Restructuring: Buhari is a confused man – Afenifere

Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on the call for restructuring of the country is an indication that he is confused over the issue. In his Independence Day broadcast, Buhari had said irresponsible groups had hijacked the restructuring debate. However, Afenifere, in its reaction said Buhari was confusing call for restructuring with that for the breakup of Nigeria. Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin said Buhari should make a clear distinction between the two and work towards rescuing the country from imminent collapse. “Buhari is indirectly promoting those working for the break-up of Nigeria by ignoring the demands of Nigerians for restructuring”, Odumakin told Punch. Odumakin said, “He should separate those agitating for restructuring from those calling for a break-up of the country. I think he is confusing restructuring with break-up. “Those calling for restructuring are those working to avert the breakup of Nigeria while those opposed to it are the ones working for the break-up of the country. “Let the President deal with restructuring; if he does not listen to the agitations for restructuring, he is promoting those who are working for the break-up of the country.”

Restructuring: Tunde Bakare tells Buhari what to do

Founding Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare has called on the Nigerian government to set up a Presidential Commission with a 10-year mandate towards actualising Nigeria’s restructuring. The cleric, who was presidential running mate to Buhari in 2011 election, said the commission should be allowed to begin by 2018 and end by 2028. “We expect that the project will be flagged off under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in the period leading to the next governmental fiscal year,” he said. The cleric spoke in his State of the Nation address in the church in reaction to various agitations by various groups for restructuring. According to Bakare, who is also the convener of Save Nigeria Group (SNG), the body to be named “Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring” should be established by the President through an Executive Order, in full consultation with the Council of State and the National Assembly. He optimized that the National Assembly would do Nigerians proud on the onerous task of properly restructuring the country based on their antecedents particularly in frustrating the 3rd Third Agenda saga of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and in instituting “Doctrine of Necessity,” that brought in former President Goodluck jonathan – developments, he said, later stablished the polity. “Not only does the president want agitations managed through appropriate constitutional channels, he also wants a clarification of demands in concise terms, as well as propositions on practical pathways towards achieving those demands,” he said. On the job to be undertaken by the commission, Bakare opined that the panel should be handed the mandate and the powers to facilitate, within 10 years, the evolution of a functional and acceptable geopolitical structure subject to constitutional provisions while the 1999 Constitution was progressively amended. The commission, he said, “shall undertake a geo-economic and geosocial path to geopolitical restructuring by creating geo-economic frameworks, mending geosocial fault lines and attaining a geopolitical climax”.

Jonathan inherited Diezani from Obasanjo, Yar’adua – Ex-Minister, Suleiman

A former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, ​has ​reminded Nigerians that former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke​ also worked for former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Umar Yar’adua.​ He said while insisting that Diezani was already in public service and was retained by President Goodluck Jonathan. ​Sulieman stated that although Diezani has weighty allegations ​hanging around her neck, she might have committed some wrongdoings under previous governments. ​”​I cannot speak for Diezani. You must know that Jonathan inherited her from (Olusegun) Obasanjo and (Umaru) Yar’Adua’s governments. She has not spoken on most of these allegations​”, he said.​ “​She has not appeared before any court of law to defend herself, so it would be unfair on my own side to speak on whether she is guilty or not. Yes, the revelation is shocking and worrisome, but it will be unfair for me as an intellectual and a Muslim to now pass blame on whether she is right or wrong. ​”​One thing you must know is that Diezani was never a poor person before she came to government. She worked with Shell Petroleum. She was in money before she came on board as a minister to the best of my knowledge. ​”​So, to just make a sweeping condemnation, believing that everything forfeited or identified as Diezani’s property or assets are ill-gotten, I do not think that is fair enough. But the revelations are worrisome, mind-boggling. It took a lot of people by surprise, including me but again, we should still give her the benefit of the doubt.​”​

Ivorian footballer, Herve Guy diagnosed with heart problem

Al-Qadisiyah FC of Saudi Arabia have allowed their Ivorian player Hervé Guy to leave the club for treatment after doctors advised them against using the midfielder due to a medical issue with his heart. The club’s director, Ghazi Aseri  says, ‘doctors warned us not to use Herve in matches after medical examinations showed he has a myocardium problem. We allowed him to travel out of the country for more examinations’. The 33-year-old Guy joined Al-Qadisiyah earlier this year after four years with Moroccan side Ittihad Tanger.  He was a member of Ivory Coast’s Under 20 World Cup squad in 2003, and began his club career with Bastia in France followed by a move to Ivorian side Stella Club d’Adjamé. His club says they will reinforce their squad but insist they will continue to support Herve Guy in the meantime.  “We will add another player to our squad as Herve will need time to recover. We will not fire him from the squad, and we will support him and wish him a quick recovery,” Ghazi Aseri said.