Politics
Lai Mohammed lists president Buhari’s 100 achievements in 2021
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has listed 100 achievements of the Buhari administration in 2021.
Addressing a press conference in Lagos today, Mohammed said despite challenges that came with 2021, the administration made “tremendous” progress in fighting insecurity and growing the economy.
“What we have done here is to highlight the major achievements, hence this is by no means exhaustive,” the minister said.
“That’s why we are also giving you a list of 100 achievements of the Buhari administration in 2021. Success is not measured by the number of challenges you face, but by how you tackle the challenges.”
Here are achievements as presented by Mohammed;
- 1. The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) sets up various operations across
the country to enhance security. These include the Joint Task Force
(JTF) North East, tagged Operation HADIN KAI covering the North East
region; the JTF SS, tagged Operation DELTA SAFE covering the South
South region; the JTF NW, known as Operation HADARIN DAJI covering the
North West region; Operation SAFE HAVEN covering Plateau, parts of
Kaduna and Bauchi States; Operation WHIRL STROKE covering Benue,
Nasarawa and Taraba States; JTF SW, referred to as Operation AWATSE
and covering Lagos and Ogun States; Operation THUNDER STRIKE covering
Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Operation WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of
Kaduna State. - 2. Under Operation HADIN KAI, a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic
operations, coupled with a review of strategies, led to the
neutralization of over 1000 terrorists, rescue of 2000 civilians and
the surrender of over 22,000 terrorists including their families.
Several arms and ammunition were also recovered. This is in addition
to destruction of several IED/bomb making factories of the ISWAP/BHT.
Under Operation HADARIN DAJI in the North West, the conduct of
offensive clearance operations, raids and air operations resulted in
the neutralization of about 427 bandits, arrest of 257 bandits, rescue
of 897 civilians and recovery of 3,087 livestock. Similarly, Operation
WHIRL PUNCH covering parts of Kaduna neutralized about 215 bandits,
arrested 133 bandits, rescued 296 civilians and recovered 136
livestock, while Operation THUNDER STRIKE neutralized 36 bandits,
arrested 74, rescued 296 civilians and recovered 136 livestock. In the
North Central, raids and clearance operations conducted by Operation
SAFE HAVEN neutralized 91 criminal elements, arrested 155 suspects,
rescued 159 civilians and recovered 3,259 livestock. For its part,
Operation WHIRL STROKE neutralized 158 criminals, arrested 151
suspects and rescued 183 civilians. Operation DELTA SAFE in the
South-South destroyed about 1,520 illegal refineries, confiscated
5,315 storage facilities and impounded 617 cotonou boats, amongst
other items. Additionally, about 74,297,425 litres of Dual Purpose
Kerosene (DPK), 41,971,693 litres of crude oil and 88,350 litres of
PMS were recovered. Furthermore, 174 trucks and 13 vessels were
impounded while 755 illegal oil bunkerers were arrested and 153
assorted weapons recovered. In the South West, patrols and clearance
operations by troops of Operation AWATSE led to the arrest of 46
persons for various forms of criminalities while several vehicles,
jerricans, motorcycles and electricity generators used for illegal
bunkering were seized.. - 3. The AFN also acquired a number of platforms during the reporting
period to raise the level of their operational readiness and
efficiency, in addition to boosting their capacities. During the
period under review, the Nigerian Army procured 160 MRAPS, 150 trucks
and 60 APCs to improve its equipment holding. Various kits were
equally provided for troops. This is in addition to the provision of
accommodation for troops and the recruitment of over 10,000 personnel
into the Army. The Nigerian Navy (NN), for its part, commissioned the
FALCON EYE Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, the third
locally-built Seaward Defense Boat, one helicopter, 4 inshore patrol
boats and 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Over 1,500 personnel were
recruited into the Navy during the year. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF)
took delivery of 12 Super Tucanos and 3 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft
and other platforms with which it has conducted several Air
interdictions, provided close air support to ground troops and
destroyed several illegal structures and equipment belonging to
terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements. - 4. The AFN has also contributed immensely to International peace and
security efforts with its robust participation in the United Nations
Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA)
and the regional initiative, the ECOWAS Military Intervention in
Gambia (ECOMIG). The Nigerian military’s continued participation in
these Missions has ensured their viability and sustenance towards
achieving their military and political goals. - 5 Passage of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
- 6. Incorporation of NNPC limited under CAMA.
- 7 Entrenchment of Transparency, Accountability and Performance
Excellence (TAPE) in NNPC. - 8 Final Investment Decision on $3.6bn methanol plant in Bayelsa. The
plant, an integrated methanol and gas project in Odioma, Brass Island,
Bayelsa State, which is scheduled to come into operation in 2024, is
expected to produce 10,000tons of methanol daily. - 9 US$260m Funding Agreement for ANOH Gas Processing Company Limited
(AGPC). The project will deliver 300 million standard cubic feet of
gas per day and 1,200 megawatts of electricity to the domestic market. - 10 Launch of Nigerian Upstream Cost Optimization Programme (NUCOP) to
drive down the cost of crude oil production in the country so as to remain competitive in the global market. - 11 Award of $1.5 billion contract for Rehabilitation of Port Harcourt
Refinery to Tecnimont SPA of Italy. - 12 Commercialization of OML 143 Gas13 Execution of OML 118 (Bonga)
Agreements between NNPC & Partners. - 13 Shareholder Agreement for Brass Petroleum Product Terminal (BPPT).
When completed, the BPPT will help close the infrastructure gap in the
distribution of petroleum products which will consequently stabilize
petroleum product price in the riverine communities of the Niger
Delta. - 14 Contract signed to build Maiduguri Emergency Power Project.
- 15 NNPC Posts N287 billion Profit, the first time it will record such
profit in 44 years. - 16 Construction/Rehabilitation of 21 Roads under FG’s Road
Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit
Scheme. - 17 Sustained Supply of Petroleum Products.
- 18 Projects carried out by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in 2021
(I) Nnewi-Uduma Road, Sections I and II (26.27km) in
Enugu and Ebonyi States
(II) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section II (100.08KM
(Shuwarin-Azare) in Jigawa and Bauchi States
(III) Kano-Maiduguri Road Section III (Azare-Potiskum)
106.34km in Bauchi and Yobe States
(IV) Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road Phase I and II
(24km) in Benue and Cross River States
(V) Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road (304km)
(VI) The 360-meter bridge at Ikom in Cross River Stater –
completed and awaiting commissioning.
(VII) The 400-meter border bridge between Nigeria and
Cameroon – completed and awaiting commissioning.
(VIII) The 2nd Niger Bridge is 78% completed, expected to be
ready in November 2022:
(IX) Launch of the Highway Development and Management
Initiative (HDMI), a framework for private sector participation in
road development.
(X) The policies, programmes and projects of the Ministry
have contributed to stabilizing the macro-economic situation of the
country, particularly in job creation. The activities of the Ministry
have further contributed to the growth of other sectors of the economy
such as: –
i. Mining sector through the supply of aggregates,
laterite, limestone and other building materials;
ii. Cement manufacturing, Bitumen (Importation); steel
production to support construction needs;
iii. Property values are reportedly appreciating by 30%-40%
as a result of road transport infrastructure;
iv. Demand for petroleum products like Diesel, Petrol,
Lubricants and tyres has increased as a result of construction
activities and the need to operate machines. - 19 Designation of Four International Airports in Abuja, Kano, Lagos
and Port Harcourt as Special Economic Zones, aimed at encouraging
business/investment.
20 Construction and installation of Boeing 737 full motion flight
Simulator at NCAT. By that, Nigeria will be saving millions of dollars
spent in the retraining of pilots in other countries. - 21 Installation of Fully Automated Aircraft Firefighter Training
Simulator at NCAT, first of its kind in Africa. - 22 Re-fleeting of Trainer Aircraft at NCAT. Six have since arrived.
- 23 Installation of novel Cat III ILS/DME at Lagos and Abuja airports.
The instruments allow the flight to land at low visibility. - 24 Procurement of two mobile control towers in Lagos and Abuja airports.
- 25 The Ministry of Aviation received provisional approval for the
establishment of Aerospace University in Abuja. - 26 Abuja airport received an award from Airport Council International
for being the best by size and region in Africa. - 27 The Ministry of Aviation, in its effort to resuscitate airstrips in
the country, commissioned the construction work of Wachakal airstrip
in Yobe state. - 28 The Federal Government, through the Ministry, has disbursed N5
billion palliative to the aviation industry in a bid to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on their operations. - 29 Flag-off of the Commercial Operation of Lagos-Ibadan rail line in June 2021.
- 30 Launching of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (Also known as Deep Blue Asset).
- 31 MOU with Mota-Engil Group for the construction of US$1.959 billion
Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway lines. - 32 Ground-breaking ceremony for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
of the 2,044-km Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway
project and Bonny Deep Sea and Railway Industrial Park. - 33 Ground-breaking ceremony of the Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge
Rail-line Modernization Project. - 34 Construction of 159 Rural Water Supply Schemes in the North-East,
IDP camps and some Federal Institutions and Establishments. - 35 Full implementation of the Partnership for Expanded Water
Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) programmes with the construction of
926 rural water supply schemes in 12 States of Imo, Katsina, Jigawa,Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto, Ondo, Osun, Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna and Gombe States. - 36 Secured World Bank loan for the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water
Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme in the sum of $700 million
to be disbursed to eligible States. - 37 The Clean Nigeria Campaign has yielded the following results in the
last 12 months:
(I) 71 LGAs are now Open Defecation Free. All States of the Federation
except one have now flagged off the Clean Nigeria Campaign.
(II) Collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) resulted in
the training of community mobilization officers in all 774 LGAs.
Sensitization is on-going at ‘grassroots’ level.
(III) To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry developed and
implemented the National WASH response to COVID-19 projects which
include the rehabilitation of 185 Water Supply Projects (5 per State
and FCT), construction of 185 solar powered Water Supply Projects (5
per State and FCT), Construction of 370 Public Sanitation Facilities
(10 per State and FCT), Support to State Water Agencies for their
operation to ensure uninterrupted Water Supply, Procurement of 370
Contactless Hand washing Facilities with soap and sanitizers (10per
State and FCT) and Engagement of 77,400 Youth Volunteers for Hand
washing and Open Defecation Campaigns. - 38 Twelve Dams were completed in a bid to maximize full utilization of dam infrastructure.
- 39 Under irrigation, so far 96,000 hectares of irrigation were developed in 2021.
- 40 The River Basin Development Authorities are being revitalized to
deliver their mandate. - 41 Creation of a total of 57,261 direct jobs and 11,588 indirect jobs
through the various dam, irrigation and water supply projects completed within the reporting period. - 42 The commissioning of a pilot cottage poultry processing facility at Dei Dei Livestock market in Abuja.
- 43 Flag-off of the 4-km Ung Wabai- un Doka Day Secondary School Asphaltic road in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
- 44 Commissioning of a Communication Center and Administrative Block of
the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria in Abuja. - 45 Rollout of the distribution of free agricultural Inputs to 7,500 Women Farmers in FCT and the North Central States.
- 46 Flag-off of training of 1,000 Extension Agents, comprising 30 from each state and FCT.
- 47 Distribution of free agricultural inputs to Smallholders Farmers in
Maiduguri, Borno State to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 Pandemic. - 48 Distribution of free agricultural inputs to Physically-Challenged Farmers in Maiduguri, Borno State, to mitigate the effect of COVID 19 Pandemic.
- 49 Commissioning of Yam Storage Facility in Nasarawa State with a storage capacity of 45-50 Metric Tons.
- 50 Streamlining of the guidelines for the grant of Expatriate Quota Positions and related instruments.
- 51 Review of the various Expatriate Quota fees, thus generating additional revenue for the Federal Government.
- 52 Improved on-line tracking of applications, thereby boosting Nigeria Foreign Direct Investment.
- 53 On-line linkage on eCitibiz platform with other MDAs like NCDMB,
NIS, CAC, FIRS and other government agencies to verify documents and
enhance the integrity of on-line processing of Expatriate Quota services in line with the Executive Order 1 (EQ1) for the Ease of doing Business in Nigeria. - 54 Creation of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection Unit in the Ministry of Interior to boost the fight against corruption.
- 55 Presidential approval of Legal Notices which allow Local Governments to conduct Statutory Marriages sequel to compliance with regulations by the Ministry, in line with the Marriage Act of 1958 as amended.
- 56 Approval of the National Action Plan to end statelessness in Nigeria, as required by the UN.
- 57 Launch of the new Visa Policy reclassifying the Visa Categories from 6 to 79.
- 58 Visa on Arrival to holders of Passports of African Countries.
- 59 Construction of a world-class technology building to manage all Nigeria Immigration Service ICT enhanced Systems, Installation of Migration
- 60 Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) installed in all Airports in the country, as well as the construction and commissioning of Immigration State Commands in Kaduna, Enugu, Sokoto.
- 61 Introduction of the Passport Issuance Reform, which ensured the
clearing of a backlog of 96,083 Passports applications between January
and September, 2021. - 62 Also, 42,768 standard and Visa On Arrival (VOA) were issued within
this period. - 63 Creation of Citizen Integrity Unit at the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps as well as training of Squad to protect schools and the deployment of over 1,500 personnel as Agro-Rangers to protect farmers in Yobe and Adamawa States in order to promote food security in the country.
- 64 Construction of 3,000-capacity custodian centers in the three geopolitical zones as well as the re-opening and rehabilitation of 32 correctional centers shut down due to insurgency.
- 65 The Nigeria Correctional Service Command Complex was recently
commissioned in Osogbo, Osun State.
66 Crude oil export improved considerably at N10.03 trillion, compared to N6.92 trillion, showing a growth rate of 44.93%. - 67 Twenty-eight newly-procured fire engines were deployed across the country to boost emergency response.
- 68 Training of 25,000 constabularies in several police colleges across the country under the implementation of the community policing initiative.
- 69 Four hundred and eighteen Cadet officers of regular course 3 were
successfully graduated in June 2021 and deployed into the operational
asset of the Nigeria Police Force. - 70 Police Public Complaints Committee (PPCC) was inaugurated as a permanent structure that will help to effectively nip in the bud civil unrest and serve as an opportunity for Nigerians to channel their grievances on the misconduct of police personnel.
- 71 Establishment of the West Africa Police Information System (WAPIS).
WAPIS connects member countries in a platform for shared intelligence
utilization, mutual cooperation, and exchange of expertise. - 72 Federal Executive Council approval for the Police Specialized
Services Automation Project (Po-SSAP). It is envisaged that in the
medium- and long-term period, the project will deliver economic
benefits and improved efficiencies as follows:
a. Special protection services for the Oil and Gas and
Telecommunication sectors.
b. Special protection and Guards’ services for the banking and
financial services sector.
c. Special protection and guards’ services for Hospitality, Real
Estate, and Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors.
d. Special protection to politically-exposed persons (PEPs), high net
worth individuals, and large corporations. - 73 The Police Trust Fund procured 200 Buffalo branded vehicles,
bulletproof vest, protective helmets, drugs, and medical equipment as
well as arms and ammunition, riot control equipment, and combat
equipment for the Police Special Weapon and Tactical Squad (SWAT). - 74 The Ministry of Police Affairs entered into a contract agreement
for the supply of police Anti-Riot Equipment with Poly Technology of
China through a Government-to-Government arrangement at a cost of 44
million U.S Dollars.
75 The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning generated
N1.53 trillion from Value Added Tax (VAT). Some N496.4 billion was
generated from VAT in the first three months of 2021, the highest in
nine years. - 76 The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has maintained the January-December Budget cycle with the support of members of the National Assembly.
- 77 Perfected the implementation of e-Customs Limited. This is a
Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with the sole objective of implementing
the 20-year concession for the Presidential Initiatives on Customs Modernization (e-Customs Project). - 78 Implementation of the Economic Sustainable Plan (ESP) approved by
the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last year. - 79 The economy’s Exit from recession, an indication that the Federal
Government’s fiscal policies and diversification of the economy effort
is yielding results. - 80 Development and launch of the Federal Government’s Medium-Term and Long-Term National Development Plan, known as ”Nigeria Agenda 50”, for the
next generation. - 81 The partnership of the Ministry and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to support Nigerian Farmers and vulnerable small-scale farmers in the seven northern states was boosted with N342m.
- 82 Gradual repayment of national debts – both domestic and external.
- 83 Through the economic and recovery policies put in place by the
Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the economy has
gradually recovered from the negative effects of the COVID -19 global
pandemic. - 84 Cashless Economy is recording further boost as the value of
electronic payment transactions rose year-on-year (YoY) by N9.7
trillion or 80% to N21.9 trillion in 2020, from N12.2 trillion in
2019. - 85 During the period under review, the Consolidated Revenue Fund and
Forex Trade doubled as a result of the economic and recovery policies
put in place by the Ministry. - 86 During the period under review, both the GDP growth was sustained,
pressure on balance of payments abated while the Ministry continued to
ensure that Forex shortage resulting in pressure on the Naira was brought to manageable level. - 87 Expansion of N-Power from 500,000 to 1 million beneficiaries.
- 88 Restructuring of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment
Programme (GEEP) to GEEP 2.0. The revamped GEEP 2.0 was officially
launched on 24th August 2021 and has successfully registered over six
hundred thousand potential beneficiaries in all the 774 LGAs
nationwide - 89 National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP) now
providing meals to nearly 10,000,000 school children nationwide. The
program has further empowered over 100,000 cooks and over 100,000
small holder farmers in the local areas where the schools are located
while creating employment opportunities across sectors such as
transportation and manufacturing. - 90 The Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), which has as its flagship
the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) has covered all the 36 States and FCT. A total of 1,676,799 eligible households across the country are enrolled into the CCT intervention and benefiting from the monthly N5,000 grant. Due to the pandemic outbreak and the directive of Mr. President to further expand the National Social Register and the CCT,
the Ministry designed the Rapid Response Register (RRR) especially for COVID 19 Cash Transfer targeting 1 million Urban Poor. - 91 The National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria reflects the focus of the Federal Government with respect to Nigeria’s Digital Economy which was hinged on 8 strategic pillars. As part of the efforts aimed at implementing the Policy, some of the projects implemented nationwide include:
(I) ICT Innovation Hubs
(II) Digital Skills for Entrepreneurs and Innovators
(III) Community IT Training Centers
(IV) Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers (TIKC)
(V) School Knowledge Centers (SKC), Digital Economy Centers, and Emergency Communication Centers (ECC), to mention but a few. Over 300 of these centers have been established all over the Country. - 92 The issues of National Identification Number and that of unregistered/improperly-registered SIM cards have been addressed. This has led to:
- (i) Significant increase in the National Identification Number (NIN)
Enrolments and Enrolment Centers. The current number of monthly
enrollments has increased significantly from less than 50,000 to over
2.6 million registrations (more than 500% increase).
(ii) There has also been a remarkable increase in the number of
enrolment centers across the country, with about 3,800 centers now
available for enrollments. - 93 Increase in Broadband Penetration from about 33% in August 2019 to
about 45.07% in November 2020, an increase of about 10% in a year. - 94 Significant drop in the cost of 1GB of broadband from N1,200 in
August 2019 to N487.18 in November 2020. - 95 Selection of Nigeria for the Chairmanship and position of the
Executive Secretary of the West Africa Telecom Regulators Assembly
(WATRA) on the 10th of March 2021. - 96 Creation of 2 Virtual Institutes and training of about 210,000
Nigerians, many of whom received certifications. - 97 Among the ICT Centers that have been developed, completed and
commissioned nationwide are:
(i) Emergency Communication Centers;
(ii) Digital Economy Centers;
(iii) ICT Hubs;
(iv) IT Innovation and Incubation Park;
(v) Tertiary Institution Knowledge Centers;
(vi) School Knowledge Centers;
(vii) E-Accessibility Centers;
(viii) E-Accessibility; and
(ix) ICT Community Centers among others.
In each state of the Federation, at least five centers have been
completed and commissioned. - 98 Successful bidding process to select the companies that will
provide 5G network service - 99. The recovery of the economy remained on a steady path throughout the year 2021. For example, the country’s domestic growth in the first three quarters of 2021 was positive, recording real GDP of 0.51 percent in Q1, 5.01 percent in Q2 and 4.03 percent in Q3 2021, This was an improvement from a declining performance in the first three
quarters of 2020 (which led to economic recession) put at 1.87 percent in Q1, -6.10 percent in Q2 and -3.62 percent in Q3 2020. This economic performance in 2021 shows a steady improvement in growth over the last three quarters of 2020 arising from government policies and strategies such as the Economic Sustainability Plan; N500 billion COVID-19 Crisis Intervention Fund etc. - 100. Inflation rate has continued to decline on a year-on-year basis since April 2021 when 18.12% was recorded. Looking at the trend, a declining rate was recorded from 17.93% in May to 17.01% in August, 15.99% in October and 15.40% November 2021.
Politics
‘It’s ridiculous’ — LP debunks claim of working for Tinubu ahead of 2027
The Labour Party (LP) has denied allegations of working for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
The party is reacting to a viral video in which Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer, alleged that the LP is working for the president.
In a statement issued on Friday, Obiora Ifoh, national publicity secretary of the LP, said the party has no plans to support Tinubu.
“As a matter of fact, the Labour Party is the most visible opposition party as of today, and our national chairman, Barrister Abure, is the leading voice in the opposition camp and has been most critical of the present government,” the statement reads.
“After the 2023 general election, it continued to interrogate the system’s failure and has been very visible playing the role of the opposition, continuously critiquing the policies, proffering solutions, and advising the government.
“It is on record that the Labour Party has on several occasions spiritedly debunked the allegations that it has an unholy understanding with the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, to collaborate ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Recently, the party, under the able leadership of Mr. Julius Abure, came up with a series of programmes, including the creation of the electoral reform committee.
“With it, we hope to enthrone credible, fair, and transparent processes, leading to the selection of leadership in the country, with the Labour Party being a major victim in the 2023 general election.
”All these efforts to reposition the party for someone to be demarketing such a party in such an unguarded and callous manner is most ridiculous and unfortunate.
“We are, therefore, challenging Deji Adeyanju and any other person to come up with facts and proofs that either the party leadership or Mr. Abure intends to work for President Bola Tinubu or his party, the APC, in 2027.
“Adeyanju’s assertion, which is presently trending globally, has caused the Labour Party enormous harm, and we are demanding that he refrain from causing the party further harm.
“As a political party, we view Deji Adeyanju’s now-viral comments as criminal defamation, a clearly motivated ploy to ridicule our hard-earned reputation.
“We are therefore calling on Mr. Adeyanju, who ought to know the grave consequences of a defamatory act, to without delay provide facts and evidence to prove that the Labour Party has been ‘bought’ over by President Tinubu.
“He also has a choice to withdraw his ill assertions and apologise to the leadership and millions of members of the Labour Party for the great harm he has caused the party.”
Politics
‘Absolutely ridiculous’ — APC chieftain faults Daniel Bwala’s appointment
Jesutega Onokpasa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has faulted the appointment of Daniel Bwala as special adviser on policy communication to President Bola Tinubu.
Onokpasa’s remarks come amid controversy surrounding Bwala’s past criticism of the president.
Bwala, who served as the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 presidential campaign, was vocal in his allegations against Tinubu.
He called for the president’s arrest and prosecution over alleged corruption, including accusations related to drug proceeds forfeited in the United States.
At the time, Bwala also called on Nigerian law enforcement agencies to take action against Tinubu.
Speaking on ‘News Night,’ an Arise TV programme, Onokpasa criticised the president’s decision to appoint Bwala, describing it as a betrayal to the president’s supporters.
“Our dear and beloved President stabbed all of us, his staunch supporters, in the back with this absolutely ridiculous, meaningless and just inexplicable appointment,” Onokpasa said.
“I am a Tinubu supporter and not a sycophant; his apologists are calling his appointment of Bwala strategy, but I think it is stupidity.”
Onokpasa, who identifies as a loyal supporter of Tinubu, also expressed frustration at what he perceived as the president’s disregard for his base.
“Not all his supporters want an appointment. It’s just the insult that our president seems to take us (his supporters) for granted,” Onokpasa added.
Politics
Enugu LGA chairman appoints aides on garden egg, pepper, yam
Eric Odo, chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA of Enugu state, has appointed Ezeugwu Ogbonna as senior special assistant on agriculture (yam and pepper).
The appointment is contained in a letter dated November 1 and addressed to Ogbonna.
“I am pleased to inform you that the executive chairman Igbo Etiti LGA has approved your appointment as senior special assistant to the local government chairman on agriculture (yam and pepper),” the letter reads.
“You should report to the executive chairman Igbo Etiti LGA, Ogbede, for briefing and deployment.
“It is pertinent to note that this is not a career civil service appointment but a temporary appointment which you hold at the pleasure of the executive chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA.”
Odo also appointed Nwodo Ugonna as special adviser on garden egg and pepper.
The council chairman did not outline the specific duties of the appointees.
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