss.

Juan Mata was a revelation, and flourished in his favoured playmaker role after eventually earning the trust of the manager to spearhead United’s attacking and creative play.

However, the Spaniard was a peripheral figure in the early exchanges despite his imaginative and fluid movements.

Rooney’s superb curler set the ball rolling before allowing the host back into the game with George Thorne’s equalizer. Jesse Lingard provided the cross for Blind to score, putting United back into the lead.
The diminutive and impressive Spaniard rounded the night proceedings by applying the finishing touch to Martial’s pull-back late in the game to ease the pressure on their manager.

Colchester 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur

The gulf in class was obvious from the first whistle with Spurs continuously peppering the host’s defence. Colchester were not helped by the early loss of both central defenders to injury, with Wynter stretchered off, aiding Tottenham’s domination.

The away side deservedly opened the scoring in the 27^th minute when Lamela slides Chadli into space down the inside right, who curled the ball into the top left.


Erik Dier made it two in 64 minutes and Chadli’s brace made it three for the opposition in 78 minutes with a guided header.

Ben Davies’s own goal gave Colchester some hope of a comeback before Carrol put paid to that aspiration five minutes later by completing the goal-fest with a sweet volley.

Manchester United jubliates. Credit: AP

Arsenal 1-1 Burnley
Arsenal’s defence of the FA Cup continued unabated with a professional performance. Alexis Sanchez saved the Gunner’s blushes with his first goal in as many start since return from injury.

The first-half was fairly even with both sides creating chances. Calum Chambers put the home team ahead, his second-ever goal for Arsenal with a peach of a finish but Burnley deservedly got themselves level with a fine header from Sam Vokes.

Arsenal tightened their grip on the game in the second half resulting in a magnificient team goal. Sanchez started and finished the move when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross was smashed high into the net to put the Gunners in the hat for the fifth round.

Iheanacho celebrates his goal

Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester City
Iheanacho’s brace in the first half gave the opposition the perfect start to this comprehensive victory against an abysmal Villa side on their own ground.

He later secured his first hat-trick for the Etihad outfit in the rout. Iheanacho scored his first from the first corner of the game snatching home Fernando’s headed goal-bound ball on the line.
The second via a penatly awarded after Bacuna was adjudged to have shoved Raheem Sterling. Iheanacho scored his hat-trick when he ran into an empty space before beating Guzan at leisure.
His acrobat overhead kick led to the fourth with sterling bundling in to complete the rout.

Nothingham 0-0 Watford

Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo’s late goal put his team to the fifth round after coming on as a late substitute, his 15^th goal of the season.

The match was full of efforts and endeavours, but with little quality. The home team came into the match having conceded only once in their last five games and equally less effective scoring goals, Watford on the other hand were neat and purposeful but missed the predatory instinct of the Nigerian.

Ighalo made the difference when he eventually came on by capitalising on Kelvin Wilson mis-kick to drive in the decisive goal.

Full Results of the fourth round of the FA Cup 2016
Colchester1-4Tottenham
Arsenal 2-1 Burnley
Aston Villa 0-4 Man City
Bolton 1-2 Leeds
Bury 1-3 Hull
Crystal Palace 1-0 Stoke
Nottm Forest 0-1 Watford
Oxford Utd 0-3 Blackburn
Portsmouth 1-2 Bournemouth
Reading 4-0 Walsall
Shrewsbury 3-2 Sheff Wed
West Brom 2-2 Peterborough

The Super Eagles must prepare for match against Egypt - Rufai

– The Super Eagles must prepare well for the crucial Nations cup qualifier against Egypt
– Sunday Oliseh needs to evaluate himself
– The team should take positive lessons from the CHAN exit

Nigeria’s ex-international and arguably the best Nigerian goalkeeper of all time Peter Rufai also known as ‘Dodo Mayana’, was at the launch of Ikorodu United, one of the Lagos based newly promoted side to the Nigerian premier league.

In an interview with Naij.com Sports, the ex number one shot-stopper thanked the management of Ikorodu United for returning elite football to Nigeria’s commercial hub.

He also cautions Sunday Oliseh on the crucial Nations Cup and World Cup qualifiers which are fast approaching.

Excerpts:

Naij.com Sports: Sir, Ikorodu United are being launched into the premier league, how do you feel about this?
I have to give the management big kudos. Not just for the success, but one-for-one I can tell you, it would not have been easy.

They have been consistent. If you want to move to the elite league anywhere in the world, there are big challenges, especially in this part of the world.

Having set up a team like this, you fit in the right people into positions, and this has told their story.

Players of Ikorodu United display their kit

Looking at the management and the players, the technical crew, it is not easy managing players in this country. I can tell you, for them to have been able to keep these boys from different background is a big kudos.

For them to be promoted into the elite league, the fans in Lagos that have been longing for this; in fact we thought we would have it with Stationery Stores, it did not come true All efforts did not go well.
This time around, Ikorodu United have made it and I am glad on that note.

Naij.com Sports: Looking at the Super Eagles and their early exit at the African Nations Championship, how did you feel as an ex-international?
Personally, I don’t think that tells well on grounds of what we should be doing now in Africa and in the world, in terms of football.

It is over three decades since Nigeria had dominated the scene; I am talking about the 80s, before my time, then during my time. Right now, we should be in a position of both knowledge of the game and playing of the game, as well as the knowledge of tournaments and participation and knowledge of preparation.
With all these, Nigeria today should have been masters. So, it tells it all. I am disappointed that up till now, we are still struggling with the game itself.

I think the challenges the team had encountered, we hear different information about not properly being taken care of and all that, but I know the present administration are doing everything within their reach. Now we have a Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, a man with a well-proven knowledge of soccer management alongside Amaju Pinnick, the president.

Peter Rufai

So, we know they are good hands and I wonder what would have happened. However, if we want to look at another perspective where we should know it is time to raise new players for the national team
To do this for the future, we should be ready to take the challenges.

So I think the exit at CHAN has served as a lesson and we should take it as a build-up process.

Naij.com Sports: Now the World Cup and Nations Cup qualifiers are fast approaching, what lessons have we learnt from the early exit in Rwanda?
The early exit took everyone by surprise, because they walloped their Nigerien opponents in the first game.
Their game against Tunisia was a big one, as the North Africans are never push overs in African football; the last game against Guinea; I used to know the Guineans as a very tough team, though many would not observe this. The Camaras of those days, whenever we play against these guys, we are always on our toes.
So we should not let over confidence over shadow us. So, this has served as a lesson for the boys.
I hope this would be a morale booster for the team.

Naij.com Sports: Sir, the Super Eagles will play a crucial AFCON qualifier against the Pharaohs of Egypt about 7 weeks from now, what are the ‘ingredients’ missing which you think Oliseh can quickly work on?
We don’t have anything missing in terms of expertise in our football. I only believe Oliseh would evaluate himself and then pick-up over expectations and work towards the victory of this crucial encounter.

Peter Rufai in action at USA 94′

Naij.com Sports: Finally, what’s your advice for the Ikorodu United players?
Fantastic! Number one they must be discipline, as long as they have this. You can describe the word discipline in over a hundred of pages.

As long as they can handle this with commitment, then the sky is not their limit. They would go as far as possible.

Merkel: Refugees Must Go Home After Wars End

German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin January 29.Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

NEUBRANDENBURG, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday tried to placate the increasingly vocal critics of her open-door policy for refugees, insisting that asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq would go home once the conflicts there had ended.

Merkel, despite appearing increasingly isolated over her policy, has resisted pressure from some conservatives to cap the influx of refugees, or to close Germany's borders. A record 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year.

But growing concern about the country's ability to cope and worries about crime and security after assaults on women are weighing on support for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Merkel said that despite efforts to integrate refugees and help them, it was important to stress that they had only been given permission to stay for a limited period of time.

"We need...to say to people that this is a temporary residential status and we expect that once there is peace in Syria again, once IS has been defeated in Iraq, that you go back to your home country with the knowledge that you have gained," she said at a meeting of CDU members in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

She said 70 percent of refugees that fled to Germany from the war in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s had returned to their home countries.

Her remarks come after Horst Seehofer, leader of the CSU, threatened to take her government to court if his demand to stem the flow of asylum seekers was not met.

Support for the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has edged up into double digits. Its leader said in an interview published on Saturday that border guards should shoot at refugees to prevent them from illegally entering the country if need be.

Merkel has tried to convince other European countries to take in quotas of refugees, pushed for reception centers to be built on Europe's external borders, and led an EU campaign to try to convince Turkey to keep refugees from entering the bloc.

But progress has been slow.

Germany wants to limit migration from North Africa by declaring Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia "safe countries," which would end their citizens' chance of being granted asylum.

Merkel said she had spoken to Morocco's king and that Morocco had said it was prepared to take back people from that country.